Midwest Finesse Fishing: June 2023

June 1

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his June 1 outing with Bill Kenney of Denton.

Here is an edited version of his log.

Bill and I fished at Lake Barkley, Kentucky, from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

It was the first time either of us had visited this reservoir. 

We launched our boat at Green Turtle Bay Marina on the northwest end of the reservoir at 6:17 a.m., and the first thing we noticed as we started to fish was that a major mayfly hatch was in progress. We saw countless numbers of them congregating in the trees along the shorelines, and there seemed to be thousands and thousands of dead mayfly carcasses littering the water’s surface everywhere we fished. We spent a few minutes watching pods of bluegills feasting on many of them that fell into the water, and we tried unsuccessfully to catch a few of the bluegills just for fun. But as the day progressed, the dead mayfly carcasses became more of an annoyance as they stuck like glue to our lines and lures during our retrieves. Consequently, we wasted a good bit of time cleaning them off our lines and lures instead of fishing.      

On June 1, it was sunny. The Weather Underground reported that the morning’s low temperature was 67 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 91 degrees. The sky was partly cloudy. The wind varied from being light and variable to calm. The barometric pressure was 30.02 at 6:00 a.m. and 29:99 at 1:00 p.m.

The water level looked to be at its normal summer pool. The surface temperature ranged from 75 to 78 degrees. The water was dingy and exhibited about two feet of visibility. 

 We fished an array of locales beginning with the riprap jetty at the mouth of Green Turtle Bay Marina to a rocky shoreline just east of Buzzard Rock Marina, which is situated about halfway down the reservoir. 

The black-bass bite was tough. We fished for seven hours and could barely eke out nine smallmouth bass and three largemouth bass. We also encountered one flathead catfish and one white bass by accident.

We caught the first largemouth bass and one white bass along the riprap jetty in less than five feet of water. The white bass was caught on a swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on a black 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. The largemouth bass was allured by a swimming retrieve with a three-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed to a 3/16-ounce pearl Z-Man’s Finesse Eye jig. 

We caught the second largemouth bass from a short section of shoreline that is covered with riprap and situated inside a small cove just south of the marina. This largemouth bass was caught in less than three feet of water close to the riprap on a swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig. 

From a series of seven main-lake points that lie close to the main river channel along the west shoreline and south of the Lake Barkley-Kentucky Lake canal, we struggled to catch six smallmouth bass and the third largemouth bass. These main-lake points are flat with submerged terrains that consist of clay, pea gravel, and a few scattered boulders and laydowns. These black bass were abiding near the ends of the points in three to seven feet of water. These seven black bass were caught on either the three-inch pearl Slim SwimZ and a swimming retrieve, the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ and a swim-and-pause retrieve, and a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin-orange Baby Goat matched with a black 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig.  

As we were fishing one of these nine main-lake points, we took a moment and talked with two bass anglers in a nearby boat. They reported that they were having a lousy day of fishing too, and had caught only two bass. And as we were talking, we all noticed that the boat traffic had increased significantly as well.  

We caught two smallmouth bass from a major rock-bluff shoreline situated on the west shoreline and about 1 1/2 miles south of Buzzard Rock Marina. One smallmouth bass was caught in less than three feet of water next to a large boulder at the base of the bluff. It engulfed the three-inch pearl Slim SwimZ combo on the initial fall. The second smallmouth bass was caught from the side of a large boulder in seven feet of water. It was caught on a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation with a Z-Man’s white-lightning Finesse TRD fastened on a black 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. 

Our ninth smallmouth bass, and the flathead catfish, were extracted from five to seven feet of water around several large boulders that adorn a small main-lake island. This small island lies about 100 yards from the west main-lake shoreline and about three-quarters of a mile south of Buzzard Rock Marina. Both of these fish were the last ones we caught during this outing. They were allured by slowly dragging and pausing a Z-Man’s molting-craw TRD CrawZ affixed on a blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. 

We failed to catch a smallmouth bass or a largemouth bass from inside two small bays, which lie along the west side of the reservoir and south of the canal, another rock-bluff shoreline just south of Buzzard Rock Marina, the riprap jetty and a submerged bridge at the entrance to Buzzard Rock Marina, and a short section of rocky main-lake shoreline just east of the marina.

And to top off a tough day of fishing, as we were traveling back to the boat ramp, we were suddenly overtaken from behind by two racing speed boats. One passed within 10 yards off the port side of our boat, and the other one passed us simultaneously off our starboard side and within 10 yards of our boat, which left both me and Bill a bit rattled. 

June 2

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his June 2 outing with Bill Kenney of Denton.

Here is an edited version of his log.

After our lackluster and Mayfly-infested outing at Lake Barkley on June 1, Bill and I decided to bypass Lake Barkley for the remainder of our trip and concentrate our efforts solely on exploring Kentucky Lake. 

The Weather Underground reported that the morning’s low temperature on June 2 was 68 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 91 degrees. It was sunny, and the sky was partly cloudy. And while we were afloat, the wind was calm. The barometric pressure was 29.99 at 6:00 a.m. and 29:97 at 8:00 p.m.

The water level looked to be at its normal summer pool. The surface temperature was 78 degrees. The water exhibited about four feet of visibility. 

 The best fishing, according to In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar, would occur from 2:39 a.m. to 4:39 a.m., 8:52 a.m. to 10:52 a.m., and 9:19 p.m. to 11:19 p.m.

 We fished from around 6:10 a.m. to about 8:40 a.m. The outing started off on a good note, but it ended earlier than expected on a sour one.

Here’s how this outing unfolded:

We opted to fish areas south of Bear Creek, and we launched the boat at the Fenton Campground boat ramp on the southeast side of the State Highway 68 bridge. 

As soon as we launched the boat, we deployed the trolling motor and fished the rock-covered jetty adjacent to the boat ramp’s courtesy dock, and we caught one largemouth bass in three feet of water from the end of the jetty on a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rigged with a 3/16-ounce Z-Man’s pearl Finesse-Eye jig extending out the side of the bait instead of its flat bottom or top sides. 

Just to the south of the jetty is a small cove. The cove is fairly shallow and graced with patches of American water willows, flooded buck brush, and several cypress trees. We failed to garner any strikes around the patches of American water willows and the submerged cypress tree knees. We caught two largemouth bass in three feet of water from the outside edges of two thick clusters of flooded buck brush. Both of these largemouth bass were tempted by a steady-swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on a black 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. 

From the cove, we moved to the concrete-and-rock causeway on the east side of the Hwy. 68 bridge. The south side of the causeway yielded one largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass. They were caught about 10 to 15 feet from the water’s edge in three to five feet of water. The smallmouth bass was caught on the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig, and the largemouth bass was caught on the pearl Baby Goat rig.  Both of these rigs were implemented with a steady-swimming retrieve. We failed to elicit any strikes from the end and north side of the causeway.

The 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s purple-haze Finesse WormZ  rig is at the bottom of this photograph.

 We caught the largemouth bass on a variety of presentations. One was caught accidentally on a vertical presentation. A few were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. Several were caught as we employed a deadstick presentation. The others were caught as we worked with a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-and-shake presentation or a drag-and-pause presentation. A few were caught as we were strolling. Many strikes were difficult to detect, which made it seem as if the largemouth bass were catching us rather than the other way around. 

The largemouth bass were caught from about six feet to about 30 feet from the water’s edge. We also fished around 52 docks, and eight of those docks yielded a largemouth bass. 

