DAY: If fishing during hot weather you, like the bass, are looking for cooler places on the water. On Weiss Lake you have many selections for this preference during the doggish days of summer. You can fish deeper, on main-lake ledges with deep-diving crankbaits, rattletraps or jigging spoons in combination with Texas and Carolina-rigged plastics. Or you can flip and pitch worms, lizards, tube baits, gitzits, or jig&pork combos around all the many piers and boathouses.

Feeder creeks always have cooler, running water at their headwaters. Bass seek the comfort of both the cool water plus available shade up in the many tributaries that feed Weiss Lake . The headwaters of Weiss Lake stretch all the way into Georgia . Checking out every cut, pocket and feeder creek involves a lot of exploring during the hot days of summer, when bass travel up these lake headwaters in search of food.

Feeding the midlake areas are The Little River and Chatuga River . Like the lake headwaters these main river feeders stretch far back in the hills and involve some exploring to find the fish. In feeder creeks and both of these rivers, there is usually a slight stain to the water. This means you can fish lures from top to bottom like worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and buzzbaits as you cover lots of water fast, to find the most active feeding bass.

There are now a lot of weeds growing on Weiss Lake . Many lures will take bass seeking cover, oxygen and shade as they await an unsuspecting meal in various greenery found lake wide. Frog and rat imitations are good, for many of these small creatures run (or hop) among the weeds. Blow-ups on these lures are fast, paying close attention is a must, to avoid missed strikes. Floating worms, plastic lizards and crayfish also imitate creatures that these huge bass feed on. Heavy line is a must, there are numbers of bass over 10 pounds in Weiss Lake . Trilene Big Game line from 15-25 test is suggested.

If not fishing along or on top of these weeds, then flipping worms and jigs down deeper under the weeds, will get the less anxious bass. Many bass will hold along weed edges while some bass must be enticed from the thickest of cover. Logs, laying trees, brush or stumps, within the weeds will hold the bigger, more dominant bass. For the deep water angler, searching out ledges, drop-offs and channel edges will show schools of BIG unmolested bass and dependable places all summer day and night on Weiss Lake .

NIGHT: There is a lot of rip-rap (man-made rocks) on Weiss lake. Many areas from the mid-to-lower lake regions are lined with these rocks and loaded with baitfish, crayfish and some big bass. Main lake causeways, both lake dams, bridges both on the lake and up in the creeks, are all well lit and lined with man made rip-rap rocks. Fishing these rocks at night involves the use of worms, lizards, jigs, tube baits, finesse lures and slow rolling or dropping heavy spinnerbaits. Bring along a plug knocker and plenty of lures, because the rocks will cause hangups. Rattles and fish attractants aid the bass in detecting and finding on your lures, when fishing at night among these rocks.

Some bass move shallow at night, especially when swift current or stained water forces them to move closer to the bank. Parallel casting the bank with lures such as topwaters, shallow running crankbaits, rattletraps and spinnerbaits, will take some huge bass in very shallow water, from late evenings on into the early morning light.

Fishing around piers, especially the ones with lots of evident lights, can keep an angler in some very productive water. These piers, boat houses and even marina, tournament bass release sites, show a lot of resident planted brush, found under and around these man made structures. Many bass hold along irregularities found around these spots. Piers with cross members, ladders, steps, brush piles, two or more pilings found close together, and even boats tied up to this cover, can be big bass hideouts. Shallow water bass are very spooky at night and deserve a stealthy approach. Fishing deeper piers, with an immediate access to deep water, can help you encounter some, less weary bass, that roam these man made cover edges at night.

As during the day, the more minnows or baitfish you see in one area, the more likely bass are nearby. Weeds are now in full growth and many bass move here during the late evening hours, early in the morning and from midnight till dawn. Stealth and accurate casts are needed to sneak up on these spooky, shallow water bass. Explore an area during daylight hours to better your fishing later and to aid you in boat navigation after dark. These tactics will work all summer long on Weiss Lake.

Reed Montgomery