BrianMDTX

The Neko Macho. And not as a Neko rig, but weightless on a 3/0 EWG Texas rig. It casts like a bomb from my baitcasters as it’s a heavy soft plastic, and that pinched area leads to a rounded tail that has surprising action. It gets hit dragging it, hopping it and on the fall. It’s an extremely versatile soft plastic. It skips well, too. Thanks to @roadwarrior for introducing me to that bait.

Happy Easter! I went out on the local pond for two hours this morning. Started with a frog, then a chatterbait. No bites. Started casting a 4” #956 Senko weightless TR and had a couple dink nibbles. Switched to a watermelon Zoom Trick and a purple Mag 2. Also no bites. Rigged a 5” #196 Senko and started skipping it in close to shore under the brush (the only activity I saw was there). Only caught one bass, but at least it was decent. Right before I started back to my launch point, I tried a 6th Sense squarebill. I casted it maybe three times and on the next cast, I had a hookup about halfway to the boat. It felt decent and was putting a good bend in the 705CB, but something felt “off”. I was right. It wasn’t a bass. I know anglers catch catfish on crankbaits, but this is a first for me. It must have passed right by it and it took the bait lol.

About 99% of the time. The other 1% is when I’m not fishing!

They allow boats, but it is a no-wake lake. I saw jon boats and bass boats, but the vast majority were simply running on trolling motors or the engines were at idle. My inflatable is great for ponds, but a kayak would be much better on Lake Raven. That’s a lot of water to cover in an inflatable.

I have a weather rock. It’s a large, oval and totally smooth river rock. It’s infallible. Absolutely 100% infallible. Dry- nice out Dry and hot- sunny and high temps Damp- cool and dewy Wet- rain White- snow Ice- cold It moved- very windy!

I’ve lost count how many times bluegills have come up and popped the line where it enters the water. I don’t think they are line shy at all.

Congrats on the retirement. I hope to join you one day this decade! Worst retirement story ever. I worked at a company decades ago, and a woman retired with IiRC over 35 years or more. Had a big party for her on Friday, her last day. While leaving on her last day ever at work, she was struck by a truck who came off the exit ramp and the brakes failed. Killed instantly headed across the street to the parking lot. Never got to enjoy one second of retirement away from work. Shortly afterwards the company built a pedestrian bridge across the road to the parking lot.

Easter is always on a Sunday. Which is always a day off. Unless you’re a working stuff on shift work with Tues/Wed off lol!!

I need to learn more about this lake. I only fished a small part (very small), but I liked what I saw.

Some of those swirls and blowups I saw looked big.

Yes. Seems nice. I’ll fish it again.

Give that man a seegar!! ?

Well, I went. I haven’t fished waters other than ponds in a long, long time. Granted, 240 acres isn’t huge, but compared to 2-3 acres, it’s big water lol. I got there just after 7:00 and saw it was open for self-pay ($7.00 day use fee). So I was fishing by 7:30. It has a lot of hydrilla, which is new to me. I had a hit on my second cast with a Whopper Plopper and one on a Booyah Pad Crasher and that was it. I tried spinnerbaits, squarebills, jigs, chatterbaits, paddletails, Texas rigs and a wacky rig. No luck. But the bass were there. They were chasing shad and I saw some big swirls and blowups. But I got skunked. But I did see a nice gar and I made a new friend. I’ll be back, but I need to learn how to fish lakes vs. ponds.

Maverick, I’m your huckleberry!

No thank you. I’m waiting on the Iceman series! ?

That’s why there’s Eight O’Clock coffee! The state government of Texas has it listed as an “Optional Holiday”.

Now…that’s just cruel! ? Nothing like a 1-5 start. SSDD. But, I’m a diehard!

Ok I/you talked me into it!

I was going to fish a new lake tomorrow, but it’s in a state park, which normally opens at 6:00 am. But as tomorrow is a holiday, it’s not open until 8:00. I can fish my local pond starting before sunrise (6:54 am), but it’s been slow and nothing over 2 lbs. lately. If the SP opens at 8:00, I’d probably be fishing by 8:30. Tomorrow’s forecast is cloudy/overcast with 59°-61° at 6:00 am. I’ll be fishing out of my inflatable boat. The lake is 28’ max depth and 240 ac. in size. The pond is 7’ max depth and about 3 ac. in size. What would you do?

It seems the vast majority of bass anglers use backing to avoid spooling yards of $$$ braid or fluorocarbon. Makes one wonder why most bass reels simply don’t have spools that hold less line and eliminate the need for any backing (save some mono to start when spooling braid). Is it due to the weight of a larger diameter spool?

I normally rig a Zoom Trick on a 3/0 EWG. I let it sink, wait a bit, and crank the reel three times slowly, pause, and repeat. If no bites, I’ll hop it. But I get more bites slow on the bottom in shallow ponds.

Ugh to that. Good luck.

And it would take all 5 lol. ?No stems no seeds that you don’t need!?

Nice bass. That pond looks like it’s begging for a weightless Zoom Trick TR dragged slow on the bottom.

Ned rigs. It wasn’t until I started swimming them until I caught bass. Still not a top producer (for me), but getting more consistent.