Midwest Finesse Fishing: July 2023

One of the 52 largemouth bass that were caught on July 12 in northeastern Kansas.

July 5 

 Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his July 5 outing at one of northeastern Kansas’ many community reservoirs. 

 Here is an edited version of his log.

 The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 68 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature was 83 degrees. The wind varied from being calm to variable to angling out of the north, northwest, southeast, south, west, and northeast at 3 to 9 mph, and around midnight wind gusts that howled at 30 to 80 mph walloped various areas in northeastern Kansas. The conditions of the sky varied from being foggy and misty to thunderstorms to light rain to cluttered with a few clouds to fair to partly cloudy to mostly cloudy to overcast.  The barometric pressure was 30.15 at 12:52 a.m., 29.99 at 5:52 a.m., 30.08 at 11:52 a.m., and 30.02 at 4:52 p.m.

 The surface temperature was 83 degrees. The water level

at this 83-year-old reservoir looked to be normal. The dipstick or Secchi stick revealed that water exhibited three feet of clarity along the dam, and the clarity diminished to about 10 inches in the back of one of its primary feeder-creek arms. The patches of curly-leaf pondweed have completed their summertime demise, and they will begin to reappear in November to provide the largemouth bass with some delightful wintertime habitat in which to dwell and forage.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 12:40 a.m. to 2:40 a.m., 1:11 p.m. to 3:11 p.m., and 6:55 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. 

I made my first cast at 1:31 p.m. and the last one at 4:28 p.m. During the first hour, I spent about 15 minutes talking to an old friend, who was also afloat, and while we chatted, we did not fish. 

During these 198 minutes, it was a struggle to tangle with 22 largemouth bass and accidentally catch four bluegill and 11 green sunfish.  

One of the largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD BugZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/20-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. Six of the largemouth bass were caught on a slightly shortened 4.72-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. A Z-Man’s twilight Trick ShotZ affixed to a baby blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig caught 15 largemouth bass.

Along about 1,475 feet of the dam’s shoreline, I caught 10 largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of the dam consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. This shoreline possesses a 55-degree slope. The water’s edge is graced with patches of American water willows, a few piles of brush, and a concrete water outlet tower that is surrounded by riprap. The Trick ShotZ rig inveigled nine of the largemouth bass, and the Finesse WormZ rig caught one. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Trick ShotZ rig in about three feet of water. The others were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation in five to eight feet of water, and one of them was caught while I was strolling with the drag-and-shake presentation. 

Along about a 300-foot stretch of a shoreline that is situated inside a medium-sized feeder-creek arm that is adjacent to the dam, I caught two largemouth bass on the Trick ShotZ rig. The underwater terrain of this shoreline consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; scores of these boulders are enormous, and there are also several mammoth submerged stumps. The shoreline possesses a 40- to 45-degree slope. Its water’s edge is lined with thick patches of American water willows, one overhanging tree, and a few laydowns. One of the largemouth bass was caught near the outside edge of a patch of American water willows in about four feet of water on a drag-and-shake presentation. The second largemouth bass was caught around one of the boulders in about seven feet of water and 25 feet from the water’s edge on a swimming presentation.  

I caught six largemouth bass along an 800-yard section of a shoreline inside a primary feeder-creek arm. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 45-degree slope, and a massive shallow-water flat that is endowed with the submerged remnants of a concrete bridge lies adjacent to this shoreline. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt, which are adorned with occasional patches of Eurasian milfoil and a few piles of brush. The water’s edge is graced with patches of American water willows, an array of overhanging trees, and several laydowns. One largemouth bass was caught on the Trick ShotZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation in about five feet of water adjacent to a series of overhanging trees. One largemouth bass was caught around a massive laydown on the Finesse WormZ rig with a swimming presentation in about three feet of water. Another largemouth bass was caught in about four feet of water on the Finesse WormZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation as I was strolling around the residue of the concrete bridge. The other four were caught in five to seven feet of water with a drag-and-shake presentation of the Finesse WormZ rig along the steeper section of this shoreline.

Along about a 200-yard stretch of the shoreline on the other side of this primary feeder-creek arm, I caught one largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks, which are endowed with some scanty patches of Eurasian milfoil, a series of stumps, and the residue of a massive beaver hut. The water’s edge is adorned with patches of American water willows, several overhanging trees, and some laydowns. The TRD BugZ caught this largemouth bass in the vicinity of a patch of American water willows with a drag-and-shake presentation in about five feet of water. 

Around a main-lake point in the lower half of this reservoir, I tangled with two largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and a concrete boat ramp. It possesses a 45-degree slope and a ledge that plummets into deep water. The water’s edge is endowed with two small patches of American water willows. The Trick ShotZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation in about eight feet of water allured both of the largemouth bass. 

This reservoir has a history of fluctuating from being problematic to being surprisingly rewarding. But since its managers began spraying it with aquatic herbicides during the second decade of the 21st century, it has been more problematic than rewarding. During this year’s Fourth of July weekend, it was a very congested waterway, and the aftereffects of that congestion might have played a role in my struggles to find and allure the largemouth bass on this July 5 outing. 

Along about 1,475 feet of the dam’s shoreline, I caught 10 largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of the dam consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. This shoreline possesses a 55-degree slope. The water’s edge is graced with patches of American water willows, a few piles of brush, and a concrete water outlet tower that is surrounded by riprap. The Trick ShotZ rig inveigled nine of the largemouth bass, and the Finesse WormZ rig caught one. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Trick ShotZ rig in about three feet of water. The others were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation in five to eight feet of water, and one of them was caught while I was strolling with the drag-and-shake presentation. 

Along about a 300-foot stretch of a shoreline that is situated inside a medium-sized feeder-creek arm that is adjacent to the dam, I caught two largemouth bass on the Trick ShotZ rig. The underwater terrain of this shoreline consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; scores of these boulders are enormous, and there are also several mammoth submerged stumps. The shoreline possesses a 40- to 45-degree slope. Its water’s edge is lined with thick patches of American water willows, one overhanging tree, and a few laydowns. One of the largemouth bass was caught near the outside edge of a patch of American water willows in about four feet of water on a drag-and-shake presentation. The second largemouth bass was caught around one of the boulders in about seven feet of water and 25 feet from the water’s edge on a swimming presentation.  

I caught six largemouth bass along an 800-yard section of a shoreline inside a primary feeder-creek arm. This shoreline possesses a 25- to 45-degree slope, and a massive shallow-water flat that is endowed with the submerged remnants of a concrete bridge lies adjacent to this shoreline. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt, which are adorned with occasional patches of Eurasian milfoil and a few piles of brush. The water’s edge is graced with patches of American water willows, an array of overhanging trees, and several laydowns. One largemouth bass was caught on the Trick ShotZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation in about five feet of water adjacent to a series of overhanging trees. One largemouth bass was caught around a massive laydown on the Finesse WormZ rig with a swimming presentation in about three feet of water. Another largemouth bass was caught in about four feet of water on the Finesse WormZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation as I was strolling around the residue of the concrete bridge. The other four were caught in five to seven feet of water with a drag-and-shake presentation of the Finesse WormZ rig along the steeper section of this shoreline.

Along about a 200-yard stretch of the shoreline on the other side of this primary feeder-creek arm, I caught one largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel and rocks, which are endowed with some scanty patches of Eurasian milfoil, a series of stumps, and the residue of a massive beaver hut. The water’s edge is adorned with patches of American water willows, several overhanging trees, and some laydowns. The TRD BugZ caught this largemouth bass in the vicinity of a patch of American water willows with a drag-and-shake presentation in about five feet of water. 

Around a main-lake point in the lower half of this reservoir, I tangled with two largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and a concrete boat ramp. It possesses a 45-degree slope and a ledge that plummets into deep water. The water’s edge is endowed with two small patches of American water willows. The Trick ShotZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation in about eight feet of water allured both of the largemouth bass. 

This reservoir has a history of fluctuating from being problematic to being surprisingly rewarding. But since its managers began spraying it with aquatic herbicides during the second decade of the 21st century, it has been more problematic than rewarding. During this year’s Fourth of July weekend, it was a very congested waterway, and the aftereffects of that congestion might have played a role in my struggles to find and allure the largemouth bass on this July 5 outing.

