Fish Harder, Fish Smarter

5 Tips for Summer Bass Fishing

1. Go Dark If your water is a popular recreation destination consider fishing after dark. Things usually settle down at this time and the fish typically become more active. Safety is the big concern after dark. Don't fish alone; know your water; always wear a PFD; make sure your boat is properly lighted; and watch for other boat traffic.
2. If you can't fish after dark go early Most fish are more active at dawn than in the evening during the hottest days of summer. It's easy enough to get up around 4:00 a.m., fish a few hours, and then go home and take a nap.
3. Deep-diving crankbaits are hot Deep-diving crankbaits are super bass lures during July, August and into September. Throw them over offshore breaks and ledges. Long cast and very fast retrieves are usually your best option.
4. Fish schooling bass Often bass will surface-school during the hottest days of summer. Look for them breaking the surface and cast directly into the school. Small topwater baits, spoons, in-line spinners and crankbaits are effective lure choices for this type of fishing.
5. Release your bass immediately Survival times for bass in hot weather, hot water conditions are short. Release you fish immediately so you can catch them another day.

Iaconelli: Bass in Heavy Summer Weeds

"Often times bass will hide under very heavy weed mats that make catching them almost impossible," says the 2006 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year. "But, I said almost impossible, not impossible. It's a lot of hard work to get to them but when you do it's often times the mother lode of bass holes. "

One way to get through the heavy mats and into the mother lode is to punch a plastic bait through the mat and allow it to drop into the underlying shade. Here are a few tips to help you do this.

1. Use a heavy weight Iaconelli typically uses a Tru-Tungsten bullet weight up to 1 1/2 ounce. Of course, a big, heavy jig with a plastic trailer is also an option.
2. Use heavy line Braid up to 85-pound-test is a common and effective choice.
3. Use a serious flipping stick Flipping rods - the heaviest you can find work best. It's not easy to drag a 5 pound largemouth with 10 pounds of grass to the boat.
4. Learn to cast vertically Practice casting with an eye towards throwing your weight as high as possible and allowing it to drop straight down into the mat. Some anglers, including Iaconelli, can throw their rigs 30 feet or more into the air. The resulting force will punch through surprisingly thick mats.

ICAST Secrets

Fish Harder Companies, LLC, owners of Tru-Tungsten, Picasso, and Capt. Mike's Lures, will be introducting several exciting new products at the 2008 ICAST show in Las Vegas next month. Here's a sample of what's to come.