RipzLipz

In addition to the above.... jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, jig & craw, umbrella rig, swimbaits are all good choices. Obviously with the water temps being low, retrieves need to be on the slower side unless the fish tell you differently. If you're near any warm water discharges, you might find fish stacked near the discharge areas this time of year.

For me, the list for both is a bit longer and probably matches many responses already posted and not really a response as the OP wanted but here goes..... Consistently finding the quality fish that I know are there where I fish is close to the top of list of challenges however I know they aren't always going to feed at the exact time when I'm fishing. Another challenge is changing the game plan when things aren't working - I can be stubborn at times. Fishing when the weather gets hot and humid turns the fish completely off and getting up very early or staying very late over the weekends can be tough when you have to get up for work Monday morning. The 90 minute one way drive from home to the strip pits I fish can be tough, especially on the way home and if the fishing wasn't so great. Some of the unbelievable jerks out on the public waters. Waiting for ice out can be such a drag - never did get much out of ice fishing (odd, maybe?). Losing a good fish can be disappointing - losing a trophy can be complete agony. Trying to remind myself that this wonderful sport is supposed to be fun and not so serious is a challenge - why do my goals keep increasing (PBs) and will that ever stop; why did it have to rain/be windy on the day I was able to go fishing? Prices going up on rods, reels and tackle. Oh and let's not forget breaking a rod and/or losing a lure or worse yet, boat/equipment damage or failure. Getting hung up when you make a bad cast, especially when you knew you shouldn't have made said bad cast. Missing a fish on the hookset or losing one during the fight. How about when you were 11 or 12 and you stand up to whiz as you're tied off on a cypress tree in the middle of Reelfoot Lake on a cool March day, the wind blows a bit, the rope comes to its end and the boat jolts, the branch you're holding breaks as you try to regain your balance and the next thing you know you're completely in the water and back into the boat seat in 15 seconds flat and your dad can't help but laugh once he turns around to see what all the commotion was about? Worst part of that was getting back to the dock and unloading the boat in front of dozens of fishermen while soaking wet, thinking they're all staring at you. Enough of my pseudo complaints, let's get to the good stuff... I think it's fair to divide this into 2 parts - on the water and off the water. On the water: Seeing the water when you get there, seeing nature do its thing, seeing the fish do theirs. Being lucky to fish clear waters and see fish moving up and bedding - watching a male bass circle the bed or see the female calmly cruise off the bed as you get too close - learning from what you're able to see. Seeing a true giant (given where you're located geographically). Oh my oh my, the chase - the hunt. Catching a fish on the first cast; catching a fish on the last cast; making a wonderful cast - better yet, catching a fish on that wonderful cast. Putting it all together. Having a tough day and finally finding some success. Running into great people on public waters (they're not ALL jerks). Sight fishing; sight fishing AND catching (there IS a difference). Seeing your line move as a fish runs with your lure; seeing your line just barely tick as your jig falls; seeing a bass inhale your lure; seeing that top water strike; seeing that top water explosion - oh sweet jesus; getting your subsurface lure completely crushed by a fish. Watching a bass come up and turn on a weightless soft plastic/slow falling lure. Setting the hook so good you know the fish isn't coming off (if you watched it, think Zona's show with Keith Combs and the shotgun sound when he set the hook); not knowing you have a good fish on and you see it the first time; knowing you have a giant on as soon as you feel the fish or see it dance on its tail; having a fish on and it takes you under the boat and you're praying for help from above to keep it from getting off; finally landing that big one; finally landing that giant AND avoiding that ONE LAST HEAD SHAKE THEY ALL MAKE (am I right?); admiring what you've caught - really look at it and take it in - the markings, the colors, the shape, the girth/width, the size of the mouth; those bright red crushers in the late winter/early spring; the fins still moving as if the fish is still in the water; letting her go for another day; fishing with your dad/mom/kid/fishing buddy; the high fives and fist bumps; watching your kid do what you taught them and finding the same success and enjoyment that you get out of fishing; opening the first/last beer; catching a dandy on a new rod/reel/lure; getting your pictures back from the outing; going back the next time. Off the water: Getting ready to go fishing (for the day/night/week); going to the bait shop or buying stuff online; getting a new rod/reel/lure; wondering what the heck you were thinking when you bought all that crap and now you need a bigger (and new) tackle box/bag; feeling that new reel when you go outside and cast it for the first time and you know it was the right choice; the drive to the lake/river/pond/stream; getting your kids excited about going; cleaning your rods/reels; getting the boat out and tinkering with things; getting new (and sometimes very expensive) electronics; reading a good post on BassResource.com; seeing people find success with their fishing reports/pics; watching fishing shows; watching fishing shows and you actually are able to learn something; finding a new place to fish; finding a new person to go fishing with; getting into that one lake you always wanted to fish; being able to laugh when you think about an outing in the past; smile when you recall that one great day fishing; letting a teardrop roll when you remember watching your kid(s) fishing in the yard with the Snoopy rods you bought them (my youngest was lazy and brought out a plastic chair to sit on along with his rod); looking up at your trophy/trophies on the wall/mantle and remembering that/those days; not having any regrets in releasing a trophy; finding a good buy on rods/reels/lures; eating your catch (hopefully not larger bass but whatever is considered sensible - not for me to cast stones about that); cleaning your first fish; passing along some info/knowledge to a friend. Probably not a complete list but I hope if nothing else, this long post might have made you think/remember a little bit and/or reminded you of some of the reasons we love this sport, even with all it's challenges. I'm glad my dad took the time to take me fishing and get me hooked on it when I was a kid - the joys more often than not outweigh the challenges for me, even if I'm not the best fisherman or catch the biggest fish.

