Summer is barely officially here. But it really arrived early in May. Triple digit temperatures are already the norm. How can you fish and beat the heat? Let me make a few suggestions.

1. Start early. Fishermen who get on the water about 9 a.m. have missed three of the coolest hours as regards to temperature and the hottest hours for catching fish.

If you start sharp at 6 a.m., you can get in seven good hours of fishing by 1 p.m. That’s when it really starts getting hot. Around 4 p.m. is unbearable.

If you are very disciplined, start in the dark. Night fishing can be dynamite. A 3 a.m. start gives you eight hours of fishing by 11 a.m.

The Canyon Bass Club began its June tournament at three in the morning. Lots of big bass were landed on Choke Canyon Lake, Fayette County Lake and Lake Austin. Many of the fish were hooked in the dark and just at first light.

2. Get out of the boat and wade fish part of the trip. The water is always cooler. Pastor Mike Schlimgen and I fished a section of the San Marcos River last Friday. We caught more than 150 sunfish, bass and a river-record channel catfish on our fly rods. Much of the time we were out of the kayaks enjoying the cool Edwards Aquifer water of our beautiful river.

3. Wear long sleeve, fast dry fishing shirts and long fast dry pants. Some fishermen think shorts and short-sleeved shirts are cooler. I think not. Thin shirts, some of which have built in UV-protection are better. Just splash water on your hat, shoulders, sleeves and back. As the water evaporates it has an air conditioning effect. But sun bearing down on bare arms and legs is brutal.

4. Use an evaporating, cooling neck band. Many companies make these under such names as Cool Bandanas, Cool Downz, and Cool’N Ties. These neck bands contain water absorbing polymer crystals. Simply put them into ice water in your icebox and the crystals will absorb the cool water. Tie the bandana around your neck and the cold water has an effect on your whole body. After about two hours, when all the cold had dissipated, put it back in the ice box. Use two of them. Have one cooling while you wear the other. They really work.

5. Drink lots of fluids, especially water. Fishing several hours in 90-plus temperatures can dehydrate you quickly. Drink more than you think you need.

6. Wear plenty of sunscreen. UV rays can produce skin cancers. Sunscreen works. I hate to put the stuff on but I like the results.

Put it on at home before you leave. If you wait until the sun gets real hot, it’s too late. And if the fish are biting, it’s easy to totally forget the sun block.

The dog days of July and August (they began in June this year) are just ahead. For coastal fishermen, these hot, still days make for some of the best fishing of the year. Deep sea fishermen can get off shore without those rough seas. The water gets greener because the wind isn’t continually stirring the water and kingfish sometimes come all the way into the jetties.

Winds all spring have hampered bay fishing. I have holes in Corpus Christi Bay that I know have trout and redfish in them but I have been unable to fish these hot spots.

But that will change soon. Little wind. Blazing sun. But most of the time I will be in the water wading and by 1 p.m., will be back on my air conditioned houseboat.

Jim Darnell is an ordained minister and host/producer of the syndicated television show “God’s Great Outdoors.” His column appears every Thursday in the Daily Record.