Midwest Finesse Fishing: November 2024
One of the 40 largemouth bass that Bob Gum caught on Nov. 5.
Nov. 1
Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Nov. 1 outing with Brent Frazee of Parkville, Missouri, at an 84-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas.
The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 39 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 63 degrees. The sky was fair. The wind angled out of the southeast and south at 3 to 20 mph. The barometric pressure was 30.22 at 12:53 a.m., 30:24 at 5:53 a.m., 30.25 at 11:53 a.m., and 30.16 at 2:53 p.m.
The water level looked to be about 18 inches below normal. The surface temperature ranged from 62 to 63 degrees. The water exhibited from seven to nine feet of visibility.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 10:26 a.m. to 12:26 p.m., and 10:48 p.m. to 12:48 a.m.
We made our first casts at 10:37 a.m. and our last casts when we caught largemouth bass number 50 at 2:01 p.m.
(Brent is a veteran outdoor journalist, and we spent about 20 minutes of these 204 minutes taking photographs and working on an article that he was writing for Wired2Fish -- https://www.wired2fish.com/fishing-tips/ned-kehde-king-of-finesse.-- about the frugalness and fruitfulness of Midwest finesse fishing.)
One of the 50 largemouth bass was caught on a 2 ½-inch salt-pepper-and-pearl curly-tailed grub affixed to a black-and-white 1/16-ounce round jighead. Four were caught on a three-inch Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Slim SwimZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Eight were caught on a three-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed to a black-and-white 1/16-ounce round jighead. Thirty-seven were caught on a radically shortened seven-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce chartreuse Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ or a black-and-white 1/16-ounce round jighead. The Finesse WormZ was shortened to three inches.
Nine of the 50 largemouth bass were caught along the shoreline of this reservoir’s 1,550-foot dam. The dam has a height of 58 feet with a 45- to 50-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Portions of this terrain are coated with wads of filamentous algae and bits and pieces of coontail and bushy pondweeds. The water’s edge contains a concrete water outlet tower and two meager patches of American water willows. One of the nine largemouth bass was caught on the 2 1/2-inch curly-tail grub rig with a slow swimming presentation in the vicinity of the water outlet tower. Our three-inch Finesse WormZ rigs allured eight of the nine largemouth bass. These nine largemouth bass were caught in four to 10 feet of water. One of the nine was caught on a swim-and-pause presentation. Two were caught on the initial drop. Six were caught on a drag-pause-and-shake presentation. Four were caught as we were strolling and employing the drag-pause-and-shake presentation.
We caught five largemouth bass around an offshore and boulder-laden hump. This hump lies on a main-lake point in the lower half of this reservoir. There is a dock floating over a shallow-water segment of the hump. Wads of filamentous algae and meager patches of submerged aquatic vegetation adorn parts of the hump. These largemouth bass were inveigled on our Finesse WormZ rigs as we were employing a drag-pause-and-shake presentation in five to 10 feet of water.
Eight largemouth bass were caught along about a 175-yard stretch of a shoreline in the middle portion of this reservoir. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are humongous; this terrain is enhanced with occasional patches of filamentous algae and unidentified specimens of submerged aquatic vegetation. The water’s edge is lined with 13 docks, some shoddy stretches of riprap, one concrete retaining wall, several overhanging trees, and a few patches of American water willows. The eight largemouth bass were caught on our Finesse WormZ rigs in four to 10 feet of water. Two were caught on a deadstick presentation. Six were caught on a drag-pause-and-shake presentation.
Along about a 400-yard stretch of a shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir, we caught 14 largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of this shoreline consists of silt, gravel, rocks, and boulders. It is adorned with many patches of filamentous algae, several piles of brush, and sporadic patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. Most of the patches of submerged vegetation are covered with wads of filamentous algae. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 55-degree slope. Its water’s edges have several concrete retaining walls, about 100 feet of riprap, 10 docks, one small rock bridge, a few minor laydowns, one tiny concrete and rock jetty, one overhanging tree, and some shallow-water patches of American water willows. Along one of the shallow-water sections of this shoreline, we employed a swim-and-pause presentation with our Slim SwimZ rigs to catch eight largemouth bass; three largemouth bass were caught on the green-pumpkin Slim SwimZ; four were caught on the pearl Slim SwimZ; seven of these eight largemouth bass were abiding around the wads of filamentous algae and submerged aquatic vegetation in about three to four feet of water; one was caught around the corner of one of the docks. The other six largemouth bass were caught on our Finesse WormZ rig. One was caught on the initial drop in about three feet of water. A very slow swim-and-pause presentation caught the other largemouth bass in about four to eight feet of water.
We caught 14 largemouth bass along about a 475-yard stretch of another shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir. This area possesses a 25- to 70-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt. The shoreline is cluttered with 27 docks, some concrete retaining walls, a few rock retaining walls, numerous overhanging trees, one massive laydown, a few piles of brush, and occasional patches of American water willow. There are wads of filamentous algae and a few patches of submerged aquatic vegetation gracing the underwater terrain between the scores of docks. One of the 14 were caught on the green-pumpkin Slim SwimZ rig. Four of the 14 largemouth bass were caught on the pearl Slim SwimZ rig in three to eight feet of water; three were caught on a swimming presentation around the outside corners of the docks; a slow swim-and-pause presentation inveigled the other three. Our Finesse WormZ rigs allured nine of the 14 largemouth bass in about four to nine feet of water with either a drag-pause-and-shake presentation or a slow swim-and-pause presentation.
In sum, we caught an average of 14 largemouth bass an hour.
Nov. 5
Bob Gum of Kansas City, Kansas, posted a brief on the Finesse News Network about his Nov. 5 outing at a 46-year-old power-plant reservoir in northeastern Kansas.
The nearest office of the National Weather Service reported that the low temperature was 43 degrees, and the high temperature was 61 degrees. The wind fluctuated from angling out of the south, southeast, southwest, west, and northwest at 3 to 12 mph, and there were some 18- to 24-mph gusts. The conditions of the sky ranged from foggy and misty to mostly cloudy to overcast. The barometric pressure was 29.67 at 12:53 a.m., 29.65 at 5:53 a.m., 29.72 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.73 at 2:53 p.m.
