Matt Fly

I don't care if someone has a special rigging tip or new secret bait. Learn your prey, ie........Mr. Bass, and learn the biologics of baitfish and you will unlock doors that secret baits can't. You take that new chatterbait to a lake that has never seen it. The morale is: if you haven't put your self in the right spot, you aren't going to catch many. Knowing how to eliminate water and find productive water is more important than having a secret technique or new baits.

I won't say the white bellie didn't show, But at night, would that look normal to look up on the surface and see a bait fishs white bellie. Now that you added you had some lookers and takers. What was you doing when you got strikes or the one hook up. Maybe the speed was correct, but a black or dark color bait which most would suggest might be the ticket. Things to think about. Did I make too much noise, not enough noise. What speed did they show the most interest in. Did your back treble have a feather added, was it white also or black. Think about what was working and tweak that presentation. You might try a black and blue single bladed colorado spinner bait just below the surface. Nice and slow to give max vibration and slight wake just under the surface. Hookem Matt

Rolo, I don't need any experierments to tell me when mother nature has warmed the waters up enough to go to the shallows and target spawners. Thats a no brainer.

Can you give us your cadence, speed, how fast you worked the bait? What was the surface conditions, glassed, slight ripple, chop, heavy chop. Any other factors, color and type of bait, cover, late evening, baitfish present?

Tables are to show best feeding times, ie....major and minor bites. First off, bass spawnig on the nest are not there to eat. I agree, if weather and temps are right, the full moon will send a wave of spawners to the beds. In the spring, you shouldn't need more than a good thermometer to find the right area. You can't argue that the majority of all record bass or bass in the tops of most southern states have been caught from Nov-may, fall thru spring. Which offer the lowest light conditions of the year. Not once have I said the astro tables are the ticket, I have pointed out that the times on the charts as to fresh water not effected by tidal movements show the best times to be in the lowest light conditions. Hence, most fishermen say morning and evening bites are best, which concurs with most charts and the low light condition, and that most fishermen also say that noon, midday are also other good times, which concurs with the moon rise and moon sets. That is what I get out of the charts, it tells me most of the active periods are low light conditions. Most fishermen say a no wind, sun high in the sky, no clouds, or better known as blu-bird day is the toughest days to fish, which would also correspond to my thinking. Why does cloud cover all day make the fishing seem better or more active? Its a low light condition. Thus, anytime you can fish summer days in the dark or lowest light, your odds are better to find active fish.

Too many spring storms and cloud cover in the spring to depend on the tables at that time of the year. It offers the prime times, low light conditions. Best to try to correlate those tables to the summer, when the dog days of fishing are upon us. Looking at Cali and Tx's top bass, fall thru spring have put more fish in the record books than any other periods. http://www.ets-systems.com/lakefork/top50.htm Its easier to count the ones that didn't come from fall-spring. The "plethora" of unfounded theories can't argue with actual facts.

This is were I wish i could produce fishing logs for the last 30 years to find a correlation in the mix with lunar charts. Logs are the charts of history or soon will be. My Dad believed that big Yellow Cats fed in darkness, so he planned his fishing trips to the river, was always in the dark of the moon. I can't argue with his success, but bass are different, and the dark of the moon is not my choice.

Sun rise, sun set, moon rise, and moon set are all major factors of mother nature. With that being said, so is the current weather, which is also mother nature. Its a no brainer that dawn and sunset are key feeding times. Most experienced anglers will agree that mid afternoon is also prime time for the big- dog-to-walk. Which coinsides with the moon rise or moon set on most lunar charts. What do all these have in common? Its the photoperiod, amount of light, the most drastic changes in the photoperiod occur in the fall and spring. Why is the photoperiod important to a bass? The days are getting shorter, and nights are longer, this is sensed by a bass' eyes, it transmits a signal to the pituitary gland which triggers a sexual response, which is reproduction and developement of eggs. This triggers increases movement and feeding binges from normally less active trophy fish. I am a firm believer on planning a trip to coinincide with lunar charts. I also like the summer T-storms that cause low light conditions. The summer, the weather is stable in Texas, High pressure sets in for the summer and feeding times are very predictable. Throw some clouds in the mix for low light conditions and the dinner bell is steady. This is why in Tx, the charts aren't as important in the summer, the High pressure that sets in all summer gives us the same pattern for almost 3 straight months until the photoperiod starts changing in the fall and feeding activity increases drastically. History says, most trophies are caught during the seasonal changes, fall and spring, which share longer nights and less day light which shows best fishing occurs in low light periods/photoperiods. I also believe the charts are for tidal fishermen dealing with rising inland tidal waters and river influences on coast lines. Contrary to some beliefs, inland lakes aren't subject to high tide and low tides. We always say the toughest day on the water are blu-bird days. Just my .02.

