Going back into shady coves and quiet feeder streams may pay off with a lunker largemouth like this one caught by the author. Photo courtesy of Travis Faulkner.

Diehard bass anglers often face a hostile environment when sizzling summer temperatures fall upon our local reservoirs. The summer months generally produce an amusement-park-like atmosphere composed of large, annoying crowds and enough ocean-style cabin cruisers and personal watercraft to conquer the Atlantic. Why, you are probably asking yourself, would anyone want to battle the summer crowds and grueling hot temperatures to fish for bass under such extreme conditions? The answer is relatively simple: With the right approach and game plan in place, bass fishing during the summer months can be electrifying.

In order to be successful, bass anglers must modify and fine-tune their fishing strategies and techniques to meet the demanding challenges posed by the summer season. For example, simply choosing the right time to be on the water can have a dramatic impact on your overall fishing success. With that in mind, let's take a look at a productive bass-fishing plan that will enable you to beat the heat and the crowds on Cumberland, Kentucky, and Barkley lakes this summer. The following tips and tactics will let you exploit bass on all three of these lakes under ordinarily tough summer conditions.

LAKE CUMBERLAND
Without question, Lake Cumberland is one of my favorite Kentucky waters to bass fish during the hot summer months. However, the overwhelming out-of-state and local boat traffic makes fishing this lake almost impossible when the temperatures begin to climb. You'd think a large lake like this one would let bass anglers avoid large summer crowds. Unfortunately, this is not the case on this extremely popular summer lake. Failing to have a well-thought-out game plan can lead to a lot of aggravation and disastrous results.

One of the best times to target bass on Cumberland is during the hours after sunset. The night bite on Cumberland can be intense during the heat of summer. When the sun goes down, you can bank on the crowds clearing the lake and leaving behind a bass angler's paradise. After dark is the perfect time to break out your black light, throw on some clear-blue fluorescent line, and hang on for some rod-thumping action under the moonlight. All you have to do is formulate a productive game plan that will let you exploit summer bass.

Plan A
A good starting point during June and July is to launch your boat at Fall Creek Recreational Area. This gives you quick and easy access to some prime nighttime structure, which generally attracts and holds large numbers of summer bass. I like to start out by targeting river-bend banks that encompass deep rocky ledges. Look for ledges that are also dotted with cover such as blowdowns and stumps. This type of structure is ideally suited for hard-hitting smallmouth bass and wiry Kentucky bass, which will absolutely jerk the rod out of your hand after dark.