Bass Fishing: Conditions & Circumstances 2: Water Temperature 

Thanks, Justin.

A PDF ebook to sell please, sold through Amazon and play store plesse

Hi, Don (is that name right?). Thanks. I've been trying to figure this, the important stuff, out for a long time. Glad you are of a similar level of curiosity. Don't forget to share with friends, to help keep me afloat. Cheers, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 u just stopped 10 kids from fishin , ! Fishin is fun not Shool !!

@@rosshall312 :)) I've never been afraid of learning stuff. And I've met very few kids that were either. But, there's plenty of entertainment out there to watch. Cheers, Paul

@@rosshall312 ??? if youre not learning than youre not getting any better. derrrrr.

Hi, Xiong. We broke last week. It's coming! Hang in there. :) Cheers, Paul

Changla I’m in Minnesota with you, just watching the ice melt! We’re sooo close!

I think there is already a Fish Whisperer on YT. :) Thanks, Stan. Cheers.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 He’s probably a fish talker, but you are the Professor my friend. Have a great night Sir!

Bitsy bug 1/8 oz

Hi, Bennie! POW!!! Awesome to hear. No bother at all. I'd like to know how people are faring out there. I can't be everywhere, but would like to be. :) Sounds about right. Down-sizing and hitting the deeper realms is the way to start the season, esp up north. I'm hoping to get out tomorrow, and I'll likely be doing the same, heading for the deep sides. But checking the temps and nearby the good shallower areas. Awesome to hear! Paul

Hello, Señor! Great news! Congratulations on your new PB. From the sounds of it, you are observing well and piecing probabilities together. Best we can do! Well done. Fun isn't it? :) Cheers, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 2 weeks ago you asked me a question "fun isn't it". The answer is yes. Im goin g to tell you my fishing story. I have always enjoyed fishing, my grand father and father were good fisherman. I am originally from Venezuela. We used to fish two rivers Guariquito and Cinaruco river. These rivers are full of big aggressive fish. As a kid they would say, "do this", and I would catch fish. Thats what fishing was to me, do this catch that. The fun for me was the fight and the mystery of what can be at the end of the line. Then I mover the South Florida, (about 18 years ago). And no one to tell me do this. So I started trying to get info on how to, I wanted the: do this here and you will catch fish. I learned to use a 5' senko and I would catch fish here and there but with no consistency. I would have my "fishing periods" were I would go out and fish and catch a fish ore two in a 4 hour session, some times no fish. So I would loose interest. About 6 months ago I started fishing again. Now in my 40s I have more patience. First I started targeting Peacock bass, I learned that if you sight fish them, put a lure in there space enough times the will hit it. Got good at that but that got boring quick. After 10 days of catching every peacock I could see and a few I could not I started enjoying more the occasional bass I would catch. I started see-keen out knowledge on bass, trying to learn from the internet. Then I stumbled on your videos. From you I leaned that bass are complex, it's almost like water dogs that like exploring anything that goes in their territory. They are sort of predictable but not totally. I have leaned from you that you don go do that and catch fish. It's a puzzle. Solving the puzzle makes catching the fish that much more rewarding. The parts of the puzzle are time of the year, light, wind, water clarity, time of day etc. For the past 8 weeks I have been catching bass like never before. I go with my friends and I consistently get double the count of fish they get. We went out last Sunday, we fished all morning and between the 3 of us we caught only 5 bass, 3 me 1 and 1 my friends. they were mystified the fish were not biting. I knew that in a super bright morning no wind it would be difficult for the fish to bite. Two days after I text them, hey let's go the bite will be on. One of them came, we had a blast, more than 15 fish caught in 1:30 hours. It was the first over cast afternoon in a more than 20 days and there was a little texture in the water. I live in Weston FL. We the quarantine all I do is fish. At night I look at google maps and decide what lake pond or canal I'm goin to fish. I have a rule, I have to fish a new spot every other day. 5 days ago I went out and caught my PB 4.40. Then , when deciding were to go a few days later I remembered you saying how fish of similar syses live together. Went back to the spot and caught a 4.63 one. A few days ago I fished a pond in the pm and I caught a few fish in the same spot. I would cast past some reeves, and as the lure gets close to the rives a bass would come out and hit it. I remember you talking about ambush zones or kill zones (don't remember the exact term). So I went there in the morning with a frog (I had never caught a bass on a frog), swung it pass the reeves, as it got close to them boom fish on. Got two on the frog in 30 minutes I had probably thrown that frog in the past hundreds of times and never caught anything. Here is video of that morning. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JnWLjwVfcJA.html I wanted to share this with you, the knowledge gained from your videos is invaluable. Im having so much fun fishing and for that I thank you. I have two kids, they both enjoy fishing its fun to go out and explain things to them now that I understand a little better what is going on. If you are ever in south Florida please don't hesitate to write. I would be awesome if we could fish one day. thank you again señor!

