Midwest Finesse Fishing: Sept. 2024

One of the 54 largemouth bass that were caught on Sept. 11.

Sept. 3

  Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his outing on Sept. 3 at a 64-year-old and heavily fished state reservoir in northeastern Kansas.

Here is an edited version of his log:

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 50 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 82 degrees. The wind varied from being calm to angling out of the southeast, east, and south at 3 to 18 mph. The sky was fair.  The barometric pressure was 30.22 at 12:52 a.m., 30.22 at 5:52 a.m., 30:23 at 11:52 a.m., and 30.17 at 2:52 p.m.

The water level looked to be a few inches below normal. The surface temperature was 79 degrees. The water exhibited 1 1/2 to five feet of visibility. Many shallow-water segments of this reservoir were afflicted with either algal blooms or discolored water.  Many of this reservoir’s once vast patches of American pondweeds and coontail have disappeared.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would occur from 11:31 p.m. to 1:31 a.m., 5:01 a.m. to 7:01. a.m., and 5:21 p.m. to 7:21 p.m.

I made my first cast at 10.55 a.m. and the last at 1:51 p.m. which was when I caught largemouth bass number 30. I also tangled accidentally with one channel catfish, two crappie, and two bluegill.  

One of the 30 largemouth bass was caught on a three-inch Z-Man’s The Deal Slim SwimZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead with a swim-and-pause presentation, and it was caught on the final pause along the side of the boat in about 3 ½ feet of water around some patches of coontail.

A radically shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead caught 29 largemouth bass. This Finesse WormZ is three inches long. Most of the 29 largemouth bass were caught on a swim-and-pause presentation. A few were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. Three were caught on the initial drop. One was caught on a deadstick presentation. They were caught in three to seven feet of water.

This is the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig.

I was surprised that I failed to elicit a strike on a three-inch Z-Man’s black-neon Finesse WormZ affixed to either a red 1/20- or 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead; this rig inveigled hundreds of largemouth bass in August.

Twenty-six of the largemouth bass were caught across four small sections of a gigantic shallow-water flat in the back of one of this reservoir’s major feeder-creek arms. It is the size of many football fields. It is graced with hundreds of patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, sago pondweeds, and numerous manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. (These are the only substantial patches of submerged aquatic vegetation that are now gracing this reservoir’s large shallow-water flats.) A submerged creek channel twists and turns along portions of the western, southern, and northern edges of this flat. Its shorelines are endowed with patches of American water willows and American pondweeds: some scanty patches of coontail and bushy pondweeds are intertwined with the American water willows and American pondweeds.

Five of the 26 largemouth bass were caught along a 75-yard stretch of its shallow-water shoreline, which has a 25-degree slope. One was caught adjacent to a manmade pile of eastern red cedar trees. Two were caught around a dilapidated laydown in about three to four feet of water.  The other two were caught around patches of American pondweeds intertwined with coontail.

Twenty-one largemouth bass were caught around three small sections in the middle portions of the flat. These areas are embellished with significant patches of coontail, sago pondweeds, bushy pondweeds, and manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. One was caught on the Slim SwimZ rig. Twenty were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig.

One main-lake point was fruitless.

One main-lake point yielded one largemouth bass. This point has a 25-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and silt. There are some scanty patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail along a few sections of this point, as well as several manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. This largemouth bass was allured by a deadstick presentation in about four to five feet of water in an area that is devoid of vegetation and piles of eastern red cedar trees.

I caught another largemouth bass around another main-lake point. It possesses a 25-degree slope. It is enhanced with some very small patches of bushy pondweeds, several manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees, and some skimpy patches of American pondweeds. The Junebug Finesse WormZ rig with a swim-and-pause presentation around the outside edge of a patch of bushy pondweeds in about five feet of water allured this largemouth bass.

