Summer Time Bass Patterns - BAG

Summer Time Bass Patterns

By John Harper

Reproduced with permission from Bass Anglers Guide

Throughout most of the country fishing for bass in the summer time can be very challenging. The heat can make it uncomfortable on the angler but even worse it can put the bass in a neutral state. The only thing worse than not catching fish is being miserable and not catching fish.

Here in the West we are spoiled. We certainly have our share of hot days, but due to the diversity of our fisheries we still can experience some amazing summertime fishing. We have all kinds of fisheries here, everything from shallow water like the California Delta, to deep water impoundments like Lake Oroville and Shasta.

When considering how to pattern summertime bass in a typical western lake you have to take into account the entire water column. What I mean by this is that you can catch fish from 0-60 feet at almost anytime during the day.

Most of us who have been fishing for any time at all know that in the summer time the morning bite is usually best. There are many reasons for that. In a lake where baitfish like shad or pond smelt are the main forage these baitfish will begin to work their way to the surface during the night. As the sun comes up in the morning the bait will still be in the top of the water column. It’s as simple as the bass following the bait to the shallows.

Bass will tend to move more over the course of the day in the summertime than any other time of the year. There’s a pretty good chance that the fish you catch in the morning don’t live where you’re catching them. It’s much more probable that they are using the location as a feeding area. 

Due to the falling water levels during the summer, I will spend most of the morning hours on main lake points. My favorite bait to start a summer morning with is a Zara Spook. I like to throw my Spook on a Dobyns 734C casting rod matched with a Daiwa baitcaster and 15lb test P-Line CXX mono. The most important tip I can give on Spook fishing is to change your stock hooks with Owner Stinger Trebles. Just for clarification, I’m not sponsored by Owner, but I believe they have the stickiest hook ever made. Summertime bass tend to be binge feeders and in the excitement of their morning feeding they will not always have the best aim. These hooks can catch a lot of fish that don’t have the bait completely in their mouths.

As you begin to catch fish make sure you are paying attention to the slightest of details. Angles can be everything. When I approach a point I will start on one side and work all the around to the opposite side making multiple casts. You may find that the fish want the bait crossing the point in order to get them to react.

Retrieve can be just as important as angle. As a general rule the lower the light the faster my retrieve. This really is something that will need to be experimented with. Speed and cadence are going to be critical to your early morning topwater success.

As the sun begins to come up and hit the water I will move my topwater presentation to north facing bluffs or rock walls. These banks will have shade on them and can keep the top water bite going for you a little longer.

One of my favorite things to fish is short shadows. This is when the sun continues to rise and there are only a couple feet of shade against the bank. I have had some of the best summertime fishing of my life in these short shadows. In addition to the Spook, I also like to toss a 1 ounce Bladerunner buzzbait in the short shadows. The heft is a benefit for long cast and the head design planes quickly. At times its like the shadow is moving, pulling back against the bank and it’s scooping up all the fish and compressing them in this tiny bit of shade. It’s not uncommon for the bite to get better as the shadows get shorter. Some of your most aggressive topwater bites will come in this little narrow band of water.

When these shadows disappear I will back out off the bank and begin to look for the fish

that have moved to deep water. What I will typically look for is a point on the side of a small cut or creek channel that the predominate wind blows into. As the wind blows into these places the bait will begin to show up in large numbers. The key here is the presence of baitfish.

During the summer you will find fish doing different things in different parts of the lake. There are times when you can just follow your morning fish out off the bank. There will also be fish that will never go to the bank. This is not uncommon on a body of water that gets a lot recreational boat traffic.  

Later into the summer the lakes get drawn down more and more. The fish will begin to stay off the bank all day and some cases all night. Obviously your graph is going to be your main tool when chasing these fish. I keep it pretty simple when fishing off the bank. If I can see the fish well on the graph I will dropshot a small shad pattern worm. My preference is Mother’s Finest hand pour worms. Sometimes, fish seem to disappear off the graph, even though I successfully graphed them a moment earlier.  More often than not, they have lain down on the bottom and your graph, no matter how good it is, will not pick them up. At this point I will go to a 6 inch worm on a darthead in a green or oxblood color. I will stay with a 3/16oz out to 30 feet and then go to 1/4oz  below that. For worming, I use a Dobyns spinning rod, model 704 matched with a Daiwa spinning reel and 6lb test P-Line Fluorocarbon. Always look at the bellies of these deep fish when you get them in the boat. What you often see is mud on their bellies. Another way to know if there are fish hiding on the bottom is to watch the graph when fishing vertical. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a single fish directly below the boat, dropped down on it, hooked it and watched the bottom rise up with 10 other marks that chase the hooked fish off the bottom. When you see this, a darthead slowly dragged on a long line is the most effective way to get these mud bellies to eat.

