A textbook example disproving the “dog day” stigma for freshwater ponds.
It was a very hot, bluebird day, typical of mid-summer in the Northeast. I had the kayak loaded atop my SUV and my freshwater bass gear stowed inside. I have never been one to shy away from the heat of late July and August, since some of my biggest largemouth bass have been caught on sweltering summer days. I was looking forward to getting on the pond and enticing a few bass out from their late summer haunts. At this time of year, many freshwater bass anglers will avoid ponds and lakes that are overly weed-ridden, and covered in dense patches of lily pads, because the fishing can be tough. But heavy cover, especially in shallow bodies of water, provides a safe-haven for bass, and effective ambush points for predators lying in wait.
Heavy Cover Hog
Upon arriving at the pond, it was immediately apparent that it was going to be a day of fishing among the lily pads and other aquatic growth. No doubt this could be a daunting and challenging outing, but with persistence, the rewards of a good bass or two would be possible. My decision regarding baits involved mostly an array of soft plastics. Easily rigged weedless, these baits can be effectively fished in and among the thickest weed cover. I had one rod rigged with plastic frog, and three other outfits rigged respectively with a paddle tail, a creature bait and a senko. I tend to fish ponds and small lakes in counter-clockwise manner. Not that it really matters, it’s just a preference that has developed over the years. In the case of the pond that I was on, moving in this direction resulted in the kayak initially entering a very dense section of lily pads. It would take some time to thoroughly fish the area in a manner that would provide the best opportunity to entice some strikes. I began casting and working the pads at about 8:30 a.m. with no bites for almost an hour and a half. But my luck was about to change. I made a long cast with the paddle tail, and it landed upon a lily pad. I jiggled the bait a bit and then worked it off pad, swimming it toward the next patch of pads.
After working the retrieve about half way back to the kayak, I observed a substantial up-welling of the water and pads directly behind the path of the paddle tail. It was time to slightly accelerate the retrieve of the bait to further draw in the bass that apparently was on track to intercept the paddletail. The fish followed the bait, and at the point where the lure was about to exit from the last clump of pads, the bass struck, and I set the hook. It was a heavy take with much surface commotion. Fortunately, the big bass did not turn back into the heavy cover, but rather swam into open water. And fortunately, it did not jump, but instead made dogged dives to deeper water. The bass was strong, and it turned the bow of the kayak in its direction. I then started to breathe a bit heavier, and silently prayed to the fishing gods to keep this fish on the hook. With no net, I had to carefully lip this bass when the opportunity presented itself. That opening occurred as the bass tired and the kayak drifted closer to it. Once the fish rolled to its side, it was ready to be subdued. Gripping the bass by the lower jaw, I instantly realized how big it was, since both hands fit in the maw of the fish. It was a brute of a northern bass, tipping the scale a 7 pounds, 14 ounces.
Tactics & Technique
When I look back on that fish, I realized that a few tactics and techniques contributed to its capture. Firstly, I thoroughly worked over that section of pads, returning to it several times before the bass was motivated to strike. The fish could have either been hunkered down in that area the entire time, or it could have moved into the area looking for a meal. Its aggressiveness towards the bait, has me leaning in the direction of a cruising and feeding fish. Either way, the lesson learned is to be persistent with your efforts to methodically prospect an area of thick cover, and to even return to it during the course of an outing. It may be just a matter of timing or a change of bait that will stimulate a reaction or feeding strike. Secondly, if a fish shows interest in your bait, and homes in on its track, manipulate that bait in a manner that replicates fleeing or injured prey. Very often just continuing a steady retrieve is all that it takes to get the big bite, but I prefer imparting some additional tantalizing and seductive action. That tends to provide the extra impetus for the fish to eat.
| PENDING NY RECORD LARGEMOUTH |
| A pending NY record largemouth was caught in Cayuga Lake by Jim Britenbaugh during the month of July. The fish weighed-in at 12.35 pounds and was released back into the lake. The scale used to weigh the fish was certified and is waiting for recertification for the record to become official.
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I have many other examples of successfully fishing the “dog days,” yet one specific experience highlights just how productive those supposed lackluster days can be. This outing took place on a typically sweltering August day. The pond, as expected, had significant aquatic growth and sections of thick lily pads. Small bass were quite active throughout most of the morning, and were aggressively feeding on abundant dragon flies. I spent most of my time sight casting plastic baits to bass rising to the flies.
Much of this action was taking place among the openings between sections of lily pads. When that feeding behavior ceased, I moved the kayak out from among the pads and began fishing the edges of the pads at points where they were adjacent to deeper water. I then made several passes up and down the 50-yard stretch of water. It was about 1 p.m. when the first of three quality bass hit a Texas-rigged worm. Within the following 45 minutes, two other largemouth bass hit the same artificial bait. All three bass were lying on the edge of the pads where the vegetation met with deep water. And each of those bass was over five pounds.
If that event doesn’t debunk the stigma of summer “dog days,” then I don’t know what does. Those bass were obviously on the feed, and it mattered not the time of day, the intense heat of midday, or the temperature of the water. What did matter was overcoming those conditions, maintaining a positive attitude that bass would eventually feed, and remain persistent. After many years of fishing small lakes and ponds, it has become very evident that cycling back to previously fished spots has its benefits.
There are windows of opportunity when a location that might seemingly have appeared devoid of any fish, turns on. Freshwater bass do migrate during the course of a day from resting areas where they exhibit neutral activity to locations where they search for food. It might seem to some that during the summer month’s bass will only actively feed during the early morning or late evening into the darkness of night. I have found that not to be the case. Many of the largest black bass that I have caught in the summer have been taken during a time window of between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. If you can identify summer migration and feeding patterns, there will be no restrictions on when you can fish.
Summer Pond Tackle
Regarding tackle, it is best to choose medium to medium/heavy spinning or casting gear. Bass will often dig down into the root systems of the lily pads or other cover, and very often the angler will need to muscle fish out from those tangles. Braid is a good line choice, although I prefer hybrid fluoro/mono line. Plastic baits like worms, paddle tails, creature baits, jigs and frogs are ideal for this form of fishing. Rig them weedless. Hard baits in the form of spinnerbaits, chatterbaits are also very effective when fish through openings in the vegetation or along the edges of lily pad or weed lines.
In the final analysis, the best time to go fishing is when you can. So don’t let the hot summer weather deter you from what could be some of the best outings of the season.
