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If @Blue Raider Bob is a swamp boy, raised in the swamp with mud in his veins, then I've become a swamp girl by dint of all the time I spend in swamps and my love of them. Here's where I fished this morning: Here's the biggest girl I caught: These two were almost as long: I caught them respectively on a spinnerbait, a popper, and a Googan Revolver. I have become skilled at extricating bass from weeds. Here's where the third bass lives: I cast the Googan Revolver in a narrow opening in the weeds and surfed the bass to the canoe. Keep their head up and reel like crazy, @T-Billy said. I caught mid-sized bass too. Here are a couple: I pulled this little bass out of wood: And for old time's sake, I lipped and gripped this one too. Actually, I just wanted an excuse to photograph the island behind it: 35 in all. Numbers-wise, the best morning I've had in a while. Hopefully this pace will continue! I also caught bass on a fluke. I missed bass on a frog. If @Pat Brown is a 10 at frog fishing, I'm a 0. A pretty pic to close my report. That's the river channel in the foreground. Thanks for climbing into my canoe and fishing a morning in Maine with a swamp girl: P.S. - I have never fished alongside so many dinosaurs. There were Great blue herons, Bald Eagles, hawks, ospreys, kingfishers, and cormorants. There were geese and ducks too. It was wonderful. P.P.S. - As I fished this morning, I was acutely aware of how no bass boat will ever fish that water. No FFS will ever pinpoint its bass. Even my canoe bumped into two rocks and a prop would be fouled in seconds before its lower unit was sheared free. I like that there are places only paddlers can go.

They weren’t the biggest bass, but I hit the first good group of fall schoolers this afternoon. Managed 27 ‘cookie cutter’ bass in a short amount of time and had to leave them biting. Hoping to get back out there again in the next day or two. Fingers crossed they don’t go too far from where I found them today.

This question always makes me laugh. Let me just say this after being a guide for 25 years. If I didn’t fish and you didn’t catch any fish, you would accuse me of being a terrible guide. 99% of the time not catching fish falls squarely on your skills as an angler not my skill as a guide. I always had a saying, “I can take you to the fish but I can’t catch them for you”. I also would say “I can take you to the fish but I can’t make them bite”. I’ll qualify my comments to be for bass fishing on inland lakes. Walleye, perch, crappie, trout, musky, panfish, etc., all have different types of guiding and different methods so broad brush statements about guides not fishing may be different. I also had clients that wanted totally different trips. Some wanted numbers, some wanted size, some wanted to learn the lake, some wanted fish patterns for an upcoming tournament, some wanted to learn new techniques, some wanted to learn how to run a boat and it’s functions, and some just wanted to tour the lake. You need to communicate with a guide what your expectations are. I’ve had clients tell me that if they didn’t catch a trophy/citation size bass, the trip would be a waste. Refer back to my 2 quotes above and if they didn’t like it, they could get back in their vehicle and call it a day. I can cast for you, I can set the hook for you and hand you the rod to reel them in or you can do it yourself. Makes no difference to me. My job is to put you on the fish and position the boat so you can cast to those fish and if necessary, provide the gear and baits that allow you a fair shot at catching fish. All the while providing you a safe environment to accomplish your goals for the trip. Of course, there are trips bass fishing where the fish just won’t cooperate but as a guide I’ve never had a client not recognize I put out 200% effort. ps…I fish.😉

The Bait Monkey just read this post. He then jumped off my couch, nocked some popcorn on to the floor, and didn't even bother shutting the door on his way out. He should be banging on your door any minute now.

Haven't fished for bass much the last couple weeks. September is historically the hardest month of the warm water months for bass fishing for me. I also have a couple tournaments coming up the next couple weeks, so I'm kind of trying to get my mind ready for that. Getting out and chasing these guys is my favorite way to sit and think, while still being able to fish. It's not lazy, not the way I do it. 1 mile down a creek from the launch, then 1.5 miles against a pretty strong river current in the kayak to get to my area I like to fish. I don't usually sit anywhere too long. A lot of loading and unloading the kayak, checking spots for fish, changing baits, catching bait. I did a lot for this one bite, but it was worth it.

