[h2ohhh]

Hit my favorite honey hole this evening. I've not done well at all the last few times I've went as the water felt like a bathtub. Today I waded in and noticed it has cooled down significantly. But I only caught a dink. Pretty frustrating using proven summer tactics. Was making the famous 'one last cast' and caught this girl on a 3" swimbait. Epic fight on a medium action rod. 22", about 6-7 pounds I guess. Restored my confidence.

 

[Swampin']

I went down to try fishing for a few at a local creek and gave up real quick. Water was brown like the neuse and over its banks by about 3 feet and the normally 50' wide creek was a quarter mile wide. I figured the fish had it hard enough without me hassling them more Glad you got on a pig! Makes me want to chase some big bass soon.

 

[h2ohhh]

I usually use big profile baits this time of year but they weren't working. Sometimes you just have to try something different. Our water around Concord is clear. We've not had much rain.

 

[sundrop]

We've had so much rain east my wife has renamed my project "the Ark"

 

[Swampin']

I usually use big profile baits this time of year but they weren't working. Sometimes you just have to try something different. Our water around Concord is clear. We've not had much rain.

Lucky! We've had about half a foot. its ridiculous

 

[Abert43]

Awesome bass!! Nice job

 

[NCStateFisher]

good job man. im hurtin for a big bass but it'd help if i had more time to fish i guess!!!

 

[SurfRider]

I don't know if it's a regional thing or why, but the shad this year in the schools I have seen are small. Much smaller than what I recall this time of year in years past. Many of the fish I catch are spitting out 2 and 3 of these little shad at a time, so I know they are still feeding on them... they are about 2 inches in size. Makes me wonder if smaller baits might match the hatch a little better this year.

 

[sundrop]

Now this is just my opinion, based on very little science. If you've had all the rain and pressure changes we have had in the east this last few weeks fish aren't feeling well. The pressure effects them sort of like it does us when we drive up into the mountains, but they feel it all over not just in their head. When you don't feel right you tend to eat small meals, and be finicky about what you eat. You also will not exert as much energy to chase down food and the smaller fish are easier to blitz. Add the hot water temps we got suddenly and it has to effect them.

 

[RouseD]

Congrats a on a fantastic catch John!!!!

Maybe the small meal thing is why I have been doing fairly well on my bream caches with my fly rod, using a craft foam top water bream bug. I'll even catch a couple of LMBs sometimes. Caught 15 bream and 2 small LMBs on my last trip. Not bad for me. I also lost several fish due to windy and stronger current conditions in the New Bern area. So far I have caught at least 12 fish on each trip, and still lose a few. Also, the water was fairly high when I went this last Wednesday.

Now this is just my opinion, based on very little science. If you've had all the rain and pressure changes we have had in the east this last few weeks fish aren't feeling well. The pressure effects them sort of like it does us when we drive up into the mountains, but they feel it all over not just in their head. When you don't feel right you tend to eat small meals, and be finicky about what you eat. You also will not exert as much energy to chase down food and the smaller fish are easier to blitz. Add the hot water temps we got suddenly and it has to effect them.

 

[h2ohhh]

I am a proponent of smaller baits in the winter and early spring when fish are not as active. I think surfrider and sundrop are on to something though. The bait I noticed was small, combined with the excessive warmth of the water impacting the metabolism of the fish...need some biologist to comment on whether that's true or not. Anyway, the small bait is the ONLY thing that's worked in the last month for me...usually a time when I'm having success on large flukes, plastics, spinnerbaits etc.

 

[spidey]

I am a proponent of smaller baits in the winter and early spring when fish are not as active. I think surfrider and sundrop are on to something though. The bait I noticed was small, combined with the excessive warmth of the water impacting the metabolism of the fish...need some biologist to comment on whether that's true or not. Anyway, the small bait is the ONLY thing that's worked in the last month for me...usually a time when I'm having success on large flukes, plastics, spinnerbaits etc.

My best winter and early spring bait was 3/4 oz red eyed shad.

 

[dbeam]

Nice John,

Darrell

 

[jerry condrey]

Mag finesse worm is getting them at HPCL. Bro and nephew got nine there today, between 1 1/2 to 4 pounds.
Seems that bait shines in late summer/early fall out there.