@bp_fowler: That stream's as pretty as Heaven...and you were just wanting to catch smallmouth too. 

1 hour ago, Swamp Girl said:

@bp_fowler: That stream's as pretty as Heaven...and you were just wanting to catch smallmouth too. 

I know you’ve fished some of the same waters as me so maybe you’ve been there before?  It’s called Clear Creek and it’s just south of Lancaster.

1 hour ago, bp_fowler said:

I know you’ve fished some of the same waters as me so maybe you’ve been there before?  It’s called Clear Creek and it’s just south of Lancaster.

'

I used to ride my bike to Lancaster and worked in Chillicothe and South Bloomingville, so I should know it, but I don't.

They seemed to like this today. First time I’ve tried it. Took a 3/16 sniper jig with a finesse cut and put a hunk of a wore out stick bait on it. Did the trick just fine. It’s hot weather is weird and fishing is down right tough here. 

2 hours ago, Joedodge said:

hot weather is weird and fishing is down right tough here. 

Bass will be seeking relief from the heat and sun, just like me and you. Look for areas that provide shade or cooler water. Deeper water, current, thick weeds, and under docks or lily pads.

I could only manage one on the low incoming tide after work, but a decent little chunk on the dropshot.

18 minutes ago, gim said:

Bass will be seeking relief from the heat and sun, just like me and you. Look for areas that provide shade or cooler water. Deeper water, current, thick weeds, and under docks or lily pads.

 

I've had some luck plucking bass from mid-lake weed beds.

40 minutes ago, gim said:

Bass will be seeking relief from the heat and sun, just like me and you. Look for areas that provide shade or cooler water. Deeper water, current, thick weeds, and under docks or lily pads.

Yep that’s the name of the game. Downsizing lures can help too with numbers. 

10 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I've had some luck plucking bass from mid-lake weed beds.

 

I've been on a month long pattern targeting them on the edge of the deep weed line.

11 hours ago, gim said:

Bass will be seeking relief from the heat and sun, just like me and you. Look for areas that provide shade or cooler water. Deeper water, current, thick weeds, and under docks or lily pads.

Why would a bass need relief from the sun and heat? 

Well for starters, hot water holds less oxygen.  Fish need oxygen to survive.

2 hours ago, gim said:

I've been on a month long pattern targeting them on the edge of the deep weed line.

 

Gim and @Glenn put me on bass this morning. I wanted to catch fish differently this morning, so I launched at 5:30 a.m. and started with a skinny white walking lure. I've caught soooooo few bass on the surface this year, so it was fun to catch three, two lmb and one smallie. Here's one of the three:

 

 

I'd also tied on a wacky worm on a jig, something that Glenn suggested in one of his videos. I've always fished wacky worms weightless, but because I'd be fishing mid-pond weeds like Gim suggested above, I wanted it to sink faster. Well, that was the ticket. I ended up with 14 bass in two hours, which is a pretty good rate for July. Here are some of the bass, starting with a 16.5-incher (approx. 2.5 pounds) and then bigger ones:

 

 

Then I hooked a challenging bass. I hooked her on the edge of a patch of Pondweed, but she ran for this tree, pulling my canoe into it:

 

 

I'd lost bass in the past to that tree, so I paddled with one hand and maintained line tension with the other. I could feel my line rubbing on the branches, but she followed me out of the tree and I was happy to land her:

 

 

I was also happy to spend the morning with loons and ospreys and I saw something soooo strange, a vertical branch moving across the pond. Then I saw the beaver's head. I also saw this, a shoreline looking like fall, but it's still actually green:

 

 

And this:

 

 

Thanks, Glenn and Gim!

2 hours ago, gim said:

Fish need oxygen to survive.

Indeed they do. Green plants and wind can increase dissolved oxygen content. That being said,  I have caught lots of topwater fish in 90+ degree surface temps in bodies of water with no grass whatsoever. In hot sunny weather nonetheless. We have a phenomenon that occurs in late summer where fish hit the surface like crazy the hotter the water gets. Thousands of them. And sometimes it’s all largemouth, sometimes it’s white bass, sometimes it’s both. Black bass are members of the sunfish family, I don’t believe they have to hide from the sun. They probably do it for ambush reasons like a predator lurking in the shadows or darkness 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

They probably do it for ambush reasons like a predator lurking in the shadows or darkness 

 

I agree, there is a predatory reason behind this too.

