Bass Fishing on Hot Sunny Days

Most guys absolutely dread fishing on a hot, sunny day. The temperatures are high, the sun is beating down on your, and if you aren’t catching any bass, it can definitely be quite miserable.

But for me, I actually love fishing hot, sunny days during the summer. And if you know how approach bass fishing on hot sunny days, it can actually be incredibly productive fishing.

Why I Love Fishing On Hot, Sunny Days

There are two reasons I absolutely love bass fishing during the brutal heat of the dog days of summer.

So first of all, because it can be very uncomfortable to fish in the heat of the day with the sun beating down on you, most other guys just don’t even show up to the lake.

Most guys wait until a cool front comes through or there is some overcast weather. So when it is super hot and sunny, there is far less competition on the water, and I get more of the lake or pond to myself.

And the second reason is that bass are very predictable under these conditions. They aren’t going to be spread out or cruising around. I know exactly where they are going to be, so I don’t have to waste time finding the bass and I can just get right into my fishing

Where are Bass On Hot Sunny Days

Bass are only going to be in two places when the water temperatures are high and the sun is beating down.

They will either be out in deep water than is much cooler and out of the sunlight, or they will be way up under the thickest cover and darkest shade on the bank.

Summer bass hate being in the hot sun. So shade is the name of the game. Deep water gives them shade because less light gets down to those depths, and the thick cover in shallow water gives them much more direct shade.

Fishing the Deep Water

So to be honest, this is not my favorite way to catch these bass. I prefer heading to the shallow shade to catch them.

But sometimes you just have no other choice. And when I’m targeting these bass, I always try to cover a lot of water.

They are much more spread out than the shallow water bass because they aren’t holding super tight to a shade line or piece of cover.

They are mostly just cruising around from one boulder or brush pile to another.

Best Deep Water Lures:

1. Deep Diving Crankbait

A deep diving crankbait is the best way to cover tons of water and get a reaction strike from these high metabolism summer bass.

A 15+ foot diving crankbait will be able to get down to the bottom and create enough noise and vibration to draw these deep water bass in to bite.

2. Drop Shot

If you can locate some isolated rock or brush piles, there will always be bass holding to them.

And a drop shot is a fantastic finesse bait that can get way down deep very quickly. Because the weight is separated from the soft plastic an hook, you can use as heavy a weight as you need without messing with the action or presentation of your bait.

Fishing the Shallow Water

Now this is what I love to do under the hot summer sun. Get up in shallow water and pick apart the heavy cover and shade.

These bass are going to be very densely packed into every piece of wood, vegetation, dock, or overhanging branch that creates a distinct shade line.

Anywhere that you have a nice dark piece of shade, there is likely to be a bass there. The shade keeps them cool during the super hot, sunny day, and because they are still in shallow water, they have very easy access to food.

All the bluegill, baby bass, frogs, and other small forage prefer to stay in shallow water no matter how hot the weather gets.

Best Shallow Water Lures:

1. Hollow Body Frog

This is the first lure I tie on when I am fishing during the heat of the summer. Most guys think that topwater lures are just for the morning or evening hours.

But as long as you have plenty of shade, bass will still crush a topwater all day long.

And what makes a frog perfect for this style of fishing is that it allows you to cast into the thickest of brush, vegetation, or overhanging cover without snagging at all.

So I can put this frog exactly where these bass are hiding.

2. Swim Jig

A swim jig is actually a very similar concept as the frog. But the difference is that it is a subsurface technique.

Sometimes, bass just don’t want to come up and eat something on the surface and they will only commit to a bait that is actually under the water.

If I can’t get any bites on the frog, I always switch over to a swim jig. The reason that I say a swim jig is a similar concept as the frog is that I am going to be casting to the same exact spots.

Thick vegetation, brush piles, docks, and overhanging trees that provide lots of shade. And the weed guard on that swim jig will keep me from snagging.

3. Shaky Head

No matter how, where, or when I am fishing, I like to have a finesse bait on the deck and ready to go.

During the hot, sunny, summer days, the shaky head is my finesse bait of choice. It’s just a classic finesse worm on a light jig head.

And because it is also weedless, I can fish it around some of the same cover as the frog and swim jig.

Now I won’t be casting right into the thick, heavy cover because I am still fishing the shaky head on light line and light gear.

So I don’t really have the strength to drag bass out of thick cover. But casting to the outskirts of cover or up under overhanging shade works incredibly well.

Reeling this In

As you can see, fishing on hot, sunny summer days doesn’t have to be miserable; in fact, it can be incredibly rewarding.

By understanding where bass go to escape the heat—either deep, cool water or dense, shallow cover—and arming yourself with the right lures for each scenario, you can turn a seemingly challenging day into a highly productive one.

So, next time the sun is blazing, don’t shy away from the water. Embrace the conditions, target those predictable bass, and you might just find yourself enjoying some of the best fishing of the season.