Team9nine

We hit a high of 59 today with light winds and plenty of sunshine. Took advantage of the weather and hit the local reservoir for less than 3 hours. Found the crappie schooled up and sitting on the edge of the river channel bank in 16-20 ft of water. Never left that one spot and landed 125 fish. Duplicate weather forecast for tomorrow - I might have to sneak back out again

Drove past 2 ponds and they were froze over. Walked to two others - same story. Kept walking and finally found one with no ice...and a half dozen biters. Got 5 on blade bait and 1 on Ned. Nice but breezy. Wind is supposed to calm down the next couple days with highs near 60. Might pull the boat out - or at least have a few more options from the bank once these ponds thaw in the next day or so.

We get them out of small creeks and streams, or the smaller feeder tribs of large rivers. A simple split shot rig with a small hook and tipped with a little worm (leaf, angle, red worm) is what we use. Usually near or downstream of riffle areas, but when running, it might not matter much. Below low head dams might also be good if you have them. Been a while since I’ve fished them - good memories.

I have to admit, I forgot one... Lunkers Love Nightcrawlers - definitely deserves a spot alongside the other two mentioned "structure" books.

Believe it came from Josh Alwine’s book(s) ‘High Percentage Fishing’ and/or ‘Lunker Lore’ which came out in 2016/2017 if I’m not mistaken.

In-Fisherman Critical Concepts, a 3 part (book) series on largemouth bass would be a good starter, or any of their old (~1980) “Manuals” which predated their books but covered everything they developed in the early I-F days in detail. The main Nixon article that comes to mind was from the 80s, in a special ‘bass’ section in one of the bigger outdoor magazines. The article was titled, “Deep, deeper, deepest: Forget the obvious.”

Don’t tell anyone - but I got smart and figured out how to crop my pics before posting ?

If I'm not chasing bass, there's a good chance I'm after crappie, especially this late in the year. We've been in the 30s (highs) for the past several days, but took advantage of some nice weather we had right before things went south this past weekend to get the boat out and chase after 'em. Located several nice groups sitting on top of a drop near a river channel bend in about 15'-18' of water and managed close to a hundred before calling it a day. Hoping for some more open water trips yet later this year if we can get a few warm spells that keep our waters open.

Highs in the upper 30s this week, but I've snuck out twice to throw suspending jerkbaits at a couple different places. Had half a dozen the first trip two days ago, so switched water and had a better day today, picking off 26 bass. Nothing too big, but fairly aggressive fish considering some of these small waters will likely be seeing skim ice by the weekend. Should be short lived as we are supposed to warm up a bit into the upper 40s next week.

Nope - those two are the best. Can’t beat the originals, IMHO. Some of the original In’Fisherman books/manuals are decent, and there are a few old Larry Nixon articles that aren’t readily available these days, but otherwise… Maybe BBZ by Siemantel

Hannon credited the worm rig for catching about 90% of his 10 pound plus bass at one time, and even came out with his own version of the rig for sale, but as you know, it was Jesse Payton who "invented" the rig. Jesse fished solely with that worm rig he created, and only in purple Jesse with a 10+ pound bass, circa 1970

Many of these prepackaged worms are designed to be curled somewhat to get the spinning/swimming action. Those that come packaged with a swivel are usually that way. Touchdown worms are similar, and they wrap the line around the bent worm to keep it folded over and to take a set. As mentioned above, these are more like the swimming worm (D Hannon) and are typically fished with stretches of steady retrieve to get that action, and using an added weight, often pinched on, to help maintain depth.

I’ve suggested everyone try doing this a couple times before on this site. As you saw, bass will often hold and not let go for a minute or more. As to moving or not, just speculation, but I’ve often thought the ones that take off with the bait are in the company of others, and it’s a natural reaction to be first to the bait and then run away from the others so they can’t take it away. Right or wrong, I always slow down and make more casts into the same spot under the assumption there is a good chance of another bite or two. I also suspect depth might play a role, but who knows.

More recent study data suggests cutting the line on deep hooks is a superior outcome compared to trying to remove the hook by going through the gills, FWIW. The OP’s pics seem to support this effectiveness. This is one I removed earlier this year from a bass that was about to expel from his lower end (I had already removed the attached line).

