Black Hawk Basser

I haven't had to make drastic moves from summer to late fall to find fish. Generally, areas that may lack oxygen in the summer can now be fish-holding areas. An example would be above low-head dams. By low-head dams, I mean just a smattering of boulders from bank to bank that creates a small pool above, and a small scour hole below. I do not catch many fish above these dams in the summer. I think this is due to a combination of poor oxygen levels and perhaps scarce food. However, in the fall, I have caught numerous big smallmouths and walleyes above these dams, whereas I'd be better off fishing right below the dam in the summer. That's not to say that I still won't fish below the dam now. The thing about late in the summer and usually fall too, is that the water levels are at or near their annual low. I believe that low water in rivers/streams tends to scatter smallmouths, making it difficult to pinpoint areas where you may catch multiple fish. I think once current is really lacking, they start to treat the river like one big, long pond. I think it is best to cover a lot of water, and make long casts with baits that are efficient to do so. Crankbaits, jig/twisters, and inline spinners come to mind. But, by covering water, I don't really mean casting blindly all over the place. Even though the current may be slow, I still concentrate on anything that may create a break, like a downed tree, a boulder, etc. Make your best effort to make the perfect cast and presentation to these current breaks. I often find that when I get that perfect placement, that's when I get strikes.

I've been wanting to get some. The pattern looks ultra realistic. Thanks for sharing.

Oh yeah, I've caught some hogs late in the year. Definitely give it a try. If there are walleyes in your river, this is prime time for them, so maybe you'll get some bonus fish.

Around here, bass end up in every lake, pond, quarry, and lagoon from everyday anglers dumping them in to provide themselves more opportunities. It's illegal to stock public waters, but guys do it all the time.

Catching some fish on a Ned rig was a first for me this year. Fishing about half as much as other years was another thing. ?

Used to be that I couldn't stand Rodgers, but now, I kind of root for him. But screw Brady.

I'm not surprised that Rodgers owned Dallas at their home; he's been great there over the years. Biggest shocker of the week was Indy over KC. Mahomes was off, and his ankle took a beating.

I've had some success fishing them just off bottom with a medium paced "crankbait" retrieve. I really like the bait that was intended for them, the Gene Larew Biffle Bug. I think this is a rig that cannot be fished the wrong way, as long as you don't crank it in at a breakneck speed.

Little square bill crankbaits are killer for me! #5 Rapala Countdowns are pretty stellar, too. Zoom Flukes get good quality but not quantity.

Off topic, but have to share - My sister once got a bunch of green grapes from Wal Mart. Once arriving at home, she put the whole bag in the sink to rinse them off. Out comes a black widow spider. Mind you, we live in Iowa, where there are definitely no black widows. She called the Wal Mart to complain, and they gave her a $150 gift card.

1. Spinnerbait 2. Chug Bug (popper/walker hybrid) 3. Super Spot (lipless) 4. Jig/Craw

I've done well on river smallmouth with the Brat. I have not tried any of the others.

I love the Chug Bug. I've never had any hook issues with them. I believe all of them that I have are pretty aged, probably from over 10 years ago.

I fish an old quarry in which the green bass really favor the red cranks. I'm not going to argue either. It's just a shame that it gets too much vegetation to fish one all year there.

The Bomber Square A is my favorite squarebill, and they are around $4 each. Not the cheapest, but a great alternative to paying $8-$15.

I think he meant that getting a crankbait caught up in 5 lbs of salad will spook the fish in the area.

Failure to Launch

I'd rather you wear your fishing jersey with your name on it than some sports jersey with another grown man's name on it.

Fly Eagles, fly!!!

I'm generally too limited by vegetation to use them all year, but I sure use them in spring and late fall. I've had great outings with a Red Eye Shad, but the simple Cordell Super Spot has been the most consistent bait for me.

Mile high skies and/or pressured waters calls for downsizing everything. Smaller baits, slower retrieves, lighter line, etc. May not always work, but it helps.

I used to have zero confidence in crankbaits, because I failed to catch fish on them, aside from a few fish on the lipless variety. At some point that I can't recall, that drastically changed. Now, they are definitely a top choice in spring and again in fall. Around here, they are nearly useless from the spawn to fall, due to heavy vegetation. I had my best day for numbers by far on a small-ish Bomber squarebill this year. It was in April, before vegetation got too thick to fish it effectively. Stick with it; use a steady retrieve with some occasional twitches, pauses, and fast turns of the reel handle to temporarily vary speed. I've found that a moderate action rod helps to keep them hooked. I've lost a lot of crankbait fish on extra fast action rods; especially the famously frantically fighting smallmouth bass.

It's all about which country can suffer the longest without buckling to the pressure. IMO, China is in a better position for that. I'm sure they're trying to hold off through the election.

I've taken a larger inline spinner, cut off the treble, added a split ring & screw lock weighted hook with a 3.5" plastic, and made an awesome rig for numbers of bass.

Thanks for sharing! Pretty sweet.