This was a month of requisite relaxation on Kit Lake, my home water, in central Florida’s largemouth bass country. The heat was fully blown, and while fishing was sometimes good, any strenuous effort was questionable.
Air temps in the nineties and water temps in the high eighties forced the bass to laze in deep water. To chase them we had to go well offshore and cast heavy baitfish or worm imitations, sometimes even on sinking lines. But even professional guides using live shiners and Bimini Tops struggled to get them to bite. The blind mosquitos were around and tickled our legs as we walked through grassy areas. So nymphs, like slowly presented zebra midges cast into well-structured areas near the pasture, caught panfish that attacked with tentative, defensive bites.
More frequent breaks in the shade, different beverage choices, and slower presentations all help keep us fishing during this time. So maybe the challenges are not only worth the discomfort, maybe they are part of the benefit. We will continue to try out that theory.
