Fishing tip of the week: – 07/01/20

Fishing Tip of the Week

Wednesday, 01 July 2020 08:38

Ignite the summer bite
by Mike Gerry

The heat of the summer can be discouraging and tough on most of today’s fishermen; but have no fear. If you can ignite a group of fish you can really have a blast in the summer.
The bites can be slow in the summertime and fishing can be tough; not only is it hot, but it seems the gnats drive you crazy and there are big gaps of time between bites! When it is hot, and the sun is raining down on you, the only thing that takes your mind from this is catching fish. Yes, catching fish does fix what ails you without a doubt.

One of the best ways to do this is to ignite a school of fish and this can be done in many ways and is generally accomplished in the heat of the summer. There are certain presentations that I believe ignite the bite like this. A heavy jigging spoon in the 1 oz. range dropped over schools of fish is one bait that accomplishes this. Active bass are generally located where the shallowest water meets the deepest water, and this is always a way to fire up a school that is hunting food.

The key to doing this is recognizing where the active fish are on your Lowrance electronics and getting in position to make long casts to the school of fish. Where they are in respect to your boat position as it relates to the bottom is a key to catching and hence motivating the bass to bite. The quicker you can recognize where the active fish are located the faster chance you have of getting the summertime heat off your mind and move on to the task at hand.

Once you have found the fish, your jigging spoon is a great technique to fire up a bite. Cast it out, drop it erratically, and let the spoon do the rest. I let it drop fast, and when I feel the bottom I start snapping and making long driving upward pulls to get the bass chasing. Keep your bait working, don’t let up until the bass react, and you will have fun. It takes your mind off the elements and can really put some big fish in the boat in a short period of time!

Captain Mike