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Migration to the Summer Pattern

(By: Jerry Carlson)

photo of jerry carlson

There are few hard and fast rules when it comes to fishing. One rule that is carved in concrete is that you can't catch fish that you can't find. That is why it is critical to understand the movement patterns that fish go through on an annual basis.

Each year after spawn there is little doubt at to where most fish are located. They are found along some type of shoreline structure. The reason for this is simple. Shoreline structure is where most of the spawning has taken place. It is where basically all spring spawning fish species move to.

If shoreline structure is where all of the spawning action is taking place, it is also where the fishing is taking place, at least on most lakes. But what about the rest of the year? What do the fish do as we get into the summer patterns?

As might be expected, summer brings with it a whole new location strategy. To understand this strategy we must first understand the early season movement migration that takes place each year.

In the spring of the year there is very little cover in the lakes. This is due to the lack of weeds that are present. Most of the weeds from the year before have pretty much died off during the ice covered winter months. There will be some areas of still green weeds, but these areas will be scattered and not very thick. These areas of green weeds will hold a real variety of fish. This will include both predators and forage fish.

As the predators, which spawn first, become mobile in the post spawn period, they begin to roam the lake in search of a very limited food supply. As other fish, including forage fish, do their spawning thing, there is more food that becomes available for the predators. Again, this is in areas of shoreline structure. Gradually, these small fish begin to hatch and spread out over the lake, but it takes time.

These young of the year fish know that they are very vulnerable to predation. They naturally respond to the cover opportunities that are available. For the most part, we are talking weeds again. The weeds do more than supply cover. They also supply food.

Small fish need small bait. Small bait is going to be found in the weeds in the form of zoo plankton, phyto-plankton, and insect larvae. But this whole bait thing doesn't happen instantly. It take time.

As the summer progresses, weeds and food are established in basically all areas throughout the lake. As a result of this, predators become established throughout the lake as well. Shoreline structure may still be good, but the off shore areas are starting to get hot. The summer patterns are setting in.

It is during this summer period that I really like to concentrate on fishing sunken islands and humps. Now that wandering prey fish have had time to locate these areas, fishing here can be extremely good. Remember, predator fish that you are hoping to catch are not going to be in areas of the lake that do not have food.

There are very few lakes that I fish that do not have some type of mid lake structure. Some mid lake structures are obviously better than others. I have found that the best mid lake humps and structure areas have something in common. This is diversity.

When I say diversity, I mean just that. In order for mid lake structure to be good you have to have lots of different things happening on and around it. The more variety the area has in things like weed growth, irregular shape, sharp drop-offs, and neighboring structure the better potential I believe this area has.

This potential is for many species of fish. For example, in the weeds you would find the panfish, the bass and northerns would probably reside around the deep weedline, and the walleyes will come at the deep weedline and just below.

Another interesting fact about mid lake sunken islands is that the very best ones are usually not on any depth map. Because of this, I always keep my Vexilar on when I am running the lake. You never know when you might stumble onto an area that could turn out to be the hot spot of the day.

Summer is my favorite time of the year to fish because of the patterns that are prominent at that time. And one of my favorite areas to fish in the summer period is mid lake structure. At the right time of the year, mid lake structure holds fish!