The Nature of Fishing I forgot to mention, my favorite type of fishing is with a fluke, wheedles or second option a curly tail worm with a owner hook that has a 1/8oz weigh on the shank.

@@elmadriz Thanks so much for sharing your story. Wonderful story. And... you are a great observer and learner. So great to hear that you are catching, and understanding why or why not. Congrats on your success. I'm glad you have fishing at this trying time. It's a pretty safe, and healthy, thing to be doing. Stay safe, señor. If I get to FL, I'll let you know. Would be fun. Cheers, Paul

Hi Red. That's what I always wondered. :) I've been after answers, often times just better questions, for a long time. Pretty cool that we have tiny video cameras and a platform to share this stuff. Don't forget to share my channel with friends. It'll help me a lot. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Ed. Oh good! I figure my content at very least should make someone's time on the water more interesting. If it helps people catch fish, they are able to apply the info, that tells me I'm doing something right. Don't forget to share with friends. The more the merrier here. Cheers, Paul

Thanks, Frank. Great to hear.

Hi, Brandon. Good to hear. This is a big subject and I could have tackled it a number of ways. Tried to make it less "textbooky" (is that a word??) and relevant from an angling perspective. In the end, man... there is not a bad time to go fishing. But, we try to gather probabilities in our favor, and in some cases, we can actually predict some pretty heady stuff! I'm always looking for Carnage Zones, and I first coined that term following heated water in early spring. Oh my, some of those periods were epic. I've been hoping to catch a seriously epic one for a VFJ. Keeping my eyes open and fingers crossed. Paul

Hi, 1chefbr. Thanks. Glad you could sit through another talking head piece. :) Cheers, Paul

Hi, Amy. Great to hear. When I started this channel I wondered if people would sit through "explanations", what I call the "why's" beneath the what's and how's. Seems there are people out there that can. Glad to have you along. My channel has 4 playlists: Documentaries, Fundamentals, Video Fishing Journals, and Tackle Know How. All that try to address things from the fish's perspective. Dig in. And... please share with friends. Cheers, Paul

Thanks, HH. Be sure to share with friends for me. Paul

For sure, man. Thinking man's Bass.

Hi, Matthew. Sounds like we are birds of a feather. We all develop our anecdotal evidence. But the sciences have come far enough to be in position to ask the deeper questions. I do hate to break it to you though, I don’t think we’ll ever know it all. :)) Cheers, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 Learning is half of the fun haha. I'm looking forward the the new documentary and videos

Thanks, Darrell. Yeah, some waters simply grow bass. Even public ones. Best, Paul

Thank, Danny.

It’s a complicated world out there. I think that’s what our brains are for. :)

Hi, George. Great to hear. Thanks! Cheers, Paul

Hi, DRUCO. Glad you found me too. :) My channel consists of 4 playlists: Documentaries, Fundamentals, Video Fishing Journals (VFJ's), and Tackle Know-How. All try to address fish behavior, the fish's and water bodies' side of the story. Don't forget to share with friends. The more the merrier is the way YT channels develop. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Thomas. You bet. Share with friends! Cheers, Paul

Thanks, JM!

Hi, Hobie. Thanks. Great to hear. Welcome aboard! Cheers, Paul

Hi, Ed. Thanks! Glad to hear it jives with your experience. Paul

Thanks, David.

Hi, MM. :) Yes, I've had that discussion with my son, who made the argument that video games are getting more and more sophisticated. I commented that they could never reach the depths of real life, but maybe go deep enough to keep the neuronal networks in our head occupied, for certain amounts of time anyway. I suppose there will be, or are, games that, after decades of work, have you coming to the realization that you'll only scratch the surface by the time you die.

Hi, Socal. Thanks. You bet. Don't forget to share with friends. It would help me develop this channel. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Lanny. Thanks for the nice comment. And happy to know that you are able to make use of such content. Cheers, Paul

Hey, Nick. Great! Phew! I was hoping this was going to be coherent. Yes, I've been hoping to get out myself, but the wind is keeping me at bay. No... off the water entirely! Waiting for an opening. Cheers.

