Bankbeater

For me, it depends on how the rest of the day has been going. If I have been catching bass off and on using different baits then I will experiment around and fish with different baits. If I haven't done squat all day then I will keep using what is getting bit.

There is a park with three smaller sized lakes on it about 2-1/2 miles from my house. The farthest I will drive these days is about 1-1/2 hours. Usually my trips are about a half hour from the house.

Earlier in the year the largemouth were tearing up spinnerbaits now the bass don't want them. Swim jigs are still working as long as you run them through vegetation. The topwater bite should pick up, along with the baits fished on the bottom.

I'll either use a split shot rig or just go weightless. If I'm using anything else I will keep the bait moving and try not to let it get into the rocks.

On sunny days I wear a buff and a wide brim straw hat. Arms and legs get Banana Boat with at least a 50 rating. I reapply every couple of hours.

My wife keeps talking about taking a trip somewhere with her sister. I'm keeping my fingers crossed but no luck so far.

In the spring I use baitcasters exclusively. As the water warms up after the spawn I switch over to spinning tackle. By July I am using baitcasters for jigs, Texas rigs, and maybe some punching. Everything else is done with spinning tackle.

If there is thick vegetation growing then I will raise the motor and park the boat right on top of a weed mat. The boat will usually sit in one spot unless the wind is really blowing. The mat hides the boat from the fish below and I can punch the mat or cast around to the edge of growth.

Nice smallies!

Saturday my youngest daughter graduated from the University of Tulsa with a B.S. in Environmental Policy. Mom and Dad are very proud! This is Amy standing at the bell in the center of the university. The tradition is that only the graduating seniors get to ring it.

Cool! I love it when they don’t stop biting. Makes for a busy day.

Looks like you’re having a good trip. Nice catching!

I Texas rig a 3.5” tube and flip it into the holes in the coontail mats. It pulls through pretty easy. I use the same rig for fishing water willows growing out on raised humps.

Sorry to hear this. Your videos are always detailed and well put together. Nice catch by the way.

Most of the time on the small lakes that I fish on the summer the bass will be in the vegetation. They may be shallow or deep depending on the conditions, but they won’t move far from that vegetation.

Beast!

This is tough to read. A good dog is more than a friend and more than a family member. RIP.

Congratulations!

Nice looking fish. Good going.

Late February, March, and most of April the bass were tearing up spinnerbaits, and to a lesser extent, swim jigs.

I have an electric trolling motor. I think I will stick with that for now.

To me, it sounds like neither of the captains was paying much attention to what was going on around them. Very lucky no one got hurt.

I like to buy new and drive them until they fall apart. Right now my 2017 is at 95600 and still going strong.

I'd like to fish a few lakes that are farther out away from home this year. Last year I stayed pretty close to town because of the gas prices.

My ears ring when I'm having sinus issues. It has something to do with the drainage and the pressure it causes. Most of the time it happens when my allergy acts up. or when a low weather front is moving through. It's a pain in the you know what, but when the ringing stops before my sinuses clear up it means an ear infection is coming on.