BackOnTheWater

Thanks, slingblade, and welcome! Unfortunately, as you know, the weather is gonna turn nasty Friday. We'll be out there braving the elements anyway! My guess is that the bass will pull back to the 10-15 ft range (or to the nearest drop) and the bite will be TOUGH. We're gonna start in the creeks (may have to stay there due to the wind!) and work our way deeper if nothing's happening shallow. I just hope they'll hit moving lures or we'll have to "lower" ourselves to finesse fishing! haha But NOT catching fish on Guntersville beats NOT catching them in Chickamauga! The fish have been in a real funk here lately! Take care, and maybe we'll see ya on the G in March!

Most of this has been said, but I must put forth my $.02 worth. Think of it this way...a college education will allow you to fish forever. Taking a year off to fish and risking the damage a year out of school can do, if you ever go back, will make it much harder for you in the long run. Some schools have fishing teams. Don't risk the rest of your life on a desire to fish more. You will have to earn a living for a looooong time. You're too young to realize just how long that is. Everyone that decides to take time off from school, regardless of the reasons, is sure that they will go back. I would guess that most do not, or do not thrive when they do. It ain't worth it...your education is the most important thing...don't take any chance to mess it up...STAY IN SCHOOL!

My $.02: As the weeds and grasses begin to die and decay, they deplete the water in the area of oxygen, and the bass will find water with a higher oxygen content. If this is the case, get away from the dying vegetation. But I find that hard to believe, what with those warm temps over the last couple of months. You would think that they would be feeding heavily and the grasses would be healthy and the forage would be all up in them, as would the bass. BUT, the shorter days might have already impacted the health of the grasses. Are you seeing any baitfish? Are you seeing any surface activity at all, anywhere, in these ponds? It's not likely that they have gone into "winter" mode, yet. The fish are eating...somewhere...maybe not as much as they have all summer, but they're still eating. The only way to get over a slump is to keep going out there and try to figure it out. If catching fish were always as easy as the good days are, we would not appreciate them. Therein lies the challenge of snagging the elusive bass. Change colors, try a new style or lure...anything different. You'll figure it out.

You know what they say: A bass boat is just a buzz-bait to a smallmouth!

I'm going to the Big G Thanksgiving weekend for the 1st time. We'll be staying in a cabin right at Comer Bridge across the river from Scottsboro, and we'll most likely spend most of our time between Mud Creek and South Sauty. I am studying maps and have gleaned info from several websites, forums, etc, but would appreciate any reports from you North Alabama guys who might be fishing the G in the next week, either via post or PM. Other than "find grass, find bass", any pattern help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

It seems that there would be more of us "Southerners" from GA, AL, and TN on here. We have SOOOO much great water down here! If you ever make it up this far north gimme a shout!

I always keep a top-water tied on, even in the winter. It doesn't get very cold for very long here, and after a couple of nice, sunny days you can find bass in the warmer shallows. I'll throw a spook or pop-r (the bigger the better, IMHO) or a big floating/ suspending jerkbait when appropriate...something that you CAN move slowly or just let sit.

Lake Fork for LM or Lake Erie for SM...those are MY 2 "dream destinations". Since it will be December, I would opt for Lake Fork, for the obvious reasons.

Very nice smallies! I'd take 3 of those on ANY day!

Pretty much what everyone has said...HARD hook-sets on single hooks, and just a tug on anything w/ trebles...ESPECIALLY top-water lures. I'll crank a couple of times, but wait until my rod bends before I tug gently to insure a solid hook-up. My hit-to-catch ratio has improved dramatically since I was able to avoid letting the excitement of a top-water hit get the best of me. I can't remember the last "spook-fed" bass that came off (knocking on wood)! If I feel a keeper heading for a jump, I will send my rod tip into the water and crank down on him. More often than not, it will turn his head and help him decide to stay down...if not, at least you have a better angle (downward) to keep tension on him and keep him from spitting the lure. I, too, will let a good fish (2# or better) play out...I enjoy it...but not to the point of exhaustion. Dinks will get a free ride across the top of the water!

