I was wondering what some of the best lures and techniques are for fishing summer days (like 1-5 pm)...or what some of you have had success with.

Thanks  ;D

I've had my best mid day summer success with:

1. a small bass jig

2. a small jig head and 4"- 6" plastic worm

3. a spoon

4 C-rig

If I can get away with it I like to fish stained to muddy water in the summer or running water. They are easier to locate. Lures for stained water would be 1/2oz jig, big body crankbait, or a spinnerbait single blade. In clear water deep is the way to go or shallow heavy cover. 1/2 oz jig, tube, jigging spoon, carolina rig, dropshot, deep crankbaits, 1/2 oz or 1 oz spinnerbaits, 12" or 7 1/2" worm, 9" lizard, brush hog, or a rattletrap.

I have caught all my biggest largemouth between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM on the hottest bluebird days of summer on a Senko. They were all caught around structure, one near cover but none in cover.

More generally, during the hottest part of the day I find bass suspending in shade (around boat docks for example) in deep water (10+ feet) near deeper water or a nominal current (creek mouth or channel draining into the main lake or cove). I have caught small bass during the day in grass, but I don't think that's where big bass like to hang out during the heat of the day. Timber in deep water on the shady side of a bluff is another suggestion.

I feel like most bites are reaction strikes. Big bass are opportunists and will strike when prey or your lure is close, but they do not actively feed in the middle of a hot summer day.

As a side note, none of this applies to smallmouth bass in a river. I believe they suspend near structure and in current all the time and I think they feed constantly, at every opportunity.

i get bit most often between 10 and 2 just like roadwarrior has stated,  but im usually out ALL day!  i have found a mid-running crankbait, usually in red patterns, ratl traps in shad patterns and senkos t-rigged weightless, or wacky rigged  take the bait for the majority of caught fish (these are also my confidence lures too).  Like rw has said, gotta go deep for the big boys, but theres only so much you can do beating the banks!  

I usually do best fishing docks and piers during midday.

mostly use texas rigged baby brushogs

Either a finnesse worm or tube both rigged with a jighead.

For me 3:30 is the majic number, and I guess the start of the evening bite around here.  I may not have had any luck at all.  Then the clock strikes 1/2 past 3 and alot of time it seems to change.  In the summer rat l traps and jitterbugs around the weeds.