Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif., Off the Hook Column: Bite Will Go Up With the Temperature

By Justin Miller, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.

Jul. 5–Unseasonably cool temperatures throughout most of June kept bass in a elongated post-spawn pattern, but local bass guide Larry Hemphill said that should all change with temperatures reaching well above 100 degrees.

“Now, they’ll get into a real summer pattern,” Hemphill said.

Hemphill noted that water surface temperatures at most lakes were hovering right around 75 degrees, which is 5 to 7 degrees cooler than the normal 80 to 82 for this time of year.

But with longer, hotter days ahead, those surface temperatures should jump, sending the fish down to look for cooler water.

“The hot weather hasn’t put them down yet, but it will now,” Hemphill said. “This is what we’ve been waiting for.”

Hemphill said bass will start to dive deeper and suspend in 25 to 30 feet of water during the day when surface temperatures reach nearly 80 degrees.

“Then, you fish grubs and suspending-type baits to try and catch those fish, and drop-shotting becomes real good, too, if you hit bottom or off-shore structure in 30 feet to 45 feet,” he said.

As water temperatures start to warm, lake levels will also be affected, which will change tactics for catching fish.

“Look for steeper type of banks or points that are steeper,” Hemphill said. “If lakes are dropping, the shallow points sometimes aren’t as good, depending on how fast the lakes drop.”

Fishing hours will also change as the water temperatures rise, unless you’re fishing at Clear Lake, where Hemphill said fish are biting around the clock.

“The evening bite has been very, very good and the morning bite has been a little bit slow,” Hemphill said. “But what happens now is it’s going to turn around. Now, the early morning bite will be better than the evening bite because the water will be cooler in the morning.”

A shad die off at Clear Lake has put the fish on a feeding frenzy.

“The fish are really hungry. You really can’t go to Clear Lake and have a bad trip,” he said. “Every trip at Clear Lake, I’m getting a minimum of 30 to 50 per trip, nothing under 2 pounds. I’m getting fish 2 to 6 pounds in the day or at night.”

Collins Lake

Get out your shovels, grab a bucket and start digging up the backyard in search of nightcrawlers.

Trout and catfish are going crazy for the squirmy bait that has long been a standard for anglers everywhere.

Often overlooked by the technology of modern lures, nightcrawlers have been the bait of choice for anglers seeking catches of trout at the lake this season.

Trout catches have slowed with an increased water temperature, but the warmer water has done wonders for the catfish bite.

Anglers are using nightcrawlers for catfish weighing between 5 and 6 pounds.

“Off the Hook” appears Thursday. Appeal-Democrat reporter Justin Miller can be reached at 749-4796. You may e-mail him at jmiller@appealdemocrat.com

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Copyright (c) 2007, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.

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