Summer is considered to be a tough time of year to fish by the majority of anglers. While this may be true at times, there are numerous bass fishing patterns that take place this time of year. These are some of my favorite ways to catch bass, and the patterns are often consistent. Understanding when and where these patterns take place however can be quite challenging. Changing weather conditions and fishing pressure play a large roll in determining your success with these summertime patterns. This feature highlights how to identify four of the most prevalent summer patterns for bass.
SCHOOL FISHING
Targeting schooling fish is arguably the most action packed pattern that transpires this time of year. This typically occurs as water temperatures reach their peak high. This causes bass to group up in search of bait and other types of forage. These fish are constantly moving in search of bait, and you’ll often see them busting in the middle of the lake this time of year. Their nomadic nature makes predicting their locations fairly difficult, however there’s a few high percentage locations that are always worth checking. Pinch points such as bridges and the mouths of creeks are some of my favorite places to target these fish.
Using your electronics is a great way to locate these fish, however it isn’t required. Using your eyes is arguably the easiest way to locate these bass schooling on top of the water, and you can catch them on a variety of different baits. A traditional topwater walking bait is my favorite, however I often use spoons, jerkbaits and other shad imitation type baits. A few of my favorites include the Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg, The Nichols Lake Fork Flutter Spoon and the Berkley Stunna 112.
LEDGE FISHING
Ledge fishing is another extremely popular summer pattern for bass. This pattern only occurs on certain bodies of water, and it typically relies on current. Current funnels bait into certain locations based on the lakes topography and water flow. This causes bass to congregate in these locations, often generating some fantastic days of fishing. These locations are often on make lake ledges that get hit by current. This pattern typically begins after the bass finish spawning, and it wraps up as the water temperatures begin to cool back down. Using your electronics is likely the easiest way to locate these groups of fish, as I generally rely on both side and down imaging.
Idling around main lake ledges and points is a great way to locate groups of bass positioned along the bottom. Once you locate these fish, you can catch them on a variety of different baits. If there’s lots of current I generally opt for a faster moving reaction bait such as a crankbait or big swimbait. However if there’s little current ill opt for a finesse style presentation such as a drop shot or jig. A few of my favorite ledge fishing baits include the Strike King 10XD, Scottsboro Top Hook Swimbait and a Greenish Tackle Little Rubber Jig. This pattern typically accounts for my biggest bass of the summer, and it often generates lots of numbers as well.
BRUSH PILE FISHING
Another productive summertime pattern that cannot go without mention is brush pile fishing. This pattern doesn’t generate as many fish as school or ledge fishing, however you’ll often find less pressured fish that are more willing to bite. This pattern really heats up late in the summer as the ledge bite begins to dwindle. Lots of these fish will vacate the ledges in search of less pressured cover. This is when you can really do some damage out of brush piles. I generally look in depths between 10 and 30 feet this time of year, however finding isolated cover is the most important aspect. The more isolated the cover, the more likely fish will reside there.
Using side and down scan is a great way to quickly locate isolated brush piles. Once you locate a few brush piles, rotating them using a variety of baits is my preferred method for fishing them. I generally start out with a variety of moving baits with the hopes of calling them out of brush and getting them to react. I use either a glide bait, jerk bait or jig and minnow to get these fish to react. Some of my go to baits for this application include the Spro KGB Chad Shad and a Megabass Vision 110 jarkbait. If that doesn’t work however, I’ll switch to a few different bottom baits. Some of my favorites include a Texas rigged Zoom Ol’ Monster 10.5-inch worm and a 6-inch Morning Dawn Roboworm rigged on a drop shot. This is a great way to pick up on a few extra fish other offshore anglers might skip over.
FROG FISHING
Last but certainly not least, frog fishing is another great way to catch some giant bass this summer. Fish eat topwater frogs on nearly every lake in the country, and there’s truly nothing like watching a bass explode on your topwater. You can throw a frog around nearly any type of shallow water cover, however I generally focus on shallow vegetation. Rising water temperatures causes the majority of bass to move offshore, however the ones that stay shallow often search for cool, clean water. Vegetation acts as a filtration system this time of year, cleaning the water while simultaneously attracting baitfish such as shad and bluegill. Targeting these areas are a great way to catch some giant bass throughout the summer.
Locating topped out grass is ideal for this type of pattern. The grass acts as a canopy for bass, creating a cool, protected pocket for them to hide and ambush prey. Throwing your frog along the edges of these mats is a great way to call fish out and get them to react. I throw a variety of different frogs this time of year, and a generally switch between a popping and walking style frog based on the amount of cover. In open water I opt for the popping frog in order to call fish in from a distance, however around heavy cover I opt for the walking style frog due to its streamline profile. Some of my favorite frogs for this application include the Spro Poppin’ Frog and the Booyah Pad Crasher.
Whether you’re a shallow water angler or a diehard offshore fisherman, theres plenty of bass to be caught throughout the summer months. No matter where you’re located in the country, one if not all of these patterns will be applicable to your desired body of water. While fishing can be tough at times, these patterns are sure to generate some quality days of fishing. If you’ve been struggling to find and catch fish this summer, I highly recommend giving these four seasonal patterns a try, you won’t be disappointed.