Hi, Trae. Good to hear you, too, like to "look under the hood" some. Keep looking deep! Paul

Thanks, Carlos.

Hey, Wes. Great to hear. Thank you. Don't forget to share it. The more the merrier is the way YT supports its content. All the best, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 i recommend to everyone i know that bass fishes. Keep em comin bud, lookin forward to your next vid

Thanks, Brady.

Hi, Rox. Glad it was helpful! Best, Paul

Hey LML. Hope it helps. Paul

Hi, Ricky. Great to hear. Cheers, Paul

Hi, vu ly. You're welcome. Happy you enjoy it. All the best, Paul

Hi, Matt. Great to hear! That's the idea. Happy to hear it's working for you. Don't forget to share with friends. Cheers, Paul

Thanks. Looks really helpful.

Hi, Jonathan. :) Beats the alternative, a tool bag. LOL Thanks, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 that guy was a tool bag

Yeah, you called it. Don't want to spend my time on trollers.

Hey, David. Thanks. You bet. Be sure to share with friends. Paul

Hi, Pondman66. Thanks. Paul

The Nature of Fishing you’re very welcome! ~ Eric

Hey, Zack. You bet. Don't forget to share with friends. It would help me a lot. Best, Paul

Hi, James. Awesome to hear! I was hoping my presentation of this would be coherent. Thanks. Paul

Yeah, that was George. :) Actually, I do get to know some of them after a while. They are all a bit different, even facial structure that I'm able to read and recognize. But, despite developing some fondness for them, my names tend to be more descriptive: "Spots", "Pout", ... . "Ol' Ragged Fins" shows up a number of times in some of my videos.

Hi, Joshua. Thanks! All the best, Paul

Thanks, BW!

Hi, Ed. Great to hear. Keep on 'em! Paul

Nope. Sounds like a great start to the season. I've yet to get out of the office. Been waiting for the darn wind to mellow out. Paul

The Nature of Fishing Had back to back 65° days with 25 mile an hour winds. Might as well have been 35°. I remembered you saying wind is the worst thing for heating up a lake and you’re damn right

Hi, slip. Does the surface heat beyond 74 in places? Curious. They may not jump if they have good cover just below. Bass' first response is to head to security: Run to depth, or dive into cover. If in more open water, they are apt to jump. Jumping allows gravity to take hold, making it easier to dislodge a stuck object. This is likely an instinctive behavior, developed over time, due to the spines and deep bodies of common preyfishes. I've found bass to jump most commonly, and highest!, in water mid to upper 70's water temps.

Hi, Russell! Always like it when I get a name. Cool you are from Australia. Quite an amazing and impressive angling culture there. LOTS of expertise there. Love the videos and writing I see coming from down under. Great to hear my stuff is jiving with your experiences too. Not surprised in the least. Fish of all types share a LOT across all waters. May have something to do with... water! ;) Great observation about those groupers. I "wonder" (as nature always makes us do) if it has to do with the availability, or the vulnerability, of those prey types. Maybe crabs are too difficult to deal with in cold water, so those grouper shift to shrimp? Cool observation. Makes things not only more interesting but results in better and more satisfying fishing. Really good to hear from you. I’m in this YT channel thing to hear what other anglers are seeing, and wondering, about. I can't be everywhere, although I'd love to be. Cheers, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 Thanks for taking the time to reply Paul, I'm actually from Western India, a lot of species here are also found in Australia. With regards to the grouper , i strongly feel fish are smart enough to differentiate between meals that are tougher to digest compared to the opposite, but as you mentioned prey vulnerability has definitely played a bigger part there.

Ah! YT bias there. I see a lot coming out of Australia on those Indo-Pacific species. Yes, possibly digestion. Our bass eat a lot of crayfish, but they grow better with fish prey. Apparently, much of a crayfish, and a crab, is simply not digestible. Paul

Thanks again, Jamie. I don't upload as often as the vloggers do. My take on fishing may not be YT algorithm friendly, but, that's the way I run my fishing. It's a... the more you know the more fascinating it gets, kind of thing. Be sure to share with like-minded friends for me. All the best, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 i appreciate your passion and hard work.. I like a longer video, with research and facts. Wish I could support more financially, but when I get a chance I will support. Thanks again, would love to fish with u if I ever get away from Massachusetts..

