Everyone can’t wait to get back out and fish for bass but they forget to do one important thing…sharpen their hooks. More bass are missed each year due to dull hooks then any other reason.
Take a few minutes and sharpen your hooks, it will pay off over and over during the year.
Ok Here’s the deal..my friend and fishing partner Bill got a new boat. Guess who got it for him? His girlfriend Tonie! God, I love that girl. 
Nice Boat Bill!
My friend, Rick and Bruce fish the backwaters of Lake Erie this week. It was 37 degrees out and the water surface temp was only 49. They were fishing in water depths from 2 to 15 feet.
Now you might think the bass are shutting down because of this cold weather but just the opposite was true. They fished and caught…ready for this? 108 bass! The biggest was 3 pound 12 ounces.
For pictures and more information visit Rick’s site at:
http://fishtalkfishingreports.yuku.com/topic/9130/Lake-Erie-Backwater-10-23-11#.TqwO-HIR-uI
If they gave me a choice for any one lure to fish with, it would be a plastic worm. You can jig it, swim it, flip it, or just leave it sit.
Plastic worms have won more tournaments than all the other lures combined.
It takes time to learn to use a worm correctly but once you learn and catch big bass, you will have confidence in this lure. I have taught many new anglers to use a plastic worm. One man used it for the first time, caught 7 bass in a half hour and said he wasn’t going to a wedding he was supposed to go to….I told him he needed to go to it and he did. Said “he never caught so many bass in such a short time”.
If you’re reluctant to try a plastic worm, please try it, it may become your favorite lure you have.
Some good colors to try are Zoom: black, purple
Berkley Power Baits: blue fleck, black
I also like KVD’s in chartreuse/pearl
I had a friend fish at Dillion yesterday Saturday Sept. 10, 2011. I don’t know too much about it but he said big bass was only 3 pounds. Mostly small fish were caught. He caught 7 small ones, one keeper and his brother caught two. They came in 8th out of 19 boats. He also said he lost a monster, the big ones always get away, don’t they?
While most of the time I live my life to fish for Ohio bass, this year I have been 1 time the whole year. My health has seem to slow me down this year but I am looking forward next spring to bass fishing again here in Ohio.
I did get to meet with 4 of my fishing buddies a couple of months ago and that was great to talk about fishing. It made my day, week and month.
Been a little under the weather to do much in reports too.
I hope you all had a great year and caught a bunch.
This is a re-post of mine for a reader who just started bass fishing. I suggested he learn to fish worms and now he can know how each type can be used to catch bass.
We all know that plastic worms are one of the most productive lures there are, but did you know certain worms have special uses? I have a whole tackle box with nothing but plastic worms in it, hundreds of them!
Here is what I use a certain worm for:
Floating Worm…I use this worm in shallow water and mainly in the spring. I use no weight whatsoever and like to use it when the fish just start thinking about spawning.
Stick Worm…..I use this worm in 60-70 degree water. If you use it whacky style it will vibrate on both ends.
Paddle Tail…..This is one of my favorite shallow water lures. When I fish vegetation I use long casts and just reel it back in slowly.
Gator Tail…This is also a shallow water worm that I use in the summer. It’s also great on streams and rivers.
Curly Tail….I use this worm in the summer around stumps, docks, timber, lily pads and it’s one of my favorite when I fish deep water to 20 feet.
Straight Tail…This is one of my favorites for docks, timber and brush. I have found it doesn’t wrap around brush like most worms do.
French Fry….I always Carolina rig a French fry and use it in clearer water. The action of this is amazing when you move your line and the weight comes up the line.
Ribbon Tail…I read about 30 years ago of people fishing with a 10 inch ribbon tail at night. I’m here to tell you this works, I have caught some nice bass on a big ribbon tail. I use a regular ribbon tail when fishing 10-15 feet of water too.
If you like to worm fish now, try some of the types of worms above for specific conditions. I think you’ll like the results.
When I was young, a way long time ago, there was this old man who fished Buckeye Lake in Ohio and caught more bass than anyone I knew at the time. He was fishing boat docks. His lures were all beat up, most of them missing paint and some were even bare wood from hitting them on the docks so many times.
Boat docks produce shade and bass feel secure in low light areas. Docks also provide a place for bass to ambush their prey. Sometimes when you see rod holders and lights at a dock there’s a chance there’s some kind of structure there too. Maybe, a brush pile or rocks that the owner has created. Use your trolling motor to get close to the dock or just drift up to it and flip or pitch your lure. Some good lures for fishing docks are a jig, worm, crankbait and spinnerbait. Of course, you want to throw as far back under the dock as you can but make sure on the retrieve that the lure bumps the dock’s post as it goes by them. The erratic behavior of the lure will sometimes produce a strike. If you’re using a crankbait, you can bend the eye and make it run under the dock. While the lure doesn’t run true it does get farther under the dock where the fish are. Docks are one of my most favorite places to fish and apparently the bass like them too.
I have been under the weather lately for about 3 weeks due to health reasons. Yesterday I had 3 good friends come visit me here in Ohio and it was the best day I have had since my last heart attack.
Rick, Jim and Bill all came here and we had a great time talking about bass fishing in Ohio. Rick is from the Northern part of Ohio and Jim and Bill is from the Southern Half of the Ohio.
We talked about the different bass lures being fished, some Ohio lakes and more. I had a great time, I hope they did.
Funny how friends can make you feel better. Thanks guys!
I have been under the weather lately from a recent heart attack a little over a week ago and then with my dialysis and all, you get down sometimes.
I went to a good friend’s of mine bass fishing board and found this, it brought a tear to my eye that they cared enough to post this but made me feel better overall.
What a great bunch of guys!
http://fishtalkfishingreports.yuku.com/topic/8715/Get-Well-Charles-White-Ike#.ThJxAWH-uSo