Lottabass

@bp_fowler Love the story, love the pics, love the bass. I'm glad you got the guts and the strength to make this adventure happen and thank you for sharing it!

Hot, windy day in Iowa. Air 81, surface temp in the morning was 53, warming to 58 when I left. Caught 11 nice bass and lotsa 14 inchers. Bigger bass came on a bladed jig slow rolled from the lip of the flat into 6 fow. Biggest about 4. The smaller bass would wear out a spinnerbait in 2 fow

Warm, windy day in Iowa. Air 78, water 58. Caught 22 on dead weed clumps in 2 fow, up in the jungle. Nothing over 17 inches, but my Granpa used to say, "there's little bass and there's big bass but there ain't no bad bass." Most came on a Snagless Sally.

Speaking for myself whatever I tie on will be wrong 50% of the time. The problem comes when you are hardheaded and continue to force baits that are not catching fish. I'm speaking from experience. 😁

Cold, cloudy morning. Air 45, water 51. Caught some nice ones on a 5 inch grub and a black/red spinnerbait in 4 fow. Biggest was 4 1/2.

Thank you, Mike. I understand what you're saying about the jaw. I don't bend it back and keep the bass vertical with my grip to keep the jaw open but not any further than it would be normally. I hope all of us heed your good advice!

@Mike L Mike, What is the right way? I like to get a weight on a big bass and release it asap. Never intend to do damage to the fish. What if I put her in some kind of rubber bag and hook the scale to the bag? She would be horizontal and no stretch to the jaw. What do you think?

That is the reason I have so much tackle. As soon as I find a bait I like I buy a bunch of them just because I figure they will quit making them! I think tackle companies make baits according to "trends" and "marketing".

The heck with the hat, I'm looking at the big, beautiful bass!!

There is more BS in lure colors than there is in a Kansas feedlot.

Thank you for sharing your loss. I hope by doing so it lessened your pain somewhat. You and Bob gave each other a good life. Go back to the shelter and do it again!

Your water color is classified as Iowa Standard! I use black baits most of the time. Copper or gold blades on spinners. Black CB, black swim jigs, black or GP jigs and plastics. I should use white more often but I'm too busy catching bass to change (I don't mean that to sound arrogant, but it's true...)

Hot day, hot fishin'! Air 90, water 56. All on bladed jig in 2 fow. Upper end of lake. 2 bigs at 6 1/4 and 7 1/4!

Spinnerbait. Last Saturday was "winter", this Saturday is gonna be "heat wave from hell"!!!! That's Iowa spring weather. Good luck with your new boat. Take your toolbox with you and wear your PFD!

Warm, sunny day. Air 75, water 50. Ice went out (again) on Tuesday. Not a good day. Clipped a deer on the way to the lake. She peeled the tail light off trailer! Put in and caught a few as I was headed up the lake. Got a mile from the truck and elec motor quit! Then it would run off and on to get me back to the truck. Try again tomorrow.

3986 + 71 = 4057

Thick fog today. Air 53, water 53. Only caught 4 but they were nice, fat ones. Spinnerbait on stumps in 2 fow. Boat for sale. Price reduced!!!!

Warm, sunny day. Air 75, water 51. Good SW wind. Couldn't get any along the bank. Caught 2 on a jig in 7 fow. The other 17 came on a spinnerbait high up over 8 fow. These bass were sunbathin'!

That crawdad pic is friggin' terrific!!!!!!

Congratulations Joe! You will enjoy tinkering with it to get it the way you want it.

Dealing with frozen water is resolved by buying new lures and gazing and fondling them while fantasying about all the lunkers they will catch come spring. I probably spend more than the GDP of some countries! I call the UPS man my Santa Claus in Brown!

You live in a great spot!!!!

A bass celebrating his birthday in beer batter won't be around for you to catch again. I like to catch bass and I like to eat crappie.

@Joedodge Buy a boat even if your wife has to get a second job to pay for it. 👩‍🏭 Okay, I'm ducking! 😅

I feel for ya! Surgery will go well and you will be back to fishing before you know it! Just to keep things in perspective, my friend Clayton has NO arms! Watching him tie on a jig with his toes is amazing.