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Got about an hour of fishing in from the bank.before work today, caught 2 both on a buzzbait with this one weighing 3-12

Algae blooms and the effect they have on water bodies is a strange thing. There are two lakes we like to hit that are less than a ½ mile apart from one another with each draining directly into a salt bay via dams. One month ago, the western lake we fished already had pads popping up everywhere along with flourishes of almost fluorescent green bushy weeds emerging in the middle. However, the eastern sister lake which is nearly its carbon copy with regard to depth and shape is murky, practically pad less, and seems to have no new weed growth. Only filamentous algae laced zombie weeds still standing from last year were found. In past years, and at this point in the season, this place was nearly topped out with a carpet of weeds from shore to shore and had sporadic but dense pad fields. Both lakes have a good flow from inlet to outlet, so it's odd how one has been affected and the other hasn't. Kettle lakes usually don't fare well against an algae bloom, but dammed mill ponds seem to overcome them because they have flow, but not this one. Still, they were bitey until un forecasted rain and a chilling wind drove us out after two hours. My brother caught a huge pickerel that nearly swallowed his Tiny Tum. Just a nightmare to unhook it, but no blood, so it darted away with vigor. He shook off one buck bass at the boat, so his skunk was off. I got a buck pitching into zombie cat tails with a Zman ProcrawZ, then a nice chunk swimming a Berkley Grass Pig out in the middle in a patch of zombie weeds. Not bad for one of the few spots we can back right up to and dump the boat in and leave just as easily. Too bad we had to stop on a good bite, but it was miserable getting soaked and spun all over the place by wind. A win is a win.

Nice Bass Fred, especially the double!!! I had a good trip today. I caught 9 Bass in 4 hours today. (that's a good day for me) 6 Largemouth and 3 Spots. All but one were "keepers" (14 inches). Pictured are the first, a chunky 15 1/2" Largemouth caught at 5:58 on my 3rd cast, the biggest Spot, a 16 incher that fought like a 16 inch Spot, and the 4.48 pound Largemouth I caught on my last cast at 9:45. Most including the biggest came on a spinnerbait, a couple on a wacky, and a couple Spots on cranks. I was surprised by the water temp. It was a couple degrees colder than last week (68.5) if I'm remembering correctly. I don't keep "records" but I've decided to start taking a picture of the water temp every trip in case my memory get's "off". Added: The Shad Spawn is just starting. Action should be good by next weekend.

Short trip today. I would have fished a little longer, but my shoulder was hurting. A few years ago I avoided surgery on my shoulder with PT. I kept doing the PT even after all my appointments. For some stupid reason I quit doing it a couple weeks ago. I've already done my reps for today since getting home and won't be skipping them anymore. I caught 5 Bass, 4 Spots and 1 Largemouth. The first (pictured) was a 16 inch Spot within my first dozen casts at 6:57. The last,(pictured) a nice 18 inch Largemouth was at 8:38. I thought the Largemouth was bigger. It hit like a BIG Bass. No bump, or tap, I just felt the spinnerbait blade quit spinning. I swung on it and connected. It walked on it's tail like a BIG Bass does too. I considered fishing longer but decided to give my shoulder a break for the rest of the day. The rest of the Spots were between 13 and 15 inches. I also caught a several small White Perch, and 2 small Channel Cats. (no pixels on the perch or cats)

Went out yesterday to the New Reservoir it was slow going for a while at least until the forecasted clouds showed up. 80 degrees with winds gusting to 30mph out of the SW. Managed 4 dinks on the DT4. Photo shows the typical size. Went home grabbed a bite to eat and went back out, this time to the public pond I visited last week. The dink parade continued with another 4. Went down to Burr Oak early this morning hoping to add some size to my weekend haul but was thwarted by the skunk. Still some great views.

I caught a couple more today, one on a wacky rig and one on a swing head jig.

Carrying on with the theme last time I found them even hotter on the same pattern. Got a couple dinks and was getting swiped and slapped at every 5th cast. I’ll only bore you with one of here. Reached a spot with immediate access to the deepest water in the lake and had another small fish miss on two consecutive casts. On the third I felt the bite and swung. Imagine my shock to find two fish on! The small one that had been missing and a much bigger one! They had a combined weight of 9lbs which is more bass than I’ve ever gotten in a cast.

