Our southeast field rep, John Kirkemo, comes through with another submission and additional insights on spotted bass.

Weight: 1-3
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 10
Weather: Evening light with air temperature in the high 70s
Water temperature: 83 degrees
Location: Lake Hartwell at Oconee Point Campground, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3.5” floating Rapala
Angler Comments: I was casting the lure toward the top of a tree standing in about 20 feet of water. Only the top foot or two of the tree extended above the water’s surface. The treetop had a few very small leaves but was mostly just thin bare branches as shown in the attached picture. Before I could begin my retrieve, the bass slammed the lure so hard the reel handle hit my finger causing a bruise as shown in the picture. This was not a big fish but was very aggressive. I have been catching spotted bass since late March 2024. In my opinion, spotted bass tend to be more aggressive and fight harder than their close cousin largemouth bass. I discovered this tree top two days ago and have fished it every day since. It always holds a bass or two.
Top 5 Weight: 10-9 (2-8,2-7,2-0,1-13,1-13)

Gives a whole new perspective on “bass thumb” with that catch. Good luck out there and keep sending them my way. Talk to you later. Troy