Bluebasser86

Most of our fish were in less than 6' but we started to get bit pretty good off the dam in about 20-23 feet right towards the end of the day.

X2

I've got a hardgill and hardbass, both of them look like they'd swim away when you put them in the water.

Thread them on.

Using rubber bobber stops to peg my sinkers Using a big, plastic coffee container to keep emergency TP roll dry in my boats storage

Well I was in the boat for the saugeye, it was an absolute giant. I talked to Cbass about the smallmouth on the drive home Thursday and I think we both felt that you probably should have put more pressure on the fish and maybe would have landed them, maybe you would have lost them just the same. I always put as much pressure on a fish as I can unless I have a reason to take it easy on them (frayed line, barely hooked). The longer you let them fight, head shake, and stay in the water the longer they have to try to get loose. Unfortunately it's part of fishing, I watched a smallmouth that may have challenged the state record jump and toss my jig at Melvern a couple years ago. I did everything right to land the fish, but it just wasn't meant to be.

When it gets cold you just have to abandon the shallow areas with no deep water close by (unless it's a warm, sunny day) and slow down your presentation. I've caught bass shore fishing all year long, even with ice on portions of the lake. A couple factors that are always present when I catch fish during cold months (water temps less than 45 degrees) from shore, rocky shoreline and drop offs. Doesn't need to be a big drop, a foot or two will hold fish at times. With the rocky shorelines it seems like chunk rock is best a lot of the time. Jerkbaits twitched slowly along the drop and rocks, shad rap or wiggle warts slowly retrieved over the rocks, jigs or small plastics pulled slowly through the rocks are my main presentations. Don't give up on them though. The numbers may go away but the cold months are usually the best times for me to catch some of my biggest fish of the year. Just this year I had a 7.51 and a 5.88 on the same cold, rainy day in January that never made it above 40 degrees. Then the first week of March I caught the 7.76 in my avatar.

I caught a few smallmouth and a couple whites on a Keitech Swing Impact on a 1/4oz head. Only way I could get them to eat it was to let it sink to the bottom and then reel slow enough to keep it ticking along the rocks. Caught a really nice drum on it too

And here it is!

Man I could have got you some great drum pictures. I was catching some monster drum, super fat and really hard pulling. We didn't catch much, mostly smallies but probably around 25 all day. I also caught 3 largemouth and a spot, a few crappie, a few whites, and a keeper walleye. Jon had a spot, a couple crappie, and several whites. Ned rigs, shakyheads, Keitechs, a couple on spinnerbaits, one on a squarebill, jigging spoons, and a wacky rig. The dam was best for us with deeper water being better.

Jon and I will be at the State Park ramp also. It's free for me and should be protected from the wind today.

So far most of their games have been really close, but they keep winning. They won't keep up with the high scoring offenses unless they force turnovers though. Then again, if they can take the ball away and put together the long, slow paced drives they've had this season to keep those high scoring offenses off the field and not let them get any rhythm, they might surprise me.

If you need someone to test one of those pink jerks just let me know

It won't catch any fish in your tackle box I promise

I love night fishing and actually prefer it during the summer months. It takes some getting used to but it can be super effective. Having the whole lake to yourself and not feeling like you're melting while you're catching way more fish than you would during the daylight makes it all worth it I agree that you should keep it simple at night. I like dark colored baits most of the time but sometimes bright baits will work better. Chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, 10" worms, and jigs are my favorites.

Only way to do it man. Drives me crazy when they're sliding off my shoulders and constantly having to be readjusted. Saw a guy with the straps like that at weigh in one time and it was a serious life changing moment in my fishing life.

7' 6" MH/F LTB/200E7 17# Seaguar-jigs, plastics 7' 10" H/F Extreme/300E 25# C21-swimbaits, a rigs 7' MH/M Pro glass/200E5 10# ultra line-cranks 6'6" MH/F LTB/Speed Spool 14#ultra line-spinnerbaits,jerks,topwater, traps 6' 10" M/XF LTB/C14 10# Sunline-shakyheads,wacky rigs, senkos, tubes, drop shot

Keep reading, learning, and asking. Lots more information to absorb and fish to catch

Buzzbait is my go to topwater except in clear water when I usually opt for a walking bait first.

Mexico. I've been twice and can't wait until I can get back. The fishing and the experience itself are both amazing.

You could always get a bad case of jiggingitis It's 7,000 acres and lots of fish to go around. We had more boats on just the dam the last fish off at Melvern and everyone was catching fish right next to each other. Pretty much every part of the lake holds fish this time of year too.

I always use the state park because I have the vehicle sticker. We'll be out there by 7 but could meet everyone back at the ramp around 8:30. I'm sure Andy (Scrogg) would probably be willing to take you up on that back seat if it's still available.

Maybe check Cabela's? They had a ton of them along with the T2's at the Cabela's in KC not long ago for $2. I doubt it's something they have on the shelf at all of them but they'll do in store transfers for you if they have them in stock at another store.

You can't lie to him, he was there suffering along with us at Wabaunsee He fished with Jon in the 17' blue Stratos.

7-0 It wasn't pretty but I'll take it. I worry about the Browns next week, we always seem to have trouble with teams we should beat.