 July 6

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his July 6 outing with Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence at one of northeastern Kansas’ community reservoirs. 

Here is an edited version of that log.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 65 degrees. The afternoon’s high temperature was 81 degrees. The wind angled out of the north, northwest, and northeast at 3 to 9 mph. The conditions of the sky varied from being fair to mostly cloudy to cluttered with a few clouds. The barometric pressure was 30.10 at 12:53 a.m., 30.10 at 5:53 a.m., 30.16 at 11:53 a.m., and 30.06 at 4:53 p.m.

The water level was normal. The surface temperature ranged from 82 to 83 degrees. The water exhibited about five feet of visibility along the dam and 1 1/2 to four feet of visibility in the upper half of the reservoir. 

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 1:48 a.m. to 3:48 a.m., 2:16 p.m. to 4:16 p.m., and 8:02 a.m. to 10:02 a.m. 

We made our first casts at 2:30 p.m. and the last ones at 4:29 p.m. And we caught 14 largemouth bass, 12 smallmouth bass, 11 white bass, two channel catfish, two bluegill, one freshwater drum, and one green sunfish. 

A Z-Man’s twilight Trick ShotZ affixed to a baby blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig caught one largemouth bass. A Z-Man’s green-pumpkin TRD GobyZ affixed to a baby blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig caught three smallmouth bass and one largemouth bass. And a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to either a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead or an unpainted 1/16-ounce jighead caught 10 smallmouth bass and 11 largemouth bass.

This is the new TRD GobyZ, and we suspect it was used for the first time in Kansas on July 6.

We spent about 20 minutes searching for schools of temperate bass across two shallow-water flats in the upper half of the reservoir. Portions of these flats are graced with patches of Eurasian milfoil. This endeavor yielded 11 white bass and one channel catfish.  

We caught four smallmouth bass and nine largemouth bass along one of this reservoir’s three submerged rock-and-boulder fences. This rock-and-boulder fence is covered with three to eight feet of water, and some spots are bordered by water as deep as 28 feet. One of the largemouth bass was caught on the Trick ShotZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation. One largemouth bass and three smallmouth bass were caught on the TRD GobyZ rig; one was on the initial drop of the rig, and the others were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation. Two smallmouth bass and three largemouth bass were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rigs with either a drag-and-shake presentation or a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation. These nine largemouth bass and four smallmouth bass were caught in about four to about nine feet of water.

We fished the entire shoreline of the dam, which is about 2,000 feet long. It yielded three smallmouth bass and one largemouth bass. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are occasionally graced with some patches of Eurasian milfoil. It possesses a 50- to 55-degree slope. The water’s edge is embellished with patches of American water willows; a short portion of these water willows have been killed by some terrestrial herbicide. The largemouth bass and two of the smallmouth bass were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rigs as we employed a drag-and-shake presentation in about five feet of water; one smallmouth bass was caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig as we were strolling and using the drag-and-shake presentation in about eight feet of water.  

Along a short segment of a main-lake shoreline adjacent to a main-lake point in the lower half of the reservoir, we caught one largemouth bass. The point, which is situated at the mouth of a small feeder-creek arm, was fruitless. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water’s edge is endowed with vibrant and thick patches of American water willows and a touch of overhanging trees. This largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the TRD TicklerZ rig in three feet of water next to a patch of American water willows. 

Along two short portions of the shorelines adjacent to another main-lake point in the lower half of the reservoir, we caught one largemouth bass and five smallmouth bass. This area is situated at the mouth of a large feeder-creek arm. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. It possesses a 35- to 45-degree slope. The water’s edges are girdled with wonderful patches of American water willows, an array of overhanging trees, and several weather-worn laydowns. These black bass were caught on our TRD TicklerZ rigs. Two of the smallmouth bass were caught along the main-lake shoreline and near the outside edge of the American water willows; they were caught on the initial drop of the rig in about 3 ½ feet of water. The largemouth bass and the other three smallmouth bass were caught in four to six feet of water on either a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-and-shake presentation along the shoreline inside the feeder-creek arm. The point was fruitless. 

We caught one largemouth bass on top of a small offshore hump adjacent to a 200-yard-long main-lake shoreline in the middle section of the reservoir The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are embellished with some PVC pipes and a humongous stump. This largemouth bass was caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig with a drag-and-shake presentation in about five feet of water and around the massive stump.

Around a main-lake point and a 150-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir, we caught four largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of this point and its shorelines consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are monsters. Patches of Eurasian milfoil enhance segments of the underwater terrain. The slope of this area ranges from 40 to 60 degrees. The water’s edge is endowed with magnificent patches of American water willows, several laydowns, and several overhanging trees and terrestrial vegetation. Two of the largemouth bass were caught on the initial drop of our TRD TicklerZ rigs in about 3 ½ feet of water along the outside edges of the American water willow patches. The other two were caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig as we were employing a drag-and-subtle-shake presentation in about seven to 10 feet of water. 

We had hopes of tangling with at least 30 black bass and 30 temperate bass, but we failed to muster the wherewithal to achieve those goals.

 July 6

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his July 6 outing with Bear Brundrett of Valley View, Texas.

Here is an edited version of his log.

From 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Bear Brundrett and I fished at a state reservoir in north-central Texas. Neither one of us have fished at this reservoir since April 14, 2023. 

When we arrived at the boat ramp at about 6:15 a.m., we spoke to two local bass anglers who were launching their boat. They reported that the black-bass fishing at this reservoir has been tough during the past couple of weeks.

The vast majority of this reservoir’s submerged terrain consists of red clay, gravel, chunky rocks, and boulders. There are a few areas inside two of the more prominent feeder-creek arms that are cluttered with flooded timber, stumps, laydowns, and broken tree limbs and small branches. Also, there are several varieties of aquatic vegetation: American water willows, American pondweeds, yellow floating-heart, milfoil, coontail, and muskgrass.

In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar noted that the fishing would be poor, but the most lucrative fishing periods would occur from 1:54 a.m. to 3:54 a.m., 8:08 a.m. to 10:08 a.m., and 2:22 p.m. to 4:22 p.m.

During this July 6 excursion, the sky conditions fluctuated from being partly cloudy and mostly cloudy. There were a few scattered showers just east of this reservoir, but they didn’t affect us. The morning’s low temperature was 80 degrees, and the afternoon’s high peaked at 95 degrees. The wind was mostly variable at 6 to 12 mph, except for about a 45-minute spell when it was calm. The barometric pressure measured 29.95 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.98 at noon. 

We concentrated our efforts on a main-lake flat, the shoreline of a chunk-rock-covered dam, three rocky main-lake points, a 50-yard section of a main-lake shoreline, and two rock-laden and boulder-laden bluffs.

We also searched for black bass around several rocky secondary points and shorelines inside two of the reservoir's larger feeder-creek arms. One of the creek arms is located in the impoundment's upper end, and the other creek arm is situated in the lower end of the reservoir. Unfortunately, we failed to locate any black bass in these two creek arms. 

The water appeared to be dingier than normal, exhibiting about 1 1/2 feet of visibility. The surface temperature ranged from 85 to 86 degrees. The water level appeared to be normal. And for the first time this year, we observed a prominent thermocline; it was positioned 22 feet below the surface of the water, and scores of fish were suspended three to 12 feet above it. 

We employed 10 Midwest finesse rigs, and five of them were effective. 

A Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Slim SwimZ rigged on either a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig or a chartreuse 3/32-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead and a steady-swimming retrieve about a foot below the surface of the water allured 10 black bass. A swimming presentation with a Z-Man’s space guppy Slim SwimZ matched with a chartreuse 3/32-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead caught nine black bass. Four black bass were caught on an unvarying swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rigged on a blue 3/32-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. A Z-Man’s 1/15-ounce chartreuse Finesse ShroomZ jig sporting a Z-Man’s coppertreuse Trick ShotZ and employed with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation induced four more black bass. And a steady-swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed on a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig enticed three black bass. 

