bp_fowler

Went out today to Flagdale lake. Last time I was here I was in my brother in law’s kayak and had a rough go of it. Winds were crazy I struggled to keep the kayak in position and I lost two at the boat. Today was more of the same wind wise, 40 mph gusts. Found a pocket that the wind was blowing into, also had birds swooping and diving into it. Caught two out of there on the black/blue mini max. Like to think that they were the same two I lost last year. Either way I feel like we’re even now.

For sure. That’s a big part of the reason I asked. Just trying to narrow it down.

Targeting SMB in clear water. Options for sunny and overcast days? Looking for to 2-3 to start with.

If @Pat Brown were selling his mojo I’d be willing to pay top dollar to learn the arcane art of the frog. 🐸 🥷🏻 Shore bass, winds gusting up to 30mph today.

Less than ideal conditions here today as yet another fake spring bites the dust. Two casts in and I hook this fish. Texas rigged craw for the win.

A lot of the spots around here are the same. I wish I had some kind of smart sounding explanation as to why this place wasn’t but honestly I haven’t the foggiest.

I’m getting more comfortable every time I take it out. Today I really started to notice the primary/secondary stability you mentioned. I was able to get a pretty good lean to one side or the other and the canoe would just balance there until i shifted my weight.

Agree. There’s so many ponds there. I wish I had a couple weeks just to explore. I probably still wouldn’t even come close to scratching the surface of all that place has to offer.

After getting pummeled by that front yesterday I wasn’t expecting much today. Decided to check out a place east of me called Appalachian Hills Wildlife Area or as most around here refer to it, AEP. Basically it’s approximately 35,000 acres of reclaimed strip mines, it’s dotted with a few hundred ponds. So many that most don’t even have a name just an alphanumeric designation on the map. Lauched my canoe at the first pond I came across. Water was super clear, like see right down to bottom clear. It caused me a bit of a problem. I could see tons of bluegill and small bass scattering as I approached. Even spooked a handful of larger bass unfortunately. I ended up having to make very long casts to even have a chance at a bite. Caught a half dozen dinks most about the size of this one, which was my first catch out of the canoe.

Hopefully I can start catching them from the canoe soon. Haven’t been able to take it out much since I got it. Winds here have been brutal.

Crappie Hole again this morning. Trying to get in before the next front hits. Fished for about an hour alternating between a double Colorado and a football jig. No takers. Figured what the heck and switched to a black/blue Mini Max even though I’m not a fan of fishing them in this lake because it’s full of snags. Caught three in three casts. Two decent ones with a dink sandwiched in between. Moved down the bank some and caught my biggest of the day. 5.09#. Had to beat a hasty retreat after that with the storm rolling in.

According to the seller it’s a 14ft Old Town. Not sure on the model. It’s light enough that I can get it on and off of my truck by myself without any problems. Edit: after some research I found it’s an Old Town Guide 147 and it’s 14’ 6.96” and weights 82 lbs.

I’m joining the club. Just bought this from a gentleman on marketplace. Looks like I’ll bet getting off the bank this year.

I do when I’m fishing weedy lakes.

Yeah winter can be a bummer. I thought last winter was bad when I didn’t catch anything between November 21st to February 15th. Looking back I now realize I was lucky just to be able to fish. P.S. Give it time and that score will flip dramatically.

Ice has finally started to melt here. The pond we call the Gun Club was first up for since I use it something of a bellwether. If they’re biting there the larger bodies of water aren’t far behind. I started out throwing flatsides, jerkbaits, and slow rolling a double Colorado. I spent about an hour and fifteen minutes with nothing to show. I think in my excitement to get out on the water I was a little too aggressive with my lure selection. I downsized to a 3.25” paddle tail on a 1/8 oz bal jig and worked my way back around the bank. I caught this guy which is way smaller than most of @Team9nine crappies, but it’s my first bass of 2025 so I believe it’s worthy.

I’m on the bank most of the time, so it is far more useful and efficient for me to have a handful of rods that can do multiple things. I can only carry two setups without it becoming a serious PITA. Generally speaking my selection is based upon the relationship between a rods length/power and the density of the primary cover at the body of water that I’m planning on fishing as well as the anticipated casting distance which can vary greatly depending upon the topography.

I’m a huge fan of the Crush City Mayor rigged weedless on a weighted belly hook. It’s tough, easily to skip and catches fish. However the good ol’ SK Rage Swimmer has also caught a ton of fish for me. The smaller 3.25” on 1/8 oz swimbait heads or ball jigs. The larger 3.75” works great as a trailer for chatter baits and swim jigs. When combined with an Owner Flashy swimmer it is my preferred option for underspins.

I used to struggle with jigs. Late last year I got good enough at pitching that they started working well for me. So now the only common bait type that I still struggle with are topwater. I’ve caught fish a few fish with poppers and a Choppo, so I’ll definitely use those. I also have some buzzbaits and spooks, that have gotten swiped at but haven’t caught anything yet. I’d like to change that this year.

By this time last year I had already caught my first bass. Not so much this year. This the first really cold winter we’ve had since I moved back to Ohio. It’s 19 degrees as I write this and all of my spots are still frozen over. I’m hoping for mid March.

yeah but the only ones that get snagged are the ones that get bit.

I just started using them last season and they worked better than I expected. In my opinion they are just a blast to fish, bomb them out there, grind them into the bottom and ricochet them off shallow cover. The bad news is that I’m limited on where and when I can fish them as a bank angler. Once the weeds top out its game over.

I use stuff from all the major brands, or at least what I consider “major”. Shimano, Daiwa, Lew’s, and Abu. Admittedly I’ve been on a bit of a Daiwa kick lately. The last 4 rods and reels (3 baitcasters, 1 spinning) I’ve purchased have come from them. Although I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a “Daiwa Guy” just yet since I still use my other rods and wouldn’t be against buying one of the other brands if it filled a need and the price was right.

I keep mine for bathroom reading material.