I believe the ratio of dinks, small bass, are greater when wacky rigging. When times are tough, I might go to the wacky rig to get a five fish limit. I think the Texas rig will put more weight in the boat. Hookem Matt

Other than spring/spawn, my goal is to graph the shad.

3 pages of discussion hardly deems the commercial a flop.

The How Far? That would depend on ones own personal budget. When one starts to exceed that budget, I believe thats where the Bait Monkey takes over, he has been known to turn you upside down to get that last nickle from you at the pumps. Thats also when that voice inside starts to reason within. You'll make it to next payday. You'll win a check with the extra practice. This might be the last trip for a coupe of weeks. My income tax check should be here anytime. The wife gets paid next weekend.

Walmart has some nice cheap polarized glasses. Me and expensive sun glasses don't get along. Lost over the side, scratched, or they become everyday wear, and that makes for short life also.

Welcome to the forum, you have found one of the best ways to cheat the learning curve, the forum, the next would be Tritons advice, hire a guide. Hookem Matt

Sometimes, its the pressure we put on our selves to do well, whether its tournament pressures or pleasure. I have had to put the bass on hold once in awhile and decide to fish for supper. Go white fishing, or striper, or maybe go set under a nice cool bridge all day and crappie fish. Just changing routines once in awhile, like taking the day off from run and gun bass fishing and have a relaxing day actually fishing. Sounds funny, "Actually Fishing". Those are the days I like to take a cool swim once in awhile and enjoy the water, which I never make time for when bass fishing. Three or four days straight of being up early and home late, and 100 degrees in the sun can get old. Avid, the passion has never been lost, the drive to go sometimes fades, but the passion is still there. Hookem Matt

The first one of the day, it gets the goose egg of the board, after that, 12 lbs is a good one in Tx. Hookem Matt

What lake? And are big bass known to be there? If so, keep throwing bigger baits and jigs. In Tx, we are past post spawn on the majority of waters, and the summer pattern is settling in. My big worm bite usually kicks in late june or early july. Maybe as you mentioned, and not knowing your location, the fish are still post-spawn and suspended, you might try a few large cranks.

That is the one key KVD has over his competitors, he knows the bait, and how to get that spinner, minnow baits to working. Nothing wrong with "going back to school". Hookem Matt

Watch the kids some more. You are asking us, when the two pros are schooling you. LOL....Are you rich? About one of those 35.00 swim baits? Mattlures baby bluegills or something similar.

Must have been to early for my brain to comprehend Alice as in the maid. There you to be an old cartoon in the newspapers called "Hipshot and Ricochet", and that one would describe or portray Willie and myself to a tee.

1/4 oz black back chrome rattle trap or some type of diving crank in chrome/black back.

And what character are you, because you aren't fat enough to be Jackie Gleason figuratively speaking of course. LOL Big Willie and myself, who would we be? Don't answer that, I'll ponder this some more. Your answer could be dangerous. Willie would have to be Dill Dance, always a blooper waiting to happen. Willies' last mishap cost him 2000.00 on Fork. Hookem Matt

Laws very from state to state, its best to give your own state laws than quoting them as to be all state laws. Perch, brim, sunfish is not considered a game fish in every state. Its not illegal to use perch from said lake in Texas unless a restriction is in place for that piece of water for bait.

you did say structure and cover, but I do love throwing super spooks for big bass on my home waters of Fork. Gotta love the excitement topwaters brings. AMA (American Medical Assoc.) does not recommend topwaters for the light hearted. LOL Structure and cover, you can't beat deep grass in 20ft of water and a jig bite. oops, forgot the why part. Why, because on fork, a jig has produced the biggest bass consistently over the years and still beats all the other gimmick lures or other traditional styles going.

There are days bass chase bait to the top, but don't actively bust the bait on the surface, they are sub-surface feeding, and its the bait making the surface comotion. Flukes, spinners and in-line spinners, traps, and shallow running baits like manns -1's or minnow baits like the new x raps worked below the surface can be the ticket when the bass are hitting on top.