 We fished along the dam at the beginning of this outing and during the final 13 minutes of this outing. We caught 21 largemouth bass during our first endeavor, which consumed 39 minutes of this four-hour outing, and six largemouth bass were caught the second time we fished it. The dam is 1,550 feet long with a height of 58 feet. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are adorned with patches of coontail and bushy pondweeds. It possesses a 50- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edge is graced with a concrete water-outlet tower, patches of terrestrial grasses, and patches of American water willows. Our Finesse ShadZ rigs caught seven largemouth bass, and our Finesse WormZ rigs caught 20 largemouth bass. 

 Along a short segment of a shoreline immediately adjacent to the dam, we caught two largemouth bass in about 10 feet of water near the outside edge of a dock. One was caught on a drag-and-pause presentation with the Finesse WormZ rig; the other one was caught on a vertical presentation with the Finesse WormZ rig as we were attempting to get an accurate calculation of the depth of the water. 

 In the lower half of the reservoir and around a main-lake point that is adorned with a massive offshore series of piles of rocks and boulders, we caught four largemouth bass in about five feet of water and 30 feet from the water’s edge. One was caught on the Finesse WormZ rig, and three were caught on the Finesse ShadZ rig.

 Around another main-lake point in the lower half of the reservoir, we caught three largemouth bass. This point possesses a 30-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water’s edge is endowed with a concrete retaining wall, one dock, and several minor patches of American water willows, which are intertwined with some coontail, filamentous algae, and duckweeds. The Finesse WormZ rig caught two of the largemouth bass, and the Finesse ShadZ rig the third one. These largemouth bass were caught around the patches of American water willows.

 Along about a 400-yard stretch of a shoreline that is situated in the middle portion of the reservoir, we caught 12 largemouth bass. This area possesses a 35- to 55-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are embellished with some patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, and curly-leaf pondweeds. The water’s edge is girdled by many concrete and stone retaining walls, a few overhanging trees, some patches of American water willows, several extensive patches of duckweeds, and 22 docks. Our Finesse WormZ rigs caught two of the 12 largemouth bass, and our Finesse ShadZ rigs caught 10.  

 Around four main-lake points and along about a 350-yard stretch of three shorelines in the upper half of the reservoir, we caught five largemouth bass. The underwater terrains consist of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are adorned with some patches of bushy pondweeds, filamentous algae, and coontail. These areas possess a 25- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edge consists of several concrete retaining walls, 11 docks, one small rock bridge, a few laydowns, several piles of brush, some patches of American water willows, several overhanging trees, and many flotillas of duckweeds that are intertwined with wads of filamentous algae. One largemouth bass was caught on the Finesse ShadZ rig, and four were caught on our Finesse WormZ rigs. 

 In the middle portion of the reservoir, one largemouth bass was caught on a large offshore hump that is adorned with piles of rocks, boulders, and patches of coontail. It was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rig around a patch of coontail, and this was largemouth bass was a lunker.

Around a dock immediately adjacent to this hump, we caught a largemouth bass on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rig. That was largemouth number 49, and as described above, we spent the final 13 minutes of this outing along the dam, where we caught largemouth bass numbers 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55.

 June 9 

Pat and Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log about their outing at an 81-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas on June 9

 Here is an edited version of their log.

 The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 63 degrees. It was 81 degrees at 1:53 p.m. The wind angled out of the east and southeast at 5 to 10 mph; there was a 17-mph gust of wind around 1:53 a.m. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 29.89 at 12:53 a.m., 29.91 at 5:53 a.m., 29.93 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.92 at 1:53 p.m.

 The water level looked to be a few inches above normal. The surface temperature ranged from 80 to 83 degrees. According to our dipstick and other measuring tools, the water exhibited around six feet of visibility in the lower half of this reservoir; it diminished to about 2 ½ feet of clarity in the upper half. 

 In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 4:08 a.m. to 6:08 a.m., 4:34 p.m. to 6:34 p.m., and 10:21 a.m. to 12:21 p.m. 

 We made our first casts at 10:05 a.m. and the last ones at 1:05 p.m. And it was a struggle to catch three smallmouth bass, 15 largemouth bass, one walleye, and one channel catfish. 

 A slightly shortened Z-Man’s sprayed-grass TRD TicklerZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught one largemouth bass. A Z-Man’s coppertreuse TRD TicklerZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro FinesseShroomZ jig caught one largemouth bass. A slightly shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig caught two largemouth bass. A Z-Man’s Drew’s craw Finesse TRD affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught one smallmouth bass and three largemouth bass. A Z-Man’s green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught two smallmouth bass and eight largemouth bass.

 Inside a small feeder-creek arm, we caught one smallmouth bass and five largemouth bass. This feeder creek is located in the middle section of the reservoir. The shorelines inside this feeder-creek are cluttered with 14 large docks and two concrete boat ramps. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks, and some of this terrain is quilted with patches of aquatic vegetation that consists of coontail, curly-leaf pondweeds, bushy pondweeds, and wads of filamentous algae. Segments of coontail are entwined with wads of filamentous algae, and they are floating upon the surface; a few of these wads are quite extensive. The smallmouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rigs. The largemouth bass were caught as we were employing a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation around the patches of aquatic vegetation with our FinesseWormZ, Finesse ShadZ, and sprayed-grass TRD TicklerZ rigs. These black bass were caught many yards from the water’s edge. 

 Around a main-lake point at the mouth of this small feeder-creek, we caught one largemouth bass. This point possesses a 45-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rock, and boulders, which are slightly adorned with patches of coontail, bushy pondweeds, and some wads of filamentous algae. The water’s edge is lined with American water willows and wads of filamentous algae. The largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rig around a patch of coontail and bushy pondweeds.

 We fished around four points and along two portions of this shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir. And we estimated that each segment was 150 yards long. This area has a slope that ranges from 25 to 75 degrees. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are humongous. The water’s edge is laden with scores of laydowns, almost a countless number of partially submerged tree limbs, some patches of American water willows, and uncountable numbers of overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation. Some of the shallow-water locales are embellished with patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. 

On these points and shoreline, it was a chore to catch one walleye, one smallmouth bass, and six largemouth bass. And the bulk of the fish were caught in the shade or near the shade created by the overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation, and they were caught on either the initial drop of our rigs or a short deadstick presentation. One was caught on the coppertreuse TRD TicklerZ rig. Two were caught on the Finesse ShadZ rig. The others were caught on the Drew’s craw Finesse TRD rig.

 Along a steep shoreline adjacent to the dam, we accidentally caught a hefty channel catfish on the initial drop of the Drew’s craw Finesse TRD. It was the only strike that we elicited along about a 50-yard stretch of this shoreline, which is adorned with  piles of rocks and boulders, many overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation, and one patch of American water willows.

 We quickly fished along about a 350-yard stretch of the dam, which looks to be about 600 yards long. The dam possesses a 45- to 55-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of boulders, rocks, and gravel, and bits of it are endowed with some meager patches of submerged aquatic vegetation, including some wads of filamentous algae. The water’s edge is endowed with only about 20 scanty patches of American water willows, which have been adversely affected by the spraying of Roundup and other kinds of herbicides. We caught one smallmouth bass and two largemouth bass by strolling with a drag-and-shake presentation with the Finesse ShadZ rig in seven to 10 feet of water and 20 feet from the water’s edge.

 Around a main-lake point that is adjacent to the dam, we caught one largemouth bass. This point possesses a 45-degrees slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are quilted with some patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, and filamentous algae. A massive concrete water tower dominates a portion of this point. Its water’s edge is graced with some patches of American water willows. The largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rig in the vicinity of the outside edge of a patch of submerged aquatic vegetation. 

