Auburn, Calif. – Summertime fishing can be frustrating. The average angler spends most of their time targeting shallow cover, mainly because the majority of anglers find it easier to cast at visible cover than to probe offshore structure. However, when your competitors are the best anglers in the world, randomly casting at shallow cover, hoping for the right bite is not an option. 2009 Bassmaster Classic Champion Skeet Reese knows that fishing deep water can be frustrating for many anglers and offers his advice for making the most out of a summer outing, or climbing the standings in a hot weather event.
“I start looking at offshore targets from May, and will focus on them all the way through August,” the 40 year-old winner of more than $2 million said. “I use my Lowrance units to find the best offshore breaks and to find concentrations of bass waiting to pick off an easy meal.”
While he runs around the country fishing in a Champion 210 outfitted with a Mercury Pro XS 250, Motorguide 109 trolling motor and more high end Lowrance electronics than most tackle shops have on display, Reese said that anglers can use their existing rigs to experience offshore success. “Whether you're in a Champion like mine, or a little john boat doesn't make a difference,” Reese said. “All it takes is decent electronics, a lake map or chips like Navionics or Inland Lakes on their Lowrance, and a little wheel time to catch the right fish.”
Reese said an outing for him starts with study. “I used to pour over maps looking for the right spots, but now I study right on the charts on my Lowrance,” he said. “What I am looking for are sharp breaks with deep water, something that makes the fish feel comfortable.”
Those locations might be a point next to a river channel bend that has a gentle slope marked by spread out contour lines on one side and a steeper side with tightly packed contour lines on the deep side. Or, he may find a main lake flat that end in a sharp drop off into deeper water, where the contour falls sharply into the main river channel. “When I find a spot like either of these, I know I'm in the area,” Reese said. “However, my search for the best area is only just beginning.”
Once he has pinpointed areas he wants to explore, Reese spends the majority of his practice time looking at the screen of his Lowrance as opposed to casting. “I meter the whole area looking for the ‘spot on the spot' before I ever toss a lure,” Reese revealed. “It may be a single stump, or a rockpile on the top of the ledge, but it will be the best piece of structure on that area that will likely hold fish.”
Once he locates that prime real estate, Reese will start with a crankbait, a Lucky Craft Flat CBD20 in White Flash, Gunmetal Shad, or Crack, colors he designed for targeting the various stages of summer water clarity. If the crankbait won't trigger a bite, he will turn to plastics, a 10-inch Berkley Power Worm, in Plum, Blue Fleck or Green Pumpkin, or a ½-ounce brown and purple football jig tipped with three-inch cinnamon purple Chigger Craw if the bass are related to the bottom. If they are suspended, he will use a drop shot rig with a six-inch Berkley Hand Pour Finesse Worm in Triple Margarita, Red Crawler or Watermelon Magic Red Glitter.
For the crankbait, he throws a seven and a half foot fiberglass rod paired with his Skeet Reese Revo and 10 to 15-pound test Berkley Trilene 100% fluorocarbon line, depending on the depth. For the worm and jig, he uses a seven and a half foot medium heavy casting rod with his signature Revo, and 12-pound-test 100% Fluorocarbon and an offset shank wide gap hook on the worm. While drop shotting, he uses an Abu Garcia cardinal spinning reel on a 7'3” drop shot rod with six or eight-pound test 100% fluorocarbon.
He reports that finding the bass is the most time consuming part. “Once I find them, I can usually catch a bunch at one time,” he said. “Those fish are sitting on top of that ledge looking to feed with the comfort of deep water nearby; they usually respond to the first fish striking by getting active and looking to feed.”
He also said to think of the wind as an ally in the summer months. “The perfect scenario is to have a 95-degree day with a 15 mile per hour wind,” he said. “The wind does a few things, it breaks up the light and moves the baitfish around, but it also makes the heat more bearable for the angler; wind is your friend in the summer.”
