What NOT to throw under bluebird skies??

[Luke Barnes]

I know spinnerbaits and top waters are not a go to when its hot, pretty still, and nothing but clear blue sky out. 

 

But what else does everyone avoid using when it's like this outside? Its pushing 100° here today but is really the first wave of heat this year for me. 

[huZZah]

If you can throw to shade, like a bridge or something, top water is still good in shallows. Like jitterbugs, props, poppers. Not frogs.

 

I like trig worms, and c-rigs/drop shot/shaky heads/jigs. When it’s stupid hot the fish are lethargic. You have to drop it right on them.  If I get bored I use swimbaits trig so I can let them fall and hit bottom.  Sometimes I do spinners slowly through grass. Or inlines still work if you can throw them under shade. A small split shot rigged jig with a live worm or plastic grub and just drag it on bottom. 
 

If all else fails, come back at night or morning ?‍♂️

[E-rude dude]

If there is one thing fishing has taught me. There are no rules. The fish dictate what they want. Most say fish the shade. Don’t fish flashy baits. Most of the time they are correct.

But don’t be afraid to experiment. Could be the day of your life. Especially if your throwing something no one else is.

[gunsinger]

Blue bird skies and high temps dictate shaded areas for me.  I've not really found something I won't try in those conditions but I usually stick with TR worms and jibs.

[flyfisher]

Topwater can be killer on bluebird sky days but choosing locations are important as shade, cooler water etc.. can come in to play.  

 

 

[WRB]

Tell Bobby Murray not to use a spinnerbait! Murray won the 1971 Classic at gin clear flat water blue bird sky at lake Mead on a  Zorro 1/4 oz white double willow spinnerbait.

No rules in bass fishing because bass can’t read. 

Tom

[MN Fisher]

1 hour ago, Luke Barnes said:

I know spinnerbaits and top waters are not a go to when its hot, pretty still, and nothing but clear blue sky out. 

 

Just now, WRB said:

Tell Bobby Murray not to use a spinnerbait!

Fish in my profile pic?

 

End of July, 85+ degree day, nearly glass surface, not a cloud in sight.  3/8oz White/Chartreuse twin-willow blade spinnerbait

 

I'll fish spinners from ice-out to ice-in.

[Hammer 4]

Caught a 6+ lb bass on a 75 degree day with blue bird skies on a 1/2 oz. white spinner bait. The bass actually breached the surface to get the bait before it hit the water.

So yeah, no rules even under those conditions. 

[scaleface]

I throw spinnerbaits under those conditions . I feel like they are one of the best lures . The key is to pick the weight that matches the sweet spot on your rod and  make precise low trajectory   cast . I use two colors bright and not bright . With blue bird skies and clear water I opt for not bright . I prefer a Willow/Colorado combo and put the lure in places where bass like to hang out,  like any object a lake has to offer .

[Luke Barnes]

24 minutes ago, WRB said:

Tell Bobby Murray not to use a spinnerbait! Murray won the 1971 Classic at gin clear flat water blue bird sky at lake Mead on a  Zorro 1/4 oz white double willow spinnerbait.

No rules in bass fishing because bass can’t read. 

Tom

Haha I got a chuckle out of this, but its also good info.

 

So I had misconceptions about clear skies fishing. Ive actually learned more this post than ive read in a long time. 

1 hour ago, huZZah said:

If you can throw to shade, like a bridge or something, top water is still good in shallows. Like jitterbugs, props, poppers. Not frogs.

 

I like trig worms, and c-rigs/drop shot/shaky heads/jigs. When it’s stupid hot the fish are lethargic. You have to drop it right in them.  If I get bored I use swimbaits trig so I can let them fall and hit bottom.  Sometimes I do spinners slowly through grass. Or inlines still work if you can throw them under shade. A small split shot rigged jig with a live worm or plastic grub and just drag it on bottom. 
 

If all else fails, come back at night or morning ?‍♂️

Why not frogs? I was planning on bringing the frog rod which has a Popping Pad Crasher in Aquafrog tied on to sling into shaded areas. 

 

Originally I was just going to bring two rods and throw a chatterbait and a wacky rig, but then thought about shade pockets and the frog then thought well I will want to try the middle of the pond in the deepest spots so added the T Rig so I could better distance than weightless wacky, and wacky in the shallows and grass lines. 

 

But heck after reading I might end up throwing a spinnerbait!!

[huZZah]

40 minutes ago, Luke Barnes said:

Why not frogs? I was planning on bringing the frog rod which has a Popping Pad Crasher in Aquafrog tied on to sling into shaded areas. 

I have never seen a frog anywhere near anything when it’s 100 in middle of day. I’ve never had any success. Maybe you will. 

[Kenny Yi]

don't even try to go bass fishing in bluebird skies, the fish are on vacation since the weather is so nice. 

 

 

 

on a more serious note, it's not WHAT I throw but WHERE/WHEN I throw it.  if you can hit a fish on the head with a spinnerbait, it will bite. 

