Summertime Bass Fishing

[polo-dog]

I have been fishing Chickamauga for about 16 years and when I get out on a consistent basis can usually figure out a good summer bite at least bass. I usually fish rip rap or off the ends of points near the thermocline, whatever depth that is at the time. I tend not to get out on the main lake all that much as it's a bit of a run for me but am hoping that some day I'll feel better about making those runs. Does anyone have a summertime strategy that is consistent for them? I don't want info on specific spots just general info on patterns that tend to work for y'all that may be different than what I'm used to.

 

[polo-dog]

Okay, so no one that looks at this forum fishes for bass huh? That's hard for me to believe. I am just interested in comparing my summer bass fishing strategy to anyone and everyone else's. Isn't there anyone out there that is willing to share some info, not some "fishing hot spots" or "holes" but just to talk about what they look for when they go looking in the summertime? Are there any baits that seem most consistent or reliable to anyone? Do you fish at night or just during the daytime. Does everyone just stop fishing when the weather warms up, I really doubt that. Well come on then, let's see what we can cook up far bass on the lake. Has anyone ever fished one of the tournaments either weekend or dogfights? Maybe if we talk about this a little some of us can make some spare cash and have fun doing it. It's not like I'm appealing to anybody's greed or anything but it would be fun to just see what we all think about how to put the pieces of the puzzle together. I dare you all to just go out on a limb and put something down to get things going here.

 

[DHaun]

Polo-Dog - I figured there would be more bass fisherman interested in this topic too given the popularity in this area...I bet they will warm up to it soon - I know out of 44 members somebody went fishing for bass this weekend.

The largest bass I ever caught was in the smothering heat of summer on a huge popping plug (just like that big rebel pop 70 lure mentioned on another thread). I had fished for hours and caught nothing - I kept at it with this plug though chugging it as loud as I could, mostly out of frustration. I was looking away angrily kerplunking (is this a new word) this plug when I heard what sounded like a cinder block fall out into the lake. My nephew helped me land it after a couple good runs and we marveled over it's size. Now I have seen many 10lb bass mounted and I caught one that I know was larger than that and immediately released it. The plug was all the way down in it's throat sideways and all I could think of was getting it back without injuring it.

Only thing though - this was not in Chickamauga, it was on an 18 acre lake on my ex-wife's father's property on Sand Mtn. Ever since then I am a huge fan of summer time chugging plugs in any area that looks fishy with a bit of shade on the wind-blown side of the lake. Before that the largest bass I ever caught was a 5 pounder on a zoom worm next to a stump in the summer. I am by no means a pro on this subject but the topwater summer bite is hard to beat in my opinion.

 

[polo-dog]

David, top water fishing is my favorite! I love it in the fall when the bass are busting shad near the surface and you can catch thirty a day doing it. My favorite top water bait is a silver/blue back rattling chug bug. I don't know if you've ever fished one but it has a popper type front end but it is fairly lone and skinny. The real plus about it is you can walk the dog with it but it also spits like a chugger. I take a lot of buddies fishing and usually they try to walk it for a while and then they switch to a spook which is much easier to walk. The chug bug has a smaller, slimmer profile and I think that I get a lot more hits on it than my buddies do. It's also great because you can walk it slowly and hardly move it. But you can also move it very fast if you want to. There is a real timing to walking it however and most of the guys I fish with don't have the time/patience to learn to walk it well. Pick one up and try it sometime. Both redfish and speckled trout love it too. One drawback to it is that it is almost impossible to walk it with your rod tip up, so if you are in Fla. and want a walking bait and are fishing from the shore, you are better off with a spook or a mirro-lure she dog. Both can be walked well with your rod tip up off the water pulling up in stead of down like you would in a boat. Try one next time you're down south. Top water bites can't be beat!!!!!!!!

 

[DHaun]

Thanks! I definitely need to check out that chug bug and hope I can do it justice - I think I have read about using them in FL too. I like the idea of being able to slowly walk one for the hesitant/smarter largemouths . I have also done well number-wise with a spook although I can cast a big mirro-lure better for some reason (must be a little heavier). I can say that I know for certain that my dog-walking skills need practice...I love using them for Trout in FL though. Hmmm- I wonder how a mirro-lure would do up here. Only one way to find out.

