Guide Todd Lowe displays the kind of largemouth that a Carolina rig can coax from the water at Lake Oconee. Photo by John Trussell

Late summer can be a challenging time to fish because of the high temperatures and increased recreational boating traffic, but no determined angler stays home when he really want to be fishing! Still, after the early spring angling season is over, you find that many anglers lose their interest in getting on the water. Thus the late summer is frequently a time of decreased fishing pressure. This can mean fewer anglers on the lake and more opportunity for serious fishermen.

Naturally, every season of the year calls for fishing techniques matched to the feeding habits of the fish at that particular time. Let's take a look at what draws a bass to swallow your lure in late summer on the reservoirs of the Oconee River valley.

Professional fishing guide Todd Lowe makes it his business to find and catch bass year 'round on lakes Oconee and Sinclair. He has also honed his fishing skills by competing in many regional and national bass fishing tournaments, often finishing in the money.

LAKE OCONEE
Lowe feels the best way to put fish in the boat on Lake Oconee is to go for the early bite, before the sun gets high. This means you must be on the lake and fishing your best spots at the crack of dawn.

"If you are just 30 minutes late, the fish might already be moved out to deeper water, so timing is very important," Low emphasized.

Hungry bass move up into the shallows to attack shad and other baitfish. To match that forage, Lowe has found that a white or chartreuse 1/2-ounce spinnerbait is the right lure for the job.

"The small minnows like to hide out in the grasses around the shallow portions of coves and in backs of feeder streams. Naturally, the bass skirt the edges and probe into the grass for prey," Lowe explained. "The spinnerbait is easy to cast and attracts bass with its swimming action, flash and vibration, so it's a lure that's very versatile."

Even better, he added, is the fact that the lure is nearly weedless and can be worked across the top of the water or into the mid-depths as needed. Lowe often works the spinnerbait parallel to the grassbeds and then into open pockets and lastly across the top of the grass.

On the thicker patches of grass, a weedless frog is his next choice. That lure often gets swallowed by a bass, so always carry one in your tackle box.

Another good location to try the spinnerbait is along the edges of the submerged timber. Lowe recommends that very early in the morning you work the lure across the surface where much of the timber is broken off at the water line. This type of structure is particularly prevalent on Lake Oconee.

According to Lowe, in the early morning bass cruise the surface or one to two feet below in these areas, even though the water may be 10 to 12 feet deep. A slow and steady retrieve is usually the best strategy, and don't worry about the lure bouncing off submerged limbs and tree trunks. In fact, that often entices a bass to attack the lure.

Lowe recommends having at least two other rods and reels rigged up in both the grass and the submerged timer. That's because he believes in giving reluctant bass a "one-two punch" whenever necessary. If he is working a bait across the surface and gets a half-hearted strike, Lowe quickly grabs a Texas-rigged worm and puts the worm near the location of the last strike. This works often enough to make the effort worthwhile.