Midwest Finesse Fishing: July 2018

July 16 Tom Bett of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, posted a report of the Finesse News Network about his July 16 outing.Here is an edited version of that report:It has been 10 days since my last trip on the Winnebago system. So, I am glad to get back to finessing for bass on my home lake.I find this a very productive and satisfying way to fish versus some of the other targets I choose to fish for.Summer in eastern Wisconsin continues to be a battle between heat and humidity from the plains and clear, cool, and dry air from the Canadian provinces.As I launched the boat on July 16, I sensed I would observe another of those transitions while afloat.Even though the frontal passage had started with the wind shift occurring just after midnight, the early morning weather began with overcast skies, a warm temperature, and high humidity. It was 75 degrees. Thus, I had westerly winds of 8 to 12 mph from 6:00 a.m. until about 7:00 a.m. Then there was a significant shift to the north at 10 to 15 mph. The humidity dropped. Around 9:00 a.m., the clouds disappeared, and the wind howled at 15 to 25 mph from the northwest for the remainder of the morning and afternoon. Even though the humidity dropped, area thermometers climbed to around 85 degrees.The water conditions were very summerlike. The surface temperatures ranged from 81 to 85 degrees. The clarity was affected by a heavy bloom of blue-green algae; therewas two to 2 1/2 feet of visibility. The water level was normal. Therewas about 3,500 cubic feet per second flowing into Lake Winnebago.I was afloat for six hours.My first stop was the mouth of a small tributary, which has been productive of late. I was curious to see if anything was left in the area. It is a well-known black bass habitat, and several competitors in a large bass tournament reportedly scoured the area. To my dismay, the wind and waves had stacked the algae bloom in this area, making water clarity very low. I fished my key holding areas, and I encountered only three strikes and caught one largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass. I employed a black 1/10-ounce mushroom-style jig affixed to a Z Man's The Deal Finesse TRD with a slow swim and glide retrieve.I decided to find some clearer water. So, I moved a mile or so across the lake to the mouth of a large tributary river. The water here was stained, but the visibility was not totally occluded by the algae. I fished one rock point, which was enhanced by wind, and I also fished a 250-yard stretch of a break wall that is enhanced by a channel swing. This generated five smallmouth bass, one freshwater drum, one rock bass, and one white bass. They were caught on the same rig and retrieve that I used at the first area.As the wind became problematic for boat control, I decided to shift to the upwind side of the lake and ply a series of rock jetties and points. The next six locations revealed that the day would be productive, but not spectacular. Two of those locations failed to produce any fish, and the other four produced either largemouth bass or smallmouth bass, but no more than two fish from each locale. They were caught on a black 1/15-ounce mushroom-style jig affixed to either a Z-Man's The Deal Finesse ShadZ or a Z-Man's coppertreuse Finesse WormZ with a drag-pause-shake retrieve.I was somewhat dismayed by the trying fishing at the previous locales. So, my next two stops were submerged offshore rock piles. Again, I could garner no more than two fish per location, which consisted of a mix of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and freshwater drum. They were caught on a green-pumpkin 1/10-ounce mushroom-style jig affixed to either a Z-Man's coppertreuse Finesse TRD or a Z-Man's The Deal Finesse TRD. The drag-pause-and-shake retrieve and the drag-and-hop retrieve were the most effective. I opted for the 1/10-ounce jig to help counteract the effects of the wind.For the conclusion of this trip, I elected to run a few miles upstream into another large pool of the reservoir system in hopes of locating some smallmouth bass residing on shallow rock piles or shoals. My first rock pile, about one-half mile offshore produced two nice smallmouth bass and a few missed strikes. I used the Finesse TRD on a green-pumpkin 1/10-ounce mushroom jig with a drag-hop-and-pause retrieve. The first smallmouth bass was caught on the The Deal Finesse TRD, and after a few missed nips, I switched to the coppertreuse Finesse TRD and boated the second smallmouth bass.My next stop was an extensive break-water system at the entrance to a harbor. This was a productive site for me. It yielded 5 smallmouth bass, three largemouth bass, and two freshwater drum, which were scattered hither and yon along the rocks. I primarily fished parallel to the rock walls using the Z-Man's The Deal Finesse TRD on a green-pumpkin 1/10-ounce mushroom-style jig with a swim-and-glide retrieve and occasionally killing the retrieve as the rig cleared the edge of the wall. It appeared the fish were foraging on minnows, and they would strike the lure with some aggression as it cleared the rocks and descended into their strike zone.In sum, the trip produced 34 fish. The log sheet indicated that the mix consisted of 17 smallmouth bass, 11 largemouth bass, four freshwater drum, one rock bass, and one white bass. The smallest fish boated was the rock bass at 5.5 inches, while the largest was a freshwater drum at 21.1 inches. The 28 black bass ranged from 9.5 inches, which was a largemouth bass, to 17.2 inches, which was a smallmouth bass. Eleven of the black bass exceeded the legal length of 14.0 inches. The black-bass catch rate averaged five an hour making it about an average rate on this system. July 17The Weather Underground reported that it was 74 degrees at 6:52 a.m. and 83 degrees at 2:52 p.m. The sky alternated from being partly cloudy to being fair to being cloudy to being mostly cloudy to lightly raining. The wind angled out of the southeast, east by northeast, east, southeast, south by southwest, and north at 3 to 8 mph; and it was calm at times. The barometric pressure was 29.1 at 12:52 a.m., 29.1 at 5:52 a.m., 29.2 at 11: 52 a.m., and 29.2 at 2:52 p.m.In-Fisherman's solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would occur from 8:26 a.m. to 10:26 a.m., 8:51 p.m. to 10:51 p.m., and 2:14 a.m. to 4:14 a.m. I was afloat at one of northeastern Kansas' many state reservoirs. I made my first cast at 12:30 p.m. I fished until I caught 30 largemouth bass, and I caught it at 3:13 p.m. I accidentally caught one channel catfish, one redear sunfish, two black crappie, four bluegill, and eight green sunfish.Northeastern Kansas is in the midst of a drought. As of July 16, we have received 11.65 inches of precipitation in 2018; we normally receive 21.88 inches by July 16. The drought has affected this reservoir's water level; it looked to be about two feet below normal. The water exhibited four to six feet of visibility. The surface temperature was 86 degrees.For several reasons, my 78-year-old body, mind, and soul have not been able to contend with the various vicissitudes of life that erupted in June and July. Because life's twists and turns are becoming more and more difficult for me to negotiate, I have rarely been afloat since May 30, and I was hoping to be afloat on this outing for two hours rather two hours and 43 minutes. But at 1:30 p.m., I had caught 22 largemouth bass rather than 30, and it took me 43 minutes to catch eight more.

