CJ

I fish the Tennessee river chain and Table Rock a little.The number one lure and presentation I use is a finesse worm on a dropshot.This works good when they are suspended around structure.Gitzits original 3 3/4 in. tube rigged with a slide in jighead,works good on the bottom.A shakey worm rigged on the shakey worm jighead is a good one too.

I use to do the same thing.Points do have there sweet spots.One thing to take into consideration is the fish's position on the point.The positioning of the fish may determine their mood(positive,negative,or neutral)Some fish may be suspended out over the deep water next to a point,they would be neg.-neutral.If the fish are located on structure,there is a good chance they are in a positive feeding mood.There are other ways a fish could be positioned on a point when you throw weather,current,and ect. into play.But,with that said,fish may change their position in an instance.I fish points,humps,and ledges alot and what I have learned is that the fish will move up on the hump to feed.If I fish out a point for 10-20 mins.and don't get a bite I may go on to another spot,but its a good idea to go back and check it later.

Secondary points are most commonly found on creek channels that feed into the main channel.There are main lake points which I refer to as points that are formed on the main lake channel,which usually is the deeper channel running along the lake.These points will drop of into the deep water of the main channel.Secondary points are points that will form on the smaller channels that aren't as deep,these channels usually feed into the main channel at some point.Secondary points are commonly found 1/4 to 1/2 the way back of a larger bays.They may also be found close to the main lake but won't drop off into the main channel.Hope this helps. CJ

This could be a discriminating subject.I think there may be a theory on the skill levels of anglers that fish in different regions.Some regions fish deeper,some fish shallow,and some fish both.Some regions the bass are plentiful,some regions bass are more scarce.So how do you look at this?The lakes that fish both deep and shallow produce better anglers because they learn versitility?The lakes that the fish are plentiful have better anglers because they catch more fish?The lakes that the bass are more scarce have better anglers because they have to work harder to catch fish? To me I think it is up to the angler,not region or the lakes they may fish.It is more of his/her natural ability plus his/her determination to learn and be competitive with the fish.

I'm not sure that I'm going to change alot but to fine tune my presentations and try to find any of the little things that may get that strike.A couple examples,I love to drag a jig or tube in deep water.I used to use a regular jig and I am going to a football jig.I am going to try a few different colors of tubes.I think I'm going to throw a spinner in the shallows a little more in the spring.

I use model master acrylics cause they have great colors that mix well and are easy clean from my airbrush.They also hold up to my clear coats.

Painting crankbaits and other lures,building jigs,studying topos,dreaming,and I been fishing a little bit.

I fished Table Rock Thanksgiving weekend.I liked it.You will be fishing at a different time I did,but I can tell you there is a lot of baitfish(I think threadfins and yellowtail,probally other species too)If you haven't been there,there is alot of standing timber in deep water.There are alot of bluegill there and in May I would bet the bass would be feeding on them.If you are going early in May there is a chance the bass will be spawning there then.Brown jigs and smoke colored tubes were producing when I was there.There are some nice smallies and big spots there too.I went to a tackle store in Kimberling City,I wish I could remember the name of it,the people who owned it were very nice and gave us some good info to help get us started.Good Luck CJ

I can see shad at almost any depth on my graph.Usually its just a big ball.Sometimes the ball is scattered,that usually means something is feeding on them.As far as what the bass are feeding on,I need to catch a fish and look for sign unless I see surface activity.

My wife would be TJBasssmacker!LOL.I got the ol' wacker back thanks to Glenn.

It was on Outdoor Channel,the network produced it.Dean Rojas was the angler who started playing defense by pulling out in the middle of the bays.Being a local from Kentucky Lake,I don't think that was smart.There is alot and I mean alot of brushpiles that have been put out by crappie fisherman in the middle of the lake.A big worm or jig could have gotten them the big bite.As far as conceeding,it was really up to the guy who would have been fishing from the back of the boat.Another thing don't look down on Clunn for anything about that tournament.Did anybody see what Braurer did to him.Clunn hooked a keeper out of some bush and Braurer turn the trolling motor on high and took off,causing Clunn to lose his catch.I seen this incident live,although I didn't really know what had happened until I saw the show.I'm not sure about Bagley but Clunn decided not to finish against Mann Jr. with only 15 minutes left.Mann Jr. thanked him for fishing it out that long.It was a close match and the fishing was good that day,it would have only taken one bite for Mannn Jr. to win.Match fishing to me is different than a regular tournament.The pros weren't out for the prestige.They were out for the $$$.

Well I guess I should say alittle bit about the presentation.I like to bring it all the way to the surface on the retrieve and make the blade flip over on the surface then kill it for just a split second then repeat.

Spinnerbait,spinnerbait,spinnerbait,rat-l-trap,oh yeah did I mention a spinnerbait.

And his whistle got on my nerves.It's a wonder the Coast Guard didn't come to it! LOL

It was filmed on my home lake(Kentucky).It aired on The Outdoor Channel.All they are showing now is the re-runs.It was coming on Monday nights at 7:00 or 7:30 central time.I got a chance to see Clunn and Braurer on the lake thru binoculars.Braurer was fishing one of my spots,but I didn't say nothing to him,he's big!LOL!Clunn won the match between him and KVD.I'll tell you who won it all if you want me to.

Amen to that RR.

Oh yeah that float-n-fly would probally work on those bluff walls on Cherokee if its a little closer.

The float-n-fly works best off of bluff walls.The speed stop will work on windier days when there is a ripple on the water.The ripple will give you all the action you need out of the jig.Here on our lake the SM like a hair jig with a little chartuese in it.Some guides won't use a bobber stop.They use a fixed bobber so when they need to give the jig its own action it will remain at the desired depth.There are some info on the web somewhere try going to a search engine and type in float-n-fly.

The only thing to add is that our youth is the future of bassfishing.Kids have and always will look up to those in the spotlight.I feel they should atleast keep it in mind whose watching them.I also understand the stress and emotions professional fishing could have.Another thing is that Ike could be good for some of our kids.Who would you rather your kids have as a role model Ike or some rapper who's rapping about sex,drugs,and violence.I hope my children spend their prescious time on the lake trying to catch a limit and not on the street or in some crackhouse trying catch A.I.D.S.

7lb. LM.I caught it in the first tournament I ever fished.I was co-angling a BFL.4lb.13oz.SM.Caught them both this year.The same year I started using this forum and reading its articles!

Although I haven't had that much luck at it,other than what avid wrote,dropshot,tubes,and jigging spoons are suposed to work too.Are there any smallmouth where you will be fishing.Flat-sided or small crankbaits work for them.

RW hit it on the head.A couple of lures we use in the winter(mainly when we have current)is a 3 1/2 in.tube with a 1/4oz. slide in head and a Bandit 300 crankbait in a chartuese color.Smallies love chartuese!I use a smoke color tube or a green pumkin with the skirt dyed chartuese. Good Luck!

Jimmy Houston,Denny Braurer,KVD.

I have one problem with the carp on our home lake(Kentucky and Barkley).In the spring they tear up some cover in the shallows.But I catch bass all around them.I beleive the bass are the more dominant species.I heard a old-timer once say a 2lb. bass will chase a ten pound carp out of the lake.

It was the year of alot of things for me.Crankbaits in the spring,followed by the t-rig,then the tube,to the ten inch worm,then the jig,then atlast the spinnerbait.