mrbassky68

It hasn't really been that cold in April here. March was actually pretty decent. The big issue for us in April has been the lake levels. The local lakes have been up several times and dropped back down and for the past 9 days the lake has been up 15ft over summer pool. They have been dropping it fast then we get a little more rain and it goes back up. Its dropping again now but its still 12ft over pool. I have a big tournament on the 30th and it may not be normal by then and to make matters worst when I practice it may be a couple feet higher than it will be during the tournament. But I looked at the results of the last FLW tournament on Chickamagua where they faced a similar scenario and the there found bass spawning on the steeper banks and not in the shallow flats where you expected they would be. Also the top technique for many was using a jig to catch bass a little deeper on those banks. So thats my plan for the local tournament, fish the steeper banks in spawning pockets and creek arms. It makes sense that bass would be on steeper banks when the water is going up and down.

If you don't think old stuff works see what you have to pay for a P-70 PopR or vintage wigle wart.

I have a couple priciples I stand by when it comes to paying more for baits. -First off I want the top of the line PERFORMANCE in whatever I throw if it is reasonable that I can afford it. I don't get to fish everyday so when I do fish either for fun or in a tournament I want to give myself the best chance to catch fish and enjoy myself. That goes for rods and reels as well. For rods I use shimano and Loomis mostly. Now are there more expensive rods? Yes but performance wise I haven't noticed much difference. -With some baits you don't need to pay top of the line prices. In hardbaits I really notice a difference in certain baits. One big difference is they cast better. With Jerkbaits and topwater baits this can be huge. I really prefer to pay more for certain baits-Jerkbaits, many topwater baits, swimbaits and shallow wooden crankbaits. With medium and deep divers I havent noticed much diffence in fish catches with high dollar baits. I would put a wigglewart, Strike King 6xd, fat free shad or any rapala against a premium bait. Same with spinnerbaits and jigs. But at the same time you don't want to go to cheap. Really cheap baits don't last long. -I am more likely to pay more for a hardbait because it will last longer. I have a good assortment of swimbaits, I have everything from mattlures hardgill baits, triple trouts, BBZ-1s to wakebaits. I paid alot for these baits but the good news is they will last a long time because I rarely lose them. But softplastics on the other had can be more costly. For example trutungsten came out with the depth shad which was a soft jerkbait with tungsten in it. They were $10 a pack for 3 I think. If I get on a soft jerkbait bite I might use $30-50 in baits in a day easy with those baits, thats too much to stomach. The good news is usually there isn't much difference in soft plastics once the quality gets to a certain point. Swimbaits do need to be good quality but luckily you don't lose many and they last longer. Also they can be repaired easier than small soft plastics. So really it depends on the bait and if I can find a cheaper alternative. And on any given day if I can catch them on a cheaper bait just as well thats what I will throw. Recently for example we were catching fish on shallow crankbaits. KVD 1.5s and small flat balsa baits. Both were doing just as good so I stuck with the KVD 1.5. The balsa baits we were catching them on were 3x as much and not as durable. But if there is a bait you have to pay a premium for then thats what I will do. One thing I am not 100% sold on is the vintage lure hype. I know the P70 is a good lure but I am not paying $50-75 for one. The magnum Pop-R does fine for me.Same witt the vintage Bomber Long-A the new chrome ones are fine for me. I think the vintage lure thing has alot to do with confidence among the pros but thats just me.

I have a couple. Topwater on flooded fields-This is my first choice, for some reason it seems here in the east fish prefer a green field over the hardwoods anyday. Probably more worms, insects and such. Plus its easier to fish. I like a walking bait or spinnerbait. Only problem is on most lakes here that are flood control and get high there isn't much grassland to flood so your limited how much you can fish. Flipping bushes-This is a classic I love to flip bushes it can be buckbrush but any bushes are fine. The key is to flip bushes in spots where fish would be if the water was not high. You can catch small bass anywhere but big fish will be in the prime spots. Punching debris mats-Here in the hills of eastern kentucky we don't get many chances to do any serious flipping but when the waters up fish can be found under mats of floating debris located anywhere this is water coming in. Its productive and something different to do.

