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I fished my final trip this morning. I know I can fish deep into November and catch bass, but I also know I can die doing so. The water is cold. Deep fall here. You can see it in the larches with their wispy, dirty golden leaves, which are the last to change. Even the oaks have lost most of their leaves. You can see some of their leaves in my canoe below. I saw three big deer drinking from the pond then bounding through the marsh and a V of geese circled and skidded to a stop, also enjoying my pond before fleeing winter, much like me. The season might be wheezing, but my pond is always in her come-hither youth: I pulled my canoe out of the water and brought my paddles and net home. I also caught a dozen bass in a little more than two hours. One of the BR gang said that color matters with soft plastics. So, I remembered that and applied it with good effect. All my bass came on an underspin with a paddletail. My first paddletail had a green top and white belly and caught my first two fish. Then I went to a green pumpkin paddletail and caught nothing. In the water, it disappeared. "Color matters with soft plastics," I was told and I listened. So, I switched to a white and chartreuse paddletail and caught another ten. This was the best, nearly 18 inches and bulky: The second best, 18 inches, but thinner: A couple other solid fish: One thing I loved about this morning was that I ended the year as I'd begun it, casting underspins with paddletails into the boggy edge of my pond. I cast well too, hitting the tight spots. I so envy you Southern anglers, who have endured your merciless heat and now have the sweet late fall and mild winter ahead of you. Enjoy it! You've earned it.

Nothing big, but trolled up a limit of greenies and a few shorts on cranks this afternoon. Water temps still fluctuating, back up to 67-68 with our warming temps.

I say "con". Yankee here and the 5th grade was the best 3 years of my life!

Last day of my PTO before back to work and then driving to Fort Myers for a week for work, got out for a few hours to make the best of it. 3/4 oz gold lipless was the ticket, got 9 and culled 2 tilapia. Biggest was a pretty decent one, went 4.61 lb and had someone else's EWG hook cutting her mouth up pretty bad so it felt good to pull that out before releasing her. Little bit of line attached looked like 6lb mono, no wonder they broke off. I did slip on some wet clay and fall hard on my shoulder landing her, but sometimes you gotta make sacrifices in this sport.

@Catt my kind of Halloween....lol

The majority of the time I swim them as intended using a 3/16 oz unpegged. The most effective is in and through emergent grasses from 1’ to 6’ fow periodically killing it from 4’ to 6’. After a few seconds of dead sticking I pull up straight and hard to the surface and let it fall back before I start over. The next few casts are just a straight retrieve back changing speeds with a few quick subsequent turns of the reel. Another way is weightless on top. One of the best areas to fish it that way is in obvious “frog water”. In a pad field, I’ll stop and drop it only in the widest of openings with the same type of retrieve. You can change it up using a keel weighted hook if you want/need more of a 3/4 horizontal fall but you’ll lose some of the tails action which is unique and the reason why it’s the most deadly of all swim worms. The Magnum is the most versatile. If you lose the tail for some reason then just use it as you would any oversized stick bait. Mike