I've been fishing tube baits ever since they came out in the 80's, and now I reveal little-known tricks! i

Somehow got a catfish double , one was hooked and the other just twisted up into the line a thousand times. They also had a branch interwoven into the mess

My car was heavily frosted this morning. I wheeled my new, 85-pound canoe down to my pond. That was hard with all the bumpy rocks and branches. I have wheels, but the canoe tipped three times and once the wheels fell off and had to be restrapped. When I arrived at the water, I could see it had dropped so my canoe wouldn't float. I had to muck through the mud and haul it over a low rock wall that strangely extends into the water. So, I was panting before my first cast. I went fishless for the first hour and a half. They weren't where they were a week ago, about 100' from the shore in 8' of water. Plus, a couple clear, cold nights had dropped the water temperature to 47.5 degrees. So, I fired up my FFS, i.e. my Female Finding Sonar, and went looking. I found them in about 12" of water, up against a rocky shoreline. All hit my Keitechs and between fishing yesterday and hauling my canoe through the woods, I fished tired and lost about 20 bass. Still, I caught 13 and some were fine, including a small, handsome smallie (1st pic) and a nice smallie (6th photo) that refused to pose for my photo, flopping non-stop, but you still get a sense of her size. They all fought so hard and were great fun. A couple even turned my new, heavy canoe.

Caught one today on a tube. On my 7 foot wall lol.

I need a drink just reading this.

It's well-known that for years, the Chinese, Russians, and North Koreans have been creating billions of malicious fake social media profiles designed to divide Americans. They do this by posting polls about hot/sensitive topics designed to stir the pot, creating extremist profiles with extremist views, creating profiles that propagate conspiracy theories, and create profiles that paint an overall picture that Americans are polarized on every political and social topic. They make the "either you're with me or against me" way of thinking seem normal (i.e., "either you are Republican or Democrat", when in reality, the majority of Americans are in the middle and vote both ways). Most of all, they spread the notion that being angry, rude, uncaring, and selfish is okay and "the norm", especially towards people with different viewpoints than yours (having different viewpoints is the very foundation of this country). All of this is designed to implode America by pitting neighbor against neighbor. And the scary thing is... It's working. Most of us are following profiles or have "friends" on social media that we've never met. At least a few of them, if not more than half of them, are fake profiles run by foreign countries. In 2019, Facebook deleted over 2 BILLION of these fake profiles in just one quarter, and they delete over a million fake accounts every quarter on average. And that's just what they can find...and that's JUST Facebook. Nevermind TikTok and Instagram! It's safe to assume the majority of posts you see on social media are from these fake accounts. So if you see something on social media that just chaps your hide, BINGO! You found one. Report and block it immediately. Better yet, just stop using social media altogether. We have phones, texts, emails and fishing for keeping in touch with another. We really don't NEED social media. btw, now you know some of the reasons why political and religious topics aren't allowed here. But you probably don't know the mods and I vet every new member that joins here, not only to block fake profiles, but to block spammers as well. Ok, rant over.

You are kidding! Why would they not? The bass didn't decide not to eat em, y'all decided not to throw em. I got way more Curly Tail & Ribbon Tails than straight.

Had a great day today at my favorite little pond. Had only caught one crappie since October (but the bass bit all winter) so I wasn't expecting much. Caught 7 crappie and 4 bass in a couple of hours. All the crappie were much bigger than normal and I think this one would be my PB ever. Out of the 11 fish, ten bit on a Beetle Spin grub without the spinner. The biggest bass of the day (3.5 lbs) hit a red lizard on the first cast of the day. Another fish hit it on the second cast but ripped the tail off and I never got a bite with the missing tail after that.

Hey, Caught these two decent fish this morning, very cloudy and rainy today

He had a lots of pretty blue spots and bright orange fringe. Hungry little guy.

A couple from a 30 minute trip to the river.

I bought a used Shimano Aldeberan MGL 51, 6.5:1 a few weeks ago. It did have a few scratches on the frame and it bothered me. I asked about decals for the Aldeberan MGL 51 and Wanee's was suggested for casting reel decals. I contacted Wanee's and saw they still had the graphite design decal for the Aldeberan MGL 51. Had time today to apply the Wanee's decal this afternoon. Took my time to prep the reel, wiped down with 90% rubbing alcohol and then apply the decals to the correct areas on the reel. The outcome after applying turned out better than I thought. The kit did have a diagram to follow and actual pics of where the decals were to be placed and that helped big time. Instructions mentioned to wait 24 hours to use the reel. So I'll be giving it a few days for the decals to cure and hold onto the surface of the Aldeberan MGL 51. Now the Aldeberan MGL 51 looks great and feels great with the decal installation. Doesn't seem to have added extra weight to the reel, that's good! Also the graphite handle and EVA knobs that I replaced the stock handle, looks perfect and matches the decal kit. Now, if I can find a drag clicker for the Aldeberan MGL 51...

