[oldschool]

There is an old saying that you can lead a horse to water but can't make it drink.
Why do you think thats is? You believe the horse should be thirsty because you have been riding it and you are thirsty and so the horse should be ready for a drink of water.
What does this have to do with bass fishing? A lot really, it tells you that people think differently than animals and don't really understand the animals needs. Same thing happens when you go out on the water and think bass should be cold because it's cold weather and must affect them, like it affects you. The only thing that cold air affects is the water temperature at the surface. If it is cold for several days and windy, then the water temperature will drop several degrees and that will affect the bass. So when it's cold take the waters temperature down at a depth of about 5 feet to determine if the water is colder at that depth. Another way to determine the condition of the water temperature is using your electronics to locate the depth the bait fish and bass are using.
I have stated this many times, check out the marina's water temps and where the bass and bait fish are holding to determine the life zone.
The go fishing and use lures and presentations that are appropriate for the seasonal periods and the basses activity level. Your Zoom green pumpkin fluke fished in 5 feet of water may not catch any bass that day because the bass are in 15 feet looking for something on the bottom to eat. The bass may not be thirsty for a green fluke at that time and place.
Tom

 

[dave0331_69]

Tom, ive started paying more attention to that very thing and caught a few bass because of it so thanks for sharing. Dave

 

[oldschool]

Checking out the lakes condition at the marina has become a ritual with me, it's like looking at the weather forecast and moon phase.
We all have pre planned the days fishing in our own minds, before we get to the lake and sometimes that works, if you have been on the same water a lot recently. We have made up our minds that the horse is thirsty and by golly that dam horse better drink. Those bass better eat my favorite lure and presentation, because I believe they should. I always try to make them eat a jig or a swim bait, before trying to figure out what they really want, we all do it! Success is being lucky the bass are thinking like we do that day, if not we better learn to think like a bass.
Tom

 

[KeithsCatch]

Good stuff Tom. Did you get to go fishing this weekend? If so, how did you do?

 

[Richard]

You can tell me to point my rod at the jig but I can't MAKE myself do it. :rofl1: oh how i tried point right at the jig i kept telling myself and 10 minutes later i'm liftin it with my rod. :dunno: old habbits die hard.but i'm trying.

 

[oldschool]

Good stuff Tom. Did you get to go fishing this weekend? If so, how did you do?

The local lakes get hammered by tournaments and general fishing pressure during the weekends from now to Sept, so I try to fish on week days if at all possible. Tomorrow looks like a decent day to go.
Tom

 

[oldschool]

You can tell me to point my rod at the jig but I can't MAKE myself do it. :rofl1: oh how i tried point right at the jig i kept telling myself and 10 minutes later i'm liftin it with my rod. :dunno: old habbits die hard.but i'm trying.

Anything new is hard to practice until you start catching bass. Does the lake you fish have relatively steep edges to target like the sides of points, rip rap etc.? If you are fishing flats you need to work a jig with rod hops like a Texas worm, just try to keep the rod down to a 2 o'clock position.
Tom

 

[Richard]

This 1000 acre resivoir has it all.lots of weedy flats, steep sides, sloping sides,gravel,big rocks,stumps.the depth only goes to 30 ' in one area .
I was fishing the steeper banks with lots of rocks,reeling very slowly till reaching a larger rock or stump then letting it sit for a few seconds,then i'd pop it up and over and let it sit again.never caught a thing.tried a few off shore humps that produced last year (summer).Only think i had one bite but not positive.
rich

 

[oldschool]

Did you meter the area before leaving to determine if any bass were there? You need to keep your jig at the depth the bass are using. I have had very good bite using a Robo-X PK=B29F 4" Pitchin' Kraw, MMIII as a trailer on a 1/2 oz spider jig.
Tom

 

[Richard]

I was goin down a bank watchin the depth finder (garmin 240 ) not color went over a school of something. big wad on the graph.so i kept goin and turned around fished the area for a good hour with nothing.I'm not real good with the electronics yet but learned alot over the winter readin what you and jim post.Honestly i don't think i have ever seen a fish arch on the graph ever.but then i usually am the bank beater, just tryin to move out to deeper water,bigger fish.