*Local Fishing Update What can you do when the weather gets hot? Go fish of course! Often you hear “It’s too hot to fish” or my favorite, “There ain’t nothin’ bitin’ out there now.” Sure you may not be reeling in 30” walleyes one after another, but the fish are still out there. They just have to be outsmarted. Larger panfish can be found out deep right now, which is the complete opposite of the spring season. It helps to have an electronic fish locator or depth finder, but one can do without an expensive electronic unit if need. Simply find the weed edge on your favorite body of water and then go out further. Is it simple? Yes. Is it an exact science? Not by a long shot. The trick is getting out there and finding out what’s working on any given day. Bass can be a little sluggish when the weather is this hot, but that doesn’t mean they’ve stopped biting. Early in the year bass will often swim relatively long distances to chase down a lure which is great for locating fish and finding a pattern. This time of year bass get lazy and really won’t chase down a lure unless it’s within their strike zone for a longer than normal period of time. Spend time picking apart weed edges or Lilly pad growths with soft plastics. If you think you’re working a spot slowly, slow it down even more. Pulling that blue worm or pumpkinseed salamander passed a big bass’s nose more than once may just get him to bite. Pike and muskie are funny creatures this time of year. You can nail a nice 36” pike trolling deep down the middle of the lake one minute, and the next hammer handle can be found chomping down on your bass rig near Lilly pads the next. Similar to bass, pike and muskie get a little lazy this time of year and aren’t in any hurry to chase down a faster moving lure. This isn’t always the case of course, but it is pretty typical. Try suspending jerk baits with long pauses or soft plastics with long sweeping rod motions. Topwater lures worked slowly can be the ticket too. The fishing can be tougher right now, but it’s still worth it to hit the water and introduce someone new to the sport. Just bring more than enough water and sunscreen, and maybe even a few snacks for when it gets too slow. Enjoy the weather while it lasts, soon enough the lakes will be frozen over and humidity will be a thing of the past!
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 12:48:19 +0000