Freshwater Fishing News

Summer is the season when most people fish for largemouth bass. Although this species can be caught year round in many areas, summer can be an excellent time to enjoy bass fishing.

To be successful during the summer season, anglers need to recognize a few seasonal aspects of largemouth bass behavior.

Summer Spawning

Although bass often spawn in spring, this may not always the case. In some areas it is not unusual to find bass in spawning areas as late as July. The practice of catching largemouth bass from spawning areas is has been strongly debated. To address the issue of catching spawning bass, each angler should learn to identify spawning habitat and then make a decision either to avoid or fish these areas.

Best Times to Catch Largemouth Bass

During hot weather, the best times to catch largemouth are usually the first and last hour or so of daylight. During these periods, bass often feed aggressively and are quick to attack surface lures or slow-sinking choices such as plastic worms.

During the daylight hours, largemouth bass often avoid the sun. They may be found sulking in deep areas near food sources, lurking under overhanging tree limbs, beneath docks or oriented to submerged obstructions such as stumps, downed trees, or other objects.

Aquatic Vegetation

During the summer season, many areas where bass are found experience explosive growth of aquatic vegetation. Although these plants present challenges to anglers, they often provide vital habitats for bass and other species.

The biggest challenge to anglers is usually finding a lure that is suitable for fishing around aquatic plants. Weedless designs are usually the best choice, especially lures that remain on the surface or sink only a few inches. Among the most popular lures for fishing heavy vegetation are weedless frogs, mice, weedless, slow sinking plastic worms, tube lures, buzz baits, poppers, weedless spoons and other surface lures.

Catching bluegill sunfish is a great way to get started in freshwater fishing. Bluegill are one of the most common freshwater fish in North America and are enjoyable to fish for. Although many anglers release their catch, these small panfish are among the best tasting of all freshwater fish. Bluegills are also known a bream sunfish.

Bluegill Sunfish Tackle

Ultralight spinning rods and reels are the most popular and versatile outfits for catching these colorful sunfish. In some areas, bluegill may also be caught using traditional cane poles, which require no reel.

For novice anglers, nothing beats a bobber and live bait for catching bluegill or other sunfish species. Nightcrawlers are widely available, inexpensive and easy to use as bait. Several other baits are popular, each having their special applications.

Anglers have several choices for hooks. Most beginners choose live bait or long shank hooks. Circle hooks are another option for catching sunfish and other panfish. Circle hooks require a different technique than other designs, but offer several advantages over traditional hook styles. Regardless of the type of hook chosen, size is important. Most sunfish have very small mouths and require small hook sizes.

Although fishing with bait is usually the most productive, anglers sometimes use artificial lures for catching these panfish. Among the most effective are small jigs in 1/16 or 1/32 oz. sizes. Some anglers prefer simple shad darts or marabou jigs, while others prefer jig heads equipped with soft plastic bodies. Bright colored curly tailed grub bodies or tube bodies are by far the most popular.

Tips for Catching Bluegill Sunfish

Bluegill are attracted to bright colors and flashy objects.

During spring thru fall, bluegill and other sunfish orient to overhanging tree limbs, lily pads, or other aquatic vegetation.

When fishing live baits, cast as close to structure as possible. If a fish is present, strikes usually come immediately.

In some areas, bluegill feed in mild currents such as stream-pond junctions, tidal creeks or rivers. Look for eddies or calm water adjacent to moving flows of water.

Kayaks make excellent boats for catching sunfish. These small watercraft allow anglers to explore shallow back waters where trophy bluegill are sometimes found.

When deep water access is available, bluegills are sometimes found at various depths. Experiment by vertical jigging or letting a free-lined bait sink slowly.

Fishing around lily pads (spatterdock) can be challenging, but productive. Spatterdock, commonly known as lily pads, yellow water lily, cow lily, or pond lily is a type of  aquatic plant is found throughout Eurasia and North America. Spatterdock occurs in both freshwater and brackish habitats and is often found in tidal rivers, creeks and swamps.

Spatterdock often grows in large colonies, with plant roots fixed into the mud and leaves floating on the water’s surface. In spring, the plants send shoots up and leaves grow until they are high enough to float on the surface. The leaves remain until fall when they begin to deteriorate.

