The overlooked hot-weather bass spot hiding in plain sight

Hey, Keith here.

Summer bass fishing got you frustrated? The heat is brutal, water temperatures are soaring, and bass seem more lethargic than ever.

While most anglers struggle through the dog days of summer, I've been consistently catching bass using a strategy that's hiding in plain sight at many of the waters you already fish.

On my last outing, I hooked into a surprisingly energetic three-pounder that made three jumps before I could drag it to shore. The location wasn't random. Instead, it was positioned exactly where I ALWAYS find summer bass hanging out: around fountains.

Fountain fishing isn't just another summer technique but often means the difference between struggling through hot, unproductive days and consistently finding active, oxygenated bass when they're most comfortable feeding.

Today, I'm going to teach you how to target the sweet spot around fountains because understanding where bass position themselves in relation to moving water is crucial for summer success.

BEST LINKS

What I looked at this week

• 8 Reasons to install a Pond Fountain (Pond Lake Management)

• The BIG Bass are HIDING!! Fountain Pond Fishing (LoJo)

• How to fish the Floating Worm  (Flukemaster)

• Bass Fishing: Conditions & Circumstances 2: Water Temperature (The Nature of Fishing)

• Cool, Well Oxygenated Water (Mississippi Sportsman)

Deals of the week

• Tackle HD has a 25-pack of 4.5-inch finesse worms marked down from $7.99 to $4.79.

• Googan Squad reduced a Mondo Wormin’ Bundle from to $22.99 from $57.99.

• Optics Planet has a pack of Zoom Trick Worms (Yellow) reduced 51% to $3.46 from $7.09.

DEEP DIVE 

The fountain revelation that changed my summer strategy

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of mid-summer bass fishing. The weather is hot, the water temperatures are hot, and the bass are lethargic. BUT there is a way you can use that heat to work for you.

The local lake where I fish has a fountain installed in it. And during the summer months, it's my favorite place to fish. The fountain is located about 40 yards from the shoreline, and on my last trip, I was using a plastic worm rigged weedless when I latched onto a nice healthy three-pound bass that was surprisingly energetic.

I caught him just outside the water-fall edge of the fountain between the splashing water and the shoreline. That's where I always seem to catch bass in the summer.

The science behind fountain fishing success

There's solid reasoning behind why this zone between the fountain and shore produces consistent summer bass. The water is cooler around the fountain because moving water is always cooler. The water is pumped into the air, where it's cooled also.

Another thing about fountains is the water is well-oxygenated, which is something that's very desirable for big bass during the summer months when oxygen levels are low throughout the rest of the lake.

Bass position themselves in this transition zone because they get the benefits of cooler, oxygenated water while staying close enough to ambush baitfish that venture too far from shore cover.

Maximizing your fountain fishing success

Based on my experience and research from other successful fountain anglers, here are the key tactics for dominating summer fountain fishing:

• Target the transition zone first. Focus on the area between the fountain's splash zone and the shoreline. Bass position themselves here to ambush minnows or frogs that stray too far from the bank. You'll rarely get strikes directly in the splash zone. It's just outside where the magic happens.

• Fish the upper water column. Always fish the upper level of the water column when fishing fountains because that's where the cooler, more oxygenated water is. This goes against conventional summer fishing, where you would normally use ned rigs and t-rigs on the bottom where the water is colder.

• Use weightless presentations. Weightless plastics excel in the fountain zone. My go-to setup is a straight black 7" Berkley Power Worm rigged with a red Gamakatsu extra wide gap worm hook, rigged weedless. I always pick a dark, bold color because when fishing near a fountain, there's sunlight refracting in all different directions. You need something dark and bold to stand out in all that light.

• Avoid the snag zones. Be aware of three potential snag hazards: the electrical line running to the fountain, and two wire or rope cables used to secure the fountain head in place. These lines run clear to the bank, so even shoreline fishing requires caution.

• Time it right. Focus on fountain fishing during the hottest part of summer days when bass seek the only moving, oxygenated water available in the pond.

BONUS TIP: If there's no vegetation around the fountain, poke your hook point through the plastic slightly to make hooksets easier. The enhanced oxygen levels around fountains often make bass more aggressive, so solid hooksets are crucial.