I'm very familiar with Phantom Lake. What were you using? Did you try any Rapala Perch patterns? There are some pigs in there, just difficult to catch.

I was able to catch the perch and the bass on a silver blade black feather roostertail. Tried a silver and black rapala casting next to the pads and close to the shore, no hits. Also tried plastic worm over the pads, again no hits. I agree with you there are some pigs in there who would rather eat a live perch than anything I was throwing.

It is a common misconception that bass always live along the shoreline. After spawn many move out into deeper water, only making occational trips shallow to feed....or if the bait is deep, staying where they are at. And once deep, many times they school up. I learned my lesson on a memorable trip to Rapjohn several years back. The wind was up so I opted to a spinnerbait, methodically fishing the shoreline with only a couple dinks. With some loose line on my baitcasting reel, I turned around and rifled a cast toward the open water behind me to clear my reel. I didn't make four turns on my reel when a chunky two pounder jumped on it. I tried it again. Another bass. To make a long story short, over the next two hours I caught 26 bass, casting to the same open water cast after cast. Once 4 bass on 4 casts. Finding a grouping of open water bass can be tuff, but if I don't find them shallow, I look the opposite direction.

Great advise, Thanks.