Thanks, Jamie. Great to hear you too are interested in the details. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Mariano. It was released just a few days ago. To find your way around, my channel consists of 4 playlists: Documentaries, Fundamentals, Video Fishing Journals (VFJ's), and Tackle Know-How. All try to address fish behavior, the fish's and water bodies' side of the story. The C&C videos are in the Fundamentals playlist. Don't forget to share with friends. The more the merrier is the way YT channels develop. Cheers, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 I will Paul most definitely!

Hi, Ben. Thanks. Great to hear. Patreon is a site created by a musician to support online creators. It works as a monthly subscription service. Patrons choose how much to give. You can also set a cap on your total donation. I'll also be setting up a donation button that runs through PayPal. These seem to be the best options, since I'm not putting my time into... selling products, nor meeting the ravenous YT algorithm that favors vlogs. Thanks so much for asking. All the best, Paul

Hi, N5KDA. Thanks and welcome aboard. Yes, environmental temps/date are relative, but their affect on bass appear to be widespread. Maybe it's due to the fact that bass have been stocked into so many waters, beyond their native range, that genetic diversity is compromised. I would not doubt that there are populations of bass that have adaptations to regional/local conditions. But, much of the research has shown a pretty common temperature. Thanks for the reminder on suspended bass. I neglected to mention that as a response to poor conditions. They do so in large part bc their swim bladders are compensated for the shallows, and so they stay at roughly that depth and move away from those inhospitable shallows, until conditions get favorable again. I have little personal experience with FL bass. I've heard they respond pretty negatively to cold fronts. Whether it's a temp drop or lighting change that impacts them, or both, would be hard to say. I've also wondered whether this sensitivity has as much to do with FL bass living, having evolved in, shallow water environs. CA folks have told me that they've carried this trait with them to the deep reservoirs of CA. I actually like those cold fronts, prior to the spawn. The longer we can keep them in the pre-spawn binge mode the better! Thanks for the conversation. Paul

Hi, CgeO. Thanks! Cheers, Paul

Good morning Paul. Just mentioned your channel on the tactical bass fishing channel! My boys and I found a clear shallow pond with some nice looking largemouths in it! They were throwing Little Rock’s in and some bluegills and bass were cruising around the surface.

@@cantgetenoughoutdoors3258 Sounds wonderful. Reminds me of taking my son to ponds. He loved to play at pond-side. We had a lot of nice days like that. One day he took a long light switch and started tapping the water's surface with it. Soon bluegills appeared to check out the commotion. My son kept at it, mesmerized by the crowd of BG's collecting around his stick. After a few minutes of this, big eyes and black stripes began to appear! Bass began to inspect the scene. Curious critters they are. Paul

Love it👍🤟

My fisheries work, at the technician level, was in NYS. That lake trout survey pictured was on Canandaigua Lake.

Hi, BB. Awesome! Nice to have those opportunities. Even better to capitalize on them. Be there or be square sort of deal. WTG. And yes, it just isn't cookbook out there. There's a mix of variables at play out there. But it helps to know what the fish's goals are: security and food. Sometimes they just have to make lemonade. I think we can all relate to that. Keep on em! Paul

The Nature of Fishing So many variables = so many ways to catch them. It never gets old 😁

Yes! And that's the way to look at it. -P

Yes, bass are pretty capable critters. Heck, look at the world they must make livings in. I've video'd bass under the ice bolting after bluegills. Most of the time though, under the ice they look like they are swimming through molasses. Yeah, I'm impressed with Jonny's channel too. Maybe when I retire I'll have time to expand operations here.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 that was awesome footage BTW, the bass must have bolted a good three feet to snag that gill. Before I saw that what I was taught and what most pros will tell you is that you have to put it on there nose in cold cold water ... Well I would say if they want it they will make the effort. Johnny just did a vid on debunking cold water mythology and they discussed exactly what your video captured which is bass can be very aggressive even in water in the 30's and 40's. Very cool footage.if I was independently wealthy I would love to quit my job and be a full-time researcher of bass LOL alas I have to pay the bills.

@@jamescaspersamanthalintner4767 There are times when bass will /can chase in really cold water, most common in shad-based fisheries. But most times it pays to fish slow. No... s-s-s-s-l-l-l-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w-w. Paying the bills, and other responsibilities... yeah, you and me both. Paul

Oh, I haven’t released that under ice footage yet.