I eked out two largemouth bass along one of the shorelines of a  massive shallow-water flat inside this reservoir’s second major feeder-creek arm. The patches of coontail and bush pondweeds that used to adorn hundreds of yards of this flat have disappeared. The only patches that remain are in a few feet of water adjacent to the patches of American water willows and American pondweeds that  grace this flat’s shorelines. One of the two largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig on a very shallow-water patch of coontail. The second one was caught on a swim-and-pause presentation in about four feet of water around a patch of American water willows, American pondweeds, and coontail.

In summation, I caught an average of 10 largemouth bass an hour, which is an average catch rate for Midwest finesse anglers in northeastern Kansas. But compared to the 126 largemouth bass and an hourly average of 31.5 largemouth bass that Pok-Chi Lau of Lawrence, Kansas, and I caught in three hours and 35 minutes on Aug. 30 at another state reservoir, this outing was a chore.

Pok Chi and I caught those 126 largemouth bass the day before all of the antics that occurred during the three-day Labor Day weekend.  And some anglers might surmise that all of the chaos that took place at this reservoir during the Labor Day weekend put the largemouth bass in a state of disarray and difficult to allure. But I am guessing the problem at this reservoir revolves around the demise of the vast patches of coontail and other kinds of submerged aquatic vegetation that once embellished many of its underwater terrains.  It is interesting to note that the reservoir that Pok Chi and I fished on Aug. 30 is graced with vast patches of submerged aquatic vegetation; in fact, it has the best patches of submerged vegetation of all the reservoirs that we fish in northeastern Kansas. And we have found across the many decades that we have fished the flatland reservoirs in northeastern Kansas with our Midwest finesse tactics that vast patches of submerged aquatic vegetation, such as coontail, are an essential ingredient for fruitful largemouth bass fishing.

Sept. 5

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his outing at a 92-year-old state reservoir in northeastern Kansas on Sept. 5.

Here is an edited version of that log.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 53 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 91 degrees. The wind was calm and variable for 13 hours, and when it stirred, it angled out of the north, west, and southeast at 3 to 8 mph. The sky was fair for 14 hours; then it became cluttered with a few clouds and partly cloudy. The barometric pressure was 30.17 at 12:52 a.m., 30.17 at 5:52 a.m., 30.16 at 11:52 a.m., and 30.12 at 2:52 p.m.  

The water level looked to be about a foot above normal. The surface temperature ranged from 79 to 83. The water exhibited 2 1/2 to five feet of clarity. I am sorry to note that this reservoir’s patches of coontail exhibited a sickly and brownish hue, and they were somewhat glued to the bottom. What’s more, some of the patches of American water willow looked weathered and unhealthy.

This is an exurban waterway that is usually heavily fished, and there were several largemouth bass anglers afloat today. Three of the bass anglers that I talked to said that they struggled to catch a dozen largemouth bass.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 12:15 a.m. to 2:15 a.m., 12:34 p.m. to 2:34 p.m., and 6:25 a.m. to 8:25 a.m.

I made my first cast at 10:45 a.m. and my last one at 2:45 p.m. It was a difficult task to tangle with 38 largemouth bass, two bluegill, and one hefty channel catfish.

Four of the 38 largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ affixed to either a baby-blue or a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Eleven were caught on a radically shortened 4 3/4-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. And a radically shortened 4 3/4-inch Z-Man’s black-neon Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead caught 23 largemouth bass. The Finesse WormZ rigs were shortened to three inches.

One largemouth bass was caught on a deadstick presentation. Two were caught as I was using a drag-and-pause presentation on a rocky terrain. Three were caught on the initial drop. Six were caught as I was strolling and employing either a swim-and-a-slight-pause presentation or a swim-and-shake presentation. (Strolling is accomplished by casting the rig at a 45-degree angle behind the boat and executing a semi-trolling procedure by using the bow-mounted electric trolling motor and the wind to slowly move the boat and rig. It is different from the strolling tactic that the modern-day forward-facing-sonar anglers employ.) Twenty-nine largemouth bass were caught as I employed a swim-and-pause presentation. The 38 largemouth bass were caught in water as shallow as three feet and as deep as nine feet. The swim-and-pause presentation allowed the Finesse ShadZ rig and Finesse WormZ rigs to gingerly glide across the tops of the patches of coontail. And I spent 99 percent of this outing dissecting patches of coontail.

