MIbassyaker

I've used straight shanks, offset round bend, and EWG in the past, but like @Jar11591 have slowly migrated to EWGs almost exclusively in the last several years. I don't experienced reduced hookups with EWGs compared to the other hooks, but I do experience less tackle-fiddling when on the water. I still use straight-shank flipping hooks for heavy cover sometimes though.

Your count right now is probably double (or more) the number I will have caught by the end of the year.

Welp! Back to the bottom....

I wouldn't say "burned out" exactly, but I definitely feel an itch for variety and I'm too curious about every hole in the ground with water for my own good. I see a spot of blue on a map and just have to try it. Some I end up liking and some I don't. but pretty quickly, there ends up being too many places I want to come back to and fish. So over time I developed a loose rotation of 40-something distinct natural lakes, gravel pits, bayous, impoundments, and free-flowing river stretches in my area, most of which I visit only once or twice per year. For instance, since my first 2025 outing in April, I've gone out somewhere to cast a line 13 times, and only once have I revisited a place I had already been to this year. I also find 2 or 3 new spots each year to try, and some of those get added to the rotation. These are all small inland waters, mostly between a couple dozen to a few hundred acres (the biggest I visit semi-regularly is a little over 2000). Really, every body of water near me that isn't Lake Michigan is "small" by national standards. This is not a recipe for maximizing success. But it means I can enjoy the challenge of fishing a lot of different environments and conditions -- from shallow slop to deep structure, from docks to weeds to wood to rock, from about 1' of visibility to more than 15' -- and still be on fairly small waters that are easy to navigate in a small craft.

Not paying close enough attention to location Not checking my line regularly and re-tying if damaged. Ignoring the lure weight rating on the rod.

I see them from time to time also but never hooked up with one. Pike and bowfins are another story, though, and they easily tip the scales to hardbaits being more expensive as far as I'm concerned.

Finally got around to repairing the crack on my main kayak, and headed out to "Lake 26" today. A pretty good morning was had, with 13 bass, all around 2lb/16" -- nothing bigger, but also nothing smaller. A few, pretty representative: All but a couple were caught on a gold flashy swimmer with a 4.3 keitech fat swing impact, wherever I found cabbage reaching to 1-2 feet below the surface in 6-8' of water. Also some minor bycatch:

AJay: "Guess I'm not the captain" Lynn: "Right"

Great fish!

I haven't gotten anything out of the mooch minnow yet on a jighead or underspin, but the vibrating blade looks like a good idea.

A few more hours on the bayou this morning. The bigger fish are showing pretty obvious post-spawn body condition here now. The best out of 12 was this skinny 19" on a frog -- my first topwater bass of the year: A few others in the 15"-17" range, most on a frog or senko. Got pics of two of them: Went home just as the place was starting to get popular.

Smallmouth eye color varies and yes, some have red eyes. Probably just genetics.

I've done well on the Grand River bayous, but the inland lakes have been pretty tough. I got a total of 2 this morning on Big Pine Island lake (site of the 1934 state record largemouth) that weren't really worth a picture. Seems like the cool weather and constantly changing wind has maybe moved them offshore and buttoned them up until things stabilize and warm up a bit for more than a day at a time.

I'm trying to remember -- I have fished in each of the 5 states I have lived (MN, ND, CA, NJ, MI), and a few others (SD, WI, PA, NY), but only a few of those specifically for bass, and not very competently in most of them. I think I have only caught bass in MN, NJ, MI, and WI. I've never fished internationally.

I have a hard time believing that, of all the things that might look unnatural and turn off a bass (action, movement path, lure color, weird hook sticking out, line-tie, etc.), an unpainted jighead would be a top concern.

I don't really like lipless crankbaits.

As a long-time fan of lizards, I approve! 👍 I've got nearly the same number of bass (57) so far this year. The only times I have ever come close to your catch rate around here is when there's an abundance of undersized fish.

Just want to make sure he hasn't stopped taking his meds.

Can somebody do a wellness check on @gim?

I think of anything keeper size (14") and higher as "nice" or "decent" Around 18"/3lb and bigger are "good" 4lb and up are "big"

Right on! That's my kind of place.

Looks like you've got a little of everything swimming around in that river!

Amazing-looking trip!