Ned Kehde: Guide to Midwest Finesse Fishing: September 2026

Midwest Fishing Guide for September 2026

Bob Gum of Kansas City, Kansas, with one of the smallmouth bass he caught on Sept. 1

Sept. 1

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted this log on the Finesse News Network about his solo Sept. 1 outing at a federal reservoir in north-central Texas.

From 6:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., I fished at what we consider to be our most challenging federal reservoir in north-central Texas. I last fished at this reservoir on Aug. 7 with Norman Brown of Lewisville, Texas, and it was a chore for us to catch a total of 14 black bass between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.; nine were largemouth bass, and five were spotted bass.

The morning of Sept. 1 was sunny, hot, and humid. The sky was partly cloudy. The morning’s low temperature was 80 degrees, and the afternoon’s high reached 100 degrees. The barometric pressure measured 29.96 at 6:00 a.m., and it rose slightly to 29.99 by 11:00 a.m. A gentle breeze quartered out of the southeast at 3 to 5 mph.

According to In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar, the fishing would be poor on Sept. 1. It also indicated that the best fishing would occur between 1:58 a.m. and 3:58 a.m., 8:10 a.m. and 10:10 a.m., and 2:23 p.m. to 4:23 p.m.

The water exhibited 18 inches of visibility. The water temperature ranged from 83 to 84 degrees. The water level was 1.50 feet below normal pool.

There isn’t any aquatic vegetation in this reservoir. The underwater terrain consists of mostly red clay, silt, gravel, fist-size rocks, and sandstone boulders. A few thin stands of submerged standing timber still exist in a couple of the feeder-creek arms.

At 6:30 a.m., I launched the boat in a small creek arm in the middle section of the reservoir while it was still dark. The moonlight was illuminating the water’s surface, and I was amazed to see oodles and oodles of threadfin shad dimpling the water’s surface in three to five feet of water. They were bunched up in the back end of this small creek arm, and occasionally a fish or two would suddenly appear and snatch them from the surface. I deployed the trolling motor and fished my way around this large school of threadfin shad. I quickly made casts to any fish I saw foraging on the surface. Ultimately, I caught two largemouth bass, which were caught in three and five feet of water near the outside edges of the large school of shad on a fast-paced swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat attached to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. I also fished the shoreline areas of this small creek arm after the shad disappeared, and I failed to elicit any more strikes.

After that, I left the small creek arm and made my way southward to a main-lake island in the lower end of the reservoir. This island’s shallow-water areas are composed of clay and gravel with a flat terrain. There are some patches of flooded stickups, stumps, and a few minor laydowns on the shallow-water areas.

I intentionally caught three white bass when I first arrived at the island. They began to briefly forage on pods of small threadfin shad on the surface of the water and near the boat. They were caught many yards from the water’s edge in 12 to 15 feet of water along the north side of the island. Two white bass and one largemouth bass, which was mixed in with the white bass, were caught just below the water’s surface with a three-inch Z-Man’s cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig with a fast-paced swimming retrieve. Another white bass was caught on a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig with a fast-paced swimming retrieve. I also fished around the east, south, and west sides of the island, but these areas were devoid of any white bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass, and smallmouth bass.

From the island, I moved about a quarter of a mile westward to a major main-lake point at the mouth of a large feeder-creek arm on the south side of the impoundment. The main-lake point has about a 30-degree incline. Its submerged terrain consists of clay, small gravel, fist-sized rocks, and some scattered medium-sized sandstone boulders. This point relinquished three spotted bass, one largemouth bass, and one white bass. They were extracted from a shaded section on the west side of the point in three to five feet of water and within 10 feet of the water’s edge. Two of the three spotted bass, the largemouth bass, and the white bass were enticed by a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with the pearl Baby Goat rig, and the other spotted bass was induced into striking a faster-paced swimming retrieve with the three-inch cisco-disco Slim SwimZ combo.

I also fished around three minor rocky secondary points in the lower section of this creek arm. These points are similar; they have gradients of about 30 degrees and are covered with chunky rocks. The first secondary point yielded one largemouth bass next to a boulder in three feet of water near the tip of the point. It was caught on the initial drop of the pearl Baby Goat rig. The other two secondary points were unproductive. I was planning on fishing around the opposite main-lake entry point to this creek arm, but it was occupied by a kayak angler.

From that main-lake point and creek arm, I travelled about a mile northeastward to a shady main-lake shoreline. This shoreline is flat, about 75 yards long, and strewn with mostly fist-size rocks and a few small boulders. The shady portions of this shoreline surrendered one largemouth bass, one smallmouth bass, and one white bass. They were extracted from less than five feet of water and about 10 to 15 feet from the water’s edge. The largemouth bass and smallmouth bass were caught many yards apart with a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with the three-inch Z-Man’s cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rig. The white bass was caught on a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ.

Next, I moved about 1 1/2 miles eastward to the dam, where I began dissecting the walls of a concrete water-outlet tower. This outlet tower is positioned near the center of the dam, and it’s surrounded by 35 to 47 feet of water. The shaded west-side wall of the tower yielded one largemouth bass. It was suspended about five to eight feet below the surface and within a foot or two of the tower’s wall. It was caught with a slow swim-glide-and-shake retrieve parallel to the tower’s wall with a Z-Man’s pearl TRD TicklerZ matched with a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. The other three walls of the tower were exposed to bright sunshine, and I failed to elicit any strikes from those walls.

I then focused on the dam. The dam forms this reservoir’s eastern boundary. It is 12,850 feet long and 137 feet high. It has about a 50-degree slope. I slowly dissected about 100 yards of the submerged riprap nearest to the outlet tower that I had fished earlier, and caught two white bass and one black crappie in five to seven feet of water with a slow swimming presentation about five to 10 feet out and parallel to the water’s edge with the three-inch cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rig.

From the dam, I meandered into the middle section of a major feeder-creek arm just west of the dam.

I targeted two shaded rocky secondary shorelines with a flat terrain on the east side of the creek arm. In the middle section of the creek arm, I fished around a rocky secondary point on the west side of the creek arm and along a minor floating tractor-tire reef. In the upper end of the creek arm, I fished around six concrete support columns under a bridge.

The rocky secondary point on the west side of the creek arm yielded two largemouth bass and one freshwater drum. They were abiding in three to five feet of water near the submerged boulders on both sides of the point. They were coaxed into striking a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin TRD TicklerZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig and a slow swim-glide-and-shake retrieve.

A black crappie was caught in eight feet of water next to one of the concrete support columns underneath the bridge. It was tempted by a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation with the green-pumpkin TRD TicklerZ rig. I failed to elicit any strikes around the other five support columns.

The smallmouth bass was caught many feet offshore and on the bottom in 17 feet of water near the edge of a minor creek channel. This creek channel parallels one of the two rocky shorelines in the midsection of the creek arm. This smallmouth bass was lured by a slow drag-and-deadstick presentation next to the creek channel with the green-pumpkin TRD TicklerZ combo while slowly strolling with the trolling motor. The other secondary shoreline was fruitless.

Two white bass and one freshwater drum were caught from one side of a floating tractor-tire reef in 15 feet of water. This tire reef is situated near the entrance to this creek arm. These three fish were enticed by a swim-glide-and-shake presentation with the pearl TRD TicklerZ rig about three to four feet below the water’s surface and within a foot or two of the tire reef.

I finished this outing dissecting a rock bluff and another floating tractor-tire reef at the mouth of another feeder-creek arm in the lower end of the reservoir. The rock bluff yielded one channel catfish and one freshwater drum. They were caught on a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation with the green-pumpkin TRD TicklerZ rig in five feet of water around some large boulders at the base of the bluff. The floating tractor-tire reef, which floats in 32 to 38 feet of water, yielded only one white bass. It was caught about two feet below the surface of the water on the initial drop of the pearl TRD TicklerZ at one end of the tire reef.

In conclusion, the fishing was so-so at best. I caught a total of 14 black bass; nine were largemouth bass, three were spotted bass, and two were smallmouth bass. I also crossed paths with eight white bass, two freshwater drum, two black crappie, and one channel catfish during this trying five-hour jaunt.

Sept. 3

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 3 outing with Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, at a 94-year-old state reservoir in northeastern Kansas.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 70 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 98 degrees with a heat index of 103. The wind angled out of the east, south, and southwest at 3 to 17 mph, and some gusts of wind reached 21 to 23 mph. The sky was fair. The barometric pressure was 29.90 at 12:52 a.m., 29.91 at 5:52 a.m., 29.92 at 11:52 a.m., and 29.88 at 1:52 p.m. There was an extreme heat warning.

The water level looked to be normal. The surface temperature was 84 degrees. The water exhibited more than nine feet of clarity in the lower third of the reservoir. The clarity diminished to five feet in portions of the upper half of the reservoir. Massive patches of brittle naiad and coontail coat much of the underwater terrain of the shallow-water flats and shorelines. Patches of American water willows grace some shorelines, but many of these once bountiful patches have disappeared.

This exurban reservoir is usually heavily fished, but we were the only anglers afloat during the three hours and 45 minutes we were fishing.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 3:54 a.m. to 5:54 a.m., 4:23 p.m. to 6:23 p.m., and 10:08 a.m. to 12:08 p.m.

We made our first casts at 9:45 a.m. and our last ones at 1:30 p.m. We tangled with 63 largemouth bass, two bluegill, one green sunfish, and one flathead catfish.

One of the 63 largemouth bass was caught on a 2 ½-inch Z-Man’s watermelon-red-flake GrubZ attached to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. Two largemouth bass were caught on a 2.75-inch Z-Man’s hot-snakes Finesse TRD attached to a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. Three largemouth bass were caught on a 2.75-inch Z-Man’s PB&J Finesse TRD attached to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. A shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig caught six largemouth bass. A shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s pumpkin Finesse WormZ on a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig ensnared 25 largemouth bass. A shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s green-pumpkin-red-flake Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig caught 26 largemouth bass.

The shortened Finesse WormZ rigs were 3 ½ to four inches long. The green-pumpkin-red-flake Finesse WormZ is no longer available.

On the south and southeastern side of the reservoir, we fished along about 400 yards of a massive main-lake shoreline. It possesses a 30- to 50-degree slope. The water’s edge has two docks, two boat ramps, four rock jetties, and many patches of American water willows. It has several shallow-water flats, a few tertiary points, and one small cove. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. This underwater terrain is enhanced with many manmade piles of rocks and boulders, which are many feet long, several feet wide, and yards from the water’s edge. We caught nine largemouth bass along this shoreline. Four were caught on the pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig. Five were caught on the green-pumpkin-red-flake Finesse WormZ rig. Four were lured by the initial drop of our rigs in four to five feet of water along the edges of the patches of brittle naiad. A swim-and-pause presentation inveigled five around the submerged patches of brittle naiad and coontail in five to seven feet of water.

