Dog Days Of Summer

[ozark trout fisher]

I find the smallie fishing to usually be quite good all day long during the summer. There are some exceptions on the less spring-fed rivers, but honestly you can usually do fine right in the heat of a 95 degree day. It can just be kinda miserable from our perspective. You gotta get out and wade as much as possible in those conditions.

[Mitch f]

I once listened to Charlie Campbell at a smallmouth alliance event several years ago. He talked about ways to use the sunlight to your advantage while approaching a brush pile. I also know it makes sense to use the element of surprise to your advantage to get more strikes. Also your profile brightly lit can be seen by a fish from a great distance...like sitting in a movie theatre looking at the screen (maybe a lame example I know ).

[Al Agnew]

Yes, there are ways to use the sun, but a lot of the cover we fish is up against the bank, where you really don't have much choice of how you approach it as far as the sun is concerned. Now if it's a piece of cover that's off the bank, you might have the choice of casting to the sunny side or the shady side. But in reality, what's the best way to do it? In clear water, the bass might be lying on the shady side but will still know the lure is over there in the sun. If you cast to the shady side, the bass is looking at the lure (assuming it's a topwater or shallow running lure) against the sky but away from the sun, so the fish can see it very well. But is that always a good thing? Part of my whole approach to the way I fish is to NOT give the fish a real good look at my lure. That's why I move topwaters fast and splashy most of the time, and burn my twin spin just under the surface. It's why I use white, fluorescent yellow, and chartreuse in my twin spin...because those colors actually blend into the sky and sunlight filtering through foliage that make up the background against which the bass will be seeing the lure. So maybe it might make more sense to cast to the sunny side, where the bass will be looking at the lure against the sun and will not be able to see it very well (maybe).

[Guest Brian B.]

T-Man said look squirrel, now any dog/ squirrel reference- that's just dang funny, LOL.. "Look, squirrel"... Because its just so true...

"Up"- best animated movie ever, yep... Cried... I'll admit it... I cried...

[Tearin Up Topwater]

Lower light levels means your lure is more likely to fool the larger fish - so that supports better luck at dawn/ dusk. But my experience has been 10am, for some reason, when my most memorable fish have struck. As far as action, dusk or that last hour of sunlight is hard to beat. Especially, farm ponds when the place is just jumping and topwater is at it's best.

[Tearin Up Topwater]

I've also found that at midday bass are easier to find. Holding tight to cover, in shade to get out of the sun. Makes sense.

[fishinwrench]

More times than not I've had the bite go from "slow" to "worse" when a big cloud blows over. I can't say whether it's the loss of direct sunlight or just because something changed.

In my mind I see river Smallmouth as mid-day pretty weather fish more often than not. And that goes for all 4 seasons. They are the true "sunfish" IMO.

[Mitch f]

More times than not I've had the bite go from "slow" to "worse" when a big cloud blows over.

Is that because your hauling arse for the boat ramp?

[fishinwrench]

Might as well it seems. LOL

[Guest]

I like the afternoons myself.

Right now I'm Ned rigging until last light then switching to a small swimbait or topwater.

Some of my best trips were in relation to a gulf coast hurricane. I don't like the high winds but the all day rain makes good fishing.