The term actually has it’s origins in the fact that this time of year Sirius, the Dog Star, is most prominent in the nighttime skies. We all feel a bit lazy and sluggish during this time of year, dogs, people, and fish alike. It’s hot and we just don’t want to expand much energy if we don’t have to. The summer heat is getting brutal and has the water temps reaching into the high eighties, near ninety. The almost daily afternoon showers are a bit of a blessing in helping cool things down a bit and adding to the water tables. Water management authorities are moving some water through but the quality of that flow is less than desirable at times with heavy sediments and low oxygen levels hindering the congregation of fish to the usually productive moving water spots.
This being the case you can still go out on most days and find some fish but they are a bit tougher to locate and sometimes not hungry enough to really chase baits all that aggressively. Keys are getting out early, having knowledge of where the deeper ditches are located, and keeping a sharp lookout for bait balls and schooling bass. You may also notice that the gators lurking about will at times be on the prowl for suspending bass and cause them to excite in short bursts.
Can you still have fun this time of year? Absolutely, but it can be a little tougher. If you ask Justin Doud, and his two teenage boys, who went with me last week, just by firing up the Evinrude and blasting around the lake to cool off you can have fun. If you catch a few fish in between then all the better. These three were great sports on a sluggish day and showed great enthusiasm despite limited strikes. I hope they will return before long to have another chance at landing the big ones that we all know are in this lake.
Whatever way you find to have fun during the dog days, try to be cool, drink plenty of your favorite beverages, and enjoy the ride.
