Well, I couldn't stand it: cabin fever! So, I dropped my Sportspal into the lake (Athens) and paddled out and actually got into some nice bass. Just three, none bigger than 14" I'd say, none photo-worthy.

Minimalist style, too, with just one rod/reel. Since I definitely wasn't going to be fishing deep, I decided to wacky rig a Reins Cross-swamp worm, the "X" shaped baits. I used a Zappu 3/32 Inchi weighted wacky head, else the fall rate isn't quite fast enough in some circumstances. These worms look sort of like a butterfly's wings flapping as they fall through the water column. Pretty cool and gets the attention of fish I think.

I worked a point where there was grass on the bank side, then two river beds merging back in a cove thinking this was about as good as I could find.

I'll go back out today when it warms up a bit, same general spot.

Technique? Hmm? While bass are known to hit wacky worms both on the bottom or on the fall, I seemed to have more luck yesterday with "on the fall" and not soaking them or dead-sticking them or working them across the bottom. So, in order to optimize my "falls" and not spend as much time on the bottom, I made repeated short casts and reeled back in after a few seconds on the bottom.

At other times, they might follow it to the bottom and look at it before biting it but I sensed otherwise yesterday.

Oh! the Zappu Inchi Wacky Heads? Absolutely top quality.

Brad

P.S. I would try to Ned Rig on the cold winter days but Lake Athens is so grassy that I suspect these rigs just disappear on bottom. Better for lakes with hard bottoms I suspect. br

Reins worm