Hey, Norcal. Thanks! Some people just want to be entertained. That's AOK by me. YT is a big place. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Tulio. I didn't know there were largemouth bass in Brazil. Here in the US, our LM's are smaller in the north, where I am, and can get larger in the south. Good to hear from you. Goo d luck in your bass chasing. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Jesse. Try pushing 40yrs now! :) Some people have called my gear "retro". I say, "Naw, that's just my stuff." :) Cheers, Paul

Hi, Miles. Good to hear. Thanks. My channel is focused on behavior. If you haven't already, see my documentaries on bass behavior. There are two out now, and I'm working towards giving as complete a picture of bass behavior as I can, before I... kick off. :) My channel consists of 4 playlists: Documentaries, Fundamentals, Video Fishing Journals (VFJ's), and Tackle Know-How. All try to address fish behavior, the fish's and water bodies' side of the story. Don't forget to share with friends. The more the merrier is the way YT channels develop. Cheers, Paul

Oh... I'm in Colorado. And yes, bass share many behaviors, and physiology, wherever they are found.

Hi, Ken. Sorry to be late in responding. Lost internet here for a few days due to a lightning strike. So, first, it's always struck me that breaking 50F seems to be important threshold where some important biological activity increases in temperate environments. Bass, bluegills, and some aquatic insects important to trout fly-fishers (the first large mayflies of the season) kick off at 50F. This does not mean that there are not creatures evolved or possibly even adapted to colder or warmer temps. But I've just notice that 50F seems to be an important threshold in my fishing. Might just say that I'm from around 40deg N latitude! :) Heat matters to fish bc it can activate them, and/or the food chain beneath them. However, the habitat has to be there on that shoreline, or location, to support fish using the area in the first place. (Keeping in mind that different fish species have different habitat needs. And some species are more mobile than others.) I've found that temperature differentials tend to be greatest in the spring, bc of the mass of cold water that exists coming out of winter. But I look for them in fall too, and think that they go a chunk of the way in explaining the great topwater, esp buzzbait, bites that can occur in shallow autumn waters. Hope this helps. Paul

Hi, B. Thanks. That topic is not on my my docket, at present anyway. But, I can say that it is known that bass can be excluded from certain habitats because of the presence of big pike, and muskies. In some waters, flathead cats are a bass predator. Not sure how that operates, and I've not looked into it since I've never had flatheads near me. That's direct predation. The other issue is competition with other species that can exclude, or limit prey availability for, LM bass when trying to share certain hunting spaces with other predators, like stripers, and sometimes smallmouths or walleyes. And yes, there are predators at the other end of the life cycle too. Some are native and bass have probably adapted to living with them at some level. Then there are invasives that could present a greater problem, like gobies or ruffe. Hope this helps, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 thanks, Paul. Keep going, we love it !

Oh... yes, meant to say that pike and muskies usually exclude bass from deeper zones: weedlines, and certainly rocky humps.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 ...pertinent...and interesting...the entire zone, or just the aforementioned specific areas?

@@Bri99r1 I look at it this way: Bigger fish generally need, or can dominate, larger spaces to operate in. An example is most prey-sized bluegills use cover for safety from bass. Once they grow large enough they are free to operate in more open water, where food may be easier to find. You can tell how big most of the bass are in many waters by noting the size of the open water bluegills. Basically, larger fish dominate the open, usually deeper, water edges. Smaller fish need the shallows or cover for safety from them. Where the two meet is both the feeding zone and the danger zone for fish. Same deal for bass. In some waters, where bass are top dog, they can make use of prey in nearly all zones. But, when there are even larger predators, those larger predators put even the bass at risk in those deeper, more open, zones. So, outer weedlines, where bass often dominate, are now more risky for most bass. Even more risky are likely even more open areas, such as humps and rock piles bass would normally associate with, but may be excluded by big pike. Probably one of the reasons that deep rock piles, and "clean lips", out beyond the weed walls can be such big bass spots. They are the only ones that can fend off pike predation. Paul

Hi, Duane. You bet! I do have an IG acct. But, I've not incorporated it into my... goings on. Seems right now it's all I can do to get stuff out here on YT. If I ever get there, the first hire I'm going to make will be someone to handle the promotional end of things. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 Awesome! Sent you a request to follow your IG. Please add me as well "ditchpickleparadise"

