CJ

That's a nice fish!

Sorry Steve. I started typing and took a break for supper. I think Gracie posted that for me! LOL

I had gotten into the worst kinda funk the past few weeks. It's one a tournament fisherman doesn't want to get in. I was having some of the best practice days ever but when the day came, something had to go wrong. During two recent tournaments I had located a couple of schools of quality size bass. The current trends weren't helping much but I still would seem to find em. During the first tournament the fish did what was expected and drop down on the side of the ledge, a little bit deeper. I made a couple of cast with my XD crank and boom! A good un bit, then I call for the net. This is the part if any co-anglers are reading, my co-angler looks at me,standing still, not getting the net and ask,"is it a big one?" When a boater says'"net"...get the net! I took my eye off the fish to confirm with him and up she came and threw the lure. When this happened I knew right then this isn't my day. She had shut down the school. Two weeks later I'm walking tall into my next event. I had found two more very promising spots. Tournament day came and at takeoff my boat don't want to take off! I finally get it up on pad and figure out that if I go above 4000 rpm it feels like it is floating out. Well my fish are about 45 miles away so I spend the day staying close to the weigh in site and scrap out a small limit. At this point I was glad to be done with tournaments. Friday rolls around and I talk to my partner and he says there's a Fisher of Men tournament going on and he is on some fish! Oh what could it hurt, huh? Well we head out to find the best two spots he had weren't any secret to other angler's. Here we go again! We fished hard for 5-6 hours and he looks at me and ask,"what do you want to do?" I said I got some fish I been meaning to go by and pick up! We get there and my partner is really questioning where I've taken us. I can't say to much but, it was the same depth as we were fishing, just not near the same type areas. Well my girls were still there and we showed up at feeding time! It happened in about 15 minutes! All the squirts got kicked out of the livewell! Here's the link: http://www.fomntt.com/schedule.php?id=2416

Steve you catch some real monster! Must be why nobody went fishing with you.... : Nice fish, pic, and story!!! Way to go Big O!!!

Steve......I'm starting to think you have sold your soul to the fishing gods! LOL!!! Man y'all crushed em again! Those are all monsters but the one you're holding just looks like she could eat most of the fish I catch.....seriously! Thanks for sharing bud. Great pics and defiantly true trophies! Nice job! CJ

I had a treble hook on a 200 series Bandit go through my thumb and come out under my thumbnail while trying to unhook a small bass. I had to push the hook on through the nail to be able to cut off the barb so I could back it out. It hurt. My buddy had the worst one though during a big tournament. He got hooked in the hand while try to unhook a 3 lber on a big crankbait. Then when he reached down with the other hand to try and get the bass off, the fish jumped again and hooked the other hand. He was handcuffed with the fish still on there too. They had to kill the fish and cut it off. Then his co-angler had to drive them back in so he could go to the E.R.

That's a nice fish man!

This is just how "I" look at it: A pro is the guys who are either fishing the top level of FLW events or the BASS Elites Series. Everybody else is in the minors. It's just how I define the title of "pro". With that said, there are many great angler's and even legends who have never stepped up on the big stage.

I love it!!! Though I only skimmed the article, does anybody know how old that guy is? I didn't see an age. Another thing, doesn't the Delta normally produce larger stringers?

There's many things that this could be. First thought in my mind is that it may have been a smaller fish. If it was tap tap tap, then my guess is that it was a small fish. Probably not even getting the hook in it's mouth. A bass with any size to it usually will inhale a jig, leave you feeling only a tick and then may run with it or a big fish may just sit down on it. Then there is the reasons a fish may have short struck it. Sometimes a neutral or negative feeding mood of a bass will only draw a short reaction bite not allowing the best of jig fisherman enough time to get a good hookset. Normally with a jig, if you get a bite, you probably have the color and weight of the jig suitable for the fish. The most important feature of a jig is it's hook. Make sure you have a super sharp hook on it. Trimming the weed guard, as fishfor$ mentioned is a good idea to help. Don't remove from the length, remove the whole strands by clipping them off near flush with the jighead. Don't give up. Jig's will catch fish and big ones at that. Just learn that most of the time you will need to be quicker than you would be with a t-rig. I really believe by what you posted about getting bit twice off the same tree, it was probably a smaller more aggressive fish that was only getting the trailer in it's mouth. I think for people who are just learning to fish jig's, given if they are fishing within 10 ft. of water, to start out with smaller finesse jigs. You'll get more bites and fish may hold on to them a little bit longer.

