Weeds provide shelter and forage for bass, particularly in the warmer months of the year. The weeds also provide oxygen rich areas and help filter the water. If you are fishing for bass in the warmer months, not all weeded areas are created equally. Consider fishing the outer edges and shallows of the weeded areas.



Concentrate on weed tops. Generally, if you are deep inside the weeds, you are going to get caught up, and really the more active bass are going to be near the edges and tops of the weeds. So, pay particular attention to these key areas by monitoring your depth and sticking close to the edges of weeded areas rather than casting right into them, or fishing too deeply, and you will have better results, because active bass are bass that are on the feed, and those are the ones that are going to bite.

Consider using live baits such as minnows, crayfish, and small worms. Use top water plugs, willow leaf spinners, and lipless crank bait. Plastic worms with pegged sinkers work well, and jigs with pork trailers will also catch some fish for you. If you decide to target some less active fish deep in the cover, using the worm and the jig is a good choice.

You might also want to fish the ditches in summertime when you are trying to catch bass. Bass tend to travel in the ditch areas when they are moving from the deeper areas to the shallows to feed, so they are normally already hungry and looking for a tasty meal when they get there. They really do consistently show a lot of action when it comes to bass fishing. If you don't already know the location of probably ditches, consider consulting a topo map. Begin in the deeper areas of the ditches, casting to the edge and working your way deeper.

Use crank baits, plastic worms, spinner baits, and lizards. Especially during the very warm summer months, rivers will show more bass action than lakes, because they have a higher oxygen content. The higher content of oxygen gives the bass a little more energy and makes them a little more active.

Active fish feed more than inactive fish. You can also use more active retrieves in rivers than you ever can in lakes. Also consider creeks. Creeks will generally hold bigger bass than rivers or lakes. The waters are clearer and cooler too in summer. Because of the clarity of the water, be sure to use natural looking and natural colored lures to catch bass in creeks. Give casting upstream and allowing the lure to come back down stream to fish around logs and rocks.

In the summertime, consider giving the shallows a try. Most fishermen head straight to the deep water, but shallow structure offers a lot of opportunity for anglers as well. Use crank bait and top water plugs, and fish close to the target. Try casting past the target, and reeling naturally to allow the lure to bump the target. You will most often locate the bass on the shady side of the structure, and it helps to know this going in. They are usually grouped right together, and stay really close to the cover.