 

[dec1]

Summer is one of my favorite times to fish because I like to fish at night. Typical lures I throw 7-10 inch worms, 1/2-3/4 oz single colorado s.b., 3/8-1/2 oz jigs all in dark colors. Most of the areas I fish are along creek channels or where there is a creek channel close by. I have caught fish anywhere from 5-20ft deep but mostly in the 10-15ft range. I feel thats were the better fish are. Almost all fish come out of brush or fallen tree tops. Another good pattern is fishing around boat house lights that are on the main channel. I have caught some good fish just targeting lights slow rolling s.b.'s. I have heard peolpe catching fish throwing black buzzbaits and few people throwing crankbaits at night but I fish several T's at night and feel my bite and hook ratio are better with the mentioned lures. It also helps to use black lights and flourescent line so you can see your line and have better contact with your lure. It also doesn't hurt to have some of your own brushpiles out to help you better locate fish. Chickamauga has a lot of fishing pressure, there are very few hidden spots but the more you have to yourself the better chance you have at catching the better fish. Hope this helps!

 

[polo-dog]

Great post dec1. I too am in love with night fishing. I just love warm summer nights with nobody else around and the lake to myself. Another great thing that I love about night fishing is the ease with which to pick lures for night fishing. The only three lures that I throw are a black and blue 3/8oz spinner bait with Colorado blade usually a No. 5 so that I can really feel the vibes, a jig with pork or plastic trailer and a texas rigged worm. The jig and worm are dark, usually black or black/blue. If my black light is not working, as it has been for the last few years, I just use the spinnerbait. Getting the "feel" of the lure is the most important because all I usually feel is the blade stopping for a second, that's when I set the hook. The fish is almost always on the end of the line. Without a black light it is tough to feel all of the bites with the jig and the worm as most of the hits are seen by watching the slack line. Summertime is the right time to fish at night! If I do fish in the daylight I don't catch many shallow unless it is at daybreak or dusk. If I do fish during the day, I usually have to fish deep as the grass is not found at the Chattanooga end of the lake yet. If the milfoil is there the fish can be found shallow even during the day sometimes as the disolved oxygen is high enough shallow only with the grass.

 

[jason]

My favorites are red shad crawdads (Yum 3.25") and black/blue flake Wildthang. I fish both with Florida screw-in rattling weights, usually 1/4oz. Spots and LM will hit both consistently along with the occasional cat or drum.

 

[polo-dog]

What areas do you like to hit at night or even during the day? Points, rip rap, stump beds, channel drops, flats? What depth seems most consistent for you and how do you decide how deep you will fish. Fishing jigs is a very slow way to go so how do you figure out where to fish? Do you fish at targets? Or do you use your electronics and maps to find areas that look good first. It seems to me that I go to my slow down baits only after I have exhausted my faster moving "search baits" or if I catch some in an area on my "search baits" and then I slow down and fish the area with my jigs/worms and catch a few more. There is just so much water out there that there's just not enough time to fish it all with any bait let alone a jig/worm.

 

[dec1]

At night most of the areas I fish are target specific. Humps, points, flats, and shallow areas along creek and river channels are what I'm looking for. All of these areas again have some type of cover on them. ex. rocks, stumps, and brush. In these areas if your lure is not bumping around some kind of cover your fish catching odds are lowered. Day time fishing is very similiar just usually fish a little deeper. When it gets real hot I usually slow my presentations way down and work areas very thorough. 6 inch finesse worms, jigs, carolina rig are the main lures. Every once in a while if I am lucky I may stumble across schooling fish and use crainkbaits and big 1oz. spinnerbaits. Current typically plays a big role this time of yr. With current it will gather fish tighter together and closer together.

 

[jason]

Sorry, guys. I read so many posts last night and thought I was replying to a "Nightime" thread. During the day I target all the wood in the little pockets as well as rocky points and ledges. I like the same lures as above, but in green pumpkin. The majority of my fishing is from the bank, so to save money I've become farely proficient with soft plastics. After losing a Lucky Craft Pointer at Booker T. last year on the first cast, I vowed to only use hard baits from a boat. Sucks to lose a $5-$10 crankbait or spinnerbait.

 

[polo-dog]

I understand about the losing of those crankbaits. I just hate to lose tackle! I have a stump knocker that usually gets any baits back for me but in the trees is usually curtains for a crankbait. I grew up on black plastic lindy tail worms and used to pond fish most of the time. Since I've been able to have a boat for the last few years, I tend to locate fish with a crankbait, spinner bait or other fast moving presentation and then slow down with a worm to get a few more. Sometimes I can't get anything with a fast presentation and then I go to the worm/jig and start catching and kick myself for not going to them sooner.