HesterIsGod

This year I have been searching more and more for opportunity zones (I like that term). At one of the local ponds I fish there is this one little amazing spot. I call it, my bonanza spot. It is where this tiny little creek runs into the pond. A seawall runs into the creek as it enters and creates an area of slack water that is bass RICH. There is a small brush pile on the other side but it is very shallow and only bluegill can be found within it. Plenty of very small minnows hold in the creek, especially in the fall, but they never school and are often consumed by bluegill and occasionaly bass. The bluegill are generally safe inside the shallow brush pile, until they decide to feed on the bountiful amount of small minnows, washed up worms, numerous insects, etc... It is really a beautiful thing to see. The bluegill aggressively swims into the shallow and narrow creek and eats a careless minnow. However, the bluegill basically traps himself when he does this. Most of the time the gill gets back to the brushpile unharmed. But sometimes the trapped gill finds himself trapped in the stomach of a large bass. All this is going on less than an inch of water, with quite a bit of splashing and choas. I catch at least one bass everytime I fish it. I have probably caught about 20 bass at this spot in the past few months, which doesn't sound like much, but the pond is only about an acre big. So, 100 bass per acre is pretty normal and if Ive caught 20 bass from this spot. Thats 20% of the ponds bass! I also believe this spot is "prime" realestate and that bass are constantly competing for this spot. So when I catch one, another one quickly steps in reckognizing the opportunity for food and dissolved oxygen (from the creek) and throw a little bit of caution to the wind. Its like if ten guys were living in a trailer park and a mansion is offered to them, they will take it almost every time even if two of there buddies were murdered there. I always look for these bonanza spots now and would take one of those over five regular ambush spots.

Actually turtles can tell you something sometimes. It isn't much though. Turtles like to hang around brushpiles or other big pieces of cover usually, because there are a lot of fish and other creatures there and their chances of getting a dead organism for dinner is higher. So, if their are a bunch of turtles around you can bet their are a few brushpiles around.

This ones easy for me. Sebile possesed series lipless crankbait. I have used these since Febuary. I caught my first 15 fish of the year on this bait, WHILE THERE WAS STILL ICE ON THE BANKS. This bait is awesome. It does not have rattles, so its very quiet. It catches bass like crazy on all the clear and heavily pressured lakes and ponds I fish.

welcome

Welcome

stretched out.

That is incorrect, fish get more active as the water warms. Welcome

You cannot fish the same lipless crank all the time and expect to get great results every time. Each brand has a distinct rattle that will work catch bass one day but may not get a bite the next.

welcome

Welcome

Welcome

I use them on a drop shot in the summer. They have a large profile and their ribbs make for a slow fall when I stop shaking it. It can be suprisingly effective.

I have been really getting into sight fishing this year and last year. Here is some things that have given me success and will do the same for you: 1. Be selective with the fish you sight fish for. If a fish bolts off a bed as soon as you spot it, it probably will not be catchable. 2. Bed fishing is basically ticking off the bass as much as possible. Some lures do this better than others. I do things that tick the fish off faster. For example, I will change colors randomly, Use heavy line (This usually makes them very angry for some reason), and I'll even hit the bass with the lure (Carefull, do not snag them). 3. Also, I wait till the fish is so ticked off, that he/she is hitting the bait on every pitch I make. Then, I switch from what I call my "agitation" lure to my "business" lure. My agitation lure is the lure that gets the bass angry, and my business lure is what actually catches the bass. It is usually a jig with no weedguard.

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A big problem with the gas price problem right now: When gas prices are high, people start to conserve and not waste as much gas as they did before, which lowers demand and in return prices. Then, when the prices are lowered people start taking weekly trips again and conserving less and less, which drives the price up again. We all do it. If gas suddenly dropped to 2 bucks tomorrow, we would all be fishing next weekend with our boats, towed by our massive trucks, to huge lakes miles away from our homes. Right now the prices are high and most of us are probably cutting down on our weekly fishing excursions or at least considering it. In the long run it is all about demand. If everybody quit driving their cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, etc... Then gas would be less expensive than ever.

Its just you.

Bass will not go below the thermocline usually, not enough dissolved oxygen. If you are able to locate the thermocline, just treat the top of it like you would the bottom of the lake.

try a search on your topic or read the rules and you will find your answer.

If it has bluegill and is a public city pond, then it probably has a few bass in it. I would go super finesse to catch a couple of dink bass. Try some panfish type crankbaits and finesse worms and grubs. If you catch a few small bass that tells you that there are bass in there, and then you can throw normal lures with more confidence in search of average or larger bass.

lipless crank

holy cow!!

I think the young guys would SMOKE the old guys these days. I know, I'm only 17 so it makes sense that I vote for the young guys, but here me out. 1. When the old guys were in their prime, fishing was much easier. The reservoirs were new, the fish had not seen any lures from the general angling public, outside of jelly worms and old rusty hooked prop baits. Now bass see a steady diet of high tech lines, with new and innovative techniques and lures. Bass are harder to catch now. 2. The young guys are in their prime, and the old guys are well passed their best days. Example, Rick Clunn was arguably the best bass angler on the planet for about 3 decades. Now it is KVD. KVD is in his prime and averaging 1 or two wins a year. When was the last time Rick Clunn finished in the top 12? If you pitted Clunn vs. KVD or Dance vs. Reese or Martin vs. Iaconelli, the old guys wouldn't stand a chance. 3. You have to be way more versatile now. To do well consistantly you have to catch giant California pigs, then catch lock jawed Florida fish during a cold front, then go and catch gobi fed smallies.

a pretty common thing to do is to use a weightless senko/finesse worm after a fish hits a topwater lure but does not hook up. So rig up a senko while your are fishing that buzzbait.

Welcome! The question is a little to general for me, so I can't really give you a good answer, other than to check out all the great articles on this site. You will learn a lot.

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