Along the dam’s shoreline, we caught four largemouth bass. It is 1,240 feet long and has about a 55-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are occasionally embellished with meager patches of coontail and brittle naiad. A few manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees decorate the underwater terrain. The water’s edge possesses a water-outlet tower and one tree limb. The initial drop of the hot-snake Finesse TRD lured one of the four largemouth bass in about three feet of water. The PB&J Finesse TRD caught three largemouth bass; two were caught on the initial drop in about three feet of water; one was caught shortly after the initial drop on a swimming presentation in about four feet of water. These largemouth bass were caught around rocks and boulders rather than submerged aquatic vegetation.

At the west end of the dam, we fished around the spillway and failed to elicit a strike.

The main-lake shoreline adjacent to the spillway yielded seven largemouth bass. This shoreline looks to be about 350 yards long. It has a 50- to 85-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Patches of brittle naiad, coontail, tree limbs, and manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees enhance much of the underwater terrain. Some of the boulders are humongous. A submerged creek channel parallels portions of the shoreline. The pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig caught three of the seven largemouth bass, and the green-pumpkin-red-flake Finesse WormZ rig caught four. Four largemouth bass were caught on the initial drop in three to four feet of water. Three were caught on a slow swim-and-pause presentation in about five to 11 feet of water.

We failed to catch a largemouth bass around the main-lake point at the end of this 350-yard main-lake shoreline and at the mouth of one of this reservoir’s primary feeder-creek arms.

We caught 23 largemouth bass along the west secondary shoreline inside this reservoir’s primary feeder-creek arm. The shoreline has a 30- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of the flat and shallow-water sections of the shoreline are covered with silt. Much of the underwater terrain is endowed with patches of brittle naiad and coontail. There are also some submerged tree limbs and manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. The shoreline looks to be more than 800 yards long, and it is graced with two secondary points. A submerged creek channel parallels portions of this shoreline. The water’s edge is enhanced with some patches of American water willows, several laydowns, and a few overhanging trees. The outside edges of the American water willows are often intertwined with brittle naiad and coontail. There are also two dilapidated catfish feeders along the shoreline. The pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig lured 11 of the 26 largemouth bass. Twelve were caught on the green-pumpkin-red-flake Finesse WormZ rig. The initial drop enticed 17 largemouth bass in four to seven feet of water. Two were caught on a deadstick presentation in the submerged creek channel in about seven to eight feet of water. Four were caught on a slow swim-and-pause presentation in five to 10 feet of water.

We struggled to catch four largemouth bass across a massive shallow-water flat in the back of this primary feeder-creek arm. The flat is the size of four football fields. An area about half the size of a football field is covered with American lotus plants. Portions of its shoreline are endowed with patches of American water willows, an occasional laydown, and patches of brittle naiad and coontail. Segments of the flat’s underwater terrain are quilted with patches of brittle naiad and coontail. Two silt-laden submerged creek channels meander across this flat. Several submerged manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees adorn this flat, and most of the piles are covered with submerged aquatic vegetation. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the hot-snakes Finesse TRD rig along the edge of a patch of coontail in about seven feet of water. The pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig inveigled three largemouth bass; one was caught with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation across a huge patch of brittle naiad in about five feet of water; two largemouth bass were caught on the initial drop in one of the submerged creek channels around small patches of submerged aquatic vegetation in about six to seven feet of water.

Along the east shoreline inside this feeder-creek arm, we caught six largemouth bass. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 55-degree slope. It is about 900 yards long and has three secondary points and one tertiary point. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and an ancient rock fence. Many areas of this terrain are decorated with brittle naiad, coontail, and a few manmade piles of brush. Aquatic vegetation coats many of the brush piles. The water’s edge is enhanced with a few patches of American water willows, several well-aged laydowns, a dilapidated catfish feeder, and many overhanging trees. The outside edges of the American water willows are intertwined with brittle naiad. The green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig caught one of the six largemouth bass; the pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig enticed four largemouth bass, and the green-pumpkin-red-flake Finesse WormZ rig inveigled five. A slow swimming presentation across a large patch of coontail in about seven feet of water enticed one of the six largemouth bass. The other five were lured by the initial drop of our Finesse WormZ rigs in water as shallow as three feet and as deep as seven feet.

Around the other main-lake point at the mouth of this primary feeder-creek, we failed to elicit a strike. It has a 40- to 50-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and a house and barn foundation. Much of this terrain is festooned with patches of brittle naiad, coontail, and some manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. The water’s edge is embellished with a few extremely meager stems of American water willows.

We caught nine largemouth bass along about a 300-yard stretch of the eastern shoreline inside this reservoir’s second primary feeder-creek arm. Parts of this shoreline border a massive shallow-water flat. The slope of this shoreline ranges from about 25 to 50 degrees. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt; much of it is coated with patches of brittle naiad and coontail. A few manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees also enhance the underwater terrain. The water’s edge is lined with many overhanging trees, a few piles of tree limbs, several laydowns, and shallow-water patches of American water willows. Some of the overhanging trees provided shallow-water patches of shade in which we caught four of the nine largemouth bass in three to five feet of water. Five of the nine largemouth bass were caught around submerged patches of brittle naiad and coontail in six to eight feet of water and many yards from the water’s edge. Four of the nine were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation with our Finesse WormZ rigs. The initial drop of our Finesse WormZ rigs lured five largemouth bass.

We caught one largemouth bass on a massive shallow-water flat in the back of this reservoir’s feeder-creek arm. 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 in the middle of this flat. Many segments of the underwater terrain are quilted with patches of brittle naiad, coontail, and some manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. Two submerged and silt-laden creek channels meander across this flat. The watermelon-red-flake GrubZ with a swimming presentation caught the largemouth bass in about five feet of water around patches of coontail in a submerged creek channel.

Despite the extreme heat warning and blindingly bright sun, we caught an average of about 16 largemouth bass per hour in the middle of the day.

Sept. 4

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted this brief log on the Finesse News Network about his morning outing at a federal hill-land reservoir in north-central Texas with Roger Farish of Highland Village, Texas, and his granddaughter Hannah Presley of Belton, Texas, on Sept. 4.

Hannah doesn’t get the opportunity to go fishing very often, and she has been wanting to go again for quite some time. Therefore, we decided to sneak in a morning outing at a popular federal hill-land reservoir in north-central Texas before the Labor Day weekend crowds and boat traffic arrived later in the morning.

The morning’s low temperature was a pleasant 76 degrees, and the afternoon’s high warmed to 96 degrees. The barometric pressure measured 29.88 at 6:00 a.m., and it rose slightly to 29.90 by 10:00 a.m. The sky conditions changed from mostly cloudy to partly cloudy. A mild breeze meandered out of the southeast at 5 to 10 mph, which seemed to temporarily negate some of the annoying humidity and intense heat we have been enduring over the past few weeks.

The water level was 2 1/2 feet below normal pool. The water clarity was 18 inches. The surface temperature ranged from 83 degrees at the boat ramp inside a large bay in the southwest end of the reservoir to 85 degrees at a main-lake bluff about two miles west of the boat ramp.

In-Fisherman’s solunar table noted that fishing would be great on Sept. 4. It also indicated that the most lucrative fishing would occur between 5:05 a.m. and 7:05 a.m., 5:36 p.m. and 7:36 p.m., and 11:20 p.m. to 1:20 a.m.

After Roger gave Hannah a brief tutorial on how to use spinning tackle, we fished from 6:30 a.m. to about 10:30 a.m.

We spent these four hours in the lower and middle sections of a major tributary arm in the southwest section of this reservoir. We targeted white bass for the first 150 minutes of this outing, then focused on largemouth bass and spotted bass for the remaining 90 minutes. The white-bass fishing was delightful; we relished tussling with 94 of them. The black-bass fishing was much tougher as we struggled to catch seven largemouth bass and four spotted bass. We also inadvertently caught one freshwater drum and one channel catfish.

We caught 92 of the 94 white bass, one spotted bass, and one freshwater drum around a decrepit submerged concrete roadbed on one side of a main-lake point in the lower end of the tributary arm. This main-lake point and the edges of the roadbed are embellished with chunky rocks and a few scattered boulders. These 94 fish were grouped up in schools the size of half a tennis court and were abiding in three to 11 feet of water. They were aggressively surface-foraging on small one-inch threadfin shad on top and along both sides of the roadbed. Some of the white bass were regurgitating shad and others had shad protruding from their gullets as we hoisted them over the gunnel of the boat.

In two to eight feet of water around five prominent main-lake points and a portion of the perimeter of a main-lake island, we caught seven largemouth bass, three spotted bass, two more white bass, and one channel catfish. Nine of these 10 black bass were relating to shallow clusters of chunky rocks intermixed with beachball-size boulders that grace the five main-lake points and one small tertiary point on the west-side of the main-lake island. These points and the perimeter of the island have flat terrains.

Hannah Presley wih her first largemouth bass.

We also slowly dissected a 45-yard section of a boulder-laden main-lake bluff at the end of this outing. We elicited a couple of subtle strikes around the boulders but were unable to hook those fish.

In conclusion, these 11 black bass, 94 white bass, the freshwater drum, and the channel catfish were caught on three Midwest finesse rigs: a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat matched with a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig, a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig, and a Z-Man’s pearl TRD TicklerZ affixed on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. These rigs were employed with a fast-paced swimming retrieve about a foot below the surface of the water.

It should also be mentioned that even though Hannah hasn’t had much fishing experience, she inveigled 65 of these 107 fish.

Sept. 10

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted this report on the Finesse News Network about his four-hour outing with Norman Brown of Lewisville, Texas, at a federal reservoir in north-central Texas on Sept. 10.

We fished at what we consider to be the stingiest federal hill-land reservoir in north-central Texas from 6:30 a.m. to around 10:30 a.m.

The sky was partly cloudy and sunny. The morning's low temperature was 84 degrees. The afternoon's high temperature reached 102 degrees. The wind blew out of the southeast at 5 to 10 mph. The barometric pressure measured 29.97 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.98 at 10:00 a.m.

According to In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar, fishing would be great. The best fishing would occur between 4:11 a.m. and 6:11 a.m., 10:22 a.m. and 12:22 p.m., and 10:46 p.m. to 12:46 a.m.

The water exhibited about 18 inches of clarity. The surface temperature ranged from 83 to 86 degrees. The water level was recorded at 1.84 feet below its normal pool level, but in our eyes, it appeared to be closer to three to four feet low.

