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Old 06-13-09, 10:36 AM   #1
vabeachbass
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Default Summer fishing mid-day.

Hello all.

Anytime is a good time to fish. As far as fishing mid day goes, is it worth it?

I am fortunate enough to have a lake in my backyard. I generally fish at dusk daily and use soft plastics almost exclusively. As far as plastics at dusk go, I have no complaints. I fish from the bank and cast parallel to the shore around overgrowth and trees; never really going more than 3-5 feet deep.

I'm guessing mid-day I need to go deeper. I also guess the lake probably isnt more than 20 feet at its deepest. It's fairly murky; visability is probably 2-3 feet. The bottom is mostly sand and mud with no grass or vegetation.

I don't have much experience with topwater or hard lures or fishing deeper water. Should I still use plastics at depths over 10 feet? Topwater? I don't know how to approach mid-day fishing. I usually use all black or pumpkinseed plastics or dark with metal flake (sometimes white also). I recently started using dark plastics with neon tails and
have been surprised at the outcome. Would the bright colors still do in deeper water?

Reading around on the forums and the web I get mixed results but they seem to point to topwater or crankbaits. I've tried a few spinner baits, rattle traps, and brightly colored lipped crankbaits with no luck.
I've never used floating worms, but was thinking of giving them a try.
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Old 06-13-09, 11:01 AM   #2
Nitro 640
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Just need to find where the fish are sitting that time of day.
Could be deep or just hiding in a shady spot.
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Old 06-13-09, 05:04 PM   #3
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Shady spots are going to be your best bet for sure. No need to really switch to top water or crank's if your having luck with the soft plastics. I would suggest you learn how to use them because if you fish anywhere else you may need to be able to use those, it will definetly help you be a well rounded angler. Do you reccomend the neon tails? I haven't tried those yet.
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Old 06-13-09, 05:24 PM   #4
Jim80
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If it is really bright and summy then yeah target the shady areas and almost any plastic lure you throw into shallow water will work deep as well . the fish that do stay shallow will hang real tight to cover in the sun light and not be as aggressive as they would at dusk or in overcast weather .


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Old 06-13-09, 11:30 PM   #5
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You'll be surprised to find that on some days throwing topwater from 12-2 will work. Especially if you have some shaded areas.
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Old 06-14-09, 06:50 AM   #6
vabeachbass
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Many thanks for the replies. Someone had said to me that bass tend to hit the shores in the mornings and go deep during the hot part, then back to the shores at dusk. In my mind, I kind of disagreed (bass have to eat) but had to admit that mid day fishing was slow by comparison and alot of what I would catch were juveniles, which, to me, don't count as they don't seem to play by the same rules as the adults. I'll just have to hit the trees and shade harder.

As far as the neon tails go, for the last few seasons I used pretty much nothing but black or pumpkinseed berkley powerbaits. The 7" turtlebacks. My only real complaint is that they are so soft they are almost a once per fish kind of bait as they tear so easily. Problem is, for whatever reason, this year I've been catching just as many catfish on these things as bass, maybe even more (some big cats too). And their actually chasing my worms down. I didnt think cats were that aggressive. Thinking the smelly baits were setting them off I "borrowed" a plastic worm from my dad's tackle box that was probably older than I was. It was black with a streaming neon orange tail. First cast got a bass probably between 3-4 pounds. I fished it for only about fifteen minutes and caught 2 more that were a little smaller. No more cats. I cant say if neon tails will work for you but for the murky conditions and probably deeper water it could help. The bass sure jumped on it and my next time to the bait shop I'll be getting some of my own. I just started using senkos and I've had luck but they tear so easily...

Willvdh1 - I agree 100% - I have painted myself into a corner with softbaits. I recently left my comfort zone and hit another lake that had crystal clear water and thick grass skirting the entire shore. My inexperience was quickly revealed. Trying to pull my worm through that stuff; I'd have been better off dragging a mannequin leg to shore. Felt about the same. I was defeated. These forums gave some great tips and I plan on going heading back to that lake for a second try. Does a rattling silver minnow just over the grass sound right? I'm overwhelmed by the hard bait selections out there.

