Water temps still in the low 40s but the feed bags are on

The morning was slow but the afternoon heated up and I managed to hook into biggest I’ve caught on this particular lake

@C.Tucks, that's a beautiful smallie.

@C.Tucks: BIG. Bass.

Woke up to 51° but soon-to-be sunny skies. Heavy rain on Saturday and the pond was at max pool. I was ready!

The bass weren’t lol. I had one small one tap a swim jig and that was it except for one that hit a nose-hooked paddletail swimbait on the first cast with that bait. And as soon as the hook set, it was gone. Reeled the line and no bait, and no hook. Went to retie a new hook and it snapped as I tightened the knot. I felt my way up the leader and although it looked fine, the final 2’ was rough. Cut that off and retied a new hook but the moment had passed.

Nice day for a skunk!

@BrianMDTX At least you’re out there trying which is more than I’m doing lately 😉

9 minutes ago, Eric 26 said:

@BrianMDTX At least you’re out there trying which is more than I’m doing lately 😉

I’m not going to argue that, and had that thought while on the water. It was a beautiful day on the water, bass or no bass.

When you’re not getting any bites, you can really concentrate on how your gear performs. And I have to say, it surprises me how well that Garcia Black Max casts on that Daiwa Aird-X rod. It’s definitely the cheapest rig (well, I have two- one MF and the other a MHF) I own, but I do not use it and scowl that it stinks compared to by Fuegos and Tatula. It’s not like there’s a wide gulf of difference in overall performance. Yeah, the drag and brakes on the Daiwas are better overall and easier to adjust, but overall it fishes very well. My problem was using a spinnerbait lol. 🤣

Beautiful day and finally crossed paths with a nice LM

Something about this color this time of year

Also hooked up with a solid spot

31 minutes ago, NorcalBassin said:

Beautiful day and finally crossed paths with a nice LM

Cool looking chunk!

@NorcalBassin: Here's how little I know about spots; I would have identified your spot as a smallie. Love your largie. I always thrill to 20-inchers.

That spot looks like a mean mouth! NICE tank @NorcalBassin !!!

My evening plans were cancelled and the wind forecast was for 10 mph dropping to zero by 8 pm (much better than the 15mph+ today during the day). Went out to the pond sized lake I’ve been enjoying the past 6 months. It’s small enough that I did 2 slow laps of most of the lake in 4-ish hours with some stoppage time where the fish were hanging out. In all my trips to this lake, I have never caught a fish on a spinnerbait and i have never caught one along the dam. So why not start with a spinnerbait on the dam (it was tied on and the water/wind was just right for it). I made it a couple casts before the first one ate it. Made the first half lap chopping and changing lures that should have worked but they only wanted one thing tonight. I tried a few different ones- colors, blade options, etc but the basic old chartreuse sexy shad on an Indiana/colorado tandem was the thing. A dozen angry bass just ate the snot out of that lure. They were hitting it like it owed them money. Nothing big, just a bunch of 11-14” fish on a sunny evening. Can’t beat that with a stick.

59 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

My evening plans were cancelled and the wind forecast was for 10 mph dropping to zero by 8 pm (much better than the 15mph+ today during the day). Went out to the pond sized lake I’ve been enjoying the past 6 months. It’s small enough that I did 2 slow laps of most of the lake in 4-ish hours with some stoppage time where the fish were hanging out. In all my trips to this lake, I have never caught a fish on a spinnerbait and i have never caught one along the dam. So why not start with a spinnerbait on the dam (it was tied on and the water/wind was just right for it). I made it a couple casts before the first one ate it. Made the first half lap chopping and changing lures that should have worked but they only wanted one thing tonight. I tried a few different ones- colors, blade options, etc but the basic old chartreuse sexy shad on an Indiana/colorado tandem was the thing. A dozen angry bass just ate the snot out of that lure. They were hitting it like it owed them money. Nothing big, just a bunch of 11-14” fish on a sunny evening. Can’t beat that with a stick.

Gotta love how aggressive the 11-14”

Fish are. I love catching a bunched them. That’s sounds like a great trip

It was a good night out. This is the lake I started the year with a 4# fish and the lake that I am told a 7# fish was caught in last year. If you tell me there is a 7# fish in a 35 acre lake that I can fish with the boat you have my attention.

Fished yesterday from 6a -1p and caught 12. Biggest was only 2.57 but they fought great on my light casting gear. It was overcast, cool, and windy. Fished big baits for 3 of those hours with no joy.

Good morning, BR.

14 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

Good morning, BR.

Another satisfied pre spawn customer.

Good morning sir and congrats on that beauty.

A-Jay

@PhishLI Great morning!

@PhishLI - that's a great chunk. I see your fish are dark like some of mine are (lake dependent). The ones last night had absolutely black backs and down the top third of their bodies. That lake is a silty dark bottom, shallow, and lots of avian predators so it makes sense that the fish would get dark and the light colored ones wouldn't survive.

15 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

I see your fish are dark like some of mine

They've almost all been caught low and slow so far, obviously belly down in the flattened out decaying veg and algae. While it doesn't show up well in the pictures, their normally white bellies are yellowy-green. Below is a pic of the darkest early April fish I've ever caught from a grass lake that's unusually deep for around here. Old school Arbogast Hawaiian Wiggler in perch slow rolled on the bottom in 12 ft of water.

wow, that's a dark one. Mine have been similar- shallow but bellies on the bottom. Last night was the first time they have been more than a bit active. Last couple trips before you just felt a mushy weight on the lure but last night they were properly eating it.

Some nice fish being posted lately and I haven't been fishing in over a week. I think I'm starting to lose vision in my left ear and starting to taste colors 🤪

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I think I'm starting to lose vision in my left ear and starting to taste colors

Clayton - you been sampling some confiscated evidence?

What is the odds that you'll catch, and land, two muskies within an hour while wadefishing smallies in creeks? I am seriously asking, not bragging. This happened to me today; both are about 32~33" long. Meanwhile, certain major life event unfolded as well, and I only received the news after getting home. It's just uncanny. I wonder if it means something.

@newapti5: Buy a lottery ticket!

Before I could catch anything at my local fishing hole, a stranger screamed out "hey,I have a great shot of you in the misty sunlight. Do you want it?" So I gave him my number and he sent me that picture. It's a dandy for sure. Tight lines y'all!