 

But I also think there is an "uncomfortable" factor involved as well.  Would you rather stand in searing heat/sun without relief or would you go for some shade/cooler water?  I know where I'd go lol

 

They still gotta eat and in warmer water and their metabolism is very high.  So what you have encountered explains that.

 

What I have noticed this time of year (here in MN anyways) is that bright sunny bluebird conditions drives them to these locations I've described above; but early in the morning, sunset, at night, on a cloudy/rainy day, they are more scattered about because the ball of fire in the sky isn't baking down on them.

I took the ultralight spinning setup out with 2lb line and a very minimalist tackle tray from bkk. I caught 2 on a little minnow bait. Ultralight and river smallies are a blast especially with 2lb line. But I love challenging myself to try new things.

Got the shallow water vessel out the last few days, new bench seats are working well. New fuel hose and the old predator engine is running like a dream. Some fish even made an appearance

 

short arm……

same fish long armed 😂 

next day 

 

Eased up into a little creek and my buddy says “did you see that fish? It was like a foot long with a stripe.” Moments later he was reeling in his tube mach 3 and this fish grabbed it just before he lifted it out of the water, no reeling required to land it 

 

I caught 3 but he put it on me with numbers and species
 

 

always include your rock bass, they are a fan favorite 

I enjoyed the short arm/long arm pics. Thanks!

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

always include your rock bass, they are a fan favorite 

 

The lack of a smile compared to the other fish says it all.

 

"I have to take a photo of this turd but I'll be damned if I'm gonna be happy about it."

Couple of days here, we went to the river the other day but the water was like chocolate milk. Didn't have any takers that day, but had a fun hour or so.

 

 

---------------------------

Wednesday bible study fishing trip

 

 

 

 

--------------

Went early yesterday morning with a friend to the local reservoir. He was not too impressed with this slop on top of the water, and was suggesting we go elsewhere when I caught this little guy out of it. I set the hook a bit hard and jerked the fish a good bit, slinging some of the slop on my buddy. 

 

 

 

 

 

Found these forceps.

 

Lost my bladed jig immediately after this picture.

 

Plus had another small one and a 3 pounder that didn't get pics.

----------------------

Changed locations to show my buddy a pond he was unware of. First cast got this nice one. I got this out of the slop on 8 pound line and a M/M rod. Proud of that.

 

 

We had a great time. One of the rare times I go without my boy.

@Bazoo: Looking at your beard, I'm thinking that men don't actually lose hair. It just starts growing down instead of up.

1 minute ago, Swamp Girl said:

@Bazoo: Looking at your beard, I'm thinking that men don't actually lose hair. It just starts growing down instead of up.

lol, yep. I got a good one for you.

 

My wife and I, and the boy, were all in the grocery store. There was this older man there, maybe 75, that started talking to me. First this and that.

Well his wife, seeing that her husband was jawing, commenced to browse around the immediate area. She had that "we'll be standing here talking forever" look on her face.

 

So we chat a minute, and during the course of our conversation the gent looks at little John and asks "Are you going to have a beard like daddy?" To which I replied "Little John, would you like to have a beard like daddy's or would you rather have a mustache like mommy's?"

 

The gentleman's wife had been listening, and she looked up from her browsing and had a good couple of chuckles.

 

We all had a laugh.

2 hours ago, gim said:

 

The lack of a smile compared to the other fish says it all.

 

"I have to take a photo of this turd but I'll be damned if I'm gonna be happy about it."

Mean mug rock bass might be a new bass resource trend 

8 hours ago, gim said:

 

I've been on a month long pattern targeting them on the edge of the deep weed line.

That's a solid pattern here from June through August every year.

56 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

That's a solid pattern here from June through August every year.

 

By deep weed line, do you guys mean working the edge of weeds in deep water? Like these, which are in 8' of water:

 

 

I ask because this is where I caught them a couple mornings this past week.

Yes @Swamp Girl, that's what I'm talking about. Fish will often be on the edges in low light and buried up in the thickest parts when it's sunny.  Also, keep your eyes peeled for isolated clumps outside the main weedline. They're prime targets that often hold a quality fish.