Team9nine

A couple from last year…

It was a “busy boat” couple of trips

Too much live coverage as it is, IMHO. More won’t help. I think several of the “issues” we've seen this year has been a result of that over coverage.

Had to go back and check the schooling area again since I’d have a bit more time to fish them. Fortunately, they stayed put and I was able to catch 55 more in just over 3 hours. Was a nice chance to chase numbers and take a break from quality. Back to the grind chasing the 10 percenters now that I’ve had some fun.

They weren’t the biggest bass, but I hit the first good group of fall schoolers this afternoon. Managed 27 ‘cookie cutter’ bass in a short amount of time and had to leave them biting. Hoping to get back out there again in the next day or two. Fingers crossed they don’t go too far from where I found them today.

A slight “aside,” but on the subject of “The Hawg Hunters,” JJ just posted this catch within the past hour - 9.07 lbs SMB; 22.5” x 20.125” Also caught an 8+ the night before. Says he’s putting in 15-16 hrs each day/night chasing these big smallies. The 9.07 The 8+

This report courtesy of Mendurchuck Bait & Tackle - the place for all your Ned rig needs 😎 Tried to beat the rain from Tropical Depression 8 that hit the Carolina coast this morning. To do that though, I had to endure 30 mph gusts. Selected a lake with a protected ramp and decent shoreline windbreaks hoping for the best. Thought conditions might favor power presentations, so started with that, but only got two small bass, one of which was a keeper. After an hour or more of fighting the wind, I switched tactics and headed for more sheltered water. Switched to a Ned rig and was able to get a couple more fish, but quality improved. Lost one heavy fish, but landed another to make up for it. Finished the last hour or so catching a limit of crappies off scattered brushpiles in the area. Lake now about a foot low, and surface temps have dropped into the mid 70s. Probably a rain out tomorrow and possibly Wed, but looking to get out again this week another time or two.

Was just skimming through the latest BB when I saw this Q & A piece with Milliken on pressure vs. lure design/innovation: Did that level or style of competition (Elite Series) give you any ideas for new baits? > "Ooo that's a good one. I don't know if it was the level or the style as much as just how fast fishing is changing with how the fish are reacting to different baits. It's been that same way for like the last 3 years, I would say. > "The fish are getting conditioned and changing so rapidly. You constantly have to stay on top of what they're doing that moment. > "...if you fish the same body of water with a lot of tournaments, if you fish a smaller body of water with a lot of tournaments – you can see the fish changing every 6 months even. > "So I think just overall fishing pressure has caused a lot of the baits we're working on right now to come into fruition."

Studies have shown bass caught on lures typically resume normal feeding activity in under 24 hours. It takes a little longer for those bass subjected to tournament regimes (12-18 hrs) versus those caught and immediately released (6-10 hrs). Some other thoughts: “Pressure” also needs to be taken in context. For example, the 400 yearly tournaments on Rayburn sounds like a lot, but at well over 100,000 acres, and according to Texas’ own surveys there, actual fishing pressure is only about 5 hrs per acre. Compare that to a place like Guntersville at about half the size, which is about 4X that amount (19 hr/ac). The smaller the body of water, usually the greater the effect. In Indiana, our two largest reservoirs (8-10k acres) average 8X and 10X greater fishing pressure (41 & 48 hrs/ac) than Rayburn does.

No bigs today, but you’ll never hear me complain about catching a limit. I had 6 keepers today along with one missed fish and one broken off - it took my 6 lb. line into a treetop and that was the end of it. On and off rain through the weekend, but surface temps did drop below 80 for the first time this summer.

Yeah, I think you’ve got us in fall foliage brilliance at the moment 😉 Hard to believe you’re headed well into fall fishing already while we’re still waiting on a cool down and water temps under 80 degrees.

Lol - they were clearancing out SPF50+ long sleeve shirts for $25, so I bought several. I wear a fresh one each trip 😉 Thank you! Can’t risk changing the “mojo” at this point.

Only had two and a half hours to fish after an early afternoon appt., so switched to a closer reservoir today, but the pattern I’ve been on continues to hold with another limit of bass.

I’d agree I’m a hi-vis long leader guy, too (spinning) per @A-Jay

Cranking pattern on one of my local lakes is still holding up. Managed a limit this afternoon despite the high blue skies, sun and light winds. Surface temps 81-82 deg. and water is about half foot low. Good rain chances in the extended forecast, but think I can squeeze in one more trip late week before it arrives.

Based on the one detailed study of hook wounds in bass I'm aware of, it will eventually heal, usually within 2-3 weeks, but depending on the size of the hole, could affect feeding for a while while it does. Should be a rarity though and not happen often unless there was already some type of small hole from a lure or a cull clip. Might double check how you're gripping them if it's happening more than a time or two.

Routinely catch channels and flatheads while fishing, especially from early summer when they get ready to spawn and on. Channel cats actually have really good eyesight and will eat baits well off bottom they spot visually. Blues and flatheads tend to be more bottom feeding oriented. I’ve caught channels on about everything. Flatheads have mostly been crankbaits, jigs and shakyheads, often at dusk/night. I have friends who fish waters with heavy blue cat presence and they clean up at times trolling Spoonplugs.

Don’t know, but I saw where Josh Jones posted to all Bassmaster Elite guys that he is offering to sell all his best waypoints on Fork, Tenkiller and St. Clair (for a price) between now and Jan 1 when the no-info rule goes into effect … and he claims two guys have already jumped on it 🤣 stir that pot!

One more trip this afternoon under relatively cool conditions (high 80 and cloudy). Picked up 4 keeper bass cranking today (DT-4) including another good one that I thought might go 6, but came up a few ounces short. First two pics are the same fish; 3rd pic is one of the other keepers.

Different lake, similar result. Half a dozen bass this afternoon, with just one worth a photo. The ones I found were roaming just outside the edge of a flat on the lower end of the lake. Same water temps (81) and about half a foot below pool. Ned

Nice “spin” article by BASS 😉 😆

“Crappie brakes” are an aftermarket add-on accessory to either PowerPoles or Raptors/Talons. Basically just a trolling motor and mounting adapter kit with wiring. You can simply add them to your existing poles, or remove them from your poles at any time. As such, the poles by themselves are still perfectly ‘legal’, and you’ll continue to see them on all the boats on tour.

Finally got a cool snap after another week and a half of 90+ degree weather. Snuck out for a few hours this afternoon despite some gusty winds. Managed 4 bass on Ned, including one good one (>5 lbs.). Winds are supposed to die down a little the next couple days, along with more cloud cover. Hoping to get another trip in. Surface temps still ~81 degrees.

Looks backwards to me. Did you wrap the mono/fluoro around the braid instead of the reverse? Doesn’t look right at all, but others will be along shortly and see what they say. Maybe I’m just seeing things…. Lol

…and the various bass message boards are lighting up with comments so fast as news spreads that you can’t read them all 😆 This will be the hot topic for the next week or two, perhaps longer if either of the other big leagues also renders a decision for 2025 as some say is coming within the week.