Florida is certainly considered one of the best spots in the country for sport and leisure fishing. The absolutely amazing variety of species and environments to fish and explore is enticing to anglers from all over the world.
Bass is so popular to catch that entire tournaments have been put on for them, especially in Florida. Interestingly, summer happens to be the best time of year to catch bass in Florida, and Bass fishing in summer can be extremely fun and rewarding.
Florida heat during the summer is intense, and prize fish like largemouth bass are not fond of this. Despite the heat, the best time to fish bass in Florida is during the peak months of summer. When you fish for bass strategy, technique, and planning are more important than most realize. This means that warm-water patterns are in full effect with mature plant growth and spawning finished for the fish.
The best time to fish for bass in summer is either in the morning or closer to dusk. During this time, the bass seek cooler water moving around in the shade depending on the time of day. In the morning, shallow water is the hotspot as the bass look to feed near pockets of plants. You can use topwater lures around this time to catch some pretty big bass.
If you’re looking to fish later in the day, then fishing deeper using swimming jigs or live bait is the best option. Underwater structures are a bass’s favorite hideouts later in a summer day as they provide safety and coverage after morning meals. The best strategy here is to work your lure or bait in conjunction with how the shadows fall against underwater weeds and plants.
It is clear that light conditions affect bass fishing a lot since they very clearly prefer shade over the sun. This is part of the reason why summer bass fishing is so effective. The bass are fairly predictable so that they can be more skillfully caught.
Of course, summer bass fishing comes with unique obstacles or potential pitfalls. For one, the sun can be oppressive and dangerous to exposed skin. Make sure to dress appropriately by covering up exposed skin where possible. Angler’s hands are often the most exposed, so using a well-made pair of fingerless fishing gloves makes a significant difference in safety.
Fishmonkey fingerless gloves, for example, protect against the sun and offer a stunning grip for handling bass.
Knowing the good times to fish for bass in summer is just one piece of the puzzle though. A good fishing guide will also tell you that fishing technique is pivotal to successful bass fishing. You won’t always encounter the same water conditions when fishing bass. Sometimes the water will be muddy or clear or have many weeds floating. In muddy conditions, quickly jerk and jump the lure or bait while aiming for deeper sides of the water. You want to mimic a slow crawl across the fish’s path for clear water. It would be best if you used larger shiners in combination with slow coaxing through the water in plant-filled water.
There is a unique feel to hooking a bass. Often there will be only the slightest movements or feel indicating a fish is ready to be hooked. It is important to stay alert and be ready to set the hook when you feel these movements.
The reputation of largemouth bass in Florida is that of a real tackle hunter. This makes finding the right lure or bait much more satisfying when you set that hook. They are known to attack just about anything they view as food.
Their favorite foods are tadpoles, insects, and minnows. So if you are looking for live bait, these animals are ideal. When setting up bait like a minnow, you’ll want to hook under the fin and use a bobber that puts your bait inches off the water bottom.
When it comes to the best bass lures, the Florida classic spinnerbait has been putting in work for decades. The other contender is the frog lure, and this little bulbous boy brings the bass is almost as good as the spinnerbait.
The reason that a bass flying out of the water, tackle hooked, water splashing, and a blue-sky background is an iconic image is because summer bass fishing is one of the most fun fishing experiences out there, and bass is an iconic catch.
