Two Summertime Bass Fishing Techniques
by Ken Sturdivant
Southern
Fishing Schools Inc.
One of the most difficult situations to deal with for
catching summer time bass
is
to catch
them
when they are suspended. When bass suspend over anything or just
hanging in the middle of an area it’s one of fishing most difficult situations.
Many anglers just give up not knowing that these fish can be caught.
In many larger lakes this is a very common occurrence.
These bass can
still
be caught and there are two techniques that can be added to the fishing
arsenal. Developed by professional anglers these two techniques are
spinner baits and the drop shot rig.
The spinner bait for suspended bass
needs
to be the big one ounce model and it should have two medium sized
willow leaf blades. Blade colors will be almost always one in silver
and one
in gold. Skirts should be white or some shade of silver. Heavy line
is important
and a heavy bait casting rod is best. Once the bass schools are located
make long casts past the school and count the bait down to the depth
the fish are holding in. Pull this huge bait right straight through
the school
and “kill” the bait or drop it for about two seconds. The bass think
this is a shad and once it drops the strike will be very hard. If
there is cover
close by duplicate this retrieve and drop the lure right at the structure.
The second summertime bass rig is called the drop shot rig. This is
a relatively new rig that started with the west coast anglers. The lakes
out west are
deep and very clear and the fish have seem almost everything in
the world.
The drop shot rig is exactly what it sounds like. And the best way
to describe it is to call it an upside down Carolina rig. Instead of
the
lead sinker
in the center of the rig as it is with other types of rigs, the
sinker is on the bottom. What makes this so easy is that the fish now
can
see the baits even better. This is a deadly rig for summer fish or
any other
fish that suspends over the bottom.
Many times bass do not feed
right off the bottom. Start out with 8 pound clear Stren clear cast
line and tie
on a worm hook with the Palomar knot. Leave a long tag line to
tie
on the weight. Now add at least a 1/2 ounce sinker, any style to
the bottom
of
the line. Now the weight simply crawls over the bottom and the
bait can be floated anywhere from 12 inches to 4 feet above the lead.
The
strikes
are exactly like a Carolina rig but better. Strikes will be easier
to feel and hook sets will drive the hook home. Rig up the hook with
any
soft plastic
from a grub to a ten inch u tail worm or lizard. Rig up a grub,
a finesse worm and then a u tail worm on the rigs.
