Summer in Pennsylvania brings more than just long days and warm nights—it often ushers in heat and droughts that challenge even the most seasoned anglers. While the scorching sun might make fishing during the day seem daunting, it also presents opportunities to enhance your angling skills.
Whether you’re looking to beat the heat with nighttime fishing or adapt your daytime strategies, these tips will help you make the most of your fishing adventures. The heat makes fish lethargic and can stress them out. Targeting them during the hottest parts of the day isn’t good for anglers or the fish. Take advantage of the cooler, quieter times to reel in your best catches.
Early Morning Fishing: Find Shade
- Fish in the early morning or late evenings.
- Fish in deeper water where the water temperatures will be cooler.
- Look for shady spots along tree-lined shorelines where fish may hide out from the direct sunlight.
- Target areas of rivers and lakes where smaller feeder streams enter the waterway. Fish often search for food in those cooler-water transition areas.
- Try fishing at night. Fishing after dark eliminates many of the hot-weather issues that cause fish to become lethargic.
Night Fishing: Use Scent and Sound
- Fish under a full moon.
- Fish the edges of lakes and ponds with lighted docks or shoreline lighting. The artificial light will attract insects, forage fish, and larger predatory fish.
- Start fishing right before sundown as larger fish start to become more active.
- Or give it a little more time until after the sun sets. Fishing well after sundown will allow waterways with lots of daytime activities more time to settle down before the big predatory fish come out to hunt for food.
- Use natural bait or a scent attractant as fish rely more on their sense of smell to locate prey when its dark.
- Live baits like minnows and worms provide a two-fold bonus. They attract fish from both their scent and their movement.
- Use topwater lures that disturb the water’s surface. Topwater lures mimic the vibrations of prey and attract predatory fish.
Be Safe Anytime Day or Night
- Be familiar with the waterway and shoreline you are fishing.
- Take a friend along.
- Use a headlamp at night.
- Wear a life jacket anytime you’re on the water and take a wading staff for extra safety, especially if you’re in a new area or in moving water.
- Leave a float plan if you are on a boat.
- Pack the insect repellent.