The water level looked to be two feet low. The surface temperature in the vicinity of the dam was 62 degrees. Inside the warm-water plume, the surface temperature was 67 degrees. The water exhibited about two feet of visibility.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 12:32 a.m. to 4:32 a.m. and 12:59 p.m. to 2:59 p.m.
I was afloat from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Inside the warm-water plume, I fished along the shorelines of two bluffs and a 300-yard stretch of a riprap shoreline. Outside of the warm-water plume, I fished along the riprap shoreline around the power plant, the riprap shoreline along a roadway, the riprap shoreline of the dam, and a gravel-rock-and-boulder-laden flat adjacent to the dam.
I made a few token casts with a topwater bait, which were fruitless.
I caught 40 largemouth bass, eight freshwater drum, and six channel catfish on a shortened four-inch Z-Man’s black/blue-flake Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/20-ounce mushroom-style jig and a Z-Man Junebug TRD BugZ affixed to a black 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. I retrieved those Midwest finesse rigs with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. The fish were caught in two to eight feet of water. Several of these fish were hefty ones.
The riprap shoreline along the dam was the most fruitful area. To combat the wind along the dam, I had to employ a drift sock. And along this windblown riprap, the largemouth bass were abiding in shallower water than they were at the other locales.
Nov. 6
Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Nov. 6 outing with Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence at an 84-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas.
The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 37 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 63 degrees. The wind was calm from 12:53 a.m. to 8:53 a.m., and then it angled out of the east at 3 to 12 mph. The sky was foggy from 12:53 a.m. to 8:53 a.m., and then it was fair. The barometric pressure was 29.94 at 12:53 a.m., 30.01 at 5:53 a.m., 30.12 at 11:53 a.m., and 30.11 at 3:53 p.m.
The water level looked to be about 2 1/4 feet below its normal level. The surface temperature ranged from 60 to 61 degrees, which is six to nine degrees warmer than it normally is during the first week of November. Several acres of the water were afflicted with an algal bloom; one bloom was quite intense. The water exhibited about 2 ½ to 3 1/2 feet of visibility. Most of this reservoir’s magnificent patches of American water willows are not in the water, and they are exhibiting their winter-dead hue.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 1:32 a.m. to 3:32 a.m. and 1:59 p.m. to 3:59 p.m.
We made our first casts at 12:42 a.m. and last ones at 3:42 p.m. And it was a tussle to catch 12 largemouth bass, nine smallmouth bass, one bluegill, one white bass, and one freshwater drum.
Two smallmouth bass and three largemouth bass were caught on a radically shortened seven-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Seven smallmouth bass and nine largemouth bass were caught on a radically shortened four-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Hula StickZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. The Finesse WormZ rig is three inches long; the Hula StickZ rig is 2 ½-inches long.
The Finesse WormZ rig is at the bottom of this photograph. The Hula StickZ rig is at the top.
In the upper half of this reservoir, we caught three largemouth bass around a main-lake point and a portion of its secondary shoreline bass. This point and shoreline have a 25- to 35-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of silt, gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are quilted with some patches of bushy pondweeds and Eurasian milfoil. The water’s edge is endowed with winter-dead and shallow-water patches of American water willows, several large laydowns, and a beaver hut. Two of the largemouth bass were caught on the Hula StickZ rig with a swim-and-pause presentation along the outside edge of the patches of Eurasian milfoil in about 3 1/2 feet of water. One was caught on the Hula StickZ rig with a swimming presentation around the beaver hut in about three feet of water.
Along about a 100-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir, we caught one smallmouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The slope of this area ranges from 25 to 45 degrees. The water’s edge is endowed with shallow-water and winter-dead patches of American water willows and two overhanging trees. The smallmouth bass was caught on the Finesse WormZ rig with a dragging presentation in about seven feet of water while we were strolling.
We caught one smallmouth bass and two largemouth bass 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 20- to 30-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; occasional patches of bushy pondweeds and Eurasian milfoil embellish this underwater terrain. The water’s edge is adorned with some winter-dead and shallow-water patches of American water willows. The smallmouth bass and the two largemouth bass were caught on the Hula StickZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation in about four to five feet of water.
Along about a 50-yard section of a shoreline inside a small feeder-creek arm, we caught three largemouth bass. This feeder-creek arm is in the reservoir’s middle section. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and a few boulders. Some of this terrain is quilted with Eurasian milfoil. This area has a 35- to 40-degree slope. The water’s edge is lined with winter-dead patches of American water willows, and some of these American water willows are in about 12 inches of water. These largemouth bass were caught on the Finesse WormZ rig; one was caught on the initial drop in about two feet of water; the other two were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation in five to seven feet of water.
Along about a 75-yard stretch of a shallow-water main-lake shoreline in the middle section of the reservoir, we caught one largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. A few patches of bushy pondweeds and Eurasian milfoil grace some segments of the underwater terrain. It possesses a 20- to 30-degree slope. The water’s edge is embellished with shallow-water and winter-dead patches of American water willows and some overhanging trees and overhanging terrestrial vegetation. The largemouth bass was caught on a dragging presentation in about two feet of water with the Hula StickZ rig.
We quickly strolled along the dam’s riprap shoreline and caught three smallmouth bass. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are occasionally highlighted with patches of Eurasian milfoil. It possesses a 50- to 55-degree slope. Most of the patches of winter-dead American water willows are completely out of the water. One smallmouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Hula StickZ rig in about three feet of water. The other two were caught while we were strolling and employing a drag-and-subtle-shake presentation with the Hula StickZ rig in five to six feet of water.
Around the point of a main-lake jetty at the mouth of a large feeder-creek arm, we caught a largemouth bass and a smallmouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders that are coated with bits and pieces of submerged aquatic vegetation. The water’s edge is laced with very shallow-water patches of winter-dead American water willows and a large dock. The Hula StickZ rig with a slow drag-and-shake presentation allured both of these black bass in about five to six feet of water.
