The extreme heat is a killer during the summer months, not only for the fish you are pursuing on Smith Lake, but it takes a toll on the person doing the fishing. The only way to enjoy fishing this time of year is to be on the water before dawn, fish for three hours, and leave before the sun takes over and the humidity gets unbearable. Cathey and I followed that plan to the letter this past Tuesday when we left the house at 4:30 and started fishing at 5:15. No hot sun and no humidity to cause your clothes to get wet. In the deep South, roughly six months are considered prime fishing months: March, April, May, June, October, and most of November. Early Spring, starting in March through June, is exceptional. The water temps are warming up, and the spawn is on for the bass and bluegill during these months. The fish are hungry after a long winter of eating very little and will eat almost anything thrown their way. October is another month that is an excellent time to toss topwater lures and poppers. The fish are stocking up for the winter months. Some of my best topwater action is in October, not for the bluegill, but the spotted and largemouth bass are very active during October.
The dog days of summer cause me to look forward to all these months every year. The only negative aspect of Spring and Fall every year is that I get a year only when these months come around. The positive aspect is landing many fish during these months, so the positive outweighs the negative when considering the fishing part.
