roadwarrior

"A Biggun" 1. Most of the fish you catch when you are by yourself 2. All of the fish that break your line or get away... syn. "About 8 or 9 lb bass" that weigh 3 or 4 lbs

That's an excellent post. Everyone should try to find some clear water and observe the action of their lures. It's a real eye-opener. I attribute much of my success with the Fat Ika to observing it in action. When you see them working for yourself, you gain an understanding of why slow presentations are so successful.

Welcome aboard!

justfishin, Man, you'll like this story: Every trip starts out anchoring just ouside a creekmouth immediately across the river from the launch ramp. This spot is pretty close to the dam and the water is swift. It usally takes about ten minutes just to get situated just right. We cast straight out into the middle of the river as far as we can and then let out another 50-75 yards of line. The current brings the bait back into the bank and over an extended, submerged ridge. I have been fishing this spot for six years and have never caught a smallmouth! Then why keep trying? Well, years ago, before I knew my partner, he set-up on this spot and caught seven smallmouth one morning with a combined weight of just over 45 lbs! So when you mentioned "stacking up" I kinda know what you mean. Im still waiting to duplicate that day.

BANG, David Hayes has been a solid guy his whole life and has maintained claim to the record for 52 years. Facts and gossip have been thoroughly reviewed. Bassmaster Magazine investigated every aspect of this controversy and then the IGFA dug into it even more deeply. They are satisfied with the documentation and so am I. (It doesn't hurt his case either that David Hayes has the actual fish!)

For me, gill hook = harvest.

Although our water on the Tennessee River never gets that cold, water readings in the mid-forties to the mid-fifties is prime time. I am NOT convinced it has anything to do with water temperature, I think it's about the hours of daylight. Our fish begin to spawn, every year, in late February, regardless of the water temperature. Last year the water was especially warm throughout the winter, never dropping below fifty degrees, but our spawn was not early. As far as I can tell, water temperature has no impact on the smallmouth spawn on the Tennessee River.

I wish I could tell a different story, it would sound better if we were more successful with artificials. I sincerely believe that bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, are the same throughout the country. If that is in fact true, it makes NO sense what-so-ever than we would have such a dictomy here verses anywhere else- I know that is illogical. So, I have no answer, I'm just telling you about my experience.

Mark44, I suppose there are days like that, but I have never had one! :

Welcome aboard! Here's what you need. It's a Flambeau Bazuka Rod Tube: http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0011837010576a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=bazooka&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=bazooka&noImage=0

Welcome aboard! Yo-Zuri Hybrid Ultra Soft #12 (19.5 lb test). In use, this line has virtually no memory. The line is a bonded nylon/ fluorocarbon copolymer. It is highly abrassive resistant, impervious to water and UV light and it floats! No special knot is required. I have never been broken off by a fish using this line.

Here in the Mid-South it appears spring may have arrived, the last two weeks or so was winter! Crocus, daffodils and tulip poplars all popped today! The birds are frisky and singing up a storm. All in nature seems fresh and renewed. Clear skies and a light breeze, temperatures in the low 70's and no humidity. I love it this time of year!

Welcome aboard! So...How big was it?

Welcome aboard! I had to move this to another section for you. I am sure you will get many replies. BTW, I don't fish braid either.

bighead, Great post! Your description of your outing reads like "A Day On The Lake" from Bassmaster Magazine. I guess you need to try more tackle! : Really, nice report, it's too bad things didn't go your way.

ABA, I have read the comment that "line size is not important to smallmouth" in a number of articles and various piblications. So, I am NOT agruing with you specifically, it must be true on some waters around the country, but that has NOT been my experience with live bait and soft plastics. I have no issue with line size or visibility with "reaction" lures, but very specific line diameters have been critical for me and my fishing partners a number of times in both clear and stained water. I am SO CONVINCED, I no longer experiment. I fish line diameters of .010" and less.

"Selected items" are on sale. For example LC Pointers are 2 for $22, but they RAISED the price on Slender Pointers to $19.

Too cool. Congratulations on a great outing!

Get a practice lure or just use a weight and go outside to practice casting. It doesn't matter if it's cold or not. Whether it's ten minutes or an hour, it's time well spent! 8-)

Woo-Hoo! Yep, that's what it's all about.

As usual, I'm in complete agreement with Bud. If it were convienent, like a trip to BPS for me, I would exchange the lure. Otherwise, fish it. The "beauty" of LC lures is mostly for fishermen. The action and general appearance will not be effected and that's what catches fish.

The biggest fish I have ever caught in freshwater was in water more than 300' deep! I was fishing a LC Pointer 128 for walley at night at Bull Shoals. Now that fish happen to be a gar, but the point is, relatively shallow lures will work in VERY deep water.

Both. In early fall I fish native yellowrtail (threadfin) for smallmouth. November through early March, big store-bought shiners. For stripers I fish gizzard shad from March until the bigger yellowtail show up, then in July skipjack. Oddly, the striper are VERY particular and will NOT hit a native live bait out of season! When it's yellowtail season, gizzard shad are totally ignored. As you would expect, most bass fishermen on the Tennessee River, especially where I fish (below Pickwick Dam) throw artificials. They are not very successful. To give you a specific example, in 2005 my partner and I boated fifty-two smallmouth over 5 lbs. During that year I fished artificials at least two hours on nearly every trip. I fished artificials ONLY when we were in the middle of a good bite (prime time!) I caught quite a few smallmouth, but only two bass over 5 lbs that entire year when I was not using live bait. As a result of that experiment, I generally fish live bait on that river. To keep this in perspective, I never fish live bait for largemouth. When I travel (mostly Bull Shoals and Lake Michigan) I fish artificials ONLY for smalllmouth and do quite well. So, I'm fairly confident in my approach, lure selection and presentation when fishing artificials in general. However, I do NOT have much success on the Tennessee River.

Wow! I didn't know anything about that...Cool.

Well, I don't have any opinion because I never use snaps. I do have a couple of suggestions however: 1. I have found being persistant with a lure pays off, if it's really the right lure. Changing a profile, tweaking speed or adjusting to depth may be critical, but changing colors usually isn't. 2. You still need to check your line often and retie occasionally.