How-To

Catching bass on the hottest days of summer

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Meteorologists will tell you July and August provide the hottest weather of the year in just about every American city. So we challenged Carhartt/Yamaha pro Chris Zaldain to show us how to analyze a relatively clear reservoir mostly void of vegetation and lined in rocky shorelines two hours from his home — that he has limited experience on — in order to catch big bass on one of the absolute hottest days of summer.
Meteorologists will tell you July and August provide the hottest weather of the year in just about every American city. So we challenged Carhartt/Yamaha pro Chris Zaldain to show us how to analyze a relatively clear reservoir mostly void of vegetation and lined in rocky shorelines two hours from his home — that he has limited experience on — in order to catch big bass on one of the absolute hottest days of summer.
Zaldain meets us on the ramp before sunrise in his Toyota Tundra on a day when the afternoon high temperature will be nearly 100 degrees, and the water surface temps are 86.
Zaldain meets us on the ramp before sunrise in his Toyota Tundra on a day when the afternoon high temperature will be nearly 100 degrees, and the water surface temps are 86.
His best buddy Nebo reminds him to remove the motor toter, and Zaldain gives us the first clue of the day – “It’s been hot, hot, hot – and in the dead of summer I always want to be near the dam of the reservoir, because it holds the deepest, clearest, coolest, most consistent environment for big fish in extreme heat, as well as during the dead coldest days of winter.”
His best buddy Nebo reminds him to remove the motor toter, and Zaldain gives us the first clue of the day – “It’s been hot, hot, hot – and in the dead of summer I always want to be near the dam of the reservoir, because it holds the deepest, clearest, coolest, most consistent environment for big fish in extreme heat, as well as during the dead coldest days of winter.”
The first lure out of the rod box is a 3/4-ounce football jig tied to his brand spanking new signature series of rods from MegaBass.
The first lure out of the rod box is a 3/4-ounce football jig tied to his brand spanking new signature series of rods from MegaBass.
Perhaps the most important tip Zaldain offers all day is, “On the hottest days of summer I focus on keeping my boat where long gradual sloping points run out to touch the main creek or river channel.”
Perhaps the most important tip Zaldain offers all day is, “On the hottest days of summer I focus on keeping my boat where long gradual sloping points run out to touch the main creek or river channel.”
The San Jose, Calif., native who now lives in Fort Worth, Texas, loves hockey, but he’ll readily tell you about his love of all sizes of swimbaits too. “I can’t get away from them, they’re my confidence lure. To me, swimbaits are far more natural-looking than most every lure in your tacklebox.” This one is a 4.2-inch MegaBass Hazedong on a 1/2-ounce Santone Lures under head spin.
The San Jose, Calif., native who now lives in Fort Worth, Texas, loves hockey, but he’ll readily tell you about his love of all sizes of swimbaits too. “I can’t get away from them, they’re my confidence lure. To me, swimbaits are far more natural-looking than most every lure in your tacklebox.” This one is a 4.2-inch MegaBass Hazedong on a 1/2-ounce Santone Lures under head spin.
Zaldain only uses three lures on this sweltering hot day, and you’re looking at them. The MegaBass crankbait can reach depths of 20-plus feet, and the under head spin he designed for Santone Lures weighs 1/2-ounce. He says he prefers the head to be plain lead with no paint.
Zaldain only uses three lures on this sweltering hot day, and you’re looking at them. The MegaBass crankbait can reach depths of 20-plus feet, and the under head spin he designed for Santone Lures weighs 1/2-ounce. He says he prefers the head to be plain lead with no paint.
About one hour after searching points near channel swings, he finds a point with both shad and a few small
About one hour after searching points near channel swings, he finds a point with both shad and a few small “stick up” logs on the bottom in 22 feet of water. A cast of the under head spin gets the first bite of the day.
“I cast past where the ball of bait was on the bottom, let the underhead spin go all the way to the bottom, touch down, and then just barely turn the spinning reel handle super slowly. I fish it on 15-pound Seaguar Smackdown braid with a 12-pound Tatsu fluorocarbon leader,” says Zaldain, who has a very impressive 21 top-10 finishes on his B.A.S.S. resume.