We launched the boat just before dawn in a small feeder-creek arm on the north side of the middle section of the reservoir, and we immediately began fishing this small creek arm. This creek arm’s underwater terrain consists of small gravel, countless chunky rocks, and scattered boulders. We quickly probed this creek arm with several Midwest finesse baits and presentations in hopes of tussling with a few white bass and black bass. But we caught only one white bass in three feet of water at a flat clay-and-gravel secondary point on the west side of the creek arm. It was enticed by a steady swimming retrieve with a three-inch Z-Man’s cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig.

After that disappointing start, we fished a segment of a long rocky main-lake shoreline just outside the entrance of the small feeder-creek arm where we launched the boat. The segment of this shoreline that we fished is about 50 yards long and has a flat terrain. Its submerged terrain consists primarily of clay, gravel, and a small patch of chunky rocks. Most of this shoreline was unproductive, but around the small patch of chunky rocks we caught three largemouth bass and six white bass. These nine fish were abiding in less than five feet of water near the patch of chunky rocks, and within 15 feet of the water’s edge. Two of the three largemouth bass and four of the six white bass were inveigled by a steady swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. The three-inch cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rig and a steady swimming retrieve lured one largemouth bass and two white bass. The remainder of this shoreline and a couple of rocky main-lake points adjacent to the shoreline were unproductive.

We then travelled about two miles southward to a main-lake island. This island’s shallow-water areas are usually cluttered with standing timber, clusters of buck brush, laydowns, a few scattered boulders, and some deteriorating stumps. But with the lower water level, most of this cover is now on dry land. Its underwater terrain consists mostly of clay and gravel. We fished around the entire perimeter of the island, and we were surprised that we failed to garner any strikes.

From the island, we travelled about half a mile southwestward to a prominent main-lake point on the south side of the midsection of the impoundment. After many casts and retrieves with several of our Midwest finesse offerings, we caught one spotted bass. It was extracted from less than three feet of water and within 10 feet of the water’s edge by a steady-swimming retrieve with the Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rig.

Next, we moved about a mile north of the island, where we fished a rocky main-lake shoreline that is about 100 yards long. The west end of this shoreline possesses three bluffy main-lake points, and the rest of the shoreline has a flat terrain. The submerged terrain consists of clay, gravel, chunky rocks, and submerged boulders. The numerous chunky rocks and submerged boulders, which are strewn along the flat section of this shoreline in less than five feet of water, surrendered two largemouth bass and one channel catfish. The boulder-laden bluff points on the west end of the shoreline yielded one white bass. These four fish were inveigled by a steady swimming retrieve near the submerged clusters of rocks and boulders with the pearl Baby Goat combo.

After that, we travelled about a mile westward to a minor feeder-creek arm. One of the creek arm’s rock-and-boulder-laden entry points yielded one freshwater drum. It was caught in three feet of water near a submerged boulder with a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse TRD attached to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. We failed to locate any black bass or white bass around this main-lake point and inside this feeder-creek arm.

Our next stop was at the mouth of a major feeder-creek arm. This creek arm is situated on the north side and midsection of the reservoir. It is about a mile west of the small creek arm we just fished. A flat and rocky main-lake entry point to this creek arm yielded one white bass. It was caught in less than five feet of water near a large cluster of submerged rocks with a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. We continued fishing around a flat secondary shoreline, a couple of rocky secondary points, and a run-down and crumbling boat ramp inside the lower portion of this creek arm, but we failed to garner any other strikes.

From there, we travelled about 2 1/2 miles westward into the upper end of the impoundment, where we focused on six prominent and steeply-sloped main-lake points. These points are scattered across a two-mile stretch of the reservoir’s northwest shoreline. The points are embellished with countless submerged boulders and large chunky rocks.

Not all of these main-lake points were productive, but three of them relinquished six largemouth bass, one spotted bass, two white bass, one freshwater drum, and one channel catfish. These 11 fish were relating to the sides of large boulders mixed with chunky rocks situated in three to five feet of water and within 10 feet of the water’s edge.

One largemouth bass and one spotted bass were allured by a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation with a Z-Man’s pearl Finesse ShadZ matched with a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. Two more largemouth bass and two white bass were caught with a swimming retrieve with the cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rig. Another two largemouth bass and a channel catfish were tempted by a swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ combo. And one largemouth bass and a freshwater drum engulfed the green-pumpkin Finesse TRD rig as it was employed with a moderate-paced swimming retrieve.

In conclusion, the black bass fishing at this reservoir has been awful for many months. During this Sept. 10 outing, the black bass fishing was a grind at best. Even though many of the locations that Norman and I targeted in the lower, middle, and upper regions of this reservoir had attracted many schools of threadfin shad, they were still devoid of catchable black bass. Ultimately, we struggled to catch a total of 13 black bass by the end of this four-hour jaunt; 11 were largemouth bass, and two were spotted bass. We also tangled with 11 white bass, two channel catfish, and one freshwater drum.

Sept. 11

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 11 outing with Nick Robertson of Overland Park, Kansas, at an 87-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas.

The National Weather Service reported a morning low of 63 degrees and an afternoon high of 88 degrees. The wind was calm for many hours, then shifted from the south to the southeast at 3 to 17 mph. The sky was foggy, misty, overcast, cluttered with a few clouds, fair, and partly cloudy. The barometric pressure was 29.90 at 12:53 a.m., 29.95 at 5:53 a.m., 29.95 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.94 at 1:53 p.m.

The water level looked to be a few inches below normal. The surface temperature was 85 degrees. An algal bloom was affecting the water clarity -- especially in the upper half of the reservoir. The water exhibited about five feet of visibility along the dam. The visibility declined to about one to 1 ½-feet in the upper half of the reservoir. At the boat ramp, we saw countless numbers of one- and 1 1/2-inch fish lingering and cruising in the patches of Eurasian milfoil.

This reservoir is a heavily fished urban waterway, but we were the only anglers afloat.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 11:26 p.m. to 1:26 a.m., 4:52 a.m. to 6:52 a.m., and 5:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

We made our first casts at 11:15 a.m., and we fished until 2:45 p.m. It was a disappointing three and a half hours of black bass fishing. We were hoping to catch an average of at least 10 bass per hour, but we struggled to tangle with eight smallmouth bass and 17 largemouth bass. And we accidentally caught one white bass, three channel catfish, three green sunfish, and 12 bluegill.

We elicited an uncountable number of paltry strikes, which provoked us to experiment with an array of Midwest finesse rigs, and we failed to accurately count how many each rig inveigled.

One of our most effective rigs was a significantly shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s coppertreuse Finesse WormZ affixed to either a black or a red 1/15-ounce Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead, and at times we used it on a red 1/20-ounce Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. Another effective rig was either a coppertreuse or a green-pumpkin Z-Man’s Micro TRD, and they were affixed to either a red 1/20-ounce Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead or a blue 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom jighead. One largemouth bass was lured by a Z-Man’s yoga-pants Finesse TRD affixed to a black 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. One largemouth bass was caught on a shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. A radically shortened Z-Man’s sprayed-grass SMH WormZ on a red 1/15-ounce Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead caught one largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass. One largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin TRD BugZ attached to a red 1/15-ounce Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. The Micro TRD rigs caught the white bass, two of the channel catfish, and 95 percent of the bluegill and green sunfish.

We dissected three areas in the upper half of this reservoir.

Inside a large feeder-creek arm, we fished along two short sections of a secondary shoreline and caught one largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt. This terrain is partially quilted with patches of Eurasian milfoil and wilting southern naiad. It has a 30- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edge is endowed with one dock, a boat ramp, many overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation, laydowns, piles of tree limbs, a tertiary point, and patches of American water willows that are entwined with patches of Eurasian milfoil. The initial drop of the coppertreuse Finesse WormZ rig lured the largemouth bass in about four feet of water around the tertiary point and amongst patches of Eurasian milfoil.

We fished around one main-lake point and along about 400 yards of a main-lake shoreline. This area has a 40- to 80-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Patches of Eurasian milfoil decorated portions of the underwater terrain. The water’s edge is endowed with several laydowns, many overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation, occasional piles of tree limbs, patches of American water willows that are entwined with patches of Eurasian milfoil, and a small rock jetty with a derelict concrete dock slab. The shoreline was fruitless. The point yielded two largemouth bass, which were lured by the initial drop of the coppertreuse Finesse WormZ rig near the outside edges of thick patches of American water willows in about four feet of water and around some stems of Eurasian milfoil.

Along another main-lake shoreline and around two main-lake points in the upper half of the reservoir, we struggled to catch one largemouth bass. This area possesses a 30- to 60-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Many parts of this terrain are enhanced with patches of Eurasian milfoil. The water’s edge is endowed with one dock, two concrete dock slabs, some overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation, occasional piles of tree limbs, a few PVC pipes, and patches of American water willows that are entwined with patches of Eurasian milfoil. The overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation provided many yards of shade. The initial drop of the yoga-pants Finesse TRD near the shade of one of the overhanging trees enticed the one largemouth bass.

We spent the rest of this outing in the lower half of the reservoir, where the water wasn’t affected as dramatically with the algal bloom as the upper half was.

Inside a small feeder-creek arm in the lower half of the reservoir, we failed to elicit a strike as we fished around a secondary point and along about a 60-yard stretch of the secondary point’s secondary shoreline. Moreover, we failed to elicit a strike along about a 45-yard stretch of another secondary shoreline inside this small feeder-creek arm.

We caught five smallmouth bass and three largemouth bass along about an 800-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline in the lower half of the reservoir. This shoreline possesses three main-lake points, one tertiary point, the entry to the reservoir's spillway, and a bridge that crosses the spillway. It has a 25- to 60-degree slope. The underwater terrains of the shoreline and its points consist of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Much of the flatter and shallower sections of the underwater terrain are coated with submerged patches of Eurasian milfoil. The water’s edge is lined with many patches of American water willows, one dock, several significant laydowns, a few overhanging trees, and some piles of tree limbs. The coppertreuse WormZ rig with a swimming presentation lured one of the five smallmouth bass around a patch of Eurasian milfoil in about six to seven feet of water. Four smallmouth bass were allured by the initial drop of our green-pumpkin Micro TRD rigs; one was caught adjacent to one of the concrete piers of the bridge in four feet of water; one was caught around the tertiary point and patches of American water willows and milfoil in about four feet of water; two were caught around some piles of rocks and boulders in four to five feet of water. The initial drop of our coppertreuse Micro TRD rigs lured one of the three largemouth bass around the patches of Eurasian milfoil. The initial drop of the sprayed-grass SMH WormZ rig in about five feet of water inveigled a largemouth bass. The third largemouth bass was caught on the TRD BugZ rig with a lift-and-drop presentation in about five feet of water.

