treble_hook_smile

Nice..Congrats on your PB

Nice fish..........and avatar!

Lots of good fish. Thanks for sharing.

Some sort of infection that may be due to increased viral/bacterial/fungal activity in the cooling water. Fish should be ok as long as it doesnt affect its gills. May want to do some research about local diseases in your water systems.....LMBV, VHS. ect..

The best thing to do in situations like this is to make sure you are organized and prepared. Its great that you are concerned about the fish so make sure you know how to operate your scales before hand and that you have everything in a designated spot. If you have issues with your scales (as most of us do from time to time) walk over to the bank and hold the fish in the water while using your free hand to set up your scales.

Get on your electronics and find the bait. Drop a small wacky rigged senko right down the middle of them. Also may want to try a blade bait or jigging spoon through them.

Hmmmm... looks healthy despite its defect.

Smaller bass I just lip them. Larger fish I will belly land or lip them but will support the weight of the fish with both hands for the photo. Just try to take the stress off the jaw.

Might try dragging a senko like suggested. That has saved my tail a time or two. Also may want to fish a hair jig tipped with pork. Very subtle action in colder water seems to be key.

Very nice fish. Glad to see the C&R going on too.

Yep, I get that feeling. Some days its wrong and some days its right. But you have to have some sloooowwww days to appreciate the good days. Besides, you cant really learn anything if all our days fishing are good days.

I try to stick to what the conditions are calling for. But these baits will most likely be at the end of my lines: Spring - prespawn-lipless crankbait, jig, and crawfish pattern shallow crank, basstrix - spawn - tube, stick worm, shallow bluegill crank - post spawn - lipless crank, senko, jig Summer - Big worm, Jig, Spoon, frog, deep crank Fall - cranks of all kinds Go to, or confidence baits, are 10" worms and cranks.

This is a good observation. Do you think maybe a changing barometric pressure could have a similar effect? My new Humminbird unit can monitor ATM pressure. Ill start watching it when the bite picks up under frontal conditions.

24" L 14.9" G 7lb 3oz Caught late summer 2007 Small lake in Indiana 10.5" Zoom ol' monster. This is my PB that I have weighed. Caught a larger bass in the fall of 07 from the same lake. Took pics but didnt weight her.

If you walk around that pond and see frogs, then fish with frogs. The bass are used to seeing them and eating them. Having cover is better for locating the bass but frogs will be all along a shore line.