I caught one largemouth bass in about six feet of water at the end of a riprap jetty. It was caught on a shortened four-inch Z-Man's purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig as I was strolling and employing a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

I caught one largemouth bass that was suspended around a partially submerged cedar tree. It is situated in 11 feet of water and 30 yards from the shoreline. It was caught on a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man's sprayed-grass ZinkerZ affixed to a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

Along the shoreline of the reservoir's spillway, I caught six largemouth bass. This shoreline possesses a 30- to 45-degrees slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. Some of its water's edge is embellished with patches of American pondweeds, bushy pondweed, and one partially submerged cedar tree. These largemouth bass were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig. Two of the largemouth bass were caught around the rocks in four to six feet of water with a drag-and-shake presentation. Four of the largemouth bass were caught around the patches of American pondweed in three to four feet of water on either the initial drop of the rig or when I was employing a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

Four largemouth bass were caught along the dam. It possesses a 40- to 60-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of riprap. One largemouth bass was caught in about six feet of water while I was strolling the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation. Three largemouth bass were caught in three to four feet of water on the initial drop of the sprayed-grass ZinkerZ rig.

Around a main-lake point and one of its adjacent shorelines, I caught three largemouth bass. This area possesses a 30-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of clay and gravel. Patches of bushy pondweed and coontail also grace the underwater terrain. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig in about five feet of water adjacent to a patch of bushy pondweed. Two largemouth bass were caught on the sprayed-grass ZinkerZ rig while I was strolling it and employing a swim-glide-and-shake presentation adjacent to a patch of bushy pondweed in about five feet of water.

I caught 10 largemouth bass around another main-lake point and along one of its adjacent shorelines. This area has a 25-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of clay, gravel, and some rocks. The water's edge is graced with some patches of American pondweeds, and the slightly deeper areas are embellished with patches of bushy pondweed. Occasionally, some of the patches of bushy pondweed are interlaced with the outside edges of some of the American pondweed patches. The 10 largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man's green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. Four of the largemouth bass were caught on the initial drop of the rig in about three feet of water along the outside edges of the American pondweed patches. Four of them were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in three to four feet of water around the American pondweed patches and bushy pondweed patches. Two were caught on a drag-and-deadstick presentation in about four feet of water around the patches of bushy pondweed.

Around a secondary point and its adjacent shoreline, I caught two largemouth bass. This area possesses a 20- to 45-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of clay, gravel, and rocks. The water's edge is lined with occasional patches of American pondweeds, American water willows, some laydowns, and a few stumps. There are patches of bushy pondweed growing in four to six feet of water. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig around a patch of bushy pondweed in four feet of water. The other largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ rig in about four feet of water around a laydown.

Two largemouth bass were caught around a partially submerged cedar tree on a massive shallow-water flat. Patches of bushy pondweed and coontail enhance this flat. The largemouth bass were caught on the green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ rig with a swim-glide-shake presentation in about five feet of water adjacent to the cedar tree.

Largemouth bass No. 30 was caught around another secondary point. This point has a 25-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of clay and gravel. Its water's edge is lined with some skimpy patches of American pondweeds, and its slightly deeper areas are adorned with patches of bushy pondweed. This bass was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ rig in three to four feet of water.

In sum, the Finesse ShadZ rig caught 14 of the 30 largemouth bass. The purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig caught 10 largemouth bass. And the sprayed-grass ZinkerZ rig caught six largemouth bass. The initial drop and swim-glide-and-shake retrieve were the most effective presentations. I caught an average of almost 11 largemouth bass an hour

July 18

The Weather Underground reported on July 18 that it was 69 degrees at 7:53 a.m. and 77 degrees at 1:53 p.m. The wind angled out of the east by northeast, east, northeast, and southeast at 3 to 8 mph. The sky alternated from being cloudy to raining heavily to raining lightly to being cloudy. The barometric pressure was 28.9 at 12:53 a.m., 28.9 at 5:53 a.m., 28.9 at 11:53 a.m., and 28.9 at 1:53 p.m.

In-Fisherman's solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would occur from 4:15 a.m. to 6:15 a.m., 4:40 p.m. to 6:40 p.m., and 10:27 a.m. to 12:27 p.m. My cousin Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, and I fished at one of northeastern Kansas' community reservoirs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The water level looked to be about a foot below normal. The surface temperature ranged from 85 to 86 degrees. The water exhibited four to six feet of visibility.

Because Rick and I had not fished together since June 25, we ventured to this reservoir because we were possessed with the desire to garner a lot of strikes, and this reservoir traditionally is an easy waterway to obtain a lot of strikes. But to our disappointment, we failed to elicit as many strikes as we were hoping to elicit. During the four hours that we were afloat, we caught 44 largemouth bass and five smallmouth bass, and there were no rhymes and reasons to where and how we caught them. In fact, when we caught one, it often seemed as if it caught us rather than us catching it.