A big bowl of oatmeal keeps me full for hours, and keeps a warm breeze blowing inside my bibs in cold weather. 😁

The zoom mag 2 and ol monster on a texas rig with a worm weight are two of my favorite lures. You can swim it our bounce it off the bottom depending on where they are that day and both seem to do really well for me in calmer / clearer conditions...what's nice about this setup is you can also bring along a pack of swim worms and then easily switch over to those if the wind picks up or the conditions aren't as clear as you were expecting when you get there. I've found these all come through light - moderate grass in ponds pretty well too...

I had a guy that launched right in front of me when I was about to leave this morning. Right side (his right when launching) ramp was wide open but he skipped it and went to the one on his left (my right as I’m pulling the boat up to the dock to pull out). I was annoyed but whatever. I tie off to the end of the dock as his wife walks the boat off and ties off. He goes and parks his trailer RIGHT NEXT TO MINE. He leaves both truck doors open on my side and as I walk up he’s futzing around, doesn’t look like he’s doing much. He’s get up to my 4Runner and he’s working on a diaper change for a young toddler while about a 4 yr old is giving him the business for her sister’s behavior and a few other normal 4 yr old complaints (snacks, Bluey, she couldn’t wear her princess costume, etc.). He looks at me and goes “I’m sorry, trying to get everyone ready” and I just laughed and told him to take all the time he needed, he had his hands full. I didn’t tell him he’d miss this, but he will. point is, give people some grace, some of them have a lot going on. Not the tailgaters. Those guys suck.

I forgot about these. The camo on on an Alphas TW looks kinda cool.

We can fix this. Show up to my place 9am sharp tomorrow. Slow cooked grits or buttermilk biscuits. I will make you a believer

Had a short but fun morning dragging for catfish on Mountain Island Lake. Fish were scattered and seemed to be around spawning/post-spawn groups of crappie. 6 catfish in about 3 hrs and some white perch and crappie on the UL in between cats. Biggest was pushing 30 lbs, a ton of fun in my little tin boat. I had a 15 that was foul-hooked in the dorsal that was a challenge to subdue without a net.

If you’re getting 3-4 years out of the ones you’ve been using, I see no reason to deviate. That’s good life span for lead acid batteries. Thats about what I got when I used them too. I generally used the interstate brand.

A Clif Bar, getting up a 5am is hard enough 😁

15lb test, .14mm diameter on my Pixy 68L (full spool). I fish hard jerkbaits and small crankbaits with it. Usually I have a .01" diameter nylon/fluoro co-polymer monofilament leader tied to the end of it. oe

It certainly wasnt from any kind of sonar, not that I’m against it. But it wasn’t available back when. It pretty much isn’t available now either for me… have you seen how much they cost ? Mostly spots were/are found from time on the water. I know that’s simplistic, but it’s true. And in Florida there are a million places to bass fish. Where do you start? Then , there’s individual spots on the water bodies. It can be intimidating. I fish close to home for the most part, which allows more time on the water. I try to learn a few spots well, and give up on some as I add others. I have individual things I look for. The ones that dont meet my criteria get passed over . Partnering with a few trusted friends helps too, you can trade spots, as long as they arent blabbermouths…

Hours and hours and hours and hours of time with the electronics, combined with hours and hours and hours and hours of fishing areas to figure out which were good and which weren’t, all built upon a structure fishing foundation.

I use these quite a bit https://www.ispikeit.com/category/6/dip-n-glo-markers A-Jay

I absolutely still love ribbontail worms While I like and use many, the sneakiest ribbontail worm in a size that will get larger bass to commit is the zoom mag 2. The mag 2 is a very thin worm measuring 9.5” long. Whats sets it apart? Since it is thin, you can use this worm with a small hook and light line, if you wish. I have used this worm for years and I find that it works well in every body of water I fish. Catches fish like this dandy:

I like them because I feel that I can fish them a good bit faster than the stick baits and Trick Worms that I also throw. My preference is actually lizards, though, with the curly tail- only because I bought a TON of different colored lizards when some on-line shop closed years ago. I probably have 700+. Possibly even more. Hope my kids and future grandkids like to throw lizards.

