Summer is all about relaxing with family and friends. Add fishing to your list of summer activities. Plan a day trip or bring along fishing gear on your next weekend getaway or camping trip.
“Fish
are still biting, even in the middle of a sticky Iowa summer,” said Joe
Larscheid, chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Bureau. Like
anglers, fish adjust to the heat, too. “The key is being in the right place,
even when the thermometer says it’s too hot to fish.”
The
best fishing is early in the morning or later in the evening and after dark. Avoid
the brightest, hottest part of the day. Fish might cruise the shoreline early
in the morning, but will seek cover in deeper water as the sun starts beating
down on the water. “Some of our best fishing is after dark,” reminds Larscheid.
Look
for fish in weed beds or structure, near shade during the day. They often are suspended
in deeper water, just above the thermocline - a midsummer phenomenon many lakes
develop creating two distinct layers.
Below the thermocline, often 8 to 10 or 12 feet deep, oxygen is nearly
nonexistent. Many fish suspend just
above the thermocline, where temperatures and light conditions are tolerable,
and where oxygen levels are sufficient.
“When
the water heats up, we really see the white bass and wipers come on,” said Larscheid. “Hot weather is also a good time to catch big
channel catfish and largemouth bass.”
White
bass are active in the summer in the flood control reservoirs (Coralville, RedRock, Rathbun and Saylorville). Calm
days are the best to fish for white bass because the seagulls can see the shad
easier and will be feeding on them. Follow the seagulls to spot white bass. Telltale
splashes on the water surface are good signs, too, as the shad leap from the
water trying to escape.
“Bluegills
spawn several times during the summer, so stay shallow, looking for them,”
advises Larscheid. Largemouth bass and
channel catfish can be found close to shore. Look for bass near cover; stumps,
wood structure. “Bass and bluegills will also use vegetation for cover and
shade. It also holds a variety of zooplankton and insects which attract
baitfish.”
Find a great place to fish close to home on the DNR website along with tipsfor catching specific fish species this summer.