A combination of 13 largemouth bass and spotted bass, and two hybrid spotted bass were caught in three to five feet of water from the main-lake flat. This flat is located along the south shoreline of this reservoir. It is embellished with a small concrete boat ramp and courtesy dock, a small rocky point, several boat houses, and several thick patches of American pondweeds and American water willows line the shallow-water areas near the water’s edge. Nine of these bass were caught from the end of the concrete boat ramp. The other six were caught around the patches of American water willows and American pondweeds that are growing along both sides of the small rocky point.    

Three spotted bass and two largemouth bass were caught around two of the three flat and rocky main-lake points. These points are situated from the middle section of the reservoir. Two of them are also adorned with thick patches of American pondweeds. The third one is adorned with a submerged stump. Three of these four black bass were caught around either submerged boulders or near patches of American pondweeds in three to five feet of water. The other one was caught from the side of the stump in four feet of water.

The shoreline of the dam is about 75-yards long and located on the northeast end of the reservoir. Its submerged terrain consists of baseball-sized rocks and beachball-size boulders. It yielded three spotted bass. These fish were caught in five to seven feet of water and 10 to 20 feet from the water’s edge. 

Along the first of two rock-bluff shorelines, we caught five spotted bass. This bluff is located near the dam. These spotted bass were suspended three to five feet below the surface in 12 to 17 feet of water and 15 to 25 feet from the water’s edge. The other bluff is situated in the midsection of the impoundment. We failed to catch any black bass from it. Both of these bluffs are graced with overhanging trees, a few laydowns, large boulders, submerged tree trunks, and rock ledges. 

We caught two largemouth bass from the main-lake shoreline. This shoreline is located in the lower section of the reservoir.  Its submerged terrain is flat and is cluttered with thick patches of American water willows and American pondweeds. Both of these largemouth were caught from the outside edge of one of the patches of American pondweeds in five feet of water. 

Overall, we had a pretty decent early-July outing; we caught 15 largemouth bass, 13 spotted bass, and two hybrid spotted bass in five hours. We also caught one large bluegill. We caught 20 of these 30 black bass during the first two hours of this outing, but once the sun rose high in the sky, we toiled to catch 10 more bass during the last three hours. 

None of them were impressive specimens, but the bulk of them were keeper size between 14 and 15 inches in length.

July 10

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log about his outing on July 10 at one of northeastern Kansas’ state reservoirs.

Here is an edited version of his log.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 54 degrees, and it was 88 degrees at 3:52 p.m. The wind was calm at times, and when it stirred, it angled from the north, southeast, and south at 3 to 8 mph. The sky fluctuated from being foggy and misty to clear. The barometric pressure was 29.98 at 12:52 a.m., 29.99 at 5:52 a.m., 29.99 at 11:52 a.m., and 29.94 at 3:52 p.m.

The water level at this 63-year-old flatland reservoir looked to be a few inches above normal. The surface temperature ranged from 81 to 84 degrees. The Secchi stick indicated that the water in the vicinity of the dam exhibited about five feet of visibility, and in the upper portions of two feeder-creek arms, the visibility diminished to about 2 ½ feet. Many of this reservoir’s shallow-water flats and shorelines are endowed with patches of American pondweeds, bushy pondweeds, coontail, and sago pondweeds. The bushy pondweeds are beginning their summertime wilt.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 5:22 a.m. to 7:22 a.m., 5:46 p.m. to 7:46 p.m., and 11.10 a.m. to 1:10 p.m. 

I was afloat from 11:30 a.m. until 2:52 p.m. During those 232 minutes, I fished 211 of them with hopes of catching 30 to 40 largemouth bass. But it was a mega chore to catch 25 largemouth bass and accidentally catch two crappie, two green sunfish, and one hefty channel catfish. 

Two Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ employees were afloat in their electro-shocking boat and surveying this reservoir’s common carp population. They failed to shock a carp, but they did shock a significant number of largemouth bass and gizzard shad.  Perhaps the aftereffects of this shocking survey had adversely affected the disposition of the largemouth bass, making them difficult to allure.  

Three of the 25 largemouth bass were caught on a three-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. Four of the 25 were caught on a 3 1/2-inch Z-Man’s green-pumpkin GrubZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. Seventeen of the 25 were caught on a Z-Man’s twilight Trick ShotZ affixed to a baby blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig.

Traditionally, we can catch 30 to 50 largemouth bass in 2 ½ to three hours by fishing several of this reservoir’s shallow-water flats and points that are embellished with vast patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, sago pondweed, and a few patches of American pondweeds.

I fished two massive shallow-water flats, which encompassed an area the size of about five football fields. 

One of the flats yielded seven largemouth bass. Three were caught on the Slim SwimZ rig around patches of bushy pondweeds in four to five feet of water; one was caught on the initial drop, and the other three were caught as I employed a slow swimming presentation. Four were caught on the GrubZ rig in three to six feet of water; two were caught on the initial drop, and the other two were caught on a swimming presentation that tickled the tops of the patches of bushy pondweeds. 

Three largemouth bass were caught on the second flat.

They were caught on the Trick ShotZ rig in five to seven feet of water around patches of coontail and a few patches of bushy pondweeds. One was caught on the initial drop, and two were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

The Trick ShotZ rig caught four largemouth bass around one of the three main-lake points that I fished. Around the other two, I failed to elicit a strike. The slope and composition of these points are almost identical. Their slopes are about 20 degrees.  Their underwater terrains are embellished with patches of American pondweeds, bushy pondweeds, and some wads of coontail. The four largemouth bass were caught in four to six feet of water. Two were caught on the initial drop of the Trick ShotZ rigs, and two were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

I caught 10 largemouth bass in five to 11 feet of water on the Trick ShotZ rig along the riprap shoreline of the dam. And I fished about 1,200 feet of this shoreline.  It possesses a 50- to 60-degree slope. Some of the underwater terrain of riprap is cluttered with scanty pieces of tree limbs and bits of submerged aquatic vegetation. All of the largemouth bass were caught while I was working with a drag-shake-and-slight-pause presentation, and eight of them were caught while I was strolling with that presentation. They were caught from about five to 15 feet from the water’s edge.

The largemouth bass fishing in northeastern Kansas during the first 10 days of July has been quite woeful, and today was the most woebegone.  

 July 11

Ned and Pat Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their July 11 outing at one of northeastern Kansas’ community reservoirs. 

 Here is an edited version of that log.

 The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 71 degrees. It was 95 degrees at 2:53 p.m. The heat index was 99 degrees at 11:53 a.m. and 104 at 3:52 p.m. The wind fluctuated from being calm for a very short spell to angling out of the south, southwest, and northeast at 3 to 12 mph, and from 8:53 a.m. to 11:53 a.m., there were wind gusts that ranged from 17 to 18 mph. The conditions of the sky varied from being fair to mostly cloudy to cluttered with a few clouds. The barometric pressure was 29.93 at 12:53 a.m., 29.86 at 5:53 a.m., 29.92 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.87 at 4:53 p.m.

The water level looked to be several inches below normal. The surface temperature ranged from 82 to 83 degrees. According to our dipstick, the water exhibited about five feet of visibility along the dam, and there were about three feet of visibility in the upper half of the reservoir. 

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 6:09 a.m. to 8:09 a.m., 6:33 p.m. to 8:33 p.m., and 11:57 a.m. to 1:57 p.m.

The intense heat index made this a shorter-than-normal old-codger outing.

We made our first casts at 11:17 a.m. and the last ones at 1:37 p.m. And it was a struggle to catch 14 largemouth bass and five smallmouth bass and accidentally catch two white bass, one bluegill, and one walleye. 

The Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to either a chartreuse 1/15-ounce or a 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig caught the 14 largemouth bass and five smallmouth bass.

In the lower half of this reservoir, we caught two largemouth bass along one of this reservoir’s three submerged rock-and-boulder fences. This rock-and-boulder fence is covered with three to eight feet of water, and some spots are bordered by water as deep as 28 feet. The two largemouth bass were caught as we employed a drag-and-shake presentation in four to five feet of water.  

We fished about 90 percent of the dam’s shoreline, which is about 2,000 feet long. It yielded four smallmouth bass and two largemouth bass. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are occasionally graced with some patches of Eurasian milfoil. It possesses a 50- to 55-degree slope. The water’s edge is embellished with patches of American water willows. Three of the five smallmouth bass were caught on a drag-shake-and-deadstick presentation in three to five feet of water. The two largemouth bass and the other two smallmouth bass were caught with a drag-and-shake presentation in five to seven feet of water. 

