Fishing during the “Dog Days of August” has always been pretty good for me over the years. I’ve had some of my best fishing experiences in August as the water temperature starts to cool. What could be better than having warm sunny days and cool nights? This is almost a perfect scenario for catching fish, especially bass. I believe that the bass fishing has been very productive all summer long, but in the late summer and fall it can be pretty exciting.
As we move through the month of August and the water temperatures start to drop, we have to make a few adjustments to the way we fish. A few years ago, I was fishing on Lake Tetonka near Waterville and, from what I could tell on that day, the fish were very active. In fact, I have mentioned in past columns how the next couple of months on this particular lake could be very productive.
Early morning Bass’n can be very productive this time of year. Try fishing top water lures over open pockets in weed beds. It may surprise you. I don’t believe that there is a better feeling than having a fish hit a top water lure.
I do favor muskie fishing when it comes to the utter thrill of getting a strike on top water lures. I’ve had them jump out of the water to take my lure when it was on the downfall and hadn’t even touched the water yet.
One year when I was fishing in August on Spider lake, I had just cast into this open pocket surrounded by some real heavy cover. As my lure was on the downfall, the water just exploded and this large muskie came straight out of the water and hammered my lure. The tip of the tail must have cleared the surface of the water by about a foot. I’ll always remember the sight of that big fish shaking its head with my lure in its mouth. And when I think of it now, it is still as vivid as the day that it happened. That is a memory that the little kid in me will always be able to re-live. Speaking of that thrill, it was quickly replaced by the onset of sudden panic and some very urgent speed reeling just to try and get the slack out of the line before that monster spit my lure out.
Bass and northern can offer the same kind of excitement when fishing top water lures. I was fishing a little bay on Spider one year and was thinking I should cast the Suick that I was using into a little pocket along a bank because it just looked like it should be holding fish. The lure barely hit the water when a nice northern exploded out of the lake with my lure in tow. What a feeling!
That’s the part of fishing that gets the adrenaline flowing. I put fishing in two categories. There’s the relaxation part where you can put on a bobber and let the wind move it gently along while you watch, mesmerized by the moment.
Then there is the other part of fishing where you challenge yourself to find that “lunker” lurking around the next point or just off a nearby drop-off and the satisfaction that you can get from finding out you were right. I do like casting the best and if you are in a boat and move slowly along the weed line, try casting parallel to the edge of it or look for small open pockets in the weeds. You can cover a good amount of lakeshore thoroughly and will sooner or later trigger a strike.
When fall fishing for muskies, try trolling as close to shore as you dare. A few years ago I met a gentleman who told me that he only fishes muskie and when he trolls it is a fast troll and close enough to shore that he can reach out and touch the rocks with his rod tip. This may or may not have been an exaggeration, but I did witness this man fishing and I can attest to the fact that he runs the boat closer to shore than I would ever be comfortable doing.
Everyone who fishes has his or her own special technique that produces fish. I have found that there are certain lures that are my “go to” lures or that are in my comfort zone. I have fished lakes where my old standby lure or technique just doesn’t cut it. This is when you have to get creative and “think outside the box” or in this instance, dig deep into that tackle box of tricks and hope that you can fool the fish.
This is what fishing is all about, tricking the fish, which can sometimes seem easy and other times be downright frustrating. I never let myself get too frustrated because then it defeats the reason for spending a relaxing day on the water.
Please take a few moments also to honor those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms that we enjoy today. Also take a little extra time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who have served and those troops that are serving today.