Thirty-one largemouth bass were caught 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. I fished across and around an area about the size of two football fields. The water’s edge of this flat is cluttered with significant patches of American water willows, many overhanging trees, and numerous laydowns. The center of the flat is endowed with a small island that is embellished with patches of 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 occasionally patches of bushy pondweeds. A submerged creek channel meanders across this flat, and much of it has become cluttered with silt. Three small dry branches also traverse tiny portions of this flat.  Two of the 31 largemouth bass were caught on the Finesse ShadZ rig; 11 of the 31 were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig; 18 of the 31 were caught on the black-neon Finesse WormZ rig.  One of the 31 largemouth bass was caught adjacent to a laydown in about three feet of water along one of the shorelines. The other thirty were caught on or in the vicinity of patches of coontail in four to eight feet of water.

It was a whale of a struggle to catch five largemouth bass across a massive shallow-water flat in the back of this reservoir’s second primary feeder-creek arm. This flat is the size of about four football fields, and an area about the size of 1 ½ football fields is covered with thousands of American lotus plants. Portions of its shoreline are endowed with patches of American water willows and an occasional laydown. Segments of the underwater terrain are quilted with scanty patches of coontail and bits and pieces of bushy pondweeds. There are several submerged manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees adorning this flat. Two submerged creek channels and two dry branches crisscross this flat. The black-neon Finesse WormZ rig inveigled the five largemouth bass in four to nine feet of water. Two were caught around meager patches of coontail along the outside edge of the massive patch of American lotus; the others were caught around large patches of coontail in the center of the flat.

Around a main-lake point at the mouth of this reservoir’s second primary feeder-creek arm, I caught two largemouth bass.  It has a 45-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders that are carpeted with a few meager patches of coontail and bushy pondweeds. The water’s edge is enhanced with patches of American water willows. These largemouth bass were caught in about six to seven feet of water on the Finesse ShadZ rig with a drag-and-pause presentation.

During these four hours, I elicited 11 strikes that I failed to hook, and I had a somewhat hefty fish break my six-pound-test fluorocarbon leader at the knot that affixed the black-neon Finesse WormZ rig to the fluorocarbon leader.  There were several times when I elicited two and three strikes per retrieve before I hooked a largemouth bass. I caught an average of 9.5 largemouth bass an hour. It is interesting to note that Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence, Kansas, and I fished this reservoir seven days ago, and we caught 126 largemouth bass in three hours and 35 minutes, which is an average of 36 largemouth bass an hour. And my cousin Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, and I caught 107 largemouth bass on Aug. 9 in four hours, which is an average of 26.76 largemouth bass an hour.

Sept. 10

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a brief log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 10 outing at an 85-year-old and heavily fished 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 48 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 86 degrees. The wind angled out of the east, south, and southeast at 3 to 12 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 30.07 at 12:52 a.m., 30.04 at 5:52 a.m., 30.05 at 11:52 a.m., and 29.99 at 3:52 p.m.

The water level looked to be about normal. The surface temperature ranged from 76 to 78 degrees. The water exhibited about 12 inches of visibility in the back of its primary feeder-creek arm and about 40 inches of visibility in the vicinity of the dam.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 4:13 a.m. to 6:13 a.m., 4:39 p.m. to 6:39 p.m., and 10:26 a.m. to 12:26 p.m.

I made my first cast at 1:18 p.m., and the last one at 3:50 p.m. after I battled a hefty channel catfish for about five minutes. During this two-hour and 32-minute outing, I fished along the shoreline of the spillway, along about a 125-yard stretch of the dam’s shorelines, and along portions of two shorelines inside this reservoir’s primary feeder-creek arm.

I failed to elicit a strike along the spillway’s shoreline and the rock- and boulder-laden shoreline of the dam. The dam’s shoreline possesses about a 50-degree slope. Its water’s edge is endowed with many shallow-water patches of American water willows, a riprap jetty that supports an outlet tower, a few logs, and some small piles of limbs and branches.  The spillway has a 10-degree and less slope. Its water’s edge is adorned with patches of American water willows, two meager piles of brush, and a shallow-water patch of cattails.

