Never pass up happy water.  Usually baitfish driven to the surface by bass under.  Throw past the surface disturbance and work your bait under it.  I have caught nice bass on jerkbaits, a bunch of plastics, and crankbaits.  Birds will sometimes be a dead give away for Happy Water Spots.  You catch one and often the bass will all be the same size as the first one you catch.  Smaller bass don’t hang out with bigger ones crashing baitfish.

in my area - mostly snakeheads

 

I don't know if there are gar in OK, but ripples and barely breaking the surface is a characteristic of gar in NC.  They have fooled me a few times.   

Saw these v's the other weekend go within arm's reach of me in the kayak and there was nothing under them. Assumed it to be wind or transparent minnows. Guess it was only the wind.

On 4/11/2020 at 4:57 PM, desmobob said:

^  +1

 

This is a common phenomenon.

 

I just watched it happening this week at a local lake.  The water is absolutely crystal clear because the ice just recently went out.  I was standing on a dock, wearing my Costas and looking into the dead-flat, shallow water with a smooth sand bottom and I watched several of those fast v-wakes zipping by.  There wasn't anything under them.   I chuckled to myself, thinking about the past when I used to think this just HAD to be caused by a fish or aquatic insect or something.

 

 

Ok thank you for the info. I believe it now. I got a clear day at a very clear pond and had my Oakley Deep Water Polarized glasses on and saw what you all mean. I was excited and said to myself, I cant wait to see what kind of fish made that, only to see bottom. I've also been paying very ose attention to turtles, and they account for so many of the circular ripples I see. 

 

On the other hand I've paid very close attention and recognize nervous water now that I know what it is. So thank you for all the info. One day I'll record some of it!!

 

In the end, everytime I through to "any" ripple, I never get bit. I'm thinking if it really is a fish, they are spooked and wont bite. So now I avoid them!

On 4/13/2020 at 11:22 PM, Michigander said:

Saw these v's the other weekend go within arm's reach of me in the kayak and there was nothing under them. Assumed it to be wind or transparent minnows. Guess it was only the wind.

I think those kind are typically a predecessor to a gust of wind. When a Shad makes a v wave I start scrambling around in the boat looking for a wake bait, preferably a bomber long A.  I’m excited just thinking about it.........