Shane J

Got some nice ones this morning on a sexy shad swim jig/ pearl Baby Craw. The fish were holding around a rocky point with a couple flooded bushes. Air temp was 25 degrees at 7:00am when I got out there, with calm breeze, and completely overcast and drizzling, turning to freezing rain, then rain.

Oh yeah! Any place with 5lb smallies is okay in my book. The only thing right now for me, is Fridays I have to work, but schedule it for whenever, and I'll see what I can do.

Fmoore, I was sold at "big smallies". Count me in on whatever everyone decides.

That's a tough one, but if it were me, I would put on a black/blue Chatterbait with a Rage Craw trailer, and cover as much water as possible, especially around flooded brush. Look at it this way. You got nowhere to go but up from here on out. You'll find 'em next time.

I figured that was you guys. It can be really tough for the small boats up there when the river is like this. I left like 20 mins after you.

Got a few nice ones today. It was like playing a video game getting up the river today with all the ice chunks floating down river, but the clouds didn't really roll in till later when the wind kicked up, but the fish were still willing to play shallow, so I got on 'em with a Sexy Shad swim jig/pearl Baby Craw, and on a keel weighted Rooster in Okeechobee Craw.

All the Rage Tails are at the top of their class. The only plastics I ever fish. To answer your question about a smallmouth bait choice, try drop shotting a Baby Craw, keel weighting a Smokin' Rooster, split shot rig an Eeliminator, stick a black/blue Chunk on the back of a black hair jig, or put a Falcon Craw colored Lobster on a football head, and find 'em in the chunk rock. There's a thousand different ways to get 'em with the Rage Tails. For my last couple of outings, the Pearl Craw on a white swim jig, and swimming the Rooster on a weighted swimbait hook has been hot.

My favorites are the Rage Lizard and the Eeliminator, but a couple years ago, I caught 10 bass in 10 casts on a Carolina rigged 7" Watermelon Red Anaconda with chart JJ's on the tail. I was sold on the C rig after that.

Fat G said it best. Those are two incredible baits. I can't get enough of the keel weighted Rooster lately. They get plenty of fish, and most of them are above average sized fish.

This is a great cause, and a great time, so if anyone thinks they might be able to join us for this event, you most definitely won't regret it, I promise. I'm going again this year, and every year, because it is an amazing feeling to do this for a vet. We really do need more boaters, so it would be great to have some of you guys there with us. Also, anyone with friends or family in that area with boats who might want to help out, please let either Ron or myself know, and we'll see what we can do to help make it happen. Thanks, guys!

Yup, they were up shallow, or right on the shore today with the high, muddy water. My two biggest came in about a foot of water on a rocky point.

Thanks, Fmoore. Pretty interesting links there.

Sort of. I was positioned out in the main river, but casting back to the rocky point (on the inside). I couldn't get into the area where the outflow is, due to boats in there.

Me too, UNH! Today I hit the river, even though it was high, muddy, and the wind was brutal. The place was like Grand Central Station today. There were 4 other boats up there, and that's mid-week! A couple boats were a bunch of old timers, that locked down prime position, and they were slaying them! One of them got a 7lb largemouth, and two 5+lb smallies were caught right before my eyes. I did okay, with 5 smallies, and 9 largemouths. Two biggest, were a 4-9, and 5-9, and I lost what would have been my new PB smallie as I tried to bring her in the boat. That sucked! All my fish today came on a keel-weighted Rage Tail Smokin Rooster in a light prototype color.

2010 Revo STX-L HS.

I hear ya, buddy. I only live 8 miles away, but when I get up there with my boat and gear, and see no smoke, it's a drag, because I know what's coming. At least now spring is almost here, and a million more options open up, even though I have a blast up there in the winter. Makes the frozen months go by quick. We'll have to hook up and hit it here sometime.

There is no way. You have to see the smoke coming from the two shorter stacks, or they aren't pulling, which means no current, and no warm water, so no baitfish, and no bass.

No, the rain aint no thang, but when they're not pulling water it is. I got nothin' today. Didn't even see any bass anywhere. Good luck.

Supposed to be nice this weekend. I'll be out there on Sunday.

Well, the weather's been up and down. One day it's 40, then the next is 20. Water temps are still in the high 30's, except for one section of the Merrimack, that ranges from around 40, to about 47 degrees. I've been using all plastics, especially on a drop shot, or jig/trailer worked very slow along channel drop offs and rocky points. For early spring recommendations, I would say jigs or tubes are winners, or go with suspending jerkbaits for river smallmouth. Also, you can't go wrong with slow rolling a spinnerbait, swim jig, or keel weighted plastic like a Smokin Rooster or Space Monkey.

Beautiful fish! Next time I'm in Florida, catching one of those is at the top of my priority list!

I'm DYING to get my bass boat out! Last year I got it out of storage the second week of March, but it probably will be another month. That sucks!

Ok, so only a few smallies, and none of them big, with biggest going about 2lbs. The largemouth were more actice, and feeding shallow, mostly on moving baits. My most productive bait was a keel weighted Rage Smokin' Rooster (in a prototype color), with the biggest at 3lbs, 9oz. 15 total bass today, even though that wind was a mofo! 10 largemouths, 5 smallmouth, 1 huge perch, and 2 pickerel for the day, but here's the biggest fish of the day.

I know it's gonna be a bit windy today, but 40 degrees?! You know where I'll be (Wednesdays off). Pics of big ole smallies to follow later, hopefully.

Yes, and for abrasion resistance. Braid and rocks don't go well together.