I spent the final 120 minutes of this outing along the two shorelines inside the primary feeder-creek arm.

I eked out 15 largemouth bass along about a 400-yard stretch of one of this primary feeder-creek’s shorelines. Its underwater terrain consists of silt, gravel, rocks, and boulders. This terrain used to be enhanced with fruitful patches of Eurasian milfoil, but the bulk of it has disappeared. The water’s edge is endowed with 20 docks, a few concrete and rock retaining walls, four laydowns, several overhanging trees, some piles of limbs and branches, and many patches of American water willows. The 15 largemouth bass were caught on a 3 ½-inch Z-Man’s pearl GrubZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Two were caught on the initial drop of the rig in about three feet of water. The other 13 were caught on either a swimming presentation or a swim-and-pause presentation in three to five feet of water. They were caught along the outside edges of the American water willows, around a few of the piles of limbs and branches, along the sides of two of the 20 docks, and adjacent to two of the laydowns.

Along about a 125-yard stretch of the other shoreline inside this primary feeder-creek arm, I caught five largemouth bass on the pearl GrubZ rig. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Its patches of Eurasian milfoil and other types of submerged aquatic vegetation have virtually disappeared.  The water’s edge is cluttered with five docks, an array of overhanging trees and terrestrial brush, a few laydowns, several stumps, two concrete and rock retaining walls, and some piles of limbs and branches.  One largemouth bass was caught around a scanty patch of Eurasian milfoil with a swimming presentation in four to five feet of water. One was caught on the initial drop in about three feet of water along the outside edge of a patch of American water willows. The other three were caught around the piles of limbs and branches with a swimming presentation in four to five feet of water.

In conclusion, I was surprised and confounded that I was unable to engender a strike on Z-Man’s Finesse TRD rigs and shortened Z-Man’s Finesse Worm rigs. I caught 20 largemouth bass and accidentally caught two channel catfish, four green sunfish, and five bluegill. The catch rate was an average of eight largemouth bass an hour. 

All of the fish were caught on this 3 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ rig.

This reservoir used to be one of our most fruitful reservoirs for catching vast numbers and some hefty-sized largemouth bass. But since this reservoir’s managers began spraying it with herbicides during the 2010s, it has become one our most trying and disheartening venues in northeastern Kansas. On this outing, I failed to cross paths with any significant patches of submerged aquatic vegetation, which is a sure sign that the largemouth bass fishing will be trying. And I talked to another largemouth bass angler, who had fished for about two hours and failed to elicit a strike.

Sept. 11

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, and Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their outing at a 92-year-old state reservoir in northeastern Kansas on Sept. 11.  

Here is an edited version of that log.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 43 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 91 degrees. The wind was calm for nine hours, variable for about an hour, and when it stirred, it angled out of the northeast, southeast, south, and southwest at 3 to 10 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 29.98 at 12:52 a.m., 30.00 at 5:52 a.m., 30.00 at 11:52 a.m., and 29.93 at 2:52 p.m.  

The water level looked to be about normal. The surface temperature ranged from 77 to 79 degrees. According to our nine-foot push pole, the water exhibited four to six feet of clarity. Many of this reservoir’s patches of coontail are covered with either some brownish bio-film or burgeoning patches of southern naiad, and many of the coontail patches look like they are almost glued to the underwater terrain.  We were surprised to see a few three-inch stems of curly-leaf pondweeds, which will eventually become the wintertime habitat for significant numbers of largemouth bass.

This is an exurban waterway that is usually heavily fished, but besides us, there were only three other anglers afloat.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 5:02 a.m. to 7:02 a.m., 5:29 p.m. to 7:29 p.m., and 11:16 p.m. to 1:16 a.m.

We made our first casts at 10:38 a.m., and we executed our last ones at 2:16 p.m.

