With temperatures hitting the 100 degree mark this weekend, here’s three ideas if you are determined to hit the water and catch a few bass.

Fish around brush – when the temperatures are this hot, bass often do exactly what you would do under these conditions – they find cover. One of the best destinations for hiding bass is deep brush.

Try finesse fishing – tempt them with something small like a shakey head.

Be efficient – cover each piece of structure with multiple casts, from multiple angles.

Fishing Report

Pickwick Lake
Water temperature: 81 degrees. Elevation: 414 feet.

Bass: “Strike King Buzz Baits are accounting for most of the fish caught on top-water baits over the past week,” Clagett Talley said. “Rocky main lake points have been good starting points for bass fishing in the morning hours.

“After the top-water bite is over, I have caught fish in the same areas on a crank bait.”

Clagett, a tour guide from Savannah, said when he uses a Lews Cranking rod and reel, he has been fishing with Series 3 Strike King crank baits for the first few hours, and then changes to a deeper running, larger crank bait in deeper water.

“If you like to fish with plastics, green pumpkin and watermelon seed Rail tail crawfish have been productive on a Carolina rig in about 12-feet of water,” Clagett said. “We are catching bigger fish in water as deep as 20-feet. The fish we are catching in deeper water are being caught on a Carolina rig and heavy Strike King spoons.”

White Bass: “White bass have slowed down a bit over the past week, but you can still catch several on the Strike King Series 3 crank baits,” Clagett said. “I like to use white crank baits and throw them near the bank and reel them back in eight-to-15-feet.”

Clagett said you will catch several bass below the dam using these smaller crank baits while fishing along the banks.

“Most largemouth and spotted bass are closer to the banks than the white bass,” Clagett said. “These crankbaits have the most action on eight-pound Stren line with a medium action Lews rod.”

Stripers: “Early in the morning, I have caught big stripers on Strike King, King Shad,” Clagett said. “The King Shad runs below the water surface, and it is big and jointed to attract the big stripers.”

Clagett said after the first few hours of daylight, they are deep, and you will need to fish with something that dives deep.

“I have caught several fish deep on a Strike Kind Series 6 trolling downstream from the dam,” Clagett said. “Live bait has also been productive over the past week fished on the bottom. Strike King make a heavy spoon that I like to use when drifting down stream from the dam to the first power line crossing.”

Catfish: “Catfishing has been awesome over the past week,” Clagett said. “All of our fish were caught on night crawlers and cut bait (skip jack). We caught them in around 20-feet in the still water and in the current.

“Catfish are biting good all day right now, but they do seem to bite better in the mornings and afternoons.”

Want more from the “Mayor of Pickwick Lake?” Give Clagett Talley a call (731) 607-5266 or visit him online at www.pickwickareaguide.com

Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley
Water temperature: 87 degrees. Water color: clear
Lakes are stable just above summer pool at 359.3 and both dams have now cut back on generators as lakes downstream have processed recent rains.

Bass: “Largemouth bass are fair to good on the main lake ledges,” Darrell Van Vactor said. “Days when current draw is higher seems to offer a better bite due to better bait movement on the ledges.
“A few shad balls are showing up on the drops but they are few and far between.”

Darrell, the operations manager for Crappie USA/Cabela’s King Kat Trail in Benton, Kentucky, said the best bite has been on Carolina rigged worms and creature baits – and changing bait offerings often seems to be a key.

“The fish have been pressured pretty hard since moving to the ledges, so they may be looking for something they have not being seeing daily,” Darrell said. “Late afternoon has produced some good sized fish in the backs of the bays where young of the year fry are present.

“Top-water baits are doing the trick just before dark.”

Crappie: “They are slow, but some decent catches are being caught south of the Big Sandy area on the main river channels pulling Jenko crank baits in 20-to-25-feet of water,” Darrell said. “A few are also being caught on the main lake in man-made cover around 25-feet deep using large tube jigs.”

Bluegill and Red ear: Darrell said the fishing is slow, but recent days have seen a few Willow Fly hatches and flipping a plastic bug or cricket under overhanging bushes continue to produce some pretty good catches.

Channel and Blue Catfish: “They are both doing well both around shallow rocky shorelines close to the main lake and channel drops off feeder creeks where they connect to the main river channel,” Darrell said. “Cut bait, large minnows and leeches are doing best.”

David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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