Where have LUNKERS gone?!?!

[WashDCIrish]

I've been spending the majority of this year's season fishing the Occaquan Reservoir in Burke, VA and the timeline has been as follows:

End of April:  Hitting spinnerbaits and crankbaits (Spinners mostly), 3-4 pounders

May to July:  Less action, 2-3 pounders, same tackle as end of April

NOW:  NO FISH!  All our spots by cover and structure and in coves are yielding next to nothing.  Anything caught has been on slow moving plastics and have not been heavier that 2 lbs.  I know that the water is warmer so the fish have supposedly moved deeper, but deep swimming cranks and structures off points haven't been productive at all.  Does anyone have any tips and tricks to get these deep hogs to bite?  Anything I should be definitly stopping for when I see it on the depth finder?  Any good weather tips?  Sun, Shade?

[TommyBass]

You sure they are deep?  This summer in the midwest has been a weird one.  Our water temps were upper 70s to low 80s for several weeks of July and even into August.  All of the fish went back into the coves and we won a few tourneys fishing 1-3' deep wood in the backs of coves.  Now we had a warm spell and they are starting to move back out deeper since the water is warming into the upper 80s again.  We actually had a sort of turnover this summer too which really goofed em up.  Just some stuff to think about, not sure how the weather has been compared to  normal out there in VA.

[JuniorFisherJJ08]

2 words.... DROP SHOT!

[done]

Have ya done any night trips? Down here night produces a lot more than daytime.

You are right though, very weird summerfor fishing.

[Shawn OConnor]

I was wondering the same thing?  Two weeks ago on the night of the full moon I had a good night.  Since then, it's been tough.  Cmatthews and I have been out almost every night with very little sucess.  I think the fish are feeding heavier very early mornings because of the heat.  In past summers, I've slayed them at night on ponds and lakes.  This year, not the same.  

[Paul Roberts]

You know, this kind of thread comes up every year at this time of year. Come summer, after all the bass in the lake stop crowding the shorelines, and remaining shallow bass can become tougher to catch. Lots of people hang up their rods.

The standard advice is to fish deeper. This is a hard transition for a lot of anglers bc deep spots cannot be seen and cast to as easily. Realize that you still have to get a lure close to a good spot (that may not be very large) and make it look good. Also, in many waters bass will end up collected up on top locations and so it's a real hit or miss proposition.

In shallow lakes with lots of cover, esp vegetation, lots of bass will simply be buried in it, and in many waters. Here bass can become well distributed throughout. Time to start punching the dense stuff. This is why, I believe, that most big bass are caught not just in spring but throughout the cold water period -vegetation dies back exposing prey and bass.

The other advice is the shallow bite. Early and late, or at night, due to high temps. But this is a uniquely cool year over a much of the country. Very interesting. Wish I could have been able to get out more this year. What TommyBass is on is like an extension of pre-summer. Fish conditions not history.

Despite the cool temps there will still be deep fish too. But I'd definitely lower a thermometer and check for a thermocline. If there is one it'll rule out a lot of real estate.

Final advice: Pick scenarios (such as above, or others you can ferret out) and check 'em out . Move until you find fish. That's first.

[RoLo]

Good advice Paul, about a tough seasonal period

There are a combination of conditions that make summertime a difficult period.

Although bass metabolism is at peak levels, the forage base in summer is also at an annual peak.

The whole ecosystem is in high gear and food is very plentiful, so in spite of an elevated metabolism,

bass may actually spend less time foraging, a time when there may be fewer hungry bass (esp. in clear water).

In spite of conventional wisdom, bass are not uncomfortable in warm water, provided there's ample dissolved oxygen.

During midsummer, the depth of bass in natural lakes will rarely if ever exceed the depth of the outer weed-line.

In an artificial impoundment..well..you're on your own

Roger

[Shawn OConnor]

Oddly enough, I have done most of my best fishing on a hot summer night.  This year has been different then the last 4 summer seasons but last night was a little better.  Got 10 in about 2 hours.  Biggest one still small though at 1.5#.  

[zach t]

Granted, I am a novice on Guntersville....

But the only fish we have caught in the last month are on slow moving plastics. Namely, junebug magnum lizards.

Dad will throw this all day while I swap between other baits and styles.

I still manage to find that one "glory fish" on a crankbait and 1 or 2 on a frog.

We are averaging about 1 to 2 an hour, although we have seen periods that landed 7 plus in 30 minutes. But no size....

I hear that they are catching them on deep running cranks, but I just havn't seen it. I will throw a 12 foot DT in silver or olive for about 30 minutes without the first bite. Slow roll, burn, stop and go...nothing.

[Wayne P.]

Good advice Paul, I don't have any drop off in catch rate or size during the summer months. Actually both are higher because patterns are more defined and consistant which allows for multiple catches at a particular location.

A simple change for the bankbeaters is to have their back to the shore instead of facing it and more than likely the fish are beneath the boat position.

[zach t]

Good advice Paul, I don't have any drop off in catch rate or size during the summer months. Actually both are higher because patterns are more defined and consistant which allows for multiple catches at a particular location.

A simple change for the bankbeaters is to have their back to the shore instead of facing it and more than likely the fish are beneath the boat position.

Agreed.