Three smallmouth bass and four largemouth bass were inveigled along the riprap shoreline of the dam, which is 2,200 feet long. This shoreline has a 50-degree slope. The water’s edge is dressed with numerous patches of shallow-water American water willows. The underwater terrain of riprap is partially adorned with patches of Eurasian milfoil, wilting southern naiad, and a few piles of tree limbs. The initial drop of the sprayed-grass SMH WormZ on a red 1/15-ounce Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead caught one of the three smallmouth bass in about five feet of water. A lift-and-drop presentation with the green-pumpkin TRD BugZ inveigled a smallmouth bass in about six feet of water. One smallmouth bass was lured by a swim-and-pause presentation with the coppertreuse Micro TRD rig in about eight feet of water. One of the four largemouth bass was lured by the initial drop of the coppertreuse Micro TRD rig in about four feet of water. One largemouth bass was caught by the coppertreuse Finesse WormZ rig with a drag-and-pause presentation in eight to nine feet of water. The green-pumpkin Micro TRD rig with a swim-and-pause presentation caught two largemouth bass in five to seven feet of water.

This is one of our coppertreuse Finesse WormZ rigs.

We caught six largemouth bass on two offshore and submerged rock-and-boulder fences. These fences are quite large. The tops of the fences are covered with about three to seven feet of water. Portions of them are enhanced with patches of Eurasian milfoil and wilting southern naiad. These fences are in the lower third of this reservoir and between the mouths of two large feeder-creek arms. The six largemouth bass were caught on the shallow-water ends of the submerged fences. Two were caught on the initial drop of the coppertreuse Finesse WormZ rig. Four were caught on a swimming presentation that allowed the coppertreuse Finesse WormZ rig to tickle the tops of the stems of the Eurasian milfoil. These patches of Eurasian milfoil are covered with four to five feet of water. The rocky areas of the submerged fences failed to yield a largemouth bass or smallmouth bass.

In sum, it was a struggle to catch seven black bass per hour. It was a hellish contrast to the last time I fished with Nick. On that July 30 outing at a 94-year-old state reservoir in northeastern Kansas, we caught 101 largemouth bass in two hours and 30 minutes and an average of 40 per hour.

Sept. 14

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 14 excursion at a heavily pressured federal reservoir in north-central Texas.

This is the same reservoir I fished with Hanna Presley of Belton, Texas, and Roger Farish of Highland Village, Texas, on Sept. 4. During that four-hour outing, we targeted white bass for the first 2 1/2 hours and caught 94. Then, we turned our attention to largemouth bass and spotted bass for the remaining 90 minutes, and we caught a mix of 11 largemouth bass and spotted bass.

This Sept. 14 outing was dedicated to pursuing only largemouth bass and spotted bass.

Sept. 14 was sunny, hot, humid, partly cloudy, and breezy. The morning’s low temperature was 84 degrees, and the afternoon’s high reached 101 degrees. The National Weather Service had also issued a heat advisory. The wind angled out of the south-by-southeast at 10 to 15 mph. The barometric pressure measured 30.00 at 7:00 a.m. and 30.01 at 11:00 a.m.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar indicated average fishing. It also noted that the most productive fishing periods would occur from 1:13 a.m. to 3:13 a.m., 7:25 a.m. to 9:25 a.m., and 1:37 p.m. to 3:37 p.m.

I fished from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

The water was murky with about 18 inches of clarity. The water temperature ranged from 84 to 86 degrees. The water level was three feet low.

This time, I fished around four main-lake points and portions of their adjacent main-lake shorelines, the perimeter of a main-lake island, a main-lake bluff, and inside two feeder-creek arms in the lower section of the reservoir. I fished from the lower to the upper ends of the two feeder-creek arms. Their underwater terrains consist of silt, clay, gravel, chunky rocks, and boulders. Portions of the shallow-water areas are cluttered with a few stickups and laydowns. The shorelines possess 25- to 40-degree inclines. There isn’t any aquatic vegetation in this impoundment.

I launched the boat in the mouth of a cove in the midsection of a major feeder-creek arm at dawn. This creek arm primarily features a large marina, two large coves, a submerged roadbed, three concrete boat ramps, numerous rocky secondary points and shorelines, and some clay-and-gravel ledges and flats. I immediately dropped the trolling motor after launching the boat, and I caught five spotted bass that were extracted from two to four feet of water along the top of a clay-and-gravel ledge next to the boat ramp where I launched the boat. The largemouth bass was also caught in three feet of water next to some submerged chunky rocks bordering one side of the boat ramp. These six black bass were caught on a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat attached to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jighead. This combo was utilized with a fast swimming retrieve over the top of the ledge and about a foot below the surface of the water. I failed to entice any strikes around a stretch of submerged riprap that covers a 50-yard section of a secondary shoreline and around a lengthy submerged roadbed in the upper end of the creek arm.

The second feeder-creek arm is located about two miles west of the first one. It is about half the size of the first one. This creek arm yielded five largemouth bass, which were caught in three to seven feet of water from nine rocky secondary points in the lower end of the creek arm. These points are covered with chunky rocks and boulders. Three of these five largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s white-lightning Finesse TRD rigged on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig with a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve. The other two largemouth bass were bewitched by a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s mud-minnow Finesse TRD threaded on a black 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead. In the middle and upper sections of this creek arm, I failed to locate any black bass at one of the main-lake entry points to this creek arm, an adjacent secondary channel-swing shoreline, five rocky secondary points, and inside a minor cove.

I also investigated four wind-blown main-lake points with flat terrains. Red clay, small gravel, chunky rocks, and clusters of large boulders make up the majority of their underwear terrains. Several segments of their shallow-water areas are embellished with thin patches of stickups, a couple of laydowns, and a crumbling asphalt roadbed.

These four points yielded a total of six spotted bass, two largemouth bass, and one white bass that were abiding in less than five feet of water. Seven of them were associated with the outside edges of clusters of submerged boulders on the ends of the points, and one was associated with one side of a large block of submerged concrete debris. Six of these eight black bass were caught on a fast swimming retrieve with the Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rig, and two were caught on a much slower-paced swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl GrubZ rigged on a blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ Jighead.

Four flat and rocky main-lake shorelines adjacent to the points weren’t very productive; they yielded only one spotted bass. It was abiding in about three feet of water near a cluster of chunky rocks and was coaxed into striking the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ rig with a slow swimming retrieve that was just fast enough to activate the GrubZ’s curly tail.

A 75-yard-long main-lake bluff yielded one spotted bass. It was caught in seven feet of water next to a large submerged boulder that lies at the base of the bluff. It was enticed by a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve with the white-lightning Finesse TRD rig.

One largemouth bass was caught in three feet of water near the end of a minor clay-and-gravel tertiary point on the west shoreline of a main-lake island. It was induced by a fast swimming retrieve with the pearl Baby Goat rig. The remainder of the island’s perimeter was unproductive.

This is a photograph of the four Midwest finesse rigs I used.

Z-Man pearl Baby Goat on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man Finesse ShoomZ jig.

Z-Man 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ on a blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig.

Z-Man mud-minnow Finesse TRD on a black 1/15-ounce Z-Man Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig.

Z-Man white-lighting Finesse TRD on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig.

In closing, the black-bass fishing was slightly above-average. During this four-hour endeavor, I caught a mix of 21 largemouth bass and spotted bass. I also crossed paths with one white bass and one freshwater drum.

Sept. 17

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 17 outing with Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, at a 94-year-old state reservoir in northeastern Kansas.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 72 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 95 degrees with a heat index of 101. The wind angled out of the east, southeast, west, and southwest at 3 to 12 mph, and it was variable and calm at times. The sky was fair, mostly cloudy, and cluttered with a few clouds. The barometric pressure was 30.15 at 12:52 a.m., 30.17 at 5:52 a.m., 30.21 at 11:52 a.m., and 30.16 at 1:52 p.m.

The water level looked to be a tad above normal. The surface temperature ranged from 81 to 84 degrees. According to our nine-foot push pole, the water exhibited from six to more than 10 feet of clarity. Massive patches of brittle naiad and coontail coat much of the underwater terrain of the shallow-water flats and shorelines. Patches of American water willows grace some shorelines, but many of these once bountiful patches have disappeared. Moreover, this reservoir’s vast patch of American lotus plants has radically diminished.

This exurban reservoir is usually heavily fished, but we were the only anglers afloat during the three hours and nine minutes we were fishing.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 2:52 a.m. to 4:52 a.m., 3:17 p.m. to 5:17 p.m., and 9:05 a.m. to 11:05 a.m.

We made our first casts at 10:15 a.m. and our last ones at 1:26 p.m. We tangled with 56 dinky largemouth bass, two bluegill, and one green sunfish.

One of the 56 largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse ShadZ attached to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. Seven largemouth bass were inveigled on a 1.75-inch Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Micro TRD attached to a red 1/20-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. A shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s pumpkin Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig caught 22 largemouth bass. A 4.75-inch Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ on a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig ensnared 26 largemouth bass.

The shortened Finesse WormZ rig is 3 ½ inches long.

We caught three largemouth bass around the east main-lake point at the mouth of one of this reservoir’s two primary feeder-creek arms. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and the submerged foundations of several former farm buildings. Portions of this terrain are embellished with patches of coontail and brittle naiad. The water’s edge has a few stems of the once-glorious American water willow patches. The initial drop of the green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ lured one of the three largemouth bass in about three feet of water. The green-pumpkin Micro TRD with a swim-and-pause presentation caught two largemouth bass in four to seven feet of water.

Along the east shoreline inside this feeder-creek arm, we caught 21 largemouth bass. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 55-degree slope. It is about 900 yards long and has three secondary points and one tertiary point. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and an ancient rock fence. Some of the shallow-water areas are laden with silt. Many areas of this terrain are decorated with brittle naiad, coontail, and a few manmade piles of trees. Aquatic vegetation coats many of the tree piles. The water’s edge is lined with a few meager patches of American water willows, several well-aged laydowns, a dilapidated catfish feeder, and many overhanging trees. The outside edges of the American water willows are intertwined with brittle naiad and coontail. Five of the 21 largemouth bass were caught around one of the secondary tertiary points. Ten of the 21 largemouth bass were deceived by the pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig, and 11 were lured by the green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig. A deadstick presentation in about five to seven feet of water enticed two of the largemouth bass. Three were tricked by a dragging presentation in six to nine feet of water. A swim-and-pause presentation caught six largemouth bass around thick patches of coontail. Seven were inveigled on the initial drop in three to five feet of water.