I’ve done some guiding and I usually do some fishing at the same time. I try to figure out if something is working better than what I gave whoever I’m guiding and switch them if something is getting more bites. Once the bite is figured out, it’s more instruction on where to cast and retrieve the bait and the layout of the area we’re on. Most every time I’ve guided, the people I’ve taken are doing well enough that they insist on me fishing also anyways.

I’ve never had a guide that fished while guiding. If I did, I’d probably ask to be returned to the dock. If we’re gonna fish like buddies in your boat, I’ll throw you gas money, but not a penny more. Guiding should be done professionally. The only “fishing” I think that is acceptable for a guide to do is a scenario where fish aren’t biting and they throw out a bait to see if they can get a bite, that way they can tell you what you may want to fish with. If they are fishing to catch fish, it’s no longer a professional relationship, so I won’t pay a professional rate. I’ll give the “buddy rate”, which is some gas money and that’s it. Having taken a dozen guided salmon and trout trips, and a few bass/walleye trips, I’m lucky I’ve never had a guide think it was acceptable for them to be fishing. Could you imagine if you bring your car to a mechanic, and the guy reclines the seat, smokes a cigarette, and takes a nap in your car, and then charges you for the privilege? That would be insane. I see it no differently than paying a guide to get you on fish, and then they kick back and drop a line to try to catch the fish you are paying them to catch yourself.

Many great fisherman can not be good fishing guides because they are terrible at helping other anglers catch fish. A guides job is to do what ever they can to insure that you have the best possible day on the water That usually translates in to what they can do to help you catch fish. It is your trip. Your guide should do what you want them to. If you want them to fish with you than of course it would be OK if they fished. If they want you to use a certain technique you are not comfortable with, or otherwise don't like to use, than they can either teach you the technique, go to another location where another technique will work, or simply let you fish your way, but you will have to understand that your way may not be as productive as what your guide would like you to fish. If while trying to teach you the technique that is working, they have to demonstrate how properly present the lure, or bait, what a bite feels like, and how or when to set the hook, than obviously they may need to fish in order to be an effective teacher. Once you are able to replicate what they are doing, they should stop fishing. Sometimes if you are struggling to learn a technique, a guide may have to fish simply to see if the technique will work if done properly. This should only take a few casts, and they should be able to tell right away if the method is working in that location. Many times it may be best to let the guide make the first cast or two at a new location in order to determine if they want to spend any time there. That does not mean they should pull up to a spot, cast at the only log, land a bass then leave, but waiting for the client to determine if the bass are at a new location can take more time than a guide may want to spend. They may be able to make a couple casts and instantly be able to tell if the new location is worth spending any time at. In this situation communication is key to help alleviate any misunderstandings. When a location and technique is working for you they may want to try another presentation, while you are catching fish on the original method, and it would be wise for you to let them. They may discover a more successful technique, or one that you have less difficulty mastering. They generally should not continue to fish a method that has already been determined to be successful, or the same presentation that you are using. When I am guiding the last thing I want to do is catch a fish on a technique that I know is working, or one that I don't think my client will be able to master in the short time I have to teach them. I am always evaluating their skills, and trying to determine if there is another presentation, or location, where they can catch fish, with as little frustration as possible. There is always another piece to a fishing puzzle, and that goes double if you have to put a fishing puzzle together for someone else. If you want your guide to fish the same technique at the same time than that is OK, but only if you insist and don't be surprised if your guide still keeps switching baits. It is generally in a guides DNA to constantly be experimenting, looking for something new to improve the clients day. A good guide knows they can catch fish, but what they want is for you to catch fish. In general the only time a guide should fish is if by them fishing it will help you catch more fish, and or help you enjoy your day. A good guide wears many hats. They should be good fisherman, great teachers, excellent communicators, good listeners, story tellers, and over all fun people to be around. Their only concern besides your safety should be that you have as enjoyable day as possible. Most of the time that does not include the guide fishing

I've never hired a guide for bass fishing. But a guide fishing for any reason other that showing the client/sport what right looks like as a demonstration sounds incredibly unprofessional to me. Most of the guides I know are trying to catch fish through their clients. I hired guides for fly fishing for trout. Never once saw the guide fish. When I was a new to fly fishing 20+ years ago I had guides make casts to demonstrate a technique. It was the smartest money I ever spent because it accelerated the learning curve bigtime.