Hey, Bruce. Great to have you along; Someone who also wants to delve into the details. IME, smallmouth DO fight harder, and have more stamina. They are built differently than largemouths, built for mobility. This is partly due to their having evolved in current, and are still more capable in current. In still waters they travel further, and make a habit of crossing open water more, than LM's. SM's are faster too. I'm not aware of any solid research measuring this, but their hunting habits suggest that they are simply more capable at speed. An example I've seen is how SM's and LM's hunt spawning bluegills. Mid-sized LM's slowly cruise, and hang out, outside BG colonies. They watch for distracted individuals, and need to get close to be successful. SM's cruise the outer edge of the colonies, rather quickly, and dash in at speed to chase smaller BG's at the perimeter of the colony. The difference is quite noticeable. Big LM's though, tend to hang close to the colony, under cover, and dash out when an opportunity presents itself.

Hi, Josh. Good to hear. Don't forget to share with friends. The more the merrier in YT. I'm in Colorado. Cheers, Paul

Hi, Huey. Well... Much of my channel is sited on small waters, some as small as 3acres. Bass behavior is much the same in all waters, but small waters allow me to track and video it most efficiently. So... I'd say the TNF channel addresses small private ponds quite well. See our Video Fishing Journal playlist for actual fishing trips on mostly small waters. Hope this helps. Paul

Hi, Sb. Sounds about right for 40F. Fish may not be "deep" but they are spending most of their time away from the banks. When the water warms, they'll start showing up. not sure where you are, but here it's the bluegills that show up first. The bass are not far behind. See some of my video fishing journals (VFJ's), esp the spring-time ones, as I deal with this same thing too. Paul

Hi, Gustavo. It’s pretty darn easy. I simply lower a thermometer and take readings. I usually get a bottom reading a mid-depth (or two), and a surface temp (~1ft down). If it’s a small water I may only need one location for a profile for a days fishing, focused on the deeper water as near surface waters are most apt to change. Larger waters I my check more locations. Although on windy days I may do more on small waters due to circulation. Plus, I’m a curious sort. Do it enough and you will develop a good handle on how your waters heat and cool.

@@thenatureoffishing7591 thank you very much for the quick response, yeah answer was pretty obvious jejeje but i was thinking... by the time you take your thermometer all the way up being in contact with the surface layer wont mess up your readings? and by the way i hope your name is actually Paul, saw a comment in another video some calling you Paul so...

Hi, Tony. Not really. Not a ton of options out there. I get mine from fly-fishing shops, as FF are most apt to use one. You can get them on-line too. Search term would be "stream thermometer". I check shoreline temps, or use a snap to cast out for bottom temps, or attach to my anchor line when in a boat to lower to whatever depths I want to check. My anchor line is marked in 1ft increments. Hope this helps. Best, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 it sure does! Thank you sir!

Hi, David. I wasn't planning on addressing pH, at least this time around. But, I may rethink that with what you suggest. True that pH is often elevated in non-buffered waters (usually low geologic fertility) with a lot of decaying plant debris, esp woody plant debris like tree leaves. Such waters tend to produce few and, esp, small fish. I can see NH waters not being sufficiently buffered from heavy rain events. I hadn't considered that in my waters. Interesting. I've seen, likely have, those manuscripts, but will look into them again, esp for the precipitation pH work. Thanks! There's always more to explore, isn't there. :) Paul

Hi, Jonathan. Good question. Guess I should have shown the process. Guess I will in another vid. Here's what I do and am looking for: I first take a profile. I take the bottom temp and if its appreciably different than the surface, I get some mid-depth temps. What I’m looking for is a possible thermocline, the bottom layer that is much colder than the water above it. What this does is lets me eliminate water below a certain depth. I’ve measured thermoclines even in small ponds, which has allowed me to eliminate water below say, 12feet deep. The other thing I’m looking for is a “core” temperature of the water body, or section of water body if a large one. This is the main mass of water, as described in the video, that tells me the temperature the majority of the fish are experiencing, telling me where we are in the season. I’m also tracking the season by measuring heat gain. An example would be when the spawn is imminent. In my waters, and probably most others, this is when enough heat has penetrated a water body to have water approaching 60F into the upper 5ft of water or so. I’ve called out 58F as the mid-depth shallows temp where I expect the fish to start becoming become spawn-minded. I also track surface temps, watching for wind in particular, since it really moves water around. Here, I’m watching for heated areas setting up (potentially, but not always, important during the transition seasons). Heat, cover, and prey spells “Carnage Zone” potential. Something I don’t want to miss. I’ve done this for years, and it has taken time out of my fishing. But, I am now much quicker at assessing seasons and timing in my fishing, usually with just a bead on core temperature, and then how surface temps are behaving. VFJ19 offers a look at how I use, or attempt to use, this info. The “perfect storm” doesn’t always materialize. Lots can go wrong. But, when the fish find themselves in a Carnage Zone, I want to be there too! Hope this helps, Paul

