June marks the beginning of summer, and with the warm weather lately the fish know that! Warm water temps drive fish deep in search of more comfortable conditions. Currently lake temps are in the low 80’s but are on the rise. The current lake level is about 28 feet low, but by the time you read this it may be a couple feet lower! During this time of year, there are two main patterns I fish in order to consistently find fish.
Schooling Fish
During the summer months the bass take advantage of the cooler temps in the early morning and late evening. They also prefer low light conditions to feed. During these periods of the day you can find bass patrolling marinas that sit over deep water. These areas typically hold schools of threadfin shad, which is one of the primary food sources for bass. Live sonar is very effective for finding these fish, but simply paying attention to the water and looking for splashes can also give away the bass’ location. Small paddle tail swimbaits, casting spoons, and topwater baits can be effective in targeting these fish. Long accurate casts are the key to catching these fish. When you see them jump, throw right into the middle of them. When they are not on the surface, make long casts and let your bait sink 8-12 feet deep before beginning your retrieve. Stick to colors that resemble a threadfin shad, these tend to get bit the best.
Deep Offshore Fish
Once the sun has come up and it has gotten hot again the fish tend to move fairly deep. With the lake so low there is a lot of good structure at the right depth out close to the river channel on the main lake. Look for ledges and secondary points in anywhere from 15 to 35 feet of water. Bluff walls and creek channel bends where the shoreline is fairly steep can also be very productive. For this type of fishing there are four baits that are my go-to's, but there are plenty of others that will work. A drop shot, a football jig, a Carolina rig, and a deep diving crank bait can be very effective. Choose a bait that will get down to the depth the fish are at, oftentimes bottom contact is key to getting these fish to bite. Summer fishing often requires a fair amount of graphing with the sonar before making a cast. I will usually make several passes over a point or ledge trying to pinpoint the bass’ location before ever making a cast. A slower retrieve with your baits such as the drop shot or jig will work best on those hot days when the bite is slower. On days when we have weather moving through or some cloud cover, that deep crank bait can work well to fire up a school of hungry bass!
Something new this year I am offering are what I call my “Honey Hole Reports”, these paid fishing reports are much different than the reports you can find here. These reports are updated weekly on Thursdays at 6:00PM and contain a minimum of 5 pins on the map showing you EXACTLY where to fish, what bait to throw, what color to use, how to present it, what time of day to fish the spot, etc etc. These are extremely detailed reports where I give you the info on what is working to catch fish right now! These aren’t community holes, these are spots I am catching fish with paid clients.
If you are new to Lake Travis and want to learn to fish the lake more effectively, consider booking a trip with me! My trips are geared around education, and I promise I can cut your learning curve drastically. Please feel free to visit my website, or give me a call!
Tight Lines!