What happend to going from spring to summer ?

We are going backward ? The weather in GA has been really jacked up this spring.The lows this morning was in the 40's and only warmed up to the low 60's today..It has been super windy and cool for the past week with low cloud cover but no rain ? In fact it has been super dry and the rivers are very low and clear.To be so cool you would think there would be more moisture but it is almost draught conditions at my house.My grass is dying and has not needed to be cut in two weeks.

After all the mothers day activities and the big birthday party weekend before last I was all geared up to go catch some big spring shoal bass before the spring time spawn was over but it just did not happen..We went but the conditions were less than favorable.The water was low and super clear and a cold front moved in the day before that just screwed the fish up big time. We caught a few fish but mostly juvenile males in the 1 to 2 lb range..There were several times that I could see big mommas in that were easy 4 or 5 lbers swim by but they were not interested in any bait that I had to offer.

Shoal bass like all other black bass species are at their prime in the spring when the females fatten themselves up for the spawn..This is the time of year when you have the best chance at catching a record shoal bass..I think that I may have missed my chance at the record this spring.The fish that we did catch last weekend were either small males or spawned out females that were very skinny so that tells me that the spawn has already taken place or is in progress and about to end.I also noticed some big fish sitting on top of the rocks in open water acting like they were totally uninterested in any feeding activity.This tells me they are in that post spawn funk.

I may have missed my chance at that big fat spring time momma shoalie that I have been looking for but I did catch some really nice ones so no disappointment here..There is always the fall and next spring.
They will be back in that heavy feeding mode when the water starts to cool down in the fall getting fat for winter.Who knows...Might even hook up with a big one over the summer months.

I will be back at it soon..May even take a break and go after some small mouth up in the Carolina's soon.
Stay safe out there folks.
See you on the river.
WJ

I am going to loose my mind !!!

I cant go fishing this weekend !! Mothers day on Sunday and the grand baby has a birthday party on Saturday and I am the hot dog cook....Of course I would not miss either event for the world but it just dawned on me that I have been lucky enough to fish just about every weekend at least once since the first of the year...Cant complain about missing one weekend can ya ? I have truly been blessed to be able to get out and fish and have a family that understands my addiction..So where is that world record shoal bass you might ask ?
Still in the river I guess but I can assure you it not because I have not been trying to catch it.

So no report this week but maybe the big girl shows up next weekend .I will dam sure be out there.
This weekend the focus is on the the grand baby and the mothers..I hope every one has a great weekend and a great time with your families.

Take care and be safe.
WJ

Fishing Tornado alley 05/01

The shoal bass fishing has fell off a bit for the past couple of weeks.For me it has anyway..My buddy Bruiser has been on a streak the past couple of weekends catching several nice one including two over 5 pounds.The shoalies seem to be in that mode where they are about to spawn or have spawned out and they are in the pockets and deep holes right in the roughest part of the shoals that are tough to get to and fish.Its not like fishing a lake or even a river its like fishing in a small pool or a barrel even.
You have to be able to sneak up on these pools and drop a lure in there without spooking the fish.
Bruiser has been doing pretty well at it.I have been catching a lot of fish but mostly smaller ones.

Anyway here is my short report of my trip on 5/1 which also include a couple of pics from the tornado damage in Georgia from last week..

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Trip report 05/01

While Bruiser was down stream breaking paddles and reeling in 5 plus lb shaol bass I was up stream messing around with the worn out spawned out largemouths that were hanging around the banks in the shallow water and trees..I managed to catch this girl that looked like she had been though the ringer..Her fins and tail were ragged and red and she was very skinny..She may have been a 6 lber prespawn but
she only tipped the scales at 4-11.Caught on a green pumpkin zoom finesse worm thrown right into a tree.

I only managed to catch a few small shoalies and spots up in the shoals for the rest of day on worms and finesse jigs..After around 1:00pm when the sun was up high the bite turned off.
After we left the river we went buy to take a look at a spot where a tornado must have crossed the road.
It was absolutley amazing to see what a tornado does to a tree..I feel for the people that took direct hits from these storms and pray for those who died or were injured or lost loved ones.

Behind these trees is a house that looked like it only had roof damaged but we could not see it to well..Looked like the storm went through the front yard.

Fish on my riverbassin friends.

See you on the river.

WJ