Got too stormy to properly fish from the boat today after Jake's final soccer game of the season.

 

We pond fished instead in between thunderstorm blasts.  I caught all my fish swimming jigs just beneath the surface!  Jake did most of his damage on the Mepps!

 

 

Storms are supposed to lift and tomorrow creeks should be nice and loaded with fish - hoping we can make that boat trip happen!

 

Tight lines fellow bass heads!

The other day.

 

Today.

 

 

 

Fished is some off and on rain yesterday, got a nice LM, lots of white bass up to 16”. My buddy joined in after lunch for more white bass and I even got 4 catfish in a row on a 2” swimbait haha

13 hours ago, 928JLH said:

Lost 5.

 

This is one of three things I like in your trip report. They are:

 

1. Your fine bass

 

2. Sharing how many you lose. I lose bass too. It's comforting to know I'm not alone.

 

3. Your shoreline shot. It also helps me to see where my fellow bassheads are catching bass.

 

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

lots of white bass up to 16”.

 

Those are big white bass. I bet they stretched your line.

My wife took these yesterday on Wateree. This was a 2 pounder. I have a story about how the big one got away. I had about a 4 pounder shake a buzz bait off on me right at the boat. Fun times…

Decent morning. Caught 4 small guys in 3 hours. All on a t-rigged creature bait. Went back to my favorite lake. It's just so bassy looking. Ton of lay downs and brush and lily pads and grass. Really enjoy just making my way around hitting all the juicy looking spots. 

 

Wind was making things a tad difficult but I managed. Lost about a many as i caught. Which leads me to a quick question....

 

I'm relatively new to bass fishing. Belive this is my 3rd full season. I think. Any way, iv improved alot thanks to this place. Today I think somthing clicked. Could be way off though. Let me hear your thoughts. This was only my 3rd outing this year. Last Saturday I fished the same lake as today. Both days the bass we're not super aggressive. Skinny. And I had alot of what I think were swipes. Felt the tick tick but no one was home on the hook set. Yesterday at the other spot (deeper bigger lake) fish were aggressive, fat bellies. Today I noticed alot of what I belive to be beds along the shoreline. But didn't see any bass on said beds. In fact alot of my hits came in deeper water in the grass just off the beds. Because of the behavior, what I'm seeing (empty beds), and the physical condition of the fish themselves I was thinking the fish are post spawn. My thought was, shallower lake, warmed up quicker, bass spawned and now we're in the post spawn phase. Where as the deeper lake maybe is still in pre spawn? 

 

It's not super important. I fish regardless. But I do want to learn and am curious if I'm connecting the right dots here. Improving and putting the puzzle pieces together is just as rewarding as catching fish for me. 

 

Any way, hope all is well and everyone's getting on some bass!

@JayMac89: Where do you live? It looks cool in your photo, but the shoreline looks green. 

 

Yesterday, I noticed an uptick in aggression. I live in Maine. Before yesterday, my hits were mushy. Yesterday, they thumped some of the time. Even the ticks of less aggressive bites were sharper. We're pre-spawn, but until yesterday, I think the water was too cold for the cold-blooded bass to feel perky and wallop my lures. 

4 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

3. Your shoreline shot. It also helps me to see where my fellow bassheads are catching bass.

My area yesterday. Not exactly a secret area on Stillhouse

Fished today for a few hours.  Last 24 has been rain non stop and a bit cooler.  
 

Low 60s and overcast with winds from the south at 5 mph.  
 

Fished Lake St. Joesph today.   It’s  been awhile since I’ve been there.  The water had been very low but with all the rain it was higher than normal. I should’ve tied on a jig and hit the flooded cover but I got lazy and don’t bother to change out my tackle after my last few successful outings to AEP.  I paid the price and was only able to grind out two fish on two bites.  
 

A rotund dink and a channel cat.

I went fishing at Presa Pocho all day Friday, and Saturday, half day Sunday.

Friday I landed 21 bass, the biggest was 5.5 pounds.  Best 5 weighed 16 pounds.