 It is interesting to note that we failed to accidentally catch a bluegill and a green sunfish, and we elicited very few strikes that felt as if they were rendered by a bluegill or green sunfish. During the last 13 days of May, we were besieged by the green sunfish. In fact, we accidentally caught 91 green sunfish on our Midwest finesse rigs on May 18. 

 In short, we were baffled by what transpired and what didn’t transpire during these three midday hours.  

 June 12

 Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his June 12 outing with Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence at one of northeastern Kansas’ community reservoirs. 

 Here is an edited version of his log.

 The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 54 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 76 degrees. The wind fluctuated from being calm to angling out of the west, north, northwest, and east at 3 to 6 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 29.98 at 12:53 a.m., 30.02 at 5:53 a.m., 30.01 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.98 at 1:53 p.m.

 The water level looked to be about eight inches above its normal level. The surface temperature was 78 degrees. The water exhibited about five feet of visibility along the dam and 1 1/2 to four feet of visibility in the upper half of the reservoir. Eurasian milfoil is exhibiting a resurrection at this reservoir, which is making it a more fruitful waterway for Midwest finesseanglers to fish. And Midwest anglers are hoping that the reservoir’s managers will maintain and cultivate it by employing an aquatic weed harvester rather than aquatic herbicides that they have used in the past, which adversely affected the fishing and contaminated the water quality and provoked algae blooms. (We encourage the reservoir’s managers to examine how the folks at https://aquarius-systems.com deal with aquatic vegetation and the insights provided by Fred Pearce in his book entitled “The New Wild: Why Invasive Species Will Be Nature’s Salvation”.)

 In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 6:37 a.m. to 8:37 a.m., 6:59 p.m. to 8:59 p.m., and 12:25 a.m. to 2:25 a.m. 

 We made our first casts at 10:09 a.m. and the last ones at 2:10 p.m. And we caught 47 largemouth bass and 11 smallmouth bass, and we accidentally caught three bluegill, one freshwater drum, and one channel catfish. 

 One largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead.We caught five largemouth bass on a Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse TRD affixed to a baby-blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. A Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught four smallmouth bass and 11 largemouth bass. And a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to either a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead or a chartreuse 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught five smallmouth bass and 32 largemouth bass.

 The bulk of the 58 black bass were caught as we employed a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. A few were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. Some were caught as we used a drag-and-shake presentation. Several were caught as we were strolling and employing a drag-and-shake presentation. One was caught on a swimming presentation and a pause at the side of the boat. Some were caught on a short deadstick presentation. 

 Around a main-lake point and short portions of its adjacent shorelines in the upper half of this reservoir, we caught six largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of this point and its shorelines consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are monsters. The slope of this area ranges from 40 to 60 degrees. The water’s edge is endowed with magnificent patches of American water willows and one large laydown. Three largemouth bass were caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig; two were caught on the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig; one was caught on the green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ. They were caught from about two feet to about eight feet from the outside edges of the patches of American water willows.

 Our TRD TicklerZ rigs caught six largemouth bass along a 70-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline and around a main-lake point in the upper half of the reservoir. The shoreline has a 25- to 50-degree slope. The point has a 25-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are graced with a few minor patches of milfoil, several submerged stumps, and three PVC pipes. The water’s edge is endowed with one dock, two overhanging trees, and some significant patches of American water willows. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop adjacent to an overhanging tree; the others were caught from five to 10 feet from the water's edge with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. 

 We caught one smallmouth bass and four largemouth bass on our TRD TicklerZ rigs along a flat shoreline and around a flat secondary point inside a small feeder creek in the upper half of the reservoir. This area possesses a 25-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and a few stumps. The water’s edge is embellished with patches of American water willows and a few meager laydowns. One largemouth was caught on the initial drop along the outside edge of a patch of American water willows. The others were caught with a drag-and-shake presentation five to 10 feet from the outside edges of the patches of American water willows.  

 Along three shorelines and around one secondary point inside a small feeder-creek arm, we caught one smallmouth bass and nine largemouth bass. The underwater terrains consist of gravel, rocks, and a few boulders. Some of this terrain is quilted with milfoil. This area has a 25- to 35-degree slope. The water’s edge is lined with wonderful patches of American water willows, several overhanging trees, various kinds of overhanging terrestrial vegetation, four laydowns, and two docks. The smallmouth bass was caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig. Three of the nine largemouth bass were caught on the Junebug FinesseTRD rig. And six of the largemouth bass were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rigs. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the TRD TicklerZ rig under an overhanging tree. The smallmouth bass and the other largemouth bass were caught as we employed a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in four to seven feet of water and five to 12 feet from the outside edge of the patches of American water willows. Two were caught around a patch of milfoil in about six feet of water and in front of a patch of American water willows.

 We caught four smallmouth bass and nine largemouth bass along portions of three submerged rock-and-boulder fences. These rock-and-boulder fences are covered with three to eight feet of water, and some spots are bordered by water as deep as 28 feet. One of the largemouth bass was caught on a Junebug TRD TicklerZ. Eight largemouth bass and four smallmouth bass were caught on our Junebug Finesse ShadZ rigs. Two were caught on a deadstick presentation. The others were caught on either a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-and-shake presentation. They were caught in about four to about nine feet of water.

 We fished the entire shoreline of the dam, which yielded two smallmouth bass and three largemouth bass. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are occasionally graced with some patches of milfoil. It possesses a 50- to 55-degree slope. The water’s edge is embellished with patches of American water willows. The black bass were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rigs. One of the largemouth bass was caught while strolling along the edge of a patch of milfoil and employing a drag-and-shake presentation in about six feet of water. One smallmouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the TRD TicklerZ rig in three to four feet of water. One was caught on a short deadstick presentation in about six feet of water. Two were caught on a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation in four to about six feet of water. 

 In the lower half of the reservoir, we caught one smallmouth bass and five largemouth bass around a main-lake point and short portions of its shorelines. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are endowed with a few patches of milfoil. It possesses a 35- to 45-degree slope. The water’s edges are girdled with wonderful patches of American water willows, a few overhanging trees, and several weather-worn laydowns. Three of the largemouth bass were caught on the initial drop of our TRD TicklerZ rigs near the outside edges of the patches of American water willows. The smallmouth bass and two of the largemouth bass were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation with our TRD TicklerZ rigs in five to six feet of water. 

 In the middle section of the reservoir, we fished around two main-lake points and short segments of the adjacent shorelines of these points. One point yielded a largemouth bass. The other point yielded two smallmouth bass and four largemouth bass. The underwater terrains consist of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are quite large, and there are some manmade piles of brush and meager patches of milfoil enhancing small sections of the underwater terrains. A submerged creek channel butts up against one of the main-lake points. The water’s edge is bespangled with American water willows, a few minor laydowns, several overhanging trees, and some overhanging terrestrial vegetation. Two of the largemouth bass were caught on the Junebug Finesse TRD rig. The two smallmouth bass and three largemouth bass were caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig. Two were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. One was caught on a short deadstick presentation in about six feet of water. The others were caught on a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation in four to about seven feet of water. 

 In the lower half of the reservoir, we failed to elicit a strike along two main-lake shorelines, around three main-lake points, across a shallow offshore hump that is graced with an array of boulders, and around two concrete pillars. We also spent about 15 minutes searching for some temperate bass that we failed to find. 

