When you look at the passionate fishing crowd out there, you can break them down into three broad categories: the “cold water” crowd, those that pursue “warm water” fish, and probably the biggest group composed of those of us who will fish for almost anything at any time of the year.

The cold-water crowd or trout fishermen usually have their best fishing during the cooler spring and early summer, while the warm water crowd usually looks to the summer months to have their best panfish and bass fishing.

Needless to say, I’m a part of the “fish all year around and fish for everything and anything” crowd, but this recent heat wave has certainly made fishing a bit more problematic.

I often spend much of the mid-summer months pursuing largemouth bass on several area lakes, but if the pouring down rain didn’t keep me off the lakes, the intense heat certainly has. That doesn’t mean you can’t catch largemouths during this heat wave, but you need to look for them in the right places at the right time. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I’m always studying and reading to find the best possibilities for success.

One perception that most dedicated bass fishermen tend to adhere to is to fish in the early morning hours, late in the day, and certainly at night because the cooler air and water temperatures usually result in more active bass.

While I know that some people aren’t really comfortable fishing after dark, I have had some great action working surface lures on a calm, flat lake. The good old Jitterbug is a good choice, but so too are the prop baits, stick baits, and chugger-type lures. Even the fly-fisherman can home in on bass with poppers early or late in the day, even after dark.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to limit my bass fishing to just early, late, and after dark, but I will be on the lookout for more favorable conditions during mid-day. A calm, overcast day with lower temperatures may also be rewarding, and if you don some rain gear, you may find some productive fishing during a light rain.

If you’re bass fishing through the day, It’s a pretty safe bet the bass have moved out of the shallows and into deeper water, so I concentrate most of my mid-day fishing in water at least five or six feet and deeper. I actually spend a lot of time in that 10-15-foot range, depending on the lake I’m fishing.

There’s a multitude of artificial lures available for fishing the deeper water, but I’ll admit that in recent years, I have learned to depend a lot on the soft plastic worms, grubs, and jig-type setups. One of my favorites is the simple Wacky Worm — a hook through the middle of a soft plastic worm. I often add a small split shot or two and let it drop slowly to the bottom. I keep the rod tip up, slowly retrieve the lure with some short pops, and then let it settle again. I suspect the silver colors look like a struggling minnow, and the browns and dark blues may look like a struggling worm; either way, they both work. Don’t neglect other soft plastic presentations like the Texas-rigged worm and the Carolina rig. Any number of weedless jigs with some type of artificial grub, crayfish, worm, or creature bait can also be effective in the weedy depths.

Finally, don’t neglect the hard lures like crankbaits with larger lips that allow the lure to go deeper when retrieved. Even the minnow-type lures with smaller lips can be made to go deeper with some weight added to the line. An assortment of spoons and spinners may also be produced when fished deep, so don’t neglect a spinnerbait. The tandem willow leaf tends to work better in weedy water, but the Colorado blade makes a more obvious vibration when retrieved from open water.

Here’s hoping the weather gives the bass fishing crowd a break; I guess that would be a good break for all of us.