When I requested vacation days several weeks earlier, I was hoping for a cool weather snap to kick the fall bite in a little early. But you never know what you will get with the summer/fall transition and what I got was a record setting blast of summer. But as long as I didn’t get any thunderstorms, I was hitting the water no matter the temperature. Read on to see if the heatwave had more of an effect on the fish or the fisherman. All with a fitting lyrical twist.

Trip Lyric
“Man, it’s a hot one, like seven inches from the midday sun”
Smooth – Santana ft. Robb Thomas (1999)

Stats
Date: September 20 (two pools)
Time: 7:30am-10:30am. 11:55am-2:25pm
Totals: 15 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy 73-92F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 7 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 6 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (smoke shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-12 Whopper Plopper
Top 5 Weight: 9-1 (2-12,2-8,1-7,1-5,1-1)

Winning Lures
“Gotta have some hot stuff”
Hot Stuff – Donna Summer (1979)

Notes and Nonsense

“Well you’re too hot ta trot now baby”
Too Hot Ta Trot – Commodores (1977)
After a challenging and exhausting Canal cruise and strip mine hike the previous day, I elected to stick solely to rowing on this outing. While that activity is still no walk in the park, it sure beats wading through the weeds on foot.

 

“Let me go on, like I blister in the sun”
Blister in the Sun – Violent Femmes (1983)
Even though it was going to be pushing triple digits in terms of the heat index, I donned a long sleeve shirt as I headed to The Canal. My previous two days on Lake Storey, The Canal, and the strip mines had left me looking a little lobster-like on my arms. While I usually don’t burn, the lifelong effects of the sun add up and I figured that any day with an added layer of protection was a wise choice.

2:24pm – Top Bass Runner-up at 2-8 (17.5″) on a Whopper Plopper

“When you’re hot, you’re hot, And when you’re not, you’re not”
When You’re Hot, You’re Hot – Jerry Reed (1971)
My first stop of the day was extended exploring on a pool that I had previously fished in June with my son, Jayce. At that time, we only covered roughly a third of the pool and while I know that there are quality bass in the stretch, we left disappointed. My results on this latest outing were another disappointment, especially after a mile and a half of rowing. I was certainly hot, but the fishing was not. On a side note, I did spot a small gar, the first I have ever seen in The Canal.

2:24pm – Top Bass at 2-12 (18″) on a Whopper Plopper

“I’m goin’ crazy, goin’ crazy, from the heat”
Goin’ Crazy – David Lee Roth (1987)
By the end of my day, I was getting weary and a little thirsty as I neared the far end of the pool. There are a couple appealing spots where the stretch terminates so I figured what was another few hundred yards to row when it was already over a mile back to the truck. Still seeking a big bite, I continued tossing the Whopper Plopper in the bright sun and ninety-two-degree heat in the middle of the afternoon. Not exactly textbook bass fishing but it worked to the tune of my two biggest bass of the day. One bit the plopper as far away from the launch as I could get while the other bit within sight of my truck. Unorthodox, delirious from the heat, who cares, I got what I was after.

A solid day that covered a lot of water, still learning all the way. Always better than being at work and you can’t catch them sitting at home in the air conditioning. I’ll close with a final lyric.

“It’s too hot to fish, and too hot for golf, and too cold at home”
Too Cold at Home – Mark Chesnutt (1990)

Good song but I’ll have to disagree with Mark on that first part. Talk to you later. Troy