 Overall, we caught an average of 14.5 black bass an hour.

 June 13

 Pat and Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a brief log on the Finesse News Network about their outing on June 13 at a 63-year-old state reservoir. 

 Here is an edited version of their log. 

 The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 52 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 77 degrees. The wind fluctuated from being calm to angling from the southwest and west at 3 to 7 mph. The sky was fair, but it surprisingly drizzled on us for about 15 minutes, and then it immediately became crystal clear again. The barometric pressure was 29.94 at 12:53 a.m., 29.92 at 5:53 a.m., 29.91 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.87 at 1:53 p.m.

 This reservoir’s watershed was inundated on May 30 and 31, and its water level was still about two feet above its normal level. The surface temperature was 78 degrees. The water exhibited about 4 ½ of visibility around the dam, and it diminished to about 18 inches in the back of two feeder-creek arms. Most of the shallow-water flats and shorelines are endowed with vast and thick patches of bushy pondweeds. Scores of patches of American pondweeds are quilting many of the shorelines. 

 In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 12:33 a.m. to 2:33 a.m., 12:58 p.m. to 2:58 p.m., and 6:48 a.m. to 8:46 a.m.  

 We were afloat from noon to 2:15 p.m., but we fished only for about one hour and 30 minutes. 

 We were hoping to spend the entire outing examining and fishing many acres of this reservoir’s shallow-water flats, which are adorned with patches of American pondweeds, bushy pondweeds, coontail, sago pondweeds, and piles of eastern red cedar trees. During past summers, falls, and winters, we have caught scores and scores of largemouth bass on these shallow-water flats. But on this outing, we failed to elicit a strike on the portions of the three shallow-water flats that we examined and fished. 

 It was a puzzling endeavor, which we talked about as we took a break from fishing and ate a tiny lunch.

 Ultimately, we spent about one-hour fishing along the riprap shoreline of the dam, where we caught 18 largemouth bass and accidentally caught 11 green sunfish. And we enjoyed the entertaining sight of watching a hefty channel catfish trying to engulf one of the green sunfish that we caught. 

 The dam looks to be about 600 yards long. It possesses a 60-to-70-degree slope. Some of the riprap consists of humongous boulders. The water’s edge is endowed with three piles of logs and brush, three small patches of American water willows, and some shallow-water patches of bushy pondweeds. 

 One of the largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. We caught seven largemouth bass on a 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s PB&J Finesse WormZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. A Z-Man’s meat-dog Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught 10 of the 18 largemouth bass.

The meat-dog Finesse ShadZ rig is at the top of this photograph.

 

Five of the 18 largemouth bass were caught on the initial drop of our rigs in about four to five feet of water. The others were caught while we employed either a drag-and-pause presentation or a drag-shake-and-pause presentation in about six to 10 feet of water. They were caught as close as four to five feet from the water’s edge to as far as 15 to 20 feet from the water’s edge. 

 It is unlikely that we will return to this reservoir until the middle of July or early August.

 June 15

 Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a brief log on the Finesse News Network about his outing on June 15 at an 83-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas. 

 Here is an edited version of his log. 

 The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 55 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 87 degrees. The wind was calm for 10 hours, and when it stirred, it angled from the northwest, west, southeast, and northeast at 3 to 7 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 29.75 at 12:52 a.m., 29.77 at 5:52 a.m., 29.81 at 11:52 a.m., and 29.78 at 2:52 p.m.

 The water level looked to be slightly above its normal level. The surface temperature ranged from 82 to 84 degrees. The water exhibited 3 ½ to four of visibility around the dam. During the past 12 months or so, this reservoir has experienced a resurrection of its patches of submerged aquatic vegetation, which was preceded by more than a decade of aquatic herbicide applications. One of the resurrections revolves around patches of curly-leaf pondweeds, and when the water temperature climbs into the mid-70s in June, those patches wilt and die, and as those patches wilt and die, the largemouth bass fishing can often become problematic, and it was on this June 15 outing.

 In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 8:36 a.m. to 10:36 a.m., 9:01 p.m. to 11:01 p.m., and 2:24 a.m. to 4:24 a.m.  

 I fished rather half-heartedly from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.  

 Upon launching the boat, I immediately crossed paths with two of the reservoir’s maintenance staff who were surveying the shallow-water shorelines and flats, searching for patches of Eurasian milfoil. They had received complaints about it from some anglers and other folks who loath aquatic vegetation. One of the employees said he was hoping that they could spray the Eurasian milfoil with an aquatic herbicide. I told them that spraying an aquatic herbicide was a dreadful method. Moreover, I told them that the Eurasian milfoil, which has graced this reservoir since 2009 and 2010, has been a godsend for this reservoir and its largemouth bass population. And every time that the maintenance staff has sprayed the Eurasian milfoil during the past 13 years, it has adversely affected the largemouth bass fishing and the water quality. I suggested that they should maintain it by cutting it the way the folks at https://aquarius-systems.com deal with aquatic vegetation. But from the perspectives of these two members of the reservoir’s maintenance staff, cutting isn’t as easy and effective as spraying.

 I was disheartened by this conversation, and it adversely affected the way I fished. Thus, it was a struggle to catch 16 largemouth bass and accidentally catch 11 green sunfish, two crappie, two channel catfish, one bluegill, and one flathead. One of the largemouth bass, one of the channel catfish, and the flathead catfish were quite hefty specimens. And catching the two catfish consumed many minutes of this three-hour outing.

 Two of the largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. A 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught two largemouth bass. A Z-Man’s morningwood Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught six largemouth bass, and the three catfish also exhibited a hankering for it, but I am chagrined to note that the morningwood Finesse ShadZ is no longer manufactured. Six largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s meat-dog Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead.  

 The morningwood Finesse ShadZ rig.  

 One of the 16 largemouth bass was caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig along a short section of a secondary shoreline near the boat ramp. It was caught shortly after my conversation with the two maintenance employees, and I caught this largemouth bass by employing a drag-shake-and-pause presentation in about seven feet of water and 12 feet from the water’s edge, which is adorned with patches of American water willows. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks, which are embellished with a few strands of Eurasian milfoil.

 Fifteen largemouth bass and other fish were caught along the shoreline of the dam and a short segment of a main-lake shoreline that is immediately adjacent to the dam. The underwater terrains of these shorelines consist of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are occasionally adorned with a few meager patches of Eurasian milfoil. Their slopes ranged from 45 to about 60 degrees. The water’s edges are endowed with patches of American water willows, a small patch of bulrushes, a few laydowns and piles of brush, and one overhanging tree. 

 Five of the 15 largemouth bass were caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rigs in about three to four feet of water. The other 10 largemouth bass were caught as I employed either a drag-and-shake presentation or a drag-shake-and-pause, and occasionally the pause was a five-second deadstick presentation. Three of the 10 were caught as I was strolling with a drag-and-shake presentation. These 10 were caught in about six to 12 feet of water and as far as about 15 feet from the water’s edge. 

 Overall, it was a discouraging outing. And now I am hoping that this reservoir’s managers will learn to maintain the submerged aquatic vegetation manually rather than using herbicides.  

 June 16

 Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his June 16 outing with Rick Allen of Dallas. 

Here is an edited version of his log.

Since my trolling motor became inoperable on June 2 during an eight-day fishing outing at Kentucky Lake, Kentucky, with Bill Kenney of Denton, I have not fished but once, and that was a crappie excursion on June 12. During that outing, I joined two gentlemen from my church who are avid crappie anglers. It was a delightful outing; we caught 23 crappie, two channel catfish, a couple of freshwater drum, and a large rock bass from submerged brush piles. It also got me interested in crappie fishing, which I have never done intentionally before. 