We caught one largemouth bass along a flat shoreline in the back of a small feeder-creek arm. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 30-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of clay, gravel, and rocks. The water's edge is adorned with a few shallow-water patches of American water willows. There are also patches of submerged bushy pondweed and coontail embellishing this area in four to seven feet of water. This largemouth bass was caught in about four feet of water along the inside edge of a patch of submerged vegetation on the initial drop of a Z-Man's green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig.

Around two main-lake points and along a main-lake shoreline, we caught eight largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass. This area possesses a 20- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and some humongous boulders. The water's edge is adorned with some patches of American water willows, a few patches of American pondweeds, some overhanging trees, and several laydowns. Submerged patches of bushy pondweed and coontail grace the underwater terrain of portions of these points and shoreline. The smallmouth bass was caught on a Z-Man's Canada craw TRD CrawZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig, and three largemouth bass were caught on this rig, too. One largemouth bass was caught on the green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ rig. A shortened four-inch Z-Man's PB&J Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/32-ounce mushroom-style jig caught three largemouth bass. Two largemouth bass were caught on a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man's PB&J ZinkerZ affixed to a blue 1/20-ounce Z-Man's Finesse ShroomZ jig. We caught these black bass in two to seven feet of water. Some were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. Some were caught while we were strolling and employing a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. Some were caught while we were casting and employing a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve. Some were caught around the rocks and boulders. Some were caught around the patches of American water willows. Some were caught around the patches of submerged bushy pondweed and coontail.

Along another main-lake shoreline and around its main-lake point, we caught five largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass. This area has a 25- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. Much of the water's edge is lined with patches of American water willows. Submerged patches of bushy pondweed and coontail enhance portions of the shoreline and point. Three of the largemouth bass were caught on the TRD CrawZ rig with a swim-glide-and shake retrieve around the patches of submerged aquatic vegetation in about six feet of water. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the PB&J Finesse WormZ rig in about three feet of water adjacent to a patch of American water willows. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the TRD CrawZ in 2 1/2 feet of water around a patch of American water willows. The smallmouth bass was caught in about seven feet of water on a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man's sprayed-grass ZinkerZ affixed to a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig that was strolled with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation around a patch of submerged aquatic vegetation.

We caught 10 largemouth bass along the dam. The underwater terrain consists of rocks and boulders. It possesses a 30- to 45-degree slope. It is littered with a few manmade brush piles. There are some meager patches of American water willows, and numerous patches of submerged bushy pondweed and coontail. Three of the largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man's Junebug Finesse ShadZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. Three were caught on the TRD CrawZ rig. Four were caught on the PB&J Finesse WormZ rig. They were caught in three to six feet of water. Some were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. Some were caught while we were strolling and employing either a swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-and-deadstick presentation. Two were caught in the vicinity of a manmade brushpile. The other eight were caught around either the rocks or submerged patches of aquatic vegetation.

Three largemouth bass were caught around a secondary point. It possesses a 30-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and some humongous boulders. Submerged patches of bushy pondweed and coontail are situated in four to seven feet of water. Two largemouth bass were caught on a shortened four-inch Z-Man's purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a blue 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve around the patches of submerged vegetation. The initial drop of the TRD CrawZ rig caught one largemouth bass around the patches of submerged aquatic vegetation.

Along a main-lake shoreline, we caught six largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass. This shoreline possesses a 30- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of clay, gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water's edge is adorned with a few patches of American pondweed, a few patches of American water willows, some laydowns, and several overhanging trees. Occasionally, we crossed paths with some submerged patches of bushy pondweed and coontail. The smallmouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig in about four feet of water. That Finesse ShadZ rig caught four largemouth bass, and the PB&J Finesse WormZ rig caught two largemouth bass. The largemouth bass were caught in three to seven feet of water on either the initial drop of our rigs or while we were employing a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

We caught five largemouth bass around one main-lake point and along a portion of its main-lake shoreline. This area has a 20- to 40-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of clay, gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water's edge is adorned with a few patches of American water willows, some patches of American pondweeds, and scores of overhanging trees and laydowns. There are numerous patches of submerged bushy pondweed and coontail. The PB&J Finesse WormZ rig caught three of the largemouth bass; two were caught in five feet of water around the submerged vegetation with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation; the other one was caught in about two feet of water around a laydown with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. The initial drop of the Z-Man's purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig caught one of the largemouth bass in about four feet of water around a laydown. A 2 1/2-inch Z-Man's Canada craw ZinkerZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve caught one largemouth bass in four feet of water around some submerged aquatic vegetation.

Along a main-lake shoreline in the upper reaches of the reservoir, we caught two smallmouth bass and four largemouth bass. This shoreline has a 20- to 45-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of clay, gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water's edge is lined with occasional patches of American water willows, a few patches of American pondweeds, many laydowns, and some overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation. Many yards of the flatter terrains are adorned with submerged patches of bushy pondweed and coontail. Three of the largemouth bass were caught in three to five feet of water on the PB&J Finesse WormZ rig with a swim-glide-shake retrieve; two of the three were caught around patches of submerged vegetation; one was caught around a gravel- and rock-laden terrain. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the TRD CrawZ rig in three to four feet of water around some boulders and rocks. The two smallmouth bass were caught on the TRD CrawZ rig; one was caught adjacent to an overhanging tree in about four feet of water with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve; the second one was caught around a laydown in about three feet of water with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

In the back end of a large feeder-creek arm, we caught two largemouth bass along a shoreline that possesses a 50- to 80-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and several gargantuan boulders. The water's edge is adorned with a few patches of American pondweed and American water willows. One was caught on the initial drop of the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig in about four feet of water in front of a patch of American water willows. The second one was caught on the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig near the same patch of American water willows with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve.

In sum, we caught an average of 12.25 black bass an hour, and we caught them every which way, which was quite confusing. And around many of the locales that we fished, we failed to elicit a strike.

July 15-20

Bob Gum of Kansas City, Kansas, filed a brief on the Finesse News Network about his week of fishing in Ontario, Canada, with the Canoe Canada Outfitters.