Around a main-lake point and along a 75-yard stretch of its main-lake shoreline, we caught two smallmouth bass and one largemouth bass. This area is situated in the reservoir’s middle section. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of this underwater terrain is adorned with a few patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. This area has a 35- to 40-degree slope. The water’s edge is lined with significant patches of shallow-water and winter-dead American water willows. The largemouth bass and the two smallmouth bass were caught on the Hula StickZ rig. The largemouth bass engulfed the rig on the initial drop in about three feet of water. The smallmouth bass were inveigled by drag-and-shake presentations in four to five feet of water.
Around another main-lake point in the middle section of the reservoir, we were strolling and caught a smallmouth bass on the Finesse WormZ rig with a dragging presentation in about five feet of water. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and a few patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. This area has a 35- to 45-degree slope. The water’s edge is lined with patches of shallow-water and winter-dead American water willows, one large overhanging tree, several small overhanging trees, and a few piles of tree limbs.
We caught one largemouth bass on a shallow-water and flat shoreline immediately adjacent to a main-lake point in the upper half of the reservoir. The shoreline has a 20-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and a few boulders. This terrain is endowed with many patches of aquatic vegetation and numerous piles of tree branches. This largemouth bass was caught along the outside edge of a patch of aquatic vegetation on the Hula Stick rig with a swimming presentation in about four feet of water.
In sum, we struggled to catch an average of seven black bass an hour.
Here are three of our observations about this reservoir. Since the disappearance of the zebra mussels and the periodic applications of aquatic herbicides began, the water clarity has diminished significantly and the largemouth bass and smallmouth bass fishing has become more and more difficult. What’s more, the eruption of algal blooms has been more frequent and longer lasting. On top of those woes, this reservoir’s environment has been adversely affected by many decades of various kinds of suburban and urban pollution.
Nov. 7
Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, and Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their Nov. 7 outing at an 84-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas. It is the same reservoir that Ned and Brent Frazee of Parkville, Missouri, fished on Nov. 1.
The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 41 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 57 degrees. The sky was fair, but it was foggy and misty, overcast, and mostly cloudy for several short spells. The wind angled out of the east and northeast at 3 to 12 mph. The barometric pressure was 30.26 at 12:53 a.m., 30:32 at 5:53 a.m., 30.37 at 10:53 a.m., and 30.29 at 3:53 p.m.
The water level looked to be nearly normal. The surface temperature ranged from 61 to 62 degrees, which is warmer than normal; for example, it was 53 degrees on Nov 5, 2022, and 53 degrees on Nov. 7, 2018, but on Nov. 8, 2016, it was 64 degrees. The water exhibited nine feet of visibility in the vicinity of the dam, and it diminished to about three feet along the western portions of the upper third of the reservoir’s primary feeder-creek arm.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 10:26 a.m. to 12:26 p.m., and 10:48 p.m. to 12:48 a.m.
We made our first casts at 10:43 a.m. and our last casts when we caught largemouth bass number 55 at 2:43 p.m.
Two largemouth bass were caught on a three-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed to a 1/10-ounce chartreuse Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Eight largemouth bass were caught on were caught on a radically shortened four-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Hula StickZ affixed to either a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead or a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jighead. Nineteen largemouth bass were caught on a slightly shortened four-inch Z-Man purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jighead. Twenty-six largemouth were caught on a radically shortened seven-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. The Finesse WormZ was shortened to three inches, and the Hula StickZ was shortened to 2 1/4 inches.
Four of the 55 largemouth bass were caught along the shoreline of this reservoir’s 1,550-foot dam. The dam has a height of 58 feet with a 45- to 50-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Portions of this terrain are coated with wads of filamentous algae and bits and pieces of coontail and bushy pondweeds. The water’s edge contains a concrete water outlet tower and two meager patches of partially winter-dead American water willows. The four largemouth bass were caught on our Hula StickZ rigs. One of the four was caught on the initial drop in about three feet of water. The other three were caught as we were strolling with a drag-pause-and-shake presentation in five to seven feet of water.
We caught six largemouth bass around an offshore and boulder-laden hump. This hump lies on a main-lake point in the lower half of this reservoir. There is a dock floating over a shallow-water segment of the hump. Wads of filamentous algae and meager patches of submerged aquatic vegetation adorn parts of the hump. Five largemouth bass were inveigled on our Junebug Finesse WormZ rig. One was caught on the Hula StickZ rig. One was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse WormZ rig in about five feet of water. The other five were caught as we were employing a drag-pause-and-shake presentation in five to 10 feet of water.
One largemouth bass was caught on a main-lake point in the lower half of the reservoir. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and a significant ledge that plummets into deep water. Wads of filamentous algae and some patches of submerged aquatic vegetation adorn parts of this point. It has a 30- to 45-degree slope. The water’s edge is adorned with a boulder retaining wall, two docks, and several patches of partially winter-dead American water willows. The Hula StickZ rig inveigled this largemouth bass on a drag-pause-and-shake presentation in six to seven feet of water.
Six largemouth bass were caught along a massive shoreline in the middle portion of this reservoir. It has a 30- to 40-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are humongous; this underwater terrain is enhanced with occasional patches of filamentous algae and unidentified specimens of submerged aquatic vegetation. It has a 30- to 40-degree slope. The water’s edge is lined with 20 docks, some shoddy stretches of riprap, several concrete retaining walls, several overhanging trees, and a few patches of partially winter-dead American water willows. Two largemouth bass were caught on the Hula StickZ rig; one was caught on the initial drop in three to four feet of water; one was caught on a drag-pause-and-shake presentation in five to six feet of water. Four of the six were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig; two were caught along the sides of two of the 20 docks; one was caught on the initial drop in about six feet of water; the second one was caught on a drag-and-pause presentation in seven to eight feet of water; the other two were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation in about seven feet of water around some boulders.