Doing the same here. After looking for 2-3 years, I finally got this discontinued rarity from the factory last week: ...aaaaand will be spending some of this at some point in time:

My favorite bait until they come off the beds.

Thanks guys. Well, couldn't reproduce last week's results. After an overnight low of 19, the fish weren't in a mood to cooperate. We got a single hit - a 4-5lber that my buddy lost about half way to the boat. That bite occurred 15-20 minutes after we launched the boat - nada the rest of the day. Going to be too windy to go tomorrow. Next Saturday looks doable as long as the wind and rain hold off for the day. Will probably try a different pit to see where it's at so far this year. Air temps are still pretty low, so the early season jig bite should be around for a while.

Be patient - it will eventually be rewarded. I used to hate every month before May until I had some success throwing jigs. Now the ice can't melt fast enough for me. Fish the areas that hold fish over and over but pick one or two bait each outing and stick with those until you find the one they want. Keep a log until you've got it figured out. Pretty good chance you'll be able to repeat it year after year. As others have already said, the really big mamas are typically caught early so that should keep your spirits up. Don't go into the early season thinking you're going to load the boat - you're fishing for a handful of bites, but the ones you do stick should be larger than usual - at least that's what goes on this time of year where I live.....but we're still anywhere from 20°F to 50°F during the daylight hours right now. I'd be surprised if the surface temps are over 50 where I fish. Hang in there, it just takes one big bite to change your outlook on the early season!

Finally!!!! After a couple of months of cabin fever and sick of watching DVR'd fishing shows, I finally got out on the water. Went out with my dad last Saturday to fish the strip pits - surface temps were below 50°F. Fished 3/8oz. jig & craws and it was painfully slow, not that I expected it to be on fire seeing how the ice had only been off about a week at most. Did manage to stick this 4lb 5oz later in the day. It hit on the initial fall, as most of these fish typically do. I believe the air temps were in the upper 50's last Saturday and I'm planning on going back to the same pit today - highs aren't supposed to get over 40 today, so we'll see if the insulated bibs still fit and if Mrs. Fatbottom is in a mood to tangle with Mr. Jigncraw or not..... Pics:

The fat bottomed girls are knocking on the hard water, ready for a crustacean buffet. Probably not this weekend, but I'm hoping the forecast holds and maybe the weekend after it'll be ready. Time to get the jig box organized.

Great to hear - it's such a rush to catch a quality bass. One other thing I find that bigger fish typically do, which scares the crap out of me is the last head shake right when I grab that lower lip. Never fails, they just don't wanna give up so easily. Did you happen to have this happen? Again, congrats to you. Hopefully you'll be setting a new one very soon - keep that jig wet until the spawn is done, if you can.

Yep, we see it as well here in IN when fishing early in the year. I feel the same, especially when fishing right after ice out.Awesome fish, BTW.

Congrats! PBs are awesome, maybe top five things in life (for me anyway). Nothing better than a late winter/early spring gal caught on a jig and craw. Slowly starting to be come my favorite time to fish (when the weather cooperates). My PB came on the same lure and color combo (as well as the healthy gal in my pic to the left which was my PB up to last spring). So tell us, how big was your smile? Did you start shaking? Think this experience will make you more persistent when the bite is slow?