 

Saturday I landed 23 bass, the biggest was 25 inches long and weighed 9.5 pounds. I was sure I had a 10 plus, but was a little light.  Best 5 28 pounds.

 

Sunday I landed 10 bass, biggest was 7 pounds, best 5 24 pounds. 

 

I have a 45 minuet window, when the morning east breeze stops, and the strong afternoon west wind start.  The bass were suspended in trees that are in 30 feet of water, with the tops about 10 feet below the surface.  When it is calm, I can slowly fish a 7 inch Senko in the tops of the trees.  That is how I got the 9.5 pound bass on Saturday, and I always give this method a try, during the brief wind window.  Once the wind starts to blow, I can't keep the kayak in position to let the Senko fall to tree top depth, without dragging it out of the strike Zone.  When it is dead calm I can make it work, but it takes all of the patience I am capable of. Once the wind picks up, out come the spinnerbaits, and crankbaits.  The Bait Monkey loves to watch me snag lures in the trees with the wind blowing 30 MPH, but I have to fish where the bass are. Today during the short calm, I hooked a 3.5 pound bass on the big Senko.  When I got it next to the kayak, a 10 pound plus bass came up and tried to grab the worm out of the mouth of the bass I had hooked.  The small bass switched directions, and for a few seconds they both were side by side the Senko still on the hook in the small bass mouth and the big bass trying hard to grab it away.  I put the rod in a holder, and grabbed another rod, but by the time I cast another worm, the giant bass was gone.  I landed the 3.5 pound bass, and was able to fish with the Senko, the big bass was never quite able to steel. 

 

I didn't get a DD but I did go away with a lifetime memory.

 

Pictures are of biggest bass of each day, Friday fish first, Sunday's fish last.

 

 

Well today was one of those days I'll never forget.

 

Jake and Meagan and I decided to hit our favorite little lake today - lotta big bites happening there lately.  I'm eager to try my big swimbait pattern - Jake wants to catch one on his spro popping frog and complete his mepps challenge.

 

Wind is blowing 11 mph when we arrive and the lake is stuffed to the gills with boaters and recreational anglers.  30 people on the fishing pier.  Kayakers tossing buzzbaits on points.  Families anchored on panfish beds.  Part of me loves to see it and part of me is thinking where are we gonna fish!

 

I decide to hit the often neglected pocket right next to the marina - super clear water - but some large fish around that area.

 

I see a good one and can't get her interested and a buck gets my floating worm for the first bite of the day!

 

 

We can't produce another bite and exhaust this pocket fairly quickly but we can see fish near beds everywhere and go looking for more water we can cast.

 

We see a bass boat leaving a creek and fish the point slowly while he trolls out and idle back in there.  

 

Jake nails a beautiful yellow perch on the Mepps right away!

 

 

Absolutely gorgeous fish and now I gotta throw more red belly's on my frogs officially (mental note!)!

 

I see a good one cruising and toss my swim 5/16 oz black and blue @Siebert Outdoors sniper with a 4" largo shad ahead of her and she rushes it and nails it.  Fish on!  It's a good one!

 

 

Crazy one eyed fish!  But she likes swim jig and I liked her for biting!

 

 

I run into another buck on my floating worm on the way out of the pocket and the wind starts to pick up.

 

 

We see people fishing the areas we plan to hit all the way up the lake and come to the half way point and round a rock point corner and the wind is steadily hitting rip rap in about 8-10 feet of water leading back into a spawning cove that has produced a 6 for Jake and a 5 for me this past month and I've had eyes on bigger ones here earlier in the spring.  It's also very close to the hard ditch in 14 feet that produced my 9 lb 14 oz fish and 7 lber in March.  I figure because there are no boats back here at all that I can see and the area up the lake is being pounded by a bunch of nice rigs we saw passing us on the way up - we set up shop.

