Targeting Bigger Fish in Summer - Small Lake

I fish a 35 acre neighborhood lake via boat and have been doing pretty well on getting fish in the boat, but they are primarily smaller fish here in the Summer. I'm not really looking to throw an 8" mag-draft all day for one or two bites, something in the middle would be ideal.

Fall and early Spring brought quite a few 3-4-5lb fish, which is pretty good for this lake, I know they are in there. This evening I boated 23 fish! ....but they were all 2lbs or less. I'd like to focus on targeting a little bigger fish.

• Max depth of the lake is 23ft, level fluctuates quite often from full pool to -10ft.
• Water temp is around 84° right now
• Lake has an underwater island in the middle that comes up to around 15ft. I haven't been able to graph fish or catch much on it yet.
• Lake has grass, no mention able shoreline contours [points] but it does have some offshore rock piles.
• Fish are eating small shad, bluegill, crawfish are an option

Lots of fish lately have been coming on the Ned and drop-shot, I know, typically small fish baits. Reaction bite seems to be non-existent. I have no confidence in a jig or something like a 10" worm...should I head down that path? Switch to a 6-8" shaky head?

Fish at night if you can. Boat docks with lights

If the lake has deep grass, let’s say in 10-14fow; anchor your vessel there and use 40-50lb braid to drop shot the outside grass line. That’s where the big fish will be during the day in the summer.
3/4oz weight with a 4/0 ewg or straight shank 1.5ft above the weight with a brushog on there. Be patient, take a book with you and pack a sandwich and read the book/eat the sandwich while drop shotting.

This....

I would also like to hear more about the grass in the lake.
- How tall does the grass grow?
- Is it just pods of grass up shallow?
- Is there a grass line around most of the lake at a specific depth?
- Is the drains and ditches full of deep grass in the middle or up on the sides in shallow water?

The tallest grass in the lake is the key for the larger fish. Not necessarily grass that is matted on the surface. The big fish like the tall deep grass providing that cold water change and shade under the hollow of the run of grass. When this is available in a lake go to the Short Heavy Drop Shot.
- I have an article written on fishing deep/tall grass if interested
- Just send me an Email for the article and picture of the rig.
fishnteacher@gmail.com

Donald, thanks for the input. There is a perimeter of grass (stringy grass) around the entire perimeter of the lake. This time of year it mats up slightly along the surface. There are submerged or deeper portions of hydrilla throughout as well. I've seen some deeper grass patches on my down imaging in around 18ft of water, sparse patches. Deeper water is primarily bare bottom without much to look at, I have not been able to identify if there is a thermocline setup or not on my 2D, but I suspect there is.

I added a simple contour map from my garmin unit

At night to just before sunrise, they will move up onto that flat to feed.
Big buzz bait or wake bait will work on that flat at night to early morning for the bigger bass.

During the early part of the day, they will first suspend off that flat—most difficult time to catch them, but could be done with 6ft diving crank like the Rapala DT6, a 1/4oz swimbait, a jerk bait, or Arig

Then, as it gets hotter they will settle down in the deepest grass between that flat and the hump. Heavy drop shot/crig/6XD or Norman DD22 between that flat and the hump.

The hump itself would be good in the early prespawn.

Summertime, I’d focus on these areas. I’m guessing that the top part of the map is north.
I know summer is mostly south wind, but some areas may be better depending on the wind.

Rocks and Grass are your two most important features to keep working until you get on the time table that the fish are using to feed.
- It will be well worth you time to take a look all the way around the lake in that 15 to 18 foot that you mentioned for the deepest grass.
- If it has height that will hold the hollow underneath; work the heavy Drop Shot vertical across every foot of it looking for fish taking advantage of the deep shade and the Crayfish that love the canopy under the grass.

Like CCTX says:
- Fish it at night; but you must be equipped to work it in a small boat with no TM to be as quite as possible. Look up Pat Cullen from George for your tips. Use the Quad Black Blade which is the slowest Buzz bait. All his small lake baits will be mentioned.
- Stay with the top water fishing the first 2 hours each morning and fish every inch of that stringy shoreline grass until you know the best couple of sections that will always produce.

Besides the grass, have you tried a c-rig on those rock piles? Even if they're in the grass nearby they might come take a look see of a 3/4oz weight slow bouncing off those rocks. Especially the ones in 15+ fow.

This. A c rig or big jig.

Over stocked, thin out some 2 pounders

This is interesting and probably a technique I could have used on choke canyon the other day. I just didn’t know how to fish deeper hydrilla.
So you just drop It on the edge and twitch It for a while? How long you letting each “cast” stay out?

Learned this technique from one of Donald Harper’s posts.
It takes patience. Yes, drop it where the deep/outside grass line is/where it just starts to thin out. No need to twitch it, especially if it’s windy. If I’m in a spot where I’ve graphed bait and bass on/near the bottom; I’ve just let it soak for up to 15min. Think of it as keeping your bait in the water where the fish are located.

At times, slowly dragging a 3/4oz c-rig through the sparser grass and in paths/gaps between grass and rock will be more productive.

Nice

THIS ^^^^^^^^^^

A private lake I fish, we double gill everything 12 inches and under and release them in deep water.
They then swim to the depths hopefully to be eaten by the larger bass.

Are you sitting the drop shot weight on bottom or just letting It hang down?

Here is a picture of my Heavy Drop Shot for tall grass. I use the Hoo Daddy Jr. in Watermelon/Neon. Not Watermelon Red; but they look just alike until you put in under the hollow of the tall grass. Your grass not being so tall lighten up to CCTX 3/4 OZ. Rig.

Sounds like you got some grass in there so I’m assuming water stays fairly clear. I have done real well with swimbaits in lakes that are similar in size. I feel realism has always been a great approach in situations like this. One of my favorites has been a Jackall lil Mikey especially with a little wind for the bigger fish. I caught a 5lb, 7lb, 6lb, and a couple of 4’s on a Cha Cha Glide the other day on a 40 acre lake. This was all in a few hours of fishing and I was only throwing it in areas where I wouldn’t get hung up. In the gnarly areas I was pitching, catching smaller fish but all the big ones came off the glide running it over the creek channel where it wouldn’t get hung in the mats. I like the heavy duty drop shot thing though I have been playing with it this year and have caught some fish but I’m terrible when it comes to soaking a bait. My son has more patience so it works out well I always start off with moving and he starts off with the slower stuff. We adjust accordingly but if it’s a slow bait day 9 out of 10 he’s gonna beat me that day.

I'm sure having a good year catching bigger fish on a chatterbait.