Ottumwa, Iowa

50° windy - I was using a white chatter bait with a silver minnow trailer - bouncing on the bottom angry mama said STOP!

Iowa Pond 49* pitching jig with small fluke trailer; Big momma was protecting nest and ran away with hit without a big hit…solid set after I realized it was not grass but a MONSTER MOMMA on the other end!🎣

Watermelon red flake - paddle tail - Texas rigged - herky/jerky just above bottom around nests - this dink could not resist - I spent :30mins on him as he was biting & spitting, and finally caught the little sucker! #healthy

60° Iowa pond at the bottom guarding nests per-spawn on white twisty tail

March 4th - 49° … not biting on classic pre-spawn lures, so I threw old reliable white twisty tail jig on a 3/8 ounce head…let it sink to the bottom & it slowly swam away. Thought I snagged grass. 1st of season! 🎣

Open water at city pond caught this one on a little split tail white jig = larger than normal; healthy great coloring.

I was fishing for trout with a black rooster tail spinner with the treble hook, and on the edge of the ice sitting in ambush, to my completely unexpected surprise, this little guy pounded it! 1st ever winter bass!

The ponds of OTTUMWA have 1 pond that is stocked with 1500 trout and it’s a wonderful thing that the DNR provides here in the state of Iowa.