A cold front will produce a bluebird sky day. Topwater wouldn’t work at 8:30, especially after you figure out your Whopper Plopper was broken by a previous bass. 

 

Also, make sure that you don’t miss a guide when you put a different reel on a rod. 

8 hours ago, flyfisher said:

I learned that even though baitfish are schooling it doesn't mean the fish are keying in on them with the water temps still in the mid 70's.  

I experienced the same thing today.  Once I quit chasing shad and went to my strengths in wood and grass, my day turned around remarkably (68-70° surface temps even with highs in 50s last couple days)

1 minute ago, Choporoz said:

I experienced the same thing today.  Once I quit chasing shad and went to my strengths in wood and grass, my day turned around remarkably 

It was ridiculously windy out there for me so i stayed in the protected creeks as much as i could.  I am looking forward to catching the schooling spots at the lake i was at yesterday once the water drops about another 10 degrees or so.  

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

I experienced the same thing today.  Once I quit chasing shad and went to my strengths in wood and grass, my day turned around remarkably (68-70° surface temps even with highs in 50s last couple days)

“Find the bait” is a great strategy but not always best. Largemouth bass sometimes behave like a grouper buried in cover. And you can catch a resting bass if he just so happens to see your worm 

Almost every week, every trip is different.  It's up to you to figure something out for that day.  Don't get stuck with just one bait, one technique.  Think and adjust, that's the fun in Fishing!

3 days in a row bass schooling like crazy, weather stable no changes on 4th day except I brought wife to catch some and it was like the dead sea out there? not a bass in sight 

fish still bite in muddy water

Follow the birds.

 

Heard about it for a year now, but last Sunday actually witnessed it. Gulls were dive bombing a school on the lake, and I could see the fish jumping. Moved in with the boat and cast in but no luck. Repeated this scene 5 mins later. No luck yet but slowly learning.

 

I learned that a vibrating jig can be an effective option for October smallmouth when they are in shallow colored water that's 48 - 52 degrees.  

A-Jay

I learned a ton.  Firstly I learned that it’s a bad idea to have a spinning reel on a baitcaster rod    I fixed that problem quickly. 

 

 I learned that the lake where I normally fish the water is stained and that bright colored lures generally work best this time of year. 

 

 I learned to cast with more accuracy. Not great or perfect by any stretch  but I at least learned how to get my line out to the general area where I want to be. 

 

I learned that snapping turtles are a pain in the ass when you are fishing live minnows.

 

 Not that I necessarily needed to learn this again but I had it reinforced that I stink at fishing. 

I am still trying to learn to not be too sure of what the fish are going to be doing before I get to the lake.  Preconceived notions on what rods and tackle I bring continues to negatively impact my catch.  A few more rods on the deck will not hurt anything!

rapidly falling water level is the devil 

When I went fish Friday it was blowing 15-20 mph and somewhat stained water 2-4 ft visibility ..in that case most would throw a chatterbaits or spinnerbaits or something with noise. I threw a swimjig and hammered them! Shows that sometimes different works 

I learned that I will never ever ever again forget to pull my trolling motor up before getting on pad.

I suck at bass fishing 

I learned today that wind sucks. 

Earlier this month I had a very talented local fisherman teach me his techniques on how to catch catfish in a flooded river.I plan on using the techniques he taught me the next time I fish for river catfish.

I learned that fish will congregate in 35 foot of water on nothing. No structure whatsoever. And I mean a lot of fish. Which makes this thing we love even more complicated to me. Because I offshore fish structure quite a bit. And this was nothing. Did manage to catch a mixed bag of largies, spots, and yellow bass there. 

I learned a few new places to fish on the Chickahominy River in Virginia.

 

Also had good results in some places that always seem to hold fish on the Chick.

 

And last, it was reinforced that even if the weather conditions favor topwater, the bass may not hit any topwater.

12 hours ago, ohboyitsrobby said:

I learned that fish will congregate in 35 foot of water on nothing. No structure whatsoever. And I mean a lot of fish. Which makes this thing we love even more complicated to me. Because I offshore fish structure quite a bit. And this was nothing. Did manage to catch a mixed bag of largies, spots, and yellow bass there. 

I have found schools like that before but only half that deep .  Absolutely nothing there and catch bass by the dozens . I return to the spot several more times and nothing .

this week I learned that you can catch too many white bass.

found a school of hungry white bass, and caught them nonstop for 2 hours. 

fingers and palms were bleeding from unhooking fish. toward the end I would try to shake them off at the boat, so I didn't have to unhook them. 

3 hours ago, scaleface said:

I have found schools like that before but only half that deep .  Absolutely nothing there and catch bass by the dozens . I return to the spot several more times and nothing .

The part that really got me is they've been there for a couple weeks. I saw em a while back and thought they were just chasing shad. Went Sunday and they were still there. 

I learned that with my ever increasing arthritis, if I don't take regularly scheduled rest breaks, my body (especially my shoulders) will take them for me.  I fear that these will become longer in duration and occur more often.  C'est la vie.

@Ratherbfishing, getting older sux, don't it?  I got home on Saturday after about ten hours on the lake and thought...."Man....fishing didn't use to be work"..lol...got to wondering how pros can do it 4-6 days straight,  week in and week out

8 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

@Ratherbfishing, getting older sux, don't it?  I got home on Saturday after about ten hours on the lake and thought...."Man....fishing didn't use to be work"..lol...got to wondering how pros can do it 4-6 days straight,  week in and week out

I remember a time when I could fish all day too.  Didn't catch much then but I could fish all day.  The jury is still out on which I prefer.