Summertime is here and the water temps are up! The water temps right now are around 85-86 degrees, which is actually fairly cool for this time of year. We have had a pretty mild summer so far, but even with the lack of triple digit air temps, it has the fish pushed out deep.
If you are getting out on Lake Travis soon, I recommend looking deep for those fish. I have been catching fish as deep as 50 feet at times! Generally speaking, the sweet spot tends to be 25-35 feet deep. Don’t forget, Travis is a deep lake and the bass in this lake tend to live deep year round. Catching them down at those depths is nothing out of the norm.
Bluff Walls: This is a solid pattern most of the year, but especially right now. Most bluff walls on Lake Travis have small shelves and rocks along them and are not just sheer cliff faces. In these areas you can fish up close to the bank, but still be fishing in deep water even just a few feet from the water’s edge. Shaky heads, drop shots, and Ned rigs aka the holy trinity of finesse baits, are an excellent choice of baits this time of year. Slow down and finesse those bass into biting. Whenever you get a bite or catch a fish, pay close attention to how deep or how far from the shoreline the fish was. This is important to know when figuring out a pattern. I often times find the majority of fish living at a certain depth depending on conditions.
Fish Deep: Like I mentioned earlier, the warm water moves fish to deeper cooler water. When fishing the bank, I recommend moving your boat further away from the shoreline than you normally fish. Often times we catch bass in areas that would normally be right under your boat! You can also find bass offshore right now. Secondary points, offshore humps, and ledges are all good places to look for these fish! (Check out my Instagram @laketravisfishingguide) for a video I post about how to find these kinds of spots. Deep crankbaits, football jigs, Carolina Rigs, and Drop Shots are some of my go-to baits to target these deep fish.
Get out early: Early in the morning there has still been some schooling action on the lake. Certain areas have been holding wolf packs of bass roaming looking to eat threadfin shad. If you put in the time to find these areas, they can be very productive. Small spoons, flukes, and swimbaits are some of my preferred baits to chase these fish. Using my Pantoptix is very helpful as you can find these schools very quickly using it.
Don’t let the warm weather discourage you from getting out there on the water! Get out there, catch some fish, and be safe!