We struggled to catch six largemouth bass across a massive shallow-water flat in the back of this primary feeder-creek arm. The flat is about the size of four football fields. A diminishing patch of American lotus plants covers a small section of the northwestern portion of this flat. Some of the underwater terrain is loaded with silt, and segments of it are quilted with patches of brittle naiad and coontail. Two silt-laden submerged creek channels meander across this flat. Several submerged manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees adorn this flat, and most of them are covered with submerged aquatic vegetation. One of the six largemouth bass was caught on a deadstick presentation with the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig on a patch of coontail in about five feet of water. The initial drop of the green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ enticed one largemouth bass in about five feet of water around patches of coontail. Four largemouth bass were lured by a swimming presentation with the green-pumpkin Micro TRD rig in about four to six feet of water across patches of coontail.

It was a tussle to tangle with 13 largemouth bass along the west secondary shoreline inside this reservoir’s primary feeder-creek arm. The shoreline has a 30- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of the flat and shallow-water sections of the shoreline are covered with silt. Much of the underwater terrain is covered with patches of brittle naiad and coontail. There are also some submerged tree limbs and manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees decorating this terrain. The shoreline looks to be more than 800 yards long, and it has two secondary points. A submerged creek channel parallels portions of this shoreline. The water’s edge is lined with some fading patches of American water willows, several laydowns, a few overhanging trees, and two dilapidated catfish feeders. The outside edges of the American water willows are often intertwined with brittle naiad and coontail. The green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig caught five of the 13 largemouth bass. Eight largemouth bass were caught on the pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig. Two of the 13 were enticed by a swimming presentation around patches of brittle naiad in about five to six feet of water. A dragging presentation inveigled three in about five to seven feet of water. The initial drop of rigs lured eight largemouth bass in three to five feet of water.

We caught two largemouth bass around the west main-lake point at the mouth of this primary feeder-creek arm. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of the boulders are humongous. Much of this terrain is embellished with patches of coontail and brittle naiad. The water’s edge has a few stems of American water willows and a few dilapidated laydowns. The initial drop of the green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ lured one of the two largemouth bass in about three feet of water. The green-pumpkin Micro TRD with a dragging presentation caught a largemouth bass in about six to eight feet of water.

Around a main-lake point at the mouth of a small feeder-creek arm on the east side of this reservoir, we caught three largemouth bass. This point has a 30- to 40-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. Submerged patches of brittle naiad and coontail blanket many of the rocks and piles of trees. One largemouth bass was enticed by a slow swim-and-pause presentation around patches of coontail in about six feet of water. Two largemouth bass were enticed by the initial drop of the green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig around a massive manmade pile of trees in 10 to 14 feet of water.

We caught five largemouth bass along about a 300-yard stretch of the eastern shoreline inside this reservoir’s second primary feeder-creek arm. Parts of this shoreline border a massive shallow-water flat. The slope of this shoreline ranges from about 25 to 50 degrees. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt; much of this terrain is covered with patches of brittle naiad and coontail. A few manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees also enhance the underwater terrain, and they are intertwined with coontail. The water’s edge is lined with many overhanging trees, a few piles of tree limbs, several laydowns, and shallow-water patches of American water willows. There are two small secondary points. Two of the five largemouth bass were caught around one of the secondary points in a large gap between two massive patches of brittle naiad and coontail in about five feet of water. Along the shoreline, three largemouth bass were caught along the patches of brittle naiad and coontail in about four to seven feet of water. One was caught on a deadstick presentation. The initial drop inveigled four largemouth bass.

Traditionally, the massive shallow-water flat in the back of this primary feeder-creek arm has been our most fruitful locale at this reservoir. But this year, it is a hellish task to tangle with more than three or four largemouth bass, and it continued to be an ordeal on this outing. This flat is about the size of six football fields. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks, and portions of it are overloaded with silt. Much of this flat is quilted with patches of brittle naiad and coontail. Three silt-laden submerged creek channels meander across the flat. One submerged channel is adjacent to a small island. The island is cluttered with concrete blocks and manmade rock piles; a significant patch of American water willows flourishes on the shallow-water areas of the island. Many manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees adorn this flat, and most of them are coated with submerged aquatic vegetation. Around the patches of submerged vegetation, we elicited a few strikes that we failed to hook. Eventually, we tangled with three largemouth bass. The initial drop of the green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig caught one of them in about three feet of water. A slow swimming presentation with the pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig caught two largemouth bass in four to five feet of water.

In sum, we caught an average of slightly more than 16 largemouth bass per hour.

Sept. 18

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted this log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 18 outing with Bill Kenney of Denton at a federal reservoir in north-central Texas.

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I joined Bill Kenney from 6:41 a.m. to 10:41 a.m. at our most challenging federal hill-land reservoir in north-central Texas. It is the same reservoir that Norman Brown of Lewisville, Texas, and I fished on Sept. 10, when we toiled greatly to scrounge up 11 largemouth bass and two spotted bass between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Bill and I were hoping to catch 15 black bass this time around.

The best fishing, according to In-Fisherman’s Solunar Calendar, would occur between 4:45 a.m. and 6:45 a.m., 10:58 a.m. to 12:58 p.m., and 5:10 p.m. to 7:10 p.m. It also noted that fishing would be poor.

Sept. 18 was sunny, and a few wispy cirrus clouds decorated the powder-blue sky. The morning's low temperature was 79 degrees. The afternoon's high temperature reached 100 degrees. A light breeze quartered out of the southeast at 3 to 5 mph. The barometric pressure measured 29.97 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.98 at 10:00 a.m.

The water exhibited about 18 inches of clarity. The surface temperature ranged from 79 degrees to 86 degrees. The water level has dropped from 1.84 feet below its normal pool on Sept. 10 to three feet below normal pool.

We launched Bill’s boat just before first light in a small feeder-creek arm on the north side of the reservoir, and we promptly fished about 80 percent of this creek arm. This creek arm’s underwater terrain is mostly flat and composed of small gravel, chunky rocks, and scattered boulders. There were a few small pods of threadfin shad dimpling the water’s surface in the back end of this creek arm. We wielded several Midwest finesse baits and presentations, but we failed to provoke any strikes.

We then moved out of the creek arm and into the main-lake basin and fished around two rocky main-lake points just east of the small feeder-creek arm where we launched the boat. These two points are flat and laden with small gravel, chunky rocks, and submerged boulders. The sides of the first point yielded one largemouth bass, one spotted bass, and one white bass. They were abiding in less than three feet of water and within five feet of the water’s edge. The largemouth bass was enticed by a steady-swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rigged on a chartreuse 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Shad HeadZ jig. The spotted bass and white bass were tempted by a slow swimming presentation with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl GrubZ rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. The second main-lake point failed to yield a strike.

A couple of miles south of these two main-lake points lies a main-lake island. Its underwater perimeter consists mostly of clay and gravel. Much to our dismay, the falling water level has now left this island’s shallow-water cover, such as patches of buck brush, some laydowns, and a few boulders, on dry land. We dissected the most promising area, which is a clay-and-gravel point and an adjacent flat on the northwest portion of the island, and we failed to elicit any strikes from these two areas.

From the island, we travelled about a mile southwestward to a major main-lake point and an adjoining main-lake cove on the west side of the point. Their submerged terrains are similar and consist of clay, gravel, chunky rocks, and submerged boulders. We caught one largemouth bass from a small rocky tertiary point on the west shoreline of the cove. It was extracted from less than three feet of water and within five feet of the water’s edge by a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve with a slightly shortened Z-Man’s mud minnow Hula StickZ matched with a black 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. In two to five feet of water across a 15-yard section of shallow chunky rocks and boulders on the east side of the adjacent main-lake point, we observed several largemouth bass surface-foraging on small threadfin shad. We caught eight of them on a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve with the slightly shortened Z-Man’s mud minnow Hula StickZ rig before they quit feeding and disappeared.

After that, we travelled about 2 1/2 miles northwest into the upper end of the impoundment, where we focused on a series of 11 prominent main-lake points. These points are scattered across a two-mile stretch of the reservoir’s northwest shoreline. They are embellished with scores and scores of submerged boulders and large chunky rocks. They have inclined slopes that range between 20 and 45 degrees.

Most of these main-lake points were productive; they relinquished a total of 18 largemouth bass, one spotted bass, and two freshwater drum. Seventeen of the 18 largemouth bass and the one spotted bass were relating to large boulders mixed with chunky rocks in two to four feet of water and within five feet of the water’s edge. One largemouth bass was caught on the bottom in nine feet of water and many feet from the water’s edge at the end of one of the points.

Nine of the 18 largemouth bass were allured by either the initial drop or a moderate-paced swimming presentation with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rigged on a white 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Shad HeadZ jig. Six more largemouth bass, one spotted bass, and two freshwater drum were caught on a Z-Man’s Canada-craw TRD HogZ fastened to a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig, and they were enticed by three presentations: the initial fall, a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve, and a slow drag-and-deadstick retrieve. Three largemouth bass were lured by a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve with the mud-minnow Hula StickZ combo.

In summary, the black bass fishing at this reservoir has been wretched for many months on end, and it has been quite a while since we have caught 30 or more black bass in one outing at this impoundment. And by the time this outing came to a close, we were encouraged and elated to have caught 28 largemouth bass and two spotted bass in four hours. We also inadvertently crossed paths with two freshwater drum and one white bass.

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Sept. 21

Frank Gosnell of Sanger, Texas, and I had a hankering to chase smallmouths, so we spent five hours of this last day of summer pursuing smallmouth bass at a Civilian Conservation Corps’ hill-land reservoir in south-central Oklahoma.

Typically, my cohorts and I ply this reservoir from mid-March to the first of June, and then we return at the end of summer and fish it from late-September into late November. This was our first trip back to this reservoir since June 2.

Bright sunshine was abundant on Sept. 21, and it was hotter than a potter’s kiln. The afternoon high temperature peaked at 104 degrees, and the morning’s low temperature was 74 degrees. The barometric pressure measured 29.96 at 9:00 a.m. and 29.92 at 2:00 p.m. The wind first blew from the northeast at about 5 mph, then it turned from the southeast at 10 mph. Low-altitude cumulus clouds were accumulating during the day, and thunderstorms were expected later in the evening.

According to In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar, the most promising fishing periods would occur from 12:57 a.m. to 2:57 a.m., 7:09 a.m. to 9:09 a.m., and 7:33 p.m. to 9:33 p.m. The fishing forecast for Sept. 21 was poor.

We fished from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and it quickly became a trying and bewildering endeavor.

The water was clear with five feet of visibility. The water level appeared to be two feet low. The surface temperature ranged from 83 to 85 degrees. (We prefer water temperatures below 80 degrees for our smallmouth bass pursuits.)

We focused our attention on five offshore main-lake humps, three secondary points inside one feeder-creek arm, three secondary points inside a small bay, four major main-lake points, five main-lake shorelines, and two bluff shorelines inside a larger feeder-creek arm. These areas are located in the middle and lower sections of the reservoir’s west tributary arm.

