When the summer sun sizzles, too many anglers start singing the Dog Days Blues, usually from home -- in an air conditioned room -- and assuming it must be too hot for any fish to want to bite. Although it's true that some fish can become tough customers during mid-summer and that some styles of fishing really aren't even worth trying, other types of angling actually get better as the days get hotter.

Jerry Uhrine (center) and fishing buddies Ted Boozer and Gary Hathcock show off Uhrine's 75-pound Tennessee River blue cat. Photo courtesy of Scenic City Fishing Charters (www.ScenicCityFishing.com).

We've handpicked 10 Tennessee places where fishing tends to be extra good for a variety of species through the hottest part of the summer. The hotspots are scattered through all parts of the state, so we'll begin in West Tennessee and work our way east.

REELFOOT LAKE CATFISH
"Look for the whitewashed trees," Billy Blakely advised.

The unattractive staining is a sure sign that cormorants roost in a specific group of cypress trees and it comes from the same source as the "chum" that causes the channel cats to pile up around the bases of the same tree. Not a very appealing pattern, but a highly effective one, especially during summer when the trees also lend shade.

The best bait, according to Blakely, a long-time guide out of Blue Bank Lodge, is the same shad that the birds are eating. He cuts the shad into chunks and pitches his offering around the bases of the cypress trees with bass tackle. If the cats are nearby, they typically latch on pretty quickly.

Alternative patterns are to fish night crawlers over stump fields or along the edges of groups of trees in the Blue Basin, or to fish at night along the edges of the lake with 'crawlers, red worms or cut shad. Whatever approach an angler opts for, Reelfoot is absolutely loaded with channel catfish up to about 10 pounds and can yield excellent summer action. The lake also produces an occasional big flathead, but these are usually bonuses for anglers targeting other species.

For more on Reelfoot lodging, boat rentals, guided fishing or lake information visit www.bluebankresort.com.

KENTUCKY LAKE BASS
Summer puts the big largemouths along the edges of the old river main channel and produces some of the finest action of the year. Anglers who understand river currents and how fish relate to current breaks caused by channel ledges and other structural features commonly find chunky bass congregated in key spots.

Good fishing sometimes occurs by day, especially when the Tennessee Valley Authority is pulling plenty of water through Kentucky and Pickwick dams to create good current over the structure. However, the most consistent action occurs after the sun goes down.

At night the bass feed aggressively along the tops of the ledges and over adjacent humps. Night fishermen arm themselves with Texas-rigged 10-inch plastic worms or lizards, spinnerbaits with grossly oversize single Colorado blades, or bushy jigs dressed with crawfish trailers. Most prefer dark colors and slow presentations for nighttime bass fishing on Kentucky Lake. Largemouths will dominate, but chunky smallmouths also show up in the catch some nights.

The lower northern end of Kentucky Lake's Tennessee portion and some of the reciprocal-license waters just into Kentucky offer much of the best summer fishing along the main river channel. Key areas tend to be close to creek and ditch confluences with the main river channel, and flats adjacent to hard channel bends.

For handy lodging, guided fishing or simply more information about Kentucky Lake, visit www.buchananresort.com.