Fortunately for us, Bass Pro Shops angler and FLW Tour champion Scott Martin had a few moments to spare to break down a simple approach to catching largemouth bass throughout the heat of the summer months.

On top early.

“The first part of my approach is pretty basic,” said Martin. “Hit main-lake shoreline cover early with a topwater lure. I use a buzzbait or a Live Target walking bait.

Scott Martin (Joel Shangle/BassFIRST)"That early morning summer action can be phenomenal, but you usually need to be on the water early.”

Go deep. Go big.

“Super basic, but so effective is fishing a big plastic worm deep,” said Martin. “I like the 10-inch Tightlines UV ribbon tail worm. Fish it along deep ledges on reservoirs or deep drop-offs or rockpiles in natural lakes. That big worm is effective.

"I like to use the red bug color when fishing in reservoirs, rivers, or any lower visibility water. Green pumpkin is my choice in clear water.”

Shallow is always an option.

“Don’t pass up on the real heavy matted grass or thick log jams,” said Martin. “I use a heavy tungsten weight and a Tightlines UV ‘The Punch’ bait to work into the heaviest stuff.

"Pitching around docks with a weightless UVenko soft plastic stickbait or a finesse worm and shaky head are also good choices.”

For all of his fishing, Martin uses Okuma rods and reels and P-Line products for his fishing line.