 

I am trolling on low and pitching my sniper swim jig up to cover and slow rolling it down and around whatever I can.  And out of the corner of my eye I see something big and gold flash on......a bunch of minnows?  I have pulled a 5 off this particular piece of submerged wood recently and the gold flash and flickering shiners in the tops of the wood scream slow down to my bass senses.

 

I make 5-6 casts into and around the wood with my swim jig and nothing hits.  I reposition my boat and fire my 1 oz grass jig into the area hoping a faster fall might trigger a reaction.  I pull back grass a few times and don't get hit but can still see the shiners all over in the submerged wood tops - seemingly eating very small insects off the surface on this windblown rock bluff over the grass just beneath that wood.

 

I remember dumping a giant last weekend on the old mag speed worm and pitch my pegged 3/8 oz tungsten weighted green pumpkin mag speed worm on 5/0 offset worm hook one good time right into the sweet spot of the cover and let it fall and feel one really nice thump and immediately set the hook and I'm greeted instantly with the very familiar feeling of my line shooting INTO the wood cover fast.  My drag is peeling out and my line is going deeper into the tree.

 

I can feel her on sand I can tell my 20 lb big game is wrapped up in the wood and she's playing see saw with my heart.  This fish is big.  I've broken quite a few off in this exact scenario and my heart is racing.  I keep my rod candy caned and pull hard.  I feel her shoot hard right up and out of the tree - she's in control the whole time - this fish is nuts.  She comes up and out of the wood and out of the water all at once and she's absolutely massive.  She jumped probably 6 times and dives down stripping drag and I can already tell she's one of the biggest bass I've ever caught or seen in my life I pull her up boatside and start to lift her head towards the surface and try to get her into the net and it's clear she doesn't fit and she dives AGAIN and pulls under the boat my rod is now bent down and my line is on the aluminum hull and after another impressive drag stripping run I get her up and practically SCOOP this fish with my net just enough to stabilize her so I can grab her lip.  She is too big for my net.

 

We get her on the scale and she tips my scales at 11.5 - tying my current PB.  Her nose and tail touch the inside corners of my livewell to the point where she cannot be completely straight inside of it and that's 24" - the longest fish I've ever caught for sure.

 

 

She was almost impossible to hold in one hand without feeling like her jaw was going to give out.  A true monster bass.

 

 

She was close to 7 inches wide.  Basically a submarine of a fish.

 

 

 

I'm fairly certain if I had caught her before she spawned she'd be my first teener.

 

But I'll take tying my PB in May!

 

Jake didn't want to let the fireworks stop there and decided it was spro frog time and got his first frog bass of the year.

 

 

I manage one more nice one on the mag speed worm and we call it a day!

 

 

To say that I feel blessed and grateful is an understatement!  We really had one of the most fun days ever today!

 

I'm always gonna have a pack of magnum speed worms with me every where I fish the rest of my life that's for sure!

 

🥳🙏🏼🎣

 

Bass on friends!

 

I honestly don't know what's more impressive: The King wrangling huge bass out of submerged trees in a 30 mph wind or Big Bass Pat tying his PB, a bass that just. wouldn't. quit. at a lake that was busy as New Dehli at rush hour. 

 

You two sure can fish in such difficult situations.

@Pat Brown unreal fish!

Pat, beautiful fish. I'm proud for ya.

23 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Fished is some off and on rain yesterday, got a nice LM, lots of white bass up to 16”. My buddy joined in after lunch for more white bass and I even got 4 catfish in a row on a 2” swimbait haha

Catching lots of White Bass this spring;  IMO they rank right up there with Smallmouth for their fighting ability.  3 and 4 pounders will smack lures they could never fit in their mouths.

@Pat Brown

Congratulations on another PB!

Beautiful fish!

 

I keep telling you guys about those Magnum Speed Worms!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Pat making a strong case for BR AOY!

 

Actual video of @Pat Brown 11.5 # bass jumping.  
 

Congrats!

1 hour ago, Mike L said:

@Pat Brown

Congratulations on another PB!

Beautiful fish!

