Isn't it great to get out on the water on a nice cloudy, yet warm day, chuck out a spinnerbait or crankbait and catch bass after bass on fast-moving techniques? Or just chuck buzzbaits and watch them go wild over the fast-action surface sensation? Well, as great as it is, it just doesn't happen all the time, and usually with my luck, it doesn't happen when I want it to. Sometimes the bass are just lazy. Largemouth especially, but smallmouth as well will have very lazy periods where they don't want to move very far to eat anything, and making them bite can be a tough and time consuming effort. Well, on days like this, you have to stoop to their level... GET LAZY!

The first thing I do in situations like this is go to shallow water. You know there are bass there, and usually if it is shallower you can find the pressured bass on more visible structure. Put that spinnerbait away, because like I said, you have to get lazy! First of all, you'll probably need to drop your lure right in front of that bass' face. You can make a little noise, because the bass doesn't want to move much. That doesn't mean jump around in the boat, but you can be a little more leniant and get a little closer to the bass without spooking him off (usually). Make sure your shadow stays away from the structure you are fishing.

The first thing I would try is something small and finesse styled, and texas rigged. A texas rigged 6" Snapback Super Plastics watermelon lizard is what I normally have ready for these situations. It floats off bottom from the weight, giving it a very lifelike appearance. Most bass can't turn it down. If that doesn't work, you could try a topwater lure like a popper or grass frog, fished very slowly along the top. Sometimes the bass will move slowly to the surface and just suck these lures in.. remember to wait until you FEEL the fish before you set the hook. If that doesn't work, I would usually go to a finesse worm rigged weedless, weightless and hooked in the middle. This bait is the one where you can get laziest, as you basically cast it out and let it sit. The slow drop of these baits is very lifelike, like a dieing minnow, and often entices a bass strike. If the bass only looks at it, give it a tiny little twitch. That often gets that bass attacking it with force. Be sure to set the hook real hard to hook it into his tough jaw.

For the texas rigged lizard, I would probably use a stout 6 1/2' to 7' baitcasting rod, with fairly heavy line, like 17-20lb. Berkley Trilene XT. Use whatever is best for you. If the water is extremely clear, you may want to use a "superline" like Fins PRT braid, as it is very strong, yet very thin. For the topwater or finesse worm, I would probably go to a 6' to 6 1/2' spinning rod/reel, with strong line like Fins PRT braid. This stuff is very strong, thin, and is pretty abrasion resistant. There are plenty of other "superlines" and braids out there, so just ask your tackle dealer which is best suited for your needs. With the finesse worm, remember to set the hook AS HARD AS YOU CAN. I have had a lot of trouble in the past with spinning rods not hooking bass when the hook is rigged weedless. The braided line will help, and I suggest a pretty stiff rod. You want some backbone to get that hook set, and keep the bass from burying himself in the cover.

The types of cover to look for are isolated logs, stumps, docks, weed clumps, weed mats, or anything that provides some overhead shade/protection. Usually they are lazy because of extremely hot temperatures. My favourite strategy is to skip my baits underneath docks and if possible, into boathouses (of course, be wary of other people's property, if you can't cast well, I don't suggest fishing docks). If the water is very clear, I will almost always go straight to logs or weed mats. They are very obvious cover. Make sure your cover has nearby access to deep water too. Cover off of points or edges of shoals is always a good bet.

Now you can see how to fight laziness with laziness! It's always great to be able to relax on a hot day, but wait! How can you relax with a big ol' bucket mouth on the end of your line?? Oh well, maybe lazy isn't the right word! Good luck and tight lines!

- "Big Bass" Rich