August is here and guess what… it’s still hot.
Everywhere around the United States, bass will be in their summer patterns and that generally means you have a couple options. The first thing it means is that it’s time to fish deeper offshore structure if you have it… Carolina rigs, football jigs, those bottom-contact dragging baits will play, as well as more finesse approaches like a drop shot. For grass fisheries, flipping a Texas rig, big worm or a jig near the weed lines is always a good idea.
But… there is also a good population of fish that stay shallow… and to me, those are the most fun to catch. It also makes it easier to avoid pleasure boaters and jet skis on your body of water and from my experience trying to fish offshore on a kayak on a Saturday afternoon… you spend more time with your head on a swivel than focusing on catching fish. It’s not fun. But if I can stay close to the bank, away from the boats, and drag around a frog, I’ll take that scenario all day long.
So without further ado, here’s 5 bass baits for the month of August, that should play across a majority of the middle 75% of the country… if you’re way north, maybe go back a month and check out July’s list, and if you’re on the deep south, maybe check out last year’s August post.
1. Topwater/Frog
I LOVE a topwater bite. It’s probably the most fun you can have bass fishing to be honest. A topwater walking bait or a popper (especially during the mayfly hatch if you have that going on) is particularly effective in the summer months, as well as the shad and bluegill spawn. There’s nothing like the surprise of a big bass blowing up on a topwater walking bait and if you can find some big schools offshore, you can fill up the boat pretty quickly. Tough to go wrong with bone, natural, and/or chrome colors. But if you got some matted vegetation, lily pads, or my favorite, duckweed, a hollow body frog is tough to beat.
Berkley J-Walker Walking Bait – $11.99
Colors: Bone, Maverick, CJ Shad
Storm Arashi Cover Pop – $9.99
Colors: Green Gill, Ghost Pearl Shad
Rapala PXR Jowler 127 – $21.79
Colors: Broken Bone, Pure Chrome, Ayu
Toad Thumper Swamper Frog – $9.99
Colors: Bad Bone, Black, Bad Gill
2. Drop Shot
A drop shot is one of the most versatile and one of the most effective techniques that you can honestly probably use every month of the year. I have one tied on pretty much year around, and it’s really become a confidence bait for me over the years. When I need a bite, pick up the drop shot. If you’re on the bank, it’s great. If you’re fishing around shallow flats or near docks, it’s great. If you’re fishing deep rock way offshore… still great.
If you’re not fishing around any grass or wood, you can nose hook your soft plastic on a drop shot hook, but if so, opt for a finesse Neko hook and you can tex-pose that hook point so it’ll come through that cover without hanging up. One thing I’ve been trying this summer is using a Ned rig as the weight, and essentially fishing two hooks at once (it’s not legal everywhere). It’s kind of silly, but seems to up the odds of catching fish… sometimes they want it on the bottom, sometimes they want it off.
Roboworm Straight Tail Worm – $3.97 – $4.99
Colors: Aaron’s Magic, Margarita Mutilator, Morning Dawn
Great Lakes Finesse Drop Worm – $6.99
Colors: Morning Dawn, Green Pumpkin Purple, Matte Black
Berkley Lab Series Flat Worm – $14.99
Colors: Obsidian Black, Violet Morning Dawn
3. Crankbait
Fishing a deep crank can be a great way to catch them in the summer months, as a number of bass, especially some big ones, will push deeper where the water is a little cooler and the water has more dissolved oxygen in it. Look for ledges, deep points, creek channels, and offshore humps. If you’re in a big reservoir with some current, bass will often set up on the down-current side of the structure, waiting to ambush baitfish.
The one thing about deep cranking is that you really should have a special cranking rod for it. You’re gonna want a big and long, cranking rod with a moderate action, probably or 7 and a half feet or more, so you can get a good, long cast. A lower gear-ratio reel will help you not wind too fast.
Rapala DT 16 Crankbait – $10.99
Colors: Citrus Shad, Green Gizzard Shad, Big Shad
4. Urchin Bait
It’s the hottest bait in bass fishing for a reason. You can fish it like a jerkbait in deeper water with forward facing sonar, you can fish it like a wacky rig in grass pockets, or you can fish it under and around docks in shallow water. I’ve been fishing deeper grass lines with it on forward facing sonar and having some success… basically cast it right up on the edge of that weed line, let it sink right along that wall of grass, and then jerk it away once those bass creep out of the weeds to hammer it… it’s been a great pattern for me the past couple of weeks. I’ve been using a frog hook for rigging and I think it’s probably the best approach to rigging, but the jury is still out on that.
Of course, the Hideup Coike is the most popular urchin bait, but they’ve been HARD to get so here’s a few others I’ve been using as well:
Colors: Green Pumpkin Blue, Scuppernong, Wagasaki
Colors: Black, Bloodshot, Green Pumpkin
5. Texas/Punch Rig
For me, flipping and pitching around shallow cover is always gonna play, doesn’t matter what time of year it is. It’s just the way I love to fish and it will catch you fish year around. Fish will generally go deep in the summer months, and you can definitely flip deeper grass lines and weed edges, but there’s always a population that stays shallow too. As the grass starts to top out or mat up, throw on a heavier weight (3/4 ounce – 2 ounce, use the lightest that will work) and punch right through there. Heavy rod, heavy lines, heavy weights… it’s a fun way to fish.
If you haven’t found a favorite yet, here’s a few I really have had a lot of success with, especially the Bronco Bug… it just gets bit
Berkley Powerbait Maxscent Stank Bug – $8.99
Colors: Green Pumpkin, Black Blue Fleck, Green Pumpkin Blue
Colors: Blue Craw, Black Blue Flake, Plumb Crazy
Rapala Crush City Bronco Bug – $6.99
Colors: Black & Blue Flake, Green Pumpkin Blue, Candy Bug
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