We caught seven largemouth bass along about a 75-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir. It has a 30- to 40-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rock, and boulders. Parts of this underwater terrain are graced with wads of filamentous algae and some patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. The water’s edge is endowed with several docks, patches of partially winter-dead American water willows, one overhanging walnut tree, and a few piles of tree limbs. These largemouth bass were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ. One was caught on the initial drop along the front edge of a dock in about six feet of water. The other six were caught by employing a slow swim-and-slight-pause presentation in about five to seven feet of water around the filamentous algae, piles of tree limbs, submerged aquatic vegetation, and around another dock.
Along about a 400-yard stretch of a shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir, we caught seven largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of this shoreline consists of silt, gravel, rocks, and boulders. It is adorned with many patches of filamentous algae, several piles of brush, and sporadic patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. Most of the patches of submerged vegetation are covered with wads of filamentous algae. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 55-degree slope. Its water’s edge has several concrete retaining walls, about 100 feet of riprap, 10 docks, one small rock bridge, a few minor laydowns, one tiny concrete and rock jetty, a few overhanging trees, and some shallow-water patches of partially winter-dead American water willows. Along one of the shallow-water sections of this shoreline, we employed a swim-and-pause presentation with the Slim SwimZ rig to catch one largemouth bass in about 3 1/2 feet of water. Two largemouth bass were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig; one was caught on the initial drop in about three to four feet of water; a very slow swim-and-pause presentation caught the other largemouth bass in about four to six feet of water. Four were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig; two were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation in about six to seven feet of water; two were caught on a swim-and-pause presentation in about three to four feet of water around patches of submerged aquatic vegetation.
We caught 23 largemouth bass along about a 475-yard stretch of another shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir. This area possesses a 25- to 70-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt. The shoreline is cluttered with 27 docks, some concrete retaining walls, a few rock retaining walls, numerous overhanging trees, one massive laydown and some small laydowns, a few piles of brush, occasional patches of American water willow that are not winter-dead, and some patches of partially winter-dead American water willows. There are wads of filamentous algae and a few patches of submerged aquatic vegetation gracing the underwater terrains between the scores of docks. One of the 23 largemouth bass was caught on the Slim SwimZ rig with a swimming presentation in three feet of water around a patch of aquatic vegetation and wads of filamentous algae. Six of the 23 largemouth bass were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig, and 17 were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig. They were caught in water as shallow as two feet and as deep as about eight feet as we employed a swimming presentation similar to the speed that we use when we are swimming a Slim SwimZ rig or Z-Man’s GrubZ. It is an unusual way to retrieve a plastic-worm rig, but across the years it has paid some substantial dividends for us. Two of the 23 were caught around laydowns; four were caught around the corners and sides of the docks; two were associated with patches of American water willows; the others were caught in the vicinity of the wads of filamentous algae and patches of submerged aquatic vegetation.
In sum, we caught an average of 13 largemouth bass an hour.
Nov. 12
Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Nov. 12 outing at a 60-year-old state reservoir in northeastern Kansas.
The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 36 degrees, The afternoon’s high temperature was 65 degrees. The wind angled from the east and southeast at 5 to 22 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 30.15 at 12:52 a.m., 30.16 at 5:52 a.m., 30.10 at 11:52 a.m., and 29.98 at 3:52 p.m.
It is somewhat interesting to note that we have a few lilacs blooming, which is a reflection of the unusual weather phenomenon that occurred in northeaster Kansas this fall.
The water level was about 18 inches below its normal level. The surface temperature was 58 degrees; it was the first time the surface temperature was below 60 degrees since April 9. The clarity has been awry at this reservoir for several months; on this outing, it exhibited about two to 3 1/4 feet of visibility around the dam.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 6:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m., 7:09 p.m. to 9:09 p.m., and 12:32 a.m. to 2:32 a.m.
The largemouth bass fishing at this heavily fished state reservoir has become difficult this year. What’s more, many of its once glorious patches of coontail have disappeared. These patches used to provide a delightful habitat for the largemouth bass and Midwest finesse anglers to explore.
The purpose of this outing was to quickly search for patches of coontail and spend less than two hours trying to catch at least an average of 10 largemouth bass an hour.
I made my first cast at 2:00 p.m. and the last one at 3:46 p.m. And during these 106 minutes, I was disheartened about the state of the coontail patches, and I failed to catch an hourly average of 10 largemouth bass. Instead, I tangled with 15 largemouth bass and accidentally caught eight crappie and one green sunfish.
One largemouth was caught on a radically shortened seven-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Six were caught on a slightly shortened Z-Man’s coppertreuse TRD TicklerZ affixed to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Eight largemouth bass were caught on a radically shortened four-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Hula StickZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. The Finesse WormZ was shortened to three inches, the Hula StickZ was shortened to two inches, the TRD TicklerZ was shortened to 2 ½ inches.
I spent many minutes examining and fishing across a gigantic shallow-water flat in the back of one of this reservoir’s major feeder-creek arms. This flat used to be enhanced with the most magnificent patches of coontail in northeastern Kansas, but these patches have diminished dramatically. In the autumns of the past, this flat and its submerged vegetation and manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees used to yield 25 to 40 largemouth bass; today it yielded four largemouth bass. One was caught in about six feet of water on the Finesse WormZ rig with a swim-and-pause presentation along the edge of a submerged creek channel and around a submerged eastern red cedar tree that is entangled with some coontail. Three were caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig with a swim-and-pause presentation in five to seven feet of water around patches of coontail.
I caught two largemouth bass along a 100-yard stretch of one of this flat’s two shorelines. This shoreline is enhanced by a submerged creek channel. Its underwater terrain consists of silt, gravel, and rocks, which are occasionally adorned with patches of coontail. The water’s edge is endowed with a few patches of winter-dead American water willows, several laydowns, and many piles of tree limbs. One largemouth bass was allured by the initial drop of the HogZ rig in about three feet of water in the vicinity of the inside edge of a patch of coontail. The second largemouth bass was caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig with a drag-and-pause presentation in about six feet of water around three laydowns.