Here is an edited version of his brief:

I was based in a fly-in camp on Lake Irene. I also had access to Doan Lake, which required a paddle trip up a creek channel and a short portage.

Lake Irene is around 5,000 acres with a clarity of around 12 feet and a depth of 200 feet or more. Doan is around 2,000 acres with a clarity of six feet, possessing a slight tea stain to the water.

I kept things very simple during the week by using three rods.

On one rod I used a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man's ZinkerZ. I employed three colors: coopertreuse, green-pumpkin-orange, and PB&J. They were affixed to either a black or a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig.

On the second rod, I worked with a Z-Man's The Deal Finesse ShadZ affixed to a white 1/8-ounce mushroom-style jig.

On the third rod, I used topwater baits, such as Heddon's Baby Torpedo, Rebel's Pop-R, and a 1/8-ounnce buzzbait.

I spent most of the time back trolling into the breeze for better boat control. So I did a lot of strolling and keeping the rod tip down. Most of the smallmouth bass were in five to 20 feet of water. The walleye were abiding in 20 to 25 feet of water.

Throughout the week, I caught most of the fish around deep-water lairs on the Finesse ShadZ rig. Most smallmouth bass were regurgitating small white fish when hooked. So the ShadZ seemed a good match for them.

But I did enjoy a bountiful hour of shallow-water fishing with the Finesse ShadZ rig at Doan Lake, which was reminiscent of some of the best white bass fishing that I have ever experienced. It occurred along a 100-yard-long mid-lake ridge that is covered with seven feet of water, and it eventually plummets into 40 feet of water. The wind had picked up at this time, and it was creating a pretty good chop on the water. Schools of two- and three-pound smallmouth bass where foraging on baitfish all around me. I caught them on the Finesse ShadZ rig, but instead of allowing the rig to plummet to the bottom, I had my best luck simply slow swimming it back to the boat two to four feet below the surface. It didn't matter what depth the boat was in as long as I was in the general vicinity of the surface-foraging smallmouth bass. During those 60 minutes, I spent most of my time battling smallmouth bass and less time actually fishing. My catch rate here was dependent on how quickly I could land the smallmouth bass.

July 24

Dave Petro of Lecompton, Kansas, filed a report on the Finesse News Network about his July 24 outing.

Here is a condensed and edited version of his report:

We finally caught a break from the oppressively hot weather that northeast Kansans have had to endure this summer. What's more, the realities of life that have conspired with the weather have kept us on dry land for most of the month.

Thus, John Redding and I headed out to a northeastern Kansas' community reservoir on July 24. The day promised to be nearly perfect, dawning with a mostly clear and bright blue sky and a morning low temperature of 67 degrees. A cool and blessedly dry breeze angled from the north to northwest from 6 to 10 mph. While we were afloat, the wind did blow strong enough to raise some small whitecaps, and we deployed the drift sock to help slow things down as we fished. However, with an afternoon high of 88 degrees, we welcomed the breeze as it always seemed cooler when it blew.

The surface temperature of the water was 85.5 degrees. It exhibited a distinct green hue that is indicative of an algae bloom. But, we found the visibility to be 18 -24 inches; so, the algae bloom was fairly moderate. The water level was about one foot below normal.

We made our first casts at 9:10 a.m. We fished a 100-yard section of rocky shoreline adjacent to the boat ramp. The water was four to seven feet deep, and it was graced with submerged beds of bushy pondweed that seemed to be dying and thinning out. This provided for some very thick patches and other areas that had only a few plants, which allowed us to swim our finesse rigs over and through them with minimal hang-ups. This area produced the first two largemouth bass of the day. They were fooled by a shortened four-inch Z-Man's Finesse WormZ mounted on a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve, and they were relating to patches of submerged aquatic vegetation that are several yards away from the shoreline.

A short time later, we caught two more largemouth bass on a shallow and flat main-lake point. These bass were abiding in two feet of water and both struck the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve.

We fished a long stretch of shallow main-lake shoreline. The boat floated in two to five feet of water. The shoreline was adorned with patches of American water willows, American pondweed, and quite a bit of filamentous algae clung to the edge of the water. We were disappointed that this area did not produce a single strike.

Finally, we came to an area where the water depth became deeper and the shoreline became steep and rocky. On this short section of a main-lake shoreline, we caught one largemouth on a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve with our Junebug Finesse WormZ rig. This bass measured exactly 18 inches and was our big fish of the day. We fished a rocky and deep main-lake point adjacent to this shoreline and did not receive any strikes.

However, after rounding that main-lake point and entering into a large feeder-creek arm, we found ourselves in much more productive territory. But we did not receive any strikes as we plied the shoreline until we were about halfway back in the feeder-creek arm. The depth of the water in this area became shallower, ranging in depth from two to seven feet. The flat at the back of this arm was adorned with scattered patches of bushy pondweed. As we worked our way from the shoreline into the middle of the flat, we caught nine largemouth bass. Some of them were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig and some were enticed by a Z-Man's Junebug Finesse ShadZ mounted on a black 1/10-ounce Bass Pro Shops' weedless Shroom jig. As we strolled around this massive flat, some of the black bass were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation, some were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation, and a couple were caught on a deadstick presentation. Seven of the largemouth bass were relating to patches of aquatic vegetation and were many yards from the shoreline, and two were caught along the shoreline.

