Finding a bass in the summer is a matter of understanding the world of the bass and how he reacts to his surroundings.There are lots of bass in Florida waters, and because the water stays warm and the growing season is long some of them grow to sizes larger than 10+ lbs.Consider the angle of the sun and the shadows cast from the weed beds to determine where to work the lures.Try to find a weedline in lakes or good current flow in rivers and fish in the early morning hours. Your best bet is to fish in the outer edges of weed beds, moving with the shadows as the sun changes position throughout the day.Topwaters work great with minimal light, and Florida bass feed very well when the sun first comes up. Starting around shallow vegetation anglers have increased lure choices with bass that are positioned to ambush directly from the cover.
There are two peak feeding times for bass within each day during the summer months where bass will feed super aggressively. The first peak feeding time is just before sunrise each day and can last as long as two hours into the morning.Your bait choices for this time of day should begin with aggressive topwater presentations around vegetation such as buzzbaits, frogs, poppers.While big bass will respond to multiple techniques if the lure does not look natural upon entering the water the bass will turn away from your offering. Bass are opportunistic predators that have a varied diet, but during the summer months when water temperatures are above 85 degrees they key in on shad more than any other bait. Shad are abundant in Florida lakes and are easy prey because they travel in large pods. Later in the evening is the second peak feeding time for bass which usually happens in the last hour of sunset. During this aggressive feeding time big bass will position themselves again on outer edges of weed lines and will be in full ambush mode.
Topwater lures are the absolute best choice for evening time bass as visibility is diminishing making surface lures excellent choices. Recalling that the warm waters result in a high metabolic rate in the bass and an increased requirement for food we would try to choose an active lure to attract the active fish., As the sun starts to set bass switch from a non feeding mode to a very aggressive mode in the flip of a switch. Being in the right place at the right time can mean big bass or no bass. The bass are on their most active feed during the hot summer period. Special bag and length limits apply to some lakes, rivers and fish management areas .Read about
Florida Fishing Regulations to ensure the lake you're fishing on isn't subject to special rules. Please remember to practice "Catch & Release"
Florida in the summer can get "very hot" Not the dry desert heat but a wet, humid heat of a steamy jungle. July and August are the hottest months and the high humidity can make the heat index soar. Staying cool is important!
Dealing with the heat!
1- Go early! Get the boat on the water before sunrise and off at least by 1:00pm. Bass will be most active the first two or three hrs anyway.
2- Drink lots of fluid especially water. Fill your cooler with water or Gatorade, avoid caffeine drinks as they will help in dehydration.
3- Wear a straw hat! It's often cooler and provides more shade than other hats.
4- Use a lot of sunscreen, 50+ UV protection
5- Wet your shirt by dunking it in the water and wringing it out. The wind and water will cool you off.
7- Fish shallow early then move deep as the sun rises higher on the horizon.
As the owner of Central Florida Guide Service, I get this privilege to be involved with the sport of fishing one way or another everyday. I have spent over 11yrs with die hard avid anglers and have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn tips and techniques from them. Fishing has become very addicting!
