In your experience, how does this sudden heat wave change the behavior of bass as it warms the water? We seem to closely watch and discuss falling water temps in the fall, but what about rapidly warming water during a nearly country-wide heat dome?

@MN Fisher and I were posting in another thread about the summer heat and he pointed this out:

"Also don't forget that water doesn't heat up evenly. The readings you're taking are at the surface while temps at 5', 10' or lower will be less...sometimes upwards of 5-10 or more degrees lower than what your graph is showing you. Deeper basins it might still be only 50-55 at the bottom while the surface is showing 80-85".

This is 100% accurate. So, in your experience, how do the bass react? On two of the lakes I fish regularly, I find that the bass will move just a little deeper and further from the bank until the surface water temps become a little more stable and/or the warm water penetrates a little deeper. The bass that I was catching under a log in 3 feet of water approximately 3ft from the bank are now on that same tree but in 7ft of water 10-12ft from the bank. On another lake I just start finding them under the docks rather than moving deeper.

Please describe the changes you have seen in these conditions and have a blessed 4th of July! Try to keep all your fingers.

21 minutes ago, BigAngus752 said:

On another lake I just start finding them under the docks rather than moving deeper.

A lot of it depends on circulation. On a pond or even just a shore that's mostly protected from wind, which causes waves, which mix the first couple feet of water - you might have a fairly decent difference in temps between the open water and that under a dock/overhanging tree/etc.

Places I fish no circulation, I have to wait the heat wave out.