Where Do Bass Go During Summer? (And How To Catch Them)

Summer bass fishing is really fun once you know where to look! Many anglers lose track of the fish and struggle to get a bite, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can catch fish all day long, even in the heat of the day once you understand how their movements and feeding patterns change. Once you're ahead of the fish, its non-stop action! Let's take a look at where they are and how to catch them. 

During Summer the bass break into two distinct schools. The first goes shallow into cover and the second heads out to main lake structures. The shallow fish are fun because you can target them with a variety of power fishing techniques, our favorite are frogging, flipping, and throwing swim jigs. The fish on outside structures group up around current when available and large structures when the water is calm. These fish can be caught on wobble heads, crankbaits, worms, jigs, and a variety of other lures. 

Don't let the pressure steer you away, summer is prime time for bass! Below is a breakdown of the lures and equipment we use to target Summer bass. All the links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Deep Diving Crankbaits… 

-Strike King 10XD: http://bit.ly/2gHT4F0

Colors- Chart Blue Back, Powder Blue Back, Chartreuse Sexy Shad

-Strike King 6XD: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

Colors- Chart Blue Back, Powder Blue Back, Chartreuse Sexy Shad

-Rapala DT20 and DT16: http://bit.ly/2BL0UYl

Colors- Citrus Shad, Parrot, Shad

-Norman DD22: http://bit.ly/2LKB37w

Colors- Chartreuse Sexy Shad, Tropical Shad, Sexy Shad

Squarebill Crankbaits… 

-River2Sea Biggie: http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

Colors- Abalone Shad, TSMinnow, T1000

-Rapala BX Brat: http://bit.ly/2qFBMiR

Colors- Chartreuse Shad, Silver, Hot Dang

-Luhr Jensen Speed Trap: https://bit.ly/3ccfJbV

Colors- Chartreuse Shad, Crystal Chart Blue, Gun Metal Shad

Swing Head Jigs… 

Head- Dirty Jigs Pivot Point Football: http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

Size: 3/4 oz with 5/0 Hook

Bait #1- Zoom Z-Craw: http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

Colors- Junebug

Bait #2- Xzone Adrenaline Craw: https://bit.ly/3ebTO5h

Colors- Junebug

Boot Tail Swimbait… 

Bait- Keitech 4.8” Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Colors-Electric Shad, Pro Blue Red Pearl

Exposed- Matt Allen Swimbait Head (1/2 oz): http://bit.ly/29RrTYN

Weedless- Owner Flashy Swimmer (5/0): http://bit.ly/2e8O4Y7

Stick Bait… 

Bait- Yamamoto 5” Senko: http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

Colors: Green Pumpkin, Natural Shad, Baby Bass

Weightless Hook- Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap 1/0: http://bit.ly/2aKGmHM

Neko Hook- Owner Weedless Sniper Finesse: https://bit.ly/2zXirRH

Neko Weight- Swagger Tungsten Pagoda (3/32): http://bit.ly/2iGNSFW

Shaky Head Worm… 

Head- Dirty Jigs Canterbury 1/8 oz: http://bit.ly/2aFOs0V

Bait- Netbait T-Mac 6.5”: http://bit.ly/2jndwj9

Colors: Junebug, Kentucky Special

Frog… 

-River2Sea Bully Wa 2: http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

Colors: Little Allen, Bluegill, Ghost

-Jackall Kaera: http://bit.ly/2Fz6SA3

Colors: Glitter Bluegill, Glitter Hasu

Walking Baits… 

-River2Sea Rover 128: http://bit.ly/2acSVea

Colors: Bone, Abalone Shad, Sooner

-Teckel Kicknocker: http://bit.ly/2nvxkoA

Colors: Bone, Bluegill, Threadfin Shad

Frog Fishing Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'3" Extra Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Metanium MGL (HG): https://bit.ly/34HlAAk

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 65 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Deep Diving Crankbait Combo... 

Rod- G Loomis IMX Pro 968 CBR: http://bit.ly/2og0BmK

Reel- Shimano Bantam MGL 150B (HG): https://bit.ly/34HlAAk

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Crankbait Combo...

Rod- St. Croix Bass X 7'4" Medium Heavy Moderate: http://bit.ly/2r0xWAs

Reel- Shimano SLX 150 DC: http://bit.ly/2LWzw2Q

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Want TacticalBassin Gear?  

We have a variety of apparel items and custom lure designs available! Everything from hats, to hoodies, to crankbaits! Its all available direct through Tackle Warehouse with fast shipping. See it here... 

TacticalBassin Apparel and Lure Designs: http://bit.ly/38YpPIz

Summer Fishing For Bass with Jigs, Creature Baits, and Plastic Worms!

Summer fishing is easy if you know where to look! Today Matt's Dad joins us as we target bass near deep water with 3 key summertime techniques. If you want to catch more bass, pay close attention to how the guys use the shaky head worm, jig, and wobble head creature bait to locate bass and dial in the pattern!

