Choporoz

We have more loons this year than the past several years. But our loons lie. Every day I check out the areas they are congregating. I have caught exactly one bass and found few bait balls. Cormorants and otters are a little better, but they both seem to scatter the bait and put the bass on guard for a while.

Surface temps today were 44°. My lake pretty much skipped the 50s. Went from 60 to 40s in a week or so. Jerkbaits played for 2 days. This past week has been all metal. I have been spending an hour or more looking for bait before ever making a cast. Except yesterday..lol. I was idling out of my creek and saw some especially nervous water. I shut off the motor, jumped on the front and threw a flutter spoon in the middle. 5 1/2 pounds on first cast. Today the good ones were in the middle on bait with spoons, and on long points with blade bait. I did have fun catching a bunch of dinks vertically jigging a spoon in deep trees (26-35'). No dead sticking for me. I don't have the patience unless I'm positive there are bass close. It has been a week since I caught anything with plastic. (Couple days in early Dec where I cast a Mayor into middle of pockets and did ok just letting it drop, sit, and slow drag.) But that bite has disappeared. I'd say 90% of my casts in winter are hunks of metal. I think I've lost 4 blade baits already.

In October, I had temple arm snap on a pair Costas that was less than two years old (and worn infrequently). They also told me 'normal wear and tear'. Pretty disappointing.

Beat Army!

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!? It was snowing yesterday, but the fish didn't seem to notice. No notes or records, just feeble recollections. Rage Bug - numbers, by far, as well as most over 5#. Could be because 4 out of every 5 casts involve a Rage Bug of some sort? Exactly one fish on a Whopper Plopper, but it was one of biggest bass this year. Biggest came on blade bait - which is easily best numbers bait every Nov-Feb. More fish on flutter spoon than ever before. But I did really throw it a lot - seems the more I learn about the bass in my lake, the more I find that there are bigs chasing shad offshore at ALL times. Love love love throwing big spoons at them. Spent more time with ARig than previous years. Caught fish, but unless it hooks up every few casts, I really am disliking it. Even the good fish on it aren't really fun - like snagging a wet bath towel. Lots of flukes mentioned above- but for maybe first year ever, I don't think I caught one bass on a fluke this year. One other observation on the year: I am learning that I don't fish shallow enough. (Or deep enough for that matter.) I spent over ten years on tidal waters and shallow rivers - many many entire days in less than 5 FOW, and considered myself somewhat skilled at skinny water fishing. Still, I was shocked to find more bass over 5# in less than a foot of water this year than any year I recall. (Also just learning how to target LMB in 30-35 FOW, which I had rarely done before last couple years.)

I have space heaters in garage, shed, and front porch. I do smoke in the car and trucks - fortunately, I have a very understanding wife who also enjoys a good cigar every now and then. Funny - last night in our way to a Christmas party, I was driving and enjoying a cigar. At one point, she started to say something and then got quiet. After a mile or two I got her to spit it out. She was about to say something about us arriving smelling like cigars - but decided not to; that if anything, we'd smell better than so many of the women that load up on crappy perfume...

I am close to the VA-NC border. Ice kept me off the lake for, I think, less than a week last year. When I lived in northern VA, I would typically lose 3 or 4 weeks a year due to ice. I used to push out through skim ice if it was going to warm above freezing during the day, but I think I am over that.

This. Nothing comes close to fluoro semi-slack sensitivity for me.

All I could make out was Poole Stick General Coco Funk Fireman Jeremia Elemil

Probably just my age-related CRS, but I don't recall ever having read or heard before that I should NOT be using my inflatable PFD when it is really near or below freezing. I need to swap out PFDs. Just read this on Mustang's web site: "This marking is because cold air below 0C and cold water near 0C can negatively affect the inflator’s ability to puncture the CO2 gas cylinder (both manual and automatic); thus, the device does not inflate. If it does inflate, the time to achieve buoyancy can also be significantly delayed, and it is possible the device will not produce the full amount of required buoyancy. Inflatable flotation devices are not recommended for use in temperatures below freezing. As temperatures approach freezing, your inflatable flotation device will provide less buoyancy and will inflate more slowly. At temperatures near freezing, the device should be worn partially inflated to ensure that some buoyancy is immediately available to you if you fall overboard. The oral inflator can then be used to top up the flotation device after CO2 inflation. Cold reduces the volume of gas and results in a reduction in buoyancy."

This post was from years ago, but I really like the idea. May have to try these. My lake has rip rap with wood stuck all over in a few areas and it can be a nightmare for most presentations. Reminds me of a walleye bottom bouncer rig. I have a couple but never tied on a bass lure. Probably should try.

Winter weather forecast for today has schools and businesses closed. It snowed for almost 20 minutes this morning. Gone now @ 11am. Time to go fishing. Surface temps still at 50. Shad are bunching up nicely and the dinner bell has been ringing. Numbers not great yet, but sizes been good.

The 1/3 oz JackSlap tail spinner casts a mile and gives great feedback on 15# braid with 12# leader. It gets bit on the fall. Gets bit on the bottom. And the coolest bite is when it gets slammed on the lift/jerk.

