50 minutes ago, Aaron_H said:

Not pictured, but my buddy was able to set his first official PB at 2lb 3oz, so I was glad to be there for that. Might not be a big trophy bass, but his excitement over it made the day for me.

Hey. There's no such thing as a bad bass just like there's no such thing as bad p...Well, sometimes.. Dahhh, you know what I'm sayin?

24 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Hey. There's no such thing as a bad bass just like there's no such thing as bad p...Well, sometimes.. Dahhh, you know what I'm sayin?

 

He downplayed it at first as I had caught a few bigger ones beforehand, but I told him my first "official" PB bass was 2lb 1oz, so he had me beat in that regard and it was certainly a bass to be excited over. His first one to really pull any drag and not just get skied across the surface. Any PB is a good PB in my opinion and I would never try to make someone feel less than over it.

Scratched one more out tonight. I thought with the stable weather the past couple days and the warmer nights that the water would be in good temps.  This is my local lake and I’ve been trying to crack the smallmouth for the past year. I didn’t believe there were any in there all of last year up until I caught a 4-03 in March this year. So I’m back to the same two rock banks trying to figure it out.  The temp was 62 when I launched the kayak so I thought I was golden, but that was just next to the ramp. It quickly dropped to 57 but that’s better than 52 from last time I was there.  I figured some combination of square bill, spinnerbait, chatterbait, or jig would get me there. Lo and behold, about cast number 6 I was on. I thought I had finally figured it out, alas the rest of the night was casting practice.  I know there aren’t many smallies in there but there are enough I should be able to put more than a 1-bass pattern together. 
 

 

Had a chance to get out on a different lake to try our luck with the new moon. Lots of action, just no biggins. All the fish were healthy as could be though.

 

 

 

Always cool catching a SM, even when it's the size of the 10-day old fry from A-Jay's typical brown bass.

 

I was surprised to catch a supersized 10x5 panfish on a senko. Pretty sure this freak is off the menu for the lake's swimming predators.

Finally got a day where the wind wasn't blowing 25-30 mph. This spring has been wiiiindy here in WI. 

 

Got this girl on a Vision 110 in about 20 ft of water. She weighed in at 4.7 lbs. Caught a bunch of smaller ones up shallow. Assuming they were mainly males.

 

 

 

                                                   

Very late report, this new spot at work has me running round nonstop and getting way less fishing in. 

 

Got out for a few hours Saturday morning at a reservoir near my house. Was hoping I'd get out before the crappie fishermen woke up and the wind got bad, I managed to do neither. Wind was bad from the start and the crappie fishermen were everywhere and just as rude as ever. I caught a handful on a Booyah Covert and YUM Bad Momma before I called it a day.

 

 

Sunday was on a different lake and I continued with the tough/poor fishing I've ran into all year. A decent number but small fish. Fish was by far my largest and was only 15"

 

I did think I had a state record smallmouth for a minute. He never did any of the normal drum moves. 

I caught a stinky 2.6lbs bass. There was a nice crappie and a smaller bass too. Lost a white bass and a decent lmb. Also lost three hardbaits. I had a good time.

Went out for about 2 hours, no luck with the spinnerbait or throwing a buzzbait over submerged grass. I decided I was going to try (for the millionth time) to catch a fish on a weightless super fluke.

 

I was casting up right next to the bank in super shallow (5” of water) water and I caught probably 15 fish, ranging in size from a 1/4 pounder up to maybe a pound and a halfer. Pic is of the biggest one. 

35 minutes ago, DinkDreams said:

I decided I was going to try (for the millionth time) to catch a fish on a weightless super fluke.

And the floodgates open. That's how it's begins with a bait that's been kicking your...

10 hours ago, PhishLI said:

And the floodgates open. That's how it's begins with a bait that's been kicking your...

I think the key this time was how shallow I was throwing it. Every other time I was throwing it in more like 5-8 feet of water.

I've never caught a fish on a fluke that wasn't on a chatterbait. Nice!!

2 hours ago, thediscochef said:

I've never caught a fish on a fluke that wasn't on a chatterbait. Nice!!