What Catt says is true yet, if the water appears stained on the surface it's not gonna be real clear down deep. First you need to throw something they can see so stay with what colors work best for you in stained water. Just as important as seeing, the bass need to be able to feel what your throwing. I would start out with a heavy spinnerbait. It would be up to the fish what blade combination and what color but make sure you are getting it down to them. Let the lure hit the bottom before you start a slow retrieve and of course, try to find that special presentation. My second choice especially if you don't have any current involved would be a heavy jig with rattles. A 3/4-1 oz. jig would be what I would start with. The heavy head is as important as anything. The heavier the head the more vibration you'll make when it hits the bottom, drags the bottom, and deflects off cover. I also recommend a football head. A bullet head may clear cover more cleanly yet it makes less vibration. A football head will hit broadside causing more vibration and hopefully alerting more bass. A crankbait would be my next thought basically using the same concepts. A heavy chatterbait has also produce around here when the water appears stained or muddy while fishing deep. Keep in mind your presentation may be as important as your lure. You may find fishing uphill on the structure to give you better results, for example. I really feel noise and vibration are very important when the water has low visibility. A bass feeds by sight but sometimes you have to give them a reason to look.

That is a monster!

$H!T happens bud. My condolences go out to you for your loss. She'll be alright and you two will dance another day.

There's a lot of things I could wish for but I never dreamed of a short 4 hour trip to the lake could have been so great! My best fishing buddy/son, Gavin and I got out for just a short while here lately and man was it on! We started out where I left off, ended, and will start back.....DEEP! We caught over 20 keeper fish and had to leave some still biting. Gavin is still learning to fish deep cranks but he is coming around real well. He just needs a little longer arms for some longer cast and he'll be just fine. ;D You know, there's something special there when you get to crush em' with your best bud! I think we both left our hearts on that ledge. I'll admit I caught the toad Gavin is holding in the pic. Sure wish he would have though. He isn't a great photographer but excellent at holding a big fish. He did catch several fish himself! CJ

That is some beautiful country bizz. Nice fish too! Thanks for sharing! CJ

A ledge is just what it is, a drop off, breakline, whatever you want to call it. It's a structure that bass will relate to especially in the summer months. There is some good info under the "Fishing Deep Thread" in this forum from just a couple days ago. http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1276099393

You are a freak Steve!!! Looks like Whoosh was on!!! Again, those are some amazing catches! Keep em coming bud and thanks for sharing. CJ

Sounds deep enough. LOL

It was a spinnerbait RW. Kinda cool though. It was a day something had to be figured out. My partner and I were on a hot bite before this tournament back in 2007. The day of the tournament came around and our pattern was gone. We were catching fish in 5-6 ft. of water around grass. The day of the tournament came around and the lake rose a foot and it got cloudy. After not catching anything but shorts, I moved the boat up. Where we were catching fish was deeper so I put the boat back in the same depth on that spot. Then started slow rolling the spinnerbait on the bottom instead of fishing it high in the column. It saved us. The next day the sun came out and we went back to the original presentation and whacked em. A lot of times we miss the fish just by one little detail. We know so many ways to catch them it's just we have to learn to keep our heads on straight and not be scared to try make the adjustments. The knowledge is everywhere it's just learning to apply it. I see mention of the Eeliminator! I'm about to try it deep on a keel weight. I mentioned above about fishing for deep suspended fish around brush. I'm hoping it becomes a new tool of the trade. LOL

The rip rap point next to the lock can be great as well as the pipeline but they have been hammered time and time again. But they were great spots. The problem anymore is GPS. I love mine but it is a bitter sweet. Pirating is killing us. Secret spots are becoming fewer and far between.

