Bass Fishing Tips

Dog Day Bass-Fishing Tips

If you’ve chased largemouth bass for any length of time at all, you’re likely already aware that it can be exceedingly difficult to catch them during the “dog days” of summer. The bite can nearly disappear during this time of year, especially during extended heat waves.

But don’t worry – there are a few tips, tricks, and strategies you can employ to help catch more bass when the mercury climbs to the top of the thermometer. We’ll share a few of our favorites below, but be sure to tell us all about your summer-bass-fishing tips in the comments.

1. Fish Deep

Rising temperatures often trigger bass to head for cooler, deeper waters. This means the summer is the perfect time to break out your deep-diving crankbaits and Carolina rigs. In fact, both of these techniques are excellent for finding pockets of bass (and you should have even better results if you use a fish finder at the same time). Once you get a bite or two, drop anchor, and work the area more thoroughly with a Texas rig or jig.

2. Keep Your Lure Right in Their Face

It’s often possible to irritate bass into slamming your lure, so try your best to keep your offering right in the strike zone for as long as possible. Simply slowing down your presentation will help greatly (especially if you’re using relatively stationary lures), but one of the best ways to keep your lure right in front of Mr. Fish’s nose is by tying on a drop-shot rig. This way, you can just put the lure right in front of your target fish and wiggle it until he can no longer resist.

3. Work Shoreline Shade

Shade can be tough to come by on some lakes and rivers, but most will have a narrow sliver of shade around their perimeter, created by the overhanging vegetation. These shady retreats are often full of bass, despite the relatively shallow water depth. Weightless soft plastics are great for these areas, and topwater baits can work too, provided that you can cast accurately enough to avoid the shrubs and trees.

4. Get on the Water Early

If you’ve tried every lure in your tackle box and experimented with every type of retrieve imaginable, it may be time to try fishing earlier, while the water is still relatively cool. Your lake or river of choice will be coolest in the morning hours right before dawn, and you’ll usually have much better luck getting bass to bite your bait during this time period.

Evenings are also a viable option, but the water often remains pretty warm for long after the sun has set, so early mornings are usually more productive.

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Catching bass during the peak of the summer is difficult, but it is not impossible. Just try to implement some of the tips we’ve shared above and be sure to check out the advice provided below, by your fellow readers!