For those still interested in trying to catch a fish or two in this area, here's what is working for me.

First, a wacky rigged senko on an eighth ounce wacky jig head and a Zoom Fat Albert on an eighth ounce jig head.

Had been catching them right up against the vegetation in a foot and a half to two feet of water 'til late November when we went to visit our daughter in GA. The water temps were around 47 degrees when we left. I had been casting right up to the emergent vegetation around the shore, catching them in the shallows. Couldn't get bit in anything over three feet deep.

Got out Wednesday and found they had moved to "deeper" water, three to five feet deep, not a bite in the shallows. They were still found on rocky bottom. Water temps now around 41 degrees. Same baits, fished the same way. Cast, let it settle a few seconds, then retrieve very slow, almost painfully slow by raising the rod tip in tiny increments, from 45 degrees to vertical, to feel the baits ticking along the rocks. Lower the rod tip, reel in the slack and repeat.

Color of baits, watermelon with black/red flake. 3" or 4" senkos worked equally well. Didn't try the five inch.

On Wednesday I caught my largest bass of the year. Don't know the weight, but its mouth was large enough that I could put my fist in its mouth with a half inch or more of clearance all the way around.

They were biting more aggresively on Wednesday than they were in November, but were definitely more sluggish. Took less than a minute to land the big one on six pound test line. That reminds me, I'm using six pound test fluoro on two of the rods I'm using and four pound test fluoro on the other.

Good deal to still be catching 'em!

It must be global warming - you still have soft water up there? A guy from RI posted on my "Its great to have soft water" thread that he still had soft water as of last week.

Detailing the bite to it's highest level is not for the IMPATIENT fisherman... And you've obviously got the PATIENCE to get'r'dun Tom!!! WTG

Big O

www.ragetail.com

Keep on them Tom.

Congrats on you biggest fish for the year!