Summer time big blues??

Last new topic then I'll stop for the day.

Blues over 30lbs in warm water?? Too many good fisherman here to not share knowledge.

With new water we haven't kicked off a summer pattern too well, plus it's a little early still. Usually we focus on humps and drops above the thermocline. Mud bottom seems to be best with good wind. I usually stay with BIG bait for big ones all year but have seen some caught on small bait. Usually shad, sometimes perch and we mainly anchor on them after we've located bigger fish on the finder.

Anybody commonly land big fish drifting?

Like you said, humps and drops but also main lake points and shallow especially at nite. I like big baits but this time of year medium threadfins are good too. One of the best fisherman I know taught me the tater chip theory! The biggest guy you know can get his fill at the all you can eat buffet but when he gets home and there's a bowl of chips on the table, he can't resist it!!!!

Haha that's a good way to look at it!!

Threw up a post last year on what has been working for some of us on Summer blues from the bank, rather than re-type here is a link:
http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbt...lu#Post10212954

Posts like that is what I was thinking about this morning when I made this thread and the flathead thread. Good stuff there and we need more of it on the forum.

Thanks Tom and Dave for helping out in this thread....I know info like that helped me a lot a few years ago.

Keep them coming guys, post your opinion.

Caught most of my bigger summer time blues off of main lake points. Id throw perch cut perch cut shat or cut carp, all have done well. Rig of choice would be abu 7000 30 lb ande main line, 50 lb ande leader, Carolina rig with a snelled octopus hook.

Good info. Thank ya'll for sharing.

Last year I had pretty good luck control drifting deep points, humps and ledges. I would drag a few baits and suspend some straight down. It seemed that a harder bottom would produce a little more. I prefer anchoring rather that trolling/drifting, but it was working. And big cut shad was the ticket.

Control drifting huh? I watch Steve Douglas do it but haven't given it a lot of time and effort.

It really pays off when we get those rare windless days.

Anybody else? Tiny care to weigh in?

When I fish in the summer time it is only at night and I go shallow. Now when I say shallow I mean shallow to were your boat is about draging. I look for timber with open water near it. I am not afraid to throw right up to the bank. I use big bait because I am only after big fish. If I am bank fishing I was taught to wade your baits out nice and slow so you don't scare them off. Hope this helps

Great info thanks for sharing.

I catch most of my summertime blues drifting over humps. I rarely drift in less than 20' of water because I tend to get hung up...even with slinky weights.

We are suppose to have a cooler and after summer so the thermocline may not be a factor in some lakes. I have said this before and some agree with me...I don't think some lakes (ie - Gvine) form a thermocline every year. I think it might be the realitively small size and the aerator.

If your getting hung up your using too much weight.

Thats interesting big10. How do you determine what weight to use 1oz to 2oz. Most of the time I drift with 2oz and I've been hung up some. I'm still learning the drift fishing thing. Any tip or tricks you or others can share?

Weight depends on depth and speed you are drifting.

Shallower = lighter
Deeper = heavier
slower drift = lighter
faster drift = heavier

I make my own slinky type weights anywhere from 3/4 oz - 3.5 oz. I can usually guess about what size weight I need but I use sinker sliders so I can quickly switch weights throughout the day if I need to.

Great info thanks.