How to learn lakes for conditions question

[bishoptf]

I really not sure where to post this, kid of a big dumb question but hear goes. I've been fishing all my life, older guy and if I could fish every day I would (being older body doesn't always agree). I have recently retired and I am fishing a lot more, but still feel like I struggle to figure out what I should be doing for a given day/season. I grew up beating the banks and trying to be smarter and learn more offshore techniques but one of the lakes I fish is a private community lake (about 600 acres) and have been fishing it for almost 30 years and still feel like I am at a loss during certain times of the year. It's an odd lake imho, has no grass (that would impact the skiers etc), its not a deep lake, average depth is 10ft, closer to the dam goes to maybe 20-25ft. So it's fairly shallow and there are brushpiles scattered and I know those locations and really the only other structure in the lake are all the boat lifts and there are lots of metal boat lifts all over the lake. There really is only one creek that feeds the lake and only when we get rain consistently is there any flow and there is not much flow then unless we have had a lot of rain so no real river/creek channel that runs through the lake. There is a local anglers club but there is not much information shared since they have weekly tournaments and my thought is no one wants to say whats working because ya know they want to win the weekly tournament. I do not fish tournaments I just fish for the fun and enjoyment.

 

I guess I am just trying to learn how to figure out for a given time what the bass are relating to and how to figure out whats working. I have pretty much everything at my disposal tackle wise, hard baits, soft baits etc but I struggling at figuring out what and where I should be. I sometimes think I spend to much time in an area or a given bait and waste time that way. Just looking for any advice that could help me figure things out, what part of the lake and what baits to help me cover water to eliminate areas etc. Kind of humbles me since there appears to be so many folks that make it look easy and I seem to struggle more than I would like to admit. I read and watch youtube and there is lots of good information out there but there are alot of just trying to sell baits etc and I am really trying to learn how to be better at breaking down the lake each time I go out. What lures can I use to do that and where do I start, 600 acres is not that big but still a good bit of water to cover.

 

Just thought I would throw that out there and see what else I can do to learn more, thanks! Really enjoy the forum!

[WRB]

Welcome to BR. 
I see you are located in St Luis MO area with LMB.

600 acre man made reservoir is small considering the recreational use, water contact sports and weekly club tournaments.

I am a believer in seasonal periods* affecting bass behavior based on water temperature. 
Your small lake was once a valley with a seasonal stream before the dam was constructed. This means a topographic map is available to determine what maybe under the before the dam was built. Assume You have boat with sonar unit to survey areas for structure or man made cover like brush piles.

Your lake has a boat launch with docks that is where the local tourneys release the bass. Always a good area to check out.

Most MO lakes are stocked with green sunfish before LMB are introduced for baitfish. The lake may also have some type of Shad and crawdads. Do focus your lures on what the bass are feeding on and where the prey is located.

The aquatic growth is maintained by the property owner association for water sports. Does the lake have a specific buoyed off zone for skiing and time period restriction?
Tom

*Cosmic Clock and Bass Behavior

PM if you want a copy

 

[bishoptf]

37 minutes ago, WRB said:

Welcome to BR. 
I see you are located in St Luis MO area with LMB.

600 man made reservoir is small considering the recreational use, water contact sports and weekly club tournaments.

I am a believer in seasonal periods* affecting bass behavior based on water temperature. 
Your small lake was once a valley with a seasonal stream before the dam was constructed. This means a topographic map is available to determine what maybe under the before the dam was built. Assume You have boat with sonar unit to survey areas for structure or man made cover like brush piles.

Your lake has a boat launch with docks that is where the local tourneys release the bass. Always a good area to check out.

Mist MO lakes are stocked with green sunfish before LMB are introduced for baitfish. The lake may also have some type of Shad and crawdads. Do focus your lures on what the bass are feeding on and where the prey is located.

The aquatic growth is maintained by the property owner association for water sports. Does the lake have a specific buoyed off zone for skiing and time period restriction?
Tom

Yes the lake has green sunfish and I have a good idea of the contours, there is not much of them, lol. Their are bouys and most of the arms are no wake areas, they have no wake areas on the sides of the lake but its not very wide so when boats are running the main lake is usually rocking. The main hours are sunrise to sunset, after sunset the lake goes to basically idle only. They only aquatic growth is water willow and not a lot of it but there is some around. There are bush piles around the lake and I know where most of the brush is located. The lake has LOTS of shad I believe they are gizzard since it gets cold in the winter and I do not think threadfin would make it. Lake has lots of them, everywhere basically, lol.

