blake
Life Member
From the Iowa DNR:
Fishing When the Fishing's Slow
Sure, it might be easy to catch fish when they're biting. But what do you do it slows down? July in Iowa means midsummer heat, humidity and invariably, a slowdown in most fishing. Anglers spoiled during and after the spawning periods of walleyes, crappies, bluegill and bass are now seeing fish numbers drop as temperatures rise.
Short of finding another hobby, it takes some adjustment. For many anglers, it means different ways to chase their favorite species. For others, it means a different fish altogether.
"Channel catfish are our main summer fish," says Vance Poulton, fisheries technician for the Department of Natural Resources, based at the Lake Darling district office.
Catfish get the nod from more anglers, and biologists, as the days get hotter and the more popular spring/early summer species pull their disappearing acts.
"They're chasing the bluegills and green sunfish into the shallows on Lake Macbride. Early mornings and late evenings are the best time to fish for them," observes Paul Sleeper, DNR fisheries biologist, based at Macbride. "Anglers are casting into the shallows, from the jetties (and rocks); not too deep, the fish are coming toward them."
Stink bait, cut bait, green sunfish, even shrimp are baits-of-choice for lots of channel cat anglers. Sleeper says the stink baits will catch more of the smaller catfish; which are often preferred for eating. For the bigger ones, though, cut bait or even live bait pay off.
Chicken livers, stink bait, maybe dead chubs. Lay it on the bottom and wait. Through July and August, channel cats are the 'target' species of most anglers. They'll bite most of the time, no matter what the water temperature and are just as available from shore as they are from a boat.
However, you don't have to give up on crappies, walleyes and bass in the months that rhyme with 'hot.' You just have to adjust.
Crappies will be offshore, associated with the creek channels or edges of flooded timber. If not there, they will be suspended in open water, often in six to eight feet of water. They feed all summer, so they're going to bite.
The catch, obviously, is locating just where they are.
Fishing When the Fishing's Slow
Sure, it might be easy to catch fish when they're biting. But what do you do it slows down? July in Iowa means midsummer heat, humidity and invariably, a slowdown in most fishing. Anglers spoiled during and after the spawning periods of walleyes, crappies, bluegill and bass are now seeing fish numbers drop as temperatures rise.
Short of finding another hobby, it takes some adjustment. For many anglers, it means different ways to chase their favorite species. For others, it means a different fish altogether.
"Channel catfish are our main summer fish," says Vance Poulton, fisheries technician for the Department of Natural Resources, based at the Lake Darling district office.
Catfish get the nod from more anglers, and biologists, as the days get hotter and the more popular spring/early summer species pull their disappearing acts.
"They're chasing the bluegills and green sunfish into the shallows on Lake Macbride. Early mornings and late evenings are the best time to fish for them," observes Paul Sleeper, DNR fisheries biologist, based at Macbride. "Anglers are casting into the shallows, from the jetties (and rocks); not too deep, the fish are coming toward them."
Stink bait, cut bait, green sunfish, even shrimp are baits-of-choice for lots of channel cat anglers. Sleeper says the stink baits will catch more of the smaller catfish; which are often preferred for eating. For the bigger ones, though, cut bait or even live bait pay off.
Chicken livers, stink bait, maybe dead chubs. Lay it on the bottom and wait. Through July and August, channel cats are the 'target' species of most anglers. They'll bite most of the time, no matter what the water temperature and are just as available from shore as they are from a boat.
However, you don't have to give up on crappies, walleyes and bass in the months that rhyme with 'hot.' You just have to adjust.
Crappies will be offshore, associated with the creek channels or edges of flooded timber. If not there, they will be suspended in open water, often in six to eight feet of water. They feed all summer, so they're going to bite.
The catch, obviously, is locating just where they are.