I would definitely like to give top water a try. My attempts have been fruitless with buzzbaits and a hula popper. Maybe my timing is off or technique. I've never gotten so much as a hit.

Thanks again for all the feedback.
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Old 06-14-09, 08:59 AM   #7
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If I'm going to hit a lake mid day, I will usually start with a t-rigged beaver bait with a 1/2 oz. tungstin bullet weight pegged tight to the hook. Im off colored water like yours I will go with a black/blue fleck beaver. I use this lure with a strong baitcaster and work the heavy weed cover with it. There is tons of shade down under those weeds. I especially like the isolated patches of weeds that have forms a floating canopy. I'll pitch that beaver right down through the top of that isolated weedcover and let the beaver fall to the bottom. If there is a bass there, you won't have to wait long to find out. If the weedbed is near deeper water, so much the better. Add some brush/logs to the mix and your in for some real fun. If that isn't working, I'll switch to mid depth crankbaits and work the outside edges of the weedbeds and deeper submerged weedbeds.
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Old 06-14-09, 09:46 AM   #8
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Thanks for the tip Keith. Beaver baits are new to me but sounds pretty good. I'll pick some up and give em a go.
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Old 06-14-09, 10:20 AM   #9
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What I really like about beaver baits in heavy weeds is they slide easily through without hanging up on the way down. The fairly smooth profile without lots of appendages is ideal for this technique.
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Old 06-14-09, 10:50 AM   #10
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Yes! If you're fish shallow, than the bass will hit plastics on the bottom, and dying the tails is great to do with dark color plastics, I like to do it with brush hogs too!

One of my favorite summer time baits is a top water buzz frog or buzzbait, it gives lots of noise off and the bass catch seem to keep there mouths off it!

One thing I would consider going is sinking a tree or some kind of brush in 5-10 foot of water, this will act like a magnet to the bass, and a sure fire way to catch some bass, it will be a lot simpler to locate them if there's only one major peace of cover!

Good luck, and welcome to the forum!
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Old 06-14-09, 12:46 PM   #11
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soft plastics are deadly on deep post spawn fish. one of my favorites is a 10" powerworm or a yum big show paddle tail worm. jigs and deep diving crankbaits are also good choices. look for banks that fall into deep water or long points that drop off into deep water and fish the ledges where the point drops off. a lot of times the first bite is the toughest to get, but after you get one bite it can fire a school up and the fish become active.
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Old 06-14-09, 07:31 PM   #12
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another crank type of bait or hard abit is the jerk bait. rapala makes a good one as well as many others out there. try this over the grass.
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Old 06-15-09, 07:38 AM   #13
vabeachbass
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Smile

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. A great motivator for sweating it out in the noon day sun.

I was reading some other posts and Keith had mentioned waders for getting out a bit from shore to get under those overhanging trees better. A great suggestion I plan following up on as well.

Time for guerrilla fishing.
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Old 06-15-09, 12:34 PM   #14
Raul
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vabeachbass View Post
Hello all.

As far as fishing mid day goes, is it worth it?
Most of my 10+ pounders were caught between 3 and 5 PM, since you canīt imagine where I am letīs say that where I am during that time of day you get deep fried and by the end of the day you look as fresh as a 4,000 year old egyptian mummy.

I think itīs worth it.
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Old 06-22-09, 03:13 PM   #15
Charles Slone
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Yes, fishing soft plastics in deep water IS effective. I like to use colors like black w/blue flake, motor oil, and pumpkin seed. Fish the baits Texas style, with a bullet weight, and bounce them off the bottom. Try you some top-water baits. One of the easiest to fish is the jitterbug. Look at my photograph under my name, that's a bass with a jitterbug in it's mouth.
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