We caught 54 largemouth bass on seven Midwest finesse rigs. One was caught on a slightly shortened Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to a blue 1/15-ounce mushroom-style jig. Four were caught on a radically shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Seven were caught on a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin-blue-flake Finesse ShadZ affixed to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Nine were caught on a Z-Man’s watermelon-red-flake Finesse ShadZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jighead. Ten were caught on a radically shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s black-neon Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Eleven were caught on a 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jighead. Twelve were caught on a 3 ½-inch Z-Man’s pearl GrubZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead.

We caught nine of the 54 largemouth bass around manmade piles of boulders and rocks that are adjacent to a ledge that plummets into deep water. The inside edge of these piles is graced with occasional patches of submerged aquatic vegetation. These piles are about 90 feet long, and one segment forms a significant hump. Two of the nine largemouth bass were caught on the watermelon-red-flake Finesse ShadZ rig with a dragging presentation in about eight feet of water. Seven of the nine were caught on the black-neon Finesse WormZ on a dragging presentation in seven to 10 feet of water.

We caught 32 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 two football fields. The water’s edge of this flat is cluttered with significant patches of 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 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 patches of southern naiad. A submerged creek channel meanders across this flat, and much of it has become cluttered with silt. Three of the largemouth bass were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig. Another three were caught on the black-neon Finesse WormZ rig. Six were caught on the watermelon-red-flake Finesse ShadZ rig. Nine were caught on the pearl GrubZ rig. Eleven were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig. One was caught on a deadstick presentation. Three were caught on a dragging presentation. Five were caught on the initial drop. Either a swimming presentation or a swim-and-pause presentation caught 23 of the 32 largemouth bass. They were caught in water as shallow as two feet and as deep as nine feet. A few were caught around piles of eastern red cedar trees. The others were caught around patches of coontail, which are occasionally entwined with southern naiad.

We struggled to catch four largemouth bass across a massive shallow-water flat in the back of another primary feeder-creek arm. This flat is the size of about four football fields, and an area about the size of one football field is covered with thousands of American lotus plants. Portions of its shoreline are endowed with patches of American water willows, an occasional laydown, and a few patches of southern naiad and coontail. Segments of the flat’s underwater terrain are quilted with scanty patches of coontail and bits and pieces of southern naiad. There are several submerged manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees adorning this flat. One largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig with a swim-and-pause presentation around a patch of coontail in seven feet of water. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the GrubZ rig adjacent to a submerged eastern red cedar tree in three feet of water. Around the outside edge of the American lotus plants, the GrubZ rig with a swim-and-pause presentation in six feet of water inveigled one largemouth bass. Along a section of the shoreline, the GrubZ rig with a swimming presentation allured a largemouth bass in about four feet of water around some patches of southern naiad.

Around a main-lake point at the mouth of this reservoir’s second primary feeder-creek arm and along a short stretch of its main-lake shoreline, we caught five largemouth bass. The slope of this point and its shoreline ranges from 40 to 45 degrees. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of the boulders are humongous. The water’s edge is enhanced with patches of American water willows and one overhanging tree. One of the five largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the watermelon-red-flake Finesse ShadZ in about three feet of water inside a small pocket or dent in the American water willows. Four largemouth bass were caught on the green-pumpkin-blue-flake Finesse ShadZ rig with a drag-and-pause presentation in five to eight feet of water.

Around this primary feeder-creek’s other main-lake point and along a 40-yard stretch of its main-lake shoreline, we caught four 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 southern naiad. The water’s edge is enhanced with patches of American water willows and some dilapidated laydowns. One largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig with a drag-and-pause presentation in five to six feet of water. Three of the four largemouth bass were caught on the green-pumpkin-blue-flake Finesse ShadZ rig as we were strolling and employing a drag-and-slight-pause presentation in six to eight feet of water.

In sum, we caught an average of 15 largemouth bass an hour. The fishing was more difficult than it was in August. We fished this reservoir twice in August. During those eight hours of fishing, we caught 182 largemouth bass for an average of 22 largemouth bass an hour.

Sept. 16

Ned Kehde and Greg Cooper of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their Sept. 16 outing at an 84-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas. 