For the longest time, I questioned whether I should use a darthead, a dropshot or even how long to make the dropshot leader. I was convinced that bass just related to the bottom and the only thing to be concerned with was whether they were mud bellies or 12 inches off the bottom. This all changed a few years back when I was invited to go fishing with a guy named Robert Marxmiller. He had been winning a bunch of money at Lake Don Pedro and was one of the first guys in Northern California to really figure out the swimbait bite.

If you have ever been to Don Pedro in the summer you know how tough it can be. Brutal doesn’t even begin to describe the bite there.  We launched the boat and ran down the lake stopping about a quarter mile off a point. The first thing out of my mouth was, “Dude, it’s 150 feet deep here”. Robert just laughed and jumped to the front of the boat and put the trolling motor in the water. About a minute later he asked me to come up front and look at the graph with him. Suspended in the middle of the water column were some of the biggest marks I have ever seen on a graph. Robert proceeded to teach me the lesson of a lifetime- not all bass are relating to the bottom, especially the big trout eaters.

Just a few of John’s many accomplishments:  Won Bass 5 fish weight record holder 37.82, 2005 Angers Choice Pro-Am Angler of the year, 2005 Angers Choice Pro-Am Delta Champion, 3 times West Coast Classic Qualifier         

John is sponsored by: Dobyns Rods, Daiwa, P-Line, Basstrix USA, Blade Runner Tackle,

Osprey Lure, Mothers Finest Worms

Gary Dobyns Jerkbaits - BAG

JERKBAITS – THE TOTAL STORY WITH GARY DOBYNS

By: Terry Battisti

Reproduced with permission from Bass Anglers Guide

“People think it’s a hard technique to learn and master but I think it’s the easiest to learn and gain confidence in.” – Gary Dobyns

The Pointer 128 zings through the air past the stand of tules, which is the main target.  As the bait hits the water the angler starts his methodical cadence back to the boat – jerk-jerk-pause….jerk-jerk-pause.  The angler envisions the bait darting side to side through the water like a baitfish trying to flee a predator – that is until the bait reaches the stand of tules.

His normal twitch of the wrist is suddenly stopped as dead weight keeps the rod tip from moving backwards.  The anger senses the weight and sweeps the rod back, setting six barbs deep in the bass’ jaw. Another fish has succumbed to the dance of the jerkbait.

Anglers all over the country are finding more and more the versatility of the jerkbait.  Yet, many anglers are often intimidated by them or don’t understand what is needed in order to fish this special genre of baits effectively. This is why we sat down with venerable western pro and jerkbait artist Gary Dobyns to uncover some of the mystery behind the bait and what he prefers tackle-wise.

“Without a doubt, I get more questions about this technique than any other,” Dobyns said. “People think it’s a hard technique to master but I think it’s the easiest to learn and gain confidence in.

Tackle is a major player when it comes to success with jerkbaits.  “The rod is so important in jerkbait fishing and this is probably the number-one mistake anglers make when starting out,” he said.  “The rod is all about working the bait and loading properly when you hook a fish.  You want enough action in the rod it’ll hook the fish yet not so much that it’ll tear the hooks out of the fish. For this, I like a medium-fast action rod.  This action allows the rod to bend into the mid-section of the blank and act as a shock absorber.

“My favorite all-around rod for jerkbaits is my 705CB.  If I had to use only one rod, that’d be my choice.  But, if I’m throwing a lot of smaller baits like a Pointer 78 I’ll drop down to the 704CB.  Likewise, if I’m fishing a heavier bait like a Pointer 128, I’ll upsize my rod to a 706CB.  The important thing about all these rods is they’re all medium-fast in action.”

Reels are also important in his eyes.  “Without a doubt, I believe the fast reels, like the Diawa Zillion, with at least a 6.3:1 gear ratio are the best for this type of fishing,” he said.  “This is because it’s more difficult to keep up with the bait with the slower reels.”

Line is another area where first-time jerkbaiters make a mistake.  “A lot of anglers fish too heavy of line,” Dobyns said.  “You’ll never find me fishing anything heavier than 12-pound test, even in heavy cover.  In fact, when I fish the clearer reservoirs, I drop down to 8-pound test.  I also prefer monofilament line.  It’s not that fluorocarbon won’t work, I just have better luck with the mono.”

He has also refined his bait selection over the years to a few simple choices.  “My number-one bait of choice is and always has been the Lucky Craft Staysee 90SP ver 2.  That bait has won a lot of money for me over the years.  My second choice is the Pointer 128 and then the Pointer 100 in both the standard model and the DD series.

I use the 100DD over the Staysee when I’m fishing largemouth as opposed to spots and smallies.  In the later case, I use the Staysee.  The difference in the two is the Staysee is a smaller-profile bait where the 100DD has a deeper body and dives deeper too.

