Story by Robert Sloan, for Lone Star Outdoor News
This story originally appeared in the July 9 issue of LSON
If you like to work the typical summer bass fishing pattern of going deep to catch structure-oriented largemouths, Lake Ray Roberts is a place to be. This lake is also known for its offshore summer fishing bonanza in water that’s 20 to 35 feet deep.
Guide Jim Walling has been bass fishing on this lake for 31 years, and knows where and when to catch largemouth bass on a sweltering hot summer day.
“I like to fish top-water baits shallow for an hour or so before daylight,” Walling said. “But after the sun comes up, I’ll move off the shoreline and out to deep water. That’s where I’ll be fishing jigs, deep-diving cranks and spinner baits.”
Like many Texas reservoirs, the bass are targeting shad.
“On this lake we have lots of threadfin shad,” Walling said. “That’s what bass will be feeding on heavily during the summer months.”
Walling turns to the crankbait each summer, preferring a shad pattern.
“Two of my favorites are the 6XD and 10XD,” he said. “If the water is clear, I’ll go with a shad pattern. If it’s an overcast and cloudy day a chartreuse crank seems to be best.”
Ray Roberts has all sorts of offshore structure. Some of that structure includes flooded timber, pond dams and house foundations.
“I use my electronics a lot here,” Walling said. “When I’m at home I like to study detailed maps of the bottom structure and then go find it within the next few days. You never know what’s going to be holding bass. One day I went out to find a spot that was a pier and beam foundation. I had never fished it but come to find out it was loaded with bass.”
On a typical summer day, Walling starts with top-water lures along shoreline grass. One of his go-to lures is a Whopper Plopper in bone, a 3-inch plug that has a big rotating prop that makes a lot of noise on a slow and steady retrieve. Another favorite lures is a Yellow Magic Japanese popper. And along the shallow grass, he throws a Texas-rigged worm and also 5-inch Yum Dingers in green/pumpkin.
The next stops are humps and points in 15 to 30 feet of water, with crankbaits.
Some of the best areas will be near some sort of deep drop-off. And during the heat of the day, bottom structure in about 35 feet of water is the target, using football jigs, Carolina rigs and even spinner baits.
“A spinner bait is one of the most under-utilized lures out there,” Walling said. “It’s a lure that looks a lot like a thread- fin shad or bream. It can be fished shallow or deep. One of my favorite fishing tactics is to tie on a 1-ounce spinner bait and slow-roll it tight to bottom structure 30 to 35 feet deep. A good color combination for a skirt is chartreuse/ white with Colorado and willow leaf blades. I like to make a long cast, let if fall to bottom and begin a slow and steady retrieve. That’s a killer on deep- water bass. And they hit it hard enough to yank the rod out your hands.”
Walling said night fishing is another good option on Ray Roberts.
“It’s a good way to beat the heat and get away from all the boats,” he said. “One of the best patterns at night is to work spinner baits along shorelines in 5 to 15 feet of water.”
