fishfordollars

The black Forrest area became unfishable by mid day Sunday when the wind got up. I was very surprised how rough the lake got when we came out of the back end of Veech Bay on Sunday. Sure was glad I was in that larger boat. We had a couple of areas back in Harvey Creek that we never went back to because of the wind. It got up quick. My partner lost a good fish out at the mouth of Mud Creek late Sunday that you ought to check out next trip. Lots of good fish were moving in and out of the grass on the north side of the long point. We could see them, but they would not hit anything. Maybe in a day or two those fish will turn on. I will be back Thursday prefishing and that is where I intend to start. As for those fish on the flat(1-2'), I think the pressure moved them up there. I never saw another boat fishing those fish in the three days I was there. I wish I had spent more time trying to figure those fish out. We caught them every pass we made, but it was hit or miss. One pass it would all be non keepers and the next pass you would get a keeper fish. If I had figured out the better fish would hit the buzzbait a little earlier we might have weighed in a larger limit. It just didn't happen and that's my fault for not spending more time on the lake before the tournament.

Well it figures. I wore the paint off two jigs trying to bump up our weight, but it never happened. One jig bite in two days of fishing. The only thing that resembled any kind of consistancy was the buzzbait. We had several good fish blowup on them that we did not stick along with the ones we caught. They would not hit any kind of plastic thrown back in on top of them either. You had one shot at them and that was it. I guess third is better than nothing, but it only paid 750.00, that's a two thousand dollar difference from the first place prize of 2,750.00 plus a 400.00 rod for each member.

I had one bite on a jig(The same one I was fishing with you) at 8:20 Sunday morning. He was 5+. He twisted the jig out of his mouth 6 feet from the boat. I never put a keeper in the boat on the wacky worm. Paul that area we fished Friday where I caught the best fish was barren. I fished it twice and never got a bite. That 2' flat we found those fish on in the back of Veech Friday produced two of our better fish Sunday on a black buzzbait at 11:00am..

We went up the Attoyac on day one. We ended up with four keepers with the largest being 4.33. Water was off color and the largest fish was caught on the south end of the Deer Stand area at 2:35pm on a black buzzbait(What else). I still don't have a clue what the winners did. Everyone was very tight lipped due to the weights being so close together. There were at least 8-10 teams within two pounds or so of us.

Well we went, we fished, we came in third. I would like to say we caught a lot of fish, but we did not. Rayburn was as tough as I have seen it in a long time. Ten days of cloudy, rain, and wind, followed by two tournament days with bright, cloudless days made for tough fishing. Congratulations must go to the River City Bass Club for the win with a little over 55 pounds. We were third with 49.93. Thirteen limits weighed in over two days with 88 boats participating. Jack

Fished a tournament this last weekend in my buddy's 08 Skeeter with a 250. spent 175.00 dollars for gas and 38.00 on oil for the three days. Now I know why I run a 150 on my boat. In his defense though, I ran up and down Rayburn looking for fish.

I'm making plans to be there, but it depends entirely on my boat. If I get it through the breakend period, I will plan on going. I'm real sick of borrowing boats and I think I have worn out my welcome with a couple. Had to borrow a new Skeeter with a 250 on it to fish the TABC state tournament this weekend. Not at all sure if I would have done it if it had been mine. I have to thank my friend Chuck Sharp for allowing me the use of his fine ride.

Go south and try to find the clearest water you can. fish the main lake mouths of the pockets and the ledges if the current will allow it. Otherwise the fish tend to get very tight to cover when this happens. The creeks that are not active will be affected the least. If you go shallow you need the lure to scrape the bark going down. Pitch it right in the middle of the bush and let it sit. Slow way down. It will be a tought bite, but they can be caught. Good luck

OK guys, the ONLY time I ever use a trailer(Not talking about a trailer hook) is springtime when the water is high and very off color. I will use it occasionally then to bulk it up and move more water. Otherwise I never fish one. Please take into consideration that I have no smallmouth in the local lakes and that's another completely different set of circumstances. I will cover it when I get back.

Lately there have been a few complaining about the spinnerbait bite and the lack of. One in particular, threw his away. If you are just fishing it out of the package that's probably the problem. You need to tweak it to maximise the chance of getting bit more often. Here are a few things I do to 90% of them before I tie one on: 1. Downsize the blades...most of the spinnerbaits are packaged with over sized blades. Step them down a notch. If all the shad in the water are 1" or less it will help you. It also allows you to bring it through the water a little faster. This allows the fish less of a chance to see it as a fake. 2. If you are fishing a skirt with more than one color make sure the darker color is up top. I've yet to see anything swimming in the water that is darker on the bottom. It does not look natural. If you are fishing a skirt that is uniform with say chartruse and white mixed evenly throughout, cut the color off the bottom side of the skirt. 3.If you are fishing clear water and the fish just flash on the lure and do not take it, thin the skirt. I've seen this make a huge difference when it comes to changing the lure from a bulky to a streamlined lure that has less resistance. I have taken a 40 strand skirt and cut them down to as little as a dozen strands. Again you want it moving to keep the fish from getting a good look at it. 4. If you need to slow it down, flatten the blades. contrary to what a lot believe flattening the blade causes more resistance, not less. It will cause the blade to swing in a wider arc, slowing it down. Cup the blade to create less resistance. 5. Trim the skirt evenly. A skirt with strands uneven on the back end with several strands longer than most of the others is a major reason for short strikers. This is especially important when fishing a buzzbait. 6. I prefer a short shank trailer hook for my lures. I do not want it showing out behind the end of the skirt. These are a few things I do to my lures and it really helps increase the number of hookups I get with my spinnerbaits. It's like any other lure, you have to pay attention to detail to make it work. Good luck, now I am off to Sam Rayburn to fish the state championship. Will give a report Sunday or Monday when I return. Jack

X2

I have one that is 5:1.1 ratio. Mark a spot on the line and count it as you make a full turn on the reel handle. this will get you close.

That sucks. Lots of nice homes that will need to be stripped and redone.

X4

Sharp hooks Fluorocarbon line to cut down on stretch Rod with plenty of backbone Hookset (Are you snapping the rod or sweeping)

I fill my tank after each trip. With the ethanol issue I don't want any extra space in the tank that might allow for condensation. Being short on gas will have an effect on how or where I fish and I don't want that if I change a game plan during the day. At times I will carry extra gas with me if I know I am going to make a run. the lakes we fish are very large around here. It's not uncommon to run 20-30 miles or more to get to your fish.

X2 X3

Nice fish. A 7-12 is a great fish anywhere, reguardless what some might think or say.

I always get one and have never been sick from it.

You have got to be kidding me. Throw them in the trash!!! A buzzbait is a big bite bait. Last fall I had a 8.19 (2:15pm)and a 10.51(3:50pm) in a tournament on Fork. Long Mike netted both of them. Ask him if they catch fish.

Sniper

The higher end reels are built with closer tolerances, stronger, lighter(Sometimes) internal parts, and will outlast the cheaper reels. It might be wiser to decide if you fish often enough to justify the cost of a higher end reel.

I use them. For no other reason other than to mask the bad scents that may be on my hands. It gives me more confidence and that is a good thing.

Honestly i dont really care about the size motor i just want it to be in good shape You need to rethink that statement. The absolute worst thing you can do is buy an underpowered boat. It will not perform and you will hate it shortly.