I lied. Totally forgot about them. Last week I was stocking up on blade baits, since I already lost 3 or 4 since they lit on fire a couple weeks ago. I tossed a 1/3 oz Catch Jack Slap in my cart because it was sort of like a blade... and, well, it looked cool in the picture That thing was awesome yesterday. Hope it keeps it up. Surface temps just now finally scratching 50 and shad starting to mass up in huge schools. LM eating in 3FOW and 30'. Pretty soon, it will be all metal baits for a good while.

You have my good thoughts. I applaud your attitude and outlook.

Quoted from MLF BFL rules on mobile communications: "10. BOAT OPERATION • Boaters will fish from the front deck of the boat only. Co-anglers will fish from the back deck or seating area of the boat only. Boaters will have complete control of boat operation and waters to be fished. For safety concerns in rough water or swift current, in the event of an outboard or trolling motor breakdown or during an emergency, co-anglers may operate the trolling motor or the outboard but may not fish anytime from the front deck. Boaters may not request that the co-angler not fish. Any boater that, in the judgment of the tournament director, operates the boat in such a manner that unfairly handicaps his/her co-angler and any co-angler who unfairly handicaps his/her boater may be disqualified for that day. Boaters paired with boaters will receive equal time in the front of the boat to operate the trolling motor and equal time, including travel, to fish their selected waters. Contestants may not use mobile communication devices, including but not limited to, cell phones, tablets, marine radios, walkie-talkies, CBs, etc., to communicate with anyone about locating or catching fish on tournament waters during tournament hours. Mobile communication devices may be used during tournament hours to communicate with lockmasters about locking, to communicate with the tournament director or to communicate with MLF editors or producers. Boaters may use smart phones and/or tablets during tournament hours for GPS, mapping, weather, power generation, barge traffic updates, tidal charts, personal fishing notes and related data. At no time during tournament hours may contestants read or discuss social media posts from other contestants. Co-anglers are not allowed to record GPS waypoints or use any type of handheld GPS during any competition day. Contestants are expected to compete every day for which they are qualified; failure to do so may result in ineligibility to compete in future MLF tournaments. If a special circumstance arises that inhibits a contestant’s ability to compete, the tournament director may allow the contestant to withdraw from competition and maintain the weight caught to that point. Depending on the need to maintain an equal number of boaters and co-anglers (i.e. day 2 at super tournaments and day 3 at regionals and the All-American), the next highest contestant in the tournament standings may be invited to continue competition." Not much in there that doesn't resemble a can of worms

Fish Boat Docks. Doesn't this whole story completely validate @MN Fisher's (and others') abhorrence of polygraph use for guilt/innocence determinations? Not only did the first test falsely lead org to conclude that the angler was lying, it led to a suspension for cheating that never happened. I hope he gets reimbursed for his out-of-own-pocket retest. As many here have said repeatedly, the 'no info' rules are nothing but unenforceable trouble at all levels. I believe WON Bass doesn't have info rules and I've never heard a negative thing about that decision.

I use Menace on 1/4 oz buzzbait. Never had anything smaller. Maybe ned size craw or menace.

Casting towards a DNR 'fish attractor' feels like cheating

I don't recall last time I was really anxious for a regular season game. I'm surprised Pack is giving 5.5 on the early spread. I think GB defense will be difference - I would be happy to win by 2 or 3 and have Bears cover. A Pack rout would be OK, too

I don't keep records or notes, but I believe this year has been average as to landing % for me. With one peculiar, maybe coincidental, footnote. Three times this year I lost very big fish on straightaway runs. No jump, no violent shakes, just drag peeling runs away, and then nothing...almost felt as if they broke off. All three on t-rig with 12# flouro and Owner hooks. Certainly, the hookset is part of the problem, but the repeated sudden loss on straight runs is something I don't recall in past years. Like anyone, I lose bass on jumps. But I like to think that I have done a better job of minimizing jumps. I am not sure I can adequately describe what I do, so maybe it is more feel and experience than actual technique. When the fish is coming up quickly, I slow my reeling, put the rod tip low, even into water sometimes and sweep sideways to keep pressure, more than reeling for control. Simply reeling fast seems to sort of give them a bit of more upward momentum...but that could be in my head.

Per Zoom, they started GP, but totally by accident. Switching between watermelon green and pumpkin orange batches, they kept and then fished the in-between mix output and were pleasantly surprised.

The trend peaked within a few years of a line manufacturer advertising its red line as being invisible to bass. My position was influenced (stolen?) from something @WRB-2.0 said 12 or 15 years ago, and several times since; paraphrasing here, 'even if I know definitively what colors a bass sees best, I'll never really know how that fish interprets the color, or will react to it'. I have used red spinnerbaits in murky water. But I have to admit that I don't really believe that spinnerbat color makes any difference whatsoever in low-viz water....what with blades spinning, wires vibrating, skirt flapping, trailer trailing... color probably doesn't matter, except to spinnerbait manufacturers who tell you to add another color to your tackle box.

+1, but on an android phone.... 3 or 4 times on Thursday- none since

Sounds special to me...lol. I may still have the case, but it has never been used.