 On June 16, I joined Rick Allen for a 4 1/2-hour outing at the same U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoir that I crappie fished on June 12. Rick and I were hoping to catch a mixed bag of largemouth bass, spotted bass, and perhaps a few crappie. We fished from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

 The sky conditions changed from partly cloudy to overcast to partly cloudy again. There was no rain mentioned in the weather forecast, but we could see several scattered rain showers just to the east of us while the sky was overcast.  The morning’s low temperature was 72 degrees, and the afternoon became hot and humid with a high of 94 degrees and a heat index of 101 degrees. The wind quartered out of the southeast, east, and northeast at 5 to 10 mph, and at times, it was calm. The barometric pressure measured 29.71 at 7:00 a.m., and it rose slightly to 29.77 by noon. 

 According to In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar, the fishing would be good with the most productive periods occurring from 3:21 a.m. to 5:21 a.m., 9:34 a.m. to 11:34 a.m., and 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

 The water level was at its normal summer pool. The surface temperature was 81 degrees. The water exhibited 24 inches of visibility. 

 We targeted portions of two prominent feeder-creek arms that are located in the reservoir’s lower end. We also fished around the center section of the riprap-covered dam, which forms the southern boundary of the reservoir. 

 After launching the boat, we headed to the back of one of the two feeder-creek arms. This creek arm features several secondary points, four floating tire reefs, five clay-and-gravel flats, two concrete boat ramps, and the remnants of an old stock pond dam. These areas are bedecked with flooded bushes, overhanging trees, countless rocks and boulders, a few flourishing patches of Eurasian milfoil, and a couple of submerged rock ledges. 

 The black-bass bite was slow in this creek arm. After scores and scores of unproductive casts and retrieves in the open pockets and narrow lanes around the patches of milfoil, flooded bushes, submerged rocks and boulders, four clay-and gravel flats, and near the deep-water side of a shallow rock ledge, and we caught four spotted bass and three largemouth bass.  Three of the four spotted bass were caught in three to six feet of water from a the side of a prominent point and an adjacent clay-and-gravel flat in the midsection of the creek arm; they were caught on a swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s Space Guppy Slim SwimZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. The fourth spotted bass was caught next to one of the floating tire reefs. It was suspended about five feet below the surface in 27 feet of water. It was caught on a slow swim-glide-and-shake retrieve with a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s FinesseShroomZ jig.

One of the three largemouth bass was caught from a flat and rocky secondary point, and the other two were caught from a gravel-and-clay flat adjacent to the secondary point. They were all extracted from water as shallow as two feet and as deep as five feet. One was caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation with a Z-Man’s The Deal Trick ShotZ rigged on a 1/15-ounce green-pumpkin Finesse ShroomZ jig. The second one was tempted by a swim-glide-and-shake presentation with a Z-Man’s coppertreuse TRD TicklerZ affixed on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. And the third one engulfed the 2 1/2-inch Space Guppy Slim SwimZ rig that was utilized with a steady-swimming presentation.   

 We caught the fifth spotted bass in about five feet of water from the end of a minor flat and rock-laden point at the mouth of the feeder-creek arm on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation with The Deal Trick ShotZ rig. 

 After that, we travelled to the lower section of the second feeder-creek arm, which is located a couple of miles east of the first one. Here, we shared the perimeter of an island with two other boats with anglers, and we caught one spotted bass. This island lies in the lower section of the creek arm. Its submerged terrain is mostly flat and composed of clay, some sand, small bits of gravel, fist-size rocks, small boulders the size of basketballs, and several small patches of Eurasian milfoil. This spotted bass was caught from a small patch of boulders situated on the northeast end of the island and in five feet of water on the 2 1/2-inch Space Guppy Slim SwimZ rig.  We failed to locate any other black bass around this island.

 We decided to change things up a bit and spent the next couple of hours searching for brush piles along the edges of the main-creek channel with our down-imaging and side-imaging sonar in hopes of locating a few crappie. 

 We found two brush piles. One was large, and it extended out about 20 yards. Its base was situated in 31 feet of water and the top of it peaked about seven feet above its base. The second one was much smaller than the first one and is located in 22 feet of water. The top of this brush pile rises about four feet above its base. 

 We didn’t find any large numbers of crappie around these two bush piles, but we did catch two of them from the first brush pile, and one from the second one. We also garnered several strikes from both of the brush piles that we failed to hook.  All three of these crappie were caught on a vertical shake-and- deadstick presentation just above the top of the brush piles with a Z-Man’s Firetreuse Tiny TicklerZ rigged on a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse jig.       

 After our dismal crappie endeavor came to an end, we opted to move to the center area of the dam. In this area, we fished around a large concrete water-outlet tower, two concrete support pillars underneath a large walkway leading from the dam to the tower, and about a 10-yard segment of riprap on the dam. 

 The water-outlet tower is usually a fruitful location where we can catch a significant number of largemouth bass and spotted bass during the summer months, but this time, it surrendered only one largemouth bass. It was suspended next to the tower’s north-side wall and five to eight feet below the water’s surface. The depth of the water around the tower varies from 37 to 53 feet deep. This largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig and a slow swim-glide-and-shake retrieve. 

 Our casts and retrieves around the two concrete support columns and the 10-yard section of riprap that blankets the dam were to no avail. 

 In sum, we failed wretchedly to locate and catch any large concentrations of black bass and crappie. What’s more, by the time this outing came to a close, we could barely manage to catch six spotted bass, four largemouth bass, three crappie, and one freshwater drum.

 My trolling motor woes continue, but I’m hopeful to have them remedied within the next week or so.

 June 19

 Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, and Rick Heberstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their June 19 outing at one of northeastern Kansas’ many community reservoirs. 

 Here is an edited version of their log.

 The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 63 degrees, and its afternoon’s high temperature was 91 degrees. The wind fluctuated from being calm to variable to angling out of the northeast, east, and southeast at 5 to 9 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 29.78 at 12:53 a.m., 29.80 at 5:53 a.m., 29.89 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.87 at 1:53 p.m.

 The water level at this 83-year-old reservoir looked to be normal. The surface temperature ranged from 81 to 86 degrees. According to our nine-foot dipstick, which we call a secchi stick, the water exhibited about five feet of visibility in the vicinity of the dam and about 2 1/2 feet of visibility along a shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir. This reservoir’s glorious resurrection of aquatic vegetation has tamed down; we suspect that grass carp are playing havoc with the patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail. But many sheets of duckweeds are still coating the surface along many yards of the shorelines in the upper half of the reservoir.

 On this national holiday celebrating Juneteenth, this reservoir was entertaining a surprising number of anglers.

 In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 11:36 a.m. to 1:36 p.m., 12:02 p.m. to 2:02 p.m., and 5:49 a.m. to 7:49 a.m. 

 We made our first casts at 9:21 a.m. and our last ones at 1:24 p.m. During this four-hour and three-minute outing, we caught 41 largemouth bass and accidentally caught 10 green sunfish, two warmouth, one bluegill, one white bass, and one channel catfish. And we battled some kind of unseen monster that towed the boat around for several minutes before it broke the leader. 

 We caught one largemouth bass on a 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s PB&J Finesse WormZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. A Z-Man’s green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ affixed to a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig caught one largemouth bass. The other 39 largemouth bass were caught on a slightly shortened Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to either a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead or a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. 

The Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig.

