Summer Ledge Fishing - Crankbaits, Underspins, and Hair Jigs

Today we're on Pickwick Lake looking for Summer bass on offshore ledges and breaks. This time of year the bass stack up on the edges around current and can be caught on a variety of power fishing techniques. We found an aggressive school in 20-25 feet of water and had a great time figuring out which baits they would eat.

The fish we located today were in a giant school. They gathered in the confluence if two river arms and were feeding aggressively on shad and other baitfish that came down the current. We used a 3-part method to catch these fish. We started out with a deep crankbait to fire up the school then switched to a hair jig and a heavy underspin to keep the fish's interest once the initial flurry was over.

Ledge fishing is an awesome way to catch a bunch of bass in a hurry. Its also an amazing opportunity to catch BIG bass in the middle of Summer. If your local lake has current in the Summer, you have fish that back out to the outside structures, ledges, and breaks. This fishing style will work on your lake and you might be amazed how big of bass you can catch in the heat of the day.

Below is a breakdown of the baits and equipment we used to catch the fish in today's video. We also included a few color recommendations to make it easier for you to apply the techniques to your local lakes.

The baits...

-6th Sense Cloud 9 C20: http://bit.ly/2BQ4uDs

(Wild Shad, Platinum Citrus, Sexified Chartreuse Shad, Shad Fantasy)

-Strike King 6XD: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

(Sexy Shad, Turtle Shad, Chartreuse Sexy Shad, Sexy Blue Back Herring, Powder Blue)

-Picasso Hair Jig 1 oz: http://bit.ly/2FeJkAb

(Bling Shad, White)

-Blade Runner 1 oz SpinTrix Underspin: http://bit.ly/29UVegz

(Anchovy, Black Shad, Grey Shad, Pearl)

-Keitech 4.8 Fat Swing Impact Swimbait: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

(Pro Blue Red Pearl, Ghost Rainbow, Electric Shad, Gizzard Shad)

Upgraded Crankbait Hardware...

-Hooks- Gamakatsu EWG Size 2: http://bit.ly/2cZrsbY

-Split Rings- Owner Hyperwire Size 4: http://bit.ly/2v8ArBX

Crankbait Combo...

Rod- Zodias 7'6" MH Glass: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Curado 200K: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- 15 lb Sunline Assassin: http://bit.ly/2h4LNjm

Jig Combo...

Rod- Expride 7'7" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Curado 150 DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- 50 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 20 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

Electronics...

-Humminbird Solix 15 G2: http://bit.ly/2Hazsej

-Map Card- Lakemaster Plus Digital: http://bit.ly/2Dk5Erc

Where Do Bass Go In Summer? (And How To Catch Them)

Summer bass fishing is really fun once you know where to look! You can catch fish all day long, even in the heat of the day. Summer gets a bad wrap amongst fishermen because they don't understand bass movements and feeding patterns. Once you get ahead of the fish, its non-stop action! Let's take a look at where they are and how to catch them.

During Summer the bass break into two distinct schools. The first goes shallow into cover and the second heads out to main lake structures. The shallow fish are fun because you can target them with a variety of power fishing techniques, our favorite are frogging, flipping, and throwing swim jigs. The fish on outside structures group up around current when available and large structures when the water is calm. These fish can be caught on crankbaits, worms, jigs, and a variety of other lures.

Don't let the pressure steer you away, summer is prime time for bass. Don't be surprised if you find bass stacked up in current and catch 100+ fish a day, and who knows, there might even be a GIANT bass in the mix!

Below is a breakdown of the lures and equipment we use to target Summer bass. We'll begin with cover-oriented options and end with offshore options.

Frogs...

-River2Sea Bully Wa 2 65 (Little Allen, Ghost): http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

-Jackall Gavacho (Gill, White): http://bit.ly/2L7KsWS

Flipping...

-Jackall Archelon: http://bit.ly/2uo4sN5

-Vike Tungsten 1.5 oz Flipping Weight: http://bit.ly/2DUIxB4

-Gamakatsu Superline 4/0 EWG Hook: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

-6th Sense Peg X: http://bit.ly/2bHjowk

Swim Jigs...

-California Swim Jig 3/8-3/4 oz: http://bit.ly/2auXfmx

-Keitech 4.3" Fat Swing Impact: http://bit.ly/2ab7s8v

Senko...

-Yamamoto Senko (5"-7"): http://bit.ly/2axAmNS

-Wacky Hook (1/0-4/0): http://bit.ly/2aKGmHM

-Texas Hook (3/0-6/0): http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

-Squarebill Crankbait...

-Rattling- River2Sea Biggie Poppa (Abalone Shad, Horizon Shad): http://bit.ly/2ahCzvo

-Silent- Lucky Craft 2.5 (American Shad, Citrus, Gizzard Shad): http://bit.ly/2BGxKPa

Deep Crankbait...