The five main-lake humps lie in the mid-section of the west tributary arm. Their underwater terrains are comprised of gravel, sand, rocks, boulders, and a few submerged stumps. They are surrounded by water as shallow as 10 feet and as deep as 23 feet. The tops of the humps are normally covered with a foot or two of water, but the low water level left the tops of two of the humps exposed above water.

During the spring and fall months, these humps are some of our most fruitful locales, but only two of the humps were productive today. One of the humps, which we shared with two swimmers who were frolicking around in the water near one end of this hump, relinquished two smallmouth bass. The other hump surrendered three smallmouth bass. These five smallmouth bass were caught around groups of submerged boulders along the sides of the humps in three to five feet of water. Four of the five smallmouth bass were snookered by a slow swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s bloodworm GrubZ attached to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig around the sides and between the boulders. One smallmouth bass engulfed a Z-Man’s coppertreuse Finesse TRD rigged on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig with a slow swim-and-occasional-shake retrieve.

We failed to locate any smallmouth bass, spotted bass, or largemouth bass at the other three main-lake humps.

The four main-lake points, which are in the midsection of the west tributary, have flat terrains and are covered with chunky rocks and boulders. They were also fruitless.

In the lower end of a major feeder-creek arm in the midsection of the west tributary arm, we dissected two flat rock-laden secondary points and one secondary bluff point. One of the two flat secondary points yielded two smallmouth bass and one spotted bass. They were caught in five to seven feet of water on a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch bloodworm GrubZ rig. One largemouth bass was caught in about four feet of water next to a large boulder at the base of the secondary bluff point on the initial fall of a 3 1/2-inch Z-Man’s coppertruse TRD FattyZ attached to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig.

We failed to elicit any strikes around the three rocky secondary points inside a small bay in the midsection of the tributary arm.

The most productive areas were four flat main-lake shorelines with rocky terrains in the middle section of the tributary arm. These shorelines vary in length from about 35 yards to about 100 yards. They surrendered 10 smallmouth bass and one largemouth bass, and they were caught around submerged boulders in three to eight feet of water. Seven of these 11 black bass were caught on a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch bloodworm GrubZ rig. Three were lured by a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s goby-bryant Finesse TRD threaded on a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. One smallmouth was attracted to a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse TRD rigged on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig and a slow do-nothing swimming retrieve.

We failed to locate any smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, or spotted bass from the two rock bluffs situated in the southeast feeder-creek arm. One of the bluffs is located on the north side of the creek arm and is about 75 yards long. The other one is situated on the south side of the creek arm and is about four hundred yards in length.

In short, we had a difficult time locating and catching 17 smallmouth bass, two largemouth bass, and one spotted bass in five hours.

We employed a total of eleven Z-Man Midwest finesse rigs, and six of them were productive. The 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s bloodworm GrubZ that was employed with a slow swimming presentation was the most effective one.

Sept. 21

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 21 outing with Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, and Hunter Hebenstreit at an 86-year-old community reservoir in northeastern Kansas.

The National Weather Service reported a morning low of 66 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 78 degrees. The sky was overcast and mostly cloudy. It drizzled periodically. The wind blew at 3 to 12 mph from the north and northwest. The barometric pressure was 30.01 at 12:53 a.m., 30.01 at 5:53 a.m., 30.00 at 11:53 a.m., and 30.07 at 1:53 p.m.

The water level was about 18 inches below normal. The surface temperature was 76 degrees. The water exhibited three to five feet of clarity. Vast patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail are coating many acres of the underwater terrain. Floating wads of filamentous algae intermingled with patches of duckweed covered most of the water’s edges along the reservoir’s shorelines.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., 7:24 p.m. to 9:24 p.m., and 12:48 a.m. to 2:48 a.m.

This suburban reservoir is heavily fished, and on this drizzly Monday, a goodly number of largemouth bass anglers were afloat.

We made our first casts at 10:00 a.m. and our last ones at 1:45 p.m. We caught 72 largemouth bass, three bluegill, and two channel catfish.

A soft-plastic crappie rig on a gold 1/16-ounce jig lured one of the 72 largemouth bass. A Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ and a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead enticed two largemouth bass. A Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse ShadZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead caught 15 largemouth bass. We used a shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ on a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jighead to waylay 54 largemouth bass. The Finesse WormZ rig was 3.25 inches long.

Along the shoreline of the gravel-rock-and-boulder-laden dam, we caught 24 largemouth bass. The dam’s shoreline is 516 yards long. It is 58 feet high with a 30- to 50-degree slope. Its underwater terrain is coated with many patches of coontail, bushy pondweeds, and wads of filamentous algae. The water’s edge has a concrete water outlet tower, a few meager shallow-water patches of American water willows, many floating and thick wads of filamentous algae and patches of wilted duckweeds, a dock, and a boat ramp. The crappie jig caught one of the 24 largemouth bass. One largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig. Our Finesse WormZ rig inveigled 22 largemouth bass. One was caught on a deadstick presentation. The other 23 were caught on a variety of retrieves: the initial drop, a swim-and-pause presentation, a drag-and-pause presentation, and a hop-and-drop presentation. They were caught around or near patches of submerged aquatic vegetation in three to 10 feet of water.

We fished along the main-lake shoreline that is adjacent to the eastern end of the dam. This shoreline looks to be about 400 yards long. Its water’s edge has 13 docks, several retaining walls, some patches of American water willows, and many floating and thick wads of filamentous algae mixed with wilted patches of duckweeds. It has a series of offshore humps and ledges and a main-lake point. This area has a 20- to 45-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are coated with many patches of coontail and some patches of bushy pondweeds. We caught 10 largemouth bass along this shoreline. Four largemouth bass were lured by the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig on either the initial drop or a swim-and-pause presentation in four to eight feet of water. The Finesse WormZ rig lured six largemouth bass on a swim-and-pause presentation. We caught four largemouth bass on top of an offshore hump in about four to six feet of water. Four were caught around submerged patches of coontail in six to nine feet of water. At the main-lake point, two largemouth bass were caught along the front edge of a dock in about four feet of water.

Along a flat secondary shoreline next to this main-lake point and dock, we caught seven largemouth bass many yards from the water’s edge. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, bushy pondweeds, and coontail. A rock-and-boulder-laden ledge parallels a significant dropoff. The Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig enticed three of the seven largemouth bass; one was caught on the initial drop in about four to five feet of water; two were caught on a swimming presentation in about five to seven feet of water. Our Finesse WormZ rigs lured four largemouth on either a dragging presentation or a swim-glide-and-shake presentation along the outside edge of the submerged vegetation in about six to seven feet of water.

We fished along a significant section of a massive main-lake shoreline that begins at the western end of the dam. We fished about 600 yards of it. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The flatter and shallow-water areas are covered with silt. Much of this underwater terrain is decorated with submerged patches of coontail, bushy pondweeds, wads of filamentous algae, and several manmade piles of tree limbs. It has 20- to 45-degree slopes. The water’s edge is lined with dozens of docks, some shallow-water patches of American water willows, several retaining walls, and floating wads of filamentous algae and wilted duckweeds. Two offshore humps embellish this shoreline, but they were fruitless. But the docks and patches of submerged aquatic vegetation yielded 20 largemouth bass. The green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ rig lured two largemouth bass, as did the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig. Our Junebug Finesse WormZ rigs caught 16 largemouth bass. The initial drop, dragging presentation, and swim-and-pause presentation caught an equal number of the 20 largemouth bass, which were abiding in about four to 10 feet of water.

In the middle section of the reservoir, we fished around two main-lake points, along the massive shoreline between the points, and across an offshore hump adjacent to one of the points. The hump and one point were fruitless. The other point yielded three largemouth bass, and we caught three along the shoreline.

The underwater terrain of the shoreline consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. There is also a ledge, which is many feet from the water’s edge and adjacent to deep water. Portions of the ledge are enhanced with gigantic boulders. Much of the underwater terrain is embellished with bushy pondweeds, coontail, and manmade piles of tree limbs. The shoreline has a 35- to 50-degree slope. The water’s edge is lined with several concrete and stone retaining walls, a few overhanging trees, some patches of American water willows, 27 docks, and many floating and thick wads of filamentous algae and patches of wilted duckweeds. The initial drop of our Finesse WormZ rigs caught two of the three largemouth bass in four to five feet of water. A dragging presentation enticed one largemouth bass in about six to eight feet of water.

The underwater terrain of the point consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail. The water’s edge is lined with a stone retaining wall, two docks, and floating and thick wads of filamentous algae and patches of wilted duckweeds. One of the three largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig with a slow swim-glide-and-subtle- shake presentation in about eight feet of water along the outside edge of a patch of submerged aquatic vegetation. The initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rig caught two largemouth bass in about five feet of water on top of patches of submerged aquatic vegetation.

We struggled to catch five largemouth bass in the upper half of the reservoir along about a 400-yard stretch of a massive main-lake shoreline. The underwater terrain of this shoreline’s steeper section consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The underwater terrain of the shallow-water areas is coated with a lot of silt. Much of the underwater terrain is decorated with patches of coontail, bushy pondweeds, and some wads of filamentous algae. There are also a few underwater PVC fish attractors and some manmade piles of submerged tree limbs. The shoreline possesses a 20- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edge consists of several stone and concrete retaining walls, some riprap, six docks, one small rock bridge, a few minor laydowns, several piles of brush, patches of shallow-water American water willows, several overhanging trees, and vast patches of floating duckweeds, which are occasionally intertwined with wads of filamentous algae. Two of the five largemouth bass were enticed by our Finesse WormZ rigs; one was caught on a dragging presentation in about six to eight feet of water; a swim-and-pause presentation caught one largemouth bass in about five feet of water around patches of coontail. The initial drop of the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig caught three largemouth bass in three to six feet of water; one largemouth bass was caught near a concrete retaining wall and a partially submerged pile of brush; two largemouth bass were caught around patches of submerged aquatic vegetation in about five to seven feet of water.

In sum, we caught an average of about 19 largemouth bass per hour.

Sept. 22

Bob Gum of Kansas City, Kansas, posted a brief log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 22 outing with Syed Khalid and Sajid Farooqui of Overland Park, Kansas, at a federal reservoir in northeastern Kansas.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 62 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 75 degrees. North and northeast winds blew at 2 to 9 mph, with one gust reaching 17 mph. The sky was overcast, mostly cloudy, partly cloudy, and cluttered with a few clouds. The barometric pressure was 30.14 at 12:52 a.m., 30.18 at 5:52 a.m., 30.23 at 11:52 a.m., and 30.20 at 2:52 p.m.

The water level was 2.92 feet above normal. The inflow was 1,880 cubic feet per second. The outflow was 500 cubic feet per second. The surface temperature was 79 degrees. The water clarity was about three feet.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 7:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., 8:08 p.m. to 10:08 p.m., and 1:33 a.m. to 3:33 a.m.