 

I just struggle with figuring out where and on what I should be focusing. Fall tends to be more difficult at least for me, caught 2 nice ones last week on big willow spinnerbait shallow but water temps have dropped to mid 60's and do not think this week I have had any takers on the spinnerbait. I need to figure out how to eliminate water and figure out whats working quicker than I do, last couple of days nothing seems to work that I am trying.

 

Oh and yes only LMB that I am going after.

[Catt]

The speed at which you cover water is determined by you.

 

You mentioned brush piles, some grass & docks. How about timber, rock or hard bottom. 

 

Gizzard Shad, I would try swimbaits, crankbaits, & jerkbaits. 

[WRB]

Every buoy and a anchor that attracts plankton and bait fish.

Gizzard Shad get too big for most bass to swallow over 6” long. Shad are pelagic fish the seek cover at night, move out during bright sun. 
Keitech 3.8 Fat Shad color on Owner 1/4 oz Flashy Swimmer is excellent Shad imitation.
The obvious location all bass anglers can find but…. Few figure out how to approach and present lures to trigger strikes. This means trying different angles and bass anglers miss.

Your lake could be getting ready to turnover or has already?

Do you use finesse tackle and lures?

Tom

[Pat Brown]

I fish lakes loaded with gizzards that are about that size.  It's tough to fish a lake that small - everyone knows where the fish are - they get trickier to catch.

 

If I have no idea what's going on, I'm going to go to the side of the lake that the sun is touching for most of the day and try to find areas that the wind is blowing into or across have a diversity of cover. 

 

Areas like this make it easier to eliminate types of cover and depth and usually you can just kind of bounce around and try to find active fish by targeting these high percentage areas. 

 

In the fall, fish typically congregate around inflow points and they will be anywhere from outside of the creek arm on the points leading back into the creek all the way to the back and everywhere in between, and sometimes they'll be out on the main Lake relating to depth changes outside of these Creek arms away from the points - usually on channel swing banks with hard bottom somewhere.

 

I really like fishing a jig on areas like this.

 

If you've got any sort of vegetation I would fish a frog or a buzzbait or a fluke through those areas. 

 

Hard to beat a jerk bait or a swimbait on flats or humps or rip rap etc.

 

I typically go with the kind of sneakier baits with single hooks on most days and then I kind of tend towards the treble hook baits that make noise on days with some wind or current, or maybe even a little stain to the water from some rain or something like that. 

 

There will be bass everywhere on the lake eating everything that can be eaten at various points in time so it's really all about depth and speed and location and timing. 

 

Once you get those things dialed in it's pretty much just details like profile and color that will get you a few more bites here and there. But basically depth and speed and location and timing are the keys to unlocking the fish. 

 

I really like midday in the fall and winter because you're typically dealing with falling water temperatures and fish typically get more active of shallow when that sun is up high and the wind is generating current in the middle of the day.

 

Good luck and let us know how you do!

[bishoptf]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

The speed at which you cover water is determined by you.

 

You mentioned brush piles, some grass & docks. How about timber, rock or hard bottom. 

 

Gizzard Shad, I would try swimbaits, crankbaits, & jerkbaits. 

Yeah, mostly the bottom is mud, there are some harder bottom but not a lot. I can see harder bottom on my side imaging. Most of the banks are rip rap rocks, but the rocks do not extend far under water, no real grass in the lake, on the edge there is some water willow but no real grass.

 

I have been trying all those you have listed except for jerkbaits. Was catching a few on underspin swimbait (owner flashy etc), tried small and larger swimbaits and nothing. The only thing that I have caught a few fish on is squarebills but they all have been small. Last week caught 2 decent size fish 5.5lb and 3.5 on a big willow blade spinnerbait shallow but nothing this week. Have also tried various different deeper crankbaits, rapala dt series, 8, 10 and 14 along with lipless and nothing on those but I could be in wrong location with the wrong retrieve.

 

If you want to look at the lake and have access to google earth on your desktop, punch in lake saint louis and then turn on your historical time and go back to 11/2013. Thats the last time I can find a good image when they have the lake drawn down. That will give you and idea on the shore lines.

11 minutes ago, WRB said:

Every buoy and a anchor that attracts plankton and bait fish.

