Black Crappies found in a new pond

I've never fished my parent's neighborhood pond. It is pretty small, so I never really thought it would have any decent fish in it. To my surprise, fishing it today revealed some really nice Black Crappies. I also caught some Bluegill. I did not see or catch any Green Sunfish. I also did not see or catch any bass. Caught them on the good old trusty Mepps spinner. Tight lines to you. 🤙🏽

Beginning of May fishing in the Heartland

It is the beginning of May and we've had some really windy days that introduce a different set of challenges to catching bass.

When the wind is blowing, it can cause waves and choppy water, which can make it more difficult for fish to see or hear your bait. On the other hand, the wind can also create current, which can be an advantage for anglers looking to lure in bass. In windy conditions, look for areas where the wind is blowing against a shoreline or structure, as this can create a natural current that bass may be drawn to. 

This is exactly what I was doing on this day. I was casting my Zoom Fluke (Houdini color) into the wind and letting it drift with the current a bit. A couple of twitches in between, and then bang a pre-spawner the size of a little football slurped up my fluke. I did not catch a lot of fish on this day but I did catch quality size fish that were still in pre-spawn mode.

Tight lines to you! Stay committed, stay driven.

Ultralight Dropshot for fun

I went out to the pond after work today to mess around with a technique called "Ultralight Drop Shotting".  It is a fun way to catch fish. This technique has gained immense popularity among anglers in recent years. This technique involves the use of ultra-light rods, reels, and lines, making it one of the most delicate forms of bass fishing. Ultimately, the dropshot allows the bait or lure to float above the bottom of the water (which is attached to the trailing sinker). This makes dropshotting an ideal technique for catching fish in shallow or deep water.

Some of the most popular baits to use in the Dropshot technique are:

1. Roboworm Straight Tail Worm: These soft plastic worms come in a variety of colors and are a favorite among bass anglers.

2. Berkley Gulp! Minnow: This soft plastic bait imitates a live minnow and is very effective at catching bass.

3. Jackall Crosstail Shad: These soft plastic shad baits have a realistic swimming action that can entice even the most stubborn bass.

4. Strike King Half Shell: These small, finesse-style soft plastic baits are designed to mimic a variety of forage species and are perfect for dropshotting.

5. Yamamoto Senko: This soft plastic stick bait is a favorite among bass anglers and can be rigged in a variety of ways, including dropshotting.

6. Zoom Trick Worm: These soft plastic worms are versatile and can be rigged in a variety of ways, including dropshotting.

7. Keitech Easy Shiner: These soft plastic swimbaits have a lifelike swimming action that can attract big bass.

8. Z-Man Finesse TRD: These soft plastic baits are designed to be fished on a dropshot rig and have a unique texture that can help fool even the most wary bass.

On this day, from the picture you can see I was using a Zoom Tiny Fluke. These little baits are deadly! If you rig them correctly and present them well, I can guarantee you will get strikes.

Ultra-light dropshotting also allows you to fish in clear water, where fish may be spooked by heavier tackle. This was a perfect choice considering the pond I was fishing it at was crystal clear in that day. The light line is also key as it allows you to mimic the natural baitfish and how it moves. Your cast and retrieval are crucial to getting strikes. With the right gear and techniques, ultra-light dropshot bass fishing can be an incredibly rewarding as you can see in the photo! Tight lines!

Morning time workout

We are staying on it over the weekends. I am also hitting it before work. Hoping to keep that motivation through the spring and summer. Doing the HIIT workouts in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day for me. There is no question about that. For me the morning is it, always has been, always will be.

The fishing days you live for...

Yesterday was one of a kind. It was the type of fishing day you wish for every time you go out on the water. There is so much more to fishing than baiting a hook and throwing it out there. For the serious angler the challenge is in finding where they are every time. It also means figuring out what they are biting on. The combination of these two things: location and pattern (what they are biting on) is essential to catching fish.

Some notes on the day:

-This lake has a ton of vegetation which dies or goes dormant and sinks to the bottom. The lake bottom is covered in grass! Lake is very shallow. Average is 2ft to 4.5ft.

-Water temp, between 50-60 degrees. We are in Pre-Spawn time frame. No spawning beds at all visible. 

-Moving baits where really working. Mepps Aglia dressed spinner was absolutely getting crushed by the bass. I was able to keep the lure close to the bottom, where I know the bass where at without getting it tied up in the bottom grass. I also caught a bass on a crankbait, but it kept getting caught at the bottom. I think the normal depth for that crankbait was 4-6 feet.

-More thoughts...finesse was not working. The bass were actually right in the center of the lake. Again, the lake is very shallow, and I anchored in the middle of the lake because there was a decent wind that would drift my boat otherwise. Once I found the bass camped in the middle of the lake, I literally casted all around the boat and caught over 30 bass!