I made my first cast at 7:00 a.m. Khalid and Sajid joined me at 7:30 a.m. We fished together until 1:30 p.m. in the lower quarter of the reservoir. We dissected several main-lake points and one massive main-lake shoreline. We spent a lot of time in two major feeder-creek arms, where we fished along the riprap shorelines of a large causeway, other riprap areas and jetties, and several rocky-and-boulder-laden shorelines and points.

About 95 percent of my casts and retrieves were made with a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ on a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. I made a few casts with a blue-and-white grub.

I was catching fish in two to eight feet of water, using mostly a swim-glide-and-occasional-shakes retrieve.

We caught 46 fish, which included one channel catfish, one saugeye, four crappie, six smallmouth bass, eight largemouth bass, 11 white bass, and 15 freshwater drum.

The early afternoon bite was best, and I caught a big smallmouth bass then.

Sept. 24

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted this log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 24 outing with Bill Kenney of Denton at a popular federal hill-land reservoir in north-central Texas.

We fished from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar indicated that the best fishing would occur between 3:01 a.m. and 5:01 a.m., 9:12 a.m. and 11:12 a.m., and 9:34 p.m. to 11:34 p.m. The fishing forecast also predicted good fishing.

The morning hours were mostly sunny, with intervals of humongous cirrus clouds blanketing about 70 percent of the sky and smaller ones covering about 30 percent of the sky. The wind angled out of the southeast at 5 to 10 mph. It was 74 degrees at 7:00 a.m. and 95 degrees at 4:00 p.m. The barometric pressure rose slightly from 30.11 at 7:00 a.m. to 30.13 at 11:00 a.m.

The water level was 3.53 feet low. The surface temperature ranged from 82 degrees at the dam to 83 degrees at an island in a southeast tributary arm. The water exhibited 19 inches of visibility inside the southeast feeder-creek arm and three feet at the dam.

This reservoir’s underwater terrain consists primarily of red clay, gravel, chunky rocks, and boulders of all sizes. It is devoid of any aquatic vegetation. There are still a few areas in the middle and upper sections of this impoundment where some standing timber and submerged stumps exist.

During this past summer, we had success plying the main-lake points, flats, and feeder-creek arms in the reservoir’s southwest tributary arm. But during our first fall outing, we opted to fish a few places that we haven’t fished in quite a while, such as the dam, a rocky main-lake flat east of the dam, and portions of the southeast feeder-creek arm. On our way back to the boat ramp, we stopped at the lower end of the southwest tributary arm and fished two sections of a lengthy main-lake shoreline.

We began this four-hour endeavor at the east end of the dam, which is in the south end of the reservoir. It is 32,328 feet long, 130 feet high, and carpeted with riprap.

At first light, we made our first cast in three feet of water and parallel to the riprap at the water’s edge. We employed a fast-paced swimming retrieve just below the water’s surface with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig, and it enticed a 15-inch largemouth bass. We continued to drift slowly with the wind along the dam, and we inveigled 20 more largemouth bass, 10 black crappie, six white bass, two feisty hybrid-striped bass or wipers, and four large bluegill. All of these fish, except for one crappie and one bluegill, were caught in three to five feet of water and within about 10 feet of the riprap at the water’s edge. The walls of a large water-outlet tower, which is situated in 30-plus feet of water and about 50 feet from the dam’s water’s edge, yielded one crappie and one bluegill.

The Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rig allured 13 of these 21 largemouth bass. Five largemouth bass engulfed a 1.75-inch Z-Man’s pearl Fuzzy BugZ attached to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig as it was manipulated with a slow swim-glide-and-shake retrieve. A three-inch Z-Man’s cisco-disco Slim SwimZ matched with a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig with a moderate-paced swimming retrieve tempted two largemouth bass. A 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl GrubZ fastened on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig with a slow-paced swimming retrieve caught one largemouth bass. All of these Midwest finesse lures and retrieves also lured 10 black crappie, six white bass, two hybrid-striped bass, and four bluegill.

In water as shallow as two feet and as deep as five feet across a rocky main-lake flat just east of the dam, we caught 22 largemouth bass, two more hybrid-striped bass, and two white bass. This main-lake flat is about 50 yards long and adorned with chunky rocks and three small patches of boulders. Eleven of these 22 largemouth bass and the two hybrid-striped bass were caught on a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with the three-inch cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rig. The other 11 largemouth bass and two white bass were induced by a fast-paced swimming retrieve about a foot below the water’s surface with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat on a pearl 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Shad HeadZ jig.

From the dam and its adjacent main-lake flat, we travelled about two miles eastward to a major feeder-creek arm in the southeast portion of the reservoir. Inside this creek arm, we fished portions of an island and a rocky secondary flat in the midsection of the creek arm.

Along the south side of the island, we caught 13 largemouth bass. This portion of the island has a flat terrain that is composed of mostly clay, small gravel, and a few small patches of chunky rocks. A minor creek channel courses parallel to this shoreline. These largemouth bass were abiding in less than five feet of water and around shallow patches of chunky rocks. Five of the 13 were caught on a moderate-paced swimming retrieve near the patches of chunky rocks with the three-inch cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rig. Four were caught on a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with the 1/16-ounce pearl jig adorned with the pearl Baby Goat. Two largemouth bass were lured by a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ. Bill caught one three-pound, two-ounce largemouth bass on a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation with a green-pumpkin urchin-style bait threaded on a black 1/16-ounce ball-head finesse jig.

About half a mile south of the island, we dissected a rocky secondary flat. It is about 40 yards long. Its submerged terrain consists of clay, gravel, patches of chunky rocks, and scattered boulders. The water’s edge is adorned with riprap, one dilapidated concrete boat ramp, and a more contemporary multi-lane concrete boat ramp. In the midsection of the flat, a patch of chunky rocks near the water’s edge in three feet of water yielded one spotted bass. The crumbling chunks of concrete debris at the end of the dilapidated concrete boat ramp surrendered another spotted bass and one white bass. The two spotted bass were enticed by a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ. The white bass was caught on a steady swimming retrieve with the pearl Baby Goat rigged on the 1/16-ounce pearl jig.

As we mentioned earlier, we stopped and fished a lengthy rocky main-lake shoreline on the way back to the boat ramp in the lower end of the southwest tributary arm. This shoreline is about 200 yards long. It is endowed with several minor main-lake points. It has a flat terrain. The underwater terrain consists of red clay, some patches of sand, small bits of gravel, and three isolated patches of chunky rocks mixed with submerged boulders. A multi-lane concrete boat ramp with an adjoining courtesy dock also adorns the water’s edge.

The first section of this shoreline we fished is about 40 yards long; it has three minor rocky points and the multi-lane boat ramp and courtesy dock. This section of shoreline yielded two spotted bass, one largemouth bass, and four white bass. They were in less than five feet of water around the end of one of the minor main-lake points, at the end of the boat ramp, and near a small patch of submerged boulders near the boat ramp. The two spotted bass and four white bass were allured by a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ rig. The largemouth bass was coaxed into striking the pearl Baby Goat rigged on the 1/16-ounce pearl Micro Shad HeadZ jig with a moderate-paced swimming retrieve.

The second segment of this shoreline is about 50 yards long, and ends at a major main-lake point. Its underwater terrain is flat and consists of red clay, small pieces of gravel, a few clusters of chunky rocks, and some scattered boulders. This section of shoreline relinquished one largemouth bass and one spotted bass. The spotted bass was abiding in about two feet of water near a shallow patch of chunky rocks. It was caught on a steady swimming retrieve with the pearl Baby Goat rig. The largemouth bass was caught next to a large boulder in three feet of water with a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ.

Overall, it was a delightful day of fishing; it wasn’t as hot as it has been, and the southeasterly breeze provided a touch of coolness that felt more like early fall. Besides the more pleasant weather, we caught a total of 92 fish in four hours. Sixty-three of the 92 were black bass, which consisted of 58 largemouth bass and five spotted bass. The size was pretty decent, too. The vast majority of the black bass were 14 inches or larger, and Bill caught the largest one, which was a three-pound, two-ounce largemouth bass. We also grappled with four feisty and good-sized hybrid-striped bass, 11 white bass, 10 black crappie, and four large bluegill in four hours. This calculates to 15.75 black bass per hour and 23 multi-species fish per hour.

Sept. 22

Ned and Pat Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their conjugal and octogenarian outing on Sept. 22 at a 94-year-old state reservoir in northeastern Kansas.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 62 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 75 degrees. A north and northeast wind blew at 2 to 9 mph, and there was one gust of wind that reached 17 mph. The sky was overcast, mostly cloudy, partly cloudy, and cluttered with a few clouds. The barometric pressure was 30.14 at 12:52 a.m., 30.18 at 5:52 a.m., 30.23 at 11:52 a.m., and 30.20 at 2:52 p.m.

The water level looked to be a few inches above normal. The surface temperature ranged from 76 to 79 degrees. The water exhibited more than nine feet of clarity in the lower half of the reservoir. The clarity diminished to about five feet in portions of the upper half of the reservoir. Massive patches of brittle naiad and coontail coat much of the underwater terrain of the shallow-water flats and shorelines.

This exurban reservoir is usually heavily fished, but we were the only largemouth bass anglers afloat.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 7:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., 8:08 p.m. to 10:08 p.m., and 1:33 a.m. to 3:33 a.m.

We made our first casts at 12:25 a.m., and we caught our first largemouth bass on one of those casts. When we made our last ones at 2:25 p.m., our mechanical fish counter noted that we had caught 55 largemouth bass.

Five of the 55 were caught on a shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s pumpkin Finesse WormZ on a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. A shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ on a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig lured 50 largemouth bass. Both of the Finesse WormZ rigs were shortened to 3.50 inches.

We spent the entire two hours of this outing dissecting the short portions of the shorelines around two main-lake points at the mouth of one of this reservoir’s primary feeder-creek arms and along the two secondary shorelines inside this primary feeder-creek arm.

Around the east main-lake point at the mouth of this feeder-creek arm, we caught six largemouth bass. This point has a 40- to 50-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and a house and barn foundation. Some underwater areas of this terrain are festooned with patches of brittle naiad, coontail, and some manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. The water’s edge is embellished with a few extremely meager stems of American water willows. Three of the six largemouth bass were lured by the green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig with a dragging presentation in about five to nine feet of water. The pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig caught three largemouth bass; one was caught on the initial drop in three to four feet of water; two were lured by a slow swim-and-pause presentation that allowed the rig to tickle the tops of the rocks, boulders, and submerged patches of aquatic vegetation.