I had my best day of fishing this season (so far) today. As most of you know, I missed the first third of the season due to health issues and surgeries, so my season has been shorter than normal. But today was great. I was fishing from shore as I don't have a boat right now. I live in Owego NY, and was fishing the Susquehanna River. We have had several days of unseasonably warm weather. Temperatures have been in the high seventies, somewhat windy, mix of clouds and sun. Water temps are in the mid to high 50s. Water level is very low due to lack of rain for the past month. Went out at about 12:30 pm and fished until 4:30 pm. I started at a creek mouth on the main river. This area has a shallow soft bottom flat of 2-3ft. with a channel that reaches about 5-6 ft that cuts through it. I had no luck at all in this area no matter what technique or lures I used. I left after about 45 min. I moved on to an area where there was a shallow rocky flat adjoining a deep (considering the overall lack of water) channel of 8-9ft that ran right along shore. No luck there, and I got chased off by several other inconsiderate angles who kept casting over my line and being generally obnoxious. I was only there about 30 minutes. I went to an area where there was a large rocky bottom flat with some scattered wood laydowns and a few boulders. There was some minimal submerged weed growth in a few areas. The water depth was from 3ft to about 5ft, with a few pockets that maybe hit 6 1/2 feet. In the next 2 1/2 hours, I caught 29 smallmouth bass, and one 19" Walleye. Most of the fish came on a 4" original floating Rapala minnow (silver with a black back) that i would cast out and just twitch on the surface, with 15-20 second pauses between each twitch. I missed several fish because the fish would blow up and knock the lure completely out of the water. When they did make good contact, the hit was massive. The fish were very acrobatic, and tons of fun to play on the light spinning tackle I was using. I had a 7' light action rod with a 2000 size reel with 6 lb extra limp Trilene line. I caught 3 bass on Bass Pro Choppo lure in the 110 size which I cast on a MHMF baitcasting rod with a Johnny Morris reel loaded with 14lb test Excell mono, and 2 more on a shallow running generic square bill in a sexy shade pattern, and one more on a chatterbait in Citrus green with a matching minnow style trailer. The bass were mostly in the 1 1/2 lb to 2 lb range, with the smallest being 1 lb even, and the largest and last one of the day at 3 lb 7 oz. Tomorrow the high temperature for the day is going to be in the mid 40s and the low will be about 29. Sunday will be slightly warmer, but is supposed to be very windy. However, the middle of next week is supposed to warm back up to the mid 60 to 70 range, with some possible showers, so I guess my season is not done yet. I am hoping for a repeat of what happened today, but will be satisfied if I catch a "few" when I get back out. BTW, happy Halloween!

I’m sure everyone has heard of and used the Zoom UV Speed Worm at some point. As I’ve said many times the Magnum is my absolute #1 plastic. No other bait accounts for more 5lb + bass in my box. If you use any type of swim worm this is the one you need regardless of brand Mike

So, my fishing season is over and I'll be putting the winter cover on the boat and jacking up the trailer this week-end. Prior to covering the boat, I'll be emptying all the tackle I have in it. Prior to putting that in storage, I do a quick inventory to see what I'll need to replenish during the off season. That's when I begin to put together a Christmas/Birthday list. If I'm looking for a new reel, or rod I'll start searching the web for what I like, I don't need another combo, but that never deterred me. I'll save the bait monkey a visit and give him a courtesy call and we'll go back and forth until either Christmas, or my birthday in early Jan. roll around. If by some slim chance the wife or kids don't get me something off the list, then I just gift myself. Whadaya think? Too early??? I could hold off until after election day................

My birthday is December 20th, I combine both, my list is short. #1: 4-5 days on the Big Pond #2. See #1 😉

Same thing I want every day - peace on earth and health and well being for myself and the people I care about. That being said, I would really love to try one of those castable fish finders. Be neat for locating sneaky stuff at the featureless no boats allowed snaggy weird little public ponds I fish. I want a true heavy flipping stick for braid and pads etc. I want to be able to horse 12 pounders out of lily pads and don't have a rod for that. I'd like to get the DRT klash 9 In a nice green gizzard Shad color. I'd like to get a wooden musky size jitterbug in Black with proper hooks and hardware and such. Might get one of those new Shimano scorpion reels from digitaka. They look super sweet. Kind of want to get a couple sproKing daddies to play with and maybe a couple of the spro rats. Maybe this year I will finally get a few molds for soft plastics and start recycling. Some of my old used up plastics that I've got in Old coffee cans on a shelf.

FINALLY DID IT!!! Cracked the 6lb mark, WOOHOOO! Caught this one on a Tiny Klash blank I rattlecanned; Tuesday was a 79-degree high, had to get out there and give it a shot before these storms and cold weather rolled in last night and God gave me a GIFT! She went 21.25" @ 6.26lbs, so pumped. I've wondered whether I'd ever get to see a 6 up close and personal and the dream has come true! Might be my last fish of the season, the water in these ponds is cooling off quickly, but what a fish to end it on!

All my recent catches that were not BFS rats. Minus the senko fish every one came on a flashy swimmer + xzone swammer.

