The summer fishing season on area reservoirs can present tough fishing for anglers especially as late summer approaches. This summer has certainly been one of the hottest on record in middle Georgia but surprisingly fishing results have been very good for many anglers targeting largemouth bass this summer.

Anglers that have been willing to spend some time fishing away from the shoreline and concentrating on ledges, creek channels, humps, and deep points have been rewarded with good catches. The use of crankbaits by those successful anglers has been a primary reason for their success.

During the hot summer months, many anglers resort to fishing early and late in the day or they opt to fish strictly at night or they just quit fishing altogether. Some cannot take the summer heat and others consider the fishing too slow during the middle part of the day.

When asked about the time of day that I catch most of my largemouth bass during the summer, my answer is I catch fish throughout the entire day. On some summer days, the best fishing can be at high noon during the most unpleasant and hot conditions of the day. The fish are not aware or concerned that you might be hot and miserable.

Studies indicate that largemouth bass and most game fish feed heavily during the summer months and that feeding can occur at anytime of the day. The fish use up more energy during the hot weather so they need to eat more. During the summer, the angler’s timing (when to fish), location (where to fish) and choice of lures (not all lures are the same) becomes most important for successful fishing.

 Even though the largemouth may bite all day, there are times when they will bite better and anytime that water current is present, the fish will bite better. Georgia Power does not generate power on any predetermined published schedule but through observation, an angler can readily see when water current is present. When to fish can be during any part of the day but the presence of current will improve the bite.

Another successful aspect of successful summer fishing is location. The majority of the fish are not generally located along the shoreline during hot weather but have moved away from the shoreline to deeper water.

The bass will be located around some type of underwater cover like ledges, channels, points, and humps. However, they will move to shallower water to feed when water current is present because very often the baitfish will move to those shallower locations. The fish will normally be near deeper water adjacent to shallower feeding areas during the summer.

Lakes Oconee and Sinclair have good populations of threadfin shad and the presence of that baitfish is required for successful summer angling. The game fish like largemouth bass will always be in areas around schools of baitfish during the summer.

Find points, creek channels, humps, and ledges in or near water that is 6-22 feet deep and you have found good locations for schools of largemouth bass and other game fish. Some very large schools of largemouth have occupied several ledges and humps in Lake Sinclair this summer where they have stayed since late May.

Baitfish will shift from deeper locations (off a ledge or hump) where they suspend over deep water, to shallower water (top of a ledge or hump) when good current is present. When the baitfish react to current and move to shallower water (top of a ledge or hump) to feed, a predator like the largemouth bass will not be far away and will be ready to move in to feed.

When water current is present, several artificial lures can be used to catch fish but one of the best lures for catching summer largemouth bass this summer has been a crankbait. A large number of largemouth bass have remained in water 8-14 feet deep all summer on Lake Sinclair. I have used a Carolina rigged plastic worm all summer to locate the largemouth and then I have switched to a crankbait that runs in that depth of water when current is present.

A good plan of attack for anglers during the summer is to probe promising locations with a Carolina rig during periods of slack water and little current and then switch to a crankbait when good current is present. Choose crankbaits that run in the magic summertime depths of 6-22 feet. That might require three different crankbaits that run at different depths and you might need to try several different colors.

If your summertime fishing has been slow, put on some sunscreen, drink plenty of water, tie on a crankbait and fish the current during anytime of the day. Remember that the fish will always swim facing into the current so cast and work the crankbait back with the current. Good fishing and see you next week.

Outdoor columnist Bobby Peoples can be contacted via e-mail at brpeoples@windstream.net.