geneoh

Had a fun opener. My bud and I caught probably 30 total all on reaction baits. Swim jig, chatterbait, squarebill, s-waver. Up shallow to start, then we moved to clumps of weeds at 8-12 fow. They were scattered as the day went on. The bank bite stopped and just picked of randoms in the weeds. They were active for us, wt 55. Best 5 was 17lbs.

I love going to Okoboji. It might be because it’s the start of a new year and I’m hyped or something. I always try to get out there once a year.

Got out Monday for a few hours in the afternoon. Caught like 10 all on a rockpile with a crankbait and a jig. Couldn't get them anywhere else. The wind was fierce. WT 46. Biggest was 3.5lbs.

Was on a metro lake, water temps were 74-78(!). I did see some beds and looked like males were locked on. I didn't try to catch any of them, didn't really want to waste time on some 12 inch squeakers. I'm relatively new to fishing during the spawn, I thought they spawned more at 64-68. Or did that temp come and go so fast they didn't really have a chance? Bite was a little tough, caught most of mine deep in timber today.

South metro, wt 58. Bass were active, caught a bunch but no giants. Anything moving would of worked today, I did most of my damage on a chatterbait.

I'm starting to get a little stir crazy. I must be watching to much fishing youtube. I'm going to try to get to Iowa mid-April before the opener. That's if ice out happens soon...

Looking back at the year, did you guys reach your goals? Punch asked what techniques were we going to try and what we going to try to improve this year. My goals were to learn my graphs and get confidence with soft plastics, mainly dropshotting. I ended up switching graphs in the middle of the year but I have started to pick up on them. So much more confidence in what I'm seeing. I still have a long ways to go with them. I picked up dropshotting fairly well, mostly in shallow water 5-15ft is where I liked fishing the technique. Didn't try really anything deeper or any video game style, maybe next year. I really took a liking to flipping jigs/punch rigs/texas rigged beavers. I caught my largest bass this way. Found it to be my favorite way to fish as well. Other goals I accomplished - Caught a 6lber, and never got skunked in my boat.

I bought my Christmas gift to my self. Dobyns champion extreme HP 784 jig rod from TW. Pretty stoked about it!

I brought a shovel and my waders to the boat launch the other day to break ice at the ramp but just ended up going to the river instead

Went out yesterday. Like frydog said, 30 degree air temp meant every 10 minutes cleaning the guides from ice. WT was 38-39. Thin layers of floating surface ice around. My wife thinks I'm insane. I was out for 5 hours, caught 7-8 all on a finesse jig except one on a underspin. Largest was 3.5lbs. The bites were liiiiiiight. One thing i found out, diawa tatula reels with the TWS design are great in the winter, frozen braid can move freely. My one three fishing concepts not so much.

Water temp was 48 at Johanna today. We still have a few weeks left I'd guess. With that water in the 40's what do you guys like to throw? I'm still trying to figure out how I want to fish late fall. I've had some success with a jerkbait, jig. I might try to go more finesse the remaining weeks.

Thats awesome for your brother-in-law, shimmy, that's a beast!

Just under 21inches. SO. FAT.

Couldn't get out this weekend but got out for a few hours this afternoon. It was cold but water temps still 61. I didn't catch many, I had to make an adjustment from a jig to a smaller profile t-rig to get big bites. It worked though, I got the biggest bite of my life! One of my goals this year was to get a 6lber. I finally got it today with a 6.28lb toad. I've been fishing for big bites lately and its been paying off. Jigs, Texas rigs basically all of the time. Once the water temps get lower I'll change things up but this has been working really well for me.

Bite is good right now! Fishing pads and weed edges with a jig. Wt:63 Shoutout to Sully, he helped me get confidence in a jig and it's completely changed how I fish. Get out out when it's raining if you can.

I've lost a few megabass 110's to pike and that's just the worst. Last year I broke off on my first cast on a brand new 110. I about turned the boat around and just went home.

It's like if a jig and a Texas rig has a baby. Comes through cover pretty easy.

I had myself quite the day today. Caught my PB (5.44) and a 21+ bag. All on a slither rig with a sweet beaver. It was slow to start for the first 3-4 hours but they turned on and the bite was crazy.

Really taking a liking to fishing jigs and slither rigs in and around cover. Turns out I just needed time with it to get some confidence (obvi). I'd totally be content flipping cover/structure all day long. Plus I've been consistently getting better bites. ----- Not sure if it's okay to post here, let me know if it's not and I'll take it down. I'm selling my Lowrance setup. two HDS 7's, totalscan, spotlight scan. All you would need to set up your boat front and back. Would just need an ethernet cable (I broke mine) and some map cards. $1600 obo, message me with any questions.

I ended up staying local but I was going to go to Smith Lake. I grew up going there and its been at least 10 years since I've been back.

I'm considering hitting up a lake next to Mille Lacs tomorrow. Is that a bad idea with BASS up there right now? Should I avoid the whole area even if I won't be on Mille Lacs?

and I almost always go weedless because I throw it in/around thick vegetation. You can't go wrong either way.

I'll play around with the distance but it's typically around 8 inches. I'll throw it on the outside of shallow cover (texas rigged) that can be 4-5ft. Docks are great, I'll use it as a follow up if I'm not getting hit on jigs. I really think you could cast it onto the bank and just drag it into the water and you'll still catch fish. I have a dedicated dropshot setup so I use it as a search bait as well as when the bite is slow. I've grown to have a lot of confidence in the tactic and I only really started using it this year. A goal of mine this year is to work on consistency and to go the year without getting skunked. The dropshot has saved me and kept that goal alive.

Went out for a few hours this morning and it was tough. I went to a lake I fished a lot last year but not much this year and all of the weeds at my usual spots were gone. It was unexpected and had me guessing way too much. WT was 68!

Clear, lots of deep weeds. Low pressure because it's a max 5mph lake. Small as well. Would be great for a kayak.