I spent the final 40 minutes of this 106-minute outing quickly fishing along the riprap shoreline of the dam, which is about as long as four football fields. It has a 50- to 75-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water’s edge is devoid of emergent aquatic vegetation, submerged aquatic vegetation, laydowns, piles of brush, and stumps.
I used a drift sock to allow the wind to move the boat at a leisurely pace along this shoreline. I caught seven largemouth bass. The TRD TicklerZ rig inveigled two largemouth bass, and the Hula StickZ allured five. Six of the seven were caught as I was strolling and employing a drag-pause-and-slight-shake presentation in four to about seven feet of water. One was caught on the initial drop in about three feet of water.
In sum, I caught an average of eight largemouth bass an hour.
Nov. 14
Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Nov. 14 outing with Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence at a 49-year-old federal reservoir in northeastern Kansas.
The nearest National Weather Service station reported that the morning’s low temperature was 35 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 64 degrees. The wind angled out of the west, northwest, and southwest at 3 to 13 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 30.02 at 12:53 a.m., 30.06 at 5:53 a.m., 30.10 at 11:53 a.m., and 30.05 at 2:53 p.m.
The water level was 5.16 inches below normal. There were 180 cubic feet per second of water flowing into this reservoir and 20 cubic feet per second flowing out of it. The surface temperature ranged from 58 to 59 degrees. The water was stained and exhibited about four to 15 inches of visibility.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 8:18 a.m. to 10:18 a.m., 8:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m., and 2:04 a.m. to 4:04 a.m.
We made our first casts at 10:23 a.m. and the last ones at 2:46 p.m. Pok Chi is a diehard temperate bass angler, and he was hoping to tangle with vast numbers of white bass and a sprinkling of black bass. But to his and my disappointment, it was a chore to catch 10 white bass, one largemouth bass, 13 smallmouth bass, and five freshwater drum.
We fished about a 3 ½-mile stretch of the middle section of this reservoir. Between a main-lake point that is about three miles from the dam to a main-lake point that is about 6 ½ miles from the dam, we fished around 10 main-lake points, along 7 main-lake shorelines, around four tertiary points, around four secondary points, and along six secondary shorelines.
The underwater terrains of all these shorelines and points consist of gravel and rocks, and many of them were adorned with boulders; some of the boulders are gargantuan. There are a few laydowns and piles of tree limbs littering these terrains. All of the fish were caught along shorelines and around points that possess a 20- to 35-degree slope. The steeper shorelines and points failed to yield a white bass and a black bass.
The only largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of a 2.75-inch Z-Man’s The Deal TRD TubeZ affixed to an inserted 1/16-ounce jig; this largemouth bass was abiding in about two feet of water near a pile of tree limbs along a secondary shoreline. Along this secondary shoreline, the TubeZ rig caught one smallmouth bass with a drag-and-pause presentation in about three to four feet of water and many yards from the water’s edge.
Around one main-lake point that is adjacent to this secondary shoreline, we caught one smallmouth bass on a Z-Man’s yoga-pants TRD HogZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead with dragging presentation in about three feet of water. This point has about a 30-degree slope.
Along the main-lake shoreline next to this main-lake point, we caught three smallmouth bass. One was caught on a shortened four-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Hula StickZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead with a drag-and-pause presentation in about three feet of water. The Junebug Hula StickZ is 2 ¾-inches long. The other two were caught on the TubeZ rig; one was caught on the initial drop adjacent to a pile of tree limbs in about three feet of water; the other one was caught on a dragging presentation in about three feet of water. This shoreline has about a 35-degree slope.
Around another main-lake point, the initial drop of the Junebug Hula StickZ rig inveigled a smallmouth bass in about two feet of water. This point has about a 30-degree slope.
The TubeZ rig caught a smallmouth bass around a main-lake point at the mouth of a tiny feeder-creek arm. It was caught on a dragging presentation in about three to four feet of water.
Around a main-lake point that is enhanced with hundreds of flat and table-like boulders, a three-inch Z-Man’s hot-chartreuse MinnowZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce underspin with a swimming presentation allured a smallmouth bass in three to four feet of water. This point has about a 30-degree slope.
Five smallmouth bass were caught around a large and flat main-lake point, which has a 20- to 25-degree slope. They were caught on a shortened four-inch Z-Man’s pearl Hula StickZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. One was caught on the initial drop in about two feet of water. The others were caught on a swimming presentation in one to three feet of water. This Huka StickZ rig is 2 1/4 inches long.
We failed to elicit a strike along many yards of main-lake shorelines and around several main-lake, secondary, and tertiary points; these endeavors were very puzzling and frustrating.
Pok-Chi sometimes wielded a crankbait, inline spinner, and topwater lure in hopes of alluring some white bass, but they were unfruitful. All of the 25 fish were caught on our Midwest finesse rigs.
In conclusion, the smallmouth bass and white bass fishing has become so problematic at this federal reservoir that this outing was the first time that I fished it since July 16, 2021. It used to be one of our most bountiful smallmouth bass and white bass reservoirs. For instance, back on one of those glorious days, Dave Petro of Lecompton, Kansas, and I caught and immediately released 111 smallmouth bass from 10:25 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. on Aug. 9, 2016. Also, the water clarity has become more and more stained, making it an unattractive venue to the eyes of many Midwest finesse anglers. Since 2011 and 2012, the white bass plague has waylaid the white bass populations in this reservoir and several other reservoirs in northeastern Kansas and several reservoirs in the central and northern Ozarks of Missouri. The demise of the zebra mussels in this reservoir parallels the problems with the water clarity and deterioration of the smallmouth bass fishing; scores of Midwest finesse anglers found the invasion of the zebra mussels to be a godsend. Another problem stemmed from the arrival of the largemouth bass virus, which waylaid the smallmouth bass populations in this reservoir and one of northeastern Kansas' power-plant reservoirs.
