Northwest Reel Life April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 9 - Flipbook - Page 26
SUMMERTIME
BASS
FISHING By
John Kruse
watch
now
Catching bass in the shallows
during the spawn is a fun thing
to do in the spring, but when it
comes to summertime fishing,
few things are more enjoyable
than catching aggressive
largemouth and smallmouth
bass. Here are a few of my favorite
ways to hook them:
TOPWATER FUN
There are a lot of ways to skin a cat,
as they say, and there are also a
lot of ways to catch a bass during
the summer months. However,
nothing is more enjoyable than
watching a bass erupt out of the
water to smash a topwater lure.
The best time to fish topwater
lures is early in the morning or
in the evening (even after dark
on a moonlit night). However, if
the waters are calm, you can also
have success with topwater lures
anytime, especially in shaded
areas or on cloudy days.
What kind of topwater lures
should you use? If you are fishing
an area full of hydrilla, milfoil, or lily
pads, it’s hard to beat a weedless
frog. Tournament angler Jeremy
LeCaire favors frog lures with a
white belly since that mimics an
actual frog belly. Others swear by
frogs that are black in color, while
others believe in using a frog with,
well, a frog pattern!
26 | NWFISHING.net
No matter what color you use,
twitching it over pads into small
open areas of water can trigger
many strikes.
If you are not fishing in cover, you
have lots of other options. The
biggest bass I ever caught (8+
pounds) was caught on a Berkley
Bullet Pop popper in a frog
pattern, fishing the lure near wood
stick ups. Similar poppers or lures
like a Zara Spook can be fished at
a slow pace or a faster pace in a
“walk the dog” fashion, popping
left, then right, while you retrieve
the lure. As an old friend once told
me when it comes to speed, “Let
the fish tell you what they want”.
Are there other topwater lures
that work? You bet! A fairly new
offering is the Whopper Plopper,
which is can be cast and reeled
in with a slow, steady retrieve
as it gurgles along the surface.
Buzzbaits retrieved at a fast
pace can trigger violent strikes,
and don’t forget classic lures like
the Arbogast Hula Popper or
Jitterbug. They have both been
around for over 80 years but they
both still work.
SPINNERBAITS
Spinnerbaits are always a
good summertime bet for
bass. I personally favor a white
spinnerbait for most conditions
but will go with a chartreuse color
if there is low visibility in the water.
A ¼ or 3/8-ounce spinnerbait can
be retrieved rapidly, just under
the surface of the water, creating
a wake. Heavier spinnerbaits
between ½ to one ounce in
weight can be slowly retrieved
near the bottom. Both methods
can be effective. Again, let the fish
tell you what they want.
CRANKBAITS
Crankbaits are a big favorite of
mine for both summer and fall
bass. Many anglers mistakenly
believe these lures should be
fished without hitting any
structure. That is a mistake.
Shallow water crankbaits should
bang off of wood and deeper
diving crankbaits should be
ticking the bottom because that
contact is what triggers reaction
strikes from bass. One of my
favorite lures is the Berkley Digger
which runs at a depth of 8 to 11
feet. If I need to go deeper, the
Berkley Dredger will get down to
a depth of 20 feet. As for colors,
try to match the forage base.
For example, a perch or bluegill
pattern if that’s what the bass are
eating, a reddish color if crawfish
are in the lake, or blue and chrome
if the bass are feeding on trout.
LIPLESS CRANKBAITS
Another confidence bait for me is
the lipless crankbait.