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During the heat of the summer, fishing can get pretty challenging. Crappies and walleyes that were much easier to locate along shoreline structure throughout May and June scatter and occupy a lake’s deeper, cooler water this time of year. However, there is one particular species of fish that really steps up to the plate during these hot weeks of July and August, and that fish is the smallmouth bass.

Locating productive smallie water couldn’t be simpler. Stick with the upper St. Croix River, the upper Mississippi River or the Rum River in and around Princeton, Minn., and you’ve got it made. A neat thing about rivers is that fish occupying moving water tend to be far less influenced by seasonal temperature changes than lake fish. That’s not to say that smallies won’t behave differently at different times of the day. One thing to keep in mind is that fishing, for the most part, will be a bit better during lower light hours of the day during the hot summer months. Mornings and late afternoons into the evening hours tend to be the times of the day when smallies move into the shallower waters in search of baitfish and crayfish.

Because the upper sections of the St. Croix and Mississippi can be quite shallow in spots this time of year, the best boat to safely navigate these waters is a canoe. If you drift into some really good-looking water or catch a couple of fish in one particular area of a river, pull the canoe up onto the shore or an island and wade for a while. If you catch one bass while drifting, it’s almost a sure bet that more fish are in the area, so get out of the canoe and thoroughly fish that area. It’ll make for a more enjoyable and productive day on the water.

As far as spinning gear goes, a medium-action rod and reel spooled with 6-pound mono is ideal. In-line spinners (Mepps #3s), spinner baits and crank baits that run 3-5 feet deep will all take fish. If you’re like me and chase smallies with a fly rod, a 7-weight is a good choice, particularly when you hook up with larger fish in the 20-inch class. You’ll want plenty of backbone in your rod to tame these hard fighting fish in the current. Productive fly patterns include beadhead buggers, weighted streamers and, of course, surface poppers.

Canoeing down a beautiful stretch of river during the summer is – in and of itself – a pretty attractive proposition. Canoeing down a stretch of river that’s full of cooperative smallmouth bass eager to take a spinner or fly is an even better thought, isn’t it? Go a step further and be sure to pack a couple of light meals and bottled water in a cooler before you head out to the river. There are few things more enjoyable on a warm summer day than pulling the canoe onto the riverbank for a leisurely and restful shore lunch.

Dan Brown’s weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankie’s Bait and Marine, in Chisago City, and St. Croix Outdoors, in St. Croix Falls, Wis.

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