Hot weather has reduced fishing activity, but it hasn’t kept the fish from biting.

In fact, some anglers are having good success during these dog days of summer. When water temperatures rise, so does fish metabolism, therefore they have to eat more often.

“The people braving the heat are catching fish,” said Bryan Williams of Trailhead Mercantile in Niles.

Make no mistake about it — inland fish are moving deep and require deepwater tactics to catch them. Bluegills have pulled off the drop-offs and bass are holding closer to deeper weed clumps.

“For bluegills, mark them on your depthfinder and set your bait and bobbers accordingly,” noted Kevin Claire of Lunkers in Edwardsburg.

Bass have been biting a variety of soft plastics finessed through deep weed edges and topwaters early and late.

Aside from the weather, the hot news is in river walleyes.

“It doesn’t matter what section of the St. Joe river you fish, the walleye fishing has been pretty good throughout,” said Darrin Schaap of Clear H2O Tackle in Edwardsburg.

Dick Parker of Central Park Bait in Mishawaka says that’s been the case below the Twin Branch dam while Mike McNulty said similar things about the river above Twin Branch.

“Walleye fishing has been outstanding,” said McNulty. “They’re catching them about 10-12 feet deep and leeches have been the hot bait. Crawlers are working, too.”

McNulty said anglers are slowly drifting those baits on or near the bottom.

Schaap added that trolling and casting crankbaits have worked, too.
“A lot of guys also are using Slow Death rigs on a Lindy rig or bottom bouncer and a half of a crawler,” he said.

Steelhead and Lake Michigan: Steelhead moved into the St. Joseph during the cooler weather a couple of weeks ago.

A lot of fish have moved into Trail Creek in Michigan City but hot temperatures have slowed angler success. The lower sections of the St. Joe have been good, especially at the mouths of cooler, incoming tributaries.

“I’m hearing about a lot of big fish being caught on spawn and inline spinners,” said Williams.

Perch fishing has been fair on Lake Michigan, but mostly in close and as shallow as 15 feet.

Indiana Lake Michigan biologist Brian Breidert said there have been a lot of small alewives in close and the perch have all they need to eat. Some 10-plus inch perch have been caught, but perch on the Michigan side have been running smaller.

Boat trollers are catching a mixed bag with only a few kings, but they are running big, said Schapp, who’s seen a 22- and 25-pounder caught.

Breidert added that the lake is producing coho up to 9 pounds and 10- to 12-pound steelhead in 95-120 feet of water.