bmadd

Good read. I appreciate it. I plan to try this out here in the next week or two. Got a couple of pointers and squad minnows that I'll try and then a few rogues that I plan to try and modify. Thanks guys.

I can vouch for the flexcoat. I'm not a builder. I fish a lot of custom cranks, especially Big M's and I have seen no problem with the flexcoat.

I really like the paca chunks. For the black and red, I would match that with a black neon chunk. For the black/blue, I actually like to use an okeechobee craw colored trailer.

Excellent Randy! Just the kind of info I was looking for. So is this possible with floating baits?

That's good stuff guys. A lot of info that I was looking for. I've been messing around with trying to get a floating rogue to suspend in my sink some. I've been cutting some pieces of solder and heat shrinking around the front and middle treble shanks. I'm surprised at how much it is taking though. Keep it coming. I plan to try these out pretty soon on some main lake areas.

I'm a die hard Tennessee fan. I stick to that team. Root for them no matter who we lose to. But I root for the SEC when it comes to bowl time. And that said, Bob Stoops hasn't been able to compete. Talk about Tebow all you want and talk about Urban Meyer. I don't care. Once again, we'll see what happens to the Big 12 in the nat'l championship.

I agree with you 5BL. Pretty convenient. Whiny kid who's dad is probably making a contribution to the athletic department.

Guys I need some help with jerkbaits for the winter and early spring. What I'm looking for are 1-the tricks you guys use to turn floaters into slow sink, or suspending. 2-Do you jerk the bait or do more of a pull? 3-After the cast, do you reel the bait down or start to work the bait? 4-Do you prefer a nose-down or a neutral position for the bait? 5-Also, do any of you throw any of the spoonbill baits like a deep down husky jerk? I have a box full of jerkbaits that I rarely use. I always reach for a crankbait instead. I really want to utilize these more. Thanks.

One of my favorite baits for when the bass get back in the buck brush here on Kentucky Lake. I use regular Boo Yah Boo in 3/8 and Baby Boo jigs in 5/16. I like green pumpkin, watermelon pumpkin, and black and blue for colors. I use a 3-4" twin tail grub as a trailer in matching colors. I'll find clumps of buck brush on banks or in the backs of bays that submerge due to the high water levels in the spring time. I'll cast out and burn it back and add pauses besides bushes or clumps of grass. In my experiences, fish will swim out of the bushes to hit that harder than a tube or plastic flipped into the middle of those same areas. I use a 7' MH or H rod with 20 lb fluorocarbon and a 6.3:1 ratio reel.

Marty (Big M) sent me a little flat bait back in the fall. Quickly became one of my favorite baits. Flat gets bit!

I think the original is still my favorite. All of them do look good though. Very nice looking shape and actions on all of your baits so far.

I really like that body shape! I like that action too. I'd definitely like to throw it for a while

Well, let's see here. Seven division championships, six conference championships, three BCS National Championship appearances (one win), and two Heisman trophies in this decade. You're right! Why would anyone want him? And in all those bowl appearances he could never beat an SEC opponent. :

My problem, if I remember right, is that it is a $150 per boat entry fee. It's not a draw trail either. The winning "captain" at the end of the year gets his dues paid for the following year in the Weekend Series. Seems like it hangs your partner out to dry :-/

Sounds good. RW- I highly recommend the Fat Free Shads in the Bill Dance Citrus Shad color. That is my top producing deep crank on Kentucky Lake. However, I do have one Big M sent me at the end of the summer that I can't wait to test out further.

Catt-- Is the action the same or similar to the regular FFS BD7? If so then those would kill just about everywhere on the TN River.

I love mine. I definitely recommend you get one.

The fish in my avatar came off of a knock off brush hog. The bigger brush hogs are my favorite carolina rig baits.

There are many, many options for you in west TN, all depending on how big you want to go. I know Beech Lake does have some tournaments. Your best bet to find info on those would be to give Beech Lake Marine a call. Also, Gibson County has a bass club you could join. Then you could step up to the tournament trails. There's the TN River Trails, Team Trails, C and O, Super Bass, American Bass Anglers, BASS Weekend Series, BFLs, etc. Many options for you here in West TN.

I saw that in the latest issue of the ABA Magazine I got. I was a co in an event last year in the Weekend Series but I think I may give this series a shot as a boater. Also Cart, the article talks a lot about the pros move from 150 to 250 HP motors.

As far as the DTs, skip the 14 and get the 16 and the 20. My main deep cranks are the Fat Free Shads BD6 and 7, the Lucky Craft Deep CB20, and some of Marty's (Big M) creations. Some more you might want to check out though are the Strike King series 5, Luhr Jensen Hot Lips, the Manns 20+, and the Poe's Competition Cedar 4400 and 4500 longreach.

I've always used a 6.3:1. Deep cranking is something I get to do a lot of on Kentucky Lake and I have yet to notice any real fatigue from using that ratio. Maybe I'm still young but I like the faster line pickup. I like being able to really dig my lure in and to also to catch up with a fish if it starts swimming towards the boat.

You know I love your citrus shad 8-) Your foiled bluegill looks good as well. Someone request white eyes or are you experimenting?

Looks good string! One question though, why go with those eyes over painted?

Ken Whiting and Boyd Duckett win another award at iCast...