This month is the toughest of the year for me. Warm water temps and hot sunny days can really dampen the fishing. Best bets for any species is early and late in the day or at night. Being comfortable while fishing is vital to angler success.

Best bets are white bass below Wilson and Wheeler dams. Use spinners, topwater lures, or jigs. Fish are schooling heavily late in the evenings and early mornings on small shad schools in open water. Popping corks with jigs tied 2-3 feet below are my lures of choice.

Crappie are still biting crankbaits trolled in Bear Creek. Fish deep diving lures in 18-29 feet of water. Natural colors work best in sun with black and pinks doing better on cloudy days.

Bluegills are thick in slack water areas along the walls of both dams. Suspend a worm or cricket 1-2 feet of the bottom and hold on. Most of the fish are good eating size. If you start catching lots of channel catfish, you’re fishing too deep. Reel bait up higher in the water column.

Catfish, bass, and Striper bite is relatively slow in most areas, but some fish are being caught. The good news is September is a coming and we are only about 6 weeks away from some great fall fishing.