BoatSquirrel

I am still trying to learn to not be too sure of what the fish are going to be doing before I get to the lake. Preconceived notions on what rods and tackle I bring continues to negatively impact my catch. A few more rods on the deck will not hurt anything!

A bit of chop can crank up the topwater bite but the fish have to be able to find the bait. Loud clacker buzzbaits, big noisy prop baits, or walking baits with big rattles that move a lot of water are the go-to. Regarding water temperature, 50 degrees is the general cutoff for too cold for topwater. I agree with Jake on the jerkbait, blade, or rattletrap for these conditions, but hatever you throw, the fish have to be able to find the lure in the choppy water.

Pond fishing is cool but an el cheapo $200 sit on top kayak is a killer investment. Enjoy the simplicity while accessing the entire lake and miles of unfished rivers.

Some folks believe the pros fish what their sponsors tell them to. Those are called chumps and are not pros for long. I defer to the jerkbait master on this issue, Mr. Vandam who throws his on a MH fast 6’10” Fast action rod with 7.1 reel. Fast action so the rod does not eat up the momentum of the jerk, and always have slack in the line.

Baby bass is the secret killer pattern for ponds.

I love the no weigh in, no live well approach of MLF but for the 8 tournament tour, those boys are going to beat the crap out of the fish in the lakes they go to. Every fish counts so no managing the schools for tomorrow!

Our recent heat wave has temporarily pushed fish back down towards deep water. They will often move off the bank and follow a creek to the center of a pocket, or they may slide down a point or a wall, but not for long. It seems like bass really want to be shallow this time of year. Fall is one of the most important times of year to watch the weather forecast. Cold fronts are your friend in early fall, especially the days after the front. Once the water moves into the mid-60s and all the way down to 50, you can wreck them on topwater all day.

Any single hook bait=no thank you on snaps. Anything with treble hooks=good to go on snaps. Another vote for VMC Crankbait snaps. Size 1 for big topwaters and cranks. Size 0 for mid-size topwaters, cranks, and jerkbaits.

I have a 7’0” BRC 417 Med/Mod action. It is soft as a willow limb and exactly what I was after to throw small cranks or neko rigs on a baitcaster. 10-12 lb flouro. Great value rods!

Agreed, YoTone. Mark Menedez says he will give $1000 for anyone who brings him a bucket of threadfin shad. Nobody has taken his money yet. I have not seen schooling bass jumping this year. Instead, the carp come up in schools the size of football fields. It is bad and not getting any better anytime soon.

Kentucky Lake in the past 5 years have gone from a top 5 bass fishery to an eco-disaster. The article in BASS is the sad truth. A local tournament took 12 lbs to win last week. 2nd place was 8 lbs. A warning to everyone upstream— catch every bass you can because they will not be there for long. Every lake on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers is in deeeeep trouble.

Even the most basic sonar will help improve your catch as well as teach you about fish location and behavior. For your rig, keep it simple with a traditional sonar unit like an entry/mid level Garmin or Humminbird and learn it first, then move up when you upgrade boats years down the line. Have fun!

Many years ago, the great bass fishing sage Bill Dance explained setting the hook with single hook baits such as worms and jigs to imagine you are opening a jar. In order to to maximize your power, you hold that jar against your chest, not out from you or over your head, and thats how Bill said to set the hook. Example, Greg Hackney’s flipping hookset. On the other hand, treble hook baits require a side sweep then crank the heck out of your reel handles. Example, KVD working his 1.5 crankbait. Believe it or not, a student of the game can actually learn by watching all of those hours of fishing on TV!

Having been out of the sport for a few decades, I have been back on the lake for a few years now and have been stunned by the selfish and rude behavior I have witnessed. As much as I have wanted to act out, just like in football, its always the guy who re-acts who ends up getting the flag thrown on him. Logan S and others who have advised discretion are exactly correct.

Hey DinkWhisperer- How are you liking the Yum TipToad? Was considering a ordering a few. Thanks.

Scaleface, good on you for trying something new. One of the greatest joys in our sport is developing a new technique to the point of it becoming a confidence bait. I agree with Brad in TX on the rebarb hook. If you have a lake or pond that you know is full of fish, take nothing but your DS and fish it all day. I like to use the DS for target fishing isolated wood or grass. Drop it in, always watching the line. Pick up. Either the line is swimming off or go to the next target. Best of luck with it.

Never knew that. Thanks!

Mr. Scott F- “line that was nearly white“...are you using Nanofil? Thanks.

Schoolies can be feast or famine. Its all about matching your presentation to the bait the fish are after. Get it right and catch 2 fish on the same cast-or not and pull your hair out throwing everything in your box.

Caught a 3lb largemouth today on Kentucky Lake in a foot of water on a buzzbait. The bass had 2/3 of its tail left and the stump was bloody. I would have thought it was an anomaly but my boy caught a 4lbr 15 miles away that also had a bloody tail. Am I nuts or can-do bass spawn in late July in 87 degree water? Product of a supermoon?

Welcome to the world of schooling bass, friends. This time of the year, oxygen gets used up in deep water and bass/predatory fish push shad/minnows into shallow water and can be easy to catch. When you see the fish come up, get a shad/minnow shaped lure in there asap and have fun!

Have any asian carp jumped into your boat? I hear thats a bad sign for your lake.

This comparison tests 15lb braid to 30lb fluoro, and 50lb braid to 80lb mono. Lighter braid to heavier leader is common in salt but not as much in fresh water fishing. I would love to see a test but with more fresh water line sizes such a as 15lb braid to 8 lb fluoro and 50lb braid to 20 lb mono.