I like the Yamamoto fat baby craw and Yum craw papi 2.75in. But there are plenty of good choices out there these are my picks for a really finesse profile.

Rhe first thing I look at for frog fishing is size of bass in the water. For frog fishing 15in bass>12in bass. If your fishing the Ohio River where you might catch one 15in bass all day a frog may not be the best choice unless your looking for a kicker. On Guntersville or Kentucky Lake a frog is just the right size. A frog doesn't mean you are targeting big bass even though it catches them also but generally 14in bass or bigger are right for frogs. The soft plastic frogs will catch a little smaller bass. Second the big advantage with a frog (other than the size of bass you can catch)is you can put it places other topwaters wont go. You can skip it and fish it over slop ect. So if your after quality bass or fishing heavy cover a frog should be looked at. If I am fishing fairly open water and just want bites I will go with another topwater. I prefer the trutungsten frog because it drains water on its own and is durable. I have caught bass on the spro frogs but they tear up easy and fill with water too fast for me. That would be OK if I wanted to buy a dozen at a time but I would rather not.

Carolina rig them

I don't think matching the hatch or forage is critical but it can help you get a few more bites at times. The times when it really matters are when bass are really keyed in on a certain forage like crawfish or maybe small shad. And matching the hatch is as much about how you work your bait as it is about color.

Just curious how you guys feel bass react to an overcast rainy day in early prespawn. Mainly on highland lake in Eastern Kentucky. The water is stained and we have been catching fish on rocky banks and laydowns. The water temps have been in the low 50s high 40s. The reason I ask is I hear different opinions. Some guys say that sun and warming water will make bass bite better early in the year but conventional wisdom says that they will bite better on an overcast rainy day. Air temps are expected to be around 50 so its not a massive cold front. My personal opinion is that with the warming trend we are having now the water temps will be up to the mid 50s by this weekend and the bass will be at a point where they don't need the warm sunny days and will feed better. We have been catching them on finesse crankbaits but I am thinking a jerkbait may be the trick on a cloudy rainy day assuming the water isn't too dirty. Its not a real good jig lake this time of year there isn't much cover so fish are very scattered. Just wondering how you guys have seen bass respond when the water temps are in the low to mid 50s and a cool front hits with a little rain and clouds. Especially you guys on the Ozarks lakes which are similar.

Its mainly a shallow option. In the recent FLW event on Beaver Lake jerkbaits were hot and Stacy King was using a Vision 110.

I use painters tape. Its easy to write on and it can be removed easy. I also put it on the back of my reels to remind me what line is on them.

I usually go with a Vision 110 if money is on the line. I use the small xcalibur twitch bait if I just want to get a bunch of bites and I use other jerkbaits some as well. But if you doubt the Vision 110 look at the FLW beaver lake results almost everyone in the top 50 was using one.

I started fishing some trout lakes in Kentucky and while I haven't done it long I think I got some insight. First off people tend to worry too much about bait size. I like a 7in trout imitation at least. Last fall after the lake I fish was stocked with trout I caught several bass on a 7in Osprey and several of the bass were only in the 14-15in range. Also don't go cheap on tackle get a rod heavy enough to handle the bait your fishing. I think the reason some people give up on swimbaits is they are trying to throw them on flipping sticks. I use a Okuma swimbait rod and a calcutta 400. If your going to use a smaller reel use braid with a floro leader but for the rod get one big enough or don't waste your time on big swimbaits. But I think the biggest key is knowing when to use big swimbaits. I found that the key for big swimbaits is low light conditions. If its calm and sunny don't bother just use them early and late on those days. In the spring and fall are prime seasons and even winter if its not frozen. What I look for is trout up in the water column and prime feeding conditions those are the days your likely to catch a big fish.

Check out the small lakes on the North Florida campus they have some decent bass in them. There are several good small ponds and lakes around town, I fished a couple when I was down there and caught bass from the bank. Also there is a site that has some good info just search kayak fishing jacksonville. It lists some good spots to fish.

Lunker punker 6in molded Bluegill It catches good fish anywhere