“As far as smaller baits, I like the Pointer 78 in both the standard and DD models.  The DD has been another money-bait for me.  It doesn’t dive much deeper than the standard but had a different action and when the pond smelt come up in the fall, this bait will put a lot of weight in the boat fast.”

There’s another bait he throws other than the ones mentioned above. “The other bait I throw is the 1/2-ounce Rattlin’ Rogue,” he said. “But there’s nothing stock about them. I pull the lips from them and replace them with lexan lips I hand carve.  The new bills are larger than stock and give the bait a better roll in the water and they go deeper too.”

That isn’t all he does with bait modifications.  “The bait I modify the most is the Staysee.  I reweight them so they don’t suspend but sink slightly.  I do this by adding two suspend dots to the bait right where the bill meets the body.  This gives the bait a slight nose-down attitude and I can get the bait deeper because of this.  If I want the bait to go deeper, I’ll add another suspend dot right behind the first hook hanger.  Weighted in this fashion, I can get a Staysee to hit 10-foot depths.”

Hook change outs are another modification he does on nearly all his baits. “For the Staysee, I change out the original size 5 hooks to size 4 Gamakatsu round bends.  Generally, I do this with all my jerkbaits – going up one size from the stock hooks.”

In the last issue of the Bass Anglers Guide, Dobyns talked about color choices.  He reiterates his choices here.  “I keep my colors simple for jerkbaits and I classify them into specific shades – white, flashy, chartreuse and subtle. My favorite is Ghost Minnow and that’s my subtle color.  I use it when I’m in clear water.  My second color is Chartreuse Shad (white).  I generally start off the day with this color and then switch to Ghost Minnow as the sun gets higher in the sky if the water’s clear.  The third color is Table Rock Shad (chartreuse). This is the color I throw on dark days or if there’s stain in the water.  Spots and smallies also hate this color.  The last color I use is American Shad (flashy).  This is probably the best color ever invented for Clear Lake and a great color when a flashy bait is needed.”

Dobyns also takes into consideration the season of the year and weather conditions. “Overall, I prefer low-light conditions with rain and some wind because of the decreased light penetration and the low pressure seems to make the fish more active.

“As far as seasons go, spawn and fall are by far the best times to use these tools.  If an angler doesn’t have at least one rod rigged with a jerkbait in the spring, they’re crazy.  Post-spawn is especially good for them when the fish are guarding fry on the nest.  The fall is good because the fish have turned on again and have come shallow chasing bait.  Summer is absolutely the worst time of the year to throw them.

Cadence is also important when fishing these baits.  “I vary my cadence until I figure out what the fish want.  Mostly, though, I use a jerk-jerk-pause retrieve.  How long you let it set is the million dollar question, though.  More often than not I'll let it sit only 1-2 seconds with my longer pauses being maybe 5-7 seconds at the most.  I'm using this technique as a power-fishing technique in order to cover water.  Another retrieve I use is a pop-pop-pop like the bait’s trying to get away.  This is a retrieve that’s more popular in the east, though. You just have to experiment each day and figure out what the fish want.

Proper drag settings and hooksets are tantamount with being successful. “Hooksets are very important, he said. “You use a sweeping set so you don’t rip the bait out of the fish.  Another important factor is drag tension.  My drags are set so they slip when I get the rod 3/4ths of the way through my sweep.

“The cool thing about jerkbaits is you can get both active and inactive fish to eat them. The fish don’t need to be in a feeding mode.  They draw strikes when other techniques won’t do anything.

Dobyns credits jerkbaits to his success as a pro bass angler.  “If it wasn’t for throwing jerkbaits, I wouldn’t be a tournament fisherman.  I made a lot of my money and won a lot of boats using them.  I was one of the first people on the west coast using this technique and I had a long time when I was the only one using it in tournaments.  That allowed me to gain a lot of confidence in the technique and gave me an edge on the competition.  Hopefully you’ll take some of these tips I have come up with over the years and use them to increase your success on the water.

Gary Dobyns is sponsored by Ranger, Evinrude, Dobyns Rods, Diawa, Lowrance, Minn-Kota, Power Pro, Costa Del Mar, Yamamoto, P-Line, Robo Worm and Sawyer and Cook Insurance.

Terry Battisti is a freelance writer and columnist for magazines such as:  In-Fisherman, Bass West USA, Inside Line and BassFan.com.  His sponsors include BassCat Boats, Mercury Marine and American Northwest Outdoors.

Ultra-Finesse Drop Shot - BAG

Ultra Finesse Drop-Shot
by: George Roth of George's Custom Rods


Clouds hung in the mountain valleys; the cool morning air was heavy with moisture.  The rod tip danced lightly above the calm surface, then became still.  As the rod was slowly raised, it began to bow under the additional weight of a bass that had just inhaled the bait.  Before the fish could detect the presence of the angler, the reel began to take up line, causing the small, sharp hook to penetrate the fish’s upper lip.  After a spirited fight, the fish was carefully placed into the live well.