Fluke = jerkbait and you think jerkbaits are good, so that’s a start 

3 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Fluke = jerkbait and you think jerkbaits are good, so that’s a start 

I've always seen them labeled as soft jerkbaits so this makes sense. Might have to tie one on for clearer water next week...

22 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

I've always seen them labeled as soft jerkbaits so this makes sense. Might have to tie one on for clearer water next week...

The watermelon red ones can be really good in clear water 

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

The watermelon red ones can be really good in clear water 

That's my go-to color for clear water most of the time. Most places within an hour of me are max 4-6ft clarity most of the time. Which is why I typically opt for the hard jerkbait

Went fishing at a local lake near me last night around 7 pm CT. Cloudy ☁️ 61 degrees winds about 3-4 mph. Was getting dark. Was fishing around weeds on one end of lake and Pretty far out on end of weeds a 3 1/4 pound largemouth hits my chatterbait 1/2 oz on a 4” zako. Also caught another one on dam rock rip raft on Shad rap about 1 pound 1/2 oz. Overall a good day!

2 hours ago, thediscochef said:

That's my go-to color for clear water most of the time. Most places within an hour of me are max 4-6ft clarity most of the time. Which is why I typically opt for the hard jerkbait

I've had good luck with the albino color.  I put a real light unpegged bullet weight on the front of it.  Jerk jerk pause just like a jerkbait.  The slow fall of it really seems to set them off.

1 hour ago, J.Bass said:

Went fishing at a local lake near me last night around 7 pm CT.

Stay through into dark once or twice and see what happens. Hopefully you don't have an addictive personality.

7 hours ago, DinkDreams said:

I think the key this time was how shallow I was throwing it.

Don't always fish a fluke like you think you're supposed to. Drag it. Drag/pause it. Drag/pop it. Swim it through pads like a topwater and let it drop in. Endless ways to present it that'll get you bit.

Wasn’t the greatest day.  Had what I think are fuel line issues at the ramp.  Finally said screw it and took off with the trolling motor. half way across the lake I finally got the boat fired up.  Couldn’t get fully on plane and fuel bulb wouldn’t stay primed at first.  Finally it catches prime and about knocks me off my feet and away we go!!!! I’m pretty sure I’ve got a fuel line issue.  New bulb is orderd and I’ll buy fuel line on Saturday.

 

here the fish 2 of 3 bass came on a ever green chatter bait with a Berkley ayu paddle tail.  Another bass came on a spro little John flat side.  2 pike came on a Berkley real image perch paddle tail swim bait.  1 bass went 3.1 lbs other ones were smaller.  Lost one at the boat I havnt done that in forever. 
 

only fished for 3 hours 

3 hours ago, hokiehunter373 said:

I've had good luck with the albino color.  I put a real light unpegged bullet weight on the front of it.  Jerk jerk pause just like a jerkbait.  The slow fall of it really seems to set them off.

I think I've been fishing water that's too deep also 

3 hours ago, PhishLI said:

4 hours ago, J.Bass said:

Went fishing at a local lake near me last night around 7 pm CT.

Stay through into dark once or twice and see what happens. Hopefully you don't have an addictive personality.

Lol me I’d fish all night if I could. Had the wife and 2 year old kid with me or I would’ve stayed a bit more. Bite was was good compared to last week. The weather is warming up. Next week- weekend should be a prime weekend for fishing! (80s-90s) compared to 45-60 degrees.

Got out today 7-1 only managed to boat 5 bass,all on a spinnerbait.had 4 others run up and just nose bump my bait.Best of the day came in at 4-12.

Finally on the board for 2022.  Last time I made a cast was October, so it was satisfying at long last to get out this afternoon for 3 hours and tool around a neighborhood lake down the road.

 

Of the 13 I caught --all in the 13"-15" range-- I think these were the best two:

 

All were caught on a 4.3 Keitech  with a 1/4oz owner flashy swimmer.  I like the gold Colorado blade in these bluegill/perch lakes:

Went out in the rain today for a few hours. Since it was raining, I only took 1 rod, some hooks, and a pack of flukes with me. Slower than yesterday, I think the rain pushed them off the bank a bit. Nothing bigger than 1.25 pounds or so, I didn’t weigh any of them. I did manage to catch a big turtle.

 

I thought it was going to be the bass of a lifetime but alas, turtle.