These unique environments attract a number of organisms, including insects, invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and aquatic mammals.  Lily pads provide habitat for a range of fish, depending on the region and season. In most areas largemouth bass, black crappie, sunfish, chain pickerel, yellow perch, gar, catfish and other species all orient to lily pad colonies.

Several lures are effective in these areas including soft frogs, weedless spoons, salamanders, jerk baits and soft  plastics such as Senko worms. During the early season, the plant stems are softer and more forgiving if a lure becomes fouled, but as the season goes on, weedless lure designs are essential.

Perhaps the most sought after fish when fishing lily pads is the largemouth bass. These heavyweight eating machines lurk along the edges of pads, ready to ambush anything that moves. Bass anglers sometimes work pads in pairs, with one angler fishing a loud surface bait while the other angler fishes deeper areas just off the border of pads.

One essential lure for targeting largemouth along lily pads is the soft-bodied weedless frog. This odd looking lure has many variations, but most share a few common traits. A good frog will float effortlessly, have a soft body and hooks that are well protected snagging on weeds. Most weedless frogs hook fish when they bite down hard, which exposes hooks that are hidden inside.

Due to their weedless design, hookups can be more difficult to achieve using frog lures than some other bass lures. Despite this, most anglers love using them. Much of the allure of these baits comes from the spectacular strikes that they incite. Often largemouth bass or other predators will charge after a frog lure as it skips across aquatic vegetation, finally exploding on the lure when it reaches open water. Fish that do not get hooked often strike repeatedly, showering the angler with water.

A few other lures such as weedless soft bodied salamanders and senko stick baits can be successfully worked across lily pads. For fishing the edges of vegetation, buzz baits, chuggers, poppers and other surface lures can be effective. Weedless designs provide a higher amount of fishing time but some of the classic topwater lures are also useful for inciting strikes when bass become finicky.

In addition to largemouth bass, anglers sometimes target chain pickerel around colonies of spatterdock. These vicious predators prefer to lurk in dense vegetation or orient to logs or other structure. Their attack happens at lightning speed, ambushing small fish or other prey. Pickerel anglers take advantage of this, working weedless lures across the pads and into openings where pickerel await.

Many of the same lures that work for largemouth bass also work for pickerel. Losses of lures must be expected as pickerel have razor sharp teeth and often cut the line during the strike. Some anglers avoid treble hooks when fishing for pickerel as the fish are known for leaping and shaking lures loose.

In addition to artificial lures, anglers occasionally fish live baits along lily pad beds. Several rigs are effective, among them are traditional bobber rigs, jig-minnow combinations or a simple unweighted leader armed with a circle hook. Fishing minnows or other live baits along the edges of lily pads is an excellent technique when kayak fishing.

A popular technique for fishing live baits among pads is the use of cane poles or crappie poles. These specialized setups employ a long rod or bamboo pole, with a simple line extending from the tip. Anglers working from the shore or from small boats simply lower a bait into openings among the pads. When a strike is felt, the angler must lift the rig vertically, pulling the fish out of the water. If there is any hesitation, the fish will be lost among the dense cover.

Regardless of the technique, fishing around lily pads can be extremely productive. As the season progresses, anglers often employ a series of techniques around these aquatic plant habitats.

A variety of minnows and other small fish are popular as live baits for catching freshwater fish. Live bait fishing is popular in most areas of North America, although baits may vary locally.

Minnows and other small baits are excellent choices for catching mid-sized species such as crappie, bass, sunfish, yellow perch, walleye, sauger, pickerel, catfish and other fish.

Mummichogs are often used for freshwater fishing bait. These heavy bodied members of the killifish family are commonly found in brackish to saltwater estuaries, but can live in freshwater for long periods of time.  Mummichogs are usually 2 – 4 inches long.

Mosquitofish are found throughout much of North America. Although tiny by baitfish standards, these micro-baits can be highly effective for catching sunfish and other panfish.

Gizzard shad are fast growing forage species that are found in lakes and reservoirs. In some regions, small gizzard shad can be caught locally or purchased from bait shops for use as live baits.

