Too hot?

[Brett's_daddy]

Okay, so when it gets really hot out the fishing generally gets tougher and tougher as they just aren't biting as much, if you're on a lake/pond with docks that's an obvious spot to start fishing as it represents shade for the fish to get under and stay out of the hot sun but what if the particular lake/pond you're fishing doesn't have any docks or other visible structure for the fish to hide out under...where do they go? I know the obvious answer is they go deeper where the water's cooler but sometimes the obvious answer isn't always the correct one...so where would you fish in a situation like this?

[riverbasser]

Vegetation! 

 

 

Or ledges

[BobP]

What’s wrong with the obvious answer?

[keagbassr]

Weeds pads cheese mats and the edges of all these are a good place to start. Also if your out early enough the you should  be able to find a "shady side".

[Troy85]

Vegetation.  I caught them Saturday fishing emergent grass edges with a spinner bait.  I was fishing in 4' of water with a surface temp of 88 degrees.

[Brett's_daddy]

42 minutes ago, BobP said:

What’s wrong with the obvious answer?

Nothing, just sometimes the obvious answer isn't the best is all.

[soflabasser]

If its very hot I won't be fishing during the day and instead I will be fishing at night or doing another hobby such as diving which is far more fun than bass fishing.

[scaleface]

I always found fishing in the summer just as good as the other seasons, some years better .Deeper structure and windy shores are two consistent producers .  Also waves created by heavy boat traffic can move the bass on shallow banks . I cant fish the heat these days , at least for now . Maybe in a year I will be able to . I sure miss it though . 

 

Infra   red light "heat" is absorbed quickly in the water and the shade should be   cooler than direct sun-light . 

[NHBull]

I usually fish the obvious, especially in the Summer.  Also look for laydowns as some fish just don't follow the rules......example...this morning air temp approached 90 and water Temps in the low 70' and the surface bite was ON in 3 foot deep full sun, rock piles.  It was also on in 30 feet of water........go figure 

[Eric J]

My local is just like what you describe. I pulled 2 hawgs out of millfoil/grass beds that are visible just under the surface this morning. Temps are horrendous.

 

They're there...

 

Eric J

[Catt]

Turn the heat source off ?

 

 

[Russ E]

First thing I do, in summer, is find the thremocline. then look for structure and baitfish at that depth.

some lakes around here stratify at 10 to 15 feet, so often you don't have to fish very deep.

[snake95]

1 hour ago, Catt said:

Turn the heat source off ?

Agreed.  Good time to head out with the black buzzbaits, black horney toads, etc.  Talk about heart-stopping good times.

[Angry John]

I have no idea why people fear night fishing but I sure enjoy being out alone

[Log Catcher]

The only time I can do any good in these conditions is to stay on the upper end where the river feeds in to it. Also fishing any coves in this area.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

Maybe not so much as fear night fishing, but it is hard to do when you have a family and demanding job. 

 

I work swing shift so I'm able to night fish more, but usually alone since everyone I know isn't able to go

[Mobasser]

Very early morning, or like some have said, break out big dark worms,  black buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, and if weeds permit, large black jitterbug. Spooky strikes, and big bass too. Great fun

[snake95]

55 minutes ago, NittyGrittyBoy said:

Maybe not so much as fear night fishing, but it is hard to do when you have a family and demanding job

Honestly, I get it, I have little kids and one of those too. 

I've found going at night actually is easier to pull off once kids in bed. 

 

Wife can watch TV and nobody complain I'm using the same time to throw toads and buzzbaits instead of couch surfing.  

[lo n slo]

brush piles

[Koz]

Down here many of the lagoons have thick, soupy aquatic algae. You know the kind - your lure goes through it and you real in a big glob of green slime. But a lot of times in the heat there are bass hiding in there. The trick is getting them to bite. Note - I bank fish these small lagoons.

 

If you try and drop a bait in there more often than not it gets slimed. Maybe I need to try punching with a heavy weight. It's hard to run a lure underneath as well because in many cases the algae goes from the surface to the bottom (keep in mind these are shallow, man made lagoons). So what I tend to do is drag a frog over the top and stop and pop over any open pockets.

 

The only problem is that a 3 pound bass comes back with an additional 4 pounds of slime. As I've been told, that does not count as landing a 7 pounder.

 

Other than the slime, we have very little vegetation and no docks or piers as these lagoons are small and in residential communities. There are stormwater inlet pipes in most of them, and many times the bass hang out there as well. They'll hang out both in and around the inlet pipes.

[BigAngus752]

3 hours ago, Angry John said:

I have no idea why people fear night fishing but I sure enjoy being out alone

I desperately want to try night fishing.  It's sound great to me, but I have only had my boat for just coming up on one year.  That's probably less than 20 trips out total.  I can barely keep myself alive in broad daylight when the wind hits 15mph.  And that's if I remember to put the plug in!  I'm not trying this blind....not yet....I hope to find someone who will take me out at night first.  

[SnailsYeast]

1 hour ago, Koz said:

 

Down here many of the lagoons have thick, soupy aquatic algae. You know the kind - your lure goes through it and you real in a big glob of green slime. But a lot of times in the heat there are bass hiding in there. The trick is getting them to bite. Note - I bank fish these small lagoons.

 

If you try and drop a bait in there more often than not it gets slimed. Maybe I need to try punching with a heavy weight. It's hard to run a lure underneath as well because in many cases the algae goes from the surface to the bottom (keep in mind these are shallow, man made lagoons). So what I tend to do is drag a frog over the top and stop and pop over any open pockets.

 

The only problem is that a 3 pound bass comes back with an additional 4 pounds of slime. As I've been told, that does not count as landing a 7 pounder.

 

Other than the slime, we have very little vegetation and no docks or piers as these lagoons are small and in residential communities. There are stormwater inlet pipes in most of them, and many times the bass hang out there as well. They'll hang out both in and around the inlet pipes.

 

This is my case exactly. However, i did have some luck flipping weightless senkos in the little pockets. The lakes around me are absolutely filled with that snot grass and peeling off a pound of algae definetly makes fishing less fun. 

[blckshirt98]

Same places people do when it gets hot, and when you want to avoid getting eaten by a raptor - cooler areas, shaded areas, areas where there's cover and harder for things to find you.

[Koz]

12 hours ago, SnailsYeast said:

...peeling off a pound of algae definetly makes fishing less fun. 

 

It definitely tests your patience, especially when the heat index is 100+.

 

As you mentioned, targeting breaks can work as well. Definitely a reason to work on casting accuracy.

[SloppyJ]

Not a lot of vegetation in the typical lakes I fish and the only real workable cover are boat docks. I'll hit those early and late with flukes and jigs. During the heat of the day, it's deep crank and finesse time on channels, ledges, and rock/brush piles. 

 

That's my general summertime game plan on my local lakes. I adjust as needed or I pack up and go home. It gets super hot down here but it's the time of the year that I get the majority of my fishing in.