It was 59 degrees when I launched at my pond this morning. Considering we've been in the low eighties and high seventies, it was quite a drop and I feared the cold front and clear skies might change the rules. It did. I started out fishing the edge of the wetlands, tucking my underspin under woody bushes. I caught a couple and lost a third. Here's the first I caught:

 

 

The second one was quite nice, with a bulging back and belly:

 

 

I picked up this smaller, glowing gal a little later:

 

 

However, I was getting my normal number of hits, so I paddled here and there, trying a laydown, a couple river mouths, lily pads, a shaded shoreline, and a rocky flat. I picked up another two, but established no pattern. Because I'm meeting a pal for coffee, I started heading home by way of a drop-off. I trolled over the drop-off and caught a nice one:

 

 

I cast back to where I'd hooked her and had another one hit my falling underspin:

 

 

Then another, a well-shaped bass!

 

 

They kept coming, really smacking my lure. I think I was casting into a school and they were racing to get my lure first:

 

 

A terrible photo, but a fine fish:

 

 

This might have been the biggest:

 

 

A fat one to finish my morning:

 

 

I finished with 15, but ten of those came from the drop-off school. It isn't often I get to catch open water bass with zero wood and weeds.

 

I really enjoyed solving this morning's puzzle. I'll launch again at my pond tomorrow morning. It will be cloudy and the bass might return to the edge of the swamp...or they might be schooling at the drop-off...or they might be somewhere else. Finding them is the fun, huh?

 

Say, I caught a dink this morning and whenever I do, I think of @IcatchDinks.

 

I held it high and yelled, "I caught your dink, ICD!"

 

He should return the favor with the next fat bass he catches, I.e. hold it high and yell, "I caught your bass, Swamp Girl!"

@Swamp Girl The advantage of trolling!!!

@Swamp Girl  That might be nothing or it could forever open your eyes to something your fish do that you didn't know about.  I found a couple spots like that on my lake that can hold bass without "interesting" structure or cover and it changed my approach.  I'd check that drop-off more often and especially in early spring / late fall if your shallow bass disappear.  

 

scott

56 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

@Swamp Girl  That might be nothing or it could forever open your eyes to something your fish do that you didn't know about.  I found a couple spots like that on my lake that can hold bass without "interesting" structure or cover and it changed my approach.  I'd check that drop-off more often and especially in early spring / late fall if your shallow bass disappear.  

 

scott

 

I'm checking it again tomorrow morning, Scott. I only fished one side of the drop-off and tomorrow, I'll fish two sides and possibly three. The third side, I think, doesn't have a sharp drop-off, but a slow slide to deeper water. The drop-off is created by a reef that's 1-3' deep and slopes sharply on two sides. It'll be cloudy when I launch tomorrow, so the bass holding off the reef today might be on the reef tomorrow. We'll see! 

 

I felt like I was living on Easy Street hooking bass in deep, weedless water.

 

1 hour ago, Lottabass said:

The advantage of trolling!!!

 

I love to troll, Al. I remember your most recent double on the twin frogs. Well, sometimes I double up while trolling when both rods snap back.

 

17 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

I'm checking it again tomorrow morning, Scott. I only fished one side of the drop-off and tomorrow, I'll fish two sides and possibly three. The third side, I think, doesn't have a sharp drop-off, but a slow slide to deeper water. The drop-off is created by a reef that's 1-3' deep and slopes sharply on two sides. It'll be cloudy when I launch tomorrow, so the bass holding off the reef today might be on the reef tomorrow. We'll see! 

 

I felt like I was living on Easy Street hooking bass in deep, weedless water.

 

 

I love to troll, Al. I remember your most recent double on the twin frogs. Well, sometimes I double up while trolling when both rods snap back.

 

2 fish on 2 rods at the same time!!!  I'd like to watch that circus!!!  🤣

3 hours ago, Lottabass said:

2 fish on 2 rods at the same time!!!  I'd like to watch that circus!!!  🤣

 

It is such a circus!!!

Good luck to run across the school then all skill to wreck them when you found them!

4 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

then all skill

 

Thanks, buddy!