Bucket List Bass Fisheries During Summer

[UmairF]

Wondering if you guys have any suggestions on bucket list bass fisheries when it’s really hot. Thinking July since the wife and I want to take a trip somewhere.

 

Been paying for a guide every time I go somewhere with the wife but getting kind of annoyed paying $350+ for a guide just to catch dinks. Went to Chickamagua and Okeechobee and caught 2 or 3 okay fish and that was the day both times. I know I’m not paying for “guaranteed optimal fishing conditions” but it just doesn’t make any sense for me to spend that kind of money when I know the season isn’t right. I also strongly dislike when we have to rely on live bait to catch fish. I never use live bait when I’m fishing and would rather spend the time searching for fish on artificials than take the easy way out and throw a minnow on a bobber. At least I get more of a learning experience using artificials than sitting around using something I’d never throw again.

 

Not that it’s the guide’s fault by any means! In fact we’ve created fun memories and the guides we’ve had have all been great and nothing but nice. The fishing just has never turned out as productive maybe because of the season, weather, other factors for that day. That’s just how fishing goes and I get that but I’m starting to get hesitant on dropping that much money on these guide trips unless there’s a higher chance that the season is right.

 

So that’s why I’d like some suggestions on higher percentage lakes during July so at least I know I’m doing my research before booking something. Just using this as a starting point since I know nothing in fishing is guaranteed.

 

Thanks,

Umair

[Swamp Girl]

Smallmouth or largemouth?

[UmairF]

15 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

Smallmouth or largemouth?

Either is fine! Would appreciate recs for both

[GaryH]

Lake Erie and St. Lawrence river both would be a good choice.

[Junk Fisherman]

This is easy- go to Door Co for smallmouth.  I prefer going towards the tip of the peninsula by Sisters Bay.  If you wanna get a little crazy- go to Washington Island.  Lots of good guides up there.  You'll be surprised how much nicer it is when it's 85+ degrees and humid everyday around Chicago.  

[Kirtley Howe]

Come on up to New York and hit Cayuga Lake. The state record smallmouth was caught in this lake last year. If you have your own boat, there are plenty of places to launch. Unfortunately, if you don't have a boat, there is not a whole lot of bank fishing spots available. There are a few places that rent boats....but they are only motorized row boats, not bass boats. Many places rent kayaks if that is of interest to you. On Cayuga, you don't really need a guide. Got to the north end for largemouth, and the mid and lower part of the lake for smallies, though you can catch either in any location.  Fish weeds, docks and rocky shoreline as you would anywhere else. Summer is a great time for bass on Cayuga. The Thousand Island region of New York is also a great summer fishery for bass, but if you go there, you almost definitely need a guide the first time out....the area can be very tough to navigate, and finding the really great spots can be difficult, though you can catch decent bass from the docks at any of the state parks. Maybe not trophy bass, but a lot of 2 1/2 to 4 lb bass are common.  Come on up and have fun. It is a beautiful area with many other things to do besides fish if that interests you. 

[Swamp Girl]

I'd fish the Great Lakes. Michigan's Traverse City, Superior's Chequamegon Bay, Lake Michigan's north shore, so much of Huron, Erie, etc. Mille Lacs in Minnesota is another big fish factory. You're surrounded by great smallmouth fishing. 

 

If you're willing to travel farther for lmb, I'd fish O.H. Ivie.

[IYAOYAS]

I live on Hartwell. It gets notably tough during the summer(thank you blueback herring) Murray is a good summertime lake. Lots of grass.

[LrgmouthShad]

NY’s finger lakes are my choice

[Jar11591]

NY. It’s my home state so I may be a little bias but upstate NY from the Great Lakes area, the Finger Lakes region, the Adirondack Mountains, and the St. Lawrence River valley offers so many premium, world renowned fishing opportunities. It’s a sportsman’s paradise. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Cayuga Lake would easily be my first choice, just an incredible lake that can produce state record LMs, and has the most 5-7lb SMs I've ever seen caught in a high level tournament a few years ago when the MLF BPT went there at peak spawn timing.  

 

Next would be the SLR for obvious reasons.    

 

Those are the two on my list.   

[Pat Brown]

Make your home lake your bucket list lake and then catch the biggest bucket mouth out of it before your bucket tips over and your bucket will be full.

[Darth-Baiter]

July?  hmm...the California Delta.  bad thing is:  our guides are more than $350 a day.   but in the summer, i feel the bass are way more predictable.   i am still trying to prefect my "punch-game" but get the tides right, and you can find them hiding under the weed mats.  

 

plus when you are not fishing, you are eating good food, drinking great beer/wine, and not sweating balls in some areas. 

[Choporoz]

16 hours ago, Junk Fisherman said:

This is easy- go to Door Co for smallmouth.  I prefer going towards the tip of the peninsula by Sisters Bay.  If you wanna get a little crazy- go to Washington Island.  Lots of good guides up there.  You'll be surprised how much nicer it is when it's 85+ degrees and humid everyday around Chicago.  

+1

[AlabamaSpothunter]

You'd have to make a deal with her but in all seriousness the place I'd like to fish the most is in Maine where @Swamp Girl fishes.    

 

Katie fishes some of the last untouched LMB fishing waters in the country it seems.   The idea of fishing for Bass that haven't seen many, or any humans is extremely exciting to me.     There's nowhere in the South that Bass haven't seen copious humans and lures.  

[TnRiver46]

23 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

  There's nowhere in the South that Bass haven't seen copious humans and lures.  

Oh, contraire my friend. You’ve got to look harder and walk further 

[Swamp Girl]

2 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

You'd have to make a deal with her but in all seriousness the place I'd like to fish the most is in Maine where @Swamp Girl fishes.    

 

Katie fishes some of the last untouched LMB fishing waters in the country it seems.   The idea of fishing for Bass that haven't seen many, or any humans is extremely exciting to me.     There's nowhere in the South that Bass haven't seen copious humans and lures.  

 

Sure, come fish Maine! I'll be your guide. Come in May or June and you might have some 100-bass days.* Plus, there are reasons to come here beyond bass:

 

 

Still, it's dang pretty where I fish and as Alex shared, I'm nearly always alone. Plus, bass:

 

 

It's so pretty it makes me ache.

 

*To catch a hundred bass, you'll have to fish in the morning and evening. Or you'll have to be a better angler than me. My top morning totals in 2024 were 70 and 75 bass and after those mornings, I was too tired to fish again those days. But if I were younger....

[Darth-Baiter]

can i change my answer to Maine?

 

and i personally have always wanted to fish Cayuga.  seems like a neat place.  in videos.

[Pat Brown]

I'm very curious about Mexico, Africa and Japan only because I find it so fascinating that bass fishing is taking off and there's giants in these locations.

 

I love fishing Santee Cooper - Jurassic Park but it's a real lake.  Feels like a t rex could come stumbling out of the treeline and into the lake to cool off at any second but he'd have to contend with 7 ft gar and 15 foot alligators so he better be careful!