[DitchPanda]

Frogs will absolutely work on hot bluebird days thrown into shade pockets and along shade lines. A Pop R can also be very good for this as well. Remember a frog doesn't always represent a frog to bass.. It just as easily passes for a bluegill or green sunfish lazily feeding on top or slowly dying. A white or silver one could pass for a small crappie or a shad.

[TcRoc]

Didn’t read all the posts but I’ll throw spinners and top water when it’s hot blue bird. I throw the kitchen sink til I figure it out lol. 

[Luke Barnes]

3 hours ago, huZZah said:

I have never seen a frog anywhere near anything when it’s 100 in middle of day. I’ve never had any success. Maybe you will. 

Ive caught frogs on hot blue bird days so I figured in shade pockets they would work. Also the one i have tied on more resembles a bait fish in color than a frog. 

[CrankFate]

A balsa crank, or any floating lure, fished like a topwater. Skipped over the surface with hard pulls while floating that makes a lot of noise can pull a fish or two from clear water on clear blue sky very hot days. I wouldn’t say your catching a limit like this (I never do) but one or two really ticked off fish when nothing else works—sometimes.

[Bluebasser86]

Super hot, sunny, and calm conditions are some of my best frogging weather. That's when fish go to the grass and will come through it to eat the frog. 

 

For me in those conditions, it would be a squarebill crankbait or lipless bait, unless I can find some submerged grass. I've caught too many bass on topwater when it was triple digits and flat calm, watching them come up to eat the bait. It doesn't make sense, but it doesn't have to as long as I'm putting fish in the boat. 

[Deephaven]

Interesting read for me to.  My go-to would be a frog.  Not on my home lake though where the frog bite regrettably sucks.  Jig and Trig there.

[Captain Phil]

Bright blue bird skies positions bass into and under cover.  It also reduces the size of their strike zone.  Many bass fisherman believe this makes for bad fishing.  What you must do is fish closer to the fish, slow down and make multiple casts to the same target.  This is perfect conditions for flipping in those lakes where water clarity is compromised.  Slow rolling a spinnerbait in and around a pad field can also work if you get close enough to the pads.  How close?  It may be inches, not feet and certainly not yards. Most weekend bass fishermen don't fish close enough to the fish.  They make one fishless cast 3-4 feet from the cover and move on.  Someone who knows better, works the cover multiple times from different angles and catches fish.

[MN Fisher]

17 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Slow rolling a spinnerbait in and around a pad field can also work if you get close enough to the pads.  How close?  It may be inches, not feet and certainly not yards. Most weekend bass fishermen don't fish close enough to the fish.  They make one fishless cast 3-4 feet from the cover and move on.  Someone who knows better, works the cover multiple times from different angles and catches fish.

Exactly what I did to catch mine on the spinner. Even ran it between the main patch and the small 'outliers' that crop up here and there. It was about 10 casts before this baby deigned to come out and hit the spinner.

[NHBull]

Nothing comes off the table, but accurate cast become more important.

Many times I will, "junk fish" to try and figure out the pattern  some.

 

Truth be told, bluebird sky's halp me eliminate water more than it does limit my arsenal 

[king fisher]

Every day is a clear blue bird day where I fish and the water temperature only varies a few degrees all year. Wind is the biggest factor.  In the morning when it is calm, slow and quite works best. When the afternoon winds pick up, fast and loud is the norm.  I don't rule out anything.  As others have said, bass don't always do what you expect.  The exact opposite approach of what I think is normal, has worked.

[rtwvumtneer6]

9 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Super hot, sunny, and calm conditions are some of my best frogging weather. That's when fish go to the grass and will come through it to eat the frog. 

Agree.  

 

I'll also pitch a creature bait.  I like a heavier weight in this scenario for a quicker fall rate.  Creates a reaction bite.  Most of the time you really have to pick an area apart as their strike zone seems to shrink.  Good news is my lakes become significantly smaller when I know what I'm looking for.  Usually the bite is on the initial fall or first hop.  Pitch, check, shake, retrieve, repeat. 

[Bird]

I'll throw anything in those conditions but take into account sun position and the ambush position of fish. 

Big fan of blue skies and glass water. 

[Bankc]

I think it's highly lake dependent.  Different waters will behave very differently.  Also, while the air temperature is really high right now, the water temperature won't be as high as it will be in the late summer when it's this hot out.  I normally would be fishing pretty deep in 100° weather.  But right now, even though it's almost that hot out, I've been finding them in the shallows.  

Also, I fish a spinnerbait all summer long.  When it's super hot out, I'll go bigger and deeper, but I'm still throwing a spinnerbait because it works for me.  I don't mess with T-rigged worms and Carolina rigs very much in the heat of summer when going deep because the bass are too spread out and the visibility is poor down there, so they usually can't find anything that doesn't make a lot of commotion.