Swest18x

Funny.... maybe I'm fishing wrong (probably) but June is hands down my worst month up here (excepting true winter December through March when i dont fish at all). I feel like fish coming off spawn are in a funk, cottonwood and algae gums up my one fishery something awful, I catch way more fish in April for sure and come late August, the smallmouth bite is ON. I caught almost 500 bass last year, only 33 in the month of June.

It's that time of year again. As a braid guy, I can confirm that switching to a full length (90' in my case) fluorocarbon leader, or just running straight fluorocarbon, is a big improvement. Doesn't eliminate the problem, but the cotton definitely sticks worse to the braid.

I think just asking the question raises you to a different level of angler. I watched a guy today throw a whopper plopper out from the dock at the same location - which was basically empty, open water - about 20 times. I'm not the best or most experienced in the world but whenever I take my kids fishing with me I tell them the same thing, especially as it relates to bank fishing around here. The biggest mistake you can make is picking a spot and making cast after cast thinking the bass will just show up. If the fish aren't biting, they're either not interested or not there. Move on.

I fish the Erie Canal in NYS a lot because it's 5 minutes from my house. Fishing ranges from ok to spectacular especially for smallmouth. My least favorite time of year is right now - the cottonwood debris is so bad on the surface you can hardly use a baitcaster at all, the cotton clumps on the braid and the guides something terrible. This will continue for the next few weeks, below the surface green slime is blooming so no matter what your presentation it's a mess and the water is murky. Fast forward to late August, topwater bite will fire up smallies will start schooling water will clear through the Fall jerkbait will rule then right before they drain it you can absolutely smash them. I use braid to leader for everything but as I'm writing this it occurred to me, I wonder if using straight fluorocarbon would keep some of the cottonwood off my line?

When I got there the water was even warmer than I thought it would be, 60 -63. I started out ripping a Bill Lewis over some weedbeds and caught three nice largemouth, later I did ok running the same jerkbait pattern that got me through the Spring. I won't be back til the spawn is well over, then it will be dropshot time. Thanks for the comments and advice.

I think you should make a small investment in a kayak or better yet a flat bottom canoe. If you're having that much success from shore, getting on the other side of those weedbeds will open up all sorts of possibilities for you. Esquif makes a light stable canoe called a Mallard XL that would be perfect for you.

Bayouslide, how is that swivel attached to the weight? I don't recognize whatever you used for a connection.

Guess I need to come prepared next time!

53 degree water. This ribbon of fish ran well over a mile long in 50 feet of water at 530 in the morning last week. Hemlock Lake in NY state, I know a few users here have fished it. The lake is 7 miles long not a lot of flats but this end does have an area I'd say is good for spawning. Lake trout in this lake too, I assumed these were more likely lakers than bass so I kept moving past them, either way didn't think them likely to bite the way they were suspended. But holy crap, it was like every fish in the Lake showed up for the party. What do they look like to you? I returned to the area around 830 but never got on them.

I'll be heading out this weekend to a local lake. Submerged vegetation close to shore then drops off deep. Shaped like a bowl, clear water, largemouth and smallies. I've struggled at this lake in the past but had a great spring this year with a jerkbait. Water temps should just be reaching 60 degrees. I'm looking for a game plan but not sure what to do, I don't usually fish during the spawn and it's right at that temp. Stay at it with the jerkbait in shallow water? Early morning topwater? Free rig a fluke or drag a dropshot? Just not sure at this temperature what to do.

As for the gloves, I play classical guitar (you play with fingernails instead of a pick) so I wear a right hand (cloth) glove for a lot of tasks to keep from breaking a nail. Fishing is one of those activities, but too many times I've hooked a cloth glove on a treble. If I'm fishing treble hooks I compromise with a vinyl glove, better than no glove at all. But here's the real fishing application: fishing cold weather / water I've found vinyl gloves keep your hands warm a lot better than you think, certainly better than nothing, and you still have a lot of coordination for knots and tools unlike regular gloves. In real cold weather I like a pair of vinyl under a light cloth glove, your hands stay warm longer when the cloth glove gets wet and you don't have to keep changing gloves that way.