These satellite images are taken from a MN/CA border lake that I've fished in the past. The first 2 are what the locals referred to as reefs (as already mentioned, some folks may call a few of the areas I circled saddles, points, sunken islands or rock piles). The last image is of 2 rock piles - I call them that because that's what they were - piles of rocks. The other formations in the first 2 images were a granite type of formation with loose rocks scattered on top of them. I feel these terms are pretty much like bluegill/bream, crappie/specs, etc. Reefs: Rock Piles: The glacial lakes up in that area have lots of "stringy" points, reefs, sunken islands - you get a good feel for them when you're on the water and seeing the shorline or islands in person. Say you see 3 islands, all in a straight line and 100-200 yards of water lies between them. There's a good chance that a peak, saddle, reef, ridge will form between those 3 islands - some may even come up and form a flat, as you mentioned. There's also a good chance that a flat might form off the shorline of one of the islands if you see large boulders sticking up out of the water anywhere from a few feet to several yards off the shoreline. As a side note, the 2 rock piles would attract larger spawning smallmouth year after year after year (which we released to finish their ritual). Also taught me a big lesson about not always pounding the banks in search of larger fish.

Hit it with a jig & craw as soon as the ice melts or as soon as you can tolerate the air temps. Those fat bottomed girls will be hungry around that time. We're getting close, but this cold weather will push things back a bit longer.

Congrats, nice fat girl.

Same thing in the strip pits - never see any crawfish or the mud "towers" on the surrounding land. Doesn't seem to affect the bass biting jigs after ice out. To the OP, I agree with the approach that the bluegill will be near where you'd find the bass. Also, when the bluegill start bedding, be sure to fish around the beds in deeper water - the bass probably won't be far off. I see the bass occasionally roaming around and through the beds when the bluegill spawn is in full swing.

That fish in my profile pic was caught in your neck of the woods, near Clay City, from private waters. Great fishing in that area if you're lucky enough to gain access to the private places. I've set my PB the past 2 years from that pit. My criticism about IN fishing was aimed only at the larger public lakes and our DNRs approach towards improvements in those fisheries, or lack thereof, compared to other states. Public streams and rivers can be fine fishing in certain areas, but those areas can be much more difficult to access compared to places like Monroe, etc. The fish we are lucky enough to catch from a private area shows that our area has the potential for great public fisheries. I just find it frustrating that more isn't being done for those public areas that are lacking or need better management.

Here in IN, I'm done fishing in state until ice out in Feb. or Mar. Then it's time to whack those fat bottom gals with a jig & craw.

IMO IN has terrible bass management. They used to draw down Monroe during the spawn, hurting the quality of bass. Anyone remember Turtle Creek Reservoir? That place was a bass factory until all the numbers of quality bass myteriously disappeared and now it's a haven for carp and catfish. I'm guessing the discharge temps got too high at some point but not much the state could do about that since the was owned by Hoosier Energy. How many times are they going to drain West Boggs before they get a grip on that place? Griffey Reservoir in Bloomington was tremendous in the 70s and 80s, but the DNR didn't manage the weeds and they've drained it twice in about 20 years. Pretty frustrating. Even though Monroe is so tough to fish, strangely it's probably your best bet for a giant on public waters, if not Patoka. Our reservoirs aren't intended to be bass factories - flood control and drinking water. But I feel our DNR and corps of engineers could do a better job of managing those 2 bigger lakes in the state. Maybe take some lessons from those in TX? I've pretty much given up fishing public waters during warm weather in south central Indiana due to pressure, boaters, jet skiers and the plethora of morons on the waters. However, I do have buddies in Bloomington that tell me Monroe is pretty good at night, as I'm sure Patoka might be. Private waters are filled with giant bass (for Indiana), capable of producing fish in double digits. I fish mostly old coal strip pits on the SW portion of the state. The public pits that I've fished are OK but can be tough if getting pressured. Did some wading in Big Blue River for a few years prior to the big flood in 2007 or 2008 and the stretch I fished was loaded with 2-4lb smallies but that all changed after the flood. Being blessed to have access to private waters, I love fishing here in IN. But as my neighbors have pointed out, it can be tough here, especially for casual fishermen and during the hot months from mid June to end of August. That's when I'd fish at night. LM only, I'd have to say in no order AL, CA, FL and TX are best. For combos of LM and SM, northern states like MI, WI, MN and I'm impressed with ME from what I've seen on TV. However I've only fished in just over a half dozen states other than my own, so those are just my opinion. Seems to be fine fishing all across the South (across the Ohio), so don't be offended if your home state wasn't mentioned. Anyone near the Great Lakes I *** you for the smallmouth fishing you have available to you. Just hope it continues and the invasive fish like the Asian carps stay out.