 The bulk of the fish were caught on either a drag-shake-and-pause presentation or a drag-shake-and-deadstick presentation. Some were caught as we strolled and employed those two presentations. A few were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. One was caught on a vertical presentation. Others were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. 

 We caught them along the shorelines and around the points that we fished from as close as five feet from the water’s edge to as far as 35 feet from the water’s edge. We caught them from water as shallow as about five feet to as deep as 13 feet. 

 We fished along the shoreline of the dam at the beginning of this outing and failed to elicit a strike. It is interesting to note that 12 days ago we caught 27 largemouth bass along this dam, and during that four-hour outing, we caught a total of 55 largemouth bass. 

 Along a short segment of a shoreline immediately adjacent to the dam, we caught a largemouth bass in about 10 feet of water along the edge of a dock on a drag-shake-and-pause presentation with the Finesse WormZ rig. 

 In the lower half of the reservoir and around a main-lake point that is adorned with a massive offshore series of piles of rocks and boulders, we caught one largemouth bass in about five feet of water and 30 feet from the water’s edge. It was caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig with a drag-shake-and-pause presentation. 

 Around another main-lake point in the lower half of the reservoir, we caught five largemouth bass. This point possesses a 30-degree slope. It is endowed with a sharp ledge that begins in about 12 feet of water. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, and the rocks and boulders enhance the ledge. The water’s edge is endowed with a concrete retaining wall, one dock, and several minor patches of American water willows, which are intertwined with some coontail. The FinesseShadZ rig caught one of the five largemouth bass. The other four largemouth bass were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rigs. They were caught in eight to 12 feet of water and many yards from the water’s edge as we employed a drag-shake-and-pause. One was caught on a drag-shake-and-deadstick presentation.

 Along about a 400-yard stretch of a shoreline that is situated in the middle portion of the reservoir, we caught 12 largemouth bass. This area possesses a 35- to 55-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water’s edge is lined by many concrete and stone retaining walls, a few overhanging trees, some patches of American water willows, a few patches of duckweeds, and 22 docks. All of these largemouth bass were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rigs. Two were caught on the initial drop of the rig. The others were caught on either a drag-shake-and-pause presentation or a drag-shake-and-deadstick presentation in about six to 13 feet of water. Several were caught adjacent to the docks.

 The others were caught around the rocks and boulders; some of those rocks and boulders were enhanced with bits of bushy pondweeds and coontail, but most of it was devoid of submerged vegetation. 

 In the upper half of this reservoir, we fished around two main-lake points and along about a 50-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline between these two points. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are adorned with some patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, and wads of filamentous algae. This area has a 30- to 40-degree slope. The water’s edge is adorned by American water willows, one overhanging tree, some minor laydowns, and three docks. Our TRD TicklerZ rigs caught two largemouth bass on a swim-glide-and shake presentation around the patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail in five to six feet of water.   

 We fished along about a 200-yard stretch of another shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir, where we caught five largemouth bass on our TRD TicklerZ rigs. The underwater terrains consist of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are adorned with occasional patches of bushy pondweeds, filamentous algae, and coontail. These areas possess a 25- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edge consists of several concrete retaining walls, four docks, one small rock bridge, a few laydowns, several piles of brush, some patches of American water willows, several overhanging trees, and some flotillas of duckweeds. One largemouth bass was caught strolling with a drag-shake-and-pause presentation in about 12 feet of water and many feet from the water’s edge. One was caught on a vertical presentation in about eight feet of water on a pile of rocks and boulders that are adorned with bushy pondweeds, coontail, and a meager pile of brush. The other three were caught as we employed a very slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation in about five to 10 feet of water. 

 Along about a 75-yard stretch of another shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir, we caught one largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are graced with some diminishing patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail. It possesses a 25- to 45-degree slope. The water’s edge is lined with six docks, a few patches of American water willows, a few overhanging trees, and some minor laydowns. The TRD TicklerZ rig caught the largemouth bass about 20 feet from the water’s edge and in 10 to 12 feet of water around a series of boulders. 

 Along about a 300-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline that is endowed with two offshore humps, we caught 11 largemouth bass. This area possesses a 25- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrains consist of gravel, sand, rocks, and boulders. A few areas are embellished with significant patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail – especially around one of the offshore humps. But along other areas, the patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail are disappearing. The water’s edge is littered with numerous docks, several concrete retaining walls, a few overhanging trees, some patches of American water willows, and occasional piles of brush. All of the largemouth bass were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rigs. One was caught near a patch of American water willows in about five feet of water. The others were caught from about 10 to 35 feet from the water’s edge. Two were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. One was caught adjacent to the side of a dock. Around bushy pondweeds and coontail patches that enhance one of the humps, we caught four of the 11 largemouth bass by employing a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. The others were caught as we employed a drag-shake-and-pause presentation.

 Along a short stretch of the shoreline next to the spillway, we caught three largemouth bass on our TRD TicklerZ rigs. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks, which are moderately quilted with filamentous algae, bushy pondweeds, and coontail. They were caught on a drag-shake-and-pause presentation in about six feet of water.

 June 22

 Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his June 22 outing with Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence at one of northeastern Kansas’ community reservoirs. 

 Here is an edited version of his log.

 The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 67 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 90 degrees. The wind fluctuated from being calm to being variable to angling out of the east, northeast, and southeast at 3 to 9 mph. The sky was fair, but for a couple of hours, it was partly cloudy. The barometric pressure was 29.99 at 12:53 a.m., 30.00 at 5:53 a.m., 30.00 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.98 at 1:53 p.m.

 The water level looked to be about normal. The surface temperature was 83 degrees. The water exhibited about five feet of visibility in the lower half of the reservoir and 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet of visibility in the upper half of the reservoir. The growth of Eurasian milfoil and curly-leaf pondweeds are making this reservoir a more fruitful waterway for Midwestfinesse anglers to fish. 

 In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 2:22 a.m. to 4:22 a.m., 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and 8:34 a.m. to 10:34 a.m. 

 We made our first casts at 10:13 a.m. and the last ones at 2:19 p.m. During that four hours and six minutes, we caught 53 temperate bass, 52 black bass, one channel catfish, one freshwater drum, and one green sunfish. 

 One largemouth bass was caught on a three-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. Another largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man’s meat-dog Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. The 53 temperate bass were caught on a three-inch Z-Man's pearl Slim SwimZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. A Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig caught 50 largemouth bass.

 We employed a variety of retrieves to inveigle these 108 fish. A few were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. The others were caught as we used a swim-glide-and-shake presentation, a drag-shake-and-slight-pause presentation, a drag-shake-and-deadstick presentation, a straight-swimming presentation, and a swimming-and-slight-pause presentation. On many Midwest finesse outings, we experiment with an assortment of retrieves, but recently we have had to experiment more than we normally do.

 In the upper half of this reservoir, we caught seven smallmouth bass and 17 largemouth bass around a main-lake point and about a 300-yard section of its main-lake shoreline. The underwater terrain of this point and its shoreline consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are monsters. The slope of this area ranges from 25 to 70 degrees. The water’s edge is endowed with magnificent patches of American water willows, many overhanging trees, an array of laydowns, and a concrete dock abutment. They were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rig on a variety of retrieves in four to 10 feet of water and from about five to 15 feet from the water’s edge.  

 On a shallow-water flat next to this shoreline, we caught one largemouth bass and 23 temperate bass, which was a mixture of wipers and white bass. They were caught on our pearl Slim SwimZ rigs with either a straight-swimming presentation or a swimming-and-slight-pause presentation. They were caught within two to five feet of the surface above and around a few patches of Eurasian milfoil and wilting curly-leaf pondweeds.

