I suck at bass fishing in the summer! Help a brother out!

[Ridgerunner7]

My third trip up in northern Michigan this summer and I can't seem to get on them.  Granted conditions have not been good, but I only manage a few bites on topwater very early or very late.  Haven't even tried night fishing.  Had some explosions fishing a rat over lilly pads, but no hook ups.  Tried deep weed edges and points and only hook up on pike.  Any tips.  Seems like anymore I only have good days in spring or fall.  Sometimes I wonder if I don't spend enough time probing high percentage areas.  I cast a few times to prime locations and then move on.  Maybe I should really disect the good spots.  I really haven't explored to much past 15 feet deep.  The lakes I fish don't have too much structure deeper than that or at least I don't know about them.  Want to try dropshotting, but don't have much confidence in it.

[Bass Junkie]

What species of bass? If its largemouth, let us know. Smallies, let us know!!!

[Ridgerunner7]

Well I was targeting largemouth this past weekend.  Two weeks ago I was targeting smallmouth.  Keep in mind I'm not fishing the greatest bass lakes in the country here, but they are decent lakes for my area.  

[Paul Roberts]

Start by searching this site. Go into the search page and type summer. This question has been asked, and answered in many ways, many times.

Also visit the articles section.

Then come back and describe your lake.

[Bass Junkie]

 Yes, please describe your lake. That would be very helpful. Water clarity, type of cover ya fish, averge fish size(of what you catch), ect.

[Ridgerunner7]

I'm not new to this site. Been on here for years...don't post too much, just read because everyone on here is probably a better bass fisher man than me. With that being said I'm probably the best out of all my friends, but when matched with a fisherman that fishes tournaments a lot I'm out classed for sure.

Also I have almost every article on here printed off...I try them all the time, just can't seem to get them to work well.

Also fish Pere Marquette Lake a little bit.  Connects Lake Michigan and PM river.  Supposed to be lunker smallies in there, but I would know because I'll catch 20 pike and no smallmouth.  This lake is fairly clear..unique cover..old dock pilings, rock bolder shorlines, brusy shorlines with good stump/wood cover.  Structure of the lake: several sharp drops with big boulders, warm water dishcarge areas, points, shallow shelf near deep water.  I've tried it all but no luck.  I did here alowives come into the lake and the fish get lock jaw.  

The lakes I fish:

64 acre private lake. Fairly clear water, shallow shelf dropping into deeper water bottoming out at 50ft with a nice hump up to 30 between two deeper holes. Cover is scattered weedbeds in shallow water, 2 or 3 smally lilly pad fields, submerged brush in shallow water. Stucture: a nice point coming out to into the water creating a 90degree weed line (catch a lot of pike there). In the spring I can catch 2-5lb bass in there. Maybe it's over fished lately, but I can't buy a nice fish in the summer time.

Hamlin Lake (northern Michigan)

Large lake with slight stained water. This lake has good cover all around it. Contains small and largemouth. Upper hamlin is weedy and shallow, lower Hamlin is weedy/ stumpy in shallows and much deeper. Again in the spring and fall fishing is good, but come summer time it's tough. I have caught smallies in 30 feet of water with jig and minnow combo, but haven't spent too much time. 1lb-6lb fish in this lake, but again..tons of pike and other species that nail your bait. I really love this lake because of the variety, but it would be nice to go out and target largemouth and actually catch some, not just a bunch of hammer handle pike. >

[D4u2s0t]

My third trip up in northern Michigan this summer and I can't seem to get on them. Granted conditions have not been good, but I only manage a few bites on topwater very early or very late. Haven't even tried night fishing. Had some explosions fishing a rat over lilly pads, but no hook ups. Tried deep weed edges and points and only hook up on pike. Any tips. Seems like anymore I only have good days in spring or fall. Sometimes I wonder if I don't spend enough time probing high percentage areas. I cast a few times to prime locations and then move on. Maybe I should really disect the good spots. I really haven't explored to much past 15 feet deep. The lakes I fish don't have too much structure deeper than that or at least I don't know about them. Want to try dropshotting, but don't have much confidence in it.

you answered your own question!  in the process of fishing, we often tend to overcomplicate what we're doing, and miss the simple solutions.  Depending on a few factors, water temp, weather, etc., the fish may be deeper than you're getting to.  I've been doing well out in the middle of the lake around the underwater ridges and mountains.  Haven't had much luck in the shallows after spring.  Once the weather warms up, the fish seem to move out to deeper water.  The problem is that many bass fisherman don't move with them.

