Fishing with Kenny | The Late Summer Grind

article by Kenny Covington

As we quest to find a newer and better way to catch fish, fellow anglers, we would like to believe we have all the answers to each angling question.  Much like putting together a puzzle with one thousand pieces, there are times when you know how things are supposed to work, yet no matter how hard you try, they just do not.  Sometimes, the best thing to do is to take a step back, and let things work out for you.  This is especially true when chasing late summer bass.

Of all the complexity that comes with trying to catch these little green fish, I have always believed August and September to be the most difficult months for anglers to be successful.  There are many factors that contribute to this including lower water levels, lower oxygen content, suspending fish, the water thermocline and brutal weather conditions, namely the extreme heat.  However, with a few simple mind-based adjustments, your late summer fishing trips can be some good ones.

First, let us consider a few suggestions.  Unless you are a tournament angler that calls for you to be on the water for longer periods of time, make your trips shorter.  A few hours early in the morning, late in the afternoon, or even fishing at night, can make for a much more enjoyable time on the water.  It is during these times when the heat is not as excessive due to low light, which also results in cooling water temperatures, often making the fish more active.  

Now, let us review a couple of other important aspects of fishing this time of year.  Remember, more than anything else, your comfort, as well as safety, should be your priority.  Even if you are fishing for just a few hours, drink plenty of water, as well as Gatorade type drinks, to stay hydrated.  This is not a suitable time of year to chug down cokes and other carbonated soft drinks, because they cause you to become more dehydrated.  Wear sunscreen and dress according to the amount of time you will be fishing.

Another thing to remember, often overlooked by tournament anglers, is to snack on food periodically during the day.  It is important to keep something in your stomach, so your body has energy to burn, while combating the summer heat.  Peanut butter crackers, energy bars, things like that will help you maintain your focus and keep you from running low on energy in the latter parts of the day.  When you are low on energy, you do not think as clearly, your body does not react as quickly and that is when mistakes happen.

Ok, now that we are finally into our fishing mode, what is the best way to combat these finicky, sluggish, late summer bass?  Well, my answer might surprise you!  The key is to fish shallow water, three feet or less.  This time of year, our lakes are often lower than usual due to a severe lack of rain, however, due to the depleted oxygen levels in the deeper water, fish this time of year move back shallow, regardless of how low the lake level might be. This is why you often see schools of shad dimple the top of the water, or with good eyes you can see bream just under the surface by a cypress tree.  If the forage of the bass is shallow, guess what?  The bass will be there too. 

Lakes with an abundance of grass, such as coontail, milfoil or hydrilla, makes fishing shallower water much easier.  The key is to find an area where the grass is more sporadic or just under the surface.  Look for signs of life while exploring these areas.  Do you hear bream smacking, see an occasional shad flip on the surface, or you might see a few bass actively feeding.  You must be observant to recognize the small signs that will lead you to a productive area.

The next obvious choice to check out is wood cover.  It does not take much so be keenly aware of where you catch your fish; a little bit of wood cover can mean a lot.  Cypress trees can be some of the best-looking cover available, but it is the location of the tree or what else is around it, that makes all the difference in the world.  While I catch a lot of fish in cypress tree areas, I have found my bigger fish will usually come off something, a log, a piece of brush or whatever the case may be, found near the cypress tree itself.

It is also during this late summer grind where I find nothing looking banks to be extremely productive.  No matter how baren a bank may look of cover, there is always some feature that will attract bass.  If you have fish that are actively feeding in a foot of water, two foot of water is deeper water to them.  Unobvious cover, depth changes, abundance of baitfish, these are the subtle keys you must look out for.

By now you are asking yourself, what about lures?  For most late summer scenarios, I use smaller lures.  I like topwaters such as a Yellow Magic topwater chugger or a Crazy Shad.  I use a ¼ double-willow spinnerbait as well as a small 1.0 squarebill crankbait, to cover water.  I like a Zoom Candy Bug trick worm to flip and pitch any visible cover, and I round it off with my number one lure this time of year, a red Wobblehead with a natural-colored worm trailer.  For fishing top to bottom, these lures stay on the deck of my boat until the weather starts heading into the fall season.

Well, it looks like we have run out of space and time again this month.  Time flies when you are having fun!  I sure hope we were able to share with you some information that will help you catch more fish on your next outing.  Please take care and make sure you catch one for me!  See you next month!