 Our TRD TicklerZ rigs caught three smallmouth bass and five largemouth bass along about a 100-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline and around a main-lake point in the upper half of the reservoir. The shoreline has a 25- to 50-degree slope. The point has a 25-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are graced with a few minor patches of Eurasian milfoil, several submerged stumps, and several PVC pipes. The water’s edge is endowed with one dock, two overhanging trees, a tiny waterfall, and some significant patches of American water willows. Two largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of our TRD TicklerZ rig in about four to five feet of water. One of the smallmouth bass was caught as we were strolling and using a drag-shake-and-pause presentation around a stump and a cluster of boulders in about seven feet of water and 20 feet from the water’s edge. The others were caught with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in five to eight feet of water from six to 15 feet from the water’s edge. 

 Around and across a shallow-water flat at the mouth of a small feeder-creek arm, we caught 28 temperate bass on our pearl Slim SwimZ rigs with either a straight-swimming presentation or a swimming-and-slight-pause presentation. They were caught within two to four feet of the surface and above and around a few meager patches of Eurasian milfoil. The depth of the water ranged from five to 10 feet. 

  In the middle section of the reservoir, we fished around a main-lake point and short segments of its adjacent shorelines. The underwater terrains consist of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are quite large, and there are some manmade piles of brush and meager patches of Eurasian milfoil enhancing small sections of the underwater terrain. A submerged creek channel butts up against the point. The water’s edge is lined with one dock, patches of American water willows, a few minor laydowns, several overhanging trees, and some overhanging terrestrial vegetation. We caught four largemouth bass on our Junebug TRD TicklerZ rigs. One was caught on the initial drop along the side of the dock. The others were caught as we employed a drag-shake-and-pause presentation in four to seven feet of water.

 In the lower half of the reservoir, we caught three smallmouth bass and one largemouth bass around a main-lake point and short portions of its shorelines. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are endowed with a few patches of milfoil. It possesses a 35- to 45-degree slope. The water’s edges are girdled with wonderful patches of American water willows, a few overhanging trees, and several weather-worn laydowns. Two of the smallmouth bass were caught on the initial drop of our TRD TicklerZ rigs near the outside edges of the patches of American water willows. The other smallmouth bass and the largemouth bass were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation with our TRD TicklerZ rigs in five to seven feet of water. 

 We caught three smallmouth bass and six largemouth bass along portions of a submerged rock-and-boulder fence in the lower half of the reservoir. This rock-and-boulder fence is covered with three to eight feet of water, and some spots are bordered by water as deep as 28 feet. One of the largemouth bass was caught on the meat-dog Finesse ShadZ rig in about four feet of water with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. The three smallmouth bass and the other five largemouth bass were caught on our Junebug TRD TicklerZ rigs. They were caught in about three to about nine feet of water. Two of the nine black bass were caught on a drag-shake-and-deadstick presentations, and the others were caught on a drag-shake-and-pause presentation.  

 In the lower half of the reservoir, we caught one smallmouth bass and one largemouth bass around a main-lake point. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are endowed with a few patches of milfoil. It possesses a 35- to 45-degree slope. The water’s edges are girdled with wonderful patches of American water willows. Both of these black bass were caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig with a drag-shake-and-pause presentation. One was caught in four to five feet of water near the outside edges of the patches of American water willows. The other one was caught in about seven feet of water.  

 In conclusion, our hourly catch rate was 26 fish an hour. 

 June 22

 Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his June 22 outing with Bear Brundrett of Valley View, Texas.

Here is an edited version of his log.

My trolling motor has been out of commission since June 2, and I have now replaced it with a new one and I have my boat back from the repair shop. 

 Bear and I fished at one of several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoirs in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metropolitan area.

 Our mission was two-fold: first, we wanted to test out the new trolling motor, and second, we wanted to pursue some largemouth bass and spotted bass that inhabit this reservoir. 

 The sky was overcast when we launched the boat at about 6:25 a.m. on June 22, and it became sunny by 8:11 a.m. The morning’s low temperature was 76 degrees, and the afternoon’s high warmed to 92 degrees. The barometric pressure measured 29.79 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.86 at 11:00 a.m. The wind quartered out of the east-by-southeast at 10 to 15 mph.  

 The water level was 0.52 of a foot below normal. The water clarity ranged from 14 to 18 inches. The surface temperature varied from 81 to 83 degrees.

 In-Fisherman’s solunar table noted that the fishing would be poor, and the most lucrative fishing would occur from 2:28 a.m. to 4:28 a.m., 8:39 a.m. to 10:39 a.m., and 2:50 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. 

 We fished from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

 We concentrated our attentions at 10 areas in the lower end of the reservoir, and we were delighted to discover that the black-bass fishing at this reservoir was stellar; we caught 24 largemouth bass and 17 spotted bass. We also crossed paths with three white bass.  

 These 41 black bass were relating to mostly flat rock- and boulder-laden main-lake points and their adjoining rock-laden main-lake shorelines that are situated at or near the mouths of three major feeder-creek arms. These areas are also adorned with several shallow rock ledges, stickups, large laydowns, three concrete culverts, and a submerged roadbed. 

 We employed a total of nine Midwest finesse combos, and we caught fish on six of them. 

 We caught 14 black bass on a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s Space Guppy Slim SwimZ rigged on a blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s FinesseShroomZ jig and a steady-swimming retrieve. Thirteen were allured by a swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat affixed to a blue 3/32-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. Seven were coaxed into striking a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ matched with either a blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig or a blue 3/32-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead and a steady-swimming retrieve. Six were tempted by a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with a slightly modified 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on a chartreuse 3/32-ounce Finesse underspin jighead. And one spotted bass engulfed a Z-Man’s pearl TRD TicklerZ fastened on a blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig.

 In sum, this Corps’ reservoir has been our most fruitful venue in north-central Texas over the past couple of months. For example, Roger Farish of Highland Village, Texas, and I caught 50 black bass at this Corps’ reservoir around rocky main-lake lairs on March 25. And during this June 22 outing, we found these 41 largemouth and spotted bass at their typical summertime rock- and boulder-laden main-lake haunts, too. 

June 23

 Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his June 23 outing with Bear Brundrett of Valley View, Texas.

Here is an edited version of his log.

 From 6:20 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., Bear Brundrett and I fished at one of the more problematic U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoirs in north-central Texas. 

 I have not fished at this reservoir since April 17, when Norman Brown of Lewisville and I endured an awful 5 1/2-hour black-bass outing, which resulted in us catching only two smallmouth bass, one largemouth bass, and one spotted bass.

  The weather was unstable for a spell during the morning hours of June 23. When Bear and I launched the boat at about 6:10 a.m., the sky was partly cloudy and hazy. Around 10:00 a.m., thick ominous grey clouds rolled in and a thunderstorm quickly erupted over the reservoir. The morning's low temperature was 77 degrees. The afternoon's high temperature reached 94 degrees. Before the storm erupted, the wind quartered out of the east-by-southeast at 10 to 15 mph. When the storm arrived, it was accompanied by a peppy wind out of the southeast at 14 to 24 mph., and the peppy wind remained after the storm passed. The barometric pressure measured 29.91 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.93 at noon.

 In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar noted that the fishing would be poor, and the most productive fishing periods would occur from 3:17 a.m. to 5:17 a.m., 9:28 a.m. to 11:28 a.m., and 3:38 p.m. to 5:38 p.m.