At another spot in the lower half of the reservoir, we caught four largemouth bass around a main-lake point and along portions of its shoreline. This area is situated at the mouth of a large feeder-creek arm. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. It possesses a 35- to 45-degree slope. The water’s edges are girdled with wonderful patches of American water willows, many overhanging trees, and several laydowns. Our TRD TicklerZ rigs inveigled the four largemouth bass in four to six feet of water as we were employing a drag-shake-and-pause presentation. 

We caught one smallmouth bass and four largemouth bass around a main-lake point situated in the middle portion of this reservoir. It lies at the mouth of a tiny feeder-creek arm. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are gargantuan, and portions of this underwater terrain are embellished with delightful patches of Eurasian milfoil. A submerged creek channel butts up against a segment of this point. Its shoreline possesses a 45- to 80-degree slope. The water’s edges are girdled with patches of American water willows, some overhanging trees, one dock, and several laydowns. The smallmouth bass was caught in about three feet of water adjacent to a shallow-water boulder on the initial drop of the TRD TicklerZ rig. One largemouth bass was caught along the inside corner of the dock with a swimming presentation of the TRD TicklerZ rig. The initial drop of the TRD TicklerZ rig in about three feet of water under an overhanging tree caught one of the four largemouth bass. The other two were caught while we employed drag-and-shake presentations in four to five feet of water. 

Around a main-lake point and a 100-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir, we caught two largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of this point and the main-lake shoreline consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders; some of the boulders are monsters. Patches of Eurasian milfoil enhance segments of the underwater terrain. The slope of this area ranges from 40 to 70 degrees. The water’s edge is endowed with magnificent patches of American water willows, several laydowns, and some overhanging trees. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the TRD TicklerZ rig in about three feet of water adjacent to a patch of American water willows. The second one was caught on a drag-shake-and-deadstick presentation in about six feet of water.  

 July 11

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his July 11 outing with Todd Judy of Denton.

Here is an edited version of his log.

From 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Todd and I fished at a challenging U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoir in north-central Texas.

The weather was unstable during the time we were afloat. The sky was grey and overcast, and we could see scattered thunderstorms erupting all around the reservoir. The morning's low temperature was 77 degrees. The afternoon's high temperature reached 95 degrees. A robust wind blew incessantly out of the southeast, east, and northeast at 15 to 30 mph. The barometric pressure measured 29.88 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.91 at 11:00 a.m.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the fishing would be poor. The most productive fishing periods would occur from 12:02 a.m. to 2:02 a.m., 6:14 a.m. to 8:14 a.m., and 6:38 p.m. to 8:38 p.m.

The water exhibited between 14 and 18 inches of visibility. The surface temperature was 83 degrees. The water level was 1.28 feet below its normal level.

We launched the boat in the middle section of the reservoir at about 6:20 a.m., and we traveled about 1 1/2 miles to the lower end of the reservoir and fished around a main-lake island. 

We found plenty of threadfin shad around the perimeter of the island, but we caught only one largemouth bass and five white bass. This island’s shallow-water areas are cluttered with laydowns, standing timber, clusters of buck brush, and stumps. Its submerged terrain is flat and consists of red clay, small gravel, chunk rocks, and a few boulders. The largemouth bass and the five white bass were caught while they were surface-foraging on shad along one side of the island. They were caught in less than five feet of water with a steady-swimming retrieve on either a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on a blue 3/32-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead or a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s space guppy Slim SwimZ rigged on a chartreuse 3/32-ounce OG Mushroom Jighead. 

From the main-lake island, we moved about 100 yards southward to a 75-yard section of a flat main-lake shoreline. Its underwater terrain consists of clay and gravel, and portions of it are adorned with partially-flooded buck brush and a few scattered submerged boulders. A rock-laden point is situated on the west end of this shoreline. We caught one largemouth bass from this shoreline in three feet of water near a patch of stickups. It was caught on a swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig. 

Next, we moved about half a mile westward to a prominent main-lake point. This point has a 45-degree slope. Its submerged terrain consists of red clay, small gravel, fist-size rocks, and basketball-size boulders. And as we arrived, we immediately crossed paths with a large school of white bass that were surface-forging on threadfin shad about 50 yards out from the point in 23 to 31 feet of water. We turned our attention from searching for black bass to white bass, and we caught 52 of them during the next 35 minutes. They were allured by a steady-swimming retrieve with either our space guppy Slim SwimZ or pearl Slim SwimZ combos. 

And while we were pursuing and catching the white bass, a thunderstorm suddenly erupted over us, and we took shelter under a nearby covered boat dock. After 30 minutes, the storm finally moved off to the east.  

From this point, we meandered about three miles to the upper end of the reservoir. There, we fished around seven prominent main-lake points. These points are covered with chunk rocks and boulders, and they possess gradients that vary between 45 and 60 degrees. 

These seven main-lake points relinquished nine largemouth bass, three spotted bass, four white bass, a large bluegill, and a colorful pumpkinseed sunfish. All of these points look similar. Their underwater terrains are composed of gravel, chunky rocks, and countless submerged boulders. These 18 fish were caught in three to seven feet of water around the numerous submerged boulders that embellish the ends and sides of the points. Five of the 12 black bass, the white bass, the bluegill, and the pumpkinseed sunfish were caught on a swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig. The other seven black bass engulfed a Z-Man’s mud minnow Finesse TRD affixed on a black 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. 

We finished the outing dissecting the perimeter of a small island at the mouth of a major feeder-creek arm in the midsection of the reservoir. This island was fruitless, but as we were fishing, we were interrupted by two young men who had swum out to the island but were unable to return to shore. One of them was sick, and they asked for our assistance to transport them from the island back to the main shoreline. We gave them a ride back to shore, and after we dropped them off, we headed back to the boat ramp.

In sum, the black-bass fishing at this Corps’ reservoir was what we consider average. We caught a total of 14 black bass, which consisted of 11 largemouth bass and three spotted bass. On the other hand, the white bass fishing was stellar; we caught 61 of them. We also crossed paths with one pumpkinseed sunfish and one bluegill by accident. 

July 12 

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, and Rick Heberstreit of Shawnee, Kansas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their July 12 outing at one of northeastern Kansas’ community reservoirs. 

Here is an edited version of their log.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 72 degrees, and the afternoon's high temperature was 93 degrees. The wind angled out of the southwest, north, northwest, and east at 3 to 15 mph; at times there were wind gusts that reached 18 to 23 mph. The sky fluctuated from being fair to cluttered with a few clouds to partly cloudy. The barometric pressure was 29.91 at 12:53 a.m., 29.85 at 5:53 a.m., 29.93 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.81 at 2:53 p.m.

The water level at this 83-year-old reservoir looked to be normal. The surface temperature ranged from 83 to 84 degrees. According to our nine-foot dipstick, which we call a secchi stick, the water exhibited about five feet of visibility in the vicinity of the dam and about three to four feet of visibility along the shorelines in the upper half of the reservoir. Some of this reservoir’s shallow-water flats and shorelines are adorned with patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, and wads of filamentous algae, but the grass carp seem to be foraging rather ravenously on many of these patches. Sheets of duckweeds coat the surface along many yards of the shorelines -- especially in the upper half of the reservoir. 

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would take place from 6:49 a.m. to 8:49 a.m., 7:14 p.m. to 9:14 p.m., and 12:37 a.m. to 2:37 a.m. 

We made our first casts at 9:58 a.m. and our last ones at 1:58 p.m. During this four-hour outing, we caught 52 largemouth bass, and we accidentally caught one hefty channel catfish and a combination of 22 bluegill and green sunfish. We had two fish break our lines. 

One of the 52 large largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD MinnowZ affixed to a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. One of the 52 largemouth bass was caught on a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/20-ounce Finesse ShroomZ jig. Four largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin TRD TicklerZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Finesse ShroomZ jig. And 46 largemouth bass were caught on a slightly shortened 4 ¾-inch Z-Man’s purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to either a baby-blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig or a red 1/16-ounce mushroom-style jig. (We are sorry indeed that Z-Man elected several years ago to stop manufacturing the purple-haze Finesse WormZ; for years on end, it has been one of our summertime staples in northeastern Kansas.)

