Even in the heat, the big ones will bite

Summertime, and the livin’ isn’t easy.

Not for fishermen anyway.

With the rising water temperatures and the bright sun, the fish often become sluggish and head for the shade or the depths. And they can get tough to catch, especially along the banks.

But that doesn’t mean you have to sit in the air conditioning and wait for fall. There are still ways to catch the big ones, even in the heat.

Here are a few methods:

▪ SURFACING WHITE BASS: When the young-of-the-year shad grow big enough to school, large “wolf packs” of white bass hunt them down. They often push the baitfish to the surface and start a feeding frenzy. Fishermen call it “fishing the jumps.” They cast small jigging spoons, spinners, topwater lures, crankbaits or grubs into the surface activity and catch multiple fish, usually early in the morning or late in the evening.

That’s how fishermen are catching them now at Stockton, Smithville and Truman in Missouri and Glen Elder and Pomona in Kansas. But virtually any reservoir in both states that has a good white bass population will see good surfacing activity at some point during July, August and September.

▪ TROLLING FOR VARIETY: Gamefish often suspend during the summer months and follow schools of baitfish. They might be only 10 feet down in water as deep as 40 to 50 feet deep. That’s when trolling can be effective. The first step is getting good electronics and determining what depth the fish are using. A thermocline often sets up in the hot summer months, and the fish won’t go below the zone because of a lack of oxygen. Try to match your crankbait for the depth the fish are using. You can catch everything from white bass to wipers to walleyes by trolling on the main lake.

▪ LOCATE STRUCTURE: In the summer months, many gamefish move out from the banks and head to mid-lake structure. They will often relate to something that is different from the rest of the bottom contour. Humps, dropoffs, channel edges, road beds and points all can be productive.

▪ LOOK FOR THE SHADE: Fish like to relax in the shade, too, when it gets hot. Joe Bragg, a veteran crappie fisherman from Council Grove, Kan., likes to target big vertical structures such as the dock standards and bridge pillars. Using minnows, he has found consistent success fishing that way at Perry on even the hottest of days.

▪ SUMMERTIME CATS: Catfish don’t mind the heat. In fact, they are often most active when the water temperature starts to rise. Many fishermen attract channel cats by baiting holes with fermented soybeans, then using dip baits to get them to bite. Fishermen chasing big blue catfish often fish sand flats on rivers at night to get the fish to bite.

This story was originally published July 16, 2016 at 6:42 PM with the headline "Even in the heat, the big ones will bite."