Dave May and I got to Lakeside before dawn and got my boat set up and ready to fish. We launched when it was barely light enough to see. The air temp was 84 degrees at the lake, and the sky was overcast with a slight breeze. The lake level was 12" to 14" low. We had no luck at all on topwaters early, so I changed lures. On my first cast toward the end of the dock, I got a backlash and had to use a head lamp to clear it from the braid. When I finally moved the single spin, a bass immediately nailed it. It put up a good fight, too. I finally boated the 4-10. It was a strong and very pretty fish with good color, but long and thin. We fished around the dock with no results, and by the time we got to the fence on the south side of the cabin, the lake was dead calm. Thank goodness for the overcast and the light breeze that came back a bit later.  Moving south down the lotus pad line, I picked up my buzz bait rod, and luckily connected on only the trailer hook with a 2-pound fish that was more than 16" long - extremely long and thin. It gave a good fight for a small fish.  No additional hits on the buzz bait, so I switched to white, HB frogs. After missing a couple, I connected with a 3-10. I boated only more on the frog - a small one that I found after removing about 10 pounds of moss from around it, in the pads off the point between the two creeks. I also lost a much bigger fish in the same place, also on the frog. A little later, I boated what would turn out to be the big fish of the day on a buzz bait, a 4-14. It was in less than a foot of water, west of the downed tree on the west bank's big point. After that, the action slowed down a lot (not at sunrise, but about an hour later). I was only able to boat one dink after that. I did break off one later on the east side that hit an old, weedless Rex Spoon.  Dave must have found the Lakeside version of "Dinkville," for he was truly pestered by them, boating quite a few. One of them even hit a #130 Whopper Plopper that was longer than the dink! He did boat a hard-fighting 4-04 on a wacky-rigged Senko near the dock. Our total for the morning was only 11 or 12 fish, but in spite of several hours catching mostly nothing, it was a fun time for both of us, and the weather cooperated for a change. The wind rose to about 15-20 mph a couple of times, but for the most part was gentle…..and thank goodness for those clouds! The bass were all very strong in spite of being thin. Right before we left, I set the hook on a good hit next to the big stump across from the dock, only to have my line cut by whatever had hit. Dave then cast to the stump, and the same thing happened to him. The lines didn't just break, but were cut. (Are there any gar in Lakeside?) All of the dinks were harvested.

Although I'm sure it's hot there right now, the temperature when we trailered at 11:10 was only 95, a couple of degrees cooler than the Metroplex. It was 99 in Emory, and by the time I got to Greenville, it was 100. It hit 103 as I was driving into McKinney, and 104 as I exited that town on the Sam Rayburn Tollway. I burned my hands on the boat while putting it away. The temperature in Coppell was 107 when I pulled into my driveway at 2:30. Below are only the lures used that I can remember. Dave might add to this in later. It definitely was good to be fishing again.....but come on, October.....please hurry!

What worked:  Unweighted, wacky-rigged Senkos (black/blue flake, watermelon/red flake, green pumpkin);  Mister Twister Lunker Buzz II (purple skirt); #130 Whopper Plopper (shad pattern, if I remember correctly); single-spin spinnerbait, a Scum Frog Top Toad (white); vintage Rex Spoon with half of an Al Foss "Meat" trailer.

What didn't:  twin- and tandem-spin spinnerbaits, deep grass drop shot (as per Donald Harper on TFF); T-rigged Senko; T-rigged Hoo Daddy Jr (watermelon); Jitterbug (black); punch-rigged creature bait and skirt (black/blue flake); T-rigged, 9,5" lizard (green pumpkin/chartreuse).

Here's "Skinny" - More than 16" long, but weighed only 2.0 pounds.

ADDED:  I forgot to mention that I pulled up a nice baitcasting rod and reel from the bottom just west of the dock. If any member has lost one there, contact me (214-454-5099) and describe it, and I'll see that you get it back.