Andy C

Do those rage tail baits float or sink?

What is your preferred plastic when fishing a carolina rig? I usually throw 7 and 10 inch worms and some 7 inch lizards. I will be mostly fishing deep water structure 20-30 feet in clear water.

LC pointer in 78 and 110 is hard to beat. I am sure the megabass is awesome, but I am not going to buy one unless I hit the lottery. Swithwick rogues-Awesome baits anywhere I have ever been. I fish floaters and suspending baits. I still throw some original rapalas that I have modified.

Didn't mean to rub it in ;D Love fishing in muddy water in the summer, hate it when water temps are 44 degrees.

Just after ice out, water temps were rising quickly to around 48 degrees. The bite was on once the water reached 45 or so. Water was clear and low. Fish were shallow near channel swings in as little as 3 feet of water, and I was catching them on jerkbaits and jigs. Since that we have had multiple cold fronts come through about every three days that were accompanied by heavy rainfall. All of my productive spots are muddy and cold. I have always had trouble when water temps are falling. Should I move back to clearer water on the main lake or just crank rattletraps or drag jigs in the muddy water? I appreciate the hep fellas.

None of those fish are from kinkaid, I chase a lot of river smallmouth over in Missouri in my free time. Can't wait until they get a little bigger and more numerous in Kinkaid.

Check out huzzah creek if you are looking to do some small stream wading. Lots of good water in the area around huzzah valley.

Here are some pics. I fish for everything that swims BTW. Personal best LMB from about 5 years ago. 8lbs 3oz Lots of little small lakes in SO IL that produce fish like this with some regularity. I love smallies above all else!

or use a jig Is there a particular head design for jigs that will punch through heavy milfoil mats?

I spend a lot of time floating and fishing in Missouri for smallies, it is my favorite place to fish. I would fish tubes, zoom super flukes, spinnerbaits and topwaters. Are you going to be fishing creeks or lakes?

Thanks fellas, I will post some pics for street cred once I get to ten postings.

I should be pegging the sinker when texas rigging when punching milfoil right?

I would fish the warmest water you can find. Some fish will be shallow, shallow water coves near the main lake will fish well. My biggest fish of the year so far (7lbs even) was caught on a 8ft deep flat off of a creek channel with standing timber. Water temp was 45. Main lake/dam area was 38.

Main lake points and bluff/chunk rock banks near the main lake. They should be moving onto the pea gravel banks about the second week of march to spawn. Fish suspending jerkbaits, grubs, Jig and craws, and warts. Have fun.

Zoom superflukes and yum crawbugs, rage tail craws. Smallies aren't exactly picking a lot of times.

Is the water stained or clear? Mostly mud/muck bottom? I would be targeting the isolated stumps and timber once the water warms into the high 40's and 50's. Most bass will choose a hard structure like a boulder/stump to spawn near.

I usually find the warmest water near the lakes inlets, unless there is a cold front which cools that shallowest water first. Wind driven coves and warm incoming water sources are the first places that I target. Look for areas with deep water nearby early in the spring.

Great forum! Looks like there are some real knowledgeable people on this forum. Looking forward to everything I am going to learn here.