 The water exhibited between 14 and 18 inches of visibility. The surface temperature ranged from 80 to 85 degrees. The water level was half of a foot below its normal summertime level.

 We launched the boat on the north end of the reservoir, and we traveled about a quarter of a mile to the east and investigated two rocky main-lake points, which were bereft of black bass. 

 From those two points, we traveled about 1 1/2 miles to the south end of the reservoir and stopped at a main-lake island.  

 We didn’t find many threadfin shad in close proximity to the island, but we still managed to catch two largemouth bass. This island’s submerged terrain is flat. It consists of red clay, small gravel, chunk rocks, and a few boulders. The shallow-water areas are cluttered with laydowns, some standing timber, clusters of buck brush, and stumps. 

 One of the two largemouth bass was caught from an unremarkable clay-and-gravel section of shoreline on the south side of the island. The other largemouth bass was caught from a small clay-and-gravel point on the north side of the island. Both of these bass were caught in less than five feet of water with a steady-swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on a blue 3/32-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. We also spent some time searching for bass around the standing timber, stumps, and laydowns on the north, east, and south sides of the island, but we were unsuccessful in that endeavor.  

 From the main-lake island, we moved a short distance to a 75-yard section of a flat clay-and-gravel main-lake shoreline just south of the island. Portions of this shoreline are embellished with some partially-flooded buck brush, a few scattered submerged boulders, and a rock-laden point situated on the west end of this shoreline. 

 We caught three largemouth bass from this shoreline, and all three of them were extracted from less than three feet of water and in the vicinity of either a patch of stickups or a large boulder. One was caught on the initial drop of a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat affixed on a blue 3/32-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. The other two were enticed into striking the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig that was employed with a steady-swimming retrieve.

 Next, we moved about half a mile westward to a prominent main-lake point on the south side of the impoundment. This point has a 35- to 45-degree slope. Its submerged terrain consists of red clay, small gravel, fist-size rocks, and basketball-size boulders. It surrendered one spotted bass and one largemouth bass. Both of them were induced by a steady-swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ combo.    

 From this point, we moved about three miles to the northwest region of the reservoir, where we fished around seven main-lake points and a 75-yard section of a long flat and rocky shoreline. 

The seven main-lake points relinquished 11 largemouth bass, one smallmouth bass, two white bass, one channel catfish, and a large bluegill. All of these points look similar in our eyes.  Their flat underwater terrains consist of gravel, chunky rocks, and numerous submerged boulders. These 16 fish were caught in less than six feet of water around the numerous submerged boulders that adorn the ends and sides of the points. Ten of the 11 largemouth bass, the two white bass, the channel catfish, and the bluegill were caught on a swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ. The other largemouth bass engulfed the pearl Baby Goat rig on the initial fall. 

 The 75-yard section of the rocky main-lake shoreline was not very productive; it surrendered one largemouth bass that was caught in five feet of water near a large cluster of submerged boulders. This largemouth bass was caught on the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig that was being steadily retrieved over the tops of the boulders.

 As we were fishing these main-lake points, a thunderstorm quickly developed over the reservoir, and we barely had time to scurry into a nearby marina and take shelter under a covered boat dock. We waited about an hour and 20 minutes for the storm to pass, then we fished for another hour.   

 After the storm passed, we travelled about two miles to the east to another main-lake point that is situated on the northeast end of the reservoir. As we began dissecting this point, we caught one largemouth bass in seven feet of water from the side of the point. It was caught on a steady-swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig. 

 And while we were dissecting this point, a large school of white bass suddenly appeared in open water about 30 yards offshore. They were surface-foraging on one-inch threadfin shad, and we turned our attention to them. Ultimately, we caught 66 of them before they dispersed and disappeared.    

 Overall, the black-bass fishing at this Corps’ reservoir has improved. We caught a total of 23 black bass, which consisted of 21 largemouth bass, one smallmouth bass, and one spotted bass. We also crossed paths with 68 white bass, one channel catfish, and one bluegill.

 June 30

 Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his June 30 outing with Norman Brown of Lewisville, Texas.

 Here is an edited version of his log.

Norman and I fished at one of several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoirs in the Dallas metropolitan area. 

 This Corps’ reservoir has been our most fruitful venue in north-central Texas during this year. For example, Roger Farish of Highland Village, Texas, and I caught 50 black bass at this reservoir on March 25, and Bear Brundrett of Valley View, Texas, and I tangled with 41 largemouth and spotted bass on June 22. 

 It was also sunny, and a few thin and wispy clouds embellished about 10 percent of the sky on June 30. The morning’s low temperature was 78 degrees, and the afternoon’s high warmed to 102 degrees. The barometric pressure measured 29.91 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.93 at 11:00 a.m. The wind quartered out of the south-by-southwest at 10 to 15 mph.  

 The water level was 0.75 of a foot below normal. The water clarity ranged from 14 to 18 inches. The surface temperature varied from 81 to 84 degrees.

 In-Fisherman’s solunar table indicated that the fishing would be poor.  The most productive fishing periods would occur from 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., 8:14 a.m. and 10:14 a.m., and 8:42 p.m. to 10:42 p.m. 

 We fished from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

 We concentrated our attentions at seven areas in the lower end of the reservoir, and one in the reservoir’s middle section. We were hoping to duplicate the successes of the March 25 and June 22 outings.  But to our dismay, it was a grind to scrounge up 13 largemouth bass and six spotted bass during this June 30 outing. We also caught three white bass and a hefty six-pound, 10-ounce freshwater drum while we were searching for the largemouth and spotted bass.

These 19 black bass were scattered hither and yon, and it quickly became a one-here-and-one-there type of pattern. 

 We caught three of these 19 black bass in three to six feet of water from five wind-blown main-lake points. Four were caught in three to seven feet of water from the deep-water side of a shallow rock ledge that is covered with two to three feet of water and parallels a flat clay-and-gravel main-lake shoreline. One largemouth bass was caught in seven feet of water from a 75-yard section of a steeply sloped rock- and boulder-laden main-lake shoreline. One spotted bass was caught in four feet of water from a 25-yard section of shaded shoreline on the west side of a main-lake island. Three more were caught in five to eight feet of water from a submerged rock pile located in the midsection of the impoundment. And seven were caught in five to 11 feet of water across two sections of the riprap-covered dam that forms the reservoir’s southern boundary. The riprap on the west end of the dam yielded five black bass, and the east end of the dam produced two black bass. We were unable to fish the center section of the dam; it was occupied by a couple of boat anglers and a boat pulling wake boarders back and forth.  

 We failed to locate any black bass along two other rocky main-lake shorelines, two rocky main-lake points, a submerged roadbed, and a floating tractor-tire reef at the entrance to a marina.  

 We utilized 10 Midwest finesse combos, and six of them were productive. 

 We caught eight black bass on a steady-swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on either a blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig or a black 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. Six black bass were allured by a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve with a slightly shortened Z-Man’s Mud Minnow Hula StickZ matched with a black 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. Three black bass engulfed a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat fastened to a blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig that was employed with a steady-swimming retrieve. One spotted bass was caught on a swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin TRD TicklerZ affixed on an unpainted 1/16-ounce finesse mushroom-style jig. One largemouth bass was tempted by a steady-swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s space-guppy Slim SwimZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig.    

 In closing, we plan on staying off the water during the next few days and let the swarms of Fourth-of-July weekend revelers enjoy the waterways of north-central Texas.