Gizzard Shad get too big for most bass to swallow over 6” long. Shad are pelagic fish the seek cover at night, move out during bright sun. 
Keitech 3.8 Fat Shad color on Owner 1/4 oz Flashy Swimmer is excellent Shad imitation.
The obvious location all bass anglers can find but…. Few figure out how to approach and present lures to trigger strikes. This means trying different angles and bass anglers miss.

Your lake could be getting ready to turnover or has already?

Do you use finesse tackle and lures?

Tom

I have been throwing what you mentioned, Keitech on an owner flashy. Lake has already turned over about 3-4 weeks ago, temps in range from 63-65, was actually cooler but warmed up a little bit. I have some finesse tackle and lures, so I can do all the above. Tackle is not my issue, me know what and where is lacking, lol.

12 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

I fish lakes loaded with gizzards that are about that size.  It's tough to fish a lake that small - everyone knows where the fish are - they get trickier to catch.

 

If I have no idea what's going on, I'm going to go to the side of the lake that the sun is touching for most of the day and try to find areas that the wind is blowing into or across have a diversity of cover. 

 

Areas like this make it easier to eliminate types of cover and depth and usually you can just kind of bounce around and try to find active fish by targeting these high percentage areas. 

 

In the fall, fish typically congregate around inflow points and they will be anywhere from outside of the creek arm on the points leading back into the creek all the way to the back and everywhere in between, and sometimes they'll be out on the main Lake relating to depth changes outside of these Creek arms away from the points - usually on channel swing banks with hard bottom somewhere.

 

I really like fishing a jig on areas like this.

 

If you've got any sort of vegetation I would fish a frog or a buzzbait or a fluke through those areas. 

 

Hard to beat a jerk bait or a swimbait on flats or humps or rip rap etc.

 

I typically go with the kind of sneakier baits with single hooks on most days and then I kind of tend towards the treble hook baits that make noise on days with some wind or current, or maybe even a little stain to the water from some rain or something like that. 

 

There will be bass everywhere on the lake eating everything that can be eaten at various points in time so it's really all about depth and speed and location and timing. 

 

Once you get those things dialed in it's pretty much just details like profile and color that will get you a few more bites here and there. But basically depth and speed and location and timing are the keys to unlocking the fish. 

 

I really like midday in the fall and winter because you're typically dealing with falling water temperatures and fish typically get more active of shallow when that sun is up high and the wind is generating current in the middle of the day.

 

Good luck and let us know how you do!

Thanks for the information, I have been going out mid day, usually in around 11:30 and fish until 4:30-5pm. I actually saw someone come behind me later in the afternoon fishing a jig and caught a nice keeper so I think I am going to try and fish a jig more tomorrow and see if that helps. With me catching the nice ones last week on spinnerbait, I kept trying that and this week has not produced, not sure what changed from last week to this week but I thought I was on to something and this week nada with the spinnerbait.

[casts_by_fly]

You’re saying a lot of things that resonate with my locations and strategies. Most of the lakes here are much smaller than a lot talk about. I’m fishing a lot of 200 acre and smaller lakes, no major creek arms or anything like that, relatively shallow, plenty of pressure, etc. A few differences also- I have plenty of weeds in most, shad are less important than sunfishes, and mine are almost all horsepower restricted so no ‘rocking’ on most. 
 

Last 2 years I bounced around a dozen lakes through the year. This year I had less time so I focused mostly on my best one to learn it better.  I won’t say that I’ve got them figured out year round or can catch a bass on any given day. Last time out I managed a pair of pickerel and that was it. But focusing on one lake during different conditions, pressure, etc I learned things I might not have twigged otherwise. 

 

a couple things I learned that might help. 
 

- pressure is real. In April on an average lake the fish have had a winter to forget. In September they have seen a ton all year. You might think everyone else is a great angler and catching them all but lots of guys have no clue and are just throwing things around and educating bass. So finding places guys aren’t fishing, tiny covers, hidden spots within a spot, etc. are great. Overlooked areas. When bass on a given log get pressured, they swim off. They will come back if it’s a great log, but if five boats an hour are fishing that log they might just not come back. So where’s the next nearest place they will stop?  It’s probably the next deepest drop or first piece of isolated cover that’s a 20-100’ away. 
 

- pressure is real pt. 2- have you fished a white spinnerbait?  Yeah, someone else has too. Figure out what others aren’t fishing. Downsize, upsize, underwhelm with color, overwhelm with color.  Do something no one else is then. 
 

