I woke up excited for a great day of topwater action and double fluke epicness.  Caught zero on either. ?.  The double fluke does look awesome though.  Only 4 bites for me today - 2 pike (1st snipped my braid on the hookset) and 2 lmb.  All came on a single SK KVD Caffeine Shad, rigged on a KVD Grip Pin 5/0 and fished just on/off the edge of some slightly greener weeds.  All my bites came after the bait has been falling “dead” for a couple seconds and my partner caught all his on a drop shot with a small wacky rigged worm, in the same areas.  So, it seemed the lmb were backed into the weeds on the sunny side of the lake and wanted a slow bait.  A tough fishing day, but good company and great scenery made up for it.   As for my epic day of open water smallmouth off the cliff faces, the lake was very calm and we never saw a single blow-up.  I tried, but couldn't find any smb bites. 

 

Got out in a little $20 yard sale kayak for about an hour this morning and missed one hard hit, then caught a nice spotted bass, possibly the oh so feared invasive Alabama bass or micropterus henshalli

 

 

then I got out this afternoon in the boat  and did some searching, fishing was slow as one river arm of the reservoir turned over and was reddish brown color.  I did mark a few things and caught a LM and SM, so I guess I got the black bass triple crown for the day 

11 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Got out in a little $20 yard sale kayak for about an hour this morning and missed one hard hit, then caught a nice spotted bass, possibly the oh so feared invasive Alabama bass or micropterus henshalli

 

 

then I got out this afternoon in the boat  and did some searching, fishing was slow as one river arm of the reservoir turned over and was reddish brown color.  I did mark a few things and caught a LM and SM, so I guess I got the black bass triple crown for the day 

Triple crown? Only bass I've seen in the past month was a 5 incher I caught in my cast net going for shad yesterday. I'm getting a little bummed out honestly.

Hoodie weather this morning. The cold snap made fishing tough. I finally got a strike on a Texas rigged Z-Man CrawZ. One beats the ? 

 

1 minute ago, DitchPanda said:

Triple crown? Only bass I've seen in the past month was a 5 incher I caught in my cast net going for shad yesterday. I'm getting a little bummed out honestly.

What the heck is going on up there? 

7 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Got out in a little $20 yard sale kayak for about an hour this morning and missed one hard hit, then caught a nice spotted bass, possibly the oh so feared invasive Alabama bass or micropterus henshalli

 

 

then I got out this afternoon in the boat  and did some searching, fishing was slow as one river arm of the reservoir turned over and was reddish brown color.  I did mark a few things and caught a LM and SM, so I guess I got the black bass triple crown for the day 

That first one is for sure the Debil....and the last one you posted is quite curious.   Has some Spot qualities to it, but overall looks like a Smallie.      Beautiful fish as always!  

 

I caught a nice Debil right at dusk, and caught several more Bass, but the bite has been brutal the last two days since we got a bump in low pressure, and increase in heat.   I got a double crown with a Crappie cherry on top......can I play??

 

Downsizing big time is the only way I've gotten fish the last two days.   Mini Max took the nice Spot along with another chunk Spot, and a Flashback mini took the LGM and another small Spot.   4 fish all on Chatterbait types.      The chatterbait is the only other lure that competes with a 6" Roboworm when it comes to keeping that skunk out of the boat for me.  

 

Look at how small of a profile this Mini Max makes with a 3" Armor Shad, and dipped chartruese tail.....able to throw a 1/2oz bait with a profile that size.   Looks just like that baby bream size.  

 

 

This morning and last Sunday I had big one on a swim jig. Got them all the way to the bank and they got off. I didn't give them any slack. Not sure what went wrong.

 

Resorted to my skunk beater and got a small one this morning on a Zoom UV Speed Craw on a 1/8oz shakey head.

 

My 4 year old daughter caught a crawdad on a worm.

18 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

What the heck is going on up there? 