Hi, Springteen. Depends... on where in the country you live, your latitude. Water, everywhere, gets denser as it cools (to ~40F), and lighter as it warms. Water is most dense at ~40F. Once a water body hits 40F the majority of it will be so. So, very possibly, the answer to your question could be, yes. That is, unless it's able to re-heat, or experience very frigid weather as it can in the far north. My waters tend to hover around 38F beneath the ice most winters. Further north, mid-water (core) temps can drop to 36F. Further south, surfaces may re-heat some, and that warmer buoyant water can get blown around to downwind shores. In my area (40degN Latitude) no significant re-heating can occur over winter. It's only skin deep, and it can't penetrate. So... you'll have to measure to get a bead on what your core temperatures are and if surfaces can warm at all. Things get more complicated, thermally, as the sun gets higher and can have a strong effect again. Hope this helps. Paul

The Nature of Fishing thank you much I do now have better understanding.

Hi, Dbars19. I comment on BP, my take on it anyway, in CC 3, which is on deck here. The short of it is that science on the subject is not supportive. And, I've never been able to separate BP changes with the change in sky and water conditions that accompany appreciable BP changes. There was a report I read that suggested that northern pike could respond positively to BP changes. But, that's pretty much it. It's possible, one would even think likely, that fish might be able to pick up on that cue. But, I've not been able to tease that out. however, nor have I done the work, collected the data, to do so. My current take, so far. Paul

Dbars, I might put BP in C&C 4. Not sure yet. C&C 3 is getting a bit long. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 just had another weird BP bite yesterday on a musky. 15min before it started to rain/snow. in East ohio. water is still around 50

Very similar temps to LM's, actually. A tad cooler perhaps. In rivers, temperature affects their current tolerance. But SM's handle current much better than LM's do. In winter SM's look for deeper slower water, often in the main channel. While LM's, needing even calmer waters, tend to winter in side channels and backwaters away from current. Hope this helps some. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 THANK YOU!

Hi, Keith. I will be addressing oxygen in C&C 4. What I can say now, is that while oxygen saturation is an interesting fact in its own right, I'm trying to focus in on what's most relevant to bass fishing. Bass, LM's esp, are well adapted to low oxygen levels, so they operate well across the temperature/oxygen saturation range. Although oxygen likely plays a role in the stress of temps above the metabolic cap, metabolic enzymes seem to be the major issue there, as such proteins are very temperature sensitive. That, in fact, is what acclimation is all about. I probably should have addressed thermoclines in C&C 2. And, I will when I get to a follow-up video that better explains how to take temperatures. Bass don't use water below the thermocline, at least very often. But it does represent a real barrier to them, so it helps me pare down real estate. Thanks for the questions Cheers, Paul

Hey, Gizmo. I'll be addressing oxygen in C&C 4. I'm not planning on addressing pH though, at least this time around. In a nutshell, pH is often elevated in non-buffered waters (usually low geologic fertility) with a lot of decaying plant debris, esp woody plant debris like tree leaves. Such waters tend to produce few and, esp, small fish. I don't measure oxygen, but have been considering it recently for some of my heavily vegetated waters. Oxygen meters are expensive, and it's a bit if a project to do. Some day perhaps. DO (dissolved oxygen in water) dec as water temps inc., but fish are well adapted to this. Where the trouble starts is with other additional circumstances, that I'll address in C&C 4. Perfect conditions help... but, large amounts of appropriate (for each age class), and vulnerable, prey are required to grow large fish. Thus, fish are known to favor food over perfect temperatures or other conditions. Hope this helps. Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 I have looked around for a way to measure oxygen levels and most devices are very complicated to use or cost more than I can afford. I might buy one but need some suggestions on the best type to consider buying. Thank you for your reply.

