Friday Fishing Tips – Aug. 13, 2021 – Jeff Gross

by Jeff Gross, contributing writer

With hot summer heat now affecting all of us, bass will now be rather sluggish during the day. Another problem is the warm weather will increase weed growth. 

Milfoil is an extreme problem across Rhode Island. The West Bay is very prone to the noxious weed. Great bass ponds like Bowdish Lake are so badly weed choked that it is almost impossible to fish them. 

The Rhode Island DEM is running a program to de-weed some state owned ponds like Carolina Trout Pond, Shippee Saw Mill Pond and Breakheart Pond have been successfully de-weeded.  These ponds had remained weed free for about 2 years with the exception of Shippee Saw Mill. That pond has remained Milfoil free. If you know of a state pond needing Milfoil removal feel free to email the author at the address below.

All these weeds make it difficult to fish with any type of diving lure. This is where the top water lures come in. Numerous anglers on “A Better 401 Fishing”  mention they do very well for bass on Top Water Frogs. Makes one wonder if the pictured Top Water Frog is what they are referring to. This writer found this frog in a tree in an uninhabited section of the Pawtuxet River in Hope, Rhode Island. It is a telltale sign that when lures are found in trees that fish won’t be caught that day.

Tip: Try using a weedless top water lure in a frog scheme over Lily pads as bass are hiding there to take advantage of the shade.

Sunday Aug. 15th should be a fairly cool day with a lower dew point if you intend to fish this weekend.

Good Luck!

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Jeffrey “Jeff” Gross spent 21 years as an Analytical Chemist at the USCG R&D Center in Groton, Connecticut, Woods Hole Laboratories, and Helix Technologies. Changing careers is a “great learning experience for everyone”, Jeff says, and I’m an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, a student of the sciences, and the world. The US holds too many wonders not to take a chance and explore them”.

Jeff is the Model Train and Railroad entrepreneur. Proud Golden Retriever owner. Ultra strong Second Amendment Advocate and Constitutionalist. “Determined seeker of the truth”. 

Jeff is a RIFGPA Legislative and Legal Officer, Freshwater Chairman, NRA Liaison.

His subjects include Outdoors, Second Amendment, Model Railroading, and Whimsical.

He can be reached at: [email protected]