SwampCollie

That is why you aren't catching fish YET.... when the water is colder, the fish are going to stick to deeper water. As the water temp approaches 60 the fish will start moving up out of deeper water. (I'm in VA and its still only hitting 60 in places and in shallow ponds/pockets) They feed in cycles, just like deer do. They will move in and out of the shallows, chasing or targeting baitfish and crawfish... beefing up for the spawn. Most of the guy's around my area who are catching fish on a regular basis right now are using crankbaits, and fishing off of rocky points in anywhere from 15-30' of water.

I went fishing yesterday with another HNI member (Vabowman) and while the fishing was relatively slow and I'd never met him face to face before yesterday morning, I can tell just from picking his brain a bit and watching him fish that he really knows his stuff. I'm glad to say he became a good friend in the course of the day, and I look forward to fishing and hunting with him in the future. I don't think BUT is quite the right word to use here, however, I also extrapolated a few things not just about fishing, but fishermen and hunters based on yesterdays trip (and none of this is bad by the way but I think rather its a great teaching tool).

Landon (Vabowman) is a "power fisherman". He likes to flip and pitch and find the active fish. He fishes just like pro-active cop looks for criminals... quick in and quick out... he'll pull up, flip, pitch, move, flip, pitch and then rocket to another spot on the lake. For tournament fishermen (and he is) you need to find active fish (generally). If you can't find fish that bite, you won't catch fish. Landon has a tactic that he is obviously extremely good at (power fishing) and he looks for fish that are willing to play his game. Much the same as a "run and gun" style turkey hunter, who will probe the woods and fields for a bird thats hot and is going to gobble.

I, on a contrasting note, had never "power fished" before in my life. I could probably stand 50 feet opposite Landon and hold open the front pocket of my shirt and he could flip a jig or a Brush Hog into my pocket... If the wind held still, I could usually hit the water without causing noticable bodily injury to anyone on board the boat, and sometimes even without nesting my baitcast reel. It was a new experience for me, and incredibly informative.

I am used to fishing farm ponds, where I don't have several thousand acres and a couple hundred Mercury horses to get around on. If I want to catch fish, I have to find a way to catch the fish in front of me. I'm what I suppose you would call a "finesse fisherman". My approach is more like a cop on a stake out or a sting operation... I know this is a bad guy... I'm just waiting for him to slip up. If I fished my pond the way Landon and I fished yesterday, I'd be through fishing in 45 minutes if I took my sweet time. Fishing out of a Ghee-noe with a 30ft/# Motor guide as compared to a Triton with a 225 Merc does have something to do with it though. A finesse fisherman is more like a duck hunter (and that would be me) who sets up in a spot he knows the ducks are, and waits them out. He has lots of tools (jigs, worms, and spinnerbaits just like decoys, calls and jerk cords) and if he is patient and figures out what the ducks want to see... or in this case what the fish will bite... then he can be successful. The pond I fish is full of big bass, and I know that. I've had trouble figuring them out so far this year myself. But I have a lot of confidence in that place, and in my ability to catch fish there. Those two things combined will put me in the fish, as long as I don't give up and stay positive about it.

Now there is little doubt in my mind that Landon would be able to catch fish in any condition. We were fishing for its own sake yesterday, no money on the line or anything, and I'm sure in a tournament situation Landon will figure out the fish and adapt however he needs to.

The point here is that if you want to catch fish, you have to adapt. Worms are good just about any time of the year, but in my experience especially in the late spring, summer and early fall. It also depends on what the main forage food for bass is where you are fishing.

As to a good bass magazine, personally I rely on the free information on the internet. Try out www.bassresource.com There is a TON of articles and information on there, and its free.