@@gizmocarr3093 I haven't bought one for the same reason, it's just not in the priority budget. All of them are somewhat complicated to operate, needing to be set up and maintained properly. Some day perhaps. Cheers, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 I always worry about fishing during hot summer fish can die easily when caught. I carry frozen jugs to cool live well water and a bottle of Hydro peroxide to increase oxygen levels in the water. I also carry a fizzing needle but have never needed to use it. There are some less expensive oxygen meters but I am not sure if buying one is worth having. I shift to fishing cold-water streams for trout in late summer for that reason. However, I would enjoy knowing more about oxygen levels and the relation to water temperatures. It would be interesting to know how water plants affect oxygen levels during the day and seasons. I wonder if bright sunlight days increase oxygen production more than cloudy days. I am just going to take a chance and buy one.

@@gizmocarr3093 Cooling the live well is a good idea, if the live well water is gets hot. Oxygen meters worth owning at this point are costly. Not aware of any cheap ones worth owning. As to your question, I'll be hitting oxygen in CC#4. Cheers, Paul

Hi, DDD. Yes. How much would depend on how much rain and how voluminous the tributary and water body is. Normal rain and snow events around my ponds here don't seem to alter the water's heat mass all that much. Then there are no tributaries of any size on them. Paul

Pretty silly.

Hi, Dizzy. I'm in Colorado. Paul

:)) Enjoy it! I'm doing my best to keep it in check while I attend to other responsibilities. It's been a bit too long though. Get out there man!

Hi, Terry. Yeah, that's a really good question. It's one that can weigh in on how we approach a water body. There are quiote a few food/diet studies on bass out there, over the decades; They just take some time and effort to look up and read. They generally show that bass are primarily piscivorous, fish eaters. They grow best on a fish diet. But, they are eclectic adaptable feeders, able to feed anywhere in the water column, top to bottom. My own experience has been that crayfish weigh in at some level in most waters. And I'm talking LM's here. Smallmouths are more apt to concentrate on crayfish. But some LM waters have more crays than others, and in some waters they are more accessible for bass than others. Some of my video fishing journals address crayfish as prey, and the fishing. See VFJ's #24 and #33. The best way to know if bass are eating crayfish is to look for good crayfish habitat in your fishing waters. And, even better, look in some bass throats, and stomachs if you ever kill a fish. Often you can see crayfish antennae sticking out of the esophagus. You also may be able to feel hard craw bodies in fish bellies, if there are enough of them in there. Also know that, regardless of whether crays are high on the list in your waters, very often bottom contact with lures can be critical for catching bass. Hope this helps, Cheers, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 Thank you Paul, I do love to fish for small mouth. Crawfish pattern is my go to for them. It's when I find myself in large mouth lakes that I've found this question to haunt me. Thank you very much for your help.

Yeah, those soft, often weedy bottoms can have us cray-fishers scratching our heads. I'm trying to figure that one out in my new waters here.

Hi, David. Yeah, I know. I've managed to tone down my gesturing some. Maybe I'll try moving my mic. Thanks. Paul

Just throwing it out there. I'm a bit OCD 🤣 Love the videos though! And I didn't notice it as much with the following videos👍👂

No worries, at all. I can see it too, and know that it does annoy some people. I also know that people who habitually 'talk with their hands' do so bc the brain regions that handle language, and hand gesturing, literally sit side-by-side. And some people have more inter-wiring between the two than others. Apparently, I'm (maybe hopelessly) wired that way. So, for talking-head video segments, I have to manage it other ways. I've already changed camera angle and will try moving my mic. Thanks for the head's up. Cheers, Paul

Hi, SS. Thanks for the feedback. Ad's come in automatically. My videos tend to be pretty long (20 to 60min) so there will be more ad's than in shorter vids. I just went through all my videos to see how many ad's there were and to make sure they didn't come in too close together. I only had one video I felt should have some removed. Realize, ad's are how I make the majority of my revenue, which doesn't amount to very much, esp considering the time I have put into making these videos. Doing my best to invest my efforts on in-depth content. One thing you will not see are my videos morphing from education to infomercial. Hope you understand. All the best, Paul

Hi, Omar. Not so much. There are much better tasting fish out there. Best, Paul

@@thenatureoffishing7591 what’s one of your favorites? I’m mostly limited to bass, catfish, our trout. Been wanting to make some fried bass nuggets.

Tastiest: Perch and walleye. Bluegills. Crappie. Trout. Bullhead and catfish (younger ones) from clear water. Bass, not so much.