Summer bass

The Great Outdoors

[Comment Below]

By Ryan Rhodes

Summer is not usually the time to go out and kill the bass. That’s because at about this time of the year, bass turn into your menopausal Aunt Cathy; they think its too damn hot everywhere!

So, what does she do to get away from the heat? She goes to the coolest part of the house, sits next a fan and doesn’t move all day. In case you haven’t figured it out, the house in this metaphor is the water, and the fan … the fan’s actually nothing; it’s just a crucial part of the Aunt Cathy story.

Bass are fish, obviously, and fish are cold-blooded. They don’t want to be in the hot water because it’s like having a permanent fever to them. So, during the summer, they go down deep where the water is further away from the sun so it’s cooler. Then, they just sit there. They don’t get very active; they sit there and wait for food to come to them rather than chase it. So, if you want to catch them during this time of year, you have to accommodate for that.

Finding bass on the bottom, or near it, can be tricky. Bass are very picky eaters and only want to eat what they’re in the mood for. Add that to the fact that bass are not looking to put too much effort into getting food in the summer, and you have to do something clever to get their attention.

But that clever thing is not as complicated as you think; it’s actually something of very common knowledge to any angler: the Carolina rig. It has the advantage of being able to quickly sink to the bottom and to allow you to drag your bait along the bottom within perfect striking distance of any bass.

If you don’t know how to tie a Carolina right, then pay attention because I’m only going to say this once. Maybe twice if you buy me a coke.

Put a sliding sinker (egg weight, bullet weight, etc.) on some monofilament line over 12 lb. test. Tie the end to a barrel swivel, and then attach a leader to the other end of the swivel that’s at least a 1 1/2 feet long depending on the type of terrain you’re fishing. You want a longer leader for more cover at the bottom.

You can add some beads to the weight side of the swivel if you want; it will make a rattle noise that will help attract fish. Use a light weight, wire hook to finish off your rig and add any small soft plastic you want. The reason you want to use a small soft plastic is that the live bait in the water is all small this time of year. So use a four inch worm or a two inch shad on your rig. Look at the water to best determine the color.

The way to fish this rig is to simply cast it, let it sink, and slowly drag it on the bottom. Dragging the weight will stir up mud and make noise that will catch the fish’s interest. Adding a few jerks horizontally with your rod will make your bait jump up in the water giving it the look of wounded bait and making it irresistible to nearby bass.

The best place to fish for bass like this is in big, open water areas. Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend and Calcasieu, just to name a few, are some examples.

In the mean time, if you’re a freshman, then learn how to get to your classes before you start so you don’t look like a moron with the giant campus map or bug the rest of us with asking for directions. If you’re not a freshman, then if a freshmen asks where a certain building is, tell them that they are ones on the Shreveport campus and watch panic ensue.

Originally Published: Issue 701 - August 19, 2008

Share on Facebook

Back to the top