[Paul Roberts]

My third trip up in northern Michigan this summer and I can't seem to get on them. Granted conditions have not been good, but I only manage a few bites on topwater very early or very late. Haven't even tried night fishing. Had some explosions fishing a rat over lilly pads, but no hook ups. Tried deep weed edges and points and only hook up on pike. Any tips. Seems like anymore I only have good days in spring or fall. Sometimes I wonder if I don't spend enough time probing high percentage areas. I cast a few times to prime locations and then move on. Maybe I should really disect the good spots. I really haven't explored to much past 15 feet deep. The lakes I fish don't have too much structure deeper than that or at least I don't know about them. Want to try dropshotting, but don't have much confidence in it.

you answered your own question! in the process of fishing, we often tend to overcomplicate what we're doing, and miss the simple solutions. Depending on a few factors, water temp, weather, etc., the fish may be deeper than you're getting to. I've been doing well out in the middle of the lake around the underwater ridges and mountains. Haven't had much luck in the shallows after spring. Once the weather warms up, the fish seem to move out to deeper water. The problem is that many bass fisherman don't move with them.

X2

[WRB]

During the summer most lakes stratify and you need to determine at what depth the thermocline is or deepest depth the baitfish are suspending. You don't want to fish too deep or more than a few feet below the baitfish or thermocline.

Bass have a lot of choices for food during the summer and it's a good time to fish because the bass are active more often. The hot weather bothers the fisherman, the bass just go deeper to cooler water.

Try a split shot rig or finesse Carolina rig like a slip shot and very slowly drag or cast a 4 1/2" to 6" finesse curl tail worm on 6-8 lb mono or FC line. Start at the shallow water and work a ridge or point all the out to deep water, the back up to shallow water. Try several areas until you locate bass. Slow but effective. Ounce you locate the bass, then try other techniques.

Roboworm oxblood w/red flake or morning dawn should work where you fish.

WRB

[Paul Roberts]

Good advice WRB.

[Lund Explorer]

Howdy Ridgerunner 7,

Good Old Hamlin Lake....  You're right about all the critters in that lake.  Between the Pike, Dogfish, and the occasional Musky, a guy can lose a lot of baits on a trip there.  I've been fishing that lake for a number of years, and the fishing can tough at times.  Normally I stay on the upper lake from Victory Park (boat launch) down to the narrows.  I'll buzz down to the lower lake in the spring to hit the North Bayou, and the boat channels all the way down on the south end of the lake.  Fall can also be a good time down there for the smallies off of the main breaklines.

But on the upper lake, I can usually put quite a few fish in the boat by working plastic worms around the docks and the surviving weed beds that haven't been sprayed into oblivion.  I've had some of my best luck from Indian Pete's Bayou down to the narrows along the south shore.  Most of it has a fairly fast drop with a narrow weed band when there's actually weeds there.  There is also a fairly productive drop off along the north shore almost straight across from the boat landing.  Favorite baits for me?  #1 - 7" Power Worm (Junebug or Tequila), #2 - 7" Power Worm.....

As far as Pere Marquette Lake, for some reason I've never fished it for bass.  But if it is anything like some of the other nearby river mouths, (Pentwater, Manistee, or Portage) you may want to switch to trying to find the weedbeds and target the largemouths.  If you want to try for the smallies, target either the docks or slab wood piles.  I'd suggest either a double willowleaf spinnerbait, or maybe a Kalin's grub (5" Avacado is my favorite) Those darn zebra mussels, they sure have changed things.

[Ridgerunner7]

I do try deep occasionally and just seem to never catch anything.  I tied a 3/4 oz jig in 30 ft and did catch two smallies, but then never caught any more.  Maybe I just haven't gotten good and finding structure and staying on it.  It's difficult in deep water you aren't familiar with.