Bob Kavanaugh

I don't think a weight that small would make it any harder to keep on top of weeds. Probably just enough weight to make it easier to cast.

I thought college fishing teams were more of a club. I don't think there's any money available for scolarships, or much else for that matter. I could be way off though. Have you watched any of the tourneys on Fox Sports ?

Not my biggest LM, but the biggest I have a pic of. 4lb 5oz , bottom pic is my best smallie 3lb 7oz Both from Pickwick

I've got a keeper too. Just prime her with jewelry, and I'm good for whatever I want! Just "traded" a ring for a Quantum Energy PT reel and 3 BPS rods 8-)

OK, I've done lots of research on putting together a proper baitwell. It seems intimidating, trying to keep these little guys alive. I've seen a range of numbers concerning size, and the amount of times fresh water is cycled through the tank per hour, if at all... Most of the sites I've come across seem to be concerning saltwater, and that's not too helpful to me. So, I'll ask the guys here... What is your baitwell setup? I'd like to avoid some of the common pitfalls of using live bait if possible. I don't have a large boat, it's a Tracker pt170 with very little room for anything bigger than maybe a 10 gallon water cooler or so. Thanks!

Do you guys allow follow boats? ;D ;D ;D Just kidding

Yeah, were the reels at least in good shape? It's a shame that some people are like that, and give dealing over the internet a bad reputation. I've been lucky so far (knock on wood), but that's not to say it couldn't happen to anyone. BTW... I'm loving that finesse reel I bought off of you 8-)

Hey, thanks guys for the info. That Yo-Zuri looks like a great line, and it's reasonably priced. I'm going to pick up a spool of the #6 and throw it on a spinning rig I've had set aside for the fall. 8-)

War Eagle!!!!! 8-)

There have been several break ins at the ramps around Guntersville and Scottsboro. I thought it was dope heads, but one night the Scottsboro police caught 3 men red handed. Two of them were Little League (Dixie Youth) coaches!!! They had been breaking into trucks at the ramps and selling stuff on eBay. You never know who the bad guys are anymore. >

Ha! Sure I do. I'm just a rookie compared to all of you guys, and people who have fished the Tenn. River all their lives. I grew up on the Chattahoochee River in GA, and not West Point or Eufala either. I grew up fishing Oliver, Goat Rock, and Harding. The 3 lakes in between that have no fish ;D

Thanks for the help RW. My buddy made it sound like it was crazy to buy minnows, but I'd sure rather shell out a few bucks than waste my time casting for minnows. Time on the water is valuable! You're right that elictrikal sure has the summer smallie pattern down to a science! It's nice to know that any day you go out, you can catch 'em, even if the water is in the high 80's. 8-) I've also heard that dropping from 8 to 6 pound test increases the amount of strikes you get. Do you have any experience with this? I'd hate to try to fight a big smallie in the current on something that thin...

Do you use a cast net to catch minnows, or do you just buy them? A buddy of mine told me to go to the back of that harbor off the barge canal. Does that sound right?

The wind was crazy today too. I was operating the trolling motor by hand as I was getting the hook out so I wouldn't crash into the island I was fishing. This guy jumped a couple of times and really made me nervous as I got it to the boat, really tearing drag out, once heading into the trolling motor. I almost had a heart attack! I guess that's why smallies are so dang much fun... I'm going to try it again tomorrow morning before work for a few hours. Have you had any luck on top this year? I caught a pb Largemouth last month on Pickwick at night on a buzzbait, but not a single smallie bite on top for me.

Or, do you even drift? I guess what I'm asking is, what do you do below the dam? Is the area below Pickwick like it is below Wilson? All of the barely submerged boulders intimidate me. When the water drops, I'll definitely be a little timid up there...

I wasn't ready for this one on the first cast! 3-7 Pickwick Smallmouth.

Do you drift live bait or primarily artificials?

If you have big hands, the Quantum Tour PT is a stud! For a little less the Energy PT is almost as nice...

Well guys, based on those pictures, I'll be waiting to hear what you guys catch! ;D I'm really pumped up about chasing them down this fall. I didn't fish much last fall because I was new to the area, and was intimidated by the current on the river. I stayed on Wilson banging the bank without much luck, but now that I've done some homework we'll see how it goes...

Baby brush hogs in blackberry or watermelon are my go-to texas rig lures for largemouths, and the Zoom 5" finesse worm texas rigged is my fave on the river for smallies. I may try the smaller worm next tome down the creek, and maybe I'll pick up some 4" lizards too.

The only lure I take to the creek with me is the Zoom Trick worm. I fish it weightless as a topwater and twitch it across the surface. Man, they really hit it hard! I hate to give away my primo color, but pumpkinseed with the chartreuse tail is killer.

Fished a few hours, starting a little before 6am. Caught a little smallie (about a pound) on a texas rigged Zoom 5" finesse worm (Motoroil). Then I threw a little bomber and hooked up 2 more that both hit the crankbait like a tank, then ran straight at the boat and jumped a foot in the air spitting the bait before I even knew what happened. Let's just say they were more awake than me! Then I grabbed a new in line spinner I picked up at Gander Mountain when I was in Huntsville last week. 5th cast a Gar breaks my line clean. :-[ There goes 4 bucks and my only inline spinner. So, I headed up to the dam and drifted back toward the park, and with no more luck, called it a day. The water was crystal clear and 86-87 degrees on the surface. 3 more weeks until the going gets good!

Hi all, new to the forum. Been lurking a while, but I thought I'd better join before the Smallie season gets going. This place seems to be the most active fishing board, with the best info on smallies I've come across. I live just a mile from McFarland Park on Pickwicks headwaters, and I'll do my best to share as much as I learn while I'm here. Thanks all!