Summer heat's got them deep on the ledges at dawn and dusk, but ledge edges and channel breaks will hold bass all day if you work them slow.

Water's running hot at 88 degrees, which means largemouth are pulling back to depth and shade during the day to stay comfortable. They'll feed hard at first light and last light when shallow water cools slightly, but once the sun climbs and heats the shallows even more, they retreat to ledges and deeper structure where there's more oxygen and relief from the heat. Pool's down almost 5 feet, so the old shallow flats that held fish in spring are mostly exposed. The pressure is steady, so there's no pre-front aggression bonus today, but the cloudy sky helps. Wind's pushing from the south and southwest, so wind-blown banks will have slightly more oxygen and baitfish activity. Pick apart the ledges methodically, especially edges and drop-offs where bass can hold shallow and slip deep as needed. Summer is always a patience game on Cedar Creek, and today is no exception.

The day's game plan

Where to fish

• Main-Lake Ledges — 18 to 28 feet on the drop, 12 to 15 feet on the shallow side · sharp drop-off from shallow flat or hump edge down to deeper water, hard bottom
  bass use ledges as temperature refuge and feeding zones. in summer heat, they hold on the deep side of the ledge during midday and move to the shallow side at dawn and dusk. ledges also concentrate baitfish.
• Channel Edges and Swings — 14 to 24 feet with immediate access to deeper water beyond · inside bend of a creek channel with a 6 to 10 foot drop to the channel bottom, often with hard clay or gravel bottom
  channel edges create current breaks and funnel baitfish movement. bass stage here to hunt and have escape routes to deep water. the oxygen is typically better along channels than on shallow flats.
• Mid-Lake Humps — top at 12 to 18 feet with surrounding water at 22 to 28 feet · isolated or semi-isolated topographic high point with hard bottom and baitfish concentration
  humps hold schools of baitfish and attract bass hunting them. the proximity to deep water gives bass refuge. in summer, bass hold on the shaded or deep side of the hump during peak heat, then move to the shallow side as the sun sets.

What to throw

• Blade Bait (spoon or lipless blade) — n/a · white, chartreuse, black and blue · 1/2 oz (all day, especially midday when bass are neutral and need reaction trigger; evening and night for aggressive feeding)
  drag steady along ledge drop-offs or burn fast, pause every 5 to 10 feet and let it flutter on the fall; sawtooth retrieve works well too, short lifts every 2 to 3 seconds
• Finesse Worm (green pumpkin or dark colors) — 4 in · green pumpkin, junebug, watermelon · 1/4 oz to 3/8 oz on shakey head or drop shot (early morning and late afternoon when bass start feeding again, or dusk when they move shallow)
  slow drag along bottom with long pauses, 3 to 5 second pauses every 3 to 4 feet; or rigged wacky and fished on a drop shot vertically
• Slab (vertical jigging spoon) — n/a · white, chartreuse, silver · 3/8 oz to 1/2 oz (morning through late afternoon on deep ledges, or evening when feeding resumes)
  dragged vertically with a sawtooth motion, lift 2 to 3 feet every 2 to 3 seconds and let it flutter on the fall; keep it tight to the ledge edge
• Shakey Head Jig (small jighead with finesse worm) — 1/4 in worm · green pumpkin head, black head with green pumpkin worm · 1/4 oz to 3/8 oz jighead (early morning and night when bass are feeding but still somewhat sluggish, or post-front conditions)
  slow drag along bottom or near ledge edge, pause frequently, shake the rod tip slightly every 3 to 4 feet to make the worm dance

How to work it

• Ledge Dragging — all day but especially midday and evening when bass are relating to depth · main-lake ledges, channel drop-offs, and secondary points with sharp contour changes
  position boat parallel to the ledge drop-off at 18 to 25 feet, cast uptide or toward structure, and drag blade bait or finesse worm slowly along the bottom, pausing every 3 to 5 feet; keep your line relatively tight so you feel bites
• Vertical Jigging (Sawtooth) — morning and midday when bass are neutral; evening when feeding resumes · deep humps, channel edges, and ledges in 18 to 28 feet
  position boat directly over structure, drop slab or jig to the bottom, then lift 2 to 3 feet and pause for 2 to 3 seconds while the bait flutters on the fall; repeat the motion working the depth zone slowly
• Slow Wacky Rig Drop Shot — dusk and night when bass move shallow, or early morning on shallow ledge transitions · secondary ledges and shallow channel edges in 10 to 18 feet
  rig a 4-inch finesse worm wacky style on a drop shot, position at 10 to 14 feet, shake the rod tip gently every few seconds to make the worm dance while it sits near the ledge edge

Pro tips

• The 79 percent cloud cover today is your friend. Clouds hold heat and reduce light penetration, so the bite may stay steady longer into midday than on a bluebird day. Don't assume the bite stops at 11 AM just because it's summer. Work the ledges with confidence through early afternoon.
• Pay attention to the wind direction. South and southwest wind is pushing water and baitfish toward those banks. Ledges or channel edges on the south and west side of the lake will have slightly more baitfish and oxygen. Start there before working the calm-water side.
• Summer ledges fish deepest near the dam and shallowest in the creek arms. Work the creeks early in the morning and late afternoon, then move to the main-lake ledges during midday. Don't get locked into one depth zone all day.

If conditions change

If a front rolls in and the pressure starts to rise, the bite will shut down hard. Downsize everything to a 1/4-ounce shakey head with a 4-inch finesse worm and fish it extremely slow right on the ledge edge or tight to any cover. If the clouds burn off and it becomes bluebird sun, expect bass to go even deeper and tighter to structure. Switch to white or chartreuse blade baits and fish the deepest ledges available, working them slowly during midday. If wind shifts to north or northeast and begins to blow hard, the shallow side of ledges will become turbid and less productive. Move to the lee side of main-lake structure and fish the deep edges more aggressively with reaction baits. If water clarity muddies from wind or rain runoff, upsize blade baits to 3/4 ounce and stick with black and blue or all-black colors to maximize vibration and silhouette.