I thought this was suppose to be a good time to be fishing. Water temps are in the low 60's and everyone was telling me how lunar tables were saying how great the day was going to be yesterday. I spent the entire day fishing everything that I knew both deep and shallow and couldn't get one nibble. Even my go to that I can always count on catching them wouldn't produce.

Not sure if it is everywhere or just this lake. My last 2 trips have been the worst of the year.

What suppose to be doesn't always work out. The Fall pattern can be some of the worst fishing there is. Bass are totally zeroed in on the bait. It is very hard to convince one that the artificial bait is the real ticket. Each lake is different more so during this time period. With the turn overs of the lakes thrown in it can be very discouraging. Keep moving, leave Pool and try another.

This is the time of year that I would always learn the far reaches of creeks and river systems. Changing to a smaller boat and finding access to the upper system way back in the bottom lands was always fun. It is a great adventure to experience the feeder systems that eventually work their way to the lake. If you can find access at a road crossing a few miles up the rivers and feeder creeks it will be very productive. You must be farther enough up the system to be in heavily wooded forest. You will find that the lake basin is usually dirty and silted in shallow water. Once you are way up that system the water gets beautiful, deeper and will be holding Bass that do not have all that bait as the bait fish has not reached to those areas.

I have won almost every tournament during the late Fall up these systems. Pre-fishing those in a smaller boat will help you prepare for them.
- As you fish toward the lake you learn the spots.
- You learn how to get in to those systems from the lake. You may not be able to trailer.
- It is still not easy as you will find a 100 yard stretch holding big fish then nothing for half a mile.
- Target all lay-downs off the bank. Big trees that Beaver have cut and those that the wind has blown into the river from a undercut bank.
- Run a small spinner bait down all sides of the lay-downs then move in with a Trig. Black/Blue Tail Lizard in 5". Smaller is better up those systems.

Its been tough out there for me lately

Not on JP, but this week I had two dink bites all day...three previous weeks had 20-30 fish days. Early Fall and inconsistent weather patterns...

JP has been tough on me all season.. I don't have a clue where a keeper bass is located! I haven't gone up the creeks but that would be next for me to try. I agree that there is so much bait for them to feed on that its just about impossible to match the hatch close enough to work. I can't wait until spring!

BD

The water is still warm I think everything is suspended and freaking out

I was on Joe Pool Wednesday and didn't have much luck. I saw thousands of shad balled up in the creeks but bass didn't really seem to be chasing them. Every fish I caught was flipping a creature bait into thick lay downs.

As much bait fish as there is it doesn�t seem like there are any fish to be eating them.