thediscochef

It'll always be the Fanta Sister to me

I would be very thankful for some 60 degree water right now, we've been stuck in the upper 40s for a solid month or so. Naturally DFW is poised for another ice event Friday, which will likely push things back even later.

I consider tubes to be a finesse bait, the retrieve I use for them that worked was a ned finesse retrieve. I think a lot of the definition of finesse depends on who you talk to. For me it's more about how I'm moving the lure than the size, but size plays a factor in how I retrieve. For instance, when we start hitting 90 degree days, I will start using my little chatterbaits again. I'll fish them and rig them like a ned - a small 2/0 hook with a 2.6-3" plastic, no skirt. Retrieved slowly slowly over rocks, river flats, and dam riprap. Every 40% of distance or so with a pause to let the bait sink. I did probably 90%+ of my catching on that setup last year until our lake temps got below 49.

Hey Spotted Bass like em ?? I picked up some new hardbaits at academy after the cold front came through yesterday. I caught my first ever lipless crankbait fish during the cold front, so I picked up a couple more of those. The red-eye sexy shad I caught the fish on has a shattered eye from hitting rocks on the opposite banks and may not be long for this world, so I got a backup cause it's now a confidence bait. Also picked up a googan squad, a yozuri 3DB 110 jerkbait, and an H20Xpress diving suspending jerkbait. I guess I throw hard baits now. Gonna go to BPS and watch their bass tank, let the weather warm up a touch, and then head to the lake for some target practice ?

? that sounds like more than my tackle could handle...

I've only seen videos of this effect, but just based on those videos I wouldnt want to be in a yak sharing a waterway with a big ship. That displacement doesn't mess around. Also, if the wake is crashing over a break wall there's a greater than zero chance those boats are going overspeed. If you can document it consistently, the coast guard takes that pretty seriously. Read the description of the video above for an example

Them's some pretty fishes mhmm. Great Job! Snakes are the thing I didn't miss about summer.

Wipers are fun!! I got one somewhere in the neighborhood of 2lbs a while back at my favorite river spot. He'd been in a fight with something, was banged up. But I was absolutely floored at how big he fought. Much like smallmouth and spotted bass, Wipers fight up a weight class and then some. I can't imagine catching a big one, the thought of a double digit Wiper makes me sweat as I glance over at the 15lb leader line currently on my baitcaster

I know this thread isn't about these incidents but this sort of thing makes me insane. I fish near and around ramps, sometimes on the ramp itself. But it's a *boat* ramp, not a fishing ramp. If there's a boat, they get priority. That should just be plain sense. I also get the same level of annoyance for boaters who decide to troll along the public fishing piers and cast within 10 feet of where folks are standing and fishing. I've seen it three times this week at my favorite lake, I had one land within five feet of my boot (he heard about it). I just don't understand it. It's not that hard to give folks space or just come back later when the bank is empty. Or just ask. The level of entitlement from some folks, both boat and bank, can be astounding. It's not hard to share the lake and just talk to the people around you. Ok back on topic: So I'm not sure how trout and bass relate exactly but I'd have to think it varies. I *do* know that there's a city pond here that gets stocked with trout in the winter, and people lose their minds trying to catch em. This pond would easily fit inside a football field and you'll routinely see 20+ people fishing it. If you're trying to use anything but powerbait dough there's simply not enough room to work it. I last caught a bass there on my birthday in early December. They began stocking it the next week and my catches abruptly stopped, though I think much of that was related to weather and pressure and not so much the trout. The biggest bass I ever caught there was about 3lbs (sample size probably 50-70 bass), but the trout stocked are all adults. I have heard of 5+lbs bass there and have seen channel cats caught up to 7lbs. The bass come from stocking 10+ years ago and most recently from a nearby pond emptied for dam repairs. I also see people keep undersized bass from this pond, as well as Cast netting against TPWD regs. Game warden could rack up some tickets if they wanted to. I digress. There was a blue cat in there this summer but he didn't look so hot last time I caught him. I've picked him up a few times. I know there was a channel spawn in there for the first time a couple years ago and there was another one this year - folks with smaller hooks targeting bluegills were pulling out fingerling cats 10:1 vs gills/sunfish. This pond is also stocked with keeper size channels and has a healthy population of shads and minnows. I went and checked up on it a few days ago and the clarity has gone way downhill and you can see where people have chopped down the dead reeds to get more water access. Line and packaging everywhere but thats normal for this location. I was unable to catch anything. I plan on coming back to that pond when summer is in full swing and the fish are hanging out in the aerators.