Here is an edited version of their log.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 64 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 85 degrees. The sky varied from being fair, mostly cloudy, partly cloudy, and cluttered with a few clouds.  The wind was calm and variable for short spells; at other times, it angled out of the south, east, and southeast at 6 to 18 mph. The barometric pressure was 30.07 at 12:53 a.m., 30:07 at 5:53 a.m., 30:11 at 11:53 a.m., and 30.08 at 1:53 p.m.

The water level looked to be about seven inches below normal. The surface temperature ranged from 76 to 77 degrees. The water exhibited from four to five feet of visibility. Some of the shallow-water shorelines, shallow offshore humps, and shallow-water flats are coated with extensive wads of filamentous algae and a few patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail, but most of this reservoir’s submerged aquatic vegetation has been destroyed by schools of grass carp.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 9:22 a.m. to 11:22 a.m., 9:49 p.m. to 11:49 p.m., and 3:09 a.m. to 5:09 a.m.

We made our first casts at 10:38 a.m. and our last ones at 1:55 p.m. when we caught largemouth bass number 41. We also caught two green sunfish and two bluegill. We garnered about two dozen strikes that we failed to hook. On  four retrieves, we accrued three strikes before we eventually hooked a largemouth bass.

We caught these fish on five Midwest finesse rigs. Two of the 41 largemouth bass were caught on a shortened Z-Man’s coppertreuse Finesse TRD affixed to a baby blue 1 /15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Four largemouth bass were caught on a radically shortened seven-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a baby-blue 1 /15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Ten largemouth bass were caught on a radically shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a chartreuse 1 /15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Eleven largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead.  Fourteen largemouth bass were caught on a radically 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 jighead. We failed to elicit a strike on a 3 ½-inch Z-Man’s pearl GrubZ affixed to a chartreuse 1 /15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jighead.

We spent the entire three hours and 17 minutes fishing in the lower half of this reservoir. We spent most of the time fishing around three offshore humps. These humps are embellished with significant ledges. One of the humps is quite large, and its ledge is about 200 yards long, and this ledge is endowed with several small humps. The underwater terrains of the humps and ledges consist of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of the boulders are quite humongous. Portions of these underwater terrains are scantly coated with filamentous algae, coontail, and bushy pondweeds. The ledge is endowed with three docks.

We caught 15 largemouth bass around and across an offshore hump and its ledge that is situated around a main-lake point. This hump is about the size of three tennis courts. Its ledge is about 150 yards long. One of the 15 was caught on the coppertreuse Finesse TRD rig. Five were caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig. Nine were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig. One was caught on the initial drop. Three were caught on a drag-and-pause presentation. The others were caught on a swimming presentation or a swim-and-slight-pause presentation or a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. They were caught in four to eight feet of water. A few were caught around submerged aquatic vegetation, but most were caught around boulders.

Around the largest hump and along its 200-yard ledge and the series of smaller humps, we caught 13 largemouth bass. One was caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig. Three largemouth bass were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig. Our two Junebug Finesse WormZ rigs caught nine largemouth bass.  Two were caught on a deadstick presentation. Two were caught on the initial drop. The others were caught as we employed either a swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a swim-and-slight-pause presentation. We caught them in five to 11 feet of water. Most were caught around meager patches of submerged aquatic vegetation.

We caught one largemouth bass around a small offshore hump that is associated with a main-lake point.  This hump is about the size of a tennis court. The largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig with a drag-and-pause presentation in about eight feet of water.

