senile1

This is the week! Who's going to step up? After 7 AOYs and 4 Classic wins, does anyone think KVD still has some magic left in that bottle to set a Classic record of 5 wins?

Pretty cool! If you fish long enough, you can see some pretty amazing things.

Jim, don't feel like you are the only one to wonder about all the "rules of thumb," science, and advice unsupported by evidence that we receive as anglers. It is a lot to sort through at the beginning. Eventually, due to your love of the game you will sort it out and find what works for you. As some have stated above, but in other words, there are the following: Real science. Rules of thumb that may apply more often than not due to that science. And also pure fishing conjecture based on that science. Avoid number 3, and don't forget that number 2 only applies some of the time. Take the real science, apply it on the water, and as you spend time on the water you will work out some things that work for you. I know that is a very general statement but it is why so many mention "time on the water" because there is an art to learning to apply the science so that it becomes second nature . . . . almost instinctual, and that art is developed only by time on the water.

I like Brad's comments above. I also think the obvious answer of population density that the OP mentioned should not be discounted. Additionally, bodies of water with an overabundance of food for the bass can sometimes be more difficult. If they already have enough to eat in the two ponds, maybe your lures just aren't that appealing.

Nice work! I'm like the few who have commented. I like nature sounds and your narration; however, there are others who will like the music best. You should make the videos the way you want. I will still watch them!

Nice! It looks like you had very little wind so that's good with those air temps.

This black bear was hot-footing it across a meadow at Glacier National Park. It was the only bear we saw while hiking there which is kind of good actually. A few grizzly bears do make their home at GNP. I don't want to run into one of those.

Welcome to Bass Resource!

This is a pic from the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park.

That's a beast! Congratulations to your brother and welcome to BR.

Roger's is an awesome store . . . . probably the best brick and mortar fishing and hunting store I have ever been in. I can spend hours in their lure aisles.

@Joshua Vandamm, I should add that just because I am able to make a prediction on what the bass might be doing based on normal bass behavior under certain conditions doesn't mean that prediction will always be right. That is where it is important to pay attention to the what when you get to the lake as you stated, because the why that we are aware of might mislead us on occasion and cause us to miss some other variable that is affecting the fish. The why and the what are kind of hand in glove, so to speak.

I agree the what is important and goes hand in hand with the why. But knowing the why allows us to predict the what and is why we study environment and structure. For example if I know the bass in my waters begin to migrate to deeper water basins (the what) at a certain cold temperature range (the why), then when those cold temperatures are experienced (the why), I can predict the what before I even go to the lake. Knowing the why allows me to eliminate unproductive water.

Wow! That's a nice fish and so close to a DD you can taste it.

Now that would ruin your day.

Like you, I appreciate having the lake to myself. I'm glad you caught a few. Nice pics.

Close-up at RMNP.

Very nice bass. It is nice when a plan comes together!

Great write-up and nice work on getting the championship birth! You definitely earned it.

Congratulations! Nice fish.

The view at the end of Avalanche Lake Trail in Glacier National Park.

Are we talking new to fishing, or just knew to bass fishing? If someone is new to fishing, I agree with starting simple as the posts below indicate and not overwhelming someone with too much information. Not only would I keep it simple but I would recommend a small body of water that has a lot of smaller bass so the new angler gets a feel for casting, working the lure, and the joy of catching/fighting the fish. Once he or she gets a feel for that, then they can start digging deeper and try more complicated waters. If new to bass fishing only, then the answer depends. If he or she is a very experienced angler for another species I don't think it is too much for them to jump into deeper information about bass behavior along with learning to use the appropriate tackle.

Yes. Paul's channel, The Nature of Fishing, is top notch and very informative. If you want to know the "why" of bass behavior this one covers it in great detail.

Thanks for posting that, John. The section on "How the Sonar Shows Fish" is excellent.

I learned that it is nice to use the Navionics app on my phone to follow lake contours so I can have bigger concurrent windows for my ClearVu and Side Imaging on my EchoMap 93sv. Though there are only specific circumstances when I run all three together, my eyes are getting too old to look down at my feet at the bow and see as much as I would like with the map, side imaging, and down imaging all going at the same time.