Sphynx

If it were me, you could try a worm if your sight fishing, alternatively crawfish/ bluegill colored baits often elicit responses from bedded fish

Boy do I feel like a kid that just got worked over for his lunch money. Break in the thunder storms and I hit the lake at sunrise, foggy, humid and hot. Fish feeding and jumping like crazy, thought I'd do alright today but I think somebody must have taught the fish a lot since last weekend, because I couldn't get even a nibble. Spinnerbaits, t-rigs, ned rigs, paddletail swimbaits, jigs, crankbaits, frogs, spooks, nothing. Hope everybody else goes a long time before they get beat that bad by the fish. Gonna need some ice for this burn lol.

I used to do a lot of runs for Menards up in the WI/MN area, maybe one of these summers I'll get back out that way and wet a line for some smallies, headed out this morning because I'm supposed to get a few hours between t-storms, I'll try to catch one for ya.

So crazy reading about a lot of the different rules/regs in various parts of the country, hope you northern fellas can get back to business soon, it's absolutely inconceivable to a guy who has lived down south for this long.

I'll have to see about putting together an overnight trip to Vernon at some point. Might be doable before too long, going to be grounded this weekend for weather though...I am not a terrifically large fan of fishing in thunderstorms.

Personally I'd go with that ned rig idea. Weedless hooks if hanging up is a real issue. I honestly can't think of a better way to get someone immediately into fish. If used with those Elaztech TRD's a way to do it more affordably. Inexpensive spinning combo, 8 lb mono and a ned rig will catch them a bunch of fish. Maybe not monsters, but enough to get them interested and wanting to go back out again.

I used to fish Vernon a bit whenever I was assigned to Polk. Bundick I've always had bad luck at, but that hasn't stopped me trying. As I recall my record there includes one very mean and inconsiderate turtle, a broken rod because of that turtle, and that is about all I've ever caught outta there. I keep hearing it's good, but that must be from some mystery place or something I have never seen lol.

Never met the owner, and I never really looked into the boat launch fee, I think it was about double the shore fishing price, but if it's in addition to yes, bit stout. Might take a swing at Alligator Lake next time I'm home, I think someone said Vernon is drained for maintenance...other than the river or the bend I'm not sure of any other bodies of water to check out aside from Bundick...and that lake is basically useless unless you have a boat/kayak...never have found a place worth bank fishing there that was accessible to the public.

Stuck on the bank for me, so I am rather limited in the spots I can reach, but it's been good to me so far over the last couple of days. One day I'll get around to buying a kayak or a boat and that should open a few more opportunities up in the land of no public access lol.

Ok, 36 degrees, bit of sporadic wind, and altogether a rough bite this morning. Tossed the ned rig around for about a half an hour to no avail. Tried with a jointed structure head and a vile craw, nothing. Tossed a pop-r just for laughs, zip. Broke out a spinnerbait and got one small fish but he popped off before I could land him. Finally spent the last hour or so tossing a 3/8 oz 6th sense divine hybrid jig in pb & smoke with a netbait paca chunk in crawfish color. Got me a new PB outta the deal. So to slightly modify my earlier hesitation, I think the water is doing just fine @Catt. Best I can guess is somewhere around the 2.5lb mark. I have an analog scale and it isn't terribly accurate, bouncing between 2 and 3 lb.

Chock full of pads, hydrilla/milfoil, (never bother to look too close and determine which) and it's probably the clearest water I've fished this year. Pretty sure the water near the park is shallow enough to be measured in inches instead or feet. I'm headed back out today to see if I missed out on much of a bite, but it's back down in the 30's for temp and my expectations aren't particularly high.

Dunno about whacky rigging weedless, but I did ghetto-rig a ned rig weedless to fish the slop this morning, more or less t-rigged it, even on that little hook I had no issues snagging the fish I lied...Cabelas appears to have some weedless wacky rig looking contraption for sale, try googling weedless wacky rig and it pops up, just a wacky hook with a weed guard.

Ya know...lotta fellas would pay good money for a bait with an action that realistic, ahhh I crack myself up.

I don't get down that way much, but in my neck of Louisiana we got little creeks, ponds, lakes, bayous, all kinds of water, next to none of it is publicly accessible for free, but the prices usually are pretty reasonable, between $3-$10 to bank fish. Salt water fishing is easier price wise and if I was a betting man I'd wager dollars to donuts that you'll be addicted to Redfish and blue crabs in no time flat...tons of fun for the whole family, just make sure you keep an eye out for gators, snakes and spiders, the gators can be alarming for the uninitiated, but generally leave you be, it's the snakes and spiders that are more likely to have foul attitudes, wear sleeves/long pants and high boots and you ought to be just fine

Not sure what it is, but that technically gets the skunk off the boat, you caught it and have photographic proof...no truck driver tales on that guy!

I've found a few craws I like as trailers, biospawn vilecraws work ok, rage craws etc. Trouble is those baits don't really qualify as affordable to me. I love tossing a jig around cover in new water, but I prefer to use arkie jigs and cheap trailers until I learn what I'm working with. Then I can switch over to my baits that I feel I work best to focus on getting bit.

Best thing about netbait craws is I can pick them up at Walmart. Bite off the back half of the body and, tada, got a chunk. They work as well as most and are affordable, what's not to like?

Doo doo day weather wise, dropped into the 40's, windy as all get out, t-storm yesterday. Still, being the stubborn fella I am I braved the elements for a couple of hours today. Got up a bit late otherwise it would have been better I think. These two chomped on a ned rig, green pumpkin head and black and blue flake TRD. The bite turned off about 5 minutes after the second fish and the last hour and a half was unproductive.

Bait monkey brought me some gifts. 3x each of 6th Sense Divine Hybrid Jig in 3/8 and 1/2 oz sizes, few chatterbaits, and some paca chunks, eventually want to pick up a few more in the 3/4oz size

That's the spirit, we'll figger these dad gum spinnerbaits out step by step!

Being a guy fishing from the bank, with 0.0 electronics, I get to find out what beyond eyesight in pea soup Louisiana waters the expensive way, one lost lure at a go. $1 spinnerbaits are not even close to my end game, but I'll bet you dollars to donuts I keep a pile of them around if for no other reason than to determine major structure in new spots. These lures are great.

I dunno about need, but I picked up a red one for a dollar at Walmart. I'll toss it around for a half hour or so every time I go out until it either produces or gets lost. Guess that deal about lures catching 2 fishermen for every fish has some merit? ?

Lol...if I knew the size of the can of worms I had just opened I'd have put my waders on first. Guess the Louisiana waters around me being a shake of salt short of being brackish means they'd be more grief than anything. Can't say I've ever fished anything clearer than 2 foot down here and it's nearly always a mess of roots, logs, grass, shopping carts, mafia rejects and the good lord knows what else. EDIT: Spelling

How often do you guys use trailers/trailer hooks?

Awesome input thusfar gents, good things to consider too. I am kicking myself for all the years I missed out on this bite, it's exciting in a similar way to crankbaits...what a rush