Along the east secondary shoreline inside this feeder-creek arm, we caught 19 largemouth bass. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 55-degree slope. It is about 900 yards long and has three secondary points and one tertiary point. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and an ancient rock fence. Many areas of this terrain are decorated with patches of brittle naiad and coontail There are few manmade piles of brush embellishing this underwater terrain, and some of them have become enmeshed by patches of aquatic vegetation. The water’s edge is enhanced with a few meager patches of American water willows, several well-aged laydowns, a dilapidated catfish feeder, and many overhanging trees. The outside edges of some of the American water willows are intertwined with brittle naiad and coontail. The pumpkin Finesse WormZ rig caught two of the 19 largemouth bass; our pumpkin Finesse WormZ rigs enticed 17 largemouth bass. We caught them on a variety of retrieves: two were caught on a deadstick presentation; a dragging presentation lured six largemouth bass; the initial drop inveigled five largemouth bass; a swim-and-pause presentation beguiled six largemouth bass. We caught them in four to 10 feet of water. A few were caught on the rocks and boulders, but most of them were caught on and around patches of submerged aquatic vegetation.

Largemouth bass number 25 was caught at 1:14 p.m., and that was when we stopped to eat a small lunch and watch the antics of two blue herons and the aerial acrobats of the black and turkey vultures for about 10 minutes.

After our lunch, we caught 25 largemouth bass along the west secondary shoreline inside this reservoir’s primary feeder-creek arm. The shoreline has a 30- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of the flat and shallow-water sections of the shoreline are covered with silt. Much of the underwater terrain is endowed with patches of brittle naiad and coontail. There are also some submerged tree limbs and manmade piles of eastern red cedar trees. The shoreline looks to be more than 800 yards long, and it is graced with two secondary points. A submerged creek channel parallels portions of this shoreline. The water’s edge is enhanced with some patches of American water willows, several laydowns, and a few overhanging trees. The outside edges of the American water willows are often intertwined with brittle naiad and coontail. There are also two dilapidated catfish feeders along the shoreline. Our green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ rigs beguiled all of the largemouth bass. A deadstick presentation seduced three of the 25 largemouth bass. The initial drop inveigled five largemouth bass. A swim-and-pause presentation seduced seven largemouth bass. A dragging presentation lured 10 of the 25 largemouth bass. Twelve of the 25 were caught in the submerged creek channel amongst the edges of the submerged aquatic vegetation in five to nine feet of water. Eight were caught around the rocks and boulders, and some of these rocks and boulders were enhances with meager patches of submerged aquatic vegetation in four to about 10 feet of water. Five were caught on top or near the top of the submerged patches of aquatic vegetation in five to seven feet of water.

Around this feeder-creek’s west main-lake point and a short section of the point’s main-lake shoreline, we caught five largemouth bass on our green-pumpkin Finesse WormZ rigs.

This area has a 55-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Several of the boulders are humongous. Patches of brittle naiad and coontail coat bits and pieces of the terrain. The water’s edge has about 20 American water willow stems and some dilapidated laydowns. The initial drop lured one of the largemouth bass. The other for were caught by a dragging presentation in five to about 15 feet of water.

In sum, we caught an average of 27.5 largemouth bass an hour. And again, the shortened Finesse WormZ rig exhibited the potency of its renaissance in the Midwest finesse world.

Sept. 24

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted this log on the Finesse News Network about his Sept. 24 outing with Bill Kenney of Denton at a popular federal hill-land reservoir in north-central Texas.

We fished from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar indicated that the best fishing would occur between 3:01 a.m. and 5:01 a.m., 9:12 a.m. and 11:12 a.m., and 9:34 p.m. to 11:34 p.m. The fishing forecast also predicted good fishing.

The morning hours were mostly sunny, with intervals of humongous cirrus clouds blanketing about 70 percent of the sky and smaller ones covering about 30 percent of the sky. The wind angled out of the southeast at 5 to 10 mph. It was 74 degrees at 7:00 a.m. and 95 degrees at 4:00 p.m. The barometric pressure rose slightly from 30.11 at 7:00 a.m. to 30.13 at 11:00 a.m.

The water level was 3.53 feet low. The surface temperature ranged from 82 degrees at the dam to 83 degrees at an island in a southeast tributary arm. The water exhibited 19 inches of visibility inside the southeast feeder-creek arm and three feet at the dam.

This reservoir’s underwater terrain consists primarily of red clay, gravel, chunky rocks, and boulders of all sizes. It is devoid of any aquatic vegetation. There are still a few areas in the middle and upper sections of this impoundment where some standing timber and submerged stumps exist.

During this past summer, we had success plying the main-lake points, flats, and feeder-creek arms in the reservoir’s southwest tributary arm. But during our first fall outing, we opted to fish a few places that we haven’t fished in quite a while, such as the dam, a rocky main-lake flat east of the dam, and portions of the southeast feeder-creek arm. On our way back to the boat ramp, we stopped at the lower end of the southwest tributary arm and fished two sections of a lengthy main-lake shoreline.

We began this four-hour endeavor at the east end of the dam, which is in the south end of the reservoir. It is 32,328 feet long, 130 feet high, and carpeted with riprap.

At first light, we made our first cast in three feet of water and parallel to the riprap at the water’s edge. We employed a fast-paced swimming retrieve just below the water’s surface with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rigged on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig, and it enticed a 15-inch largemouth bass. We continued to drift slowly with the wind along the dam, and we inveigled 20 more largemouth bass, 10 black crappie, six white bass, two feisty hybrid-striped bass or wipers, and four large bluegill. All of these fish, except for one crappie and one bluegill, were caught in three to five feet of water and within about 10 feet of the riprap at the water’s edge. The walls of a large water-outlet tower, which is situated in 30-plus feet of water and about 50 feet from the dam’s water’s edge, yielded one crappie and one bluegill.

The Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rig allured 13 of these 21 largemouth bass. Five largemouth bass engulfed a 1.75-inch Z-Man’s pearl Fuzzy BugZ attached to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig as it was manipulated with a slow swim-glide-and-shake retrieve. A three-inch Z-Man’s cisco-disco Slim SwimZ matched with a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig with a moderate-paced swimming retrieve tempted two largemouth bass. A 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl GrubZ fastened on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig with a slow-paced swimming retrieve caught one largemouth bass. All of these Midwest finesse lures and retrieves also lured 10 black crappie, six white bass, two hybrid-striped bass, and four bluegill.

In water as shallow as two feet and as deep as five feet across a rocky main-lake flat just east of the dam, we caught 22 largemouth bass, two more hybrid-striped bass, and two white bass. This main-lake flat is about 50 yards long and adorned with chunky rocks and three small patches of boulders. Eleven of these 22 largemouth bass and the two hybrid-striped bass were caught on a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with the three-inch cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rig. The other 11 largemouth bass and two white bass were induced by a fast-paced swimming retrieve about a foot below the water’s surface with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat on a pearl 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Shad HeadZ jig.

From the dam and its adjacent main-lake flat, we travelled about two miles eastward to a major feeder-creek arm in the southeast portion of the reservoir. Inside this creek arm, we fished portions of an island and a rocky secondary flat in the midsection of the creek arm.

Along the south side of the island, we caught 13 largemouth bass. This portion of the island has a flat terrain that is composed of mostly clay, small gravel, and a few small patches of chunky rocks. A minor creek channel courses parallel to this shoreline. These largemouth bass were abiding in less than five feet of water and around shallow patches of chunky rocks. Five of the 13 were caught on a moderate-paced swimming retrieve near the patches of chunky rocks with the three-inch cisco-disco Slim SwimZ rig. Four were caught on a moderate-paced swimming retrieve with the 1/16-ounce pearl jig adorned with the pearl Baby Goat. Two largemouth bass were lured by a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ. Bill caught one three-pound, two-ounce largemouth bass on a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation with a green-pumpkin urchin-style bait threaded on a black 1/16-ounce ball-head finesse jig.

About half a mile south of the island, we dissected a rocky secondary flat. It is about 40 yards long. Its submerged terrain consists of clay, gravel, patches of chunky rocks, and scattered boulders. The water’s edge is adorned with riprap, one dilapidated concrete boat ramp, and a more contemporary multi-lane concrete boat ramp. In the midsection of the flat, a patch of chunky rocks near the water’s edge in three feet of water yielded one spotted bass. The crumbling chunks of concrete debris at the end of the dilapidated concrete boat ramp surrendered another spotted bass and one white bass. The two spotted bass were enticed by a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ. The white bass was caught on a steady swimming retrieve with the pearl Baby Goat rigged on the 1/16-ounce pearl jig.

As we mentioned earlier, we stopped and fished a lengthy rocky main-lake shoreline on the way back to the boat ramp in the lower end of the southwest tributary arm. This shoreline is about 200 yards long. It is endowed with several minor main-lake points. It has a flat terrain. The underwater terrain consists of red clay, some patches of sand, small bits of gravel, and three isolated patches of chunky rocks mixed with submerged boulders. A multi-lane concrete boat ramp with an adjoining courtesy dock also adorns the water’s edge.

The first section of this shoreline we fished is about 40 yards long; it has three minor rocky points and the multi-lane boat ramp and courtesy dock. This section of shoreline yielded two spotted bass, one largemouth bass, and four white bass. They were in less than five feet of water around the end of one of the minor main-lake points, at the end of the boat ramp, and near a small patch of submerged boulders near the boat ramp. The two spotted bass and four white bass were allured by a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ rig. The largemouth bass was coaxed into striking the pearl Baby Goat rigged on the 1/16-ounce pearl Micro Shad HeadZ jig with a moderate-paced swimming retrieve.

The second segment of this shoreline is about 50 yards long, and ends at a major main-lake point. Its underwater terrain is flat and consists of red clay, small pieces of gravel, a few clusters of chunky rocks, and some scattered boulders. This section of shoreline relinquished one largemouth bass and one spotted bass. The spotted bass was abiding in about two feet of water near a shallow patch of chunky rocks. It was caught on a steady swimming retrieve with the pearl Baby Goat rig. The largemouth bass was caught next to a large boulder in three feet of water with a slow swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl GrubZ.

Overall, it was a delightful day of fishing; it wasn’t as hot as it has been, and the southeasterly breeze provided a touch of coolness that felt more like early fall. Besides the more pleasant weather, we caught a total of 92 fish in four hours. Sixty-three of the 92 were black bass, which consisted of 58 largemouth bass and five spotted bass. The size was pretty decent, too. The vast majority of the black bass were 14 inches or larger, and Bill caught the largest one, which was a three-pound, two-ounce largemouth bass. We also grappled with four feisty and good-sized hybrid-striped bass, 11 white bass, 10 black crappie, and four large bluegill in four hours. This calculates to 15.75 black bass per hour and 23 multi-species fish per hour.