Ok, so everyone knows that the dead of winter and the peak of summer are typically the toughest times to catch bass. I know it may not be full on summertime yet, but down here in New Orleans we're already seeing temps in the 90s, so summer is officially here in my neck of the woods. I am a bank fisherman so I try to travel as light as possible, especially when it's 100 degrees outside. I'd rather not be lugging around my backpack/tackle box with 100lbs of gear. Looking to see what y'all like for summer bassin'. If you guys could only have 5 lures, what would you choose for the summer?
I know I'm supposed to search before I post and I apologize. I was actually looking for some answers that were a little more vague lol. No particular brand, just a style i.e. Lipless crankbait or squarebill. Sorry
No worries man! Figure it coulda given ya a general idea.
Think most can agree a jig/craw is a good one to have tied up.
worms
weightless flukes
#1 First light, be on the water as early as possible & late evening
#2 Over cast days
#3 Cover; grass or wood
Weighted or weightless plastics; Texas rigs, Senko types, & Flukes
Frogs; solid or hollow
Spinnerbaits or swim jigs
On 5/27/2016 at 6:38 PM, Catt said:#1 First light, be on the water as early as possible & late evening
#2 Over cast days
#3 Cover; grass or wood
Weighted or weightless plastics; Texas rigs, Senko types, & Flukes
Frogs; solid or hollow
Spinnerbaits or swim jigs
Well said...
For boaters , peak of summer is not the toughest time to fish , its one of the best . From the bank I would search steeper banks . Rip rap banks like along dams can be good . I would use a lot of sinking lures like lipless cranks , jigs , Texas rigs ,single bladed spinnerbaits like the Rocket shad , ,,Start by casting parallel to the bank then slowly move out to deeper water , let the lures settle and bring them back following the contour from deep to shallow . This will keep the lure in a possible strike zone the entire cast .
On 5/27/2016 at 9:01 AM, Burtonxj said:No worries man! Figure it coulda given ya a general idea.
Think most can agree a jig/craw is a good one to have tied up.
Jig with a craw trailer has been my something I've wanted to throw a little more. The bite where I fish has mostly been a lipless or squarebill crankbait bite from first light to about 9 or 10am. When that dies out I usually go to a Texas rigged or shakey head finesse or trick worm.
On 5/27/2016 at 7:27 PM, scaleface said:For boaters , peak of summer is not the toughest time to fish , its one of the best . From the bank I would search steeper banks . Rip rap banks like along dams can be good . I would use a lot of sinking lures like lipless cranks , jigs , Texas rigs ,single bladed spinnerbaits like the Rocket shad , ,,Start by casting parallel to the bank then slowly move out to deeper water , let the lures settle and bring them back following the contour from deep to shallow . This will keep the lure in a possible strike zone the entire cast .
I'm a bank fisherman so thanks for that advice. I fish a park lagoon/pond system. Not much rip rap but I did find a pond that has a line of rocks running all the way around it about 5 feet from shore. It's probably about a foot high and 2-3 feet wide sitting in about 2-3 feet of water. Ran a lipless crankbait directly over the top and picked up 6 bass today, but they were small. All between 8 and 12 inches. Gonna have to try a spinnerbait bc I lost 3 SK RES on the rocks so that's about a $20 loss in the hour and a half I fished lol
For a bank fisherman, I'd suggest a topwater, spinnerbait, bouyant crankbait, stick worm and a jig.
On 5/28/2016 at 10:52 AM, papajoe222 said:For a bank fisherman, I'd suggest a topwater, spinnerbait, bouyant crankbait, stick worm and a jig.
What do you mean when you say "buoyant" crankbait. One that doesn't dive as deep?
Fishing the ponds around dusk in summer is awesome
1. Popers
2. Floating minnow
3. Rattle traps
second best is hitting big trout in the streams. Fishing and cooling of.
1. Rooster tails
2. Daredevils
On 5/28/2016 at 12:14 PM, FirstnameLastname said:Fishing the ponds around dusk in summer is awesome
1. Popers
2. Floating minnow
3. Rattle traps
second best is hitting big trout in the streams. Fishing and cooling of.