At a main-lake point at the mouth of another large feeder-creek arm, we caught five largemouth bass. The water was four to 14 feet deep. Three were caught on the Junebug Finesse WormZ rig, and two were caught on the Junebug ShadZ rig, which we used with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

Along a long section of shoreline inside the feeder-creek arm, we caught eleven largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass. This section of shoreline is steep and deep. The boat floated in water as shallow as four feet and as deep as 24 feet. The underwater terrain consists of rocks and boulders. The water's edge is graced with laydowns and overhanging trees, and the branches of the overhanging trees provided many patches of shade. The shoreline was broken up with several small cuts that formed pairs of secondary points. Some of these black bass were caught on the Finesse ShadZ rig, and others were caught on the Finesse WormZ rig. One largemouth bass was caught along a laydown, which lies perpendicular to the shoreline, and it was caught on the Finesse WormZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation parallel to the laydown. The smallmouth bass was caught on the Finesse WormZ with a deadstick retrieve almost directly under the boat in the middle of one of the small cuts. It was abiding in about seven feet of water. The majority of the other largemouth bass were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve along the shoreline, but some were caught in deeper water as we were strolling with our rigs.

We fished for nearly four hour and took an hour-long lunch break.

After lunch, we plied another main-lake point and caught one largemouth bass and one smallmouth bass on a Z-Man's green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ on a red 1/15-ounce Z-Man's Finesse ShroomZ jig in about 12 feet of water.

Along a 200-yard stretch of deep and rocky main-lake shoreline, we caught two largemouth bass on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. One of them was caught on the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig, and the other one was caught on the green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ rig.

Around another main-lake point, we caught two largemouth bass on the green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve. These fish were abiding in about seven feet of water.

Along a steep and rocky shoreline inside another feeder-creek arm, we caught six largemouth bass and three smallmouth bass. Some of them were caught on the Junebug ShadZ rig, and some were caught on the green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ rig. One was caught on a shortened and customized Z-Man's Junebug BoarhogZ mounted on a hand-painted chartreuse 1/16-ounce River Rock Custom Baits' Tactical Finesse Jig. Along this shoreline, the boat floated in seven to 18 feet of water. The shoreline is adorned with many rocks and boulders. The water's edge is graced with laydowns and numerous patches of bushy pondweed. Three of the black bass were caught with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve adjacent to laydowns, and two of them were extracted from the same laydown. One smallmouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ in a shallow-water lair that was in the shade. The rest of the black bass were caught along the shoreline as we were employing swim-glide-and-shake retrieves.

On another main-lake point, we caught three largemouth bass around patches of submerged bushy pondweed. Two of them were caught on the green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve, and one was caught on the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve. As John fought one of the largemouth bass to the boat, it was harassed by two smallmouth bass, and to our great disappointment, we were unable to elicit a strike from these smallmouth bass on a number of subsequent casts and retrieves.

On an offshore and shallow-water flat inside another feeder-creek arm, we caught one largemouth. This flat is covered with two to five feet of water, and it is adorned with many patches of bushy pondweed. This bass was caught on the green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ rig with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve.

We fished about 150 yards of the riprap of the dam. We caught two largemouth bass on the green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ rig by strolling and employing a shake-and-glide presentation in about seven feet of water and several yards away from the water's edge.

We made our last casts and retrieves at 4:10 p.m.

In all, we fished for six hours and caught 48 largemouth bass, five smallmouths, three bluegill, and two green sunfish.

The swim-glide-and-shake retrieve was the most effective one.

The green-pumpkin-blue Finesse ShadZ rig caught a few more black bass than the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig and Junebug Finesse WormZ rig. Two of our stabdard Midwest finesse rigs failed to elicit a strike.

July 25

The Weather Underground reported that it was 65 degrees at 6:53 a.m. and 84 degrees at 1:53 p.m. The wind angled out of the northeast, east, east by southeast, southeast, south by southeast, and south by southwest at 3 to 10 mph, and occasionally, it was calm. The sky was primarily clear until around 12:30 p.m., which was when it became partly cloudy. The barometric pressure was 29.0 at 12:53 a.m., 28.9 at 5:53 a.m., 29.0 at 11:53 a.m., and 28.9 at 2:53 p.m.

In-Fisherman's solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would transpire from 9:08 a.m. to 11:08 a.m., 9:33 p.m. to 11:33 p.m., and 2:56 a.m. to 4:56 a.m. My cousin Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, and I fished at one of northeastern Kansas' community reservoirs from 9:33 a.m. to 1:38 p.m., and we caught 43 largemouth bass.

The surface temperature ranged from 82 to 83 degrees. The water clarity was affected by an algal bloom, and the visibility ranged from 10 to 15 inches. The water level looked to be slightly more than a foot below normal.

Ten largemouth bass were caught along the dam. It possesses a 45- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. The water's edge is graced with some patches of American water willows, and wads of filamentous algae clings to some of those patches. Along some portions of the dam, there are patches of submerged and mostly submerged bushy pondweed and coontail, and some of the coontail patches are cluttered with wads of filamentous algae. (This filamentous algae phenomenon affects the entire reservoir.) Nine of the 10 largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man's Junebug Finesse ShadZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. One was caught on a Z-Man's Junebug Hula StickZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. Four were caught on the initial drop of our rigs in three to four feet of water. Six were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in four to about seven feet of water.

We caught one largemouth bass along an offshore, main-lake ridge. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. This is a flat area with about a 20-degree slope, and at the ledge, the slope is radical. The largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man's Junebug Hula StickZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man's Finesse ShroomZ jig with a drag-and-shake presentation in about five feet of water and about 40 feet from the water's edge.

One largemouth bass was caught along a main-lake point. This point has a 25- to 35-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water's edge is lined with rock and concrete retaining walls, and it is also graced with a few patches of American water willows and a dock. The largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Z-Man's Junebug Hula StickZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig in about three feet of water along the front edge of a patch of American water willows.

These three locales are situated in the lower third of this reservoir. We spent the rest of the outing in the reservoir's upper half.

