The Heat is On

Fishing the Susquehanna River this time of year can be very frustrating. It is usually feast or famine. The river is usually low, clear and extremely warm. The water temperatures can climb into the 80’s this time of the year. The key to catching smallies is to go early or go late. Most of the trophy smallmouths lay low during the heat of the day, conserving their energy for the early and late feeding. These pigs will start to feed early, before sun up and late right before sun down. These big smallies move up on large flats and gorge themselves on their favorite food, the crawfish. This feeding frenzy only lasts an hour or so but the action is nonstop.

It is possible to catch fish during the heat of the day, if you know how to get them to bite. Your presentation and retrieve, has to be more precise than any other time of the day. You will have to present your bait right in the feeding zone of these resting fish. If your bait is just one or two feet outside of this zone, they won’t eat it. Of course boat position and how you offer your bait to the fish is critical. You will have to try every angle until you can make the perfect cast. Early morning before the sun comes up and the last hour before dark are still the best times to fish when the heat is on in August. My favorite baits at this time of the year are flukes, small crankbaits, small jerk or twitch baits and tubes. I also throw spinnerbaits when the water is dirty. My top water lures of choice are Rebel PopR’s, Baby Spooks and Cripple Killers. I like the water really clear this time of the year. A smallmouth will chase a bait a long way when he can see it. If the water is extremely clear you will need to use lures with a natural colors, shad and crayfish colors work best. August is a great time to catch some really big fish, so remember, when the heat is on, go early and stay late.