These are our two purple-haze Finesse WormZ rigs.

We caught the 52 largemouth bass on a variety of presentations. Four of them were caught on a vertical presentation in five to six feet of water. Several were caught on a deadstick presentation. Some were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. A few were caught on a straight swimming presentation. The bulk of them were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation or a drag-shake-and-pause presentation or a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation. On every outing, it is essential to test a variety of presentations.

On numerous presentations, we elicited as many as three strikes per retrieve, and we suspected that most of those strikes were engendered by bluegill and green sunfish. 

As we employed these various presentations, the largemouth bass were caught from about two feet to about 30 feet from the water’s edge. We also fished around 59 docks, and seven of the largemouth bass were caught immediately adjacent to a dock.  

We fished along the dam at the beginning of this outing, and we struggled to catch one largemouth bass. The dam is 1,550 feet long with a height of 58 feet. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are adorned with some meager patches of coontail, bushy pondweeds, and wads of filamentous algae. It possesses a 50- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edge is graced with a concrete water outlet tower, patches of terrestrial grasses, and patches of American water willows. The initial drop of the Finesse WormZ rig caught the largemouth bass adjacent to a patch of American water willows in about four feet of water.

Along one of the shorelines adjacent to the spillway, we caught five largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are embellished with bits of bushy pondweeds and coontail. The water’s edge is endowed with a dock, a concrete boat ramp, and patches of American water willows that are entwined with wads of filamentous algae and a few sheets of duckweeds. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the TRD MinnowZ rig adjacent to a patch of American water willows and around some patches of bushy pondweeds on a tertiary point. The others were caught on our purple-haze Finesse WormZ rigs with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in five to about seven feet of water. 

In the lower half of the reservoir, we caught seven largemouth bass around a main-lake point that is adorned with a massive offshore series of piles of rocks and boulders. Some of these piles are coated with bushy pondweeds and filamentous algae. This point has about a 30-degree slope. Part of the water’s edge is lined with a concrete retaining wall, and the other part is endowed with one overhanging tree and patches of American water willows that are somewhat entwined with bushy pondweeds, duckweeds, and filamentous algae. Five of the largemouth bass were caught in four to six feet of water around the piles of rocks and boulders about 30 feet from the water’s edge, and they were caught on our Finesse WormZ rigs as we worked them with either a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-and-shake presentation. Two largemouth bass were caught on our Finesse WormZ rigs near the water’s edge and around the duckweeds and bushy pondweeds with a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in about three to four feet of water. 

Around another main-lake point in the lower half of the reservoir, we caught seven largemouth bass. This point possesses a 30-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders. The water’s edge is endowed with a concrete retaining wall, two docks, and several minor patches of American water willows, which are intertwined with some bushy pondweeds, coontail, and filamentous algae. One of the seven largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse WormZ rig in about four feet of water adjacent to the front edge of one of the docks. Two more were caught on the initial drop of Finesse WormZ rigs along the outside edges of the patches of American water willows in about three feet of water. The other four were caught as we employed a drag-and-shake presentation in six to eight feet of water from about 15 to 20 feet from the water’s edge and the vicinity of a rock-and-boulder ledge.  

Along about a 400-yard stretch of a shoreline that is situated in the middle portion of the reservoir, we caught three largemouth bass. This area possesses a 35- to 55-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are embellished with some patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, and filamentous algae. The water’s edge is girdled by many concrete and stone retaining walls, a few overhanging trees, some patches of American water willows, a few sheets of duckweeds, and 23 docks. One largemouth bass was caught on the initial drop of the Finesse WormZ rig adjacent to a dock in about five feet of water. The other two were caught as we employed a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation in five to seven feet of water.

Along about a 300-yard stretch of a shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir, we caught 15 largemouth bass. The underwater terrains of this shoreline consist of gravel, rocks, boulders, and some silt, which are adorned with some patches of bushy pondweeds, filamentous algae, and coontail. These areas possess a 25- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edges consist of several concrete retaining walls, nine docks, one small rock bridge, a few laydowns, several piles of brush, some patches of American water willows, several overhanging trees, and many flotillas of duckweeds that are intertwined with wads of filamentous algae. One of the 15 largemouth bass was caught on the Junebug TRD TicklerZ rig with a swimming presentation around patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail. Four of the 15 largemouth bass were caught on a vertical presentation with the green-pumpkin TRD TicklerZ rig in about five to six feet of water near the outside edge of patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail. Ten of the largemouth bass were caught on our Finesse WormZ rigs; one was caught on a deadstick presentation under a sheet of duckweeds adjacent to a concrete retaining wall and a dock; the others were caught as we employed a swim-glide-and-shake presentation in the four to seven feet of water around shallow-water patches of bushy pondweeds and coontail.  

We spent the final 37 minutes of this outing quickly fishing along about a 350-yard stretch of another shoreline in the upper half of this reservoir. And it yielded 14 largemouth bass. The underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, boulders, and silt, which are endowed with occasional patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, filamentous algae, and manmade piles of brush. The shoreline possesses a 25- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edge is comprised of 24 docks, many concrete and stone retaining walls, some patches of American water willows, some overhanging trees, and one mega laydown. Our Finesse Worms rigs inveigled all of these largemouth bass. Three were caught on the initial drop. One was caught on a deadstick presentation. The other ten were caught as we employed either a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-shake-and-pause presentation. 

If we include the bluegill, channel catfish, and green sunfish  with the 52 largemouth bass, we caught 18.75 fish an hour.

July 14

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his July 14 outing with Bill Kenney of Denton.

Here is an edited version of his log.

Bill and I fished at one of several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoirs in the Dallas metropolitan area. I have not fished at this reservoir since June 30, when Norman Brown of Lewisville and I fished here for five hours, and we had a trying time catching a combination of 19 largemouth bass and spotted bass. 

It was humid and overcast on July 14. The morning’s low temperature was 78 degrees, and the afternoon’s high warmed to 104 degrees with a heat index of 115 degrees. The barometric pressure measured 29.81 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.84 at 9:00 a.m. The wind quartered out of the south-by-southeast at 15 to 20 mph.  

The water level was 0.96 of a foot below normal. The water clarity ranged from eight inches in the upper end of the reservoir to 24 inches in its lower end. The surface temperature varied from 84 to 85 degrees.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar table indicated that the fishing would be poor. It also noted that most productive fishing periods would occur from 1:29 a.m. to 3:29 a.m., 7:42 a.m. to 9:42 a.m., and 8:08 p.m. to 10:08 p.m. 

We fished from 6:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., which is a short outing for us. 

We concentrated our attentions at seven areas; three are located in the upper end of the reservoir, and four are situated in the lower end. 

This outing began and ended on a sour note. When we arrived at the boat ramp, we discovered that the electronically-controlled access gate to the ramp wasn’t working, and we couldn’t gain entry to the boat ramp. Therefore, we drove to another boat ramp about five miles from the first one, and the electronic-access gate at that ramp wasn’t functioning either. After that, we travelled several miles to the north end of the reservoir, and we were able to launch at a boat ramp that didn’t have any electronically-controlled access gates. The downside to launching at this ramp was that it required us to make a 30-minute boat ride from the ramp to spots we wanted to fish in the lower end of the reservoir. 

Since we launched in the upper end of the reservoir, we decided to stop and fish at three locations on our way to the lower end of the reservoir. This end of the reservoir hasn’t been very conducive to good black-bass fishing for several years, and it wasn’t any good this time either. The water clarity at these three locations was horribly murky, exhibiting six to eight inches of clarity. 

We dissected a portion of a wind-blown pea-gravel and clay main-lake shoreline that is about 75-yards long, about 50 yards of a riprap-covered and wind-blown embankment, and a submerged rock pile that was protected from the wind by a steep shoreline. The main-lake shoreline yielded one white bass, the riprap embankment produced two white bass, and we failed to garner any strikes from the submerged rock pile. All three white bass were caught in three to five feet of water. Two were caught on a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s space-guppy Slim SwimZ rigged on a blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig and a swimming retrieve just below the surface of the water. The third white bass was caught on a Z-Man’s pearl Baby Goat rigged on a blue 1/16-ounce finesse jig, and this rig was also utilized with a swimming retrieve.