Some observers are hoping that tournament anglers will implement a system that will allow them to catch, weigh or measure, and immediately release every black bass that they catch instead of carrying them around in their boats’ livewells during the entire tournament.
Nowadays, I am an 84-year-old Midwest finesse angler who is unenthusiastic about making the 126-mile round trip from his front door to this federal reservoir to tangle with an hourly catch rate of just 3.5 black bass and 2.5 white bass. And I know two other Midwest finesse anglers -- who are not quite as old as I am --who are reluctant to venture to this reservoir again.
Nov. 15
Bob Gum of Kansas City, Kansas, posted a brief on the Finesse News Network about his Nov. 15 outing at a 46-year-old power-plant reservoir in northeastern Kansas.
The nearest office of the National Weather Service reported that the low temperature was 34 degrees, and the high temperature was 64 degrees. The wind angled out of the south and southeast at 3 to 13 mph, and there was one 20-mph gust around 12:53 p.m. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 30.08 at 12:53 a.m., 30.10 at 5:53 a.m., 30.10 at 11:53 a.m., and 30.02 at 2:53 p.m.
The water level looked to be two feet low. The surface temperature was 58 degrees. The water exhibited about 4 ½ to five feet of visibility, which is the clearest that I have ever seen it.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would occur from 9:08 a.m. to 11:08 a.m., 9:37 p.m. to 11:37 p.m. and 2:37 a.m. to 4:37 a.m.
I made my first cast at 6:30 a.m. and the last one at 1:30 p.m. I was the first angler afloat, and throughout the day, it felt like I had the entire reservoir to myself.
I concentrated most of my efforts along the riprap shorelines of the power plant, the access road to the power plant, and the dam, and the bite along these shorelines was pretty good. But I also tried some spots at the lower end of the reservoir that I normally skip over, and they were somewhat fruitful. The shoreline along the dam was the most fruitful.
Along the access road, I noticed several large brownish masses, which clouded the water. I assumed it was an algae bloom. But when I looked more closely, I could see that these masses consisted of millions of pinhead-size and pulsating organisms. The gizzard shad, which were abundant in this area, appeared to be feeding on them.
My most effective Midwest finesse rigs were a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD BugZ affixed to a green 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig and a 3 ½-inch Z-Man’s smelt TRD MinnowZ on a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig.
I used a swim-glide-and-shake presentation, and most of the fish were caught in two to 10 feet of water.
I caught 56 largemouth bass, 10 freshwater drum, and five channel catfish. One channel catfish weighed six pounds. I caught an average of eight largemouth bass an hour. Most of the largemouth bass were pint-sized specimens, but four of them were 18 inches or longer.
I fished this reservoir on Nov.11 and caught 100 fish on Midwest finesse rigs; 85 of them were largemouth bass, which was an average of 11 largemouth bass an hour. I fished from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All but three of the 100 fish were caught along the riprap shorelines of the power plant, the access road to the power plant, and the dam. And again, the shoreline along the dam was the most fruitful area.
From the historical perspectives of several longtime Midwest finesse anglers, which stretch back into the late 1980s, it is interesting to note that the largemouth bass fishing along the riprap shoreline of the dam is often the most fruitful area for finesse anglers to ply during the middle of November and April -- especially on or several days around Nov. 14 and April 14.
Nov. 21
Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Nov. 21 outing with Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence at an 84-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas.
The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 33 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 45 degrees. The sky was fair. The wind angled out of the northwest at 10 to 17 mph with gusts that ranged from 22 to 29 mph. The barometric pressure was 30.07 at 12:53 a.m., 30:14 at 5:53 a.m., 30.22 at 10:53 a.m., and 30.17 at 2:53 p.m.
The water level looked to be several inches above its normal level. The surface temperature ranged from 53 to 54 degrees, which is warmer than normal. The water exhibited more than nine feet of visibility in the vicinity of the dam, and it diminished to about four feet of clarity along some of the eastern and western portions of the upper third of the reservoir’s primary feeder-creek arm.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 2:57 a.m. to 4:57 a.m., 3:22 p.m. to 5:22 p.m., and 9:10 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.
We made our first casts at 11:10 a.m. and our last casts when we caught largemouth bass number 30 at 2:04 p.m. The wind made many of our casts and retrieves a chore.
One of the 30 largemouth bass was caught on a shortened Z-Man’s pearl TRD TicklerZ affixed to a 1/10-ounce chartreuse Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Thirteen largemouth bass were caught on a radically shortened seven-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Seventeen largemouth bass were caught on a slightly shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. The Junebug Finesse WormZ was shortened to three inches, and the purple-haze Finesse WormZ was shortened to 3 3/4 inches.
Seven of the 30 largemouth bass were caught along the shoreline of this reservoir’s 1,550-foot dam. The dam has a height of 58 feet with a 45- to 50-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Portions of this terrain are coated with bits and pieces of unidentified specimens of submerged aquatic vegetation. The water’s edge contains a concrete water outlet tower and a few small patches of winter-dead American water willows. The seven largemouth bass were caught on our purple-haze Finesse WormZ rigs. Two were caught on the initial drop in three to four feet of water. Another two were caught on a slow swim-and-pause presentation in about six feet of water. Three were caught on a drag-pause-and-shake presentation in five to seven feet of water.
We caught one largemouth bass along about a 175-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir. It has a 30- to 50-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rock, and boulders. Parts of this underwater terrain are graced with patches of unidentified specimens of submerged aquatic vegetation. The water’s edge is endowed with 10 docks, a few patches of winter-dead American water willows, one overhanging walnut tree, a rock retaining wall, two concrete retaining walls, and a few piles of tree limbs. This largemouth bass was caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ with a swim-and-pause presentation in about six feet of water around some meager patches of submerged aquatic vegetation.
