Lottabass

You got me nodding too, Katie! That is what I admire most about us cronies and codgers, we never give up!

Good post @HawkeyeSmallie ! I hope that the post and all the replies keep everyone thinking. If your physical prime and your mental prime happened at the same time it would be great. That didn't happen for me and I'm guessing it doesn't happen like that for most anglers. I am better now than I have ever been at finding fish. Physically I struggle. Everything wears me out. Everything is more difficult now that I'm 76. Tying on a hook or a lure is such a challenge. If they made lie ties the size of hula hoops it would be better! Worry about the fish seeing your line? Hell, I can't see it!!! Used to be able to knock the nuts off a gnat at 50 feet with a baitcaster. Now I can barely see that far!!! But, you compensate. When your abilities go down, your attitude must go up. It's a constant learning journey. Learning and enjoying the natural world around you is a blessing.

I think he meant you should buy more baits. Buy, buy, buy, that's what a salesman wants you to do.

I always troll when moving from one area to another. Why not keep a bait in the water? I use a small boat with electric motor so it's simple to do. A depthfinder helps to fish a certan contour. Plus it is relaxing, until one tries to break your rod!

Water was clesr and shallow between the bank and inside weedline. Throwing a compact popping frog up on the bank and slipping it into the water would get it sharked. Too big a splash would spook them away from it. Got hung on a bush and when I went in to get it I spotted the mushrooms!

@Glenn Thank you for fixing the problem. "Absense makes the heart grow fonder" sure applies here. BR is the best! It's a big part of my morning routine to read and enjoy the photos!

@ohioguy25 Thanks for this post. I have the same issues. Thank you to all who have replied. Once again, BR has made my fishing better.

Do ya ever catch just enough to keep you throwing the same bait in the same area but your gut says you should be doing something else? I get too stubborn or too lazy sometimes to change. I was catching bass on swim jig and spinnerbait in 2 fow, but size was lacking. I was just sure I would run into some bigger ones sooner or later. Finally tied on a bladed jig and moved outside the weedline into 4 to 6 fow and size went up. Why did I wait so long to adjust? Too lazy or too stubborn, or both!

Warm, clear, howlin wind. Air 79, water 70. Didn't need clicker today, caught 5 on a swim jig between the bank and inside weedline. Probably a foot deep. Watched every one shark it! Lotta wild flowers on the bank but couldn't get close enough for pics. Birds singing, sun shining, I love spring! I wish I could send you some of our heat! You are doing great under tough conditions!

Topwater. Buzzbait or buzzfrog if water is dirty, spook if water is not dirty. I struggle to catch big fish during the period you are talking about. If I could fish in water between 40 and 50 degrees all year I would be happy, but that aint gonna happen. Spawning bass are hard to catch but if the water is warm the postspawners will wack a topwater.

You may be using a jig that is too heavy and too big. A light, small finesse jig would be a good choice. It's not too snaggy. It takes practice to finesse a jig thru cover. Slow down and FEEL your jig and EASE it thru those limbs, and you will get snagged from time to time. Always be "weighing" your jig, if it feels heavier or lighter...YE HAW!

A short story about rock. There is a pile of busted up concrete on the way to one of the mud bottomed lakes I fish. I have a tiny boat so its not like I can haul stuff to make brushpiles but every time I go by I stop and grap a couple of chunks and drop them in a spot. Over the last few years it has grown to be a pretty good pile and a wiggle wart or a DT8 has caught many good ones. Just like Johnny Cash got his Cadillac; "I got it one piece at a time, and it didn't cost me a dime."

I just wish I had rip rap. If I did it would be a Yo Zuri squarebill.

Joe, I think you have lotsa buddies on this site. They are just "long distance" buddies.

I hope I have learned from all the great anglers on this site. I hope I have learned from all the anglers on this site who aspire to be great anglers.

You are a true angler if you fish all day and catch little or nothing and you can't wait to do it again. I'm proud of you, Katie! Thank you for a great report!

Another warm windy day in Iowa. Surface temps are 74!!! Lake high and dirty after lotsa rain. Had fun rasselin' 23 fat chunkers out of flooded grass on snagless sally, poppin frog, and buzzbait. 30 mph wind ran me off at noon.

Congratulations Joe! A bass to be proud of!

Sounds like frog water to me.

I knew you were gonna catch 'em! What a way to start the year! Congratulations, Katie!

@Blue Raider Bob Thanks Bob! It was a hoot!

Great day on the water. Air 50, water 54. Lake high after rain. Fat little guys were streching my string all day. Mr clicker said 37. Spinnerbait and bladed jig did the work in 2 fow. Best part of the day was when a turkey started gobbling in the timber above the lake. I talked to him for quite awhile (I always carry a yelper in the boat in the spring for just such an occasion)!

Wonderful bass, Joe!!!!! Keep it up! Congratulations! @Joedodge

Congratulations Katie! This is every anglers dream and you're gonna make it happen! Excited, excited, excited!!!

"One thing is certain. You may not catch any bass on the pond, but you chance is 100% that you won’t catch one on the couch!" "Not all the fish in the pond will be in one small hole. You’re gonna find a lot of bass stay all winter long in 4-6’ in the grass." I like the advice above. If you wait for perfect conditions or "the bite to turn on" you're in for a long wait. Just go and figure them out!