After that dismal start, we travelled another 25 minutes to the lower end of the reservoir.  Here, we probed three main-lake points, 35 yards of a main-lake shoreline, and a main-lake island. Two of the main-lake points are enhanced with dilapidated concrete roadbeds. The water clarity was more to our liking, too, and displayed about 18 to 24 inches of visibility. 

The first main-lake point relinquished two spotted bass, one hefty hybrid-striped bass or wiper, and one white bass. This main-lake point has a 30- to 45-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of small gravel, red clay, large boulders, and a couple of laydowns. We caught these four fish in three to seven feet of water and 10 to 25 feet from the water’s edge. One spotted bass was caught on a swimming retrieve with the pearl Baby Goat rig; the other spotted bass, the hybrid-striped bass, and the white bass were allured by a fast-paced swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch space-guppy Slim SwimZ rig about a foot below the surface of the water.  

The second main-lake point lies about a mile west of the first one, and it is the largest and broadest one. It is relatively flat, and its underwater terrain is composed of mostly red clay and small gravel. There are a few scanty patches of flooded stickups that adorn a couple of small areas on this point, and a crumbling concrete roadbed enhances one side of the point. This point relinquished five largemouth bass and two spotted bass. The two spotted bass were caught in three to five feet of water along the outside edges of the patches of flooded stickups on one side of the point. They were both enticed by the fast-paced swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch space-guppy Slim SwimZ rig. The other five largemouth bass were caught on the opposite side of the point in three to five feet of water from the top of the concrete roadbed. Four of the largemouth bass were allured by a fast-paced swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch space-guppy Slim SwimZ rig; one was caught on a drag-and-deadstick presentation with a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin-orange Finesse TRD rigged on a chartreuse 1/16-ounce Z-Man’s OG Mushroom Jighead. 

The third main-lake point, which is situated a short distance from the second one, is also flat with a red clay-and- small gravel terrain. It also possesses a deteriorating concrete roadbed that extends off the tip of the point. We dissected this point with the space-guppy Slim SwimZ  rig and green-pumpkin-orange Finesse TRD rig, and we failed to garner any strikes.

The 35-yard section of main-lake shoreline yielded one spotted bass. Its submerged terrain is comprised of mostly red clay and small gravel, and a shallow rock ledge extends about 10 to 25 feet out from the water’s edge. A small rock pile is situated on one end of the shoreline. We caught this spotted bass in four feet of water while we were swimming the space-guppy Slim SwimZ rig along the outside edge of the rock pile. The rock ledge was fruitless. 

The main-lake island was our most productive locale; it surrendered four spotted bass, four largemouth bass, and one white bass. The island’s submerged terrain is flat and consists of red clay and pea-size gravel. There are many patches of flooded stickups, a few small boulders, and some overhanging trees that decorate the water’s edge and some of the shallower areas around the island. 

All nine of these fish were extracted from water as shallow as two feet and as deep as six feet. Three spotted bass were caught on a swimming retrieve with the pearl Baby Goat rig. Two largemouth bass, one spotted bass, and one white bass were allured by a swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch space-guppy Slim SwimZ combo. And two largemouth bass were enticed by a swimming retrieve with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s The Deal Slim SwimZ affixed on a pearl 1/12-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse EyeZ jighead.   

As we were fishing this island, our trolling-motor, which is new and was installed in June, malfunctioned. We have been plagued with several trolling motor issues this year, and we were perturbed that this new trolling motor had broken down. We attempted to fix it on the water, but we failed, and our outing came to an early end. 

We decided to return to the boat ramp on the upper end of the reservoir and put the boat on the trailer. We continued to work on the trolling motor in the boat ramp parking lot and were able to fix it, but we decided not to launch again and we drove home. 

In conclusion, we didn’t do too bad for a short outing. We caught a total of 17 black bass, which consisted of nine spotted bass and eight largemouth bass, five white bass, and one hybrid-striped bass in two hours and 45 minutes. But the highlight of the outing was that I didn’t need to put my boat back in the repair shop for more trolling-motor repairs. 

July 21

Ned Kehde of Lawrence, Kansas, and Pok Chi Lau of Lawrence posted a log on the Finesse News Network about their July 21 outing at one of northeastern Kansas’ community reservoirs. 

Here is an edited version of their log.

The National Weather Service reported that the morning’s low temperature was 71 degrees, and the afternoon's high temperature was 83 degrees. The wind angled out of the north and northeast at 3 to 14 mph; at 1:53 p.m., there were wind gusts of 21 mph. The sky fluctuated from being fair to cluttered with a few clouds to overcast to mostly cloudy. The barometric pressure was 29.91 at 12:53 a.m., 29.85 at 5:53 a.m., 29.93 at 11:53 a.m., and 29.81 at 2:53 p.m.

The water level at this 83-year-old reservoir looked to be a tad above normal. The surface temperature ranged from 82 to 85 degrees. According to our nine-foot dipstick, which we call a secchi stick, the water exhibited about five feet of visibility in the vicinity of the dam and about three to four feet of visibility along the shorelines in the upper half of the reservoir. Some of this reservoir’s shallow-water flats and shorelines are adorned with patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, and wads of filamentous algae. There are a few meager sheets of duckweeds coating the surface in the upper half of the reservoir. The grass carp seem to be foraging rather ravenously on all of these patches of aquatic vegetation; thus, most of these patches are diminishing.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the best fishing would occur from 1:40 a.m. to 3:40 a.m., 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and 7:50 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. 

We made our first casts at 1:42 p.m. and our last ones at 4:41 p.m. During this three-hour outing, we caught 54 largemouth bass, and we accidentally caught one channel catfish, one pumpkinseed, three bluegill, and four green sunfish.  

Three of the 54 large largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s green-pumpkin Finesse ShadZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. Fourteen of the 54 largemouth bass were caught on a slightly shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s Junebug Finesse WormZ affixed to a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig. Eighteen of the 54 largemouth bass were caught on a Z-Man’s Junebug TRD TicklerZ affixed to a chartreuse 3/32-ounce mushroom-style jig. And 19 largemouth bass were caught on a slightly shortened 4.75-inch Z-Man’s purple-haze Finesse WormZ affixed to a baby-blue 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Micro Finesse ShroomZ jig.  

We caught the 54 largemouth bass on a variety of presentations. One was caught on a vertical presentation adjacent to a dock in about 10 feet of water. Some were caught on the initial drop of our rigs. A few were caught on a straight-swimming presentation around the submerged patches of aquatic vegetation. The bulk of them were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation or a drag-shake-and-pause presentation or a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation. 

As we employed these various presentations, the largemouth bass were caught from two feet to about 30 feet from the water’s edge. We also fished around 53 docks, and seven of the largemouth bass were caught immediately adjacent to a dock.  

In the lower half of the reservoir, we caught 16 largemouth bass around a main-lake point and along about 50 yards of its main-lake shoreline. This area is adorned with a significant series of piles of rocks and boulders. What’s more, there is a rock-and-boulder-laden ledge that plummets into deep water. Some of the rocks and boulders are coated with bushy pondweeds and filamentous algae. This point and its shoreline have about a 30-degree slope. Part of the water’s edge is lined with a concrete retaining wall; it also is endowed with one overhanging tree, four docks, and a patch of American water willows that are somewhat entwined with bushy pondweeds, coontail, and filamentous algae. Six largemouth bass were caught in four to six feet of water around the piles of rocks and boulders about 30 feet from the water’s edge; three were caught on the Finesse ShadZ rig; the other three were caught on the TRD TicklerZ as we worked them with either a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-and-shake presentation. Ten of the 16 largemouth bass were caught around patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, and filamentous algae in about three to six feet of water. Three were caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig and seven were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ; two were caught on the initial drop of our rigs, and the others were caught on a swim-glide-and-shake presentation.