1. Rooster tails
2. Daredevils
I love catching some trout, but down here in Southeast Louisiana we don't catch trout in any streams. We catch speckled trout (spotted sea trout) in bays, bayou, and lagoons in saltwater areas. And come summertime, those trout have moved out and made their way into the bigger bays closer to the gulf and many into the gulf. I'm a former saltwater guide, mostly speckled trout, and I love going get on some specks. But nothing beats a largemouth on the end of your line lol. But you definitely named my favorite bass lure for pretty much any time of year.... Rattle Trap aka lipless crank. All time favorite way to catch bass
On 5/28/2016 at 12:20 PM, Big Easy Bassin' said:I love catching some trout, but down here in Southeast Louisiana we don't catch trout in any streams. We catch speckled trout (spotted sea trout) in bays, bayou, and lagoons in saltwater areas. And come summertime, those trout have moved out and made their way into the bigger bays closer to the gulf and many into the gulf. I'm a former saltwater guide, mostly speckled trout, and I love going get on some specks. But nothing beats a largemouth on the end of your line lol. But you definitely named my favorite bass lure for pretty much any time of year.... Rattle Trap aka lipless crank. All time favorite way to catch bass
Yea I'm inland and all the way up in Massachusetts. We mostly got Browns up here in real cold fast streams. I bet those sea trout are a blast. I might be going to the reservoirs going for lake trout soon. By the way those rattle traps are on of only two lures I've caught two fish on at once
T-rigged plastics. One rod and a bag of various plastics with hooks, weights and beads is all you need.
On 5/28/2016 at 12:23 PM, FirstnameLastname said:Yea I'm inland and all the way up in Massachusetts. We mostly got Browns up here in real cold fast streams. I bet those sea trout are a blast. I might be going to the reservoirs going for lake trout soon. By the way those rattle traps are on of only two lures I've caught two fish on at once
Never pulled in two on a trap, but I was throwing a 1/4oz Bill Lew Original Rat-L-Trap, chrome with a blue back, right after the first of the year and had 2 hooked up all the way to the bank on back to back casts, but each time I lost one before I flipped them up on to land. Wish I could've landed them, but hey, I caught my PB that day on that lure. 5lbs 15oz
On 5/28/2016 at 12:20 PM, Big Easy Bassin' said:I love catching some trout, but down here in Southeast Louisiana we don't catch trout in any streams. We catch speckled trout (spotted sea trout) in bays, bayou, and lagoons in saltwater areas. And come summertime, those trout have moved out and made their way into the bigger bays closer to the gulf and many into the gulf. I'm a former saltwater guide, mostly speckled trout, and I love going get on some specks. But nothing beats a largemouth on the end of your line lol. But you definitely named my favorite bass lure for pretty much any time of year.... Rattle Trap aka lipless crank. All time favorite way to catch bass
I'm in Southwest Louisiana, grew up fishing & hunting the marshes, swamps, bayous, & rivers.
My PB of 12.8# was caught on a Rat-L-Trap
On 5/28/2016 at 12:12 PM, Big Easy Bassin' said:What do you mean when you say "buoyant" crankbait. One that doesn't dive as deep?
A buoyant crank is one that floats up quickly when paused. You won't hang up as often if you pause it when it bumps into something and a lot of times that's when you'll get bit.
On 5/29/2016 at 11:07 PM, papajoe222 said:A buoyant crank is one that floats up quickly when paused. You won't hang up as often if you pause it when it bumps into something and a lot of times that's when you'll get bit.
Thanks for that advice. I was throwing a SK 1.0 squarebill yesterday. I'd get it to the running depth and every 10-15 turns of the reel I'd pause for a solid 10 seconds or more. Towards the end of the pause I'd twitch the lure 3 or 4 times. When I started doing this the bite really turned on
Black/blue Chigger Craw! Lately I've discovered that the Hula Grub is a good substitute because I ran out of Chigger Craws and there aren't any closer than 40 miles away.
Chug Bug
Chug'n Spook, Jr
Frog
Rat L Trap-gold/black back. There are shiners where I usually fish.
It would have been good to see this thread with a poll.
My top five:
1. Wacky rigging senko
2. Crankbait
3. Jig, casting for under docks if can get to side
4. Single tailed grub Texas rigged
5. Frog
summertime shorefishing?
topwater, spinnerbait, powerworm, jig and pig, and jerkbait
frog, senko, frog, original rapala, frog, small wake bait, frog
1. jig with craw trailer
2. frog
3. ribbon tail
4. squarebill
5. deep crank
On 5/28/2016 at 12:14 PM, FirstnameLastname said:Fishing the ponds around dusk in summer is awesome
1. Rooster tails
that is old school right there. when i was a kid i'd wake a spinner called a Shyster(sp?), right down the shoreline. i can still recall the boils that ensued whenever a pond bass inhaled that thing. i liked the silver blade w/ white body/black dots/white feather tail. also the gold/yellow combo. good stuff.