A Day on the Water — Popper Pattern

Water levels in Lake Huron and connected waterways is over a foot lower that last year.  My best shallow Quanicassee River spots, had less weed growth than previous springs and I caught few bass. Down the "South Branch Canal", casting a 2/0 White Dive Banger very close to shore provoked 12 to 18 inch bass to either violently rush or stealthily stalk the popper.  Converting stealthy follows to hits frequently required a cat and mouse game of pauses, light twitches or pulling it under the water was sometimes effective. I got bass near the bend and some times a 2nd...

My secret Bluegill pond used to have very big Bluegills.  I have been seeing blue worm containers littering the banks for the last few years.  I am worried the big ones are gone and the gene pool is headed toward smaller Bluegills forever.   Fish were hitting a prototype #6 Black Bluegill Choker and getting hooked well, only a few hooked deep.  The foam head needed to be a bit bigger so it floats higher and the larger head momentarily can catch on the outside of their mouths so they can be hooked before they can gobble it down deep.  This...