It’s August and it’s hot! No matter where you are, whether you’re in California, Maine, Texas, or Ohio, August means the hottest month of the year, the hottest extremes of weather, and the hottest water temperatures. You’ve got to think about not just fish location but also your bait selection based on those hot conditions.
You’ve heard me say it before, and I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but summertime patterns are all about deeper, thicker, and current. Fish go to deep water to escape the heat, get oxygen, and find food. Fish go under thick cover for cooler water, food, and shade. Lastly, fish relate to current in August because of oxygen, cooler water, and food. The common denominator is food in all these scenarios. But I’m going to give you my top four baits for the month of August. You know how this gig works; I’m going to break it up into two for the northern part of the country, let’s call it Virginia North, and two for the southern part of the country, from Virginia all the way down to the bottom.
Let’s start with my top two baits for the month of August for those who live in the North. The first bait is the Ned rig. This little guy has really changed the game, especially when fishing gets tough. In August, it’s hot, there are water skiers, pleasure boaters, and traffic. The fish get skittish. When things tighten up, grab a spinning rod and throw a Ned rig. All a Ned rig is, is a jig head with a little stubby bait on the back. I’m a real fan of the Half Head by Berkley, and I use weights from 1/16 ounce up to a quarter ounce, depending on the water depth. My favorite sizes are 1/8 and 3/16 ounce.
The key to the Ned rig in August is that it kind of wanders down and you get bites when it does that. But once it hits the bottom and you drag it, it does nothing. It doesn’t spin, spiral, or flap. It just comes along the bottom motionless, and for a fish in the heat of August, that’s a great way to finesse your way to a catch.
The second bait is another soft plastic, the Neko rig. When it gets hot and fishing up north stinks, I’m going to have this tied on. The great thing about a Neko rig is how easy it is to fish and rig. You need a 4- to 6- inch straight tail worm, like the Bottom Hopper or the Hit Worm by Berkley MaxScent. Put an O-ring on it, place it below center toward the head, and add your favorite nail weight, like a 1/32, 1/16, or 1/8 ounce. Finally, add a Neko hook under the O-ring with the tip facing up toward the tail. The Neko rig is perfect for current and deep water in August when the fish are pressured. It pecks the bottom, creating little silt clouds, which attracts the fish.
Now, for my southern friends, I feel for you. It’s hot down there, like oppressively hot in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. So, remember the patterns: deeper, thicker, and current. The first bait for the month of August down south is the punch rig. This rig gets you into the thickest cover possible. You need a bobber stop, a heavy tungsten weight (from 1/2 ounce up to 2 ounces), a strong straight shank flipping hook (3/0, 4/0, or 5/0), and a streamlined soft plastic like the MaxScent Creature Hawg. This rig helps you get through branches, trees, standing timber, and especially grass mats, where the fish hide in August for cooler water and food.
The fourth and final bait is a good old-fashioned frog. August is a great month to fish a frog because you can fish it in places other baits can’t go, like under docks, overhanging bushes, and mats. I love a frog that walks and pushes water. The Supernato Frog by Molix is a great choice. It walks and skips under cover and pushes water over mats. Some of the biggest fish in August will be under the thickest cover, and using a frog can help you catch them.
So, there you have it, my top four baits for the month of August: the Ned rig, Neko rig, punch rig, and a frog. August is hot, the water temperature is boiling, but with these techniques, you’ll catch more fish!
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