Though we chased for an hour or so, we never found one that fully erupted and provided the topwater action we wanted. While that was disappointing, it was still early in the morning and there was plenty of time to switch our fishing gears.

As my friends worked their way east along the rocky shoreline, I turned my attention to smallmouth and largemouth bass and began working my way to the west.

Somewhere in my bass education, I came across a piece of advice that helped this former trout-only angler learn how to catch bass. Simply stated, that advice said to find bass one has to look for something different in the habitat, something that sticks out from the rest. That could be a rock formation, a drop-off, a point, flooded brush, the shade of a tree or a combination of these things.

Admittedly, I still have a long way to go as a bass angler, but that bit of guidance has proven itself time after time.