Along one main-lake shoreline and point, we caught four largemouth bass. This area has a 30- to 45-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. The water's edge is adorned with patches of American water willows, four docks, and one overhanging tree. Submerged and partially submerged patches of bushy pondweed and coontail grace portions of the underwater terrain. Wads of filamentous algae clutter much of the surface around some of the coontail patches. One largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man's green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig near a patch of coontail in four to five feet of water with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. One was caught on a Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig, and two were caught on a shortened four-inch Z-Man's Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. These three largemouth bass were caught in four to six feet of water on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

We caught two largemouth bass along another main-lake shoreline and point. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. Much of the water's edge is lined with a concrete retaining wall. There are also five docks and several meager patches of American water willows. One of the largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig in about four feet of water in front of a patch of American water willows. The second largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of a Z-Man's green-pumpkin-orange Finesse TRD affixed to a black 1/15-ounce TT Lures' NedlockZ jig in about three feet of water around a patch of American water willows.

Along a massive main-lake shoreline, we caught 11 largemouth bass. The slope of this shoreline ranges from 25 to 45 degrees. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. Some of the water's edge is lined with concrete and rock retaining walls. There are also patches of American water willows, several overhanging trees, some laydowns, a few stumps, and eight docks. Many of the shallow-water areas are graced with patches of coontail and bushy pondweed. Wads of filamentous algae litter the surface around the coontail patches. These largemouth bass were caught on our Junebug Finesse ShadZ rigs. Some were caught on the initial drop. Some were caught while we were employing a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. A few were caught as we were strolling and using a drag-and-shake retrieve. Most were caught within five feet of the water's edge. Three were caught about 30 feet from the water's edge around offshore patches of coontail.

A dozen largemouth bass were caught along another massive main-lake shoreline and one main-lake point. This shoreline and point possesses a 20- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and a few boulders. Much of the water's edge is lined with concrete and rock retaining walls. There are 22 docks cluttering the section of the shoreline that we fished. There are a few overhanging trees, several patches of American water willows, and some laydowns. Many of the shallow-water areas are embellished with patches of coontail and a few patches of bushy pondweed. One of the largemouth bass was caught on the green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ rig in about six feet of water around a patch of coontail as we were strolling and using a drag-and-shake presentation. Ten of the largemouth bass were caught on our Junebug Finesse ShadZ rigs, and they were caught in four to seven feet of water. A few of those 10 were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. Some were caught while we employed a drag-and-shake presentation. Some were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. We caught them within a few feet of the water's edge, and a few others were caught as far as 20 feet from the water's edge. Some were caught around patches of coontail. Some were caught around gravel and rocks. Some were caught near patches of American water willows. One was caught adjacent to a laydown.

We caught one largemouth bass along another main-lake shoreline. It possesses a 25- to 45-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and a few boulders. It is cluttered with 10 docks. The water's edge is adorned with a few patches of American water willows and concrete and rock retaining walls. This largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Junebug Finesse ShadZ in about three feet of water in front of a patch of American water willows.

In sum, steeper areas were more fruitful than flatter ones. The Junebug Finesse ShadZ rig was our most effective rig. It is interesting to note that Junebug is often an effective color for alluring the largemouth bass that abide in the flatland reservoirs of northeastern Kansas – especially when the water clarity is affected by an algal bloom.

July 27

Tom Bett of Oshkosk, Wisconsin, posted a report on the Finesse News Network about his July 27 outing.

Here is an edited version of his report:

The recent thunderstorms in eastern Wisconsin have allowed river levels to rise, causing moderate filling of backwater sloughs and oxbows. Those conditions caused me to halt my finesse endeavors, and I either followed the largemouth bass into the duckweed, where I employed frogging tactics, or I toss swim jigs on sandbars for riverine smallmouth bass.

On July 27, however, Eric Gilgenbach of Winneconne, Wisconsin, and I attempt to become reacquainted with the black bass that reside in the Upper Pool lakes of the Winnebago system.

As a stiff cold front sliced through Wisconsin, the day dawned cloudy, windy, and cool. Before this front arrived, we were in the midst of a midsummer heat wave. Air temperatures on July 27 ranged from a low of 60 degrees to a high of 73 degrees. A northwest wind at 10 to 20 mph generated a very active chop on the water. The water clarity is adversely affected by a vigorous algal bloom, and a secchi-disk reading revealed that the visibility ranged from 1 1/2 to two feet. The surface temperature has declined more than 10 degrees during the past week, dropping to 72 and 74 degrees. Pool level was at its target level. The inflows were enhanced by the brisk northwesterly breezes, and the rate of the inflow was 7,500 cubic feet per second.

We fished for seven hours.

After a seven mile run straight into the teeth of the wind, we arrived at the mouth of a major tributary river and located a rock line bordering the edge of the main channel. We began casting Z-Man's Finesse TRDs rigged on black 1/10-ounce Z-Man's Finesse ShroomZ jigs into current and dragging them back down to the boat. The drag-and-pause retrieve proved productive, yielding 12 very nice smallmouth bass, one largemouth bass, and a massive freshwater drum. The green-pumpkin-goby Finesse TRD produced the majority of the strikes, but The Deal Finesse TRD and Drew's craw Finesse TRD generated some additional action.

Noting the persistence of the northwest wind, we then decided to plow back down the lake a couple miles to a series of shallow-water points that were being swept by the wind-generated currents. The water clarity may have been adversely affected by the strong wave action occurring there, and we were only able to allure three smallmouth bass by using the same rigs and presentations that we used at the first locale.

We then decided to travel across the lake to a large point that was somewhat sheltered from the wind and waves. This proved to be a good move. We fished a series of riprap areas and points, which yielded five largemouth bass and 12 smallmouth bass. The green-pumpkin-goby Finesse TRD was the most productive combo. These black bass were not aggressive, and we caught them by employing a drag-and-pause routine, and the strikes would occur during the pause.

After taking a short lunch break, we decided to explore another pool in the reservoir system. We probed a series of submerged rock lines and isolated rock piles that reside on shallow flats and are located a short distance from the main river channel. Either the bite was substantially waning by this point in the day or it was a poor decision on our part. Consequently, at the next six sites, we struggled to catch four smallmouth bass, one largemouth and a freshwater drum.

