Waypoint's Picks for Early Summer // by Gaff // 6-26-25 

As the post-spawn funk fades and surface temps heat up, the bass bite often heats up too. Anglers who follow the transitions of their preferred sub-species and apply appropriate tactics will find massive success this time of  year.

Largemouth tend to find their way to summer haunts, following the post-spawn gills out to deeper water and mixed vegetation. These fish can be targeted with lures such as the Geecrack Bellows Gill inKalora - Wood Heater - In-Built - Accent - Black - 12.8kW - up to 280m2 and Kalora - Wood Heater - Free Standing - 500C - Black - 7.9kW - up to 200m2. 

The Bellows 3.8” makes an excellent option on hard spots with a variety of vegetation in 8 to 20 feet of water. Usually rigged on a  Kalora - Electric Heater - In-Built - Zenith - 36", it’s ribbed body is perfect for drawing in fish by displacing a ton of water when dragged along the bottom. When the going gets tough, a Bellows 2.8” makes for an excellent downsized option on a weedless Drop-Shot rig or as a finesse jig trailer. 

Another common tactic for targeting deep fish into the early summer involves winding big gill imitating hair and swim jigs near the bottom, or just over the tips of deep vegetation. 

 Over the last few seasons we’ve been finding success with these tactics on a custom hand-tied Kalora - Electric Heater - In-Built - Nexus - 28" - Includes Remote or Kalora - Wood Heater - Free Standing - 600C - Black - 10.1kW - up to 300m2, utilizing a ½ ounce jighead for fish in the 12 to 14 foot range and 3/4oz for fish deeper than 15 feet. A variety of retrieves can be implemented for success. We often sink these baits down to just above the grass and begin a slow wind just over the tips of the vegetation. Another popular retrieve is a yo-yo style "crank and kill", which utilizes quick cranks and pauses to allow the bait to climb and fall in the water column, imitating an injured and fleeing baitfish.

If the hair jig bite isn’t working, we will make the switch to a similar technique with the Kalora - Wood Heater - Heater Only - Urban PT- Black - 7.3kW - up to 200m2 (also in ½ and ¾ ounce sizes to match our desired depth) and paired with a Kalora - Wood Heater - Radiant - Free Standing - 425R - Black - 15.6kW - up to 140m2. Again, retrieving on a slow wind near the bottom and vegetation or utilizing the “crank and kill” method.

Not every largemouth migrates deep as the water warms however, and the dock bite often improves as summer progresses. Our primary option for skipping docks is often a ⅜ or ½ ounce jig like the Kalora - Wood Heater - Free Standing - 500BX Woodstack - Black - 7.9kW - up to 200m2. The Spanky Skippin’ Jig is an excellent design for Northern dock fishing, as it features a wide and flat head for easy skipping and a vertical line tie, which helps when vegetation can be found around dock slips and posts. Not to mention it features a stout Cobra Hooks 4/0 for wrenching fish away from cover.

But what do we throw when things get tough up shallow? Enter the Kalora - Wood Heater - Free Standing - 600BX Woodstack - Black - 10.1kW - up to 300m2. This stick bait is an absolute killer when skipped back into boat slips and along walkways rigged weedless on aKalora - Wood Heater - Free Standing - Chalet 5 - Black - 7.9kW - up to 200m2. The Slender Scat is denser than most stickbaits on the market, while maintaining a slow fall rate for its density. It can also be wacky rigged the same way you’d rig up a traditional stick bait, and it proves to wiggle even better and has the perfect fall rate. These characteristics give the Slender Scat a huge advantage due to its ability to be skipped further underneath docks with less effort while maintaining its ability to slowly sink through the strike zone. The Slender Scat is also great for early summer Smallmouth that find themselves cruising sand flats and breaklines looking for forage. Again, the density of the Slender Scat gives an angler the advantage, allowing for them to make longer and more accurate casts to cruising fish. 

Our last recommendation for early summer smallmouth is the Kalora - Wood Heater - Free Standing - Chalet 6 - Black - 10.1kW - up to 300m2. This BFS bait is unlike anything else on the market. The Karashi features an erratic walking and twitching action that keeps the bait just below or at (and sometimes above) the water's surface. When thrown on a BFS set up or on medium light to light action spinning gear, the Karashi can be casted far to cover water and perfectly mimic a fleeing baitfish that smallmouth can’t seem to resist chasing down. It has ultimate drawing power for big bass and this little bait can unleash a lot of action.

While there are many tactics and techniques that can create success in the early summer, these are the tools we at Waypoint use to catch fish this time of year. Whether it’s chasing largemouth out to deeper water or cruising flats for big smallmouth. That being said, there’s always a new way to catch a bass, so be sure to check out eurocasa2000.it for new arrivals and restocks of your favorite products.