Denny Brauer on Catching Bass in Sizzling-Hot Temperatures
The Weather Isn’t Hot All Day or Every Day – Look Shallow
 Editor’s Note: The end of July and the month of August in some areas of the country can be so hot that bacon will sizzle on the sidewalk. In some areas of the Deep South, temperatures will be more than 110 degrees with no breezes on a bright, sunny day. For most of us, this time is the worst part of the year to find and catch bass, but not for Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Missouri. A professional angler for 29 years, Brauer has won or has finished in the top 10 in 81 tournaments, has career earnings of over $2.5 million and has qualified for 18 Bassmaster Classic s, bringing home first place in 1998.
Question: What’s another tactic that we can use when the weather is so stinkin’ hot that most fishermen aren’t even thinking about bass?
Brauer: You’re right. We have some of the hottest weather of the year during July and August. But we don’t have that extremely-hot weather for 24 hours. Early in the morning before and for about 2 hours after the sun comes up, we have much-cooler weather as compared to the 110 degrees you may face from noon until 2:00 pm. To catch bass in that early-morning cool time and to catch them at night, I use the Spit-N-King. The angler who gets on the water really early and fishes for that top-water bite for an hour or two can really do well with the Spit-N-King in the summer.
If you’ve fished this body of water before, and you’ve found bass on points, around islands and around ledges, those bass don’t leave their homes. They’ll still be in that same area, but instead of being so deep, they’ll move more shallow. That’s when the Spit-N-King can really get hot. For instance, if you’ve been catching bass 20-feet deep off a point, a lot of those same fish will move-up shallow on that point early in the morning and be feeding. And you can fish all the way around that point in that more-shallow water and wear the bass out. I fish any of the shad-type colors at this time of year. Now at night, the bass will do the same thing – pull-up out of that deep water, move-in shallow and start feeding on the baitfish in that  shallow water at night. Now the Spit-N-King is just one lure that you can use right at daylight, and that you also can fish at night successfully.
Question: What’s another night-fishing bait that you use?
Brauer: I’ll be fishing the Anaconda worm at night too. However, instead of fishing it down 20-feet deep, I’ll be fishing it in that 5- to 10-foot-deep water.
Question: Denny, is there another time that you can use the Spit-N-King in July and August?
Brauer: Absolutely. Once again, we think of July and August as having high skies, clear days and hot weather. But occasionally in July and August, you’ll get cloudy, overcast days and sometimes even rain. On those cloudy, overcast days and on those rainy days, you can fish that Spit-N-King all day long. The bass will move-up shallow following the baitfish, and that top-water bite can be really good under those weather conditions. I’ve had days that were overcast or rainy all day long, and I’ve worn the bass out on the Spit-N-King or a Pro-Buzz buzzbait.
Question: Denny, what kinds of places are you fishing these top-water lures on rainy days?
Brauer: I’ll be fishing the same areas that I fish with high skies, hot weather, clear water and no wind. The only difference is I’ll move-in shallower and expect the bass to be shallower on those cloudy and rainy days, than they are on those clear-sky bright days. Keep in mind that the bass will stay close to deep water. But they’re also going to follow the bait. On a rainy day, I’ll set up a milk run and fish a lot of points, but I’ll be fishing those points much more shallow than I will on a clear day.
To learn more from Denny Brauer, visit www.brauerbass.com.
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