"Good luck finding one today!"
It was the best response I could draw when I posed my question to West Virginia DNR Fisheries Biologist Kevin Yokum about where to find bass at this time of year on Stonewall Jackson Lake.
"They’re all deep." Said Yokum as he maneuvered the DNR’s shocking boat along the shoreline in search of specimens.
When biologists are having trouble even shocking a fish to the surface, the truth is the fishing isn’t going to be much.
The dog days of August are a drag for those who enjoy the hot pursuit of largemouth bass in West Virginia lakes. However, it doesn’t have to be the ruin of a good fishing trip. After all, a wise man once said, "The best time to fish is when you have time to go fishing."
When air temperature creep above 90 degrees and the surface lake water feels like a hot bath, you need to change your tactics and issue a measure of patience if you hope for any success.
"Fish are opportunistic, they will eat, but their strike zone is incredibly shrunk." explained Yokum. "They’re not willing to chase baits nearly as far. They’re not nearly as active as normal conditions would dictate. You’ve got to put the bait right in front of them."
To do that in deep water two specific rigs are designed to put your lure into deep pockets of water with a slow presentation. The Carolina rig and the drop-shot rig will be the best bet.
"I you get a deep sloping point with some isolated structure and you can keep that bait moving slowly right through the strike zone and the window of opportunity you’ll give that fish longer to stare at that bait. Enticing, enticing, enticing that fish to bite…. the better your chances of catching that fish."
It’s certainly not the easiest way to catch fish, but those techniques can produce when the rest of the lake feels like the Dead Sea, or at least like your grandma’s tub on wash day.