AUGUST, "THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER"

This has been a really warm summer! A person doesn't want to be too far from an air conditioner these days let alone think of spending the day out on a lake in the baking sun and heat! If you enjoy fishing as much as I do, you suck it up and take plenty of liquids with you and hit the lake! Naturally, the best time to fish is the early morning hours and again in the evening. The lower light provides more shaded areas and the fish will be more active. The warmer water also increases the metabolism of the fish and makes them want to feed more! This can be a huge advantage for us fishermen! On bright sunny days, head for the weeds. This is an important source of cover for the fish as well as for their food sources. If the weed beds are close to deeper water, so much the better. Try to fish the irregular structure of the weed beds such as weed breaks, points, cuts etc.. Watch the formation of the weeds. If the weed stems surface and the main foliage spreads out on the surface, fish will be hiding underneath this coverage. Try dropping jigs through any openings in the weeds, the smaller the openings the better! Fish the weed edges. If the weeds generally thin out before disappearing there propably is a soft muddy bottom under the weeds. If the weeds have an abrupt ending the bottom is either sandy or rocky which both are excellent to hold fish. Again, jigs work really well here but any plastic baits such as worms, grubs or tubes would be ideal to use. However you go about it, it might be down right nasty to be out there fishing but a few nice fish will work wonders at easing the discomfort!