Hot July days aren’t the most fun time to fish due to the humid weather and soaring temperatures, but they put fish and game in places where they can be accessed much easier if you know where they concentrate and how to find them.
During one late summer afternoon, we were sitting on a submerged ledge as the sun set slowly in the western sky. As the sun disappeared the temperature started dropping as well and the fish started biting. We worked the ledge slowly with shaky heads and finesse worms and the bite picked up. I cast a 7-inch BPS Tournament Series Finesse worm into the deeper water and before I retrieved the worm up the ledge a bass nailed it and started moving away slowly.
Wham! I drove the steel Gamakatsu hook deep into the jaw of a hungry bass and our night started with a bang, about thirty minutes before last light. During hot July nights bass will become active and feed heavily after dark. Whether you are fishing for bass or crappie you’ll find a different world after dark.
If you don’t mind the heat of the day, the bass and crappie can be found in deep water on wood structure, or they’ll be buried deep in the grass or pads or near wood structure. If you work those deep-water areas including the ledges, then you will be ahead of the game. If there is an area that is filled with greenery, grass and pads, then break out the flipping stick during the day and start probing the depths and you might just catch the lunker of your life — if you can pry them out of there.
July issue
In this month’s issue, John N. Felsher’s “Fun for rent” article on charter fishing trips gives anglers tips for picking the right guide or boat captain. Charter fishing trips done right are the real deal in more ways than one, and if you can find a good guide or boat captain you might just have the fishing trip of your life. Those boat captains can be the difference between catching fish and creating lifetime memories or going home empty handed and disappointed.
Andy Douglas’ feature on “Summer Night Song Dogs” is just the ticket for hunters who still want to hunt and also help control the coyote population. More hunters than ever are waging war on hated coyotes and Douglas’ timely article could be a boon to local hunters if they can take out some of these killing machines.
During the cool summer nights both the male and female coyotes are hunting while their pups are still in the den waiting on the food. Baby deer are dropping, and farm animals, small dogs and puppies are all at risk when the coyotes crank up their hunts and all-night singing parties.
Coyotes are at ease and move more at night. Hunt when you can and as often as you can, remember the basics, and you will have the advantage as thermal optics change the game. Now you can spot them much easier a long way from the fields and kill zones and be ready to move swiftly when they come into range.
Phillip Gentry’s “Summer crappie in submerged timber” feature is just the ticket for crappie anglers this month. When the mercury soars, head for the nearest (and sometimes deepest) wood in the lake to find slab crappie. Veteran anglers know where to start and finish during the hot days and they can help you find those places too.
Old School Lures are just the ticket when it comes to catching both saltwater and freshwater fish.
Kinny Haddox’s “Freshwater Favorites” article takes a peek into the past and it makes the present all the better. Nothing conjures up the attention of old and young alike than a glimpse inside a tackle box of old wooden bass lures. Many of the old school lures have been out of use for so long that the bass found in most lakes are not used to seeing them every day so they’re still good bets at enticing strikes and bites from wary bass.
In Chris Holmes’ “Saltwater Saga” feature, Holmes decided to head “back from the future” to see if the old gear and lures of yesteryear still had what it takes. You just might be surprised at what Holmes found out during some of his time travel trips using lures of yesteryears.
Whether you prefer fishing during the day or night, or hunting predators, there’s sure to be a few timely tips, techniques and interesting tidbits you can use to put the odds in your favor during the hot days of summer.
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