Tim Ford

Sounds like Tims Ford Lake. This time of year, my most productive areas for post spawn large mouths is off main lake points and ledges that lead into shallower spawning areas. I try to match the shad patterns. Usually I'm fishing in 10-20 feet of water. I like to get there right at sunrise, and fish until about 10 am. It is almost impossible to fish on Tims Ford during the mid-day in these areas because of all the pleasure boaters, jet skis, and wake boarders. I'm always fishing on the side of the lake with the most wind or current. I hit the ledge on all angles, and be very patient with each one, because they turn on and turn off like a switch, but when you find the right spot, and right approach angle you can have some magical days this time of year.

Here's the final product: I'm happy with the way it looks except for the cheap boat decals. I'm going to search for some authentic Triton Boat decals on the internet. They didn't wire the trailer correctly either. They used the wrong harness, and I had to switch out the four prong for a five prong to accommodate my trailer brakes. They also wired it wrong, and I don't know how to get the lights to work. I'll figure it out though. Not going to take it back to them.

I went to Lake Guntersville for the first time yesterday. I went with a guy that I met on an Alabama football forum. He caught 4 and I caught 5. Nearly all of the fish we caught were in the 2-4 pound range. We fished from 8 am- 1 pm. I went back this morning with my wife and kids. We got there at about 6:30 am. We fished mostly on the main river channel ledge. We were fishing with RC 2.5 DD Lucky Craft crank baits in Chartreuse Perch and White Shad colors in 12-20 feet of water. Here is the big fish of our trip. My wife always catches the big one. It's only about an hour and 15 minutes from my house. I have a feeling I'll be going there regularly from now on.

Tony Stewart

I usually Carolina rig finesse worms with a 3/8 oz sinker, 18" leader, and a 2/0 Offset Shank worm hook.

I fish a fluke weightless with a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. Hook tip through the back. 8 lb. mono line. Favorite color is Watermelon Seed. I finesse fish it with very subtle "ticks" with an occasional "jerk." I'm usually keeping the bait in the 1-3' deep range. Most importantly, I just let the bait fish itself. If you just let it do what it does, you will find it very erratic, and attractive to fish. One of my favorite baits of all time!

I have two seasons in my life: September to Mid-February: Football Season Mid-February to September: Fishing Season During Football Season I'm going to Tuscaloosa for Alabama games, or watching away games at home. I also love NFL football, and go to Titans games every chance I get. During Fishing Season, well... I'm fishing.

power pro...

My wife bought me an "Outer Banks Custom Power Stick" from a store that was going out of business. It is 6'6" Medium Heavy, and appears to be a high quality rod. It is a baitcaster rod. I am completely unfamiliar with this brand. I believe they make primarily offshore angling equipment. I would just like a little bit more info on the rod. I did a yahoo search, but didn't find much. She paid $28 for it (clearance price). Can you tell me if this is a good rod? Would it be worth it for me to put a high quality reel on it? Thanks.

Yeah, I definitely could have done most of it myself, and I guess I should have... hindsight's 20/20 :'(

> I took my boat to a boat repair shop on 4/28, and told them what I wanted done: http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1240968892 He told me it would be no problem, and it would take 2-3 weeks to complete the job. I went to check on the progress on Friday of week 2, and all they had done was stripped the boat and polished half of it. But I was understanding because the weather had been bad. I figured they were a week behind so I let that go. Then on Wednesday of week 4 I stopped by again and they had just finished putting in the carpet but nothing else was done. He assured me it would only take 2 more days to complete. I thought to myself "there is no way." I came back on Friday. The guy said it was completely done except they didn't have the decals for the cowl yet. He didn't show it to me because it was raining and in one of the outdoor garages. He said the decals would be done Monday, but I couldn't pick it up because the owner wasn't there and couldn't be there until Wednesday. I could pick it up then. I took a half day off work, because it was a beautiful day, and I couldn't even sleep Tuesday night because I was so excited about getting my boat back. I called Wednesday, and the owner said I couldn't pick it up, he hadn't even started on the electronics yet! Said he could have it done by Friday (today). So my wife called this morning and the guy said it was done except for the decals, but I could go ahead and pick it up today, and just get the decals next week. Well, I went to pick it up this afternoon, and the trailer still hadn't been touched, the front dash was broken down, the cowl was off, and neither the windshield nor the plug had been replaced. To make matters worse, nobody that work there even acknowledged that I was there, and one of the guys that worked there walks out dropping 'f' bombs with every other word. Finally the owner said, "it's coming along." Then turned his back and started talking to someone else. I walked out. Didn't say a word. I took a while to cool off, then called the owner. I told him I was not happy and it takes a lot to make me complain. I explained why I was upset and frustrated, and he said, "Now you wait a minute. I'm a 52-year-old man, and I'm not going to have some young man calling me and chewing my .. That ain't the way I do business, and if you want to talk to me like that, I'll leave it sitting out there and won't do nothing." I told him that I didn't think I was being disrespectful. I said age is irrelevant (I'm 28 by the way), and I was a paying customer complaining to a business owner about poor service. He told me that he didn't even know what all needed to be done to the boat, and that it will probably be next Tuesday before it is complete. God only knows how much he is going to charge me. The worst part is that I didn't get a signed estimate or work order with the price quote. He said it would be around $1500 but absolutely not more than $1800. I expect to pay at least $1800, but who knows. >