Kentucky lake is a "current sensitive lake". That doesn't mean no current, no fish. It does play a role in how the fish will relate to the structure, how deep they may hold, and will effect their feeding mood. It features structure from 1-60 ft. of water though 25 ft. is as deep as I may fish. Lots of hard bottom contour with rockpiles, brushpiles, stumpbeds, old foundations, and vegetation for cover. It features every structure imaginable. Points, ledges, gravel bars, humps, roadbeds, they're all out there. When the water temps rise to around 75-78 degrees surface temp, on the average around mid May, fish start stacking up on deeper structure. They're a few really important features that a spot needs to be productive. Most important is bait. The first thing I check on my depth finder and side imaging sonar is for schools of baitfish. I also pay close attention to the average depth they're holding. Usually the bass will be within 10 ft. deeper than that depth. The type of bottom contour and structure related to where relative to the lake area would be the next factor I take into consideration. Bass may not migrate from the spawning area to the main river channel that is over a mile away in just a couple days. The ledges within the bays and at the mouths of the bays are usually more populated earlier in the summer season, this just being an example. There is usually a dominant lake area that holds more productive spots. Most all of the time I find fishing to be better on hard bottom contour. I can check for that on my sonar but I prefer dragging a jig or t-rig on the bottom. With enough experience and a sensitive rod, I can tell the actual grade of gravel or rock and occasionally sniff out a mussel bed. The type of structure usually doesn't set the pattern. I have caught fish off points, humps, and bends or horseshoes within a ledge all in the same day. Though when water is being generated there has been times I have found points that were pointing into the current to be key, that kinda falls under fish positioning to structure. One of the things that usually is key to a deep pattern is the type of cover and it's position to the structure. Rockpiles on top of a ledge have been great for me while current is present or during the time frame fish are feeding. Algae forms on these larger rocks which attracts baitfish. Brushpiles, stumpbeds, and vegetation always hold some fish but I find them to be more productive on sunny, hot days on up in the summer when less current is present. Fish will position themselves at different depths and differently to said structure. Sky clarity, the depth the bait is holding, and current all play a part as to where a bass may be on any given day. Though I don't believe anything is set in stone as to cloudy days, we may find a majority of the bass to either be belly down on the bottom or out in deeper water below the schools of bait, there will be a dominant position the bass are relating to. Current is a element that does cause fish to position themselves on a said structure. Current stimulates baitfish causing them to relate to a structure and not be suspended out in a deep channel. This brings the bass up on top or the shallow part of a ledge and put them in a positive feeding mood. This is when I position my boat out in the deep water and throw to the shallow. The lack of current often causes the bass drop down off to the side of a ledge or even all the way down to the bottom of the channel depending on the depth of that channel. I may position my boat on top of the ledge and throw deep then but it really depends on what and how slow I am fishing. This is when I usually have more productive days fishing brush, stumps, or submerged grass. Though there usually will be time frames during that day the bass will become more active but some of those are short lived. The bass also may move out deeper and become suspended in deeper water. These bass can be a waste of time attempting to catch. The main lures I use for fishing deep on Ky. Lake are 3/8-3/4 oz. jig-n-trailer, 10-14 in. t-rigged worms, deep diving crankbaits, 3/4-1 1/4 oz. spinnerbaits, c-rig, and shakeyhead finesse worms. I usually go with black and blue or green pumpkin jigs with a trailer to match. One of my favorite presentations is simply a slow dragging on the bottom. Giving it a pause of sometimes a few seconds in between drags. Obviously I fish this way only when bass are on the bottom. The other presentation is stroking. The bass may be on top of the ledge in a frenzy chasing the bait up in the water column or just suspended slighty off the bottom being inactive. This presentation will either attract a frenzied bass or even get a reaction strike from a fish in a negative feeding mood. I actually use the same presentation with a t-rigged worm. Though the fish seem to prefer the profile a little better at times. I also prefer it when I'm fishing brush or vegetation. It seems to be more suitable for these types cover tan the bulkier jig. Deep crankbaits may be the fastest and easiest way to locate and catch big fish on ledges. Though I prefer the fish to be feeding, they'll also draw a reaction bite when there are not. Fine tuning needs to be done to figure out what may work best. You may need to be throwing a 20 ft. diver in 10 ft. of water to get the attention it needs for example. Other times you may need to only clip the top of grass or brush to find that one thing that works best. Heavy spinnerbaits kind of fall in the same class as do the crankbaits but they are a more weedless lure. They also are more versatile than crankbaits. At times, bass may suspend up and around brushpiles in deep summer haunts. When fish may be holding 16 ft. deep in 20 ft. of water, around brush this seems to be my go to bait. Again, they draw both feeding and reaction strikes. When all else fails a shakeyhead finesse worm can turn a bad day good. Again I fish it in all water columns with all the basic presentations. I have caught some nice fish swimming it like a grub on days nothing else seemed to work.

I want to start a thread on fishing deep. Different fisheries usually have techniques that are more suitable for the structures and elements that make up for what may be best for bodies of water across the map. I live near Kentucky Lake which is on the Tennessee chain of lakes. I know others that are great anglers live on other lakes and rivers that have different features causing our techniques to differ. Types of structure and cover, techniques, lures, boat positioning, and the fish's position relative to structure are some of the things an angler has to take into consideration when attempting to locate bass in their summer haunts. Other elements like weather, water clarity, and current play a big role as well. I am hoping to get members who fish these different types reservoirs whether you throw big worms around standing timber, swim baits on the points of deep clear lakes or drop shot 60 ft. deep for spots, etc.,to chime in and share some of the keys that unlock their patterns for fishing deep.

My favorite lure is a black short arm spinnerbait with a black colorado blade. Dark colored jigs and big worms work great here too. I would say I fish shallower at night but near daytime spots. An important thing for me at night is sound and vibration. I use heavier jigs and worm weights. I always stay in contact with the bottom with spinnerbaits.

Way to go Dad!!! Way to go Ashlyn!!!!! Passing on the tradition is so important. Teaching our kids the techniques and the respect of fishing is more than a trophy itself. Great job Matt! You're proud and Ashlyn is proud. That's a win win!!! Awesome!!!!

I share the same disorder though I fish during the day more, my mind and heart are on the water right now. The fish are done spawning and out deep. I'm anxious for the next school of bigguns' to come and get it!