The guys haven't been on Clearlake for months but they start catching fish immediately. If you struggle to find Summer bass, we recommend you go back and revisit our "Where Do Bass Go In Summer" video (linked below). Today the guys targeted chunk rock in 5-15 feet of water but the key was finding these areas with quick access to deep water. If you could find that scenario, the fish were always present. They knew they could get bit on a shaky head and a jig but once fish started coming in the boat, the wobble head was employed to get the bigger bite. 

All 3 of these are simple techniques to use and they will work on your local water. Focus on the shaky head worm to find a consistent bite. Of the 3 techniques, it is the easiest to get bit on day in and day out. If your fish are dialed in on eating crawdads switch to the jig and you'll almost always see the size of the fish increase. Once you've located fish on hard bottom, the wobble head is an incredible technique for catching those "kicker fish" you're looking for. It will cover water quickly, get big bites, and is very snag resistant. 

Below are related videos you should check out, followed by links to all of the baits and equipment used in today's video. We've even included color recommendations for each item. The links go directly to Tackle Warehouse where you can see detailed photos and descriptions of each item. 

Related Videos…

Where Do Bass Go In Summer Video: https://youtu.be/wzXL9aY0SAk

Wobble Head Video (Swing Head Jigs): https://youtu.be/DPk5YDdaZxo

Shaky Head... 

Worm- Netbait T-Mac Worm: http://bit.ly/2jndwj9

Colors: Junebug, Bama Bug, Texas Craw

Hook- Canterbury Shaky Head 1/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2aFOs0V

Alternative Hook- Stand Up Shaky 1/4 oz: https://bit.ly/3hI1tqQ

Jigs... 

Dale's Jig- Compact Pitchin Jig 1/2 oz (Molting Craw): http://bit.ly/2hAIyCV

Trailer- Missile Baits D Bom (Green Pumpkin Red): http://bit.ly/2d2dVlt

Matt's Jig- Dirty Jigs Football Jig 1/2 oz (Molting Craw): http://bit.ly/2d0iJbd

Trailer- Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver (Green Pumpkin Red): http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

Wobble Head...

Head- Pivot Point Football 3/4 oz (4/0 Hook): http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

Bait- Zoom Z Craw (Regular): http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

Colors: California Craw, Junebug, Huckleberry

Matt's Wobble Head Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'6" Medium heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Shimano Curado DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 20 lb: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Matt's Jig Combo... 

Rod- Dobyns Xtasy 7'5" Heavy (755): http://bit.ly/36fIHCg

Reel- Shimano Metanium DC HG: http://bit.ly/2qrSZvs

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Sunline FC100 16 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2O4UElB

Budget Jig Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX DC 150: http://bit.ly/2LWzw2Q

Line- Sunline Assassin 15 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Budget Shaky Head Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Intenza 6'10" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2QADLTq

Reel- Shimano SLX DC 150: http://bit.ly/2LWzw2Q

Line- Sunline Assassin 10 lb Fluorocarbon: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G

Summer Fishing Tricks: Early Morning Bite (Whopper plopper and Crankbait)

No one likes getting up early but in Summer, its worth it! Midday the lake can feel like a Dead Sea if you don't know where to look but in the morning, everything is alive! Come along with Matt on the Tennessee River as he explores new water and builds a morning pattern with a whopper plopper, lipless crankbait, and wobble head (swing head jig).

Most anglers fish a whopper plopper on a slow, steady retrieve. Most of the time we do too, but there is a time and place for the popping method and today it paid off with 2 nice bites. After the topwater bite slowed Matt turned to a lipless and ultimately a swinging jig to continue catching fish. 

The morning bite window is incredibly easy but is also very short. Its imperative that you get on the water at first light and if you're not prepared to begin shadow fishing and targeting offshore fish, expect the bite to be done before 9 AM. Below we've included links to all the gear Matt used in today's video. We included the exact colors as well as recommendations on some of our other favorites. 

Hard Baits... 

-Whopper Plopper 110 Topwater (Bone): http://bit.ly/2bsPbQV

Other Favorites- Loon, Munky Butt

-TN70 Lipless Crank (RT Scale Minnow): http://bit.ly/2lqAwjh

Other Favorites- Super Shad, Ghost Minnow

Swing Head Jig... 

Jighead- Swing Head Football 3/4 oz 4/0 Hook: http://bit.ly/2jOY1Ns

First Bait- Keitech Crazy Flapper 4.4 (Green Pumpkin): http://bit.ly/2c3cXrp

Second Bait- Zoom Z Craw (Junebug): http://bit.ly/2vW7Jo5

Matt's Topwater Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'2" MH: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado DC 150 HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb Braid: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Matt's Swing Head Combo... 

Rod- Shimano Zodias 7'5" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Shimano Curado 200K HG: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Braid- Power Pro Maxcuatro 50 lb: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- Maxima Ultragreen 20 lb Mono: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

NEW Tactical Bassin Apparel... 

TacticalBassin Reaper Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2TwBWs7

TacticalBassin Shadow Hoodie: http://bit.ly/2FVD9Rs

TacticalBassin Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/2TvFMBD

TacticalBassin Hooded Sun Shirt: http://bit.ly/38cVi9G