Fishing in the summertime can be tough for a variety of reasons. It’s enough that water temperatures are hot and the fish are stressed. But on top of that, many of the lakes and rivers we fish are overrun with pleasure boaters. When summer sets in and school lets out, a lot of bass anglers park their boats for the summer.
Unwilling to stop fishing, I have found a few ways to fish through the summer on popular recreational lakes. Here’s my advice.
Go Early and Go Late
The most obvious way around the waves is to go both early and late. The ratio of SeaDoos to bass boats at 6 a.m. is pretty good — but once 9 a.m. rolls around, they start showing up in droves. And they’ll stay out all day. Typically, some of the best fishing in the summer happens during these lowlight hours anyway, so take advantage of the morning bite.
Fishing in the evening can be pretty crowded still, with sunset cruisers all over the lake. But that last hour can be good for a magical bass bite as well, and you’ll get a great bite after dark on most lakes. You can fish worms through lights, spinnerbaits around rock, or a variety of other techniques after dark. And while the boat traffic dies down big time, you should still keep an eye out for boaters and make sure your navigation lights are in and on.
Up Creeks and Rivers, Deep Into Vegetation
It’s a good idea to look for cooler, more oxygenated water way up rivers and creeks in the summer, as the conditions are better suited for thriving bass. But, on top of that, these areas are often treacherous for pleasure boaters: Here you’ll often find shallow flats, boulders, or shoals. That’s why most SeaDoos, pontoons, and runabouts opt for open water. Seeking out places typically inaccessible to non-anglers is a great way to keep fishing on populated fisheries. Shad- and bluegill-pattern baits should work well here, and focus on shade lines or current seams.
As summer sets in, many fisheries experience dense vegetation growth. From large hydrilla flats to lily pad fields, there are lots of areas that allow fish to escape from bigger boats. These areas are inherently bad for boating, since the vegetation will bog down props.
While a large percentage of bass will push deeper, there are still plenty to catch in these shallower mats and fields. You’ll need weedless baits mostly here: Swimbaits, swim jigs, frogs, toads, and Texas rigs are all great options. And braid is typically your best friend, since it is stronger and slices through the vegetation better than fluorocarbon or monofilament.
No Wake Zones
There are also some areas of certain fisheries that have long no-wake zones — I can think of one creek on Lake Eufaula in particular that has probably three miles of no-wake waterway. These areas are awesome reprieves from the mayhem on the main lake. But keep in mind that the fishing may be a little tough.
The further up a creek you go, the better the conditions will be with cooler, more oxygenated water. But, in mid-range areas, the water can be hot and stagnant with a small population of fish. Try finesse baits like shaky heads and drop shots to coerce bites around cover like brush and tree tops. The shade is key, too. Try skipping frogs or jigs into any shade you can find along the bank, and you could catch a really big one lurking around bluegill, which are also escaping the sunshine.
Marinas
Marinas are great places to fish, too — just make sure they are legal to fish. These areas are already prone to lots of noise: With people coming and going regularly in the summer, increased human activity really doesn’t phase what lives near them. There’s also an abundance of shade, and often deep water around marina docks. While many bass will suspend just under the docks, others may go down to deeper water and hang around brush or even the cables coming off the docks.
Drop shots, jighead minnows, small swimbaits, and shaky heads are great for deeper fish. For the fish hanging near docks, any bait that you can skip easily will be worth trying — think wacky rigs, swim jigs, and swimbaits. Pitching flutter spoons back into the docks has also become really popular in marinas.
Lean Into the Chaos
You can catch a lot of fish on busy recreational fisheries just by leaning into the chaos, as opposed to trying to avoid it. The waves generated by passing pleasure boats can be advantageous in certain situations. You can target bass relating to mud lines created by the waves, using spinnerbaits and swimbaits to pick off bass chasing baitfish into and out of the disorienting water-color change.
Waves can also activate schooling fish. It’s not uncommon for an advanced angler to use his outboard to fire up a school of fish anytime the activity level dies down. Pushing a wake by doing a few donuts around a school of bass and baitfish is a great way to reignite the school. The baitfish are disoriented by the waves; the bass take advantage of their confusion, exploding on them along the surface.
The same effect happens when passing pleasure-boaters throw some wakes your way. Look for deeper-water main throughways, but do not fish in the main channel itself — this is dangerous. Instead, find an adjacent area with baitfish where shallow water meets deeper water and fish this seam. Bass will use the depth change and waves to pick off an easy meal. Topwaters and jighead swimbaits are great here.
Final Thoughts
Don’t let the chaos of summertime run you off the water. While fishing early in the morning and late at night are obvious solutions, there are other ways to catch fish in the summer too.
Shade, vegetation and current are key elements to look for. Venture up creeks, through no-wake zones, into fishable marinas, or over flats to find combinations of these critical components. Then tailor your bait selection based on the cover present. You can even use the waves and increased boating activity to your advantage.
Most of all, just keep your head on a swivel and be safe. Hopefully, these tips will help you catch more fish on busy recreational lakes this summer.
