So it's been pretty d**n cool here for a while now - at least a week, maybe more, of temps that are more like mid-fall than late-summer.  I'd imagine the water temp has dropped considerably to the low 70's range, maybe even the high-60's in some lakes or areas.  However, today is bluebird skies and warm (nearing 80*F) and tomorrow it's supposed to be hot (over 92*F or so) and sunny.  In fact, a strong high-pressure system moved in last night as it's supposed to be sunny/clear for a week, beginning today.  And hot, too.

Since the bass were facing a lot of cool nights and cool, cloudy days lately, how do you think they'll react to this reversal of temperatures and sky conditions?  Specifically, day-2 of these conditions where it's the first real hot day in a number of weeks...?

The lake is shallow, water levels 2-4' below normal, and clear.  Rice and weed growth is very stunted this year.

Thanks!

Eric

Follow the bait. If they start the move up the creeks and into the backs of the bays i guarantee you the bass will follow.

Unless it continues or you get another dose of cool weather they may just suspend. If you lose them and all your deeper areas slow down check the mouths of the bays and the mouths of the creeks. Down here they are notorious for suspending out in the mouths of the creeks when that happens. They will sit there until another front moves through and forces the bait to move to the upper ends of the creeks.

It's a great time for a crankbait. They will suspend out in 12-15' over 23-28' and it becomes a crap shoot.

Good luck

Yelp 

Thanks for the advice!  Since this lake barely reaches 12' deep (and I mean BARELY this year!), suspending might be 6-8' in 10' of water in the main bays.  Basically, you think the weather will have the bass staging for fall, regardless if it warms up tomorrow, and I should start thinking about targetting the suspended bass and/or deeper waters in the lake.  I can manage that, I hope!

Are the bass largemouth or smallmouth?

12' depth that far north is extremely shallow for any bass to survive the winter.

Look for stream or river entering the lake, most of the bass will be relating to the seasonal change of shorter day light periods and moving to areas with deeper water, baitfish and crawdads.

WRB

Are the bass largemouth or smallmouth?

12' depth that far north is extremely shallow for any bass to survive the winter.

Look for stream or river entering the lake, most of the bass will be relating to the seasonal change of shorter day light periods and moving to areas with deeper water, baitfish and crawdads.

WRB

All largies (well 99.5%) in this lake.  There's one main outflow which is dammed, and the inflows are very small and very shallow (especially at this time of year).

Surprisingly, even though its this shallow, the lake has a very healthy, strong population of bass, some of them in the 5+ range (anything 5+ is considered a very good sized bass, largie or smallie, in this area).

Just to follow-up, the bass were mostly in 3-5' of water in thick patches of rice, or, really tight to shore on shaded shorelines.  Most relating to wood.

My partner and I finished 1st out of 20 boats using this approach -- jigs in the rice, and jigs on shorelines.

Interestingly enough, even the 'big fish' we caught (3.96lbs) looked like it would have been a 4.5 pounder judging by the head and the length.  But the bodies of all the fish were VERY skinny.  They apparently hadn't been eating in a week!!