In the middle portion of the reservoir, we caught 24 largemouth bass along about a 400-yard stretch of a main-lake shoreline and around one of its three main-lake points. This area possesses a 35- to 55-degree slope. Its underwater terrain consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are occasionally embellished with patches of bushy pondweeds, coontail, and filamentous algae. Some of the boulders are humongous. The water’s edge is lined by many concrete and stone retaining walls, a few overhanging trees, some patches of American water willows, and 27 docks. We failed to engender a strike around two of the three points, but we caught six largemouth bass around one of the points; three of these six were caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig and three were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig while we were employing a drag-shake-and-pause presentation around the rocks and boulders; they were caught in six to 11 feet of water and many yards from the water’s edge. We caught 18 largemouth bass along the shoreline; nine were caught on the TRD TicklerZ rig and nine were caught on the purple-haze Finesse WormZ rig. Several were caught adjacent to the edges of the docks in about four to 10 feet of water with either a drag-and-shake presentation or a drag-shake-and-pause presentation, and one was caught on a vertical presentation. The others were caught between the docks around rocks, boulders, and patches of submerged aquatic vegetation as we employed either a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation or a drag-and-shake presentation in three to 10 feet of water from four to 20 feet from the water’s edge; several of them were caught as we were strolling with those two presentations.

Along about a 200-yard stretch of a shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir, we caught 10 largemouth bass. The underwater terrain of this shoreline consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are adorned with occasional patches of bushy pondweeds, filamentous algae, coontail, and several piles of brush. It possesses a 25- to 60-degree slope. The water’s edges consist of several concrete retaining walls, five docks, one small rock bridge, a few minor laydowns, and some meager sheets of duckweeds. These largemouth bass were caught on our Junebug Finesse WormZ rigs. Three were caught on the initial drop. The others were caught on either a swim-glide-and-shake presentation around the patches of submerged aquatic vegetation or a drag-and-shake presentation along the areas that are devoid of submerged aquatic vegetation. 

We caught four largemouth along about a 75-yard stretch of another main-lake shoreline and around two main-lake points in the upper half of the reservoir. These largemouth bass were numbers 51, 52, 53, and 54. The underwater terrain of this shoreline consists of gravel, rocks, and boulders, which are adorned with occasional patches of bushy pondweeds, filamentous algae, and coontail. It possesses a 25- to 50-degree slope. The water’s edge is embellished with a long concrete retaining wall, six docks, and one overhanging tree. These largemouth bass were caught on our Junebug Finesse WormZ rigs. Two were caught around one of the points in about four to five feet of water around the patches of submerged aquatic vegetation and in close proximity to two of the docks. The other two were caught along the rocks and boulders that are devoid of aquatic vegetation in about six feet of water, and they were caught on a drag-and-shake presentation. 

We failed to elicit a strike around nine docks along a shoreline in the upper half of the reservoir and around an offshore hump and two of its adjacent docks in the middle section of the reservoir. Nevertheless, we caught an average of 18 largemouth bass an hour.

July 21

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his July 21 outing with Norman Brown of Lewisville, Texas.

Here is an edited version of his log.

On July 17, Norman and I fished at one of the larger U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoirs in north-central Texas from about 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and the black bass fishing was the toughest we have seen this summer. Many of the spots that we fished are typically productive during the summer months, and they usually entertain large swarms of threadfin shad and other small baitfish. We found plenty of threadfin shad at these locales, but few black bass. And we were baffled as to why so many of our more productive areas were devoid of largemouth and spotted bass. 

We fished in three to 15 feet of water near boulders, chunky rocks, laydowns, stumps, and through stands of standing timber along main-lake shorelines, points, flats, around the perimeter of an island, a large concrete water-outlet tower by the dam, and a couple of sections of the riprap shoreline along the dam. And when those spots failed to produce much, we probed three deep-water brush piles that are situated in 21 to 32 feet of water along two major creek channels. By the time this outing came to an end, it was obvious that this Corps’ reservoir had gotten the better of us. Ultimately, we caught a total of seven largemouth bass and two spotted bass that were abiding in three to eight feet of water on several flat clay-and pea-gravel main-lake points in the midsection of the reservoir. The three deep-water brush piles failed to produce a largemouth or spotted bass, but one of the brush piles that is situated in 30 feet of water surrendered one channel catfish. In sum, it was a lousy morning of bass fishing. 

On July 21, Norman and I opted to fish at a smaller Corps’ reservoir in north-central Texas. 

It’s been blazing hot in north-central Texas since mid-June, with daytime highs reaching 102 to 110 degrees. Heat advisories are common. And when we add in the high humidity levels that constantly plague us during the summer months, the heat index has peaked as high as 121 degrees. 

The weather was hot, but not as humid, on July 21. The sky conditions ranged from partly cloudy to mostly cloudy. The morning's low temperature was 79 degrees. The afternoon's high temperature reached 104 degrees. A pleasant breeze blew out of the west and southwest at 10 to 15 mph. The barometric pressure measured 29.93 at 6:00 a.m. and 29.94 at 11:00 a.m.

In-Fisherman’s Solunar calendar noted that the fishing would be poor. The most lucrative periods would occur from 1:48 a.m. to 3:48 a.m., 7:59 a.m. to 9:59 a.m., and 2:09 p.m. to 4:09 p.m.

The water exhibited 18 inches of visibility. The surface temperature varied from 83 degrees at the dam to 85 degrees in the upper end of the reservoir. The water level was a couple of feet below its normal summer level.

We launched the boat in the middle section of the reservoir at about 6:00 a.m., and we traveled about 1 1/2 miles to the lower end of the reservoir and fished around a main-lake island. 

Our sonar devices revealed many small and scattered schools of threadfin shad around the perimeter of the island, and we had a difficult time catching one largemouth bass and six white bass. This island’s shallow-water areas are littered with standing timber, clusters of buck brush, laydowns, and deteriorating stumps. Its submerged terrain is mostly flat, and consists of red clay, small gravel, chunky rocks, and a few boulders here and there. This largemouth bass and six white bass were caught in three to six feet of water with a steady-swimming retrieve on a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s space guppy Slim SwimZ rigged on a pearl 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ Jig. 

From the main-lake island, we traveled about three miles to the upper end of the reservoir. In this section of the reservoir, we slowly dissected nine prominent main-lake points. These points are covered with red clay, small bits of gravel, chunky rocks and boulders, and they have gradients that vary from 45 to 60 degrees. 

They relinquished seven largemouth bass, one spotted bass, one hybrid-spotted bass, one smallmouth bass, one freshwater drum, and 10 white bass. These 21 fish were caught in three to 17 feet of water around the numerous submerged rocks and boulders that embellish the ends and sides of these points. 

One spotted bass, one largemouth bass, and one freshwater drum were enticed by either a slow-swimming retrieve or a slow drag-and-deadstick presentation while we were slowly strolling with the trolling motor with a Z-Man’s Canada-craw TRD TicklerZ rigged on a 1/16-ounce green-pumpkin-red-flake finesse mushroom-style jig. Six largemouth bass, one smallmouth bass, and one hybrid-spotted bass were allured by a Z-Man’s mud-minnow Finesse TRD rigged on a black 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig that was employed with a slow drag-and-deadstick presentation while we were slowly strolling in nine to 17 feet of water and 30 to 50 feet from the water’s edge. Fourteen of the 16 white bass were enticed by a swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch space-guppy Slim SwimZ rig, and two of them preferred a slow-swimming retrieve with a Z-Man’s coppertreuse Finesse TRD affixed to a chartreuse 1/16-ounce finesse mushroom-style jig. 

We finished the outing in the lower portion of the reservoir, where we dissected a 100-yard section of a riprap-laden dam and a concrete water-outlet tower adjacent to the dam. 

Along the dam in 12 feet of water and about 15 feet from the water’s edge, we caught one freshwater drum on a swim-glide-and-shake retrieve with the mud-minnow Finesse TRD rig. 

One side of the concrete outlet tower yielded three largemouth bass that were suspended about five feet below the surface in 53 feet of water. They were coaxed into striking the mud-minnow Finesse TRD combo while it was being utilized with a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation.   

