Canadian Dollar
This Summer, Fish the Shallow Water Early!
Posted by Walt Matan, Chief Lure Designer, Custom Jigs & Spins and B-Fish-N Tackle on Aug 6th 2025
In case you’ve been living in a cave, you should know that getting up early and fishing as the sun rises, plus the next few hours, is often the best fishing of the day. Even though it’s hot in the Summer, there will be plenty of active fish shallow.
When I’m fishing in shallow water, I like to make a long cast so as not to spook the bigger fish cruising around. For bass, I focus on two presentations: a soft plastic pre-rigged worm and a Chatterbait with my favorite trailer.
Chatterbait is the ticket for aggressive fish
To cover water quickly and to connect with aggressive fish, I'll use an Original Chatterbait. I’ll team it up with a BFishN Tackle Ribb-Finn plastic tail. This is a perfect combo. The Chatterbait has a nice wiggle to it, and the Ribb-Finn follows right along, undulating and shimmying without impairing the action of the Chatterbait’s blade.
While any medium action spinning rod will do, I’m after that long, accurate cast, so I need a longer, ultra-sensitive rod like a St. Croix Eyecon EYS71MF. Although this is considered a walleye rod, I also like it for casting ¼ ounce Chatterbaits as well as The Worm, which will catch walleye too. Team it up with a 2000 series St. Croix Seviin reel with 6 ball bearings, a smooth drag and a large spool that will hold plenty of 10 lb test Power Pro Green braided line for a monster cast.
You can cover ground quickly with the Chatterbait, launch a cast and start reeling. The faster you reel, the shallower it will run because of the blade on the front end and you can snake it over weed tops, fallen trees and over underwater habitat.
Now for The Worm!
The worm I like is actually called “The Worm,” and it’s pretty awesome. If you ever tossed a nightcrawler in the water, you will see that it flutters and almost spins as it swims. A live crawler doesn't swim along in a straight line like a Texas-rigged worm. A live crawler doesn’t have a curly tail. A live worm is a wiggling, struggling creature that doesn’t much like the water.
As you check out The Worm, you’ll notice that it has two sharp Mustad hooks molded right into the body and tied to premium Trilene 14 lb. XT line. The Worm is molded into a “C” shape, so when it’s in the water and slowly reeled, it will undulate just like a live crawler. All you need to do is tie on a ball bearing snap swivel, snap on The Worm, and add a split shot or two, and you're ready to fish!
The Worm is great for early morning fishing
When fishing shallow water in the early morning with The Worm, gamefish won’t be as tight to cover as they do as the water warms up and the sun sends them into the shady cooler water, like under piers.
The areas between piers that you normally pass by will hold cruising fish that are active and ready to strike. Make a cast, let The Worm sink for a few seconds, and then slowly reel. The slower the better. You want to reel it slowly and give it a pause and an ever so slight of a twitch once in a while. Any fish in the area that sucks it in is instantly hooked!
I’m never afraid to make a few casts for bluegill when I’m up in skinny water. I’ve got this St. Croix Panfish Series rod PNS73MLXF, a medium light Extra fast 7’ 3” long rod that will launch a tungsten Custom Jigs & Spins tungsten Glazba jig and Rocket Bobber a country mile! Seriously, effective on big Summer ‘gills! Tip the Glazba with a redworm and pitch it near weed beds, fallen trees, piers and anyplace that looks fishy.
Remember, there are lots of fish to be caught in the summer shallows. Get up early and get out there quickly before the crowds and heat arrive!