The struggles continue here. I’ve pretty much been camping out at the crappie hole since I can’t catch numbers anywhere I figure I might as well go for the big ones. Unfortunately the big ones did not cooperate today. After two big hits on the Mayor, but nothing to show for it, I switched to the Ned hoping to avoid the skunk. It worked but I all I caught were dinks with the below fish being the largest.

Don't bring 20 technique specific rods on the day of your tournament. Do ask what baits and techniques you will be focused on during the tournament, and pick 5 setups that will get the job done and what you'll be comfortable with. Don't whine if it isn't going the way you imagined. Do have fun.

Anything with shad or shiner in the name.

Lets just say your going to have to change your username if you go down this hard swimbait route.

I just fished my pond for one hour and fifteen minutes, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. As I've been doing lately, I only took two lures, this time a 4", bubblegum pink Senko wacky rigged and a brass-bladed Mepps spinner. Both caught three bass, which surprised me, as I was fishing under a high Sun on a pretty cloudless day. Maybe I've gained a little insight into catching bass under a high Sun. I caught one bass on a weed line, one approaching a shade line, three in the deeper water adjacent to a dropoff, and one in the middle of nowhere. I didn't put the fourth bass on the bump board so you could see the weather conditions. Nothing big, but all chunky except for the fourth, lip-gripped bass. I used two, little lures because of @Glenn, who coaches us to downsize in the fall. I figured my Mepps would imitate a shad and the little Senko would appeal to sluggish bass.

A friend of mine got a guided fishing trip as a gift, a wading trip for river smallmouth. He wants me to buy a trip so I can go with him. It seems this guide fishes while you are paying him to guide you. He does attend to your needs and does some teaching. Is it common for guides to fish while you are paying them to guide you? I am hesitant to pay a guy hundreds of dollars to fish when he should be teaching me about rigging, reading the currents, fish lies, drift depth and speed, etc. Thanks

Bass, walleye, etc...guide should be fishing enough to get you on a pattern but keeping you in the prime real estate and putting the rod down once you're on fish steady. Fishing musky where you're lucky to boat a legal fish in a day of fishing I would have a big issue with.

This is exactly what Bridgette did when she guided me last year. I knew knots, lures, etc...she basically found the spots where the bass were, taught me a bit about yearly movements in our lake, and suggested lure types and presentations. Both of us fished...and chatted...and I caught more fish that day than any other day I've been out.

Me too! I wonder if I can change it. Paging, @TnRiver46. I am glowing after reading your praise, Tom. I've fished Lake of the Woods too, Tom, as well as dozens of other lakes in that region. It makes me sad that I might never smell that air again. Thanks, @Mobasser!

I can only dream of fishing a place like that, Katie...but I can live vicariously through your pics - keep them coming.

I've only hired a guide a few times in my life. And they all fished. But they didn't do nearly as much fishing as we did. After they got us on fish, and got our gear set up and all of that kind of stuff, when we got to the point where there wasn't really anything left for them to do, then they started fishing. And they usually fished off to the other side of the boat or whatever, so as not to disturb our fishing. So it was more of a kill time, feel less awkward than standing around type of thing than them trying to catch fish. Which was completely fine with us. The job of a guide is to put you on fish. It's not to be your sea-butler, and stand at attention in the corner of the boat and wait for you to bark demands. Just because you paid for their time and wisdom, doesn't mean you own them. So long as they put you on fish and allow you to have a fun and memorable trip, the rest is immaterial. But on the flip side, if they're catching all of the fish and having all of the fun, then that's not what you're paying them for. Like pretty much everything in life, there's a balance.

You will surely learn.