@Mike L Effectiveness of baits from year to year Zoom's Magnum Ultravibe Speed Worm in Junebug Guess bass ain't learned that yet

@TnRiver46, pucker factor directly correlates to a sudden increase in athletic ability!!! 😂

Need to be more specific. Me too. Two times out of the last 4 years, November ended up being my best month for quantity of quality. scott

I fell in 47 degree water and luckily I reacted extremely quickly and positively, I was back in a 14’ V - bottom boat before I even knew it. Looking back I should have just went to the bank 12 feet away but instinct took over and I shot out of the water like a dolphin in boots jeans and a heavy hoodie

Couldn't resist, $148 on sale, Kistler KLX incoming...

June Bug is King I’ll also use Watermelon Red if I ever find clear water. Mike

I do exactly like @Mike L but i throw the standard & the Magnum. I also cast, flip, & pitch both. @Pat BrownTry those Speed Craws Texas Rigged

They teach boat anatomy in the 4th grade in Tennessee public schools.

Yankee here, and I say it the same as you. I made it through the fifth grade.

Just TREATED myself to a good brisket sandwich, bake beans, and fries.

Striper have been getting a little more active recently, caught a bunch the last 2 days on top water.

How do you say it, and why are you saying it wrong? LOL, this has to be one of my biggest pet peeves when listening to boat reviews, sales people, or anyone talking about their boat. Pic for attention, the KON-suhl of a Sportsman Masters 267, because I want one.

I want a 2021 Ford F350 diesel quad cab short bed tremor package in lithium grey with a GFC topper

Anything below about 60 is arguably downright dangerous to be in. Regardless of whether you fall in from boat, canoe, whatever, its not gonna matter if the water is 40 or 50. You better be wearing a PFD because you aren't going to react positively and clearly in that situation.

I'd like a workbench with great lighting where I could fiddle with my tackle. That's it.

A tiller is what most bass heads should buy when looking at anything under 18'. The layout makes more sense. I loved my 17' tiller.

I am 2 years on from where you are now, minus the tournaments. I picked up mega live basically 2 years ago over the winter. My intention wasn't to 'scope' bass, but to be able to see structure and fish in real time to know I was fishing the right areas. Once I got comfortable with that I then moved on to fishing for the fish on the screen. I'm in a kayak, so moving fish, a lighter moving boat, and changing wind make it pretty tough but it can be done and I've learned a few things in the process. Getting started, get a bunch of practice just playing with settings. Different water clarity/turbidity, depth, and bottom composition mean adjusting settings. The depth setting and range settings impact what you're looking at. It's great being able to look forward 80' or more, but unless you are using a big screen (16" plus), 80' out and 30' deep on your screen means your bait is going to be tiny and tough to track. Same for fish. Different baits have different profiles on the screen and that affects how well you can track them. Big vs small is obvious. Soft vs hard baits make a difference as well. A smaller soft bait like a 2-3" jighead minnow might be the toughest thing to track (its possible though as I do it for crappie). To that end, know where your sonar cone is. For my megalive, it's not a wide path. The easiest way to track a lure is to have a heavy splashdown which creates disturbance and bubbles and then you can track the bait as it falls. If you miss the splashdown, it can be tough to find your bait until its too late. In terms of specific baits, you're on the right track. A jighead minnow is the most straightforward. If bass are feeding in the open (or even just chilling but open to eating) it's a fast way to get a bait in front of a fish. The right weight and sink rate is important. You want it to sink fast enough to get down to the fish before they move but slow enough to stay in the strike zone. Color and profile seem to matter less to me so long as you're pretty close. A jerkbait is another good option for fish that are a little slower or more reluctant to feed. The stop go can trigger bites that a jighead minnow won't. A dropshot is a good choice because sometimes fish are just on a finesse bite. And you can see it well in the water. If bass are relating to the bottom a dropshot is a good choice, though keep in mind they are harder to find and see. An A-rig or a spinnerbait are quite visual on FFS but I've never had a fish hit one of either fishing them that way. One thing I have had work though is crankbaits and chatterbaits skimming deep submerged grass lines. If you have a defined grass line at (for instance) 16' deep in 20' of water, it can be tricky at times to know you're just skimming it. With FFS you can watch the bait and keep it right on the edge of the grass. The thing to remember with bottom contact lures like texas rigs and jigs is that you're not necessarily fishing them to specific fish on FFS. You're fishing to a brush pile or stump (for instance). Often you won't see the fish that's in the pile and you're just using LS to ensure your bait is in the zone. From a time of year perspective, you still have to understand where the fish are. If you're on a shad heavy lake and the bass are generally following shad then you need to find them and how the bass are setting up. For me, a lot of my lakes are bluegill and perch heavy for forage and also very weedy. That limits FFS effectiveness in the summer when there is a thermocline set up at 15' and grass grows to the surface from 20'. FFS is only effective for me then if there are cruising fish in the open over deeper water or in places that don't have the grass. From ice out until May when the grass comes up though its a good tool. Finally, keep in mind that even if you do all of the above right- you've found the bass, you can track your lure which matches exactly what the forage is, etc- a lot of times the bass just don't want to eat. I've wasted a lot of time casting to fish that just didn't want anything. You'll have to figure that one out for yourself but eventually you have to cut your losses and move on.

