As you all may already know, if you have read my bio on the blog, I love to fish. Anytime I get a chance, I hit the water. More often than not, I do a lot of shore fishing, but when I get the opportunity to catch a ride out on a boat, I take it.

Summer is a great time to be out near or on the water–the weather is nice and near the water is a great place to grill out with the family. Today’s blog posting is all about fishing tips and a touch of boating safety.

My favorite type of fish to go after is the largemouth bass. These crafty predators patrol the shallow waters in the early morning and later in the evening, usually to feed. These times of day are perfect to go out if you are a shore fisherman like me. In the heat of the day, bass tend to move to deeper, cooler waters. They also like to hang out around fallen trees and any place they can find shade or cover. Drop offs from shallow to deep water are excellent places to look for them.

Bass usually attack in two ways: they lie in wait or they cruise the open water. My favorite lure is the Bass Stopper. It is a 6” long purple worm with a pink tip on the end rigged with 3 hooks. It can be used to fish deeper waters with a small amount of weight attached about a foot or so up the line or in the shallows. The worm usually has a twirling motion through the water and it flicks the pink tail to attract the eye.

Additional proven baits are spinners, buzz bait, weedless frogs and crayfish, and my other personal favorite, the Rapala. Other baits can work, but these are some of the best.

Bluegill and Crappie are a bit different. Bluegills tend to hang out near structures and are much more aggressive throughout the day. Some of the bigger ones can be found deeper, but the little ones are everywhere in small farm ponds (if they are stocked, of course). They are fun to catch, even if they are small.

I normally use a very small hook with a wax worm or piece of night crawler with a bobber attached. Change depths from the bobber to the hook if the fish aren’t biting. This strategy can help when the water is changing temperatures.

Crappie tend to move to deeper water under structures and around fallen trees. Schools of them can be found using a depth finder if one is lucky enough to be on a boat. Jigs with a minnow attached are good ways to catch crappie. You can also use spinners or anything that swims. These make excellent meals when you catch a bunch and fry them up (make sure to clean and cook them properly).

Once the day turns into night, it’s time to get out the weights and the chicken liver, because its channel cat time. Catfishing time can be a very relaxing part of the night where you get out the chair and favorite beverage (adult or other, it’s your choice). The catfish move into shallower water to feed late evening and into the night. They are scavengers and like things that smell and are located at the bottom of the water.

The best ways to fish for catfish are large hooks, usually baited with chicken liver, shrimp, minnows or cut up bait fish, either using the tight line method or using a slip bobber that slowly drops the bait to the preset depths or the lake floor.

Boating safety is another concern altogether, but I will touch on it here.

Make sure to wear a life jacket and avoid alcohol while driving the boat.

Make sure that there are safety protocols in place and that the driver of the boat has taken the proper courses to operate the boat.

Always use common sense in maintaining proper speed in certain areas and obey all posted limits.

Fishing is a wonderful experience and I am very excited to share some of my passion with you today. I hope these tips help as you venture out into the fishing world this summer. Now get out there, bait some hooks, and enjoy the life of a fisherman, my friends.

References
http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/gone-fishin/2014/05/summer-bass-fishing-tips-tactics-and-gear-you-need-your-biggest-bass-ever
http://www.scout.com/outdoors/wired2fish/story/1469017-5-tips-to-catch-more-shallow-summer-bass
http://fw.ky.gov/fish/documents/summerfishingtips.pdf
http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/2013/05/welcome-your-perfect-summer