- fish the bite windows. I know in august on my best lake that the fish go very nocturnal. When the sun pops over the hill they just shut off. The last hour before sunrise they can be slamming a buzzbait.  Then the sky lightens and they will lightly hit a buzzbait or maybe slam a subsurface moving bait. Once the sun pops over they just shut off. You can keep throwing moving baits up or down in the column.  You can slow down in the areas holding fish and throw plastics and jigs on the bottom. You can throw finesse.  But that first two hours after the sun pops they just shut down. Their bellies are full from the night and they need time to digest. I take breakfast then. 


 

 

 

[bishoptf]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I just wish I knew more about Bass behavior along with all the other things that go into it, lake clarity, wind, on and on. Just going to try to read more and see if I can start to figure things out. My plan now that I am retired is to fish as much as I can. I have been averaging three days a week since we have not had much rain since june. I am also going to try to go out even when it gets colder through the winter maybe when we have a week or two that warms up.  At least I probably will not see any other boats out there lol.

 

Going out tomorrow afternoon and going to try maybe a jerkbait, jig and maybe a big 6" soft swimbait. I've caught fish on the squarebill but what we call dinks nothing large, the only large fish I caught have been on the large willow spinner bait but have had no luck on that this week. Small front coming through tonight so fishing may be even tougher but I'd rather be on the lake then doing other stuff since it will be nice weather otherwise.

[WRB]

My offer is still available.

Tom

[bishoptf]

On 10/24/2024 at 2:59 PM, Catt said:

The speed at which you cover water is determined by you.

 

You mentioned brush piles, some grass & docks. How about timber, rock or hard bottom. 

 

Gizzard Shad, I would try swimbaits, crankbaits, & jerkbaits. 

Tried all the above and more today, ended up being cloudy and windy. Not sure if a front was moving through but the wind was blowing. I haven't thrown a swim jig much and threw one today, man it was a struggle all day today. In addition to what you have listed today I also threw spinnerbaits, jigs and a pop-r. The only fish I caught which were right at the end of the day was on a jig along the same stretch of bank. I fished the jig in lots of places along with all the other items and nada all day long until right at the end. Just not sure where or what the fish are relating to and not sure how to figure it out, lol.

[senile1]

Your struggle sounds familiar to me.  

1.  Lakes with little or no structure are more difficult for me to find fish.  Like you, I would be checking the boatlifts, mellow underwater creek banks, the dam riprap, and any mild drops into the deeper water to find the fish.  Keep in mind that in the Fall they are probably following the bait which in your case is gizzard shad.  I seem to always be able to locate and catch fish on lakes with plenty of defined structure, but lakes like yours are a tougher puzzle.
2. There is a lake I fish near KC that is loaded with gizzard shad as well.  Over the years I have come to the conclusion that the bass have plenty to eat so one must be more precise with presentation to get them to bite.  For me, a big day on this lake is 7 to 10 bass.  A typical day is 2 to 5.  It can be frustrating.  Fortunately, the lake has lots of big bass which can make up for the lack of numbers and is the main reason I fish there.
3. Bass in lakes with lots of shad tend to scatter when the thermocline breaks up.  Once the shad move back into creeks or arms the bass should follow and may be a little more grouped up and easier to locate.  

Other than these ideas, I have nothing else.  

[Swamp Girl]

11 hours ago, bishoptf said:

The only fish I caught which were right at the end of the day was on a jig along the same stretch of bank.

 

Well, then, I'd rise and shine long before the Sun does and fish that same stretch of bank, hoping that the bass move up against it when the light is low.

[papajoe222]

Welcome to BR. Take some time to check out the videos and articles. Search the different forums,too.  There’s a lot to learn here. 
 

Start with seasonal patterns and expand on them. Spring, if you know some spawning areas, pre spawn areas you can up your catch rate by focusing on them. Postspawn areas will be similar to the pre spawn ones, but a little tougher to produce. Summer, Concentrate on cover, both man made and natural. Any with deep water nearby are prime. Bottom transition areas can be goldmines  Fall, treat it similar to spring, but follow the forage.  When there is current from heavy rainfall, look for anywhere the current is interrupted and look for areas where the water clears up. 

[bishoptf]

18 minutes ago, papajoe222 said:

Welcome to BR. Take some time to check out the videos and articles. Search the different forums,too.  There’s a lot to learn here. 
 

