BassNJake

I have thought about this and I really did a crappy job of describing this. I am always looking for at least 2 things on any piece of structure. I like windblown points, so yesterday's weather is important for my fishing today. Once I decide the part of the lake I think the fish will be located. I'll map check all the wind blown points looking for abnormalities It could be a quick depth change out along the point, a high spot, a ditch or depression, rock pile, brush or laydown maybe a change in bottom composition .... Anything to put more variables on my side I've got basic sonar so I drift over area to "map" them As I formulate a plan of attack to the specific area I want to fish I'll triangulate my position, This provides a reference point for where I want to be casting in relation to boat position

I used to drive past Melton Hill on Edgemoor for work. the park there has a fishing pier that extends out into the water. Several other areas to access from shore as well. The google car drove thru the parking lot so you can see parking and access points

I love being out on the water. Catching fish is a big plus, but I enjoy all the other aspects of nature too. The miracle in the cycle of life. Right now everything is blooming , the birds are out, bass are on their beds, the carp, the gar and the shad are all spawning now. Even the stupid Mosquitoes are out and hangry I'm always picking up trash on the lake. I leave every trip with a bag of garbage. I go 3-4 times a week. I used to be all ticked off about what all ready happened. some/many idiots littering, instead of focusing on the now. How good it looks once I've picked it up. I've got some anger issues I've been working on. My wife had advised me to try and think of the things I am grateful for in those moments. It's been a great tool. Thinking of my kids holding me down trying to tickle me usually snaps me out of anything.

Good luck!!

Thanks for sharing the saga of your first bed fish!! I had quite the laugh at your expense !!

Being the smarta$$ that I am, I was catching some dinks Saturday. I threw on a war eagle so I could post it here showing how great they were. Well I caught a 11 lb 5 oz drum on one without any issues So hahaha .... then 2 casts later hahahaha on me as the split ring came apart on the big blade. Is it wrong that I was think about Bass resource posts as I was out on the water? Bass- Resource- itis ?

Anytime I'm putzing around the shore I'm fishing a good distance ahead of me So I'm not concerned about trolling motor noise directly under the boat I also live on a lake with heavy traffic. If I had to give every spot 30 minutes after a boat/jet ski went by I'd make about 2 casts an hour max. In the heavier traffic I fish deeper and tighter into to the structure/cover

What about fishing offshore for a morning bite?

Once the weight is more evenly distributed, IMO this is the answer.

I got an early morning call to go fish with a buddy. I grabbed some boxes and the only thing I had to throw them in was from harbor freight worked kinda awesome for what I needed that day

Dude, you might have to dumb that down for some of us.

He was fishing at the dam. I saw him catch a big smallie probably pushing 5 lbs he also caught a catfish and for a few moments thought he had another big smallie on

7 lb largemouth caught on a Poe's 400-P competition cedar crankbait

I've got a 16 foot crestliner I used to run a 36V 101 and have to replace the circuit board so now I'm running a 55 and it's wimpy I'm running 2 AGM's in parallel so I've got plenty of juice Trying to head into a 10 mph wind and you dont have enough power I'm just stuck treading water

When pattern fishing its always about active fish. I've got lots of brush piles waypointed. They all hold bait and larger fish(sonar) Based on my experience the active brush piles are the ones where I get bit fairly quickly and I can get bit using multiple different baits. (I'll fish a shakey head and my partner a jig) The inactive ones they dont bite quickly and it takes 30 casts to figure out what they might bite. I became a 100 times better fisherman when I started running brush pile to brush pile looking for the quicker bite. Instead of trying to convince an inactive, neutral, not hungry and/or lazy fish to eat You could substitute ledge, point, hump and drop off for brush pile.

Checked over at another forum and last 2 weeks guys were catching them on shakey heads.

I fish 3 or 4 lakes a year. I also fish my home lake 2+ times a week. The water level changes year to year so it makes it different. This year we are still 8 feet below full pool. Last year we were at full pool and 2 years ago we were 12 feet above. So in 3 years the fish are in different areas when they are spawning

It's calling for temps in the 80's You'll find fish on beds and I'll bet you'll see an early morning shad spawn You'll also see the an unbelievable amount of traffic because of the warm weather Wolftever creek, Chester Frost, Soddy and Sale creeks will be like merry go rounds

It's prespawn/spawn/post spawn here. Since I dont really like messing with bedding fish I'll be fishing points, channel swings and any structure I graph in 10-20 feet of water I'll be fishing a crank or a spinner/chatterbait and I'll be slow rolling it I'm trying to target the first places they stop moving in or out to spawn The water temp is right near 60 and thats when I also see shad starting to spawn so in low light conditions on warm mornings I'm fishing shallow with some sort of fluke/swimbait

I think I saw Wesley Strader do it in an Elite event I'm trying to see if I can find the footage

Great freaking job!!

Congrats !!

Cant stand the one handed hook sets by Fletcher Really irks me for some reason #myissues

Welcher has burned me pretty good this year I'm not picking him this time Which means he's probably gonna top 5

I heard David Dudley saying one time that every time you catch a fish you should be able to give a book report on it. This helped me focus on details I may have missed by just chucking and winding. I feel it was something that has helped me fine tune patterns and at times find the spot on the spot. The next 15 years of listening to him waiting for a tidbit has been like going to a redneck dentist