Mike Fandal First let me say we are so incredibly lucky to live here in Southeastern Louisiana, we have the opportunity to catch fish all year long in freshwater or saltwater. With that said, I can also say we are not so lucky when it comes to summer. Here in South Louisiana summer gets here early and stays a while. Starting in June it gets hot and by August it’s beyond hot. But on those hot days the Bass action can also heat up if you change your Fly Fishing Tactics.
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Just think how you feel out in the sun in the middle of the summer. Well the Bass feel the same heat so just like us, they also slowdown in summer. Like us Bass look for cool areas and that is normally in deeper water. They tend to suspend in deeper water and that can make Bass difficult to catch on a fly. We tend to do our outside chores early in the morning or late in the evening, well the Bass have one chore during summer, EAT... They will do that early and late in the day when the temperature drops a few degrees. Bass will rise from the deeper areas and feed in shallow water making them easy prey for a well-placed popper.
This is your first change in Tactics; get up early (before daylight) so you can be on the water at sunrise or get out there late so you can stay till dark thirty. Your second change in Tactics is Slow Down; don’t try to cover a lot of water. Look for areas that have deeper water nearby and also look for lots of shade in these areas. Bass will tend to hold up and stay close to cover. Take your time and cast to every piling or overhanging limb. Make several casts in the same spot and then just move over a few feet and cast again. In summer just a matter of a foot can make the difference of a strike or not. Another change in Tactics; stay with larger top water fly’s that make some noise. During the hot days the big fish want big meals, they can fill up on fewer meals and then go back and hang out doing nothing. Big Bait = Big Fish, a big popper can draw a fish from deep cover or deep water. Remember it’s hot, drink plenty water, wear sunscreen and have fun.