No, not braid on everything, and not win-win…but everyone’s weaknesses and compensations are different ?

FFS has been an eye opener in this regard for me. Lots of variables come into play that anglers probably overlook, and I’d guess a good bunch of guys aren’t getting a true vertical drop like they think they are a lot of the time.

I can only hope the size of the bass I’m catching increases proportionally with the size of the hole in my jeans over the next couple months

Can't buy a bite hardly on moving baits lately, so sticking with the micro jig. Post-frontal a couple days ago, then 20-25 mph winds today (and another frontal passage). I think this particular pond is just too pressured much of the time. All that blue sky in the background of both pics probably isn't helping much either, but I prefer it most days. Need to check out some different water soon.

I bought my Indiana lifetime fishing license 21 years ago (2001) for $175 (20X annual) while I was still in my mid 30s. Yearly licenses were then $8.75, but were jumping to $14.25 the following year. They were inundated with people deciding to take the leap and buy them like I did. In a typical year, they would sell about $10,000 in lifetime licenses, but that year did over $10 million in sales (all hunting/fishing variations combined). They are currently $23 annually, and I made my money back many, many years ago. We do have a senior/DAV license (>64 years old) for $3 a year, or a senior lifetime for $23. There is also a voluntary senior annual license for $3, for those who want to pay but don't have to (born before 1943).

Agree with the line of thought that 3/16 oz with a trailer isn’t micro. If you’re tossing hair without a weed guard, then I would agree a ML would be fine, or a M if you prefer. If we’re talking traditional silicon rubber jig with a weed guard and trailer, M is as light as I’d go, and maybe even MH. I throw my 3/16 traditional finesse jigs with baitcasters, but use spinning for my hair jigs and true micro jigs. On length, 6’6” would likely be base case, then adjust up or down depending on your specific situation and preference.

Here! Here! And some days the ice never leaves and you just have to catch them on the drop after pulling your bait off the ice shelf ? Happens way more than most would imagine.

I love, research and collect the old fishing history stuff, especially the printed material. I have all the old Fishing Facts mags going back to the 60s, as well as the original In-Fisherman stuff that started in the 70s, not to mention about everything Buck Perry ever set to print. However, I fall perhaps somewhere in the middle of the spectrum here. I haven't subscribed to a fishing magazine in over 20 years, mostly because I feel they’ve all gone downhill in regards to info, content, and advertising. But I also never read or subscribed to Field & Stream, Sports Afield or Outdoor Life, because they never had the content aspect nailed down for me, and half of every article was spent opining about “the wavelets lightly lapping the bank as I approached the shoreline this misty morning, topwater in hand, and anticipating that first perfect cast to the old, scraggly lay down I could just barely make out in the distance” ? I enjoy and appreciate good fishing stories, which is why I watch “On Golden Pond,” or “A River Runs Through It,” and have a lot of John Gierach’s works, but I don’t want that intertwined with my detailed fishing knowledge stuff. There is a time and a place for both. Just me…

Micro jig still doing work. Figured that out when I got bit on the first cast - love when that happens. Managed 7 or 8 before calling it after just an hour to get home for dinner. Still waiting to get to the wolf pack pond with this little thing.

“Intentional” refers to how I need to adjust depth and speed to get bit. I catch a lot of fish on wacky by using it like a topwater with a steady rhythmic retrieve right on the surface. Other days, maybe a slightly slower twitching retrieve 6” to 12” under the surface might work better. When reeling in after fishing it deeper, suddenly stop snd twitch it a few times mid column before reeling back in to tempt any followers. Fish it faster along the bottom by using a weighted jig head, or rigged wacky on a drop shot with a shorter leader. Catch them on the drop by shaking the bait on the fall. The fish will tell you their positioning and disposition if you give them the opportunity to do so. Once you know that, you’re golden. Keep repeating what’s working, or switch to a bait more traditionally suited for the specific situation.

I don’t throw Senkos, but I catch a bunch on wacky worms while retrieving - as well as while they’re falling, and while they’re sitting on bottom. You have to be intentional in your presentation. Probably the most overlooked aspect in bass fishing ?