No, I fish strip pits mostly and long lining probably wouldn't be very productive with the particular pits I fish due to their size and shape. Like I said before about the capacity, it's my opinion, and I'll reiterate that I only brought up 2 situations where a higher capacity might be desired. Never once was I insinuating that more capacity was needed for every situation...nor for the majority. Just trying give the guy all that he may wish to consider before dropping a couple bills on a reel, simple as that.

I did a quick check and the MGX is actually 115yds and the Premier is 145yds. I got the Premier mixed up with the Toro which is a cranking reel. A bunch of line is relative to the type of fishing you plan on doing with the reel...if I ever went striper fishing, I'd want a bit more than 150yds. If I long lined cranks, I'd want more line capacity as well. So yeah, only is appropriate, IMO.

Not trying to be humorous, but doesn't the male have a round pooper (area on the belly with no scales) and the female's is oval or elliptical? I've heard and read that claim before. I've seen males up to 5lbs so up to a point, the size can still be a point of confusion for the unseasoned ones. I'm sure the pooper indicator isn't 100% foolproof but most females I've caught in the spring are oval and some times almost prolapsed or falling out when it's time for them to drop eggs. Side note, after spawning, the males are the ones laying around sleeping. (Yes, trying to be funny here).

To be honest I never set them before I sold them, but I do recall times when I had issues with "professional overrun" (cough) backlash (cough) for various reasons or it felt like i was limited on casting distance with a lighter lure and I'm certain that taking off the side plates and making the pin adjustments would have helped with both issues more often than not.At the time, I only had 1 or 2 of the STXs and was having to throw a wide variety of different weighted lures, so I'd have had to make more adjustments due to the fewer number of reels. The Premier allows an easier and in my opinion more accurate fine tuning. Since I've changed to all MGX and Premier, I've yet to get that feeling that the reel felt too tight with the tension and braking like I had with the STX. Granted, it was due to ignorance, but I'd still rather pay the extra money for the convenience of not removing the side plates especially when on the water where it could go into the drink. I usually fish from a two man boat so I'd rather not deal with taking apart a $175+ reel while on the water so I can make an adjustment and then possibly having to do it again if necessary. Not everyone is the same, I'm just giving you my experience and personal preference. Like I've said, the STX is a fine reel, but I prefer the IVCB on both the Premier and MGX - a slight lean to the MGX for its lightness, but the spool only holds ~150 yds of 12 lb line. The Premier holds over 200 by the specs listed. I use the MGX for fishing everything except spinnerbaits and crankbaits (depending upon the crankbait size - MGX for tiny cranks, if I'd ever go down to the smaller ones).

I'd be sending that into Abu ASAP. I've had excellent customer service from them in the past when plastic pieces inside the reels broke or wore out and caused the thumb bar to not disengage properly. I'd sent in 2 EXT Pros (old round one piece frames) and they'd stopped making them but replaced them with brand new Records which were higher priced. Sold them both and bought 3 STXs after I decided to give low profile reels a shot. You might want to call them first to get details on what you need to send to them.

They're both excellent reels, however having to remove the side plate to fine tune the brake isn't what I'd consider handy with the STX. I've bought several reels off of eBay over the past few years and have gotten them much cheaper than retail. Just make sure you read the entire listing (refurbs, right/left handed, etc.), ask questions if time allows and pay attention to the past 6-12 months of feedback. If you would like, I can point out some trustworthy sellers I've used - just send me a PM if you're comfortable with eBay.

I own both reels and the Premier with the IVCB is far superior, in my opinion. You'll never have to take the side plate off for full range of adjustment on the centrifugal. Something the STX lacks and fails to point out how to properly use in the included docs. You won't regret spending the extra money on a Premier or MGX for that matter. Most of the upper locking shaft/pins (above and in front of your thumb when it's resting on the spool) are a little looser than I prefer, so I'd take a small screwdriver and give it a bit of a tightening. NOT a torque down, just so you can't loosen it by hand.