JonB2

Katie, that is very true…especially in the Great Lakes. I have a harbor I fish that has a single log in the back end of it. During early spring, that log is a magnet for largemouth with a smallie here and there. The first time I fished it, I knew right away “there’s probably bass hanging around that log”…yup. Wide open sand around it with no weeds yet at that time, so in the warming shallows…that log is obvious to fish

Really makes you wonder how many bass live in your ponds? You don’t use electronics, so it’s probably a high curiosity of just what’s down there. A thousand bass plus is great anywhere, and something to be said to your abilities

This is tough to give advice as there’s a lot in your post. If you’ve been bassin’ for 11 years with no improvement, then either you’re really stubborn, putting an insane amount of self induced peer-pressure or are not hungry enough. I live to fish and when I go, it’s to catch fish. When I don’t do well or feel I fished crappy, I’m genuinely irritated and mull all the negatives on the way home. This may seem counterproductive, but processing that negative experience drives me to fish better and do well next trip. Even if I’m on shore, I’m not playing around when I fish. Get some good, go to areas on your lakes/rivers that you can start on and get a fish or two to start your day. Popping a couple solid keepers gets you going and feeling it, then you get another couple and the groove is on the move baby! Above all else man…BE CONFIDENT or you won’t fish well

Went looking for bronze and it was indeed found. Aside from a few come and go salmon casters…it was just me, the waves and the smallies. I tried a few other things, but casting a 5.3 tungsten ball with a Crush city Mayor on 8lb big game with my MM caster and jigging a Mooch Minnow on 10lb big game with my MF caster worked best. I also had my ML spinning rod with a drop shot rig, but that only got a few dinks mostly. Most of the fish were 12-16” with a 17”, 19” and 20” as big fish. Albino shad, one of my favorites, was hot to trot

Flat calm, shallower water is prime for the original rapala. My dad used to go in the evening before dark, cast out a J11 floater in chart/silver and let it sit until there were no rings. He’d then crank it 4-5 times, stop and let it float to the top. He’d wait for no rings again and repeat. He caught several big largemouth doing this around lily pads and weed lines. They never blasted it, simply rose and sucked it right off the surface. Often, as soon as it became visible on the float up, slurp! He also loved a black/silver SR7 shallow Shad Rap

I can relate. My largemouth river seems like it’s about done. Still some lingering fish, including good ones, but it’s really emptied out overall. I’ll probably do atleast a final bank fish for good measure, but will now switch to a couple piers for fall smallmouth which should be getting on the bite with this cold snap

I don’t follow pro bass fishing, boring and fake. I like guys like Randy, old school is still cool homey

I mostly go by how the fish react or how I’m feeling throwing a bait. If I’m not getting bit at all or just not feeling a choice, I move on. Some days I just wanna catch fish on this or that, and will fish as such. A skirted casting jig is my all around favorite bait for bass, and one I feel very comfortable and confident using

I’ve been doing my damage on small baits lately. Like stated, perch are HIGH in priority for bass if they’re around. The largemouths I’m catching are keyed on roving schools of varying sizes of perch as they filter through the river, headed upstream.

Did a quick float and in the near week since I last fished, it was pretty crappy. Very few bites and not a whole lot of fish sighted. River is low now and probably warmed some during this two week plus heat spell. I’ll see how next trip goes which will be during a steady cooldown. As you can see the bright, lush green is quickly fading to yellow-brown I had a mentally off day as I had three fish solidly bite, then fairly quickly drop it. After the third one did it, I was like “you dumba$$…why are we waiting with 4” senkos!?” It happens, but on tough days it’s that much worse. I also got a glamour fish revered on this site and one I hadn’t caught since late May lol

Funny you say this, I’ve saw a marked increase in northerns on my river in recent weeks. Saw a good one the last trip. I’m gonna try the lake for a change next trip and it’s pike city. There’s also lots of dying pads and vegetation. I rigged my two longer rods with Knot2Kinky bite wire to guard against pike. Since there are good numbers of bass, I went with 12lb to keep action good

