Fishing Small Lakes in the Summer

Question
I am 14 and have been fishing all my life but seriosly for about a year. Now it is summer and Fish are at the bottom of the lake. I am used to only fishing top water like spinners and buzz baits. I have just recently picked carolina rigging. Are there any other lures or baits that I could use that would work at summer time in a small lake?

Answer
Hi Tommy, glad to see you're getting out on the water.  Fishing throughout the summer depends at least as much on lures as it does understanding seasonal behavior.  You're right, during the day, bass are going to often be deeper than they are throughout the majority of the year, however, it is usually pretty easy to find them in transitional areas or areas of shallow cover either earlier in the morning (before the water heats up) or later in the days before dusk (as the water is cooling off).  Top water lures can still be extremely effective during these times.  During the middle of the day, though, my strategy is usually quite different.  My first goal is to locate fish with something that I can fish quickly like spinnerbaits, or crankbaits.  Between the two, I can cover a great range of depths, and if fished properly, avoid issues like snagging submerged cover, vegetation, etc.  If you can avoid snags, lipless crankbaits like the Rattle-trap are also extremely effective for locating fish and due to their sinking or "countdown"-like feature, can cover tremendous ranges of depth. When I notice that fish are holding deeper, I'll usually associate their position with some change in cover or structure.  In this case, it's often a creek channel, point, etc.  When it comes to fishing deeper, or transitional structure, there really are tons of options, all of which are dependant upon how active the fish are and what they rely on as a primary food source.  Aside from Carolina and Texas rigged plastics I tend to rely heavily on jig and pig combinations once I establish a pattern as to where fish are holding.  There are other options as well.  "Countdown" or sinking minnows can also be extremely effective. If I am having a difficult time coaxing strikes and the fish seem extremely passive, I often switch to Carolina rigged soft plastic jerkbaits like the Sluggo.  (in which case it's important to allow them to sink to the appropriate depth.  Also, before you fish them deep, I suggest you get accustomed to working them in clear shallow water so that you can sort of teach yourself how to use them to best mimic a minnow)  

Well, I hope I've at at least been able to provided you with a few ideas.  There are a lot more options out there, these are just the ones which I rely on on most.  If you have any more questions, or if there is anything else I could help you with, please be sure to let me know.  I would be glad to help.

Thanks and good luck,
Chris