Summer's heat shouldn't stop you from fishing — if you go when the sun is low.
Often in the mornings, you can catch a bass up on a shallow bank. As the morning progresses they'll move to the inside edges of weed beds looking for cover. When the sun gets higher, they'll bury themselves in weeds or make their way to deep water to get out of the sun.
If I were to pick one part of the summer day, I'd go with the evening bite. I like it when it cools down and the winds calm.
Several times last week in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, I fished after dinner for a few hours. I'd drift my boat near lily pads and cast a floating minnow bait around them. After the lure landed on a calm surface, I let the ripples fade away, twitch the bait a few times then let it settle again.
Teasing fish with this presentation often ends with an explosion on the water's surface. Bass, pike and muskie can't resist jumping on a bait that mimics a dying minnow. I rarely see fish react this way in the middle of the day.
Just before full darkness, I'll move to another part of the lake. From the lily pads I'll go to an area where the bank has a few weeds and a dropoff to deeper water close by. This is prime walleye territory.
My favorite way to catch walleye is with the same floating minnow bait. Just before dark I'll cast to the shallows in the darkest part of the lake. A steady retrieve brings the bait back to the boat, many times with a walleye. With this presentation at night, I often have caught bigger walleye than those taken while fishing deep during the day.
When it becomes too dark to see, I'll listen for the splash of the lure hitting the water. If I don't hear anything, there's a good chance the lure hit the bank, a tree or a bush. A few baits are lost this way, but they often can be recovered the next morning.
I enjoy getting out when it's much cooler. It doesn't matter if it's Shabbona Lake, the Fox Chain, a forest preserve lake or one of the local rivers, the fish will react the same when it's hot and sunny. They will be more active early in the morning and later in the evening, so that's the time to go fishing.
Don Dziedzina is a contributor to the Chicago Tribune. His blog is at IllinoisOutdoors.com.
Don't let summer heat discourage fishing
I like it when the day has cooled down and the winds calm
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