Heading to Fayette again this weekend. As we get further into summer, it appears the tactics that worked for me through late spring are not as effective, my most recent trip there being a prime example. I worked hard to boat a total of 6 throughout the day, this day coming on the heels of a series of more successful trips in previous months. It's easy to get spoiled on that lake.

Fayette is a lake that seems to be very shallow all the way around the edges, and I have to resist the urge to beat the banks, especially with the lure of the very "bassy" looking shoreline it has. Up to this point, I have had virtually no luck fishing the shoreline. Every good bass I've caught there in the half-dozen trips I've made there this year have been in the woods or along the dam. I usually fish Fayette in 5-20 FOW, moving deeper as the spring progressed into summer. Plastics and crankbaits seem to be the ticket there also for me.

Does anyone have any quick tips or suggestions on how to approach Fayette this time of year? I guess I'm just looking to be pointed in the right direction for summer fishing on Fayette. My buddy and I plan to be on the water at sunup.
I have to admit I'm not that versed in open-lake, deep water structure fishing. I have a Lowrance Elite 5x unit, but no GPS. I also prefer to fish visible structure over deep water fishing. However... I'm not stubborn enough to knowingly spend all day fishing where the bass ain't.

Thanks very much!

Summer pattern for Fayette = find fish out deep. That water is super hot july-sept and you will find some fish shallow at night and very early morning but most of the grouped up fish are out deep. When you find one fish there always others close by. Drop offs, humps, creek channels. You can find some schooling action too looking for surface boils but the best fish in the schools will be underneath the bait.

This time of year I am using 8xd/10xd cranks, fball jigs, carolina rigs, drop shot.

I figured as much. Deep water fishing is intimidating when you don't have great electronics and a boat that blows across the lake like it was made out of paper. One of my plans of attack if I have to find them deep is picking a spot near the south part of the dam and wind drifting back into that first cove dragging a Carolina rig behind me until I got bit, then marking it off with a buoy, throwing out the drift sock, and fishing the spot to see if I found a school.

Had a 30 fish day 3 weeks back there. Look in 16fow surrounded by 50. Hint

Download the Navionics app and thank me later. It will act as your GPS and show you creeks, contours and all that jazz. I think i paid $10 for it when I had my little jon boat with no graph. Definitely worth the dough.

This

A buddy started making 3oz spinnerbaits for targeting Fayette in the Summer. I'll only fish up to 1.5oz SBs but you get the idea. Deep is your friend on "County" in the summer

Thanks, that's a great idea.

Ok. Looks like I'll be doing a little Easter egg hunt on Navionics today.

Fished slow along the bottom?