 

I keep telling you guys about those Magnum Speed Worms!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

I really started fishing it more last year as a lazy alternative to buzztoads and had insane success really rapidly with it and then started experimenting more with it this winter and spring as a proper t rigged worm and it has quickly become my favorite do everything swimming worm/flipping bait for Texas rigs.

 

Y'all are too kind!

 

She sure made up for the countless giants I have lost on the way in or at the net or bank this spring.  It's been rough for how good it's been and she made everything all better!

3 hours ago, bp_fowler said:

Actual video of @Pat Brown 11.5 # bass jumping.  

 

SIX TIMES!

 

11 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

 

I make 5-6 casts into and around the wood with my swim jig and nothing hits.  I reposition my boat and fire my 1 oz grass jig into the area hoping a faster fall might trigger a reaction.  I pull back grass a few times and don't get hit but can still see the shiners all over in the submerged wood tops - seemingly eating very small insects off the surface on this windblown rock bluff over the grass just beneath that wood.

 

I remember dumping a giant last weekend on the old mag speed worm and pitch my pegged 3/8 oz tungsten weighted green pumpkin mag speed worm one good time right into the sweet spot of the cover and let it fall

 

^This^ really shines a light on what separates Pat from the pack. 

 

A. Pat had the instinct to stick with that tree.

 

B. Pat had the on-site analytical ability to reason through what lure might work.

 

C. Pat had the tenacity to keep casting.

 

I fished one week with one of the best musky anglers. He caught three 50"-plus muskies that week. He shared ^these^ traits with Pat. And he also had Pat's ability to recount the details of the catch. Great anglers pay attention.

 

Lastly, if I had hooked that bass, I would not have landed it. I'm not 6' 4" and young. I do fish from a canoe that would have been pulled into the tree and beyond. I would have left a lure in that bass's lip. The right angler hooked that bass, the angler with the right stuff.

 

 

 

 

When it comes to @king fisher, I do know what it takes to paddle a small boat in big wind, but again, I don't have what it takes to fish over a submerged tree in a 30 mph wind. I'd be surprised if 1% of all bass anglers could meet that feat. I know I couldn't and I have mad paddling skills. 

I try to share anything I learn with others - I like seeing people catch big fish and small fish as much or more than I like catching them myself.

 

Go buy some green pumpkin mag speed worms and tungsten sinkers from @Siebert Outdoors and go catch a new PB y'all!  They definitely work!  😎♥️

4 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I try to share anything I learn with others - I like seeing people catch big fish and small fish as much or more than I like catching them myself.

 

I'm taking a pal fishing next week.

 

Yesterday, his wife said, "Of course he won't catch what you catch."

 

"No, he won't, he'll catch more."

 

"Really?" she said.

 

"I'll make sure of it."

 

"How?"

 

"I'll be in the stern and the stern steers. I'll position him to cast to the best spots. If he doesn't have a good time, I'll have failed."

4 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

When it comes to @king fisher, I do know what it takes to paddle a small boat in big wind, but again, I don't have what it takes to fish over a submerged tree in a 30 mph wind. I'd be surprised if 1% of all bass anglers could meet that feat. I know I couldn't and I have mad paddling skills. 

Thanks, but it has nothing to do with skill.  I have a pedal kayak.  The difference between peddle kayak and a canoe you paddle, is the same as the difference between a horse and buggy, and a car.  No comparison.

11 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

We get her on the scale and she tips my scales at 11.5 - tying my current PB.  Her nose and tail touch the inside corners of my livewell to the point where she cannot be completely straight inside of it and that's 24" - the longest fish I've ever caught for sure.

 

 

She was almost impossible to hold in one hand without feeling like her jaw was going to give out.  A true monster bass.

 

 

She was close to 7 inches wide.  Basically a submarine of a fish.

 

 

 

 

!!!!!!!!!

9 minutes ago, king fisher said:

The difference between pedal kayak and a canoe you paddle, is the same as the difference between a horse and buggy, and a car.

 

Ahhh, I didn't know. Thanks. However, you're still using your muscle and skill to hold yourself over the submerged timber.