11/26/2006:  Today was officially my last bass fishing trip of the year.  I chose to fish the Benton Harbor stretch of the St. Joe River this afternoon.  It was a beautiful day to say the least.  The air temperature was 60 degrees and the water temperature was a chilly 43 degrees.  I tried fishing deep holes with small jigs in 7-15 ft of water to start.  I was able get a couple bites and land three 2.5 lb smallies.  The fish were fighting hard!  I was using 6 pound Gamma Edge and it was put to the test.  Since this was my last trip I also wanted to catch a largemouth.  I motored to the back of a couple coves.  I noticed a ton of bait fish schooled up in the coves.  There were bass chasing the bait eveywhere! And I couldn't get a bite.  I tried everything but the kitchen sink.  On my way out of the cove a caught one more quality smallmouth that weighed 2 pounds 14 ounces.  I decided that was my last bass of the year.  I ended up with four bass that weighed just under 11 pounds.  A great way to end an awesome season!

11/16/2006:  I had another productive afternoon on the St. Joe River today.  I was able to fish for 2 hour before Parent-Teacher Conferences tonight.  The air temp was around 45 degrees and it was windy/cloudy.  The water temperature was still 47 degrees.  At first I wasn't getting many bites but I switched to lighter line and the action picked up.  I caught 5 quality smallmouth from one hole and they were all between 2.5 lbs and 4 lbs.  I caught all of my bass on small jigs again.  My best five bass weighed 15 pounds 4 ounces and my biggest bass was 3 pounds 12 ounces.   Time is running out so get on the river before the icebergs claim it for the winter.

11/12/2006:  Today was officially the greatest fishing day of my life!  I fished the St. Joe River this afternoon and I caught the mother load of smallies.  Huge Smallies!  My day started at 11:30 am this morning and it was bright and sunny.  The water temperature was a brisk 47 degrees and the river was very clear.  I started fishing rocks with a small jig tied on light Gamma Edge.  I tossed my jig next to the rocks and let it fall slowly.  A bass thumped it on the fall and the amazing day began.  I fought a quality 5 pound smalljaw to the boat and put it in the livewell.  On my very next cast a giant smallmouth slammed my jig.   I carefully fought another giant smallie to the boat that ended up weighing 5.2 pounds.  I lost two other big smallmouth on my next two casts and one was close to six pounds.  What a school of giant smallies!  I decided to give this hot spot a break and move to a rocky point that comes into the middle of the river.   I caught a chunky 2 lb smallmouth on my first cast and it was jumping all over the place.  I made another cast up to the rock point and a giant smalljaw picked it up off the bottom.  I set the hook and the fish started to slowly shake it's head.  It was another monster!  I fought her to my boat and scooped her into the net.  This healthy smallmouth ended up weighing 5.40 pounds.  I couldn't believe the success I was having and thought to myself, "this can't get any better."  Well it did.  Two casts later I got another bite and I set the hook on my biggest smallmouth ever.  It was a fierce battle that I didn't think I was going to win.  I carefully back reeled and fought this bass until it had nothing left.  I finally had the smallie in the net and lifted it into the boat.  WOW!! HUGE!!  It was truly an enormous smallmouth bass.  I put it on the scales and it weighed just less than 6 pounds, 5.90 pounds to be exact.  When it was all said and done and two hour passed I had five bass that weighed a little over 23 pounds!  If I would have landed every fish I had on I could of had 25 pounds.  Like I said, "The best fishing day of my life."



11/9/2005:  My wife and I fished the St. Joe River for 1 hour tonight.  It was 62 degrees and the water temperature was 49 degrees.  We caught a lot of bass for only fishing for an hour.  We caught 3 chunky 2.5 lb smallmouth and 5 short fish.  I lost two giant mistery fish that pulled hard but came off.  We caught all of our fish using small jigs tied on 6 lb Gamma Edge. 

11/5/2006:  Rich and I fished for the last before he makes his move to Georgia on Tuesday.  He wont have to worry about catching small bass anymore!  Anyways, Rich and I fished the St. Joe River and some success.  The water temperature was 41 degrees and the air temperature was 38 degrees.  Most of the smallies have moved into a winter pattern and are in deep holes.  We caught 10 bass including five keepers using small jigs tied on 6 lb Gamma.  Our best five bass weighed 14 lbs 5 oz.  We caught 3 nice 3.5 lb smallies and 2 that just cut 14 inches.