the reel ess

I grew up fishing a lake that was developing. When I was a kid you could go on a weekday and be alone. That was the late 70s-80s. We sold the place after my dad died. It was simply not enjoyable anymore.

Well, weeds won't grow deeper than sunlight can penetrate around here. Thankfully, the water here is mostly at least a bit permanently stained, especially where cypresses are present. Thus, weeds won't grow much deeper than 7-8' deep. So anywhere that has some clear water.

I'm in SC. We don't have fall. Our summers run from May 1st to October 31st, often longer.

I only take pics of bass over 3 lbs or if it's some special circumstance, like I caught a minnow on a giant wakebait. Monday I went to a new place and only took pics of the lake. I did catch 5 dinks.

I fished a place yesterday that was about 85% vegetation at least to the surface. It was even hard to paddle in places. No one with a trolling motor in his right mind would want to fish it.

Why not a kayak?

Spook, Jr., Pop R, Plopper (or Choppo).

3/8 oz. Jig and Craw trailer. Black and blue.

Maybe big ones don't prefer the docks. They also don't tend to hang out with small bass.

That has all the marks of a lure I could throw for a straight month and never get the first bite. That's why I rarely go for gimmicky baits. I was about 5 years late on the Whopper Plopper.

nm

I'm guilty of stubbornly throwing a topwater when I should be doing something else. I'm also guilty of forgetting a lure that I really needed/wanted to use or a paddle or to charge a battery or to put a plug in. My dad used to call that the head-in-the-butt syndrome. You cast so long without a bite that you are on autopilot. I'm guilty of saying "we" when talking to myself while fishing alone.

Sunrises and sunsets are a spiritual thing for me. I prefer sunrise because it signals the promise of another day. I can still continue to fish after it.

June 25th 9:12, T-rigged SK Ocho stick worm. Pulled it over some lilies and let it drop off the deep edge. BAM! I have another 8 lb. caught a few years ago about 10:00 AM in a shallow flat in full sunlight, July on a War Eagle spinnerbait in gold shiner pattern. Not really sure which of these is the PB.

Weightless worms like Trick Worm and Speed Worm, finesse C-rigs, very light treble lures, shaky head, anything with a light wire hook, Small Pop R. Anything difficult to cast with baitcasting gear. During spawn, I'll rig one up with a lizard.

CacthCo's Trashmaster is the BEST jig I've ever used. I don't think I've ever lost one. And it's the best for skipping too. Other than that, I'd just say an Arkie head and a good hook will get 'er done.

One more rule to live by: The best way to get the best bite of the day is to cast someplace fishy and get a backlash you have to pick out.

I fish all of the water column. It's just more fun to me when they'll bite topwaters. I'll fish however I have to to get BIG bass.

-It's more fun to catch two 2 lb bass on top than four 3 lb bass off the bottom. -If you want to improve at a technique, leave all the other combos at home, in the truck or in the rod locker. Also, go somewhere that receives little pressure to try new techniques. -Cloud cover and light rain is your friend. -Bass in heavy cover have a false sense of security. If you fish all around it but not in it you're selling yourself short.

-Big bass are solitary creatures and usually won't inhabit the same territory. -Don't give bass too much credit. Fish are neither smart nor dumb. They're just running on pure instinct and have no idea why they do the things they do. If you could ask one and he could answer, the answer would be "I don't know". -Topwater bites from largemouth in open water, in direct high sunlight are very rare. -You don't need more than a few colors of each soft plastic, only 1 if you choose black/blue, junebug or purple. -Braid on spinning reels eliminates a whole lot of line twist issues. -When you can present a jig and craw to a big bass in cover, they'll usually bite it and they won't want to let it go. -If big bass are what you're targeting, expect the occasional skunk. -When they get used to your arsenal, show them something new. -When you get your buddy's fishing report that they aren't biting, don't believe it. Tournaments show that someone always catches some. If the water is high, fish the new habitat (with a spinnerbait)

As you said, no absolutes. I caught a previous PB in about 18" of water in July. Then, there's the spawn where you can see most of them.

Yeah, I would do this with a weighted EWG the same as I do a toad. But I would probably use the Rage Craw for more action.

Someone on here recommended the Daiwa Fuego to me for a $100 reel. I bought one and didn't care for it. I mean it works but it's noisy. So the next $100 reel I bought was a Lew's LFS. It was so much better than the Fuego I bought another LFS. I've also owned 3 Tournament MBs and I'm still using 2 of them. Lew's is some good stuff.

Yes. Practice the sidearm. You can skip that way too. I rarely flip. I've tried punching, but the weeds don't grow very deep here.

Wonder if this is the reason the Tactical Bassing guys relocated.