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By : Scott Patton

The first part of June always marks early summer fishing to me. With the bass spawn being over and water temps moving into the high seventies and eighty degree mark. Fish will start their migration into their summer locations.
I like to get on the water early this time of year; it can make a major difference to the days catch. I will look for deep water adjacent to shallow water flat or where a creek or river channel will run next to the bank. These are great area’s to fish top water. I prefer buzz baits; I can fish it through all types of cover and also cover water a lot quicker with this bait. I fish a glass rod with my top water, I have used a seven foot pro glass rod made by St Croix for years. I know that by using a glass rod enables me to hook and land more fish. The soft tip action is so much slower than graphite and keeps me from taking the bait from the fish by trying to set the hook too soon.
Other top water lures I recommend strongly are a zara spook and rico.
If it’s rainy or cloudy you may be able to use this pattern through out the day, but it’s prime the first couple hours of daylight. After that I will look for the nearest deep water to any of the previous areas that I caught fish on and use my depth finders and lake map to locate any nearby deep water structure. Once I locate these areas I will start fishing crank baits. I will use a shad pattern in clearer water and chartreuse in off colored water. Here again I still use the same rod as before with ten pound test line. After choosing the bait I will start fan casting to any objects that I can see with my depth finders. Usually making a circle around then if possible, this allows me to show the bait from many different angles in hopes of triggering a strike. When fishing crankbaits I prefer wood baits. They seem to have more action and I can snap them free if I snag them on any thing.
I will also run the lake choosing to fish main lake flats and edges, again using a my map to locate the areas that I find and once I start fishing, then my depth finders are my under water eyes. Always be aware of changing conditions.

Good fishing, Scott Patton
Sponsors – Stratos Boats, Yamaha Outboards, St. Croix rods, Team Fish Fishing line, ZOOM, Bluegrass lures, Rattle Trap

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