I’ve never hired a guide but my son-in-law is a local salt water guide down here so I asked him. He said “I get paid to put them on fish” Mike

Some days just start out better than others ~ A-Jay

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies. It makes sense that if a client is not catching fish after say 30 - 60 min the guide should try some techniques or areas to see if fish are there, what lure works, is the client the issue or is it the fish/water, etc. hopefully he could do this in a limited amount of time, then when he finds something he can instruct the client with the new information. This makes sense and a limited amount is understandable. BTW the guide my friend is going with charges $300/half day and $500 for whole day walk and wade on public rivers that I already fish (and always catch fish) on. No limited access areas. No meals or transportation provided that I can see. Needless to say I will not be paying for his service, I can use that money for a new rod and reel or waders! Thanks again to all

Disco Violet, Baby Bass, Arkansas Shiner or if it's a Bluegill bite, GP with the tail dipped in Chartreuse.

Sort of...but more accurately it would be like you're in the market for a Malibu, so you go by the Chevy dealer and drive out with ZR1 and put three Camaros on order. Do NOT even browse through the Facebook Swimbait groups unless you've secured a pretty good line of credit

Depends on the guide, location, etc. Good opportunity to expectations discuss prior to booking. I have fished the Silver Water Wheel Lodge @ Lac Seul in Canada four times. It's an "American plan" full service, drive-in set up featuring trophy walleye, pike and smallies. Guides run the boat and will do everything for you...set up rods, tie on lures / jigs, bait your hooks, net fish, show you the ropes, cook shore lunch, etc. They get all walks of life at this lodge...families, kids, old-timers, etc. Service is top notch! Great fishing, excellent food. Once our guides got us set up and catching fish, they would pick up a rod and fish as well...but the second anyone had a fish on, or a snag, or needed more bait, they would immediately drop their rod and attend to our needs. We didn't have any issues with this...and were pretty self sufficient...I really didn't need help putting a minnow on a jig : ) I have never hired a guide here in the states.

Depends on the scenario... I spent a fair amount of the last 20 years guiding, I never fished while guiding unless it was purely an effort to get them to do something properly and they needed to see how it was done... I can't imagine hiring a guide to do a walk and wade Bass trip, that being said, if a guy can get hundreds of dollars a day to do walk and wade trips, more power to him. If he can do it and get to fish too, seems like he has it figured out LOL I have to ask, this guide charges hundreds of dollars, per person, per day? For walk in trips for Bass? Most guides accept up to, two anglers per guide trip. So if your buddy won a guide trip, but the guide wants "hundreds of dollars" for you to go too, something seems fishy here... This dude either is the greatest guide of all time, or your buddy is trying to get you to pay for the entire trip LOL

One of my favorite, late summer/early fall baits is a short arm, single blade spinnerbait. As there are few offered from lure companies, I make my own from standard 1/2oz. baits. It's a simple enough modification that most anyone can do. Before the weeds up here start dying off, I can run one of these over the top of the weedbed and then let it helicopter down its edge. Lately, I've been partial to an Indiana blade as I prefer to run it at a good clip over the tops and a Colorado blade tends to run on its side when doing that. Occasionally, it will get slammed when running over the tops, but most hits occur as the bait helicopters down the edge. If you don't have any Indiana blades, just downsize to a 3/8oz. bait. For those of you that fish bluffs, this is a killer presentation when allowed to drop down. Cast parallel to the bluff as it will pendulum toward you from the resistance of that big blade. If you're looking to throw something different this fall, give a short arm a shot.

Getting that far away from the crowd. Love it!!!!!!!!!

The first time I fished with a guide I was with a friend and we were on Rainy Lake in Minnesota fishing for walleye. I was in the front, my friend was in the middle and the guide was in the back. We were fishing a drop off it was about 5 feet deep under me and dropped off to about 20 feet under the guide. We were all fishing. Guess where all the walleyes were. Exactly at 20 feet. I was getting skunked while the guide was getting one after another. He never even attempted to reposition the boat so my friend and I had a chance to get some fish. First and last time I ever let the guide fish while I was paying.

