rejesterd

Try different spots. This is common for late summer, especially for night fishing spots. They start to move toward other fairly shallow, but slightly deeper spots (like 4-8 feet instead of 1-4). This is the time of year when jerkbaits start to outperform spinnerbaits and noisy baits at night. Also quieter (but more erratic) topwaters like Zara Spooks.

I would say go fish in calm coves that are close to points with good current (where the larger fish will be). That's where I most often catch tiny smallmouth. They seem to retreat to calm, shady areas.

They are definitely smarter, and it's been proven in a lab that they can learn. Look up Keith Jones, director of research at the Berkley Fish Research Center. They react less and less to the same artificial baits over time, because they remember that it isn't real food. The difference is, fish in the wild don't get fed at regular intervals like they do in a lab, so their instinct to bite and find food often overrides their learned behavior. But older fish definitely become more and more nocturnal over time because it's simply easier to sneak up on prey in the dark. That's why most people will catch more big fish from dusk until dawn, and it's why tournament fishing is harder and requires more skill in getting those same big fish (with full bellies during the day) to keep biting.

Bigger bass are older bass, and older bass are smarter predators. Over time, they become more and more nocturnal. They mostly feed at night and chill out during the day. So during the day, you have to trigger them more into biting. There are exceptions, but that's the main idea. You have to trigger them with fast flashy/wobbly/erratic moving baits, or with very slow-moving baits of a particular color that works for that waterway. So part of it is trial and error in experimenting with color and somewhat with presentation. At the same time, recognize that bigger fish will still instinctively stage up on places that will allow food to come to them more easily during the day. They're not in full hunting mode, but they'll still eat things if it's not too much effort for them. That means they're mostly out where the current is, or under docks/pads hiding in the shadows.

It's a good looking lake, for sure. Church Island was fun last spring.

The only way to prevent it is to never have slack in your line and set the hook as soon as you feel anything. Of course you will miss lots of fish and won't be able to use any presentation where you have to let it sink after the cast (like a dropshot). It's part of fishing.. you're going to kill some fish.

No bait is obsolete. Ploppers are just popular right now, just like frogs, rats, senkos, flukes, etc. In the 90's, it was slug-gos, power worms, spinnerbaits, zara spooks, etc. They all work if you get the right color, speed and depth.

It doesn't always freeze them, but it generally works. Practically, I think it's easier to scoop them up from their side or from the back while turning them upside down. That's how I land any bass (sm or lm) that's over 4 lbs or so, unless I get lucky and have them hooked in the upper lip (then I just lip them). Using a net is easiest obviously, but the trebles get caught up in it sometimes so it can be a pain. But if you move them side to side near the boat, you can just reach underneath their underside and scoop them up quickly.

The problem is you think you have to go at a time when they're feeding. Not true. You'll generally catch more when they're feeding, but they don't go grocery shopping. They're still fighting to survive in the wild, so there are plenty of ways to trigger them to bite even if they're not currently looking for food. Fish very fast and very erratic. If you get nothing, slow way way down. If you still get nothing, start over with different colors.

During that time, I mostly start on deep structure spots that have been working in the summer, and head toward the shore (or the nearest major depth transition). The same baits generally work, but I use a longer leader on dropshots and I don't worry about hitting the bottom with crankbaits so much. Summer to fall isn't as significant and fall to winter in terms of how the fish act imo.

Depends where you hook them and what bait you're using. In the lip with a spinnerbait/jerkbait/crankbait, they'll probably survive since there's a good chance they'll shake it off. I've seen fish do that. But in the gut, they'll probably die.

I look for the schools of good-size bass on the edge of ledges and rock piles that come up very shallow. Normally these fish are deeper, but they'll come up in low light. This is especially true if the wind is blowing and there's good current. If it's colder and rainy, I lean more towards a jerkbait. If it's warm and rainy, I use a spinnerbait or swimbait. Brighter colors on the jerkbaits and swimbaits, and basically anything for the spinnerbaits (since they mostly react to the blade flash, not the skirt).

I don't think hook sharpness has much to do with this. If they're jumping, that means they're hooked. If the hook wasn't sharp enough and not fully set, you would never get to that point in the fight. Watch the line at the point where it's crossing below the surface. When they're about to jump, you'll see it move away from you. When that happens start reeling very fast and yank the rod back as soon as they break the surface.

I would try a few more different presentations after catching a couple, but move on pretty soon if none of those presentations work. My observation is that smallies roam, but only in a certain radius that's centered around some type of structure (usually rock piles and ledges). They will stray from the structure a little bit, but they usually come back to the same areas during the season. So I basically just mark those rock piles and ledges, and putter around them until I see something on the finder. I start out right over the structure, then spiral out from it until I see fish.

I think it depends on the bait you're using, and the conditions. If it's windy and you're using something that's supposed to imitate a bottom-feeder like a crawfish, you should cast against the wind/current. They usually move along with the current. But if you're using something that's supposed to imitate a baitfish, you should cast with the wind/current or perpendicular to it. Baitfish don't get blown around by wind/current.. they just follow the plankton (which does get blown around). So when you reel it back against the current, it looks like a baitfish trying to flee after they've spotted predators in the area. I think that's what the bass are usually looking for. When it's calm with little-to-no current, then it's more about simply positioning the boat carefully so that you don't spook them and casting parallel to the bank.

If you've been fishing for a significant amount of time, you've killed some fish. You think because it was an accident that it makes it any better?

Couldn't tell you why, but that's when I would switch to really bright colors and baits that really vibrate/wobble a lot.

Pressured fish exist in waters where LOTS of people fish in the same spots constantly. The way I identify pressured fish is using the finder. If I'm consistently seeing fish on the finder in spots where people were just fishing, to me, that means they're pressured. But it's not something I think about a lot, because it really doesn't affect my strategy. If you know the fish are there and they're not biting, you need to try something different. The technical reason why they're not biting is irrelevant imo.

Yep, that's really the trick with any pressured waterway. You know everyone and their buddy is throwing senkos, whopper ploppers and other popular baits right now. So tie on a Jitterbug or a curly-tailed worm or some other freaky looking soft plastic that you've never seen someone else using before.

He's a Cinderella boy.. tears in his eyes I guess as he lines up this last cast..

Jerkbaits for sure. It's something very erratic that stays in the strike zone for longer. Also wacky rigged worms.

Better to pay more attention to what's going on below the surface rather than what's on it. Big bass in the middle of the summer will be more focused on ambush areas so they don't have to chase bait fish to the surface.

You can only catch so many bass in one area before the rest of them stop biting. Some will move as the weather changes, but typically LM stick to certain areas for the season. They move between those areas, so you just have to learn what those are and search them.

Definitely Jimmy Houston when I was a kid. He just seemed like he was having more fun than anyone fishing. As an adult, definitely Kevin Vandam. He changed the way I fish completely after what he was saying really sunk in.

I've learned to accept the annoyance of wind, because it usually activates the larger bass during the hot day. Start out on main lake points shallow with a big heavy spinnerbait, and gradually go deeper. After the depth gets to 15 feet or so, switch to a big heavy crankbait.