So I'll make a report here after every trip I make.  Hopefully I can find what I do that works, and what doesn't.  Hopefully, I can also get some helpful feedback from you guys too, but at the very least, I will make it my fishing diary.

Who:  Me in a rented rowboat

Where: Offut Lake, WA  

When: 11:00 AM to 2:20 PM

Weather: Mostly sunny, sporadic cloud cover-70 degrees, intermittent light winds.

What:  Got skunked!  Launched from the resort on the south side of the lake at about 11:00 and headed west, casting purple 5 and 4 inch senkos, wacky and texas rigged, to the private docks.  Tried getting my casts as close as possible to docks, or under if they were slightly raised.  I thought I was doing a pretty good job too, but didn't get any bites.

I wonder if the fact that I had to occasionally put the oars in and row spooked fish around the docks?

Seemed the fish were more interested in the wacky rigged senkos, at least the tiny fish.  Do you find that makes a difference?  Like if the little fish are more interested, the bigger ones are too?

Also through a 3/8 oz white spinnerbait, double willow leaf one silver and one gold blade.  Cast that to the fallen logs and timber between the private docks, and fallen timber on the northside of the lake.  Mostly just doing a steady retrieve 1-2 feet down and occasionally trying to slow roll it closer to the bottom.

Only had tiny fish strike it.  I started from the resort, fished the docks on the south side, around to the north til I hit the houses, then started to head back (I'm in a rowboat after all).  

What were the water conditions like (temp and clarity)? Was there any grass or hydrilla? Was it sunny or overcast? What was the air temp? Were you throwing into the shaded areas?

to the forum.

Didn't check water temp. Air temp was about 71 degrees.  Only weeds in the very shallows (2 feet or less).  Didn't throw there much.  

It was sunny- everyonce in a while clouds would come out.  

Water is very clear, I can probably see my white spinnerbait 5 to 5 and a half feet deep.

In clear water you may want to slow down and downsize your presentations as well as use your lighter colored baits.  Also remember if you can see the fish, they can see you.  I would also try to get out earlier in the morning around sunrise if you can, and throw some top water baits, the bite should be better in the early morning than mid day.  

Thanks for the tips.  The earliest I can head out would be 7:00 AM.  That's what time the boat rental place opens up.  I'll try throwing a buzzbait on those weeds, and maybe work the deeper weeds as it gets later.  

Next time I'll try the big weedbeds on the eastside.  It's just hard because  I have to choose which end of the lake to fish due the lack of motor.

I'm going to fish another lake this Saturday so I will post again after that trip.

Went fishing Saturday, August 2nd.  I will write the report now while its fresher in my mind and post pics when I can.

Where: Lake Meridian

When: 6 AM - 10 AM

Weather:  Bout 60 degrees air temp, not sure about water temp.  Partly cloudy skies, occasional sunbreaks.  Little to no wind.

Water clarity is good, as it is in most of the lakes I've been to here.  4-5  feet.

Started the morning throwing buzzbaits and spinnerbaits to docks and the spaces in between to no success. Spinnerbait was a white 3/8 double colorado blade.

After about an hour we went to the opposite side of the lake, where it seemed to be shallower and more weedy.  Lots of hydrilla, or water pines growing about 1-2 feet off the bottom.   I started throwing a watermelon trick worm on a shaky head jig to the docks, trying to get under or adjacent to them as much as I could.

After one cast to a dock, the worm fell, and I jigged it a little when I felt that "tap".  Set the hook and pulled up a nice 2.5 pounder.  It felt very good to catch a fish on a new bait I was trying.  Let him go and only caught one more dink on a lily pad field edge.  

Overall notes; I should try to pay more attention to what I'm doing when I get the bites.  I can't really remember exactly where I threw the bait when I caught fish- I want to be able to do that so I can replicate.

- I wish I could be more productive with a spinnerbait.  They seem like such versatile lures.  I threw 3 types out there, different colors and blade setups.  Mostly I was just doing a steady retrieve though, about 1 foot below surface.  Maybe next time I should try changing up more.  Also, I'll try actually hitting it against the docks instead of just running it parallel.  Any other tips?

Also, my bro gave me a inflatable boat, which I plan on using in the smaller lakes here.  

Til next time.

Congrats on the 2.5lb bass, good job working the grass and docks.  I agree with you on keeping track of what you are doing out there, you want to remember exactly what you did to catch a fish, it will help you in the future.  

Nice report Bred! Sometimes if the steady under the surface retrieve doesn't work you can try letting the spinnerbait sink to the bottom and basically "slow roll" or "drag" it on the bottom. Good luck and keep up with this log, it's a great idea.

Took a little trip today, mostly to test out how my small inflatable would fare.

Where: Deep Lake

When: 6:50 PM-8:20 PM

Weather: 70 degrees, sunny with fading light, no wind.

Thought the boat did pretty well, especially with two people.  I'll have to gain more confidence in it before I try the bigger lakes.

Hit the lily pad field right across from the launch, by the swimming area, because it is the closest "good" structure.  Managed to get one little 12 incher in the pad field, close to the shallow edge on a trick worm on a shaky head.  This spot seems good because it combines decent depth with hydrilla and lily pads.  

Also hit some of the weedbeds on the return trip; no takers.  Is it too shallow here with not enough depth changes?  It pretty much is 2 feet all around that flat with pretty sparse weed patches all around, whereas the other pad field has some depth to it, at least toward the outside edge.  

Planing on heading out early tomorrow.

Also, heres a pic from Saturdays trip.

Where: Deep Lake

When:7am-11am, Aug. 4

Weather: Misty could cover in morning,then that lifted to reveal bluebird sunny skies

Hit Deep Lake this morning.  Had two rods with me and my tackle box in the inflatable boat.  One with a 3/8 white willowleaf spinnerbait, the other with a shaky head watermelon trick worm.  

Water was very calm early.  Caught a nice 2lber on the spinnerbait, probably about an hour into the trip.  It was on the 2nd pad field from the launch, a few feet off the corner of the pad field and over the hyacinth patch thats there.  I can't remember if the cloud cover was still there when I caught this fish.

Caught 3 dinks later on the "dog" dock (always a dog there) on the trick worm.  Skies were totally blue at this time.

Played around with the jig a bit, but by then, the slightest wind was spinning me in my inflatable, so I headed out.