“I cast past where the ball of bait was on the bottom, let the underhead spin go all the way to the bottom, touch down, and then just barely turn the spinning reel handle super slowly. I fish it on 15-pound Seaguar Smackdown braid with a 12-pound Tatsu fluorocarbon leader,” says Zaldain, who has a very impressive 21 top-10 finishes on his B.A.S.S. resume.
Zaldain shares a sentimental moment of reflection. “This little sign will never leave my boat. I made it during the Bassmaster Elite in June of 2018 on Kentucky Lake after I caught nearly a 7-pounder, and mom was trying to follow the tournament from a hospital bed while battling for her life. The picture of me holding this sign with the big fish was on Bassmaster.com, and she was able to see it.”
Zaldain shares a sentimental moment of reflection. “This little sign will never leave my boat. I made it during the Bassmaster Elite in June of 2018 on Kentucky Lake after I caught nearly a 7-pounder, and mom was trying to follow the tournament from a hospital bed while battling for her life. The picture of me holding this sign with the big fish was on Bassmaster.com, and she was able to see it.”
As the day grows hotter, Nebo seeks shade on his Carhartt blanket under the driver’s console and safeguards the lightweight MegaBass Spark Shads and 1/8-ounce Okashira Screwheads that Chris has notched numerous top-five finishes on the past few years.
As the day grows hotter, Nebo seeks shade on his Carhartt blanket under the driver’s console and safeguards the lightweight MegaBass Spark Shads and 1/8-ounce Okashira Screwheads that Chris has notched numerous top-five finishes on the past few years.
Nicknamed Zaldaingerous by Brandon Palaniuk, he’s known for his love of larger than normal lures including this Vitalion bluegill imitator from MegaBass. “I caught a 5-pounder on it recently at Lake Worth, Texas.”
Nicknamed Zaldaingerous by Brandon Palaniuk, he’s known for his love of larger than normal lures including this Vitalion bluegill imitator from MegaBass. “I caught a 5-pounder on it recently at Lake Worth, Texas.”
Back on the hunt for sweltering summertime largemouth, Zaldain catches another good bass from a brush pile in 22-feet of water next to where a breakline dropped into the main creek channel that eventually reached 45-feet deep. The 3/4-ounce football jig was his choice for the thicker brush. “Once again that magical summer depth of 22-feet, but where a gradual sloping point with brush reached out to the main channel.”
Back on the hunt for sweltering summertime largemouth, Zaldain catches another good bass from a brush pile in 22-feet of water next to where a breakline dropped into the main creek channel that eventually reached 45-feet deep. The 3/4-ounce football jig was his choice for the thicker brush. “Once again that magical summer depth of 22-feet, but where a gradual sloping point with brush reached out to the main channel.”
Temps are beginning to feel like a sauna, so Zaldain takes frequent breaks to cup his hands full of water and offer Nebo a drink.
Temps are beginning to feel like a sauna, so Zaldain takes frequent breaks to cup his hands full of water and offer Nebo a drink.
It’s time to call it a day, and Zaldain has proven why he’s one of the top 20 pros in the world by mining quality bass in short order amid a sweltering hot July day on a relatively clear reservoir. The key pattern was finding brush in 22-feet of water on long sloping points near to main creek channels.
It’s time to call it a day, and Zaldain has proven why he’s one of the top 20 pros in the world by mining quality bass in short order amid a sweltering hot July day on a relatively clear reservoir. The key pattern was finding brush in 22-feet of water on long sloping points near to main creek channels.
Before loading his Skeeter back on the trailer, Zaldain takes a minute to remind tournament anglers of all levels who run a Yamaha to make sure they sign up for the new Yamaha Power Pay cash bonus program. You don’t even have to win your tournament to win the Power Pay money.
Before loading his Skeeter back on the trailer, Zaldain takes a minute to remind tournament anglers of all levels who run a Yamaha to make sure they sign up for the new Yamaha Power Pay cash bonus program. You don’t even have to win your tournament to win the Power Pay money.
Time to take the Tundra back home to Fort Worth. “The 381 hp gives it awesome towing power, but I also love the comfortable ride and the fact it’s got oversized brakes to stop my boat and all the tackle I carry,” concludes Zaldain.
Time to take the Tundra back home to Fort Worth. “The 381 hp gives it awesome towing power, but I also love the comfortable ride and the fact it’s got oversized brakes to stop my boat and all the tackle I carry,” concludes Zaldain.

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