Dog Days of Summer Bass fishing

 

A nice bass on a walking topwater
bait on a rare cool August morning

I recently received a phone call from an avid bass angler about the current bite here in Eastern Iowa.  It truly is the dog days of summer, especially with the low water levels in our river systems.  As we chatted, several things kept coming back up to possibly offer up a reason/solution for fishing during the last few weeks of the hot summer weather.  One thing that we kept coming back to was the time of day to fish this time of year.  Early morning is key during these warm water weeks, recently we have had some cooler mornings, and the bass sure loved it!  Getting out early when the sun is rising will gain you a few more fish this time of year.  In another month it won't matter, but for the upcoming weeks make it a point to get up and get out to your favorite fishing hole.  Another good time of the day is the last couple of hours of the day.  When the sun starts to disappear over the treetops, the bass know they have a limited time to get more to eat.  Both the morning and the evening can provide you with some fantastic fishing as the bass come alive to feed up under these low light hours of the day.  It is also prime time to throw topwater baits...my favorite!!!  

Another portion of our conversation turned to the many school of minnows and shad present the rivers at this time of year.  No matter where you fish, the smallest of rivers or the mighty Mississippi River, the bait is bunched up and in great numbers around this time of year.  This could offer a reason why the middle of the day can be difficult for anglers.  It does allow a lot of light for the bass to prey on this forage.  These smaller fish become easy targets in the light of the day as they swarm around natural eddies and shaded areas of the rivers.  Perhaps the bass are "full"... or perhaps the bass are napping in those same areas too???  

One last thing, this time of year the bass will be in the current directly or they will be very close to it.  Current brings them fresh water, a steady pH level and a constant flow of food.  During these dog days of summer, those are a must for smallmouth and largemouth alike.  

Enjoy the last few weeks of summer...I am really looking forward to the fall season and the leaves falling to the ground!  

Indee Bass Club Summer Scramble

 

The Winning Team: DanS, ChristianS and KeeganK

Each summer for past three summers the Indee Bass Club and Coach Reed have held an event for local anglers to learn about the sport of bass fishing.  This past week, sixteen anglers and eight volunteer boat captains took to the Wapsipinicon River to work together to catch their three biggest bass.  Partners were drawn along with a random draw for a boat captain.  This gives anglers a chance to learn from peers and  captains that they would typically not fish with.  The Wapsipinicon River was in great shape for this event, the water level was normal for summer months, the current was flowing, and the fish were biting!

Dan Sweeney and his anglers Christian Simmons and Keegan King found themselves at the top of the leader board at the end of the night.  They caught 3 bass weighing 7.45 pounds.  Second place for the night went to Jackson Beatty, Aiden Svoboda and Captain Todd Reed.  They weighed in 5.22 pounds.  They caught their bass on slow presentations, Texas-Rig Tube, Wacky rigs and Ned rigs.  Ending the night in third place was Carter Eddy, Ranger Reed and Bo Peyton.  They weighed in 3 keepers, all being largemouth bass, which weighed 5.19 pounds.  They caught most of their keepers on bladed jigs.  Fourth place went to Captain Jackson Toale, Evan Hoyle and Alaina Svoboda.  Jackson was able to catch a 4.13 pound largemouth bass for their team.  Fifth place went to Will Clark, Colton Cameron and captain Dave Wilson.  They had three bass that weighed 3.49 pounds.  Coming in sixth place was Captain Shane Beatty, Sawyer Clausen and Clinton Junk.  They had once keeper bass that weighed 1.81 pounds.  Others participating included captains Landry Jones and Jeff Heinze, anglers Gable Eddy, Cal Sweeney, Memphis Peyton and Brayton Kuhse.

The top three teams all earned trophies and Scheels Gift Cards.  The Big Bass of the event caught by Carter Eddy earned the Hank's Bait and Tackle prize pack and the club trophy.  Carter's largemouth bass weighed 2.48 pounds.   All anglers left with prizes that night that including rods/reels, fishing tackle, fishing tools and lures.  All Indee Bass Club fishing events are free to any Independence or St. John's student.  This is made possible by their gracious sponsors that include: Colony Heating/Air Conditioning, Cy&Charley's, BankIowa, RONA Memorial, Tim Reed State Farm Agency, Klever Concrete, Shay's Minn Kota, Buchanan County Wildlife Association, SCHEELS of Cedar Falls, Hank's Bait and Tackle, Lew's, Strike King, The Rod Glove, X-Zone Lures and Hot Rod Baits.  You can find all results and more pictures on the Indee Bass Club Facebook page, Instagram or search for their website online.