Hank Parker explains when and where to find elusive summer bass. It's not what you think!

 

 

Well, I'm not trying to argue with Mr. Parker, one of the worlds greatest bass fisherman of all time, 

but some lakes are different. Most of the reservoirs built on the Tennessee River do not have a

thermocline although Kentucky Lake might be an exception. Our river system is commercial and

has some current all the time and a great deal of current some of the time. The water is aerated 

by electricity producing turbines on the bottom of each dam. River water is "churned" throughout

the system.  During the summer and especially right now, the best fishing is on ledges. Last Saturday

all of our bass were caught on the upstream drop of a trench in 19' of water. The bottom was virtually

flat then dropping to 25". The trench is approximately 100 yards long by 20 yards wide. 

 

The lake I've been fishing has a thermocline fluctuating between 10 and 15 foot . Reccently most of the fish have been showing on the sonar 8 to 10 foot . I'm not going to pretend to know why . My best guess is that is where the most O2 is at . In early June I was catching a lot of post spawn fish down to 15 foot . They have moved shallower with warmer water temps .

Great video, I used to fall into that camp until a few years ago. I fish about five lakes. Four of them have slightly stained water and the thermocline runs about 12-15 feet. The one I fish the most, due to proximity, has a heavier stain and the thermocline runs about 8-12. I used to try to fish it like the others but I learned to stay shallower and have done better.

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

The lake I've been fishing has a thermocline fluctuating between 10 and 15 foot . Reccently most of the fish have been showing on the sonar 8 to 10 foot . I'm not going to pretend to know why . My best guess is that is where the most O2 is at . In early June I was catching a lot of post spawn fish down to 15 foot . They have moved shallower with warmer water temps .

my deeper brushpiles have been abandoned as well!

In South Florida with our thick weedy Lakes, I could not agree with Hank Parker more!!!!!!!  Our water temps are often in the 90's in August and September and the dead vegetation falls to the bottom and decays.  This kills the quality of water deep in our lakes COME SUMMER.  Bass will seek out shallow weeds because the weeds provide shade from the intense summer rays, ambush points, and most importantly oxygen. The exception to this is if you can find an underwater spring pumping fresh, cool, water into the lake.  The old timers that know the lake cherish these spots.  It can be a game changer not only in the heat of summer but also in winter when a severe cold front passes through.  Florida Black Bass don't take to sudden cold spells, and will seek these constant water producers.