In sum, we fished a total of 12 areas and caught 25 smallmouth bass, seven largemouth bass, and three freshwater drum. A dozen of the black bass were 14 inches and longer, and they were tagged and immediately released in support of the Winnebago Pool Black Bass Pilot Study. The biggest one was a 19.6-inch smallmouth bass. The smallest was 7 1/2 inches. Even though our catch rate per hour was well below the average catch rate for this system, we were grateful to reconnect with some nice specimens from our local waters – especially given the weather conditions and our recent absence from these habitats.

July 27

Travis Perret of Overland Park, Kansas, filed a report on the Finesse News Network about his July 27 outing.

Here is an edited version of his report:

I was doing a book-signing event for my "Pain Free Life" book in Springfield, Missouri, on the night of July 26, and I wanted to fish at Table Rock Lake, Missouri, on July 27.

Luckily, Stacey King of Reeds Spring, Missouri, was available, and he was gracious enough to take me and my cousin's son, Ethan Turner of Springfield, fishing. (By the way, Stacey is currently in first place in the FLW's Costa Series angler-of-the-year contest.)

Ethan is 13 years old, and he is a pretty good fisherman. He went to fourth grade at the Bass Pro Shops' school. It is called The Wolf School, and it was established by John L. Morris (Johnny), who is the founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops. It is located at the Bass Pro Shops' headquarters in Springfield.

The curriculum is centered on the outdoors. Ethan loved it, and it really got him hooked on hunting and fishing. So, I try to take him as often as I can. When he comes to the Kansas City area for baseball tournaments, we will go fishing before or after the tournaments. And when I am in Springfield, I will try to get on the water with him.

Stacey had been on the water several days that week for a tournament and guide trips. Therefore, he had a pretty good handle on what was happening. We fished the Cape Fair area.

We got on the water about 10:30 a.m. He said the morning bite had been terrible. So, there was no need in starting early. Even though we do not mind getting up early to fish, it was nice not to have to get up too early.

Across the years, I have occasionally worked with Stacey to help him conquer some of the pains that have afflicted various parts of his body. And his wife, Peggy, has become interested in my exercise therapy routines. So, before we fished, I did a little evaluation with her.

When we were afloat, it was a good learning experience in seeing how Stacey looks for fish electronically. We looked at a number of spots; some we fished; some we did not. Even though there was a lot of history to his spots, we would idle over them to see if we could mark fish. If we saw a group of fish on the fish finder, we would give it a try, and we usually caught a few black bass right away. We probably looked at 15 spots and five or six of them we actually fished.

I got to see what he was looking for and how he drives the boat to use his fish finders most efficiently. In most cases, we were looking at fish in 20 to 30 feet of water.

Several times we would fish a long tapering point. And I mean long. We would be in the middle of a cove, and Stacey would point at the bank 75 to 100 yards away and explain what was going on underwater. He would point to an object on the bank and say make a cast as far as you can to that tree or that area. It was pretty cool.

We started out using drop shots and big shaky-head rigs. Then we would pull up to a spot, and Stacey would say they bite the Ned Rig here, and we would throw it.

On that rig, we used a 1/8-ounce round or ball jig with a small fiber weed guard. These jigs are specially made for him. To these jigs, we affixed either a Z-Man's green-pumpkin or PB&J Big TRD.

We did not keep a very good record of how many fish we caught, but I would say by 2:00 p.m. we had 20 black bass. Most of them were caught on either a drop-shot rig or a shaky-head rig.

Around 2:00 p.m., we stopped at the Cape Fair Marina. They sell our Trophy Bass Company jigs, and I wanted to take a look and say hello. Stacey knew them and wanted to say hello as well.

While we were there, he purchased a pack of the Big TRD in The Deal hue. And at the next stop, and literally on the first cast he made with it, he caught one. Then he caught several others. So, we all put one on and the fishing turned excellent. We probably caught 20 more black bass during the next two hours with it.

At one spot, we were sitting on a channel swing adjacent to a long, tapering underwater point. When we saw some black bass busting shad on the surface in 40 feet of water, we caught a couple of them. We also caught them on the tapering point.

It was a good time and a lot of fun.

July 28

Mike Poe of Siler City, North Carolina, filed a report on the Finesse News Network about his July 28 outing.

Here is an edited version of his report:

July 28 found me on the water at a community reservoir with Abe Abernathy of Greensboro, North Carolina.

Abe has collected more tournament wins in central North Carolina than any fisherman living or passed. But his expertise and preferred method is structure fishing – not Midwest finesse fishing.

He is as responsible for developing the offshore tactics used and popularized by the Blake Honeycutts of Hickory, North Carolina, and David Fritts of Lexington, North Carolina. Abe taught them that they better get offshore with him if they ever wanted to collect his tournament money.

It is a blessing to share the boat with him.

That being said, when he goes with me, he understands that he will be tight to the shore a lot even in July.

We started at daylight intending to fish until noon.

It was humid and partly cloudy. Area thermometers were in the mid-80s.

We had a full moon on July 26, and that made me hopeful that our fishing would be fruitful.

The water level was about two feet below normal, but it had risen about a foot during the week.

Our most fruitful areas were steep shorelines inside two feeder-creek arms.

I worked with a Z-Man 's black-blue-flake Turbo Crawz, which I shortened to make it three inches long rather than four inches. I affixed it to a weedless black 1/10-ounce Z-Man's Finesse ShroomZ jig.

Abe fished with a wacky rigged Zoom Bait Company's green-pumpkin Fluke Stick.

By 10:00 a.m. we had landed about 15 largemouth bass in one to three feet of water. Abe caught one that weighed nine pounds, three ounces.

After 10:00 a.m., we did better around flat and rocky or hard-bottom points.

At 1:00 p.m., I caught a nice one on my new favorite rig: a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man's blue-claw ZinkerZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig.