Your biggest bass, what rod/reel did you catch on? Mine came on a $39 Walmart Abu Garcia Black max combo that is now 10-12 years old. Definitely places it as having a special place in my heart!!

Does anyone still use these? We used to use them a lot when I was a kid. I just remembered them as I'm exploring square bills for the first time. I was thinking how much better they look than a crawfish painted square bill. Just curious.

Mine was with a BPS 6ft. Med (I forget the model) paired with a TD Advantage and good ole 12lb Original Stren. That was my topwater combo for years. It and a Spook put a lot of fish in my boat.

Thats what I was thinking, I can’t hardly break that line without a knife . Bowfin ……. So we can sleep tonight

Who cares about the latest catch pics thread, we need a lost a bass, support group thread more.... Sorry for your loss.

"Spots" change with season and weather. I WANT to be good with my electronics and I know I need to take the time to learn them, but I just haven't. Part of that is because 90% of lakes you can look at the bank and extrapolate how the bottom of the lake looks in that same area. I have used electronics to find single stumps or rocks in the middle of nowhere that hold a fish, but I have found many, many more "spots" with my eyes and brain than with electronics. Your question was, "How do you find your spots?" 1. Know the season (the season the fish are in, not what season you are experiencing). 2. Know the fish in that lake and where they are likely to be during that season. 3. Know what the water temp is. 4. Know what the weather has been (including wind direction) for the past couple of days. On the lakes I fish the most I know what spot to try first, second, third, and fourth based on the above criteria. On a brand new lake? Well, that's a brand new ballgame...but I love new games...

Doh! This thread just made me buy another for $79... Thanks everyone - shame on you...

Your smallies moved. They do that with a quickness.

Oh gosh man that stinks. Really sorry to hear. 15# big game is super hard to break. Musta been a whale of a bass.

I use Sunline Sniper and Shooter exclusively. InvisX is a high quality line with the right amount of manageability, knot strength and abrasion resistance. However, I used it one time and took it off as it was just to stretchy for me in all line diameters. It’s the closest flouro to monofilament than anything else I tried which I will not use. I use Sunline Sniper from 12# to 16# and Shooter 20# and 25# Sniper has all of the same qualities as InvisX just a little more so especially in thier thinner lines. Shooter is in a class of its own on the higher end. Mike

Sometimes when this happens I like to lie to myself and say things like: 'had to be a gar' 'those pickerel again!' 'snapping turtle' 'that underwater rusty fence again!'

How did / do you find your “spots” I go fishing. A-jay

Yamamoto Ichi worm.

The popular tournament finesse worms were Mister Twister curl tail worms out west on a split shot rig. Dick Trask and Don Iovino were winning the events but Trask had a edge he boiled the Twister worms to make them softer. Trask found another worm maker willing to make worms softer and make a 4” ribbon tail worm Dick named Screamers and was his secret weapon. Screamers disappeared when Flutter closed and Dick passed away. A San Diego worm maker started up and bought the Flutter Craft tooling selling them in local shops for about 2 months then disappeared. Actually the company moved to Texas and last year I found them on eBay. US Bait Company making custom colors in Reapers and Screamers that worked as good as ever. 4” Screamers on a split shot is deadly finesse rig and the 3 1/2” Reapers both forgotten. Tom

Caught my PB 11.5 lb largemouth on a 10" ribbontail worm! Caught too many bass over 5 lb to count on em. I like them a whole heckuva lot.

More Pike have been caught using a Johnson silver weedless spoon with a white pork rind strip then any other lure. White is a basic fish belly color. Bill Murphy “In Pursuit of Giant Bass” has a chapter on lure colors. Bill was a dental technician an expert on matching white colors. Bill decided to test 10 different manufactures of the same tone of white. The test was to paint 10 of same mfr diving crank bait white from each paint supplier and fish them. 7 of the 10 lures performed poorly and 3 caught bass consistently. All the lures looked the same shade of white to Bill’s trained eye. What was the difference? It turned if under ultra violet light the 3 white lures were the same shade and the other 7 were all different shades. To the bass white isn’t always white. After painting all 10 lures with the most successful white they all caught bass. Proving we don’t know how bass brain interprets see colors, Try the white soft plastics and let the bass decide. Tom

Maybe 😉