Start with seasonal patterns and expand on them. Spring, if you know some spawning areas, pre spawn areas you can up your catch rate by focusing on them. Postspawn areas will be similar to the pre spawn ones, but a little tougher to produce. Summer, Concentrate on cover, both man made and natural. Any with deep water nearby are prime. Bottom transition areas can be goldmines  Fall, treat it similar to spring, but follow the forage.  When there is current from heavy rainfall, look for anywhere the current is interrupted and look for areas where the water clears up. 

Yeah I'm not really a newbie, I've been around for a long time just do not post much. I'm *cough* and older guy and just trying to step up my game and try to get better. I know the seasonal patterns but this lake at least for me is an oddity. It has a good amount of good size bass but its pretty shallow for the majority, no grass, and no current for the most part. I've just never done well consistently ever in the fall and would just like to figure some things out. I actually think if I had FFS I could at least figure out what and where the bass are in the lake. I think the relate to the brush piles certain times of the year but I think the boat lifts which most are hard lifts that sit on the bottom (since the lake is so shallow) are what they relate to the most but there are a lot of them.

 

I'm just looking for more suggestions on maybe what to try, I've not had much consistent luck with what I have been throwing. Will be back at it on Monday, maybe I will throw a chatterbait and see what else I can come up with. I do think a majority of the bass are chasing the shad, there is a lot of baitfish in the lake, fish are fat.

[Pat Brown]

22 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

Well, then, I'd rise and shine long before the Sun does and fish that same stretch of bank, hoping that the bass move up against it when the light is low.

 

 

They do!  Guarantee it.  

 

@bishoptf - in the fall - probably more than any time of year - I will fish many baits in an area I believe has fish in it.

 

At the very least top/middle/bottom and fast/slow.

 

Fall is a time of year that it seems like they do want one bait but that bait changes a lot day to day and you basically have to rotate baits pretty deliberately all day.

 

It's amazing how sometimes I will be skunking hard with some proven fish catchers in areas I KNOW are loaded with bass and suddenly I'll remember to try *burning* that fluke back and BOOM - 4 fish in the boat in 10 minutes.

 

Little adjustments to speed or depth in the fall are a very big deal.

[Swamp Girl]

4 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Fall is a time of year that it seems like they do want one bait but that bait changes a lot day to day and you basically have to rotate baits pretty deliberately all day.

 

^This advice^ is how @softwateronly just caught so many thick fish. He was either changing his bait or the way he worked his baits.

 

4 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

It's amazing how sometimes I will be skunking hard with some proven fish catchers in areas I KNOW are loaded with bass and suddenly I'll remember to try *burning* that fluke back and BOOM - 4 fish in the boat in 10 minutes.

 

I'm fishing a 7" fluke this coming Thursday, Pat. It's a Depps and is thick as Nathan's hot dog. I know we're supposed to downsize our baits in the fall, but I've got a hunch the big girls will still be open to a big bait.

[Pat Brown]

@Swamp Girl Jake just caught his first fish on a glide bait absolutely burning that thing in on the surface yesterday evening - big baits FAST seems to be working for him!  😂😂😂

 

Meanwhile I caught 4 on a fluke Jr burned back on the surface like a topwater.

 

So yesterday - FAST and close to the surface was the deal and size was basically inconsequential, seemingly.

[Bankbeater]

600 acres?  Lake St. Louis? 

[Swamp Girl]

10 minutes ago, Pat Brown said:

Meanwhile I caught 4 on a fluke Jr burned back on the surface like a topwater.

 

Me too! I caught some of my bass last week burning a fluke over weeds. It really helped me understand frog fishing, Pat. As you know, I have a mental block with frogs. I have caught thousands of bass on the surface, so my surface lure hooking reflex is rock solid, but when I tie on a frog, that all goes out the canoe. Well, when I burned the fluke and a bass hit, my surface lure instincts kicked in and I just kept reeling until I felt the weight and then set the hook...and it worked! 

 

And I thought, "If I can do it with a fluke, I can do it with a frog."

 

 

[bishoptf]

5 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

600 acres?  Lake St. Louis? 

Yup the bigger lake...

5 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

 

 

They do!  Guarantee it.  

 

@bishoptf - in the fall - probably more than any time of year - I will fish many baits in an area I believe has fish in it.

 

At the very least top/middle/bottom and fast/slow.

