drfunk

Where are you getting the TG jack hammers? I really would like to try some but I haven't found them available from a reliable site.

Monroe (aka the Dead Sea) is my home lake and it definitely catches a bad rep. But, I can't tell you how many people I see fishing midday and then are surprised when they catch nothing. It's so time of day dependent for big bass. The heavy boat traffic also tends to completely turn off the bite there, which I know may not traditional wisdom. So the fast side of the lake tends to be awful fishing on weekends. The slow side is still good especially early mornings. I know from first hand experience the big bass are there, it may just be harder to find them. So to the original question, I think it is really about understanding the lake you are fishing. If you apply the general bass fishing knowledge to a lake and have a tough time then that's when a lake gets a bad rep. But, it's understandable because you aren't going to be able to spend enough time at every lake to really realize its idiosyncrasies.

I've only been fishing about a year but I've been trying lots of different spots in southern Indiana. By far my favorite place has been Glendale Fish & Wildlife Area. Glendale has 22 ponds scattered about and Dogwood Lake. I have only fished a handful of the ponds so far and Dogwood lake but it was the most productive area I've found. Dogwood lake also has dedicated shore fishing areas that are well maintained.