FISHING IN THE HEAT

Sunrise on the lake, boat idling out]   This morning I rolled out early to beat the heat. When the sun gets high, the bite shuts down fast, so getting out here at first light is everything. The lake is flat, the air is cool, and the fish are still up and moving.

[Scene 2 – Graph showing fish in 21–24 ft]   I slid out to the deep break and the walleyes were right where they’ve been all week — 21 to 24 feet, tucked tight to the bottom. Classic mid‑summer pattern. They’re not roaming; they’re glued down and waiting for that first feeding window.

[Scene 3 – Jigging cadence]   I’m running a simple setup:

• 1/4 oz jig

• Shiner or fathead

• Slow lift, slow drop Nothing fancy. Just keep it tight and let the fish tell you how aggressive they are. This morning they wanted it barely moving — almost dead‑sticked with a tiny hop.

[Scene 4 – Fish in the net]   Picked up a couple nice keepers right away. When you hit that early window, it’s quick. Once the sun clears the trees, the deep fish start to slide off or get neutral.

[Scene 5 – Transition to panfish]   After the walleye bite tapered, I moved in to chase sunfish. They’ve pushed off the beds now and are sitting in 12 to 14 feet, right on the edges of the weeds. Perfect mid‑summer pattern.

[Scene 6 – Panfish action]   Small jig, piece of crawler, or a tiny plastic — doesn’t matter. If you find the right depth, it’s lights out. Today they were stacked, and every drop was a fish. Good size too — 9 to 11 inches.

[Scene 7 – Wrap‑up]   That’s the move this time of year: Get out early, hit the deep walleyes before the heat, then slide into that 12–14 foot zone for sunfish once the sun gets high. Two solid bites in one morning, and you’re off the lake before it gets miserable.