Summer Techniques & Tactics - Catch More Fish!
It's summer, the spawn has passed and the bass have scattered seemingly in every direction across your favorite body of water. Not to mention, bites have become few and far between. We tapped into the knowledge of our bass fishing experts to bring you some of the hottest baits, techniques & tactics to target stubborn summer bass.
You just can't go wrong throwing a frog during the summer months! And let's face it, there may not be a more exciting way to catch a fish. Bass often stack up under weed mats and lily pads to escape the heat of the sun, not to mention, these areas provide a great place to ambush prey. Grab your heavy stick, some braided line, and your favorite hollow body lure, and prepare for a good time.
Not sure what to use? Take a look at some of our favorites below.
Hollow Body Frogs
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A good froggin' rod should fall roughly between 7' 2" - 7' 8", the extra length helps propel long casts as well as pull fish out of heavy cover. A rod with heavy action and a fast tip also plays a key role in wrenching big fish out of thick grass and weeds.
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Froggin' Rods
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Strong line with zero stretch is a must when chucking your favorite frog into thick cover. You'll need your line to drive those hooks deep and cut through vegetation with ease. Take a look at a few of our favorites.
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Braided Line
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Large schools of bass will often post up offshore on hard bottom areas during summer. While there are many different ways to target these fish, a jig is one of our favorites. There's just something special about that "THUMP" when dragging a jig over an offshore hump or structure pile.
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Our Top Selling Jigs
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Dirty Jigs Tour Level Football Jig
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Bass Patrol Silicone Western Football Jig
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Strike King Tour Grade Football Jig
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Jig rods vary based on the type of jig fishing you're doing and the structure you have available in your body of water. As a general rule of thumb, we recommend a medium-heavy to heavy baitcaster in the 7' - 7'6" range.
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Jig Rods
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Daiwa Tatula Series Casting Rods
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Dobyns Champion XP Series Split Grip Casting Rods
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Another exciting way to target those off-shore summer schools of bass is with a crankbait. When those fish are fired up, burn your favorite deep diver right through the middle of the pack and hang on. Take a look at a few of our favorite rods, baits & line.
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Crankbait
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Rapala DT Series Crankbait DT16
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Strike King Pro Model Series 6XD Deep Diving Crankbait
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Megabass Deep-Six Extra Deep Diving Crankbait
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A good cranking rod is unlike anything else, often fiberglass or "glass" for short, these rods have much greater parabolic bend vs. traditional graphite rods. The benefit of this is not only greater casting distances, but it also helps to ensure the fish stay hooked up during long battles. Here are a few of our top sellers.
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Crankin' Rods
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Dobyns Champion XP Series Glass Crankbait Casting Rods
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Daiwa Tatula Series Glass Casting Rods
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Mono vs. Fluoro?
For those of you who prefer a stiffer rod when fishing a crankbait, we'd suggest running a monofilament line. Mono has greater stretch, thus providing additional shock absorption.
On the other end of the spectrum, if you prefer a softer rod, your best bet will likely be fluorocarbon. Fluoro has less stretch, is less visible, and is very abrasion resistant. Not to mention, it sinks, allowing your bait to reach greater depths.
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Crankin' Line
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Sunline Super FC Sniper Fluorocarbon
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Berkley Trilene XL Monofilament Lo-Vis Green Filler Spools
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P-Line 100% Pure Fluorocarbon Fishing Line
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When the conditions are extreme and the bite gets slow, the dropshot can turn a skunk into a solid day. Small, hard-to-resist baits drug slow on the bottom or dead sticked-twitched can entice even the most stubborn fish into biting. And let's be honest, who doesn't love catching an angry bass on light finesse tackle?!
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Dropshot Baits
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X-Zone Hot Shot Minnow 3.25 inch Drop Shot
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Gary Yamamoto 4 Inch Shad Shape Worm Drop Shot Bait
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Z-Man Trick ShotZ 3 1/2 inch Dropshot Bait
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Small, lightweight hooks make for the perfect subtle presentation. Here are a few of our favorites.
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Dropshot Hooks
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Lazer TroKar TK150 Drop Shot Hook
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Gamakatsu G-Finesse Drop Shot Hook
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For incresed fall rates on your favorite drop shots, sometimes a weight might be a good choice to add to your setup. Here are some of our favorites.
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Dropshot Weights
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Owner Down Shot Sinker Drop Shot Weight
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Strike King Tour Grade Tungsten Drop Shot Weights
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VMC "Ike Approved" Tungsten Cylinder Drop Shot Weights
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The ideal dropshot rod should be roughly 6'10"-7'4" with medium to medium-light power with fast or extra-fast action for sensitivity and plenty of backbone.
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Dropshot Rods
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Dobyns Sierra Series Spinning Rods
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Daiwa Tatula Elite Spinning Rods
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Shimano Zodias A Spinning Rods
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If you've made it this far, we appreciate your dedication to catching more fish this summer! And we hope you've picked up a few new favorite techniques and baits along the way. Tight lines!