I decided to go after gathering what intel I could and got there at opening time. I hadn't fished the lake since the late 80s/early 90s and that was from shore when the lake was free and basically forgotten by everyone (read: really good bassing).

Anyway, the water was the dark tannic stain of black tea I remember but cloudier. I headed over to the dam corners and got a nice 2.5 on a white blade after about 20 minutes so I thought I was onto something. Alas, one fish does not a pattern make. I fished down the back shoreline pitching into pockets for nada. The tule grown was incredibly heavy and did not cover the whole shore back in the day. I pitched and flipped a creature in the same cover for nada. I t-rigged and dropshotted a robo for a ton of short bites and dismissed them as dinks or bluegills but later on (at home) figured out those might have actually been bed fish that were tentatively biting in deeper beds. In hindsight, I should have repeatedly cast over those areas to goad them into a committed strike. This was 6 to 10 feet and all around the lake if you get out there. There is no sight fishing at this Amazon-stained lake. I got none on various cranks and even tossed the frog around the tules for a longshot blow-up. So, $20 fishing fee, $40 boat for a $60 bass, lol.