Bet on Moving Water to Catch Big Summertime Bass
John E. Phillips 07.22.14
I was excited about being given the opportunity to fish with one of the nation’s top longtime professional bass fishermen, Larry Nixon of Bee Branch, Arkansas. I was prepared to get up and be ready to fish at 4:00 a.m. to catch that early bite. But the day before our excursion, Nixon stopped me and said, “Current won’t start being pulled through Pickwick Lake until 10:30 a.m.”
I always had been a fish early, fish late summertime bass fisherman, because of the temperatures. However, I followed Nixon’s advice, and by mid-morning the next day we went out into the blistering-hot summer weather with not a cloud in the sky.
What I learned about summertime bassing from Larry Nixon
First, we fished around an old duck blind at the mouth of a creek. Nixon caught several two- and three-pound largemouths, and I caught a six-pounder. Next, we moved out into the main river channel and started casting crankbaits upstream and reeling them right on the edge of that creek channel. For 30 minutes, nothing happened.
Then as Nixon said, “Get ready, John. The fishing is heating up. You see that current hitting the buoy marker,” the tip of Nixon’s rod dove underwater. Nixon dropped to one knee, reeled, and said, “John, it’s a good one. Get the net!” I dipped up a 6-1/2-pound smallmouth that resembled a brown tiger with stripes and bars. We got Nixon’s smallmouth in the boat, and I took some pictures.
Then I cast a deep-diving crankbait upcurrent and reeled it fast to get it down close to the bottom. My rod almost bent double, and I went to my knees. “Get him, John,” Nixon yelled with a big grin. His rod quickly loaded up again with a 4-1/2-pound smallmouth. After fishing for about four hours, we caught and released some of the biggest smallmouths I’ve ever reeled in.
According to Nixon, “When current starts coming through a lake, especially during the hot summer months, bass holding in the deep, cool water will move up to the edges of creeks, creek channels or river channels and onto the flats to feed. The current brings cool, highly-oxygenated water through a river or a lake and causes bait fish to move out of deep water into shallow water to feed. Then the bass will feed on the bait fish. Even in 100-degree weather, if there’s a strong current coming through a lake that begins to flow downstream, the bass will become extremely active and feed heavily. When the current slows down or quits running, once again, the shad and the bass will move from the shallow water to the deep water and not feed as actively.”
How hot weather affects bass fishing
Don’t be surprised if you plan a summertime trip with a bass fishing guide, and he says, “We’re not going to go out on the lake until later in the morning.” That guide has learned what professional bass fishermen always have known. Regardless of the time of day, if you start fishing just before the current starts running through the lake and fish until the current slows down or stops, then you’ll usually catch more bass than if you’d gone to the lake before daylight, fished until 9:00 or 10:00 a.m., come in to dodge the heat of the sun, returned late in the afternoon, and fished until dark.
Which lures work best
Several lures produce bass best when the current’s running in the summer. Cast a deep-diving crankbait upcurrent, crank it down quickly until it hits the bottom, and use a steady retrieve with the current back to the boat. Shad and other bait fish run the flats and the edges of the creek channels from upcurrent to downcurrent.
The Carolina-rigged plastic worm is another productive option for fishing the current. The 1/2- or 3/4-ounce jig with a crawfish trailer also causes big bass to bite in hot weather. To have great days of bass fishing during the Dog Days of summer, bet on fishing the current.
To learn more about bass fishing, check out John E. Phillips’ eBooks on Amazon.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
