CJ

LBH,that's cool stuff.Those videos made me miss fishing ledges and humps,oh well I don't got long to wait now.You would love it here on Ky.Lake.Again great work! CJ

I might be a little off here,but if you are having 70 degree days water temps should be getting into upper 50s.I would be looking at one lure for sure a Rat-L-Trap.I'm not sure what colors would work good in Alabama but if you are new to bass fishing and haven't caught many bass a Rat-L-Trap would be a good begining lure that is easy to fish and catches fish well.Just throw it and retrieve it only fast enough to feel some vibration in your rod tip.In other words a slow to medium retrieve.I would think craw colored cranks might work well down there.

Hey I understand the wife thing.I go though it alot.The better day to fish would be hard to predict,but you may consider what style you prefer to fish.Which weather matches the pattern you want to try.I like to crank the chunk rocks and sunny days seem to work better for that pattern.

Good Luck DD,go get em'!

That's a good point DD.I think the air temps probally are going to drop the temps more than anything.The melting snow and ice makes since that it would cool it off some too.I was told today that Ky lake dropped 15 degrees.Wether that is true or not I don't know.We had 3 days of extremely cold weather.Before the cold front some anglers were starting to catch fish on main lake points in about 5-10 ft. of water(staging areas).If I were to go out on Saturday I would simply return to main lake points but my first thirty minutes I would be fishing deep(on the bottom of the break and out around it)especially in the morning.I would probally also try a jerkbait out over the deep.As the day warmed up,as it is suposed to, I would probally start looking for the fish to move up on the points to warm up.I fish points this time of year that have alot or isolated chunk rock on them.Rocks have been key structure for me this time of year all the way though atleast until the water warms enough the fish go shallow. Rolo also made a good point,that if the water temps start going back up the fish may get in a more positive feeding mode. I don't know if I'm any help to you or not.The most important thing I would be observing is the water temp.I guess you know that or you wouldn't have been post ing the question.Good Luck! CJ

Avid,I liked the smell of it from day 1.

I'm not sure on your exact location but,if you fish Shelbyville or Wren Lake I would check in to some Power Bait blue fleck power worms.I think they are 7 in.As far as what kind of plastic to throw there are to many to list.I think color is going to be more of a factor.I would start by Texas rigging.

WELCOME ABOARD!

I'm not sure how the patterns unfold on your fishery,but I have good sucsess starting out with small cranks like bandits and #5 or #7 shad raps in the spring.I tend to go over to the big deep divers after the spawn when fish move back out deep.Then in the fall I go to a DLN by Norman and it is really right in between.Hope this helps,but remember this probally will vary from lake to lake.

WOW!Just looked up meanmouth on the web.Those are cool fish.I wondered why here wouldn't be a hybrid.I guess I know now,there is.I seen the Missourri state record at 5lbs. 10 oz.What a beautiful fish.I also seen it was caught on Table Rock.I got a new mission whenI go visit my Dad.

Are the little junebug crawls w/penatraters working yet?How about the Horny Toads?

DD,what lake or water system will you be fishing on Saturday?What kind of structure does it have and how deep is it?I'm not saying I have the cure for your sitiuation,but you may get some good replies if you could be more detailed about the whole sitiuation.

Bassin' is a good mag.I like Bassmasters mag to.Al Linder,Classic Patterns(although I haven't seen it in awhile),and all of Bass Saturday on ESPN are my favorite shows.Haven't read to many books,I prefer "common fish scence" over being to book smart.

I'll stay with my first answer,yes I think they will move or adjust.I have no scientific explaination.Rolo and Matt-Fly make good points.

Rolo and RW is right on.I live right by Ky. and Barkley lakes.Both species of bass are on the rise as far as quality.I saw a 22 plus lb. stringer of nothing but smallies weighed in on Ky. last March.I know of two smallies that went over 7 lbs.There have been LM caught over 10 lbs. here.The grass is coming back strong on Ky.One last thing don't forget about the big crappie here.There have been some caught that weighed over 4 lbs.

I think she's out there RW.The question is can anybody get her in the boat?As far as the DNA comparison,doesn't Dale Hollow ajoin the Cumberland?

I think it will make them change there depth a little.It sounds like the temps are close to 45 degrees.That is the line on my lake that makes them less active and usually causes them to go deeper.At 50 degrees alot of the fish on my lake,especially if it is sunny,may pull up to depths of 5 feet or less,usually a main lake point close to deep water.At 45 degrees,I usually will find them at 15 or deeper.Another thing to consider is the tempature trend.If the water temps are going down I usually have less success,If they are on the rise I usually find fish more active To answer your question I feel like it will send them deeper,but if it the temps come back up it shouldn't take long for them to go back to the staging areas.Fish move vertically more this time of year.They probally aren't far from where you found them before.

Thanks for the correction Rolo.I would still think that a smallmouth would be at its heaviest during the pre-spawn.I thought that they became more inactive during the hot months.I caught one last year during July that weighed 4lbs. 11oz. it was thin.

I have seen the picture.Another amazing thing about this catch is that it was in August!

Alright,an old school angler came to me with a crankbait that hardley had much of a paintjob left.However there was enough to see what it was.This color is suposed to be awesome in the spring on my home lake.I finally figured out how to do it.First I applied an ultra thin foil over some tooling(scales).Then I applied a waterbased clearcoat,scuffed it and used chartuese worm dye over the foil area.Then clearcoated again.Scuffed that and painted(airbrush model acrylics).Then applied epoxy top coat.The lure may not be that attractive to the fisherman,but I am very anxious to see what the fish think.The original lure was a custom made job from Iowa.I don't now who did it. CJ

Thanks Roger,I had an article or two about the record,but not one that detailed. I don't think Cali,Texas,Florida,or Mexico has a shot at this one!So Ha!LOL ;D

On July 9,1955 D.L. Hayes caught the 11 lbs. 15 oz. monster smallmouth on Dale Hollow.Alot of controversy surrounded this record and still does.Affadavits were filled out but not signed that the fish was stuffed with metal or steel objects for it to tip the scales.However the record still stands.I think this record is more contraversal than the LM record.Anybody know any details to this story?Another thing to add to this thread is where do you think the next world record smallie may come from? Dale Hollow of course is a good bet but I think the Tennessee river chain has a shot at it.

It was probally a Zoom Horny Toad or one of the other brands lure type.

Another thing the colors will bleed onto each other.

I'm not sure what kind of primer he used cause I missed the show.You might want to check into a cheap single action airbrush.They are $20 at Wal-Mart.You can use a propellant can if your not going to do alot of cranks($8).If you get an airbrush you can use model acrylics for paint and primer.I would subjest using an epoxy clearcoat.You can find it at Hobby Lobby if there are one of those around you.If not check www.barlowstackle.com or jansnetcraft.com.Hope this helps.