Summer 2025
page 56
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and catch and seem indifferent to all that is happening in their aquatic world. Usually, they are not far from their spawning flat, suspended in deeper water where they can rest in peace. They are catchable if you can find them and deliver your lure directly in front of them where they can easily catch it. Just do not expect them to chase down your lure; they want delivery only, and it better look natural and good!
Once they get their energy level up and the water is alive with prey, they will gorge on the buffet as much as they can. Any lure that is like the natural color of the prey and presented at the right depth and speed could draw a savage strike. But as the summer progresses, and the daylight hours get longer, bass begin to shift their activity level where they incorporate more rest into their daily routine.
The prey begins to thin out making them more difficult to catch. The fittest minnows survive the longest, and the bass adopt new feeding strategies. Summer bass start to take advantage of low light conditions to hunt for prey, and their feeding times adjust accordingly. The early morning bite becomes important during the summer and is the time most bass are busy hunting their prey. Bass can move in wolf packs, hunting and corralling baitfish. Topwater action is at its best. This is the easiest time to catch them.
As the sun comes out and gets higher in the sky, bass move into shadows and reduce their movement to wait in ambush of unsuspecting prey. Look for bass hiding in the shade of docks, underwater boulders and rock piles, and adjacent to steep banks that cast shade in the water. Bass will rest in the shade and face out to the sunlit water. As minnows and small fish swim by they are easily seen by the bass hidden in the shade and become victims of an ambush. Although the bass are not moving much, they are actively feeding. This allows them to both Eat and Rest simultaneously.
As the sun begins to set, bass move on the prowl once again, allowing for a brief feeding flurry during the dusk hours. When daylight disappears, they move back into a rest status unless feeding opportunities were lacking throughout the day.
In many waters the summer months can be brutally hot. In clear water with excellent sunlight penetration bass activity can be dominated by rest during daylight hours. Instead, these bass take advantage of their predatory lateral line sense to feel prey moving through the water after dark. They also utilize their excellent ability to see prey in dim light situations. Both senses allow bass to eat primarily at night, and to rest during the day. The “dog days” of summer are especially difficult to catch bass during the daylight hours in lakes where bass revert to feeding at night.
So what colors are effective in these low
light and nighttime conditions? Dark colors such
as black grape or simply black dominate color
choices. Lighter colors can work in bright moonlit
situations, but black always works at night
since it provides a visible silhouette against the available light in the water.
Remember these tips this summer when you select your lures, what colors you choose, and where you look for bass. Decide if the bass are at rest, or if they want to eat, and fish accordingly. Ciao! •