I agree. Bass fishing can easily humble you quickly. Recently, I had done well in my last two club tournaments and was feeling pretty good about the next tournament. I was limited in my area of fishing due to me taking my own tracker boat in the Potomac River. I felt good while fishing a frog over matted grass and had 2 blowups in the first hour but no fish. Was thinking about using a popper but convinced my self it was too windy. Water was high due to rain and I began to target the larger grass clumps and hooked a 4 pounder on a crankbait. Buried himself in the grass had trouble getting him out and lost it. ( Lesson Learned to just net him and all the grass in the future). Really tried to stay positive afterwards even though no bites and tide had changed. Stuck it out, caught 3 small bass, yellow perch and a snakehead. Ended the tournament with two fish that counted. Our club shared what we caught bass on and those were baits I was thinking but didn’t pull the trigger to change. Learned lesson to be decisive. I’m ready for the next tournament with learned lessons that could be more valuable as an angler than catching a limit. 😀🤔

Must have been the retrieve he was taught.

Nice one little Latimer!

I think color matters with water clarity. Clear water -natural colors and dark colors in stained/ muddy water.

Swimbaits

Largemouth 6lbs 11 oz (2022) drop shot,

Smallmouth 5lbs 4oz (2024) SPRO Rock crawler crankbait ( B.Lat tip)

We had the fish fry the day before so he got lucky and survived. 

We had the fish fry the day before so he got lucky and survived. 

In strong current , directly behind a concrete channel marker around 8am. Used a Ninshine Baby Albino Spybait Yellow Perch 2 3/4’’