Awesome fishing to watch. The last day was fun. Shallow water and lots of different styles of fishing. I guess some guys didn't like getting into the locks with the big triple barges.

Good gravy. Cheers to that.

I worked as a guide for many years and stood there watching people flail around helplessly, several said “here you cast and show me how “

I don't recall seeing this mentioned. Try cutting a slit in the belly of the bait from just behind where the hook goes in there to just in front of the belly weight. That will allow the bait to collapse more and less plastic for the hook to penetrate, exposing more of the hook. I do this with all my hollow body swimbaits and I don't see any reason why it wouldn't help here.

Old dog but I grew up throwing a spinning reel, right hand with left hand retrieve. During my teenage years I moved over to baitcasters and there were really no left hand retrieves back in the olden days so it was what it was. About 10 years ago one fishing day I did a lot of cranking and started having tennis elbow issues. I did a lot of computer work and even using the mouse with my right hand was excruciating, so I actually switched over to a left hand trackball mouse and that helped me recover along with going back to spinning rods. I had a mix of baitcasters and spinning but tended to use the spinning rods more but this past summer I semi-retired and have been doing a lot more fishing and started throwing some deep cranking baits and my stupid elbow has been bothering me again so I think if I can get used to them which I think I can, it will help my elbow until I irritate my left one, lol. I see many more pro's now throwing with left handed baitcasters and I think it makes a lot of sense. At least for me I have always thrown my spinning reels right handed and reeled on the left side. Will see how it goes, so far the reels seem really nice...should have bought more.

The 1st spinnerbait I recall was Shannon twin spin in the 50’s. In the 60’s a local was making twin spins using a football jig with spreader wire arms. When going to Arizona State I discovered the safe pin style spinner bait at Roosevelt lake marina tackle shop. This was a short arm single spin with white vinyl skirt around 1961. I made a mold for the short arm spinnerbait in 1963 and still have it! Tom PS, just looked didn’t find the mold,

I bet you will like the left hand retrieve once you give it a chance.

Just got notification at work today that I am being reassigned from Aberdeen, SD next week to Black River Falls, WI instead. Looks like I’ll be drinking some of that next week.

I've been keeping logs ever since I got back into fishing, and there is no way I'd ever remember the details of each trip. Besides the usual information, pictures let me gauge the size of the forage in the lake compared to the bass.

Had to follow up, purchased 2 shimano SLX xt 151 left hand reels from ALF when they had the sale, reels were $65ea with discount. I thought that was to good to be true but they showed up today, look brand new in the box. They are left hand retrieve and that will be new but going to put on my deep cranking rod which bothers my elbow so I may eventually just switch over to all left hand retrieve. Awesome place!

My first Raid🤩🤩🤩

I physically cannot keep track once it gets beyond 3

Been a little while since I updated the folks here - but it's been real fun this month! Been eating frogs and buzzbaits/buzzing plastics and lipless crankbaits and Jerkbaits (soft and hard) and swimming jigs. 😎😎😎 Already lost two big fish on jerk and lipless and seen some huge ones bail on my spinnerbait right at the bank which is a good sign 😂 - big fish are showing you interest in fast moving reaction baits again! 😎🤙🏼

3/0 EWG gamkatsu nano alpha , no weight. Round bend works too but gets more grass stuck to it

I have a pair of forceps for most hook removals and a pair of electronic pliers (long/thin) for the more difficult hooks. They're connected to retractable badge holders which clip into D-rings that hang off my belt. So they're both right at hand at all times...and yes, I did have to drill a hole in the handle of the pliers for the split-ring. (Click links for Amazon pages of items.)

These original wooden jitterbugs are very expensive! So I just made my own out of cedar at a fraction of the cost. Not so hard to tune them, either. Just work the baits until the right pitch/tone is achieved, which is by repositioning and bending the front lip. The area that I fish is very shallow, so the modifications would be different from, say, deeper water. Works great!

My parents are pre-fishing for a walleye circuit championship event on Lake of the Woods this week and my Mother caught this 29 incher yesterday.