unageo09

Caught plenty of smallmouth and largemouth on Storm Wild Eye Swim Shad. They worked real well for us last year and I have at least 12 in the tackle box now. Just match the color to the local baitfish.

I like to use a single tail grub because it will attract both stripe (yellow and white bass for those of you not from these parts) and bass. We'll even use it for crappie and and you can catch a few bream too.

1. Flukes 2. Storm Wildeye Swimbait 3. war eagle spinnerbait

Usually at walmart or a local bait shop. In Alabama, they all expire on August 31st I think. It use to be a year from when you purchased them.

Sunrise over the Tennessee River last Summer.

They were having a tourney out of Florence this past weekend and I saw a lot of guys throwing spinners along the bank. I didn't land a fish, but it was enjoyable being on the water.

You want to avoid being the tallest object in an open area. A good rule of thumb is if that you can hear the thunder you can be hit by lightning. It has actually happened this summer in Alabama where a couple were swimming and they got struck with the sun shining. The storm was off in the distance.

Its been brutally hot here in Northwest Alabama for really the last month. Temps have touched a 100 just about every day. Last week the heat index hit 121 one day! I took most of June and July off, but started back last week fishing early. We caught around 15 last Thursday and around 15-20 today. We found a spot in one of the creeks and we have been able to catch them pretty good. They're not deep. Just right up on the bank.

From this morning. Another vote for the wild eye swim shad by Storm.

We were in a creek yesterday, first outing since the first of June, and were really looking for hybrid stripe but found some bass totally by accident. We noticed a lot of splashing activity right up next to the bank near a tree. We could see the bait fish jump out of the water trying to flee the attacking schooling fish. We just knew it was the hybrids. So we eased the boat a little closer and dad threw his Storm Wild Eye swim shad right into the middle of activity and pulled out a bass. We used the tree as a target and kept throwing in there catching more. We could see the activity coming down the creek right to that tree. It lasted about 45 mins and as quickly as it started it stopped. I guess we caught 15, 2 were stripe, from that spot. Water depth was 7-8 foot. I've never witnessed anything like it, but we give it another go next week. I still want a hybrid! Is this a common occurrence for bass? To chase bait fish like that in creeks this time of year?

We caught a lot of bass and white bass (better known as stripe in these parts) on the Storm Wild Eye Swim Shad. http://www.***.com/descpageSWMSTORM-SWE.html#pImage

Watch for snakes!

Our 40 hp motor doesn't make all that big a wake but we always slow near people who are anchored fishing, especially catfishing. We usually try to stay 50-100 yards away from someone. If we are drifting and someone is anchored, we'll just take the trolling motor and go well around them and try to make as little impact on them as possible. Fishing during the week seems to help a lot too. Less boat traffic to contend with and most of the fisherman are respectable. Had I been in the same position as you, i would have probably just motored away too to another spot and come later just to avoid confrontation.

I have a pair of Merrell hiking shoes i guess you would call them and they are really comfortable. They are also Gortex as well. The innersole molds to you foot after you get them good and broke in. I really like them.

How far east do you want to come? When you cross into Alabama on 72 and go across the double bridges over Bear Creek take the first road to the left. You'll go a short ways and take another left that will dead end on the old 72 bridge. There is a ramp there. Its not much and is very secluded. If you stay on the same road that you turn off of, go on across the railroad tracks and over the next bridge and there is a ramp there as well. You can continue though about 8-9 miles i guess to Rose Trail Campground and there is a very nice ramp there. You are on the main lake there and its just a short piece on over the river channel. Now, if you want to come farther east. Stay on 72 and just past Colbert Steam Plant, there is a ramp at Pride Landing. Ive never launched there but it looks fairly steep. There have been some break ins there as well. If you want to launch in the Shoals, then come on down to Sheffield and launch at Riverfront Park. Good ramp there. If you are night fishing then no doubt you need to launch at McFarland Park in Florence. That would be your best option. Its well lite and much safer.

I'd like Bill Dance a lot better if he would take that Tennessee hat off.

city limits and one more cast w/ shaw grigsby

What approach would you use trying to find bass in a creek this time of year. The channel is about 9-12 ft deep with probably a mud bottom. I have only been up in the creek once but i remember a couple spots with limestone bluffs. There is other natural structure in there as well. I hope the water is clear to slightly stained. Its all dependent on how much rain we get this evening and tonight.

Oil has washed ashore at Gulf Shores, Alabama on the beach. Also, tar balls have been spotted in Mobile Bay. They have issued a warning for people to stay out of the coastal waters and Governor Riley said he would close the beaches when the oil became a health problem.

We've had really good luck on those baits this year as well.

You have to be watchful for lighting this time of year with those pop up afternoon storms. General rule of thumb is if you can hear the thunder you can be hit by lightning. However, there are some cases when lightning shoots a great distance out of the anvil of the storm some 20-30 miles away. You already have a couple strikes against you being in water and the tallest object in a open area.

I like the War Eagle Spinnerbaits. This is the color i have been using. http://www.wareaglelures.com/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=32

My dad hung a gar the other day on a storm swim shad. It snapped his line. He never really had a chance, but that was sure one heck of a splash when it nailed that bait.

We fish on Thursdays. Boat traffic is not all that bad then.

I have seen people fishing in the stream that flowing between Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Have also seen the fishing from the Sugarland Visitor Center around to Cades Cove where you can get down to the water.