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Recently, one of my fishing partners, Benji Hohenberger, and I fished
a couple
of evenings out on our home lake, Richland-Chambers reservoir. Benji's
boat was
down, so we took my Ranger 461. We headed out of the ramp in search
of a few
bass hanging around some "humps and bumps" on the lake.
This time of year,
we usually catch larger fish rather than larger numbers. Benji had
been catching
fish in 15'-20' of water on carolina-rigged lizards and crankbaits
near old
submerged pond dams and humps.
Since it had been a while since I had been fishing, we went to some
of his
spots. The bites were few and far between, but we managed to boat
a few decent
fish ranging from 5 pounds and less. This is the most popular and
successful type
of pattern on this lake during the hot summer months.
The fish seem to hang out in deep water most of the day and cruise
in to these
areas to feed. There is no magic time of day. The fishing is sometimes
slow and
redundant, but for those anglers with patience, it can pay off.
You might throw the
same bait on the same hump two dozen times without so much as a
thump, and
on the next cast you might hook up with a double-digit fish. You
just never know.
The key is patience. Find a spot, look for baitfish to show up on
your electronics
and fish a while. Again, the key is patience.
Most of our fish came on carolina-rigged lizards. I caught my fish
using the 7
inch pumpkin seed lizard by Kalin's. Even though the Kalin's lizards
has scent and
flavor enhancers built in, I like to dip the tail in chartreuse
Spike-It for an extra flare
of color and the garlic scent. Our fish on R-C seem to really go
for the garlic
scents, if you use them.
When carolina-rigging, I like to use a 6'8" carolina honey
from Castaway Rods
in a medium action rigged with Abu Garcia's new TP3000C reel. This
high speed
reel allows me to take up slack quickly, after a strike has been
detected in order
to get the hook set before the fish drops the bait. I also like
to smoothness of the
reel allowing me a great deal of distance when casting. Spooled
with 20# P-Line,
it makes for a lethal combination when carolina-rigging. I like
to use 15# P-Line
fluorocarbon leader during the summertime, since it is virtually
invisible
underwater, thus generating more strikes. If the water is super-clear,
I will even go
to 12# P-Line. The high breaking point of P Line offers me the advantage
of a high
strength line, in smaller than normal sizes for carolina-rigging
on this lake. This is
a real plus for wary fish.
Another great option for these summertime bass are large crankbaits.
I like to
use Norman Lures DD22 or DD14. These are Norman's deep diving baits
and they
come in a variety of colors. I generally use the shad colored baits
this time of year
on a 7'7" fiberglass rod. Using a slow speed reel, I will use
10# or 12# P-Line. I
use the smaller diameter lines to help the bait gain as much depth
as possible.
I have also found it better to "dig" the bait down deep
in the water and then slow
down and vary the retrieve. Start - stop retrieves work really well,
once the bait is
down several feet in the water.
Lastly, if you are fishing dams and humps with cover on top of it,
such as trees
or brush, I like to use a large grub, like the Mogambo grub or a
10" worm. It may
require several cast at the same target in order to trigger a bite.
Often times, it is
necessary to "doodle sock" a piece of cover to get bit.
Doodle socking means to
position the boat directly over a section of cover, lower the bait
to the desired
depth and just sit there moving it up and down. I know it doesn't
sound like much,
but believe me, sometimes it is the only way to get a fish to bite.
I think it just
makes them mad and they hit it. Nonetheless, give it a try if the
fishing gets
tough.
Now the biggie, where do you fish? Where are the humps and pond
dams?
Good question. The best I can offer is for you to either hire a
guide or buy a good
map. If you hire a guide, tell them what you want to learn. Make
sure they are
willing to show you what you are paying them to teach you. If you
go the map
route, get a good one and study it. Try to find a map that will
identify oil well
humps, pond dams and other humps for you. Ideally, you will find
one with GPS
coordinates on it to help you locate them. If not, spend some
time looking at the
map and planning out your day before you get to the lake. You only
need 4-6
holes to fish, if you fish them correctly. Remember that the key
to catching fish
on R-C this time of year is patience. Find a spot to fish and fish
it slowly.
Lastly, be extremely careful fishing in the summertime. The weather
can
change in an instant. Summertime thunderstorms bring dangerous
lightning and
often high winds with them. They can and will pop up from nowhere
and you can
find yourself in serious trouble, fast. Secondly, drink lots of
water. Dehydration is
a serious problem for fishermen this time of year. Take along lots
of water, use
sunscreen, wear light colored clothes and wear a hat or cap. Give
summertime
bassin' a try. You might be surprised just how rewarding it can
be.
Until
next time, enjoy the Texas outdoors.
Email: lester01@airmail.net
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