I use a Crig all year and in any depth, but prefer the Trig for beating shallow-water banks. I've been using them for over 20 years. I have tried everything. Different weights (type and weight), a variety of beads (makeup and size), as well as just about every kind of plastic and hard lure I could think of. I use (from top to bottom) a baitcaster w/ 12 lb mono, and 7 ft MH graphite rod, a brass finesse weight, a metal bead, a brass clacker, a glass bead, another clacker, a swivel, leader, and lure. I almost ALWAYS use a pre-rigged worm that has 2 smaller hooks w/ weed guards made of the same soft plastic as the worm that you actually stick the barb of the hook into. This is almost like cheating, because by the time that you feel the fish, he's already hooked. The sweeping hookset just plants them better. I don't miss the fish that hit, and never hang up with the protected hooks. We used to call them "do-nothing worms" back in the day, because that's all you have to do to catch fish...nothing. They can be found at touchdownlures.com...try 'em, you'll LOVE them. My method of retrieve is different than most...I will also work my Trig in a similar fashion. I cast, take up slack, and instead of sweeping the rod I will pop the rod-tip a few times, rattling the brass-N-glass, and imparting a jerking action on the worm. Take up slack and repeat back to the boat. The lure does not move as far as with a rod sweep, and the jerking action and clacking really drives 'em crazy.

Welcome! A- don't expect to be a pro right away. Fishing requires patience and optimism. B- locate the depth of the forage and find structure and/ or cover near or intersecting that depth. 3- if the water temps are relatively cold and the bass are suspended, jig a spoon. D- read all of the suggestions in this thread and apply them. E- as someone has said, the bad stretches make you appreciate the good. F- ditto "that's why they call it fishing..." G- stay after them!

Now THAT fish on 8 lb line musta been one heck of a battle!

7 lbs even...avatar photo. I was alone...another one of THOSE cam-phone pics. I caught it this past August on a c-rigged craw and 2/0 hook.

WOW...that is amazing...I guess that puts a cap on this thread! Were you guys able to pick yourselves up off the deck and fish any more, or did you just roll around laughing the rest of the day?

You may not have the record, but you sure have a nice memory of a fine fish!

Hey, every trip can't be a "keeper"...some are better than others, but they're all good!

More proof for the ol' "a bad day fishing..." cliche! Hope the finger's OK...congrats on the win! A 5 lb spot is a real pig!

Here, in the fall (right about NOW! Like, this weekend, I hope!), the bass congregate on the shad in sometimes HUGE numbers. I've sat in the middle of boils 1/2 the size of a football field. You can catch a bass almost every cast, and I've had more than the occasional day where 2 people could put 100-150 bass in the boat in a matter of hours. They are generally under 2 pounds unless you run something under the smaller fish at the top of the school, but you can wear yourself out on them. I've had numerous "doubles" and two "triples" (both on big jerk baits with 3 trebles) over the years (one of the fish on one of the triples got off at the boat, though).

Contacts

As with most things, this is a personal preference issue. I prefer to land bass w/o a net. It's me and the fish, at that point. The two worst hook-in-flesh incidents in a total of 20 years of fishing involved a 1-pound and a 1/2-pound bass that I had flipped into the boat. Both of these little fish gave a jerk when I went after my needle-nose and got me. One was a worm hook in tne meat of my thumb with a pound of bass flipping around in the boat with just the line running through the hole in his cheek. The other (pick below) was a treble that came through beside my fingernail, with the fish on the other set of trebles. I guess that I'm another one that got this from my Dad years ago, when nets were just not used. I no longer fish tournaments, so it's all about the pleasure for me...no nets on anything without slime or teeth!

Yup...low and slow...but that's my forte, so I'm happy! I'm fortunate to live in the South! I'm on a bank or in the boat once or twice a week even in JAN and FEB. If I COULDN'T then I WOULD go crazy!

Welcome to all 3 of you...enjoy, ya'll!

I could not go to Erie...they WOULD NEVER get me to leave! Sounds like a great trip...take a camera next time!

haha...me too...all my fish pics are that way...I just can't seem to catch the bigger ones when I have a partner!