Around these points, Abe used a Texas-rigged Zoom's black-sapphire Ultra Vibe Speed Worm.

Because the fishing was so fruitful, we fished longer than normal. We were also more comfortable because we had new seats in the boat. Many reservoirs around central North Carolina have severe boat restrictions, which forbid trailered boats. My son-in-law noticed that all the old men (his term for us wise anglers) at Cane Creek Reservoir used Millennium boat seats in their rigs. We made the change as well and I strongly recommend them to any old men or anyone else who is seeking comfort).

We ended up catching 30 or so with the size being outstanding for July. Our biggest four would have pushed 26 pounds. Abe allowed that it was not too bad of a catch for the skinny-water fishing. Understand, he has done that well in July for decades by fishing structure. But bank beaters like me are not so fruitful normally. Dark and rising water levels helped. I always seem to do better size-wise on or around the full moon, which is one of my biases, but I play it when I can.

July 30

Errata: For a variety of reasons, we have not fished often this summer, and that seems to have adversely affected my abilities to compose an error-free log. For instance, in our July 25 log, we wrote that we fished from 9:33 a.m. to 4:08 p.m. That was wrong. Instead, we fished for four hours and eight minutes. Therefore, we fished from 9:33 a.m. to 1:41 p.m. and we caught 43 largemouth bass.

On July 30, I ventured to the same community reservoir that Rick Hebenstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, and I fished on July 25. I wanted to fish until I caught 30 largemouth bass, and I could not fish for more than three hours. I failed to catch 30 largemouth bass. Instead, I fished from 11:16 a.m. to 2:16 p.m., and caught 26 largemouth bass.

The Weather Underground reported that it was 63 degrees at 6:53 a.m. and 74 degrees at 3:53 p.m. The wind angled out of the east by northeast, east, north by northeast, and north at 3 to 12 mph. The sky fluctuated from being fair to being partly cloudy to being mostly cloudy. The barometric pressure was 28.9 at 12:53 a.m., 28.9 at 5:53 a.m., 28.9 at 11:53 a.m., and 28.9 at 3:53 p.m.

In-Fisherman's solunar calendar indicated that the best fishing would occur from 12:43 a.m. to 2:43 a.m., 1:05 p.m. to 3:05 p.m., and 6:54 a.m. to 8:54 p.m.

The water level looked to be slightly more than a foot below normal. The surface temperature ranged from 80 to 81 degrees. The water clarity exhibited 15 to 30 inches of visibility. This reservoir's patches of coontail are greener and more abundant than they were on July 25, and its patches of bushy pondweed are not as abundant.

I caught 10 largemouth bass along the dam. It possesses a 45- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. The water's edge is graced with some patches of American water willows, and wads of filamentous algae cling to some of those patches. Along some portions of the dam, there are patches of submerged and mostly submerged bushy pondweed and coontail, and some of the coontail patches are cluttered with wads of filamentous algae. The wads of filamentous algae are not as pervasive as they were on July 27. Four largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man's Junebug Finesse ShadZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. A 2 1/2-inch customized Z-Man's green-pumpkin FattyZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig inveigled four largemouth bass. A Z-Man's green-pumpkin-orange Finesse TRD affixed to a blue 1/16-ounce jig caught two largemouth bass. These largemouth bass were caught in four to seven feet of water. Two were caught on the initial drop. The others were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

Along a main-lake shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir, I caught eight largemouth bass. The slope of this shoreline ranges from 35 to 45 degrees. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. Some of the water's edge is lined with concrete walls. There are also patches of American water willows, several overhanging trees, some laydowns, a few stumps, and two docks. One largemouth bass was caught on the Finesse ShadZ rig, three of them were caught on the FattyZ rig, and four of them were caught on the Finesse TRD rig. Two were caught on the initial drop. Two were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation. Four were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation. They were extracted from three to six feet of water.

On a shallow-water flat that is adorned with patches of coontail, I caught one largemouth bass on the initial drop of the Finesse TRD rig in about four feet of water.

These 19 largemouth bass were caught in one hour and 27 minutes. During the next hour and 33 minutes, I struggled to catch seven largemouth bass.

I caught six largemouth bass along another shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir. This shoreline possesses a 20- to 50-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and a few boulders. Much of the water's edge is lined with concrete and rock retaining walls. There are 17 docks cluttering the section of the shoreline that I fished. There are a few overhanging trees, several patches of American water willows, and some laydowns. Many of the shallow-water areas are embellished with patches of coontail and a few patches of bushy pondweed. One of the largemouth bass was caught on the FattyZ rig. Two of them were caught on the Finesse TRD rig. Three largemouth bass were caught on the Finesse ShadZ rig. They were caught in three of six feet of water. One was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse ShadZ. The others were caught on either the swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-shake-and-deadstick retrieve.

One largemouth bass was caught along another shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir. This area has a 30- to 45-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks. The water's edge is adorned with patches of American water willows, four docks, and one overhanging tree. Submerged and partially submerged patches of coontail grace portions of the underwater terrain. Wads of filamentous algae clutter some of the coontail patches. This largemouth bass was caught on a three-inch customized Z-Man's California craw Mag FattyZ affixed on a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in about six feet of water.

At 2:13 p.m., I caught one largemouth bass along another main-lake shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir. It possesses a 25- to 45-degree slope. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and a few boulders. It is cluttered with 10 docks. The water's edge is adorned with concrete and rock retaining walls and a few patches of American water willows. This largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man's Canada craw TRD MinnowZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig in about five feet of water around a patch of coontail with a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve.

In sum, I failed to establish a location pattern, a lure pattern, and a presentation pattern. I worked with nine Midwest finesse rigs, employed a variety of retrieves, and plied a hodgepodge of lairs. Since I have made very few casts and retrieves during the past 60 days, my rhythm, focus, concentration, and confidence are askew. Consequently, it has been a chore to catch significant numbers of largemouth bass.