July is a great month for many things, from fireworks and family fun to hitting the water for some bass fishing. Whether you live in the north or south, there are chances to catch some summertime bass, and many ways to do it. With warm water temperatures and the spawn in the rearview mirror, bass are hungry and willing to chase a lot of different lures. While countless lures will work this month, these six shine above the rest and will work no matter where you live.
Frogs
Hollow-bodied frogs will work from spring to fall, but summer is prime time to throw these lures above grass, around bushes, docks, and anywhere you can find shade. While they are extremely weedless and work very well around vegetation, they work just as well in open water, whether in between clumps of grass or even if there is no grass anywhere around.
Frogs come in several styles, from the standard frogs that can be worked with a walk-the-dog action or a slight pumping move as you work the bait towards you. This frog style is great for fishing over thin layers of vegetation and can also be fished in open water. Some of the most popular are the Spro Bronzeye series of frogs and the Booyah Pad Crasher, with both brands offering several sizes.
Another style is the popping frog, which can be worked more like a topwater popper, and these baits excel in more open water than standard popping frogs. Most brands make a popping frog, and there are some excellent ones, including the Deps Buster K, Strike King Popping Perch, 6th Sense Vega, and Spro Bronzeye Popping Frog.
The final style is buzzing frogs like the Snag Proof Zoo Kick or Scum Frog Big Foot, which have kicking legs that let you buzz along the surface, much like a buzzbait. These frogs can be fished in open water or over thin layers of vegetation, and they elicit some ferocious strikes on the surface.
Walking Topwater Lures
Summer is meant for topwater lures and walking topwater baits are must-have lures for the entire summer, including right now in June. These walking baits call bass from the depths and have the perfect walk to imitate a small fish along the surface.
There are many good walking topwaters, including the tried-and-true Heddon Super Spook and the many similar-shaped lures. Some other excellent ones to try are the Teckel Kicknocker, Strike King Sexy Dawg, Bass Mafia Dead Man Walking, and Lucky Craft Sammy, to name a few.
Punching a Creature Bait
If your lake has any vegetation at all, July is a prime time to fish it as the grass will always hold some bass. After the spring and summer months have warmed up the water, the grass is typically growing like crazy and will be matted to the surface in many areas. When the vegetation is that thick, one of the only ways to fish it is by penetrating it with a heavy tungsten weight. As a general rule, use as light as you can get away with to get through the grass, but be prepared to use weights weighing 1.5 ounces at times for the really thick stuff.
Several baits will work for your punch rig, including the Strike King Rage Punch Bug, which was designed for this style of fishing. Look for irregularities in the grass when choosing a place to punch your bait through. Discolorations in vegetation, places where the grass makes a point, and holes in the grass are all prime places to dip your bait into.
Football Jigs
Football is a fall sport, but summer is an excellent time to throw a football jig. These jigs were designed to be fished along the bottom and have a knack for avoiding snags thanks to their football-head design, and they are prime for July when fishing away from the bank.
They are perfect for imitating crawfish moving along the bottom and a perfect bait to use in the summer months, especially in deeper water. Pair them with a crawfish-imitating soft plastic or grub, such as a Yamamoto Double Tail grub, and you have the perfect crawdad imitator.
Carolina-Rig
Like football jigs, it’s hard to beat a Carolina rig when dragging along the bottom in deeper water, but it also works well in shallower water. The weight does the work by creating a disturbance in the water, and your soft plastic bait trailing behind on the leader looks like an easy meal.
There are many different baits you can add to your Carolina-Rig, but some of the best and most effective are creature baits like the Zoom Brush Hog. Another great choice is a small crawfish imitator like the Zoom Speed Craw. It’s up to you what bait you plan to drag behind the rig that many call the “ball and chain,” and summer is the perfect time to use it.
The Drop-Shot Rig
Another summertime staple is the drop-shot rig, which truly could fit in the top baits for any month, but excels when the water heats up. It’s a versatile rig that shines for deep water but can also be cast to shallow targets and catch fish.
One consideration for your drop-shot is the bait to use, and one all-time staple is the Roboworm straight tail. It’s a proven bait that works everywhere and appeals to both largemouth and smallmouth. For clear northern fisheries with smallmouth, another excellent choice is the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm, which has the perfect profile that smallies love.
July is a great month to celebrate with family, take a road trip, or to catch a baseball game, but it’s also perfect for bass fishing. With the bass active and feeding, there are so many ways to catch them, but these six are among the best things you can use this month.
