I love fishing lakes with a Spotted Bass population

[Pat Dilling]

Don't get me wrong, I also love fishing for largemouth and smallies.  That said, I enjoy heading to one of our local lakes with a realistic expectation of catching 15-30, or more, bass just about every time I go.  Spotted bass are prolific so there generally lots of them.  They are also agressive feeders and strong fighters.  On most spinning tackle, a 1.5 pound spot will give you a darn good fight, and a 3 pounder will kick your butt!
What prompted this post were my thoughts as I left the lake last week and realized how seldom I have been skunked or even had a real tough day catching a fish.  I often fish with my wife, who is  still a fishing newbie, and she still catches fish just about every time we go!  Now we don't fish tournaments, so we are mostly fishing for bites and getting our strings pulled.  That's our kind of fun.
Not bragging about our fishing prowess, just stating that it is a lot of fun fishing for plentiful, agressive fish!

[Smallie_Stalker]

I wish we had spots on our lakes. I love a good aggressive fight. It's a big part of the reason I like smallies so much here in the northeast.

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[Bud Kennedy]

I too love fishing for spotted bass.  They are true thugs and put up a great fight.  even a 15" spot makes you think you have Moby Dick on your line.  We held a rally each fall on Lake Norman, NC for about 8 years.  The trademark of the event was that 7 of the 8 years all participanst caught a weighable  limit.  Just made for a fun time with a few elite level pro anglers participating with us.  Interestingly enough only one year did an elite level angler win the event.  Everyone has a chance to catch spots thats for sure.

[Mike Cork]

I dearly miss the lakes of north central California and the spots. Oroville, Folsom, Camp Far West, all guaranteed fun. A cold front meant you had to work a little harder but you were still going to catch them. Even in the middle of winter, I could find a hump in 50 foot of water and use a Hopkins spoon and catch so many we'd have to take a break. I never caught a giant like our buddy Fred did, but a 3 pounder was enough for me

I don't remember exactly but wasn't Fred's spot in the 9-10ish range?

[Pat Dilling]

I don't remember exactly but wasn't Fred's spot in the 9-10ish range?

I think it was a high 8.  At the time it was not far off the World record.  That was before the spots at New Melones and Bullards Bar started eating Kokanee.

[Princeton_Man]

For fun fishing, Spotted Bass are great! Generally, you find one, you find a few more, and they offer a great fight. They are aggressive feeders and I can't help but think they're responsible for the decline, in both size and number, of Largemouth in our local lakes.

[Hobious]

i love a tattered thumb from lipping spots.

i have only had one great experience and that was on Shasta.  did an overnighter and attempted to sleep in the back of my pickup..and that was awful.  fishing was fun.  i didnt know what i was doing but they were occasionally picking up my finesse jig and thrashing me on my tackle.  super fun.  houseboats were entertaining.  saw one young lady doing a beer bong in a bikini at 7:00 am.  good times.

[Hobious]

Don't get me wrong, I also love fishing for largemouth and smallies.  That said, I enjoy heading to one of our local lakes with a realistic expectation of catching 15-30, or more, bass just about every time I go.  Spotted bass are prolific so there generally lots of them.  They are also agressive feeders and strong fighters.  On most spinning tackle, a 1.5 pound spot will give you a darn good fight, and a 3 pounder will kick your butt!
What prompted this post were my thoughts as I left the lake last week and realized how seldom I have been skunked or even had a real tough day catching a fish.  I often fish with my wife, who is  still a fishing newbie, and she still catches fish just about every time we go!  Now we don't fish tournaments, so we are mostly fishing for bites and getting our strings pulled.  That's our kind of fun.
Not bragging about our fishing prowess, just stating that it is a lot of fun fishing for plentiful, agressive fish!

I have been Google earthing Bulliards Bar weekly.  I'm planning a solo camp and fish there this early spring.

[skidemn]

For fun fishing, Spotted Bass are great! Generally, you find one, you find a few more, and they offer a great fight. They are aggressive feeders and I can't help but think they're responsible for the decline, in both size and number, of Largemouth in our local lakes.

Our local lake, Lake Perris, used to hold the world record for Alabama spotted bass, but they don't grow as quickly as the Florida strain largemouth, so about 30 years ago local anglers frustrated with the smaller size of Perris bass, brought in Florida bass from local Vail Lake. The Florida strain bass out-competed the spotted bass and destroyed the fishery to the point there are none left. Sure, there's now some 10lb+ fish in the lake, but the days of catching huge numbers of scrappy 15" fish are pretty much over. I miss the good old days here.


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[Pat Dilling]

Don't get me wrong, I also love fishing for largemouth and smallies.  That said, I enjoy heading to one of our local lakes with a realistic expectation of catching 15-30, or more, bass just about every time I go.  Spotted bass are prolific so there generally lots of them.  They are also agressive feeders and strong fighters.  On most spinning tackle, a 1.5 pound spot will give you a darn good fight, and a 3 pounder will kick your butt!
What prompted this post were my thoughts as I left the lake last week and realized how seldom I have been skunked or even had a real tough day catching a fish.  I often fish with my wife, who is  still a fishing newbie, and she still catches fish just about every time we go!  Now we don't fish tournaments, so we are mostly fishing for bites and getting our strings pulled.  That's our kind of fun.
Not bragging about our fishing prowess, just stating that it is a lot of fun fishing for plentiful, agressive fish!

I have been Google earthing Bulliards Bar weekly.  I'm planning a solo camp and fish there this early spring.

This is the time of year for monster spots on Bullards.  Watch the weather, we have had snow there in February, doesn't affect the lake, but the roads getting there can get slick.  Expect the big bass to be deeper and often times off shore.  If you get a day with some wind, reaction baits on points can do well.  But, along the shore, expect a lot of small fish.

[Wizard]

LOZ= Spotted Bass. The 15 in. length limit on bass was lowered to 12 inches for Spots, just to thin the herd. All I use for Spots is a Zoom 4 inch straight tail worm. Feed it on a 1/8 oz. round jig head with long shank 3(0) hook. Any color of 4" Zoom worm that is Watermelon Red will work. A jigworm fished as a baitfish imitator is the real deal for Spots throughout the country.
Tom Mann Jr. fished Lake Lanier for Spots with a small bass jig rigged as a craw. He Vertical Jigged the lure and knocked the snot out of them.

Wizard