I say con as in conman then sole like the bottom of my shoe. That said, Yankees have the right to say it wrong if they like and I respect that. 😁

Although mine are nowhere near as big as @Jig Rookie’s I too took advantage of the warm weather on Tuesday and hooked into these 2.

Thanks--so true, I know the southerners are like, "...6 pounds?? My kids catch those with bobbers and hot dogs all the time..." Haha! The search for a 7 begins... Thank you--God just keeps giving, His love is so perfect and abundant! Praise Him!

Yall are too kind, in reality I cracked inside the carton on the shelf and ruined the whole dozen

Aye, Russ is a good egg.

I suggest not putting the boat away yet. I'll be out several more times this year and maybe even chase some lakers on Lake Michigan.

My PB was caught on a spinnerbait a couple of years ago; the first and only 7 lber I've caught.

Skeletor's Mini-Me?

Not really sure what this is, but it’s intense.

Congratulations! That's an epic fish. The southerners won't understand this milestone in Illinois. You've found great water and you've certainly put the work in. Well-deserved PB! Go for seven!

Trick or treat!

You gotta burn, baby, burn!

Yes, more similar to a zoom fluke in action to me with maybe a little more glide. But the 7" on a free rig got this pig in early summer. OSP dolive stick has the best shimmy on the fall that I've used, but I need to wait for a sale. scott

Glen used to upload an AI generated image to celebrate each holiday. I don’t know why he stopped. Guess I’ll have to do it myself. Happy Halloween everyone.

We raised 6 kids & have 13 grandkids, the youngest is 12. I've served my tour of duty!

I've also totally depriotized hookset. My water is full of snags. If I swung for the fences every time I felt what might be a tug, I'd be constantly retying after break offs. Everything from trees to old coolers is lurking down there. My mainline is braid and I mostly run tex-posed soft plastics. I'm rarely missing a fish, but it of course does happen occasionally. However, I'm also not spending all of my time getting steamed about getting hung up from the bank. 😅 Though I wish the other anglers on my lake would take the hint. I'm constantly pulling what feels like entire spools of cut off 60 lbs braid out of the water around sunken trees, which I of course find when those braid clumps snag my own bait.

Got my first glide bait bass of the fall on the BPS swerve! Super fun catch and a nice fish and my first big bait fish on my iRod Quercus Swimbait Jr. Super epic fun Slayin with the flukes for the others! Missed a couple frog giants but it's about all the really big ones will hit right now so I keep tossing and hoping to hook up! New moon coming - feeling hopeful. 😎🌑 🎣

I caught 3 in a row with a spinnerbait tonight, im in shock

2 new baits to check out. Picasso's new Titanium spinnerbait. Obviously has the titanium wire, but also a swinging head, which has it's pros and cons. Also got the Toad Thumper Juggernaut Jig. This thing is an absolute beast of a heavy-cover jig. I won't be able to try it out until next year, but I can already tell this is going to be one impressive jig to throw around the gnarly stuff.

I would start on the West Bank when there's an East wind. Then I'd go try the East bank. Probably bounce back and forth while trying different types of cover and structure. Bass like flats/points/coves/creeks/vegetation/wood/rock. Sometimes it's all about being in the wind. Sometimes they want to be wind protected. Beyond that - when it's windy - I usually speed up my presentations and fish more reaction type lures.