The Big M 09/25/2014

[Quillback]

Returned to the Big M today. You'd think that on the 2nd day of fishing I would do better having located some fish on day 1. That was not the case. I'm blaming it on the flat water and blue bird skies. Caught 10 bass, mostly 12-13 inch spots, with 2 in the 14-15" range. All on jigs on steep banks. Didn't do much drop shot fishing as the fish just weren't in the spots they were yesterday.

Had one biggun that slack lined me and was almost underneath the boat before I could catch up, gave a couple of heavy head shakes and got off.

Heckuva nice day, but could have used some wind.

[merc1997 Bo]

quill i fished the dam area last night, and i did not figure them out there either. did not really see any fish to speak of on the electronics. fished a good variety and depths of water, but not too many bites. just had 3 keepers (one of each).

i did get a good test out in a crappie jig that i will be getting into production. i fished it on 4lb. and loaded a finesse worm on it. fished it through lots of cedars and did not hang up. caught 5 bass on it, all short, but they were all hooked right in the roof of the mouth. guess i need to go exploring for some crappie with them now.

bo

[Champ188]

Sounds like the deep fish are breaking up and scattering. Dang, I hate when that happens.

[huntest]

Champ

when can we start beating the bank with Wiggle Warts?

[tapout]

I caught more today in 2 to 5 feet than I did deep (caught 5 fish with two keeps in about two hours around jackson hollow). Caught three on a jig and two on a spook literally on the bank. Only one spook fish would of kept (17 inch lm), the others, all k's, were just shy. Nothing on drop shot or flutter spoon in the abyss. Doesn't mean they weren't there, just means I couldn't find em, and given my time constraints I was limited to just a couple of points and one bluff end, and I used the four rods I had on the deck, never bothered to retie or try anything else.

[Champ188]

Good job in limited time, tapout. I don't know about Warts, but they're biting a Bandit 200 series right now, huntest. Probably would bite the Wart, too. There's a well known pro fisherman from Cape Fair who I'm told throws a Wart with a lot of success on the rare summer days when the wind howls. So I don't think you have to wait for coldish water.

[Sprint21fter]

Champ, X's 2 on the wart. They will bite that darn thing all year.

[Champ188]

Good to know, Sprint. Figured as much. Sometimes baits are "seasonal" because we only throw them seasonably.

[Bill Babler]

There are quite a few fish still haunting the Blue Water. Last couple of days my size has been down, but numbers remain at extreme and almost embarrassing levels.

Starting to see quite a few LM in the groups. Funny, but they don't seem to be coming to the top much at all for me. They seem to be staying at that thermocline level with the bait and not pressuring it to the surface.

Good Luck

[Champ188]

I wonder sometimes if feeding patterns are changing (more deep-water feeders) or if we're just learning more about how to catch these open-water fish. Either way, a large percentage of fish are being caught suspended in very, very deep water. This seems to have increased in the past 2-3 years.

One thing is certain. Our moderator Mr. Bill knows more about catching these fish than just about anyone out there. What's more, he shares it freely. We'd all be wise to listen closely.