Louisiangler

Heat will generally make Bass more inactive much like humans. It's logical, the prefer a certain temperature just like we do, the closer to the preferred temperature the more active, the further away the less active. When it gets hot like that I break out te night fishing gear. I have had very good results just waiting them out til the bats start to fly about. And don't think that you need some "special" color for them to see your bait. Nope, it's all about 1) proximity 2) presentation and 3) speed. If its close enough to them they will pretty much tag it regardless of what it is. That's why I like a good Texas rig for that type of fishing, something I can cover a lot of water with but at a slow pace. You can literally drag it right across their face, and if you do, 8 times out of 10 you will get a strike. Presentation is also important, at night Bass tend to rove about more but not a great distances. If you get a bite in one area stay there even if you don't get nothing for the next 20 casts. If you are patient you will get a strike because Bass tend to follow the same pattern of behavior. If he was there earlier he will be back, either him or another. Speed is the last component. At night a slower speed can work to find where they are holding to. After that is determined a higher speed bait can be used to work the up- a crank or a swim bait.

Louisiana bred and born, but GA living.

Thats hard to say, because there really is no one guaranteed "big fish" lure. Regardless of what type of lure you fish with there are hundreds of variables that may affect your percentage of success. Some are of the opinion that a bigger bait attracts a bigger bass due to visibility. There may be SOME truth to that, but visibility is again, one of many contributing factors. I have caught small bass of lures almost as big as they were, and I've caught bigger fish on smaller lures too. So it really all depends. For a grassy bottom, I would go with a 8 - 12 in. worm or creature bait, Texas rigged (or maybe Carolina rigged with a nice clicker bead). If its an open water situation, say 15 - 20 feet deep, I would do some pitching near cover with a jig, or use a deep diving crank and try to slam into a few things nearby. And if its off a nice point where the bottom drops off a few feet near some scattered cover, I would go with a spinner bait with a big blades or even double blades with a trailer hook. So to me it just depends on the situation. If there was a go to big fish lure, I would probably fish with it every single day...who wouldn't?? Besides that would probably take the fun and challenge out of fishing. As fisherman we enjoy the 'mystery' of not knowing exactly whats going to bite and why. And if we can target a spot, and use an application that we think will work...and it DOES...now thats what fishing is all about, the challenge, the curiosity, the challenge.

Some fisherman erroneously assume that 'taking' or 'eating' a Bass is like the gravest sin a person could commit. I do not agree at all. I am from Louisiana, and fish are plentiful in nearly every natural body of water, so the majority of fisherman keep at least SOME fish, including Bass. Recent articles and studies tend to imply that this is actually a better practice than just the pure catch and release, because keeping some fish and releasing others is healthy for a Lake, since not every fish will become a trophy fish due to natural conditions and limitations. People tend to look at Bass as if they are the apex predator in every body of water they inhabit when they are not....or at least they would not be. In areas where there is a healthy and wide variety of species you will find Otters, Alligators, Large Snapping Turtles, and even some Birds that ALL feed on fish...including Bass, be them fry or adults. The idea is that in a 'perfect world' some Bass would be culled from the population ANYWAY, in some shape, form or fashion. So a Lake that ONLY does catch and release that does not have a wide variety of species will actually be more detrimental in the long run. Logically, a large female ready to spawn should be released, small, young bass should be released, and really big and healthy fish should be released to increase and encourage the breeding population, etc. But in my opinion and experience, pure catch and release can be problematic. Taking some Bass from the population using GOOD JUDGEMENT is a good practice. It is no coincidence that many State Fishing Laws allow each fisherman to catch a certain amount of fish every day. In most Southern States its like 8 - 12 Bass/day per fisherman. If pure catch and release guaranteed the success of the breed than it would be a Law, but it isn't. Bass are NOT an endangered species, they are plentiful all over the US. They may seem to not be plentiful, but that might even be blamed on the countless ones that are released and become wary of certain sounds, colors and techniques associated with fisherman, some Bass may actually be getting smarter and learner what to avoid. Bass are part of the same family as Bream, and everybody knows that Bream are an excellent fish to eat (if you don't mind a few bones), no needless to say they are a delicious fish to eat, and larger ones produce nice filets. Not as sweet as Tilapia, not as 'fishy' or 'gamey' as Catfish, and not as delicate as Bluegill. Bass fisherman are a dedicated bunch, and it is excellent that so many have such respect for the fish, that ensures that Bass will be here a long time. However, we also dont want to be misled by our own self-conceived notions of honor, 'etiquette' and culture that we become extremist and zealots who treat Bass like they are some type of God-fish that must be returned and worshiped. The Native American Indian tribes caught fish too, mainly for consumption, but they were BALANCED with their practices. That is all we need to do today, educate ourselves, keep the waters clean, appreciate the fish, but maintain a good balance.

Ok thanks. Much appreciated.

I was visiting a friends house just last week who lives right in front of (or behind?...depending on where you are using as a reference point) a creek that connects to the Flint River. He told me that his house flooded a few years back because the creek is right behind his house (like 80 - 100ft) so of course the never-dying and curious fisherman inside of me said, 'hmmm? Fish?'. So sure enough I walked down the street until I found a clearing big enough for me to get through with rod and box in hand. The water was very muddy (due to a recent rain - Friday night/Saturday morning, if I remember), and I tried to see if at least I could get a few bream to bite some live worms I had. No bites, just snags, but I wasn't surprised because the water was really shallow and muddy. Although I did see a nice school of minnow....and minnow point to bream and bass. So I know there are fish there, I was just not in a good area to get to them. Which part of the River can you get to fish at?? My friend lives right off of Tara Blvd. in a small neighborhood on the West side of Tara. From where is it accessible? Thanks