Along about a 400-yard stretch of a shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir, we caught seven largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of this shoreline consists of silt, gravel, rocks, and boulders. It is adorned with several piles of brush and sporadic patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 55-degree slope. Its water’s edge has several concrete retaining walls, about 100 feet of riprap, 10 docks, one small rock bridge, a few minor laydowns, one tiny concrete and rock jetty, a few overhanging trees, and some shallow-water patches of winter-dead and nearly winter-dead American water willows. Along one of the shallow-water sections of this shoreline, we employed a swim-and-pause presentation with the pearl TRD TicklerZ rig to catch one largemouth bass in about 3 1/2 feet of water. Two largemouth bass were caught on our purple-haze Finesse WormZ rigs with a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation in about three to five of water. Four largemouth bass were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig with a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation in three to six feet of water.
We caught 13 largemouth bass along about a 400-yard stretch of another shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir. This area possesses a 25- to 70-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt. The shoreline is cluttered with 25 docks, some concrete retaining walls, a few rock retaining walls, numerous overhanging trees, one massive laydown, some small laydowns, a few piles of brush, occasional patches of winter-dead American water willows, and a couple of patches of partially winter-dead American water willows. There are a few patches of submerged aquatic vegetation gracing the underwater terrains between the scores of docks. Five of the 13 largemouth bass were caught on our purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig. Eight of the 13 largemouth bass were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig. One was caught on a drag-and-shake presentation in about seven to eight feet of water. Five were caught on a swim-and-pause presentation in three to six feet of water. Seven were caught on a swimming presentation in three to five feet of water around patches of unidentified submerged aquatic vegetation.
Largemouth bass number 30 was caught along a 25-yard stretch of shoreline in the middle portion of this reservoir. It has a 30- to 40-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; this underwater terrain is enhanced with occasional patches of unidentified specimens of submerged aquatic vegetation. A few of the boulders are quite large. The water’s edge possesses three docks; some winter-dead and partially winter-dead patches of American water willows. This largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig with a drag-pause-and-shake presentation in seven to eight feet of water in the vicinity of several big boulders and bits and pieces of submerged aquatic vegetation.
In sum, we caught an average of slightly more than 10 largemouth bass an hour, and none of them were lunkers.
Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, and Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their outing on Nov. 22 at a 92-year-old state reservoir in northeastern Kansas.
The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 23 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 48 degrees. The wind was occasionally calm, but most of the time it angled out of the north and northwest at 3 to 9 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 30.24 at 12:52 a.m., 30.24 at 5:52 a.m., 30.25 at 11:52 a.m., and 30.17 at 2:52 p.m.
The water level looked to be several inches above normal. The surface temperature ranged from 52 to 54 degrees. According to our nine-foot push pole, the water exhibited five to more than nine feet of clarity.
This is an exurban waterway that is usually heavily fished, but we were the only anglers afloat.
In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 3:49 a.m. to 5:49 a.m., 4:12 p.m. to 6:12 p.m., and 10:01 a.m. to 12:01 p.m.
We made our first casts at 10:52 a.m., and we executed our last ones when we caught largemouth number 50 at 1:59 p.m.
We caught one of the 50 largemouth bass on a three-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed to a chartreuse 3 /32-ounce mushroom-style jig. Five of the 50 were caught on a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ affixed to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. A shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead allured 13 largemouth bass. And 31 largemouth bass were inveigled by either a shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jighead or a radically shortened seven-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a 1/15-ounce baby-blue Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. The 4 ¾-inch purple-haze Finesse WormZ was shortened to 3 3/4 inches. The 4 3/4-inch Junebug Finesse WormZ was shortened to 3 3/4 inches. The seven-inch Junebug Finesse WormZ was shortened to three inches.
These are two Finesse WormZ rigs that we used to catch 31 of the 50 largemouth bass that we caught.
We caught 35 largemouth bass on a massive shallow-water flat in the back of one of this reservoir’s two primary feeder-creek arms. This entire area looks to be about the size of seven football fields. We fished across and around an area about the size of four football fields. The water’s edge of this flat is cluttered with significant patches of nearly winter-dead American water willows, many overhanging trees, and numerous laydowns. The center of the flat is endowed with a small island, which is embellished with patches of nearly winter-dead American water willows and littered with scores of concrete blocks and small boulders. Many segments of the underwater terrain are quilted with patches of coontail, some manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees, and burgeoning patches of curly-leaf pondweeds. The patches of curly-leaf pondweeds have supplanted the patches of bushy pondweeds and are gradually supplanting the patches of coontail. Some of the curly-leaf pondweeds are three feet tall, and the bulk of the 35 largemouth bass that we caught were abiding around the taller stems of curly-leaf pondweeds. A submerged creek channel meanders across this flat, and much of this channel has become cluttered with silt. This flat is endowed with three submerged tiny creek channels. All of these submerged channels are ladened with silt. Eight of the 35 largemouth bass were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig; two were caught on the initial drop, and six were caught on a slow swim-and-pause presentation; they were caught in water as shallow as three feet and as deep as eight feet. Twenty-seven of the 35 largemouth bass were caught on our Junebug Finesse WormZ rigs. One of the 27 was caught on an accidental deadstick presentation in about five feet of water. A dragging presentation through a patch of curly-leaf pondweeds allured one of the 27. Five were caught on the initial drop in five to eight feet of water. Twenty of the 27 were caught as we employed a swim-and-pause presentation in four to eight feet of water.
Along about a 50-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline adjacent to the mouth of this reservoir’s second primary feeder-creek arm, we caught one largemouth bass. This area has a 35- to 40-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders that are carpeted with some meager patches of coontail and a few curly-leaf pondweeds. Many of the boulders are gigantic. The water’s edge is enhanced with patches of winter-dead American water willows and some dilapidated laydowns. The largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rig in about four to five feet of water near the outside edge of the patches of winter-dead American water willows.