After we fished around and over the small offshore hump, we spent many minutes fishing around four main-lake points and along a massive main-lake shoreline. The underwater terrains of the points and shoreline consist of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of the boulders are gargantuan. This underwater terrain is occasionally enhanced by small patches of submerged aquatic vegetation, The shoreline is endowed with 24 docks, a few overhanging trees, some patches of American water willows, and several rock and concrete retaining walls. Along this immense area, it was a struggle to catch nine largemouth bass. The first point was fruitless. The second point yielded one largemouth bass that was caught on the initial drop of the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig adjacent to the front edge of one of the 24 docks in about six feet of water. The third point was fruitless.  Two largemouth bass were caught around the third point; one was on the Finesse TRD rig with a swim-and-pause presentation adjacent to a patch of American water willows in about three feet of water; the second one was caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in about four feet of water. Along the shoreline, we caught six largemouth bass. Three were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig; one was caught on the initial drop around a patch of submerged aquatic vegetation in about four feet of water; the other two were caught on a swim-and-pause presentation between docks in six to eight feet of water.  Three were caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation; one was caught around a series of gigantic boulders in about seven feet of water; one was caught adjacent to a rear corner of one of the 24 docks in about six feet of water. One was caught between two docks in about seven feet of water.

We caught three largemouth bass along the shoreline of this reservoir’s 1,550-foot dam and its spillway.  The spillway was fruitless. The dam's shoreline yielded three largemouth bass. The dam has a height of 58 feet with a 45- to 50-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are occasionally coated with some wads of filamentous algae and a few bits and pieces of coontail and bushy pondweeds. The water’s edge contains a concrete water outlet tower and a few meager patches of American water willows.  Two largemouth bass were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig; one was caught on the initial drop around a patch of submerged aquatic vegetation in about two feet of water; the second one was caught on a drag-and-pause presentation in six to seven feet of water.  The third largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in about six feet of water. 

In closing, we caught an average of 12 largemouth bass an hour. None were lunkers. 

Sept. 17

Ned Kehde and Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their Sept. 17 outing at an 85-year-old and heavily fished community reservoir in northeastern Kansas.

Here is an edited version of their log.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 62 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 88 degrees. The wind angled out of the south and southeast at 3 to 26 mph. The sky was fair, partly cloudy, and cluttered with a few clouds. The barometric pressure was 30.03 at 12:52 a.m., 30.03 at 5:52 a.m., 30.04 at 11:52 a.m., and 29.96 at 2:52 p.m.

The water level looked to be about six inches below normal. The surface temperature ranged from 77 to 80 degrees. The water exhibited less than 12 inches of visibility in the back of one of its primary feeder-creek arms and about 40 inches of visibility in the vicinity of the dam. Most of this reservoir’s patches of submerged aquatic vegetation are disappearing, which is adversely affecting the water clarity and largemouth bass fishing. To our chagrin, the groundskeepers of this reservoir are cutting down the patches of American water willows that adorn some of the shorelines.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., 10:41 p.m. to 12:41 a.m., and 4:02 a.m. to 6:02 a.m.

We made our first casts at 11:32 p.m., and the last at 2:46 p.m. when we caught largemouth bass number 40.  We also tangled with one crappie, two white bass, three bluegill, and four green sunfish.

We spent the first 70 minutes of this three-hour and 14-minute outing fishing portions of two massive shorelines inside a large feeder-creek arm in the lower section of the reservoir.  The underwater terrains of these two shorelines consist of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt. There are some very scanty patches of Eurasian milfoil embellishing some shallow-water segments of the underwater terrains, and all of the patches of coontail and bushy pondweeds seem to have completely vanished.  The edges of the shorelines are embellished with many patches of American water willows, four docks, one concrete retaining wall, some riprap, several overhanging trees, a few laydowns, five stumps, portions of a dilapidated beaver hut, and some piles of tree limbs. These shorelines have a 25- to 40-degree slope. The flatter areas were more fruitful than the steeper ones. Ultimately, we eked out 18 largemouth bass along these two shorelines. Ten were caught on a 3 ½-inch Z-Man’s pearl GrubZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Eight were caught on a radically shortened seven-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a baby-blue 1 /15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jighead. One was caught on a deadstick presentation. Five were caught on the initial drop in about two to three feet of water. The others were caught as we employed either a swimming presentation or a swim-and-pause presentation in three to six feet of water.

This is the radically shortened seven-inch Finesse WormZ, It is 3 1/4 inches long. The anterior section of this Finesse WormZ  can be used as a stick-style rig; it is similar to the Finesse TRD.