CJ

Yep,my thoughts exactly. Just get a couple of different profiles of plastics.For example,some trick worms and some creature baits.

I'm sure it could be arranged! 8-)

My most productive days were cloudy with some wind.Pending on season,water temps,and what type of water I'm on,bass are usually more active.Alot of times what was working on clear days,works even better with some clouds.Bass may make an adjustment to how they are relating to cover or structure.They may make a short,lateral migration. On another note,switching from slow plastics,for instance,to more of a "power pattern"might be the ticket.This time of year when I got clouds,I automatically start thinking about topwaters,spinnerbaits,and crankbaits but I never forget about what has been working. May sound confusing.....just some thoughts. CJ

Just a couple of things that come to my mind are a vibration bait or spinnerbait above the grass.Wind and/or clouds will aid to these lures.You may be able to draw reaction strikes from lockjawed fish. A pegged t-rig to punch down into the grass.Bass will bury in the grass for different reasons but you mentioned sunny days and that would be reason enough.Switch up your presentations.Slow down and speed up.If there are bass in there,they're is something,someway that will catch them.Good Luck

It will be up to the tournament organizations to protect their anglers.I would think that any tournament launch that the water connect with the Tenn regulations will have an 18 in. size limit on SM.I don't know,it will be interesting to see what happens.

Rapala and Bagley's are some common favorites.Whittler makes some great custom lures as well.Check out his link in the above post!Wally G also makes some great custom crankbaits.Check em' out www.wallygbaits.com

Yeah,I bought some blanks from an on-line dealer.I haven't used them much.They may work well they may not? The reason for my hobby is to get custom colors for lure brands and models that I like.It's easier to do than you might think.I use a sanding sponge that's made for fingernails to scuff the lure I want to paint,tape off the lip,prime then paint. If you get out to some tackle shops you might find some good name brand lures for real cheap.They're usually selling them because they were an unpopular color.

Uh....NO. Are you?

It's gonna take a miracle!The Cards are pretty much out of it.We just went through the best part of the rotation and only Peneiro got a win.BTW,He was sharp after a rocky start!Hope we get him signed!

Well looks like them "Birds" been "GOT" by some Kitty Cats! ;D

Man,that river is beautiful.Nice smallies too!Must have been fun.I had to fish a "waste of freshwater" today(part of being a tournament fisherman).You are truley blessed with a river handcrafted by God!Thanks for the pics and a great post! CJ

Those stories are great!Good laugh!Thanx CJ

She said she was having a problem with her DSN server or something like that(I am totally computer stupid)the night before her tournament.Check her profile if you haven't already. Chris

Sounds like you had a good day,Bud!I'll be back up and running by the end of next week!I can't wait,It's killin' me.I'll have to try the swimming senko.Thanks for the report. CJ Okay,you got me wondering,I'm a youngin',heard the name,but who in the hell is Joe Creason?And what's the joke?

If you end up going with muratic acid make sure you read the direction.If I remember correctly it's about a 1/2 cup to 5 gal. water.

Ofcourse it hurts!Why do you think Jimmy Houston is always "kissing it and making it better"!

0-3 heavy veg:LC LV-7(vib)I haven't found a lipped crank that doesn't plow up grass,doesn't mean there ain't one 3-6 clear water:Bomber Flat A , Rapala Shad Rap 3-6 stained:BDS 3 , Bandit 200 6-12 Rapala DT14 , Bomber Fat Free Shad 12-18 Rapala DT16 , Bomber Fat Free Shad, LC D-20 Flat(it's the deepest diver I fish)

What kind of paint?You can start with a pressure washer.You may need muratic acid.

Are you seeing schools of minnows flying out of the water?Or,are you seeing individual minnows just flippin' a little? I see baitfish and shore minnows just individually flippin' along the surface all the time.Sure,they're more than one but it's not a school busting the surface sounding like someone just threw a big handful of rocks in the water. These fish are usually not being chased.I have thought maybe they are feeding themselves? Regardless,where there is bait,there are bass.If it is schooling bass,there are many good subgestions above.Active schoolers will sometimes hit anything,sometimes they won't hit much of nothing.I have had success with spookbaits,spinnerbaits,and traps.

Noticed his measurments were 22" long and 25"girth He didn't catch a WR smallie.But he did tell a WR lie!

Looks like we got a winner!

Slow rolling is exactly what it says,a slow retrieve.There are some tricks.I like bumping cover or dragging the bottom while slow rolling.Ripping and stopping help draw strikes as well. It is getting time of year for spinnerbaits on my home lake,though anytime is good as long as there is some wind.When fish start gorging themselves on shad,I like waking a spinner around grassy flats where bass are feeding actively.Waking is done by a faster retrieve and maybe lifting your rod to get the blades to put off wake right at the surface.On the right days,giving the right conditions,this technique can be killer!

Excellent post Chris! I wasn't much of a shallow cranker until I had to fish qualifying events at Smithland Pool.Shallow cranks saved are butts.Just wished I could have read this sooner.

Biologically a bass is a bass.Just as a human is a human.Does this mean all humans have the same lifestyles and habits?No!I don't believe bass do either. Across the world bass live in different underwater environments.Structural features vary on lakes,ponds,rivers,etc.Some man-made fisheries feature points,ledges,and submerged tributaries that form travel routes for bass's seasonal migration.Others may be nothing more than a "soup bowl" that slowly tapers down to level depths.Bottom compositions will vary also.Soft bottoms of mud or sand and rocky bottoms effect water clarity and vegation growth.Which brings us to cover.Vegation is proven to be a bass's preferred cover but not all bass are blessed with mats of hydrilla or pondweed.Standing timber is common but not in every lake.In some ponds a bass may have to settle for a single laydown.One thing that is a fact,all bass love cover of some kind. Current is another element that comes into play but not everywhere.Bass that live in river systems use current to their advantage when it comes to feeding time.Breakwalls and eddies form ambush points for baitfish and smaller fish that get caught up in the current.I also believe that bass that live in river systems have expanded migrational habits. Bass are also going to target the most efficient forage.Not all bodies of water have big schools of baitfish.One thing is true,a bass will eat almost anything that moves,within reason or sometimes outside of reason.However,efficiencey is key. The differences in environments have effect on bass habits.I believe they are a dominant freshwater predator that have adapted to different environments. I agree with RW,you will catch bass in any fishery on most all lures.Weather and water conditions and time of day and year factor in as well.Yet,different patterns do dominate different waters.I haven't found a bass that wouldn't eat a senko,tube,or jig either. JMO,hope it makes some sense! CJ

Yeah,I've wanted to have a pet myself.That's a cool setup you got there.What all do you do to insure the water has the right ph and whatnot?