-Strike King 6XD: http://bit.ly/2ery44M

-6th Sense Cloud 9: http://bit.ly/2BQ4uDs

Shakey Head Worms...

-Canterbury Shaky Head: http://bit.ly/2aFOs0V

-Netbait T Mac Worm: http://bit.ly/2jndwj9

-Zoom Trick Worm: http://bit.ly/2aWkG7E

Jigs...

-Football Jig: http://bit.ly/2d0iJbd

-Pitchin Jig: http://bit.ly/2amL3of

-Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver: http://bit.ly/29W3RZW

-Reaction Innovations Spicy Beaver: http://bit.ly/2MPuma1

-Strike King Rage Bug: http://bit.ly/2aAsuiV

Favorite Flipping Combo...

Rod- Expride 7'11" XH: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Curado 150 DC HG: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- 65 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Early Summer Frog Fishing!

The frog bite is just kicking off and they're eating it like they've never seen a frog before! The blow ups are viscious and the fish are BIG! Frog fishing is one of the most exciting ways to catch a bass! Its close quarters combat with heavy tackle. Come along for a day of Frog fishing on Clearlake with Tim Little!

Whether you're a veteran frog angler or you're just getting started, there are details in this video you can pick up on. Watch closely and you'll see that Tim is using 3 different frogs to get the best hookup ratio around a variety of different grasses. When the grass is so thick it mats up, he turns to the Live Target. When the grass is thick but not completely solid, he finds his best success with the Bully Wa 2, and when the grass is sparse, he couldn't beat the Teckel Sprinker's ability to call fish up.

The frog is one of the few baits where dedicated equipment is key. With the wrong setup you'll miss or lose every fish that bites, but with the right gear you can have an amazing time on the water. Below is a break down of the baits and tackle that Tim was using to be successful with a frog.

The Frogs...

-Live Target Hollow Frog (Emerald Brown): http://bit.ly/2Q40BAk

-River2Sea Bully Wa 2 (Little Allen, Goliath): http://bit.ly/2axyR2a

-Teckel Sprinker Frog (Camo): http://bit.ly/2rmnqSI

Live Target Combo...

Rod- Shimano Expride 7'3" XH: http://bit.ly/2nTq9FL

Reel- Curado 200K HG: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- 65 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Bully Wa Combo...

Rod- Dobyns Champion Extreme 746: http://bit.ly/2ab2kRX

Reel- Revo Inshore: http://bit.ly/2Vp5epN

Line- 65 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Teckel Combo...

Rod- Zodias 7'5" Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Curado 200K HG: http://bit.ly/2tHewEh

Line- 50 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

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Fluke Rigging Tricks to Catch Bass Shallow or Deep

Learn how to use a soft jerkbait as a topwater, a mid-depth jerkbait, and a deep bait without adding any weight. Matt demonstrates how to adjust hooks and hook placement to get a variety of actions out of a fluke. If you're looking for a single "do everything" bait this Spring, look no further than the fluke.

The Super Fluke is in every angler's arsenal. Some use it as a Carolina rig bait, others as a stick bait, still others use it as a topwater. Today Matt explains some quick hook and bait modifications that will open doors to completely different ways to fish the Fluke. If you've been using the bait with a single-use approach, its time to learn what you've been missing!

Below is a breakdown of the baits, colors, and hook options that Matt recommends for fishing Flukes and other soft jerkbaits in the Spring and Summer.

Baits...

-Zoom Super Fluke: http://bit.ly/2aqys0H

-Strike King Caffeine Shad: http://bit.ly/2jjyvzr

-Bass Assassin Split Tail Shad: http://bit.ly/2JoeVCN

-Reaction Innovations Shiver Glide: http://bit.ly/2DUwrtM

Hooks and Hardware...

-Gamakatsu Offset EWG Wide Gap 4/0: http://bit.ly/2d07gvp

-Gamakatsu Superline EWG 4/0: http://bit.ly/2ac92XG

-Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap 1/0: http://bit.ly/2aKGmHM

-Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap Weedless: http://bit.ly/2i57dOP

-Owner CPS Spring Medium: http://bit.ly/2b2YgDf

-Decoy Versatile Keeper: http://bit.ly/2NNtJci

Best Bait Colors are white or shad, Ghost, and Green Pumpkin.

All-Around Combo...

Rod- Zodias 7'2" Medium Heavy: http://bit.ly/2cgmMAe

Reel- Curado 150 DC: http://bit.ly/2yHtsp4

Line- 40 lb Power Pro Maxcuatro: http://bit.ly/2clBRiQ

Leader- 15 lb Maxima Ultragreen: http://bit.ly/2ae97J9

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