6 hours ago, T-Billy said:

I'm an outlier at BR because I hardly ever fish for bass anymore. I caught a bad case of muskie fever, and there ain't no cure.

Haha...I hear you, I caught saltwater fever...I feel like I can't post in a thread like this HAHAHA

6 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

Oh, I know the fever, Tim. I quit bass fishing for a few years and only fished for muskies. I might still be hot for them if I hadn't grown too old to cast musky lures and portage to wilderness musky lakes. They're magnificent

Those figure 8 bites and the following chaos on a short line sure get the blood moving don't they?

 100 is still possible this year Katie. I'm currently at 91, still have a few more weeks to fish, and I'm on vacation for 10 days here in a couple weeks. Tammy has caught 16, so together we've put 107 in the boat so far this year. The A-rig bite is currently heating up. The shad schools are getting bigger as the water cools. Hopefully I'm fixin to go on a tear. 🤞

3 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

Those figure 8 bites and the following chaos on a short line sure get the blood moving don't they?

 100 is still possible this year Katie. I'm currently at 91, still have a few more weeks to fish, and I'm on vacation for 10 days here in a couple weeks. Tammy has caught 16, so together we've put 107 in the boat so far this year. The A-rig bite is currently heating up. The shad schools are getting bigger as the water cools. Hopefully I'm fixin to go on a tear. 🤞

 

91 is a heckuva year even if you don't catch one more, but if I were a betting woman, I'd bet that you're going reach 100. 

I’m definitely the outlier, because I don’t know!

 

I was out five hours today on a 11,000 acre lake which I have only fished 4-5 times, from different launches each time. There was a constant 20mph wind with 30mph gust after a passing cold front two days ago along with high clouds and blue skies. Air temps in the high 60’s and water temp in the low 50’s.

 

I marked fish in the suspected spots; on drops, deeper flats and in the transition points from flats to deeper water, typically between 10 to 25 foot of deep. I also fished docks and a few lay-downs but shallow water was completely void of activity.

 

I threw the gambit of lures; underspin, spinnerblade, jig, dropshot, texas rigged creature bait, deep and medium crankbaits, swimbait along with an umbrella rig, changing colors a couple of times on several. Using a wind blown drift was trying so anchoring was the theme of the day.
Nada, zip, zero…………..

 

^^^ this is what I want to learn! How do you find fish when you can’t find baitfish, birds or noticeable sonar returns.
Calling back Glen’s video on downsizing/upsizing and identifying a pattern  when nothing is working but you can’t get the first bite is madding. I know there are a lot of variables against me in this situation but ……frustration level is on overload not being able breakdown enough factors to catch one single fish is exacerbating!

On 11/3/2025 at 6:21 AM, Swamp Girl said:

Is this just me or are there are other Bass Resourcers who also don't know where bass will be?

 

I may have some educated guesses, and sometimes I guess correctly, but bass are willing and fairly able to serving up a slice humble pie if when I get too full of myself.

This post certainly resonates for me!  On my little lake this time of year, I can reliably have 20 fish mornings and complete skunk afternoons.  This is my most predictable bite all year, the time when "I know my bass" and it's a total light switch.  I just spent the last 2 days on the water and had 5 afternoon fish, all dinks, and over 60 morning fish with 6 over 4lbs and 2 of those 5 lbs.  They are so bunched up and keyed in on a specific forage, that if I hadn't found the deep side of this one funnel/pinch point in the morning I'd have absolutely nothing.  So even when I'm at my "best" I have no idea how to locate and or trigger bass for all but 5 hours a day from one specific anchor position.  I'll just keep working on my educated guessing and enjoy every minute of it.

 

scott

 

 

2 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

over 60 morning fish with 6 over 4lbs and 2 of those 5 lbs. 

 

WOW! What a morning. 

2 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

WOW! What a morning. 

 

Thanks!  It was so good, that I ran out of fuel and took a 3.5mile walk of shame back home and almost didn't care!  This location and time of day stays excellent for me until the next turnover/shad kill, then goes back to being a just good place to check.  I think I have my schedule set up to get 6-7 mornings in over the next 2 weeks.  Fingers crossed.

 

scott

50 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

Fingers crossed.

 

My fingers are crossed for you too! 

 

 

Last fall, I had an amazing morning like yours with 58 fish and ten or so were big. I'll never forget it. 

I am always sure where the bass are but often the bass screw up and aren't there. It's completely their mistake: )