It’s that time again, time to talk about what we’re throwing in the month of August. August can be a really tough time of year to fish, depending on what part of the country you’re in. I’ll be talking about some of the things to focus on down South, and then we reached out to a couple pros and guides from the Ozarks and New York to pull in some knowledge from other parts of the country as well.
The South
August fishing in the south is not for the faint of heart. It’s hot-hot down here right now. But, the bass are still biting. Some of the same things are still working in August that we’ve seen play the last couple months. The bream are still bedding, there are a few more insect hatches to go, and the deep bite lingers too of course. It just seems as though all of this is a little bit tougher in August. Here’s what we’ll be throwing to try to unlock their jaws.
Topwaters
The best thing about August in the South is that the topwater bite is strong. From low light periods early in the morning and late in the evening, to shady spots right in the middle of the day, to the frequent rain shower, there’s almost always a chance to catch one on a topwater — if you know where to look and what to throw.
During the low-light windows—first hour of daylight, last hour of daylight, overcast/rainy days—go with a bait you can cover water with. Something like a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper allows you to fish faster. The bass are more aggressive and willing to chase after a bait and even leave the comfort of cover when the light is low.
From 10 to 2 on sunny days, the shade packs in tight to the bank. This is when you’ll want to use a bait that stalls, like a Spook, popper, or hollow-body frog. All of these baits can be worked slowly through the small strike zones. You can catch these bass on a buzzbait or Whopper Plopper as well, but you have a much shorter window of time and you have to be much more accurate with your casts to get the bass to bite before the bait leaves the shade. Because, once your bait makes it out into the sunshine, the bass will typically turn away from it or simply roll on your bait and not get it.
Fuzzy Baits
I have been pretty reluctant to dive off into the world of fuzzy baits, but after attending ICAST this year it is now evident that I have no choice — these baits are here to stay. So, I plan to test out several fuzzy dice and other look-a-likes during August.
This is a great time to give these baits a try, as they are designed to make tough fishing a little easier. The strands protruding from these baits in every direction wiggle and flow with the slightest amount of effort imparted by the angler. Even just the natural swirling of the water has them in a constant, subtle movement.
This style of bait pairs well with several of the finesse tactics that are effective in the summer. From drop shots to Ned rigs to wacky rigs and Nekos, there are multiple ways to fish a fuzzy bait that should catch them in August. I plan to find out.
Mayflies
The Mayfly hatch still lingers here in the South deep into August. And, if you can find one of these smorgasbords, things can get right in a hurry. Mayfly hatches concentrate large numbers of fish, as the bream, catfish, and bass feast on spawning and dying insects by the thousands.
For this situation, several baits can work well. You’ll want to focus most of your effort on baits that look like small bream, since the larger bass will be eating those more than the mayflies. Anything like a popper, popping frog, or buzzbait gives off the appearance of a baitfish pecking mayflies off the surface — and that can be one of the best and most fun ways to catch them.
Subsurface baits that look like bream work well too. We’re talking small crankbaits, spinnerbaits, vibrating jigs and even glide baits. And then it’s always a good idea to have a cleanup bait to throw through the area, something like a Texas rig, shaky head or wacky rig.
Swim Jig
A swim jig is a great bait for August as well. A lot of the shallow vegetation is maxed out by now, and a swim jig can be one of the best baits to traverse this rugged terrain. What a lot of people don’t realize, or I didn’t at least until I put a GoPro under the water few years ago, is that even the stalky vegetation creates a lot of shade. So, you may be looking at a fairly sparse patch of water willow with the scorching sun burning down on it in the heat of the day, when in reality there’s quite a bit of shade being created under the water — oftentimes the only shade in the area.
When the vegetation is super thick, it’ll make more sense to punch it or flip a jig over in it. But, if the vegetation is thin enough for you to keep your bait in the water at least half the time, you’d probably be surprised by what you can catch on a swim jig in August. Pick your color based on the forage and water clarity. Black and blue or a green pumpkin work well in clear water around bream. Move to a brighter white for shad in muddy water, and a translucent shad pattern for clear water around shad. Primarily in August though, you’ll be fishing around bream in the summer. And 3/8 of an ounce is a great go-to for the weight.
Casey Scanlon’s Lake of the Ozarks’ August Playbook
Casey Scanlon has been catching big bass in the Lake of the Ozarks and around the country for a long time. He has a hundred-thousand-dollar FLW (now MLF) win to his name as well as two Bassmaster Open wins. And then there’s Scanlon’s Elite Lake of The Ozarks Guide Service that he focuses his time and energy on back home. Here are his three mainstays for fishing in August in the Ozarks.
“My go-to baits for August would be a jig for its versatility, both shallow and deep. I use the 1/2-ounce Bass Pro Shops XPS Cover Jig in green pumpkin or black and blue.
“Second would be a Bass Pro Shops XPS Chaos Shad, or some kind of big plopping-style bait for covering water up shallow.
“Third would be a drop shot for fish that have been pressured all spring and summer and are starting to suspend around structure spots, points, brushpiles, etc.”
With these three baits, Scanlon has something to offer to fish that are spread out from 2 to 22 feet. Versatility is key in August, as finding several bass all doing the same thing can be tough.
Kyle Patrick’s Northeast August Go-Tos
New York native Kyle Patrick spends his days chasing bass on the Bassmaster Elite Series and making comical videos for social media. Patrick has three Top 10s on the Elite Series and a 7th place Bassmaster Classic finish in just his first year and a half on tour. Recently, Patrick has been battling the extremely dangerous fallout of a tick bite — we’re sending prayers and thoughts his way for a speedy recovery. In the meantime, here’s his advice on fishing in New York.
“I catch ’em all the time in New York on a jig and a power shot, but August is when it really gets good. Those two baits flat out shine this time of year.
“Funny enough, my power shot setup is the exact same as my jig setup: a DXC 745F Douglas rod paired with a Lew’s Custom Pro casting reel, spooled up with 20-pound Sunline Shooter. It’s a crack the whip, cover water kind of deal.
“What makes August special is that thicker weed growth out in deeper water. When it sets up right, dragging a power shot around isolated clumps is absolutely deadly. Same thing with a jig offshore, but honestly, I love burning through docks with it too.
And these New York dock fish? They aren’t skittish. That jig hits the water under a dock and it’s game over. No need to soak it. Just flip fast and keep moving. It’s all about tempo in August.”
