treble_hook_smile

I agree with what your thinking. Look for the cleaner water towards the dam or warmer water near the creeks. Personally I would use a larger bait that gives a better profile. Something like a black/yellow or black/blue jig, colorado blade spinnerbait, wide wobble crankbait, or even a lipless crank fished slower then normal.

Whatever I can grab on the way out the door or at the gas station. Usually water, peanut butter crackers, and granola bars.

Caught a 8lb 1oz bass in Indiana this past fall crankbaiting. Hopefully Ill find her again this spring when she is chunky!

I spend a lot of time fishing a local 160 acre lake during the spring and summer. This place is only open to the public two days a week and only from 7AM till 4:30PM. So there is always a demand to fish it. In the spring there is always 25 boats (max number allowed to fish per day) lined up to access the water. So at 7AM the DNR guys open the gates and lets us in. This is where the competition begins. Its about a 20 mile drive inside this wildlife refuge to the lake. So once the gates open and we head out these fellows put the pedal the the metal and kick up the dust. Next is the launch ramp. Theres only one. So all the guys that busted buts trying to get to the lake now have to wait forever to launch. This is an electric motor lake. And it cracks me up seeing how many trolling motors these guys actually can get on their boats. I can understand having a spare but some of these guys run 3 to 4 motors just to have that extra edge over the others. Its crazy. So on to the fishing. Want to run a crank or drag that long point? Forget it. Working that laydown or beaver dam adjacent to the creek channel? Forget it. How about throwing a frog or punching that matted grass? Not happening. The sad part about this whole mess is the guys Im referring to here are retired. Almost all of them. And nothing comes between them and fishing that school of crappie or those bedding gills. These guys will cut in front of you and cast over you if they have to. I love this lake because it has several big bass. But unfortunately, it has several big bass_holes on it too. Its just a matter of time before fishing here becomes a contact sport.

Very nice post. My father got me started on fishing and being outdoors at a young age. That was a better gift then anything I ever got under the xmas tree. I know we see this everywhere anymore, but it rings true, take a kid fishing, even if you dont have one of your own.

Spinnerbaits are a very versatile lure. They can be used in all water conditions, all depths, and throughout the entire year. They also work well from the bank if you're a shore fisherman. Familiarize yourself with which color and blade combinations best suite the fishing conditions and go to town on em'. I personally start fishing buzzbaits when the water temps hit the mid 50's and I keep throwing them until the late fall. I agree with the other posts on when to throw these baits but they can be used on bright days if you search out and fish shady banks and under/around docks or there is ample wind to cut down on light penetration. They also work well from the shore. Hope this helps.