July 2020 • Nebraskaland 49
Tip 3: Plastic Worm
There are so many prey options in the water
in July. From insects and frogs to crayfi sh and
minnows, there is plenty to eat. But there's nothing
that seems to get fi sh going more than an old
standard – the Texas-rigged plastic worm. Whether
fi shed slow and weightless to swimming it through
cattails and bulrushes, this weedless option has
worked for decades, and will continue to do so. Red
and black has been a family favorite for years at
lakes across Nebraska and the rest of the country.
Tip 4: Constantly Adjust
Fishing in July is so much fun because the spawn
is over, autumn seems like a million days away, and
you can pattern fi sh on a daily basis – as long as
you're willing to adjust. Pay attention to where you
catch each fi sh, where you don't, and at what depth.
Last year while fi shing in the Sandhills, my partner
and I blitzed largemouth bass above open water
submerged vegetation on Day 1, but couldn't fi nd a
fi sh in that same type of water Day 2. On that day,
they couldn't have been in thicker bulrushes. Same
miserably hot weather conditions, diff erent fi sh
locations.
Tip 5: Midday Topwater
Topwater isn't restricted for twilight times. While bass
sometimes bury themselves in thick cover in the heat of
the day, they are still willing to violently attack nearby
prey if given the opportunity. Weedless creature baits,
frogs and the like will provide all the action you need
once you convince yourself that they'll hit on top in the
middle of the day. Because they will.
Photo Captions:
Tip 1: Sunset can be the start of a July fi shing trip,
not the end.
Tip 2: This was the only bass caught at Prairie
Queen Lake near sunrise this day. From 9 a.m. to
noon, we caught 25 more. We should have slept in.
Tip 3: When all else fails, go to the tried and true
Texas-rigged worm.
Tip 4: I watched Marty Hughes of Lincoln fi sh a
number of habitats at Lake Wanahoo before jigging
near the fl ooded timber and catching this big bass.
Tip 5: This Pibel Lake lunker hit near high noon
on a topwater frog imitation, destroying the entire
bait in the process.
