SAMPLE GUIDE REPORT · FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026
Summer schools still firing on deep brush and spoons, shallow docks and finesse bite through midday heat.
WATER 76°FAIR 70°FWIND 2 MPH SSWCLARITY MOSTLY CLEAR TO LIGHTLY STAINED MAIN LAKE; CREEKS AND THE UPPER RIVER STAIN AFTER RAIN AND GENERATION PULSESSEASON SUMMER
Water's in the sweet zone at 76 degrees and the lake's mostly clear on the main lake, which keeps summer patterns locked in. Bass are schooled up on offshore brush piles and scattered on docks in 10 to 15 feet, the classic mid to late summer spread. This time of year, pressure and sun are your real enemies. The crankbait bite at first light will be hot because fish are hunting aggressively before the sun climbs, but as the day gets bright and the sun bears down, those schools tuck up and get stubborn. The shallow dock bite extends longer because shade keeps fish comfortable longer, and a vertical jigging presentation or a slow finesse bait on those deeper docks will pull the reluctant fish when the offshore bite goes quiet. Light is steady and the wind is basically flat, so you're going to see that bright sun bear down hard after about 10 AM, which is the single biggest factor pushing fish down and slowing everything.
The day's game plan
EARLY MORNING · 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM
Brush piles on the main lake in 12 to 18 feet of water, particularly those with channel access nearby.
Deep-diving crankbait in shad or crawdad color, 6 to 6.5 inches, fished on a steady retrieve tight to the brush. Start with a flat-sided crankbait in natural tones like sexy shad or bluegill to match summer forage.
The schools are fresh and aggressive right at sunrise, and they're chasing. A crankbait triggers the competitive fish while they're bunched and active. The solunar major at 6:18 AM aligns with the bite window, so these first couple of hours are money for marking and catching the aggressive fish before the school goes quiet.
MORNING · 8:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Same brush piles, but once the initial crankbait bite slows, drop to a flutter spoon or a hair jig. Also begin working docks in 10 to 15 feet in the creek arms and secondary coves.
Flutter spoon in chrome or white, 3/8 to 1/2 ounce, worked vertically with a tight lift and flutter fall over the pile. On docks, use a bladed jig with a swimbait trailer in 3/8 ounce, worked tight to the post with a lifting hop.
Once the school gets worked, a falling spoon triggers fish that have shut down on the chase. Hair jigs do the same job. The docks start producing because bass are moving into shade as the sun angle steepens, and the structure on a dock is compact enough that a finesse vertical presentation picks them apart instead of covering water.
MIDDAY · 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Deeper docks and brush in 15 to 20 feet, particularly those in the lower and mid-lake sections with the thickest shade structure. Main-lake points with steep drop-offs into deeper water.
Drop shot with a 4-inch wacky-rigged or shaky-head worm in watermelon or green pumpkin, 1/4 to 3/8 ounce sinker positioned 12 to 18 inches above the bait. Work it slowly with micro-hops around dock pilings and brush.
The sun is brutal and bright, so fish are tucked. The drop shot is built for this exact scenario, because it sits in the strike zone longer and appeals to fish that aren't chasing. Finesse and patience win in bright midday sun. The deeper docks and the slack-water brush piles concentrate the fish that have pulled away from shallow, exposed cover.
LATE AFTERNOON · 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Main-lake brush piles again, stepping back out to 12 to 18 feet. Also rotate back to shallow docks in 6 to 10 feet where sun angle is starting to shift and shade patterns change.
Return to a deep-diving crankbait in shad patterns, or switch to a hair jig if the school seems pressured. On the docks, a bladed jig with a swimbait trailer covers water faster than finesse as the fish begin moving again.
As the afternoon sun angle shifts, shade moves and fish start responding again. The water is still warm but the harshest overhead light is past, so bass will chase again. This is a second-wave bite, lighter than early morning but often cleaner because fewer boats have worked these areas through the hot part of the day.
EVENING · 5:30 PM to 6:47 PM (sunset)
Shallow grass, shallow rock banks, and inside creek mouths in 2 to 6 feet of water. The 6:43 PM solunar minor is active, and the lower light triggers a shallow feed.
Hollow-body frog around grass flats and laydowns, or a topwater walking bait over shallow weed edges in natural shad patterns. Cast the frog and let it sit briefly, then twitch it with deliberate pauses.
Light is dropping and water is cooling slightly from the afternoon peak. Bass that have been deep and tight during the day slide shallow to hunt baitfish. The frog covers the shallow chase bite, and the walking bait can call up fish that are moving from deeper water. The solunar minor at 6:43 PM adds an extra push.
DUSK · 6:47 PM to 8:00 PM
Same shallow banks and grass as evening. Dock pilings and shallow wood in the creek arms.
Topwater walking bait in black or dark shad patterns, worked with a steady twitch and pause rhythm. Also a bladed jig in 1/4 ounce with a dark trailer worked slowly along shallow cover.
Very low light now, and bass are committing to the shallows hard. Silhouettes are what matter when the light is nearly gone. The walking bait throws a big wake and creates disturbance that bass can feel and follow. The bladed jig delivers vibration, which is the dominant sense once it gets dark.
NIGHT · 8:00 PM to 6:30 AM next morning
Shallow docks, shallow grass beds, creek mouths in 2 to 8 feet, and main-river current breaks if there is generation.