One of the hottest bass fishing techniques to strike the U.S. in recent years has been the drop shot rig.  In its simplest form, it consists of tying a hook to your line with a Palomar knot, then leaving the tag end to attach the weight.  This results in the bait being suspended above the sinker where it is easier for the fish to distinguish.

The drop shot technique is reputed to have originated in Japan.  If you talk to steelhead and catfish anglers, they’ve used this technique for years to suspend their baits off the bottom of lakes and rivers across the country.  Since the late 90’s, anglers in the Western U.S. have refined this technique for the clear, deep-water impoundments they fish.  Since then, this presentation has migrated East where fishermen adapted it to their own fishing conditions.  As a result, drop shotting is no longer just a finesse method, but can be used with heavy line to present an 8” lizard along weed edges or worked over a stump laden point.  Because of this, rod selection is dependent upon the type of cover or structure being targeted.  The remainder of this article will go into detail about the rod that is best suited for finesse situations, as they are often the most challenging.

In order for the angler to present a plastic bait in an enticing manner, feel the bite and then bring the fish to the boat, the rod has to have certain fundamental characteristics.  This includes a flexible tip and adequate power in the butt section, along with being the correct length for the conditions being fished.  Other factors that affect rod performance are guide selection and the handle design.  All of these variables must be considered when constructing a comfortable, well balanced rod.

The tip section of a drop shot rod is one of the most important aspects of the rod.  An ideal drop shot blank has a tip that flexes with the slightest amount of pressure.  This is because the angler is fishing the rig on a slack line and almost always, the bite is never felt.  Only a slight tightening of the line is detected.  With a rod that has a very limber tip, the angler detects the bite by “feeling” the line tighten up while the tip of the rod stops moving or “goes dead”.  Heavier action rods don’t allow the angler to “feel” these slight differences in the weightlessness of the presentation and can also signal a touchy fish to spit the bait before the angler even knows there is a bass on the other end.  The soft tip action is also essential to maintain pressure on the hook while fighting the fish.  As the fish surges, the rod will move easily with the fish, exerting constant pressure on the hook.  This light rod will also require that you take your time and not pressure the fish.  A rod with a stiffer tip action would be less forgiving and likely tear the hook from the delicate tissue that lines the fish’s mouth.  Remember, this is a light line technique and you won’t be able to simply muscle a decent sized fish into the boat.     

The length of a typical drop shot rod can vary from 6’3” to 7’0” but may range from as short as 6’0” to as long as 7’6”.  When using the finesse method, the rods are typically shorter.   The shorter length makes it easier to fish vertically below the boat.  Longer rods provide an advantage when casting, as they produce longer distances with the light weights associated with this technique.

Handle design is a matter of personal choice. There are numerous styles to choose from.  Whichever you choose, some of the most important traits would be overall length, comfort and sensitivity.  Reel seat placement should allow the blank to balance well in the angler’s hand.  By holding the reel seat loosely in the palm of the hand, the rod tip should be moved with a slight increase of pressure placed on the handle.  I personally use my thumb and index finger to provide motion to the tip.  A popular method in California is to tuck the handle under the arm, then shake the rod tip.

When building an ultra finesse drop shot rod, or any rod for that matter, additional weight to the blank should be minimized as it will effect the rod’s action.  For this reason, I have been using the lightest guides I have been able to find, which are the RECoil single-foot, Nickel / Titanium guides, produced by REC.  If you prefer a ceramic guide, then the Fuji New Concept, J-frame, guides are a great choice.  They are available in either a stainless steel frame with alconite ceramic inserts or the titanium frame and silicone carbide (SiC) inserts. 

With these desirable traits in mind, my search of numerous blanks available from a variety of manufacturers has resulted in the discovery of what I consider the ideal blank.  The Shikari SHII P 7000 has been designed with a flexible tip section, which makes it well suited for the ultra light drop shot technique. This blank is rated for line in the 3-6# class and weights ranging from 1/32 to 5/16 of an ounce. It has a hinged action, where the flexible tip becomes stiffer, providing the power needed to fight quality fish.  When fighting a large fish with such a light rod, the type of material the blank is constructed from is important.  I elected to use the lower modulus (less stiff) blank, as it is more flexible than a higher modulus blank.  This reduces the likelihood of breaking the rod when battling an overzealous bass.

When the tournament clock is ticking and you need to put more fish in the boat, reach for the ultra light drop shot rod.  This rod will allow you to use the lightest line possible, thus increasing your chance of fooling even the wariest bass.