7 Summer Bass Fishing Tips: How To Catch Bass When It's Hot!

Summer time Bass fishing is one of my favorite things to do during those hot months when the kids are out of school and daylight seems to hang around forever.

With the exception of spring spawning, both largemouth and smallmouth bass can be caught relatively easy during these warm summer months.

And to help you catch even more bass this summer, I put together this guide to summer bass fishing tips.

Good Summer Bass Fishing lasts for about 3 or 4 months, depending where you’re located, so lets go over these summer bass fishing techniques so you can get out there and catch more fish!

Where To Find Bass During The Summer

Summers can be hot, and like humans, bass will try to find shade to shelter themselves from the sun.  Although the bass will head out into the open hunting and feeding areas to eat, they’ll do it in areas that are surrounded by plant growth, such as underwater vegetation, lily pads or even trees and bushes that hang over the surface of the water.

This plant growth not only offers the bass shade, but also protection from predators as well as excellent hunting grounds.

1. Fish The Shade

Throughout the summer, areas with shade are going to be the bass hot spots.  Always keep in mind which way the sun is hitting the water. Ask yourself, where is the shade from this plant being created.  

In a perfect situation, we would be able to see the shade that’s created.  But during the mid day hours and in murky water, we can’t always see where the shade is being cast.  

Be sure to work the edges of the weed beds where the bass are seeking shelter.  And as the sun moves throughout the day, move with it...always staying in the shade.

According to MarksMarineInc.com, “When fishing floating weed beds that do not reach the bottom, hook a six or eight-inch golden shiner at the base of its tale and coax it to swim under the weed bed. This technique hooks big bass that like the cooler shallow waters.”

They continue to suggest you can, “mimic the pattern of a wounded baitfish using a minnow and a bobber. Bass pick up on the "sonic signatures" very well. Lightly hook the minnow under its back fin, and place the bobber above the minnow with enough line in between to allow the minnow to reach inches from the bottom. Add enough weight to let the minnow swim to the surface and drift downwards, imitating a wounded baitfish.

2. Clear Water Bass Fishing Tips

in clear water, slowly crawl it through pockets in the weeds. In clear water, some fish are startled by loud Crank baits In clear conditions, fish feed predominantly by sight - avoid using rattle-type lures that usually only frighten away potential catches.

in clear water, do not actively hop the plastic worm.

3. Muddy Water Bass Fishing Tips

In muddy water, present your bait in quick jumps along the deep side of the structure.  Crank baits work well in muddy water

In discoloured water, bass often strike a plastic worm as it drifts toward the bottom. If the worm reaches the bottom, pull the worm in little jumps across the lake floor.

4. Get To Know Your Lure

I frequently say that the best bass fishing tip ever given to me is to simply pay attention.  So this list of bass fishing tips wouldn’t be complete without mentioning that at least once.

Pay attention to your line and to your lure.

Get to know the “normal” motion of the lure as well as the fishing line itself. When you become familiar with what the lure is supposed to feel like on your end of the fishing rod, then any deviation from that “normal” might be a strike.  And thats when you need to set the hook.

The same is true with fishing line.  Any slack or variation in the appearance of the fishing line, especially as the line is sinking to the bottom, like with a Senko worm, set the hook.

5. Best Summer Bass Lures

Plastic worms, like the Senko bait, are one of the best summer bass fishing lures. The reason these are so popular and why you want to use these is because you fish them off the bottom. Thats where the fish are going to be during these hot summer days.

Summer time bass really like lures that move slow.  Really slow. So be very patient when fishing plastic worms.  After casting the worm, always let it sit on the bottom for a long while before retrieving it.  

During retrieval of the plastic worm, move it very slowly, and allow it time to just sit on the bottom again. Each time you move the worm, let it sit on the bottom.  

For more information on fishing plastic worms, more specifically Senko worms, check out my post, 3 Killer SENKO WORM Rigs And How To Fish Them (Step By Step Guide).

Don’t discount top water lures either.  Just because you shouldn’t fish top water lures during the heat of the day, doesn’t mean you can try your luck at it early mornings and later in the evenings.  Top water lures also work well if the weather’s changed and it cools down, or if the sky becomes overcast.

6. Start Shallow And Work Deep

During the summer, bass prefer the cooler shady water closer to the bottom.  But that’s not where they typically start or end their day. Bass like to feed at the surface during the early morning hours as well as late evenings when the sun is down and only low light conditions exist.

So start your day by fishing top water lures near the surface and in the shallows.

As the summer sun begins to climb and temperatures begin to rise, transition to deeper bottom fishing lures such as plastic worms, jigs and slow moving spinner baits.

Then, as evening approaches, start your transition back to shallower water and consider using top water lures again.

7. Expect Smaller Bass Near The Surface

According to GameAndFishMag.com, smaller and younger sized bass are more adaptable to the hotter weather.  Their smaller bodies don’t require the kind of oxygen that the larger trophy sized fish demand.

Because of this, GameAndFishMag.com suggests that you’ll probably find that hungrier and more aggressive bass will hang out more towards the surface.  They recommend that if all your catching are these small bass, then go down deeper where the larger bass are hanging out.

The larger fish will be hanging out down deep where its cooler and where oxygen is more readily available.  

If you can get your lure down past the hungry aggressive young bass, you’ll have a much better chance of hooking into a lunker.

Conclusion

Fishing for bass in the summer can be hot! And not just the weather.  With the spawn in spring as the exception, summer is by the best time for bass fishing.  

But with the warmer weather comes a different approach to how to fish for bass.  Just remember to seek out the cool water, which usually means shade and deep.

I hope these summer bass fishing tips help you catch more fish this summer!

Related Posts:

1. Beginners Guide To Fishing For Bass: It's Easier Than You Think!

2. 3 Killer SENKO WORM Rigs And How To Fish Them (Step By Step Guide)

3. What Do Bass Eat? (Largemouth And Smallmouth) You Might Be Surprised!