If fishing continues into full dark, stay on topwater with a walking bait or buzzbaits, or transition to a jig fished slowly by feel around docks. Most anglers will call it a night, but if you're running it, stick shallow because bass don't move deep at night on this lake in summer heat.
Bass don't push offshore at night on Logan Martin in summer like they do on some lakes. They stay shallow hunting in the dark. If there's generation creating a current run, a walking bait worked slow down the current will draw fish. Otherwise, keep it simple with a jig and wait for first light and the next bite window.
Where to fish
- Brush piles on the main lake in the lower and mid-lake sections — 12 to 18 feet · Submerged timber and brush, often with channel access or drop-off nearby
These concentrate schooled bass in summer. The brush provides structure and the nearby channel gives fish an escape route to deeper water, so multiple fish layer in the same zone. - Creek-arm docks and deep-water docks in the lower half of the lake — 10 to 15 feet · Dock pilings, post structure, and shade zones created by the dock overhang
Shade keeps fish comfortable when the sun is high, and the compact structure means vertical presentations like drop shots and jigs are more efficient than casting around open-water structure. - Main-lake points with steep drop-offs — 6 to 20 feet transition · Rock, clay, or hard-bottom points that funnel fish from shallow to deep
These transitions concentrate bass, especially when fish are moving between shallow hunting zones and deeper daytime refuges. They're natural highways that bass follow. - Shallow grass flats and rock banks in the upper creeks — 2 to 6 feet · Grass beds, laydowns, and exposed rock banks
Bass slide into these zones in low light to hunt baitfish. The cover and shade protect them and the shallow water keeps them comfortable in summer heat.
What to throw
- Deep-diving crankbait — 6 to 6.5 in · Sexy shad, bluegill, or natural crawdad · 3/4 oz (Early morning and late afternoon when schools are active and chasing)
Cast and retrieve on a steady pace, keeping the bait tight to structure and brush piles. Let the lure dive to depth and maintain contact. - Flutter spoon — n/a · Chrome or white · 3/8 to 1/2 oz (After the initial crankbait bite slows or on extremely calm, sunny days)
Vertical jigging with a tight lift and controlled flutter fall. Drop it right over the brush pile and work it in the zone where fish are suspending. - Drop shot rig — 4 in worm · Watermelon, green pumpkin, or natural shad · 1/4 to 3/8 oz sinker 12 to 18 in above bait (Midday heat and bright sun when fish are tight to structure)
Micro-hops and small vertical movements around docks and brush. Let it sit in the strike zone and work it with minimal motion. - Bladed jig with swimbait trailer — Jig 3/8 in, trailer 3 to 4 in · Dark silhouettes like black, junebug, or natural shad · 3/8 oz (Morning through afternoon around docks, and evening as light drops)
Hop it tight to dock pilings and brush edges with a lift and drop motion. Vary the pause length based on how aggressive the fish are responding. - Topwater walking bait — 4.5 to 5.5 in · Black, dark shad, or natural patterns · 3/8 oz (Evening into dusk when light is low and bass are moving shallow)
Cast and walk the dog with a steady twitch and pause rhythm, creating disturbance and a wake. Let the pauses be deliberate.
How to work it
- Rotating between cranking and vertical jigging on offshore structure — Early morning through midday when schools are present and activity varies · Main-lake brush piles and channel-adjacent structure in 12 to 20 feet
Lead the brush pile or hump with a crankbait on a steady retrieve. Once the school quiets, switch to a spoon or jig and work it vertically over the same spot. - Finesse around docks on the drop shot — Midday and whenever fish are reluctant to chase · Creek-arm docks and secondary cove docks in 10 to 15 feet
Position the boat tight to the dock without spooking fish, cast the rig to the pilings and work it with tiny hops and pauses, keeping the sinker near bottom or near the pilings. - Shallow topwater and frog cover as light drops — Evening and dusk as the sun angle shifts and bass slide shallow · Shallow grass flats, rock banks, and inside creek mouths in 2 to 6 feet
Cast to the edge of grass and laydowns, work the frog or topwater with pauses and twitches that create disturbance without frantic action.
Pro tips
- Mark multiple brush piles with your electronics and prioritize the ones closest to deep water access. One that drops from 15 feet down to 25 feet within casting distance will hold more consistent numbers than one isolated in shallower water.
- When the drop shot gets too many bites from small fish or when you know bigger fish are present but not committing, shorten your leader between the sinker and bait to 8 to 10 inches and use a slightly larger worm to filter the bite.
- On a calm, bright day like this, the shade on the east or north side of a dock is always cooler than the sunny side. Fish the shaded pilings first and work systematically rather than randomly casting docks.
If conditions change
If clouds roll in and block the sun for a couple of hours, the schools on the brush piles will activate and chase again, so go back to the crankbait and cover water faster instead of grinding the midday finesse bite. If the wind picks up and builds a little chop, the reduced light penetration helps the deep bite last longer into the day, so extend the morning crankbait window and save the finesse for late afternoon. If the water gets stained from generation or rain pushing runoff, move to darker-colored baits like black jigs and darker topwater, and increase vibration with bladed jigs and spinnerbaits instead of relying on flash and finesse. If the pressure drops significantly ahead of weather, the bite will turn on hard across all depths, so switch to moving baits and cover water aggressively because fish will chase before the front arrives.
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