Golden shiners are common in many areas. Shiners can be caught with seines or with small hooks and morsels of bait. These fish make excellent live baits for a number of freshwater species.

Suckers are another regional bait. These bottom dwelling fish are found in streams and creeks. Suckers can be caught with hook and line or nets.

Madtoms are small members of the catfish family. Although they have applications as baitfish, some species of madtoms have venomous spines and command great care when handled.

Sunfish (bream) are popular live baits for freshwater fishing. Often, sunfish are readily available near prime fishing spots. Sunfish make excellent baits for bass, pike, musky, large catfish and other gamefish.

Farm raised trout are sometimes available as fishing bait. Small trout can be purchased live from producers or outfitters. Large lake predators such as musky, pike, lake trout and coho salmon gobble these colorful baits up like candy.

A note about regulations:

Before capturing or fishing live baits, anglers should check local regulations. Laws often include limitations on the types of baits that can be possessed or used for bait. Regulations may also limit types of gear that can be used for catching bait.

Another important issue relates to aquatic invasive species and the spread of harmful organisms. In these cases, local regulations may be in effect to limit the transfer of water borne hazards such as invasive fish, crayfish, zebra mussels, aquatic diseases or other pests. Some regulations affect disposal of waste water or left over baits and may also specify special handling of fishing equipment.

Weights used in freshwater fishing include egg sinkers, split shot, bullet weights, slip sinkers, drails, bottom fishing sinkers and other tackle.  Weights and sinkers are used to control the depth of lures and to increase casting distances. When fishing live or cut baits, weights and sinkers help the angler maintain baits in the strike zone.

Line Weights

Several types of weights for fishing either attach to the line or have a hole that allows lines to pass thru. These include split shot, clamp-on, rubber core, egg, bullet and torpedo designs. These weights are typically used for drifting live and cut baits or for casting artificial lures.

Split shot, rubber core and clamp-on weights are often used under a bobber or when a small amount of weight is needed. These three designs grip the line and do not move during fishing. Of the three types, the rubber core design is the most versatile because it can be re-positioned easily. Other types are crimped on with pliers and are useful only once.

Bullet weights are most often used when fishing artificial worms, although they have other applications. These hydrodynamic weights have several advantages. Their shape makes them cast well, retrieve easier and enables them to be fished among obstructions with less likelihood of getting snagged.

Bullet weights can be allowed to slide freely or can be fixed in place using a number of methods. The simplest Texas rig uses a classic bullet sinker. To set the weight in place, a toothpick is thrust into the center hole and broken off in place which prevents the weight from moving along the line. A variety of variations are available, including weights that use a small cork screw type device to attach to the plastic lure. Other rigs for fishing artificial worms combine the hook and weight into a single unit.

Inline Weights

Inline weights use some method of connecting the line at each end. These weights are used for primarily for drifting in mid-depths or for trolling baits or lures. Depending on the application, inline weights may be located from 3 to 50 feet or more from the bait or lure. The simplest of inline weights are torpedo shaped, with brass rings at either end. These weights allow anglers to connect lines directly to the weight, either by knots, crimps or thru the use of snap-swivels.

More evolved inline weights (drails) offer better methods for connecting lines. For example, some weights have built in swivels or  and special keels which limit line twist. These weights are engineered specifically for trolling and offer better control of line twist.

Sinkers

These weights located at the very end of the line. Sinkers come in a variety of sizes, shapes and variations, with each style having a specific use. The most common are simple, one piece bank sinkers. Other designs feature an inset ring or swivel for attaching leaders. Other variations involve the shape of the sinker, with teardrop, disk, pencil, slip sinker, ball, and pyramid shapes being among the most widely used.

Weight – Sinker Selection

Regardless of the fishing technique being used, weight selection is critical to success. Weights that are too small will not have the required effect while oversized weights may spook fish or suppress the action of baits and lures. As water depth, current and bait sizes vary, weights may have to be adjusted accordingly during an outing.

Some sinkers have specific applications. For example slip sinkers allow anglers to drift or slowly troll baits over rocks or other obstructions.