3/6/22 Today would have been the day to have a pop-r or a plopper, as bass were feeding topwater through the noon hour ahead of a cold front that had officially passed as of 4:50pm. From everything I saw and felt, we are now in early spring mode and the water temperatures have started entering the active zone above 48 degrees. Two fish were had at Isle du Bois Wild Plum/Boat Ramp cove today: 2.3lbs spotted bass, and one 12-14" LMB with a lot of melanosis. Spottie was had on a slow rising jerk shad, lmb was my first ever lipless crankbait catch - worked through a creekbed in short rises through the water. Smash one of the eyes off your KVD red-eye shad for similar results. The next day or two will likely be slow as we are post-front, but overall the warming trend continues. If I had a boat, I would be on the flats between sanger boat launch and culp island; also up in the creek branch south of the main Isle du Bois park areas; and the south/east sides of Johnson Branch park. Once we get back to warm temps next week, upper lake should really pick up. Rip rap along the dam is almost always a strong choice. Don't mess with the herons when they've caught more bass than you...they have sharp beaks. If my photo had any fewer pixels, it would be radio. But that happens at a safe distance.

It's a doozy! Good on him for getting it back in quickly and I hope he keeps his title for a good while. Pretty fish!!

That's a great day right there! Congrats on a strong trip

OH Ivie. Because of course lol The whole country boutta be at that lake ? https://www.fieldandstream.com/fishing/angler-catches-world-record-meanmouth-bass/

I've been at it for 3-5 hours a day since I got it Thursday, and this was the first nest I couldn't just untangle. The issue was that I had a knot in my line and the nest got hung up on that at the edge of the spool. Reloaded and been back at it for a couple hours. A fuller spool seems to have helped. I will get this down for sure. Thanks for your encouragement ? I have very strange luck And I also match PB spotted basses with jerkbaits. A whopping 2.3lbs

Now I go home to respool, because indeed I am on The Mountain. Much frustration

I got one on it yesterday but this morning I'm feeling high atop Mt. Stupid lol

I've only caught two jerkbait fish but they were both on the cheapest ones I own. H20Xpress Ultimate Jerk Shad. I find I'm more likely to throw a lure somewhere good if I'm not afraid of the replacement cost.

My aspirations right here. That crackle color does real good. I'm in awe, really

Thank you, i appreciate it. Lots of birds nests but nests in braid can always be untangled. It's just layers and loops.

I think jerkbaits are good

29000 acres of lake and somehow the Isle du Bois shore fishing pier is the only freakin place in the lake these four boats can seem to find, crossing lines of shore fishers. I thought the whole point of a boat was to go places others couldn't. So lazy, why do these people even have boats? Save your 70k and just fish off the **** pier if that's how you're going to use the boat. A frustrating waste. I didn't even get out of my car, that's all I needed to see to know I'm not fishing here today. I'll be back after sunset when the crowds leave.

As we come into spring-like weather (for real this time) water temps will begin to climb. Over the next week, I expect to see moving baits regain their effectiveness. When the non-surface water dips below 49 here, you need suspending baits or the lightest possible finesse setup, like a ned or shakey head. We are roughly 47-48 right now. Just enough that a chatterbait is a tough sell. A Carolina rig with 36" of line past the swivel would do well, preferably with something like a brush Hog or a swimming fluke that moves well at slow speeds. Hard jerkbaits are king right now from all the other folks I've talked to, and from my own experience. Most jerkbait strikes will happen in the first two or three twitches. Fish are hanging out on gravel flats and not many other places. All of my hits came between 3pm and sunset, the time of day when the water is at its warmest.

You love to see it

Thanks! I have a lot of work to do, I had four strikes on it tonight but I only could land one. But it was a good day. No day-ending backlash as I learn the art of baitcasting.

Welp. I did it. I caught a fish on a jerkbait. Little guy whammed it while I was practicing my baitcaster skills. All three hooks in him. As Dale Gribble says, WINGOOOO!! Finally. H20Xpress chartreuse shad color ultimate jerk. Second cast with that lure.