senile1

Finding them with your electronics and knowing exactly where they are located are two different things. If I knew a lake very well because I was a local, I would be able to place brushpiles on what I knew to be commonly used structures by bass to create that spot on a spot. Other anglers would not have that advantage of local knowledge and they would not have the advantage of knowing exactly where the brushpiles are. They would have to look for them, or if they placed their own piles, their lack of local knowledge of the lake would lower their odds of placing the pile in the best location. Elite anglers, Casey included, place these piles to raise their odds of winning and I would say the odds would favor a local angler, all other things being fairly equal. It doesn't guarantee a win, but it does raise your odds if only a bit. For what other reason would an angler place brush piles just before an event occurred? Having said that, it doesn't violate the rules and is common among these anglers. I don't really have a negative view of the people doing it. I just wouldn't feel right doing it, myself. While local anglers have not always had great success in Elite tournaments on their local lakes, over the past 8 years or so that has changed somewhat. In the Classic alone, 3 of the last 9 Classics have been won by a "local" angler: Boyd Duckett at Lay Lake in 2007, Randy Howell at Guntersville last year, and Casey Ashley this year at Lake Hartwell. This doesn't prove anything, but it is food for thought.

Submission completed.

This is true. Bluegill and other small fish seem to attempt to use cover as a hiding place from bass as well, though bass like cover as well. I think smaller fish that are aware of larger predators in their waters feel safer there than in the open water.

That will make you go blind.

X2

Your weedbed is on a structure. As a slowly sloping bank, it just wasn't the structure you expected or have read about as being optimum. Other factors may be affecting why you find most of your bass in this weed bed too. I see you are in Canada. Could it be that the lake in question contains other predator species such as Pike? If so, this could lead the bass to stay in a shallower hiding place to avoid these larger predators. Also, does your weedbed on the slowly sloping bank connect to the more classic structures you mentioned in some way. Is there a break on one of those structures that extends over to the slowly sloping bank on the weedbed?

Ice is actually thinner beneath snow because the snow acts as an insulator between the ice and the cold air. Areas beneath snow should be a bit warmer than ice with no snow covering even though the light is blocked.

Nice way to break in the boat, Blue. Were you on La Cygne?

Congratulations on your new PB!

Very nice short, fat, healthy fish.

Another great fish, Paul.

Two bass on one lure occurs now and then. One bass eating two different lures is something I have never seen. That is pretty wild.

You will get a sore thumb if this keeps going. ☺

That's a nice football shaped smallie. Very nice!

Very nice, Paul. You're hauling in some big ones.

I knew when I saw you posting again that it was just a matter of time before you posted up some hawgs.☺. Those are some great looking fish, Paul, and a very nice write-up as well.

My three biggest in 2014 were caught on the following: - 6 lb 2 oz on Texas rigged summer craw Rage Craw with 1/4 oz green tungsten sinker - 6 lb on 1/2 oz Siebert Big O brush green pumpkin jig, grasshopper skirt, and green pumpkin Rage Craw trailer - 5 lb 7 oz on 1/2 oz Siebert Big O brush black and blue jig and skirt with black and blue flake rage craw

Welcome to the forums!

Welcome to the forums.

I've never fished Perry County. Back in the 70s I fished Lake Girardeau some and the fishing was good. I still check the reports for the area when I visit my Dad. I haven't seen too many good reports for Lake Girardeau over the last few years. I've had some luck at Lake Wappapello but the silt has really filled it in since I was a kid. In the heat of summer the main channel is about the only place to find fish. It sounds like you have it made with your own private community lake. That's great.

Very nicely done! I'm assuming the fish in your left hand (to the right facing us) in the first picture was the 8 lb'er? It amazes me how long the Florida largemouth are. The same would apply to the bottom picture. That is a beautiful bass!

Great work! That's an awesome bass. And I am assuming we will see more from your last post above. I am insanely jealous! I can't wait to see the pics. You are making my cabin fever acute and life threatening.

They should add an addendum to the Family and Medical Leave Act, renaming it the Family, Fishing, and Medical Leave Act. I need 6 weeks of paid fishing leave from work, in addition to my normal PTO.

I believe I saw your post about this on the Ozark Anglers forum. That's pretty cool.

I'm not sure if this was addressed to me or not, but I am answering based on that assumption. You are confusing false humility with a determination to concentrate on the facts. That means accepting the truth where you find it, whether it supports your preconceived ideas or not. Fact: No saltwater angler bashed bass anglers in this thread. Fact: One poster made a point about bass anglers being "elitist" but referred to bass anglers as a whole doing this, rather than a small subset. Fact: Jon stated that bass angling had appealed to the common angler for many reasons, which is true. I am not perfect or the arbiter of truth, but whether I agree with a person or not, I will try to acknowledge any facts one might state in an attempt to keep a conversation civil. It is a common problem in the world that those who share a common hobby, political stance, religious view, etc. sometimes use that affiliation to see themselves as better than others. I can't always just stand by silently when this happens though I typically try to stay out of such debates. I am a bass angler. I love bass fishing and identify with bass fishermen, but there were no saltwater anglers bashing bass fishermen in this thread and to say so was untrue, and in my opinion, unfair. So I spoke out. If I was worried about people liking me I wouldn't have said anything. It is unfortunate that this thread is off the tracks and my comments have been part of that. I'm doing my own "Irene" thing and dropping out of this one.