Nice job! I also find gar cool and Spots are quite beautiful in their markings

You could about spend your referenced budget, get both and really be versatile. I know you really like M power rods a lot, but fwiw I’ve consistently found a MH to be a must have whenever I’m targeting largemouth. My M has come back into play again with cover lessening, but I’ve had many a time over the season I was glad I had a MH on hand

My river bass had started relating to clumpy, dying grass flats to ambush migrating perch schools. Since it’s went from just nice to an extended warm up, they’ve scattered more and went back to relating to cover again. It really seems to change by the day, and spots are “moving around” if ya get my drift. I wouldn’t pay a lick to YouTube, just fish how you’ve been and they’ll let you know if it’s right

I decided to make a last minute kayak run and it was a good idea. For some reason, I was feeling it before I even launched. I looked at the river and thought “feel like they’re gonna go today” and they did pretty well. Didn’t pound town, but 10 keepers and 2 dinks was accepted gladly. Size was very good today and some fish are REALLY starting to pork out. Trying to bass fish while I can; not sure how long I’ve got. I’m gonna keep at them until they’re gone Before the warmup, there had been movement of perch and sucker minnows (perfect 3-4” size) but it had petered out with the warm weather. Today I noticed schools of perch filtering through here and there, and those largemouth took full notice. Senkos were best, 4” texas-rigged/weightless. I finally had a day where the twitch was what they wanted. Likely a bite day and the presence of prey caused this, but I love doing a smooth pop-pop…fall, pop-pop…fall, pop-pop…thunk and the line starts running! Took the spinning rods today in case the wind was difficult

I’ve done fine on plain gp, but I really like a gp w red/green flake tube. Black, white and goby hues are pretty solid as well

Did a midday float today and it was nice. Gusty NE winds, but that direction has been good to me this summer. Didn’t set the world on fire but managed 8 keepers and probably a half dozen dinkers(they made a comeback!) overall less fish kicked out, but they could be around the next bend. Size wasn’t bad, but no big fish. Believe I had an 18-18.5” for big fish, but mostly thickening 15-16” with maybe a 17 in there. Small baits were best with 4” senkos and 1/8oz bitsy bugs being best. I also caught a fish on a Texas-rigged roboworm. Jigs were cold until I changed from a finesse trailer to a 3”ish stick worm trailer which had action. I always enjoy when your experience and intuition detect a bite before your brain believes it lol

I like senkos, I just tend to be mindful of being bait dependent. Even though they’re so ideal for where I fish, I don’t want to be a “I only get bit on one bait” guy, that’s all

It’s been a tough go for me lately with high sky, flat water and just super nice day after day. I’ve saw a good-good amount of really nice bass, but they’re wary and pretty moody. I had to resort to a 4” senko on 10lb with my M caster lol. Jigs were dead, which I thought was goofy. I got a real good fish, but d**n are there some big fish around right now. I got a few dinkers, but they’ve lessened significantly. Most fish are quite rounded right now. I took a pic of a 15” keeper, but a lean little thing

“I'm old, slow, and creaky” Agreed! Lol

Good chunky fish @Jonny15678. I spell my name the same way my man lol

For the record, when I put sunglasses as my high-end item, I didn’t mention I’m talking $5 YUM’s from Wally lmao

My sunglasses are my best high end purchase; I see everything with them and they’re readily available. If I forgot my sunglasses at home for any fishing trip, I’m really not feeling great about that

Yup. That’s how I was getting my fish yesterday mostly. I was using a bitsy bug with a small finesse trailer that would come into weeds, so I’d pop it hard out of them and often when it would become clean bottom again, I’d get bit. Sometimes I’d have to pop it multiple times out of weeds. It’s a nice feeling when your jig tears free, falls to bottom and gets thumped

So I fished today and got a good solid fish and I’ll be damned if I hadn’t caught her twice already! Head is unique and distinguished, but I also noticed her pelvic fins have a certain look and yeah, I’ve got her 3x now! I got her on a 7” speed senko, Texas-rigged pit boss and an 1/8oz bitsy bug/ finesse trailer. I always find this kind of stuff pretty dang cool. She was in the same deeper, weedy hole the first couple times, but had moved upstream a good distance to my June hot spot Aug 07 Aug25 Sept 24