I'm not entirely sure. For months there I was consistently catching 3-6 bass in a typical 2hr outing with a few better days mixed in. Then one day it just stopped. In the past 5 or 6 trys I've caught 1 lost 1 and misses a few bites.  This is the lowest I've ever seen the water so maybe that's got em messed up. Been spending alot more time catching catfish and unsuccessfully looking for walleye in the local river.

I caught five bass exploring a new river this morning, but the emphasis was on exploring rather than fishing. I think the river could hold lots of bass at some point in the season because it's loaded with bassy cover, i.e. fallen trees and loads of weeds, but I don't know when. Any guesses as to when I should return? The river connects two bassy bodies of water and is about four miles long, with creeks feeding it and several cool inlets.

4 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I caught five bass exploring a new river this morning, but the emphasis was on exploring rather than fishing. I think the river could hold lots of bass at some point in the season because it's loaded with bassy cover, i.e. fallen trees and loads of weeds, but I don't know when. Any guesses as to when I should return?

Sounds like you caught bass already, so I'd say sooner than later ?

34 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

I'm not entirely sure. For months there I was consistently catching 3-6 bass in a typical 2hr outing with a few better days mixed in. Then one day it just stopped. In the past 5 or 6 trys I've caught 1 lost 1 and misses a few bites.  This is the lowest I've ever seen the water so maybe that's got em messed up. Been spending alot more time catching catfish and unsuccessfully looking for walleye in the local river.

It'll turn around pal, it always does

28 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I caught five bass exploring a new river this morning, but the emphasis was on exploring rather than fishing. I think the river could hold lots of bass at some point in the season because it's loaded with bassy cover, i.e. fallen trees and loads of weeds, but I don't know when. Any guesses as to when I should return? The river connects two bassy bodies of water and is about four miles long, with creeks feeding it and several cool inlets.

knowing you even if I said one month from now, you couldn't wait....you're like a kid in a candy shop but instead of candy it's super dark lunkerheads ?

9 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

It'll turn around pal, it always does

knowing you even if I said one month from now, you couldn't wait....you're like a kid in a candy shop but instead of candy it's super dark lunkerheads ?

Maybe...if not ill enjoy stacking some catfish and walleye fillets in the freezer before the ice sets in. I turned my back on other species in favor of bass the past several years..this past year I've rediscovered my love of walleye,catfish and crappie fishing. And eating!

51 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

I caught five bass exploring a new river this morning, but the emphasis was on exploring rather than fishing. I think the river could hold lots of bass at some point in the season because it's loaded with bassy cover, i.e. fallen trees and loads of weeds, but I don't know when. Any guesses as to when I should return?

Water temps will be dropping steadily from here on out, and they'll be munching heavily in tighter and tighter bite windows until they shut down. Got to be there when.

8 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

That first one is for sure the Debil....and the last one you posted is quite curious.   Has some Spot qualities to it, but overall looks like a Smallie.      Beautiful fish as always!  

 

 

 

I was wondering about it when I first saw it also, that lake has a lot of meanmouth (smallmouth x spot hybrid)

Stumbled into four bass with a wacky rig this morning, and quite possibly my first appearance on TV while fishing. I gave a quick underwater wacky rig demo and then caught a 3ish lb bass for the PBS guys who were out at Ray Roberts. Super cool experience. Yamamoto and Berkley owe me for the promo lol

I also started testing a theory I have about copolymer and line-to-line knots. I had an experience earlier in the year where a setup of 30lb 832 to 15lb CXX would work great with a double uni, but an Alberto almost always broke after an hour or so of casting. I think it has to do with the layers of copoly and the different securing actions of the two knots. An Alberto on a fully fluorocarbon line did great today with all four bass. Gonna keep testing it.

 

In other news now I want to work productions for TPWD 

 

 

Cold front moved in, but I still had to get out. I’m so addicted it’s not funny. Air temperature was 38 degrees at launch. Wind was blowing 15mph+. Water temps between 58-60 degrees. The result was the toughest bite I’ve been on in several years. 