Any time I decrease the size of a lip on a crank bait, I try to maintain the same shape of the original lip by removing everything in proportion. I don't thin the lip. I think it makes it more brittle, and I believe the manufacturer probably makes the lip as thin as possible without jeopardizing the structural integrity of the material that they use. I use a Dremel to make modifications. It works great.

I could be wrong, but I've never heard of any specific differentiation between a "frog" and a "toad." I think that is just a matter of terminology (i.e. some people say buggy some say shopping cart). As for how do you fish them; it really depends on what brand you are using and under what conditions you are fishing. You can fish them weightless as a top water bait. This works well around lily pads and/or grass. You can Texas Rig them, and bounce them on the bottom or around trees. This also works very well. You can even swim them. Really, you can fish a frog any way you can fish practically any other soft plastic lure. You may want to look into special frog hooks. I recently bought a pack for the first time, but I haven't had an opportunity to try them out yet. My wife caught her personal best large mouth with a T-rigged Paca Toad Sr. on a fallen tree. Good luck.

If I had to choose 2: Sexy Chartreuse Shad and MJ Ghost Minnow.

I've never had that happen, but that's a cool story. Your jig combo looks awesome. If I were a bird, I would try to eat it too!@ ;D

Good point, I almost specified the crankbait's dive depth for that reason, but I didn't think anyone else would think about that, so I left it out.

I respect that many of you say you let the fish decide, which I would hope we all do. But that is why I worded the question the way I did. What is the FIRST color you would throw, if the fish haven't had an opportunity to accept/reject anything yet? When you get where you're going, you look around at the water, the sky, the bank etc. Then you reach into your box and you pull out a certain colored bait. Why did you choose that color?

Under what circumstances are the following colors your first color choice?: White- I rarely use white first. Muddy water and muddy bottom. Black- clear water at night Chartreuse- stained water Junebug- overcast, cloudy days, clear or slightly stained water Pumpkin- rocky bottoms, clear days Green Pumpkin- practically any other time Red- I wouldn't choose red first Also, when do you add dye to the color? I wouldn't add dye first Please provide the same info for a crank bait using these colors: White- very cloudy days, or in the evening Chartreuse- if it is raining Realistic Forage- around grass, structure, clear water. I choose this color most of the time. Fire Tiger- muddy or dark water Silver- sunny days with clear water Gold- sunny days with stained water Crawfish- rocky bottoms

Hypothetically, you are fishing for large mouth bass. You arrive at a lake that you are completely unfamiliar with. You only have your own observations and knowledge as a tool. You only have one type of bait you can use, and it must be a soft plastic worm. However, you have many color choices for your baits. Please describe the sky (i.e. overcast, clear, night, etc.), the bottom (i.e. grassy, rocky, muddy, sand, etc.), the water color (i.e. clear, stained green, tea colored, muddy, etc.), and any other factors that assist you in making your choice. Under what circumstances are the following colors your first color choice?: White- Black- Chartreuse- Junebug- Pumpkin- Green Pumpkin- Red- Also, when do you add dye to the color? Please provide the same info for a crank bait using these colors: White- Chartreuse- Realistic Forage- Fire Tiger- Silver- Gold- Crawfish- I just thought it would be interesting to hear different explanations regarding bait colors. I know I'm asking for a lot, but any additional info on this topic, beyond the specific question would be great as well.

4 lbs.

Are you talking about the x-rap shad shallow sureset? That's a tongue twister! They look sweet! I like that "albino shiner" color.

Jerkbaits and Flukes.

I'm planning a trip to Lake Guntersville in the near future. I bought a map today, and I'm overwhelmed with the size of the lake. I have watched the recent BassMaster Elite Tournament on ESPN about 5 times, and I got some great ideas for what type of structure to look for, and what types of baits to use. But they didn't show where to go. Where would be a good place to start? Thanks in advance.

I fish with crankbaits often. And though I own a lot of lipless crankbaits, I very rarely use them. Can you explain to me the pro and cons of the lip vs. lipless crankbaits? Typically the only reason I use lipless crankbaits is because they are usually heavier, so I can cast them further and cover more water. I know a lot of people love lipless crankbaits. I'm just looking for some explanation, and some tips for when to choose lipless over lipped, and vice versa. Thanks in advance.

I use a 1/8 oz bullet weight, t-rig with 4/0 EWG hook, and a rattle inside the tube.