Doc Anderson, welcome to PB and Cody is right. There are a bunch of us Texans here and you really would do us a favor by dumbing it down to somewhere just above "See Spot Run".
Although my experience is very limited compared to yours and certainly influenced by an 8 year drought, those of us with relatively small bodies of water have way too many small bass eating us out of house and home. We have a lot of previously 5+ acre ponds with, effectively, an acre or 2 of reasonably shallow water, a bluegill shortage and skinny bass. Things being what they are, the bass are still spawning. I have evidently let my drought mentality influence my posts.
A lot of us have a different experience than you on catching the >12 inch bass. If we fish over twice per year, the bass get so hook shy that we may or may not catch anything that trip. Management and maintenance of bass becomes a real character builder.
BTW, I agree about Doc Willis. I prefer professionals and PhD's who repeatedly say "We just don't know.".
BTW, what is the Tx, Mo, Wi? That's a pretty good travel area. Are your Grandkids scattered that far?
