SubmittedMike Giles displays spotted bass he caught on the Chunky River recently. 

Our kayaks glided across the surface of the water silently as we floated downstream on the Chunky River recently. The low hum of water crashing over the rocky shoals became louder as we rounded the bend and spotted our first shoals of the day. Though the weather was hot, the water was cool from recent rains that had raised the Chunky River’s water level slightly. It was the perfect time for a summer kayak fishing outing on the cool water.

As we approached the shoals, I cast a swim bait near an eddy and let the lure flow downstream while keeping the slack out of my line.

Wham! A spotted bass smashed the lure and almost tore the rod from my hands on the initial strike. I set the hook and had quite a battle as I worked the bass in the shallow water. I finally swung the bass up into the boat and admired him a few seconds before releasing him to grow some more.

By now my kayak had floated up onto the shoals so I got out and took a position on the rocky shoal and worked the area directly beneath the shoals. I picked the deepest looking spot and sailed a small spinnerbait across the eddy and let the current take it downstream while slowly working the slack out.

Bam! Another spotted bass struck with a fury and my second bass of the day was soon to be history. The bass was feisty and hungry, and he meant business when he struck my lure.

If you’re looking for some hot action on a hot summer day then look no further than your local creek, stream or river. If the water is flowing good with cool current, you can be sure that there are some hungry fish just waiting on your lure.

Chunky River spotted bass are some of the hardest fishing freshwater fish to be found anywhere. They’re explosive, powerful and will strike almost any lure you swim near them. They’re much more active in the cool flowing streams than largemouth bass are in the lakes and big rivers during the hot summer.

Spotted bass on the Chunky River typically range from about ¾ of a pound to 3-pounds with an occasional largemouth in the 3 to 4-pound range. For the most part the spotted bass are smaller but they’re like catching dynamite as they fight with a fury rarely seen on ponds during the summer. They’re also a blast to catch on light tackle and make great fly-fishing targets, and they’re about all you can handle on a flyrod in these parts.

Some may say it’s too hot to fish but not on the smaller creeks and streams like the Chunky that are semi shaded. If you get too hot just take a dip in the cool flowing water and you’ll be refreshed again. You can stop a few times each trip and cool off again.

We continued fishing along the river hitting any spot that had current flowing around stumps, trees, or rocks and caught bass at random.

Almost every shoal we came to had a bass or two feeding below the shoals waiting on an easy meal to be swept over the mini waterfalls.

As we floated by one partially submerged brushtop I dropped a BPS Shaky head worm into the top and a fish nailed it before diving into the brush. I set the hook and it was like I’d set off a stick of dynamite as a three and a half pounder exploded through the limbs and fought like a wildcat. But this was no bass, but a hungry channel cat looking for an easy meal. It took a little while to wear him out and get him to the kayak, but I finally landed him and quickly released him.

While it wasn’t a bass it did put up quite a fight and it was an unexpected treat.

By the end of the day we’d caught and released around 18 to 20 spotted bass and missed quite a few smaller ones.

Kayak fishing is fun and easy if you have a small kayak. They’re lightweight, easy to maneuver in the shallow water and glide across the surface with ease. The bass and bream will attack almost anything you use but you’ll need to downsize your lures when gong for bream and small bass. Small spinnerbaits with treble hooks are best for the smaller fish.

Medium sized spinnerbaits, beetle spins, swim baits and shallow running crankbaits are better for the bigger spotted bass and occasional largemouths you’ll catch. While it’s not unheard of to catch a 3 to 5-pound lunker on the river, it’s the exception rather than the rule.

But if you’re looking for some hot summer spotted bass action then get a kayak, grab a handful of lures and head to the nearest creek, stream or shallow river. But don’t take my word for it, try it for yourself.

Call Mike Giles at 601-917-3898 or email mikegiles18@comast.net.