Westernbass Magazine August 2011, Page 47

Westernbass Magazine August 2011, Page 47

L

ate summer is even worse as the temps

increase, water and air, making it tough on

the Bass and fisherman/woman. i have

learned over the last 30 years of chasing bass ,that the fish are fairly easy to figure out - in a

way to get very close to what they may be thinking,

if you just try to give it some of your own rational

thought.

For instance, if it were 110 degrees outside most

don't have the energy to be outside doing much of

anything. However if you're inside an air-conditioned

room just hanging out relaxing you're more likely

ready to reach out and grab a snack, or at least

under the misters at the lake on the back deck of a

houseboat, then maybe a snack would sound good

in the heat. This leads me to my point of looking for a

place that would likely be a cool comfort zone for a big

bass that is an easy place to grab a snack or a meal

with little stress.

The funny thing is, the big fish have made their

living at this for years and know right where to go

time after time. all you have to do is figure that out

and you got ‘em.

The other part of the puzzle is, most would agree

that the highest percentage of big fish live in the top 5

feet of water or less most of the time but especially in

the summer. once water temps are 70 plus and in many

case 80 plus the oxygen content becomes very low.

Places like Clear lake can be deadly for bass in

shallow areas during the summer because the oxygen

gets low. The phenomenon of algae blooms happen

which suck the oxygen out of the water so quickly

that it can drop the level so low it will kill all the fish

in that area within minutes. i know. i have watched

entire slough’s and bay’s oxygen level drop to deadly

levels several times. it was very bizarre to see fish

dying everywhere where 1/2 hour before i just caught

several fish in the same area.

So the other side of that story is, as the wind

blows or the evening approaches, the cooling of the

surface sucks the oxygen right back into the water.

That's why night fishing in the summer is often better.

However the depth of that cooling depends on how

long it remains cool. Usually short lived in the summer,

this is why shallow fish will move around always

looking for shade or wind in the summer.

i wanted to explain this a little to you so it will make

sense as to where i have been successful in finding big

bass in the summer.

Issue 3  August 2011

47

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