In conclusion, the fishing at this Corps’ reservoir was what we consider average. We caught a total of 14 black bass, which consisted of 11 largemouth bass, one spotted bass, one hybrid-spotted bass, and one smallmouth bass. We also caught 16 white bass and two freshwater drum while we were searching for black bass.

July 24

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his July 24 outing with John Thomas of Denton.

Here is an edited version of his log.

From 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., John and I fished at a state reservoir that is located in an exurban region of north-central Texas. I haven’t fished at this impoundment since May 15, when Bear Brundrett of Valley View, Texas, and I fished from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. And to our dismay, the black-bass fishing was surprisingly sluggish; we struggled to catch 15 black bass in 5 1/2 hours at a reservoir where we have been in the habit of catching 30-plus black bass an outing. 

According to In-Fisherman’s solunar calendar, the best fishing periods on July 24 would occur from 4:05 a.m. to 6:05 a.m., 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., and 4:25 p.m. to 6:25 p.m. It also noted that the fishing would be poor.

The morning’s low temperature was 74 degrees, and the afternoon’s high temperature soared to 109 degrees. It was sunny, and the sky was cloudless. The barometric pressure increased from 30.02 at 6:00 a.m. to 30.04 at 11:00 a.m. There was just a hint of a breeze out of the southwest at less than 5 mph. And from about 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., the wind was calm.

We concentrated our efforts on three main-lake islands, four main-lake shorelines, and two prominent main-lake points. 

This reservoir’s underwater terrain is composed of mostly red clay, gravel, rocks, and boulders. Some of the shorelines are adorned with flooded buck brush, stickups, overhanging trees, and some laydowns.

During most of this outing, the water where we fished was frequently calm and smooth. The water exhibited between 18 inches and two feet of visibility. The surface temperature ranged from 83 to 85 degrees. I should also mention that north-central Texas is experiencing a severe drought, and we are seven inches below normal precipitation levels for this year. Consequently, the water level at this impoundment is 9.54 feet below its normal pool level, and we are concerned that the local authorities may close the boat ramps if the water level continues to recede.

One of the three islands that we fished is located in the lower end of the reservoir. Its shoreline is flat and cluttered with rocks and boulders, and with the low water level, many of the rocks and boulders are now on dry land. This island is usually one of the most lucrative spots in this reservoir, and on this outing, it yielded three spotted bass and six white bass. These nine fish were caught in less than five feet of water and within 10 to 15 feet of the water’s edge with a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s space guppy Slim SlimZ rigged on a pearl 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig and a moderate-paced swimming retrieve. 

The second island is situated in the upper end of the reservoir. Its shoreline is mostly flat and rocky. There were a few aggregations of threadfin shad dwelling around several large boulders scattered along the southeast side of the island in three to six feet of water. These boulders yielded one largemouth bass and one spotted bass. The spotted bass was caught on a swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch space guppy Slim SwimZ rig, and the largemouth bass engulfed a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rigged on a blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig on the initial fall.   

The third island is situated in the midsection of the reservoir. Its shoreline has a 25- to 30-degree slope and is embellished with large rocks and boulders. We found a few small aggregations of threadfin shad dwelling around a patch of boulders on the north end of the island, and this area yielded one largemouth bass. It was chasing small shad on the surface in 23 feet of water and about 20 yards from the island. It was caught on a steady-swimming presentation with the Z-Man’s pearl Slim SwimZ rig. The remainder of the island was fruitless.

The four main-lake shorelines are situated in the midsection of the reservoir; two are located on the east side of the reservoir, and two are on the west side. They possess 40- to 60-degree inclines with a submerged terrain consisting of mostly large rocks and boulders. They range in length from about 50 to 150 yards, and they yielded five spotted bass, one largemouth bass, one hybrid-spotted bass, and two freshwater drum. These eight fish were relating to the sides of the large boulders in three to seven feet of water and within five to 10 feet of the water’s edge. Two spotted bass, one largemouth bass, and the two freshwater drum were allured by a steady-swimming retrieve with the 2 1/2-inch pearl Slim SwimZ rig. The other spotted bass and one hybrid-spotted bass were tempted by a slow swim-glide-and-shake presentation with a Z-Man’s hot snakes TRD TicklerZ matched with a chartreuse 1/15-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. 

One of the two rocky main-lake points yielded three spotted bass and two largemouth bass. This point is broad and relatively flat. It is blanketed with boulders the size of a coffee table and large rocks the size of a softball. These five black bass were associated with a couple of large clusters of submerged rocks and boulders in four to six feet of water. They were bewitched by a steady-swimming presentation with the space guppy Slim SwimZ rig.

The other main-lake point failed to relinquish a black bass or a strike.

Overall, the black-bass fishing remains as sluggish at this state reservoir as it is at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoirs in north-central Texas.  During this five-hour endeavor, we had a difficult time locating and alluring 12 spotted bass, five largemouth bass, and one hybrid spotted bass. We also crossed paths with six white bass and two freshwater drum. 

And of these 26 fish, 25 of them were caught between 6:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. After that, the black-bass bite quickly petered out, and we caught our final largemouth bass of this outing after a two-hour and 18-minute dry spell at 11:03 a.m.

July 31

Steve Reideler of Denton, Texas, posted a log on the Finesse News Network about his July 31 outing with Monte Mason of Denton and his grandson Garrett Bodine of Benbrook, Texas.

Here is an edited version of his log.

We opted to fish at one of several U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ hill-land reservoirs in north-central Texas.

The sky was partly cloudy, and there was an abundance of sizzling-hot sunshine on July 31. A light breeze meandered out of the southwest at less than five mph. The morning’s low temperature was 77 degrees and the afternoon’s high reached 108 degrees. The barometric pressure measured 29.99 at 6:00 a.m. and 30.01 at 11:00 a.m.

According to In-Fisherman’s Solunar table, the fishing would be average, but it also indicated that the best fishing opportunities would occur from 3:35 a.m. to 5:35 a.m., 9:52 a.m. to 11:52 a.m., and 10:24 p.m. to 12:24 a.m.  

We fished from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The water level was 1.47 feet below normal pool. The water displayed about 1 1/2 feet of visibility. The surface temperature ranged from 85 to 87 degrees. 

There is no aquatic vegetation in this impoundment. Its underwater terrain consists primarily of red clay, small gravel, chunk rocks, and boulders of various sizes. There are a few areas where standing timber and some submerged stumps still exist, but most of them have rotted away. 

We stayed in the lower end of the reservoir. We began the outing in the southwest tributary arm, and we finished at the dam, which forms the southern boundary of this reservoir. 

The fishing was decent; we caught and released 10 spotted bass, 10 largemouth bass, 47 white bass, two hybrid-striped bass, and one channel catfish in five hours. None of the largemouth and spotted bass were extraordinary, in fact, we caught three or four small ones for each keeper that we caught. But they were fun to catch on our light tackle, and it gave Monte and Garrett an opportunity to enjoy the benefits and advantages of employing Midwest Finesse tactics when the black-bass fishing is so trying during the hot summer months in north-central Texas.

All of these 20 black bass were relating to either chunk rocks, chunks of concrete, riprap, or boulders in three to 12 feet of water, and five to 25 feet from the water’s edge. 

Six were caught along the riprap-laden dam, five were caught from shallow patches of chunk rocks and some dilapidated chunks of concrete from a building foundation that litter the shallow-water areas surrounding a main-lake island, four were caught from two flat and rocky main-lake shorelines; one shoreline was about 70 yards long, and the other one was about 100 yards in length.  And five were caught from three flat main-lake points that are graced with small gravel, baseball-size rocks, and some boulders the size of beach balls.

Our most effective lures were a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s space guppy Slim SwimZ rigged on either a pearl or blue 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig, a 2 1/2-inch Z-Man’s The Deal Slim SwimZ affixed on either a blue or black 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig, and a Z-man’s chartreuse sparkle GrubZ matched with a chartreuse 1/10-ounce Z-Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig. 

The only effective presentation was a steady-swimming retrieve about a foot below the surface of the water. The above listed combos, and the steady-swimming retrieve, also allured all 47 of the white bass and the two hybrid-striped bass. The channel catfish was caught on the initial fall of a Z-Man’s mud minnow Finesse TRD rigged on a black 1/15-ounce Z- Man’s Finesse ShroomZ jig.