Bass fishing, easier or harder from here on out?

[bwtucker83]

This is my first summer in Michigan and my first summer fly fishing for bass. My last three outings I have got skunked. I have been wading on the lakes, since I don't have a boat.

My question is, Does the bass fishing gett better(easier) or worse(harder) as the summer moves on?

I don't know how many more fishless days I can take.

Thanks

BT

[SurfDog]

On the fly rod it should get easier up till the weeds get to full growth around July 1 on the lakes and should be great all summer long if you are hitting rivers for smallmouth. I've always found it harder from shore once the weeds grow in, unless you are fishing topwater. Thats just me though.

[robin]

It definitely gets easier if you can wade a river. In the heat of the summer, I've found that the smallmouth will hide in the shallows on the shady side of the river and hit anything that touches the top of the water. I'm looking forward to it myself.

[waterfoul]

I think right now is one of the hardest time to get quality bass. Water is not quite warm enough in most lakes for largemouth to spawn... but they are thinking about it... My best month for bass has always been the last two weeks of June and the first couple of weeks of July. Then it gets good again for me at the end of August.

[Bulletproof]

Generally speaking here are the rules:

Pre-spawn-very active, easy to catch.

Spawn-find the nests. Fish cover around them. If your on nesting fish, fishing can be good obviously.

Postspawn-IMO, the hardest time to establish a sound pattern or getting a good consistent bite.

After postspawn till the close-Bass are usually holding in traditional water, ie. slop, docks, structure, breaks, etc...

Most of these scenarios will pertain to most lakes/reservoirs, rivers are usually a bit different and offer typically easier scenarios for 'catching bass'.

Knowing where bass are during these periods also makes the challenge of hooking them easier as well. Each scenario will concentrate bass in certain areas of a lake. Water temp is big in the prespawn, finding nests for the spawn, postspawn I'd look for good breaks and areas of deeper water near traditional breeding areas etc. The rest of the summer as I mentioned look for classic 'bassy' water, find a pattern and enjoy yourself.

[fishindude]

It will definately get easier. Post spawn is brutal but you can still catch fish. Not having a boat doesn't help but it can still be done. Keep at it, they will come.

[franky]

Robin,

I noticed your from flushing and I couldn't help but chime in on the post about the river fishing for smallies. In the Flushing park just off of McKinley road between flushing and montrose, i walk back and hammer the smallies with the 5" power grub (crawdad) texas rigged. Just cast and let it float, the hole i found was in fact in the shade too, even though it wasn't that deep, there was quite a few smallies holding up there.

And to give my input on the original post, i think it gets easier from here on out, i never am not very good at catching bass in the spring but come summer the fishing gets good just before the sun goes down.