Side-viewing sonar has proven invaluable for many aspects of the bass fishing game, but Johnston said it’s particularly strategic during the hot months because it helps locate bait schools. Find the food and you’ll find the bass.
That part’s easy, but Johnston points out that the presence of bait schools also indicates favorable conditions.
“The bait is your No. 1 key,” he said. “Not all of the bass will follow the bait, but there’s always a big group of fish that will follow the bait. Drive around, find out what depth the shad are in. That will tell you where the best oxygen level is. You might not be able to catch those fish there, but those fish aren’t going to be far from that bait.
“Sometimes, they might be right on the end of a laydown, or they might be 10 feet in front of a laydown. That’s where the (Lowrance) Side-Imaging and the Down-Imaging plays such a huge factor.
“Yes, you want to look for the cover, but you also want to find out what depth that bait is in.”
Ultimately, anglers fare best when they let the fish tell them what they want. In some cases, the most inopportune moments can teach us the day’s best lesson.
“If you throw out there and get a backlash and you get a bite (while you’re clearing it), that tells you that you need to slow down even more,” Johnston summarized.