Lil'Gunner

Personally, I love tiny spinnerbaits for finding fish in new ponds - 1/8oz single colorados. I start by running right along the edges, then work out. I try white first and if that doesn't work, go green or black. One or the other almost always works, at least to locate fish. After that I may slow down and work a plastic.

I went to Gamakatsu hooks this summer and find my loss rate is way, way down. For hard baits, I keep an eye out for those sporting Gammy's, and that's a selling point (no pun intended, but I'll take it..) for me. I don't let fish run around. I don't want to horse them in so fast that there's no fight, which I could, but if a bass wants to walk right into the boat, I let her. I only "give back" to the fish when it makes an honest power run, of which there may only be one or two, or none. I do make a little exception for crankbaits, which seem to pop out easier when I press too hard.

Not quite here yet, but the fish know it's close. We've had a couple of cold fronts with lows in the 50's - the first morning when they've hit has been some really hot fishing, but then it slows down real quick, and stays slow thru the next low pressure. Overall though, it's been a heckuva a lot better over the last month than the summer... whew!

I fish a variety of small lakes down here in South Carolina. Each fishery seems to have its own favorite bait types and colors. My best hawg factory gives up nothing to cranks and spinnerbaits - it's soft plastic or nothing (well, I've gotten a couple on jigs here and there..). And, it's been that way all year. I believe in the idea of matching the forage as best you can. I decided last week to hit a different lake. Was catching zero until it dawned on me... Hah! This lake is connected to a major river - that means shad forage. Put on a white spinnerbait and bang, it was on. It sounds like you're finding some things that work where you are. Stick with 'em until you notice the action trailing off, and then introduce other approaches while you still have contact with the fish. Another thing I keep in mind is.. I'm into fishing for as long of a haul as I'm allowed, so I always take some time to experiment at the risk of spending some time or outings not catching anything. What usually happens, though, is I discover other spots and tactics that pay off either right away, or at another time when nothing else is working.

I've noticed the same thing. I can't see the fish in my lake, but it's on-off again like crazy. And when it is on, they are right up on the bank. A couple of things I have noticed... I fish from a tube, and a lot of my hook-ups come from tossing a TX rigged senko up onto dry land, and sliding it into the water. Most of those hits come right away, or on the first twitch. I've also noticed that if I mis-cast, especially multiple times, that will pretty much guarantee I won't catch anything there (often, I'm skipping under brush, trying to hit pretty tight openings). Perhaps you can find an angle or two on your water to try sliding in from the dirt. I've also had some success down-sizing on tough days, throwing 3-4 inch versions of the same 6, 7, 10-inch worms I may use otherwise. (btw... I try to fish all kinds of things, but in my favorite lakes, anything but soft plastic seems to be a waste of time..).

I've taken years at times, having several other hobbies I'm just as passionate about. I can't hardly go a day without fishing now though, living in the deep south and finally availing myself of a boat. See you at daybreak tomorrow!

I always followed the 2-3 days of stable weather guideline others have mentioned. This year, though, I've had really hot action on the very first mornings of cold fronts - the very first cold, crystal clear day -- and right at daybreak. Once that phases out, which could be 30 minutes or 4-5 hours, then it gets real tough for a couple of days.

No need for all that rod-whipping. I reel down until I actually feel the weight of the fish, and then I just "oomph" upward like I'm picking up a bucket of paint. If I feel the weight and I'm sporting a Gamakatsu hook, and I never, ever miss. Seems the only time I miss is on those big sweeping sets... too much slack, and usually means that I'm rushing.

Couldn't agree more with this, too... foolproof.

I don't know that small vs big lake makes a difference. Some of it has to do with time of year and where you are - north or south. Having lived both north, south, and in-between, I have found that slow baits like worms and jigs work best in the southern summer, while I have done really well on crankbaits in northern summers. I do great on spinnerbaits in the spring all over, but nada on them the rest of the year. The southern lakes I'm fishing now (all 10-50 acres).. every fish is coming out on green soft plastic stick baits. I give other baits a good long run... nothing. Go back to green stick worm - bang. Forage is important - matching the color of your forage is a good starting point. My current favorite lakes are mostly bream based - you can't buy a bass in there on a shad-colored lure, and I've tried. I get tired of slinging the same things all the time - I WISH they would hit something else! Overall I guess, in my 40 years of fishing them, I find bass in particular lakes go on long runs where they favor a particular lure type and color. Find it and run with it until it works no more. Keep working other things in so that you have an opportunity to catch the transitions when they happen.

I would agree; 6-8. Sweet..

Lake maps.. I look for situations that regularly produce for me no matter what lake I'm on.. I'm big on points and humps, and brush banks. Google Earth is awesome if no maps are available or your lead time is short. Zoom in at several levels; look for color differences that indicate points, humps, shallow flats, deep drops, etc. These are for-real. Use the measurement tool in GE to scope how far off they are from landmarks, and know that 50 feet is about equal to a basic "medium" cast. I'm a habitual count-down person, use a lot of TX rigs and jigs, so I always know what the contours are (at least relatively) even without a depth finder. A one-foot-per-second drop is a fair assumption for most rigs in the 1/4 to 1/2 oz range. I also feel like good shallow structure always has bass in it. Key variables are fishing pressure, and effective presentation. This is where kayaks, float tubes, etc rule - stealthy presentations into tight corners, pockets, holes and what-not in shallow structure. This allows you to beat both variables many times. If you can get back thru the goop where few people go and drop a worm on top of a bass' head, he/she will hit it more often than not. Lastly, I always think of new lakes as long-term investments. I go number one to learn them, and number two to actually catch something. Focus on learning first, and that will pay forever.

I was born up north, and now live in the south. Summer was always the best season up there; that and pre-spawn. Down here, summer is tough-tough-tough, though I caught my PB this year in the dead of summer. Fished 4 hours - one hit, one fish, 12 lbs. Fall down here is great, although it seems you have to file thru several patterns to find what works, and be ready to change out of it quickly and often. The difference is that our summers are so hot, day and night, that the dissolved oxygen drops and makes them sluggish; doesn't happen up nort'. I follow generalities, but have no rules and use my impatience to advantage. I believe if I'm doing the right things, I'll get a hit right away. So, I might start with a topwater at daybreak, but think nothing of hitting an offshore hump 20 minutes later if I haven't caught anything. Today, I got 5 for 10lbs on a windy crisp cold front day, and missed several others. I got sick of trying to position in a blasting cold wind that I underdressed for, and pulled into a lee. I threw a senko right against the bank there and caught a 2-lb, and that put me on the pattern of the day.