Yeah yeah yeah I know it's not a smallmouth... but I'm still glad I chose to go out yesterday! Water temperature went WAY up, from 44 to 50, 51 in just 3 days. It was a tougher bite, had to move around more, but I caught some quality fish including the above 5.5 pounder.

Well I had decided on going out next Monday to give it a few more days to get the water temps up, but now it looks like rain all weekend and that would mean post-frontal...

Clear, deep inland lake. Smallmouth and largemouth, the smallies disappear in the summer but I've been picking them off the past few weeks in cold water (low 40s). This week night air temps will stay in the 50s and daytime air temps 60s and 70s. That means the water temps should finally climb through the mid and high 40s. Water temp Sunday was 44, my guess is by Thursday 46-47, by next Monday 49-50. I have one day I can take off work, my goal is to hit them while they are still schooled up and feeding aggressively. I read an article that stressed the climb through the 40s as being the best pre spawn bite for smallies, then over 50 degrees they start scattering. Not sure how true that is, but I'm looking for advice when the best time would be for me to take the day off and get on a hot bite. I've been doing pretty well a few hours at a time on weekends but they have been sluggish when they strike. On the other hand it's late for the water temps to be this cold and so I think now things are going to take off quickly. Should I try sooner than later? Is there any truth to 50 degrees being a significant temperature? My options are going this Thursday, next Monday, or waiting even longer til temps are well into the 50s. Everything else being equal, what do you think?

That happened to a normally clear lake near me last year. 40 degree water temp, first trip low vis green water, a couple weeks later clear again. I agree with some kind of algae bloom.

Seemed like a logical conclusion just wanted to make sure. Circling on the north end on breezy days will be my plan.

I've got no idea where else to post... One of the lakes I fish is around 7 miles long and 1/2 mile wide, and runs north-south. I fish out of a square bottom canoe, launching from the north end, and I have to be cautious about fishing on days with wind because the waves can get treacherous. The other day I got half way down the lake, a NE wind picked up, and I was struggling to make it back to the launch with my 3hp motor. As I neared the north end of the lake, the waves suddenly got more manageable...which got me thinking, do waves increase the further they travel? The implication being that if I stick around the same end of the lake from which the wind is blowing, the waves will be smaller, and I can plan my trips accordingly.

Just couldn't resist commenting here. Not a rich man, a poor man because I made the mistake of buying a P5 Windbuster as my first high end rod. I justified the purchase because it was supposedly going to be a "do all" rod for me. Designed for jerkbaits, but super sensitive for bottom contact, I was using a Berkely Lightening rod before that but once I got a taste of high end rods I was ruined forever. There really is a difference. Then I got into baitcasters... now I have a P5 110 Stick and an Expride 6'10 Medium, both are supposed to be phenomenal jerkbait rods but I keep going back to the Windbuster instead. I caught a mess of smallies on it today in fact, throwing a 110 Jr. +1. I had my 110 Stick with me and fished the two rods side by side but after awhile packed the 110 Stick up. The Windbuster may be a spinning rod, it's longer than most people prefer for jerkbaiting, but wow it is such a sensitive, crisp rod there's really nothing else like it IMO.

Would those hooks balance out well on a 110 Jr? I usually use Gama round bend 8s.

When it comes to fishing there's a lot of days where tenacity is the only skill I seem to have!

Thanks!

I've got a Cashion Icon 7' light on the way. Second guessing myself now, I want to throw the Karashi but also some downsized jerkbaits. Does anyone have experience with a good BFS rod specifically for jerkbaits in the 1/4 ounce range? Do you think the Icon would work for that application?

Megabass Karashi: any suggestions for replacement hooks?

Don't watch the weather to decide when to fish. Watch the weather to decide what to wear. I've had some of my best days on the days no one else wants to be on the water.

Thanks a lot you just added about 5 items to my TW cart! I must be blind because Custom hook sizes are listed on TW. 4/0 and 5/0 is available. Thanks for the input!