 

Even the esox were turned off. Only one thiccc nasty pickerel. Not complaining on that front though.

PopMax and Dog-X produced nothing, but I was probably wasting my time. Too choppy and cold. Pitching timber with jigs and T-rigs got nothing. Lipless cranks and jerks, nothing. Ned rig, nothing. So I slung the rusty gate over and over. 
 

At least I had hot coffee and beautiful Adirondack scenery. Ice-in is looming, so I’ll brave whatever conditions I have to for the next 8 weeks. 

13 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Water temps will be dropping steadily from here on out, and they'll be munching heavily in tighter and tighter bite windows until they shut down. Got to be there when.

Thanks for the info. As I understand you, they might be averse to eating for stretches and then suddenly turn on en masse. Did I get that right?

38 minutes ago, Jar11591 said:

Cold front moved in, but I still had to get out. I’m so addicted it’s not funny. Air temperature was 38 degrees at launch. Wind was blowing 15mph+. Water temps between 58-60 degrees. The result was the toughest bite I’ve been on in several years. 

 

Even the esox were turned off. Only one thiccc nasty pickerel. Not complaining on that front though.

PopMax and Dog-X produced nothing, but I was probably wasting my time. Too choppy and cold. Pitching timber with jigs and T-rigs got nothing. Lipless cranks and jerks, nothing. Ned rig, nothing. So I slung the rusty gate over and over. 
 

At least I had hot coffee and beautiful Adirondack scenery. Ice-in is looming, so I’ll brave whatever conditions I have to for the next 8 weeks. 

I recognize that face.

In fact I know it well and expect to be sporting myself early tomorrow morning.

Air temp here early should be at or below freezing.

But I found so much bait I have no choice but to go back and fish it.

Hope I get at least one.

Congrats

A-Jay

 

23 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

I recognize that face.

In fact I know it well and expect to be sporting myself early tomorrow morning.

Air temp here early should be at or below freezing.

But I found so much bait I have no choice but to go back and fish it.

Hope I get at least one.

Congrats

A-Jay

 

You’re definitely a week or

two ahead of me weather-wise up there. Haven’t had to clear ice out of my guides yet! 
 

I’ll keep my eyes on this thread tomorrow for a bruiser cold water brown bass. 

23 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Tough times to be an Auburn football fan ?

No kidding! 

16 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Got out in a little $20 yard sale kayak for about an hour this morning and missed one hard hit, then caught a nice spotted bass, possibly the oh so feared invasive Alabama bass…

 

The way my balance is these days I’d wind up in the water more than in the kayak ?

 

16 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

I caught a nice Debil right at dusk, and caught several more Bass, but the bite has been brutal the last two days since we got a bump in low pressure, and increase in heat.

Agreed! Same here lately.
 

 

15 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

I turned my back on other species in favor of bass the past several years..this past year I've rediscovered my love of walleye,catfish and crappie fishing. And eating!

 Hello Panda, I did the same, its more fun catching a variety of fish species for me now. I am now more interested in catching walleye just for the dinner table and smallies for the fierce fight they put up in the river.

Everything changed when i started fishing river dams late last year and most of this year.

Just fishing for smallies and walleye at the dams i inadvertently catch muskie on the smallest baits.

I went friday to fish walleye and smallie and caught this pig. I had so much fun playing the drag, getting the fish to turn and the other anglers coming to help because we are all excited to see it. One guy gets down on knees and elbows to grab it only for it to run again and we are all chattering how to land it, fun fun.

I am now reading up on these buffalo fish and find that they are not a true carp, they are native to the area while carp are invasive and also the buffalo fish is good to eat but i am not on board with that.

 

Lots of little fish, brought the blue cat home though

46 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Lots of little fish, brought the blue cat home though

I brought home a couple nice channels this morning. Also got one in the 6-7lb range but turned her back.

5 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

I brought home a couple nice channels this morning. Also got one in the 6-7lb range but turned her back.

Good eats!