On a similar note, just Thursday I was fishing and cast out a BRAND NEW Cotton Cordell crankbait, about a 2 - 3ft diver. Just as I got it out there good and started to crank it back, it got hung!! Needless to say I was rather unpleased. But early I had caught nice sized Largemouth, so I was like 'you win some, you lose some'. Then after 10 casts with a Bomber A in another direction, I decided to put on my trusty Hot Spot (lipless crank), and would you believe I cast out in the same area and snagged the lure that I had just previously lost!! What are the odds of that?! To not only cast at the right angle, but to actually get it to the right depth to somehow snag my crankbait from whatever it was snagged on. That was certainly ALL sheer probability, and had NOTHING to do with my casting ability, because I had no intention of cast back near that snag, but I had apparently forgotten where it was. I'm just glad I got my lure back!! lol. Amazing what you can catch sometimes besides fish.

Its clear that Bass are very sturdy creatures, we ALL know how strong they are on the line, however we can not forget that Bass are made for water. As soon as they come out of their element things change. Personally, I've never snapped a Bass' jaw by holding it vertically, but I also do not hold it that way for very long, nor do I shake it around, or sling it everywhere either. I try to get the hook out of it as quick as possible, without handling it too much. Sometimes the hook set is deep and you have to handle the fish more, but if the fish is not too tired, the hook set is nice, holding it vertically a few seconds will not kill it...as experience would indicate. Regardless of how strong they may be, physics applies to everything. If you put too much force (in this case weight) on something that can not support and/or displace that weight it will fail, bridge, branch, bass jaw, whatever. So, although I would not scream foul at holding the fish vertical for a few seconds, I certainly would not recommend holding it horizontally without supporting the rest of its weight. After all, how much effort does it take to properly handle a fish after spending months planning, buying tackle, watching technique videos, cranking, flipping, pitching and everything else we do??

The worst thing I have ever personally snagged was a big snapping turtle. In Louisiana there are all over the place, and they are fight crazy...even more so with a hook in their face! I hate snagging turtles because its so hard to get the hook out of them. I have even seen them chase a live worm all the way ON to the bank, persistent little jokers. I have also snagged a big bag of what seemed to be a dead dog out of the Chattahoochee. My Brother snagged the BIGGEST Goldfish I have ever seen in my life (perhaps it was a Koi species of some sort), it was HUGE, like 8lbs, 15" long. I've seen my Uncle snag TWO eels back to back out of Lake Ponchatrain in New Orleans.

I also like to use a bullet weight in front of the jig head. Yes it IS rather bulky and clunky, but the added benefit is that just like a Texas Rig the bullet weight 'shoots' through the heavier mass of grass and weeds MUCH easier than just the usual circular jig head....you would be amazed at how much weed those small circular weights can pull. The bullet weight just penetrates and somehow pulls right through. When there is too much weight on the rig, just compensate by using a smaller size jig head weight. And it may just be a haphazard occurence, but fish tend to like the clicking that the weights make together. But I would add a bead to; 1) protect the line and 2) give a better action to the jig head because you will lose some action once you add the bullet weight as your lead. Hope that can come in handy when trying to get in (and out) of those seemingly unpenetrable weeds and grass. Happy Hunting

Although a native to the swamps and bayous of Louisiana (hence the name), I have been in and around Georgia, particularly Atlanta, for quite some time, and for my own personal reference as well as that of others in the Bass Fishing community, would like to compile a list of some pretty decent fishing spots IN and around the Atlanta area. There are a few spots in the Atlanta area, and a lot of small lakes and pond south of Atlanta in the Fairburn and Fayetteville areas. Here are a few spots I have been able to either fish in personally, or know of from other fisherman that have pretty decent Bass fishing. Feel free to share any information on any places in Atlanta you may know about. 1) Clarence - Duncan Park (Fairburn, GA) I used to play tennis at this park in the late 90's, and did not associate it with fishing until recently. A trusted source and fellow fisherman shared with me that park restocked the pond a few years back and now has a decent Largemouth population. It IS a small area, and is certainly more suited for off the bank fishing, and nothing extensive, although from what I understand it is actually much deeper than it appears. 2) 3 Hole Golf Course (Tyrone, GA) I have not had the chance to fish this Lake personally, but again it is recommended by a trusted source and respected fisherman. Supposedly this Lake holds Bass, Bream, Sacalait (Crappie) and Smallmouth as well. 3) "Hidden Lake" (East Point area) Due to some pending circumstances I can reveal the 'actual' name of this Lake as it not technically open to the public, but neither fully private. (if you are interested in fishing it contact me for details) This Lake is currently my favorite place to go because it is relatively secluded and holds Largemouth, Smallmouth, Crappie, Bluegill, Redear, Catfish and some HUGE Carp! Due to the 'undefined' zoning of this Lake I feel it may only be a matter of time before it is shut down completely and sold to some one who probably wouldn't know a Zara Spook if it hooked them in the nose. But for the meantime, it is a great place to catch some Bass. The average size I catch are between 3 - 6lbs but I have seen others pull a few 8 - 12lbs out too. If anyone is interested in fishing this hidden gem in the South West Atlanta area, just message me privately and I will be glad to fill you in on the particulars. 4) Twin Lakes (Fulton County) Nice from what I have heard, never been. Probably worth a try though as nearly ALL the small Lakes and pond in this area contain a decent Bass population, unless they lack a healthy prey fish population. 5) Twin Bridges (Lawrenceville, GA) Cost $10 to fish, but supposedly does have a few Bass and Catfish. Looks like more of a 'family fishing' spot, and not a real avid angler type of a spot. But hey...where there is water.... ...... more will be posted as I acquire more 'hands on' information on them. Thanks, enjoy.