Entry 312-4
How to Catch Bass in Extremely-Hot Weather with James Niggemeyer
Editor’s Note: James Niggemeyer of Van, Texas, one of the newest Strike King pros and a professional guide on Texas’ famous Lake Fork, has earned over $300,000 in tournament winnings in his short 2-year professional bass-fishing career. After recently qualifying for a second Bassmaster Classic to take place in 2010, Niggemeyer is one of the up-and-coming Strike King pros who’s proven he not only can fish with the big boys, but he also can compete against some of the nation’s best bass fishermen in one of the biggest bass-fishing championships – the Bassmaster Classic. Since Niggemeyer guides on Lake Fork, he has a tremendous depth of knowledge about how to catch bass in extremely-hot weather. This week, Niggemeyer will tell us how to find and catch bass in extreme heat.
Part 4: Fishing the Grass
Question: James, what’s another technique you’ll use in hot-weather months?
Niggemeyer: I prefer to fish offshore, but when the offshore bite doesn’t seem to be happening, I’ll move inshore and search for grass and lily pads where the bass can hide in the shade and have plenty of oxygen. The bass will move into the grass hunting bluegills and crawfish. But shade is the key. When the weather becomes really hot, the bass often will move in to water as shallow as 1 foot or as deep as 10 feet, as long as there’s grass to provide shade, cover and an ambush spot. Several-different methods will get those bass out of the grass.
You can use a big worm like the Rage Anaconda or the Rage Thumper and work it through the grass, or you can flip a Rage Craw in the holes in the grass. I’ll be using braided line, regardless of the lure I’m fishing, because when the bass are in the grass, I want the braided line to cut the grass as I try to get the bass out of it. 
I’ll be using 50-pound-test Sunline braided line, but if the grass is really thick, I may use 70-pound-test braided line. I’ll be using a big sinker on the line because I want to punch through the grass, and I want the bait to fall straight down and not dart from side to side. I may use a 1/2- or a 3/4-ounce weight on a big worm or a 1-ounce bullet sinker. The top-producing baits when bass are holding in the grass in the hot-summer months will be Strike King’s Rage Craw, the Rage Anaconda and the new Rage Thumper, and don’t forget the Perfect Plastic Rodent. Oftentimes because the Rodent’s smaller and more compact, you’ll get strikes when the bass won’t hit the big worms.
The main key is to have a weight big enough to punch through the cover and allow your bait to fall straight down. I’ll use a 1/2- to a 1-ounce weight. When I’m flipping grass, most of my strikes will come on the fall. So, after the bait falls all the way to the bottom, I’ll lift it off the bottom one time and let it fall back, and then I may jerk it a little higher and let it fall back again. If I still don’t get a bite, I’ll reel it in and make another flip. 
I search for areas where the vegetation comes to a point or there’s a cut or an indentation or any type of irregularity in the line of grass. I’ll often be fishing holes in the vegetation, or I’ll look for a place where a deep bank intersects thick vegetation. If you can find standing timber in the middle of the grass surrounded by soft vegetation, that’s often where the bass will be holding.
Question: If you’re using a Rage Craw, what colors do you like in July and August?
Niggemeyer: Probably Junebug, green pumpkin or watermelon red.
Next: Bring 'Em to the Top
Contents:
- Part 1: Fish Zones, Structure and Crankbaits
- Part 2: Bet on the Big Worm
- Part 3: Put Some Sexy Spoon in Your Fishing
- Part 4: Fishing the Grass
- Part 5: Bring 'Em to the Top
