Took the kayak out again. It was a productive day with 33 fish landed. Mostly Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass and a couple of Sunfish big enough to take a Ned Rig. 
 

Lost a big Chain Pickerel at the boat. Flopped right out of my net he was so long.

 

 

 

 

 

Trying to stay cool by wading a river today . Caught on a quarter ounce Beetle Spin .

 

Took my Packfish7 out this morning for the second time. First time after adding a 7” pedestal and a low-back padded seat, as well a behind-the-seat rod holder mod. 
 

 

 

It was supposed to be a rain-out by TS Hanna passed farther south. Got a late start but caught 4 dinks on a 5” Senko WR and this bass on a Zoom trick worm TR. 19” and just over 3 lbs. I felt it tap lightly and I stopped, then saw the line moving and set the hook hard. Good hookset in the upper jaw. Thankfully not swallowed and a guthook. 

 

 

Took the 12’ tinny out this evening for a couple hours across the road from my house. Got about 2 dozen on a frog and a few flipping a Maxscent Creature Hawg. 

Took a solo trip out to the big water of Georgian Bay. I was going to try some shoals way out in the open part, but when I got there, there were already 6’ rollers at 6:00 am. Decided to stay around the first set of islands along the open part, there was still some pretty good sized waves but it was fishable. Managed about 30 smallmouth, about a 50-50 mix of big smallies either smashing a big double willow spinnerbait burned as fast as I could, or a drop shot Maxscent Flatworm for the rest after I got all the active fish. 

After having a great day of fishing yesterday I had to take the Kayak out again this morning.

 

I returned to the spot that I had the most success. Lots of structure, vegetation and shallow areas keep the boaters away. I fished the Tiny Child Rig around the structure I found sometimes dropping it straight down between rocks and fallen limbs. Often I would be right over the spot I was fishing dropping straight down. Lifting the bait a few times off the bottom would cause a fish to strike. I would set the hook and hold on for the ride.

 

20 Fish, mostly Smallmouth a few Rock Bass and one Largemouth Bass.

 

 

I was expecting to work OT yesterday morning since we're so short at work, but someone showed up that wasn't on the schedule so I got to go home. Cool morning with clouds and a little drizzle. I had about 1.5 by the time I got the boat on the water. Had quite a few rods out, started with a bluegill colored bladed jig. Water was pea soup green with an algae bloom. Made 2 cast and knew it wasn't right. Cut it off and tied on one of my solid blue homemade bladed jigs. 2 fish in my first 3 cast and 14 total when I had to leave, every one on the same bait. Biggest was not suffering from the "summer skinny", at all coming in at 18" and 3.75lbs.

I fished Lake Chapala Jalisco Mex. for the first time this year.  A friend and I landed 29 between 2.5 and 6.7 pounds.  Didn't get started until noon so all in all a good day.  My friend fishes the lake three times a week, and was a little disappointed , but I thought it was a great day.  I caught two fish on an underspin, the rest were on spinner baits.  Lots of fun casting, cranking and covering water.

We've been broiled for weeks here and the bassin's been tough. It seems that all I can manage is carbon copy 2-lbers lately, which is definitely better than a kick in the you-know-what. I'm not complaining. Also, I've finally lifted the shame I'd brought upon my ancestors and have cracked the code of the Fat Ika. My failure with this bait has been epic, but I've made an adjustment and just like that I'm in the win column at long last. Never give up!

 

 

 

I had a small job to do on an island fairly far out in Georgian Bay this morning, knew it wasn’t going to take all day to finish so I figured I better try for a few on the way home. 
Only had time to hit one shoal, in the 20 min I was there I got this fat guy, just a hair shy of 5lbs on the Rapala digital scale. About 5min before I caught him, I lost another one at the boat that was a good pound or so bigger, they were so fat they couldn’t even jump, just pulled and pulled and big old head shakes at the surface. Like all the pros have been using recently, these guys came on a drop shot Maxscent Flatworm in Natural Shad colour ( I’ve been using this bait for a couple years now and it is by far the best drop shot bait I’ve ever used).

That'll cut a trip short ?

 

Good way to beat the heat? Fish 66 degree water! The water was so cold there was a fog layer everywhere in the evening. Lots of species but mostly all small fish, Bobby caught 5 species with a rooster tail in the first half hour (largemouth smallmouth rock bass redbreast and yellow perch )

Still doing mostly short trips on the bank because of the heat. Looking forward to a cool down so I can get the boat out more. Regardless, the bite has been pretty steady. Mini and micro jigs have become the new "hot" bait for my lakes, and accounting for most fish the past few weeks. Been getting a few nice ones in the mix including this pair of fish over 20" the past week. Two separate trips to two separate small waters despite the "favorite" big bass shirt being worn in each  Also had a first the other day...I actually had to remove my shoes and wade in after one of these guys after he balled me up in some heavy grass and I couldn't budge him without risking breaking the 8# line or pulling out the tiny hook (and he refused to swim out).

 

Now sitting at an even 1700 bass caught for the year, but I'm planning on going out later after lunch 

 

 

 

 

July usually means Drop Shot on Lake Menderchuck ~

A-Jay

This morning’s conditions were ideal for throwing Kermie D, until you factor in the two day UFC frog tournament over weekend. Nothing on topwater for me, so it was a good thing the fish wanted a crankbait. This 4.2lb battle scared fish was my biggest of the morning.

Beautiful Bass. What plastic were you using on the dropshot? I am looking for some ideas for this weekend. I will have my tried and true Roboworm.

Thanks ~ 

This is a good news/bad news deal I'm sorry to say.

The good news is that every drop shot fish caught this entire month has come on the Berkley Max Scent Flat worm.  

Green Pumpkin and Natural Shad. 

Admittedly the more I caught with it the more I fished it.

About a week into it, it's been The Only thing I've thrown.

Sort of sad because my drop shot plastics bag weighs 10 pounds . . . 

Seems obsolete at this point - the flat worm is like bass crack, right now anyway.

Bad news is that unless you have some or a solid local supply, the bait is hard to get right now.

A-Jay

 

 

Water temp was 91 degrees by the time I got off the water today! 90-flippin’-1 degrees!!! All the fish I got today were already broiled...

Nice one! By the way I’ve eaten fish broiled at 91 degrees, wouldn’t recommend it.......

Oh bleh. 

Exactly! It was kind of a largemouth bass sushi experiment ......  

 

never......... again....

Well, pretty embarrassing month of July for me. I had a lot going on with the girls softball and trying to get some training done for back to school (or whatever we decide to do). The times I was able to get out it was so hot and the water was above 90 degrees most days so it was slow fishing. I only caught 3 in the pat 2 weeks that broke the 3 lb mark. These here went 4 even, 3-11 and 3-6. Nothing great, but it beats a kick to the rear I guess.

Early Sunday evening, my wife and I were cruising around outside of town waiting for a Subway online order to be ready.  When we approached a bridge over a creek that connects to our local river, I noticed that I had a pole in the truck, so I told my wife "I bet I can catch a fish here within 5 minutes".  She said "Go for it!"

 

So, I trotted down to the bank with a coppertreuse TRD on a gold 1/8 oz ballhead jig.  Within 2 minutes, I landed a skinny walleye.  Mission accomplished!  The creek is clear and shallow enough to see fish roaming, and although I couldn't tell exactly what the fish were, I kept on casting at them.

 

Boy, am I glad I kept at it for a few more minutes.  By no means is this a beast by some guys' standards, but it is a very respectable smallmouth for our area, and especially for the little 10 foot wide creek that he was/is in.  She put up an awesome fight, jumping four times before I could get her in.