 

Fall is a time of year that it seems like they do want one bait but that bait changes a lot day to day and you basically have to rotate baits pretty deliberately all day.

 

It's amazing how sometimes I will be skunking hard with some proven fish catchers in areas I KNOW are loaded with bass and suddenly I'll remember to try *burning* that fluke back and BOOM - 4 fish in the boat in 10 minutes.

 

Little adjustments to speed or depth in the fall are a very big deal.

Yeah thats the problem I have, I am not sure where the bass are for the most part. The other problem I have is there are so many things to try, like burning a fluke, I have flukes but would not have thought of trying that. I have a lot of stuff and can try different things just not sure what to try where etc...so much to learn, lol.

[Bankbeater]

3 hours ago, bishoptf said:

Yup the bigger lake...

Yeah thats the problem I have, I am not sure where the bass are for the most part. The other problem I have is there are so many things to try, like burning a fluke, I have flukes but would not have thought of trying that. I have a lot of stuff and can try different things just not sure what to try where etc...so much to learn, lol.

I haven't fished that lake in a long long time, but it sounds like several others around this area that I do fish. 

I'm guessing that the bottom is mud, and that the water clarity is murky.  If so, that water in the shallow areas is going to heat up quickly with all this warm weather we have had lately. 

I'd try fishing early morning in the open water around the brush piles.  As the day goes on I would target the boat lifts, water willows, and any other shade you can find like trees hanging over the water.

Try fishing jig and craws, Texas rigs, or plastic worms.  Don't work the bait too fast if the bass are not in a chasing mood.

After the weather cools down, and starts staying cool the bass will probably start chasing baits again.

 

[bishoptf]

3 hours ago, Bankbeater said:

I haven't fished that lake in a long long time, but it sounds like several others around this area that I do fish. 

I'm guessing that the bottom is mud, and that the water clarity is murky.  If so, that water in the shallow areas is going to heat up quickly with all this warm weather we have had lately. 

I'd try fishing early morning in the open water around the brush piles.  As the day goes on I would target the boat lifts, water willows, and any other shade you can find like trees hanging over the water.

Try fishing jig and craws, Texas rigs, or plastic worms.  Don't work the bait too fast if the bass are not in a chasing mood.

After the weather cools down, and starts staying cool the bass will probably start chasing baits again.

 

Week before last I caught some nice fish on big spinnerbait, so I thought I had figured something out, one really nice 5.5lb and another 3.5lb. I missed one at the end and I never saw but it pulled harder than the 5.5, really wish I could have lander her. So I tried to repeat that last week and I think I caught one fish on that same spinnerbait, lol. I've heard that the jig is getting the most action and going to fish that more tomorrow and try some smaller, like tiny crankbaits and another small swimbait. Will just keep trying different things, going to concentrate in one of the arms that I haven't spent much time in and see if I can pick up more bites. They are lowering the smaller lake that flows into the larger lake, lots of water being dumped so at least in that one area there is some flow for a change.

 

One more thing, I think I may also throw a chatterbait, not really heard much about throwing one in the fall...just looking for other ideas and thought maybe I would throw that into the mix also. I also have a big glide bait maybe just try a little of everything, lol.

[Functional]

I throw a chatterbait vs a spinner when I need one or a few of the following:

1)more vibration

2)smaller profile

3)more sticky grass around

 

Has nothing to do for the season for me.

 

I'm with @Swamp Girl but I'd even take it a step further and head out just before sundown and stay out until sunrise...or at least until as late as you think you safely can. With all the pressure and shallowness of your lake I'm betting they become animals at night time. 

[bishoptf]

Welp first time this year getting skunked, usually I can catch at least a couple of dinks but nada...well nada on the bass that is...I seem to catch the biggest catfish, jig, crankbait it doesn't matter, lol. Caught one starting off, 17lbs, ugh, I knew what it was by now I know how they fight...

 

I was up one arm and I know there was a lot of baitfish, every time I though my bait, little fish would jump out of the water, lol. Was pretty windy and cloudy, water temp has dropped to about 60 degrees, last week it was 62-63. Fished different areas today, fished swim jig along docks, secondary points, jog, rocket shad, squarebill, small squarebill and threw limited big glide bait and big swimbait (like a magdraft) with an underspin.

 

I wish I had FFS at least I could see where the fish are setting up in the lake, right now I have no idea. Anyone have any suggestions I'm all ears.