Along about a 500-yard stretch of a secondary shoreline inside the second primary feeder-creek arm, we caught 12 largemouth bass. This shoreline has a 30- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks; some of this terrain is coated with patches of coontail and curly-leaf pondweeds. The water’s edge consists of many patches of nearly winter-dead and winter-dead American water willows, some overhanging trees, a few laydowns, several tertiary points, one secondary point, and a small shallow-water flat. Five of the 12 largemouth bass were caught in a small pocket or dent in the shoreline that is endowed with some magnificent patches of coontail; three were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig with a swim-and-pause presentation in about four to five feet of water; the other two were caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rig in about three to four feet of water. Around the secondary point, we caught three largemouth bass on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig with a swim-and-pause presentation in about five feet of water around some unidentified patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. The initial drop of the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig in about four feet of water allured a largemouth bass along the inside edge of a patch of unidentified submerged vegetation on this shoreline’s shallow-water flat. The Finesse ShadZ rig with a drag-and-pause-and-shake presentation in about six feet of water caught two largemouth bass along the steeper sections of this shoreline.
We caught three largemouth bass across a massive shallow-water flat in the back of this second primary feeder-creek arm. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and silt, and portions of this terrain are coated with coontail and some burgeoning patches of curly-leaf pondweeds. There are several manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees enhancing this flat. Two submerged creek channels crisscross portions of this flat; many yards of these submerged channels are ladened with silt. The entire flat is about the size of four football fields, and an area about the size of two football fields has been overwhelmed with thousands of American lotus plants that are now exhibiting their winter-dead motif, and these American lotus plants have encroached upon many of the glorious patches of coontail where we caught thousands of largemouth bass across the many years that we have fished this reservoir.
One of the three largemouth bass that we caught on this outing was allured by the pearl Slim SwimZ rig with a swimming presentation in five to six feet of water around some submerged patches of unidentified aquatic vegetation. Two largemouth bass were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ: one was caught around several of the winter-dead American lotus stems with a swim-and-pause presentation in about five feet of water; the second largemouth bass was caught around a patch of coontail and a partially submerged eastern red cedar tree.
In sum, we caught an average of 16 largemouth bass an hour.
Nov. 24
Talban Kantala of Cypress, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his outing on Nov. 24 with his brother Kenrick Kantala of Charleston, South Carolina, at a massive tidewater river in the coastal area of South Carolina.
The morning’s low temperature was 43 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 70 degrees. The sky was fair. The wind ranged from 3 to 8 mph from the southwest. The barometric pressure was 30.17 at 9:00 a.m. and 30.14 at noon.
The low tide occurred at 8:37 a.m. at 1.16 feet. The high tide was at 2:44 p.m. at five feet. The surface temperature was 59.5 degrees.
We fished from 9:00 a.m. to noon. During these three hours, we caught and released twenty sea trout, one redfish, one lizardfish, and one rock sea bass.
The last time either of us had fished this body of water by boat was several years ago.
The first area we dissected was a small rock pile that runs parallel for about 75 yards to the outer banks of a sandy island that drops into 18 feet of water into the main river channel.
I employed a Z-Man’s The Deal Finesse ShadZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man's Finesse ShroomZ Jighead. I retrieved it by quickly lifting the rod and employing two to three twitches or shakes and then allowed the rig to fall to the bottom. Kenrick fished the same area with a popping cork rigged with a three-inch shrimp imitation. Neither of us elicited any strikes.
Next, we moved a few miles upriver to explore a small creek branching off the main river channel. The creek is about three miles in length. It gradually narrows in its upper end, making portions of it unnavigable by boat. Kenrick and I fished the first mile of the creek while moving with the incoming tide. Along this stretch, we fished around the outer mouth of the creek, 31 boat docks, several concrete retaining walls, and numerous rock piles. Most of the docks were on one side of the creek and adjacent to the concrete retaining walls and rock piles. A line of Spartina grass grew along the banks where rock structures were absent. On the undeveloped side of the creek, small feeder creeks adorned with lines of spartina grass drained into the main channel. The underwater terrain along the creek edges consisted mostly of mud, sand, and occasional oyster shell substrates. The creek channel's depth ranged from eight to 12 feet, and the width narrowed from 50 yards at the mouth to 30 yards where we stopped fishing. Water clarity ranged from 2.5 to three feet.
At the creek's mouth, I wielded a 2.5-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on a black 1/6-ounce Z-Man's Finesse ShroomZ Jighead. I worked the outer edges in two to three feet of water over sandy and loose oyster shell substrate using a slow and steady retrieve, but I didn’t entice any strikes. As we progressed up the creek arm, we fished three boat docks that were devoid of any rock piles or concrete retaining walls and we failed to allure any fish.
At the fourth dock, which had an adjacent rock pile, I caught a 14-inch sea trout between the dock pylons with a slow-swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig. Kenrick also caught a sea trout in the same spot using a popping cork rigged with the three-inch shrimp imitation. After several casts without success, I wielded a black 1/6-ounce Z-Man's Finesse ShroomZ Jighead paired with a 2.5-inch Z-Man’s Salty Ned Shrimp in the rootbeer-gold hue.
For the remainder of this outing, I utilized the quick upward-rod twitch technique that included two to three twitches followed by a three- to four-second pause to allow the bait to fall to the bottom. This method proved to be the most effective retrieve, and I caught 17 more sea trout, one rock sea bass, and one redfish. The length of the largest sea trout was 16.5 inches. Most of these fish were caught around docks with adjacent rock piles or concrete retaining walls. The highlight of the day was landing my best redfish taken with an artificial lure; it measured 27.5 inches. It was hooked in two to three feet of water between two docks near a concrete retaining wall. I enjoyed a spirited eight- to 10-minute fight with this redfish before I could hoist it into the boat.
Kenrick struggled to catch fish on this outing. He landed one lizardfish using a 5-inch Z-Man’s festivus Trout Trick affixed to a red 3/16-ounce Z-Man’s Trout Eye Jighead, and one more sea trout with a three-inch Z-Man’s Houdini Scented ShrimpZ affixed to a red 3/16-ounce Z-Man’s Trout Eye Jighead.
Overall, it was a fantastic day on the water and one of my best inshore outings.