roadwarrior

Welcome aboard! I suggest focusing on lake points. This is the predominant structure that bass will key on, especially if your lake lacks natural cover (vegetation). Fishing for suspending bass is what I would consider an advanced technique that is not often productive. Your time and effort is better spent working baits and lures on areas that generally attract baitfish and predators: steeply sloped points surrounded by deeper water. Spend some time in the BassResource Library, especially the beginners section. There is a lot to learn and this is the best place to start. Once you have an overview, ask anything you like on the board, our members are very helpful. Good luck.

Thank you Jim. That's quite a piece from a professional perspective. Is the testing done throughout the state of Arkansas or just selected lakes? I spend some time at Bull Shoals and although I have had some success on the lake, it has been very spotty. One trip was three days of non-stop action, the next three trips we hardly got a bite and I was fishing with the one of the most experienced guides in the area. From a non-professional, outsiders view, that lake has fundamental issues that have not been addressed. I have always been curious as to what constitutes the "base" of the food chain at Bull Shoals. There is no vegetation, at least where I fish in the lower portion of the lake, within thirty-five miles of the dam. In 2002, we had the "big" weekend. We released well over 100 smallmouth, 2-3 lbs. The recruitment in 2002 is said to have approached 95% due to timely flooding. Theoretically that resevior should have an abundant supply of 4-5 lb smallmouth and zillions of 2-3 lb bass. The story I hear does not support that, in facr it seems that smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing has declined signigficantly. The guides, on their own time, focus on walley and striper. With clients the focus seems to be whitebass and Kentucky bass, or anything that will bite! So, back on topic, either too many fish are being taken, C & R isn't working or there is a more fundamental problem. Your thoughts?

My partner owns a masonary company and his boys really appreciate fresh fish. We keep big cooler just for fish in the boat and usually fill it up. No...we don't keep our pet smallmouth-NEVER! But, we catch a lot of catfish, and white bass. There is no limit on catfish and it's fifteen a man for white bass. If we accidently kill a largemouth or Kentucky, we'll keep them too. Buffalo are a prize to our guys and they are fun to catch. We're just making more room for our brown fish to grow bigger and stronger. I wish we could find someone who wanted the drum and gar, I wouldn't mind taking a few thousand of them out of the river. So, I practice C & R on selected species, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with keeping a legal limit, except smallmouth of course.

During the months that I focus on smallmouth, we probably catch two spots for every smallie, three white bass and largemouth one to one. I haven't noticed any particular variation in these relative proportions over the past several years. What is noticable is an increased percentage of catfish and drum. Commercial fishing has disappeared from the Tennessee River because of the competition from farm raised catfish. Generally, that's probably a good thing for most species, but the catfish are annoying.

LBH, Man, what are you doing that I'm not? I fish soft plastics a lot, I mean most of the time if I'm fishing artificial lures. My "bags" are just five 6" baits and I haven't gone through five bags this year! If I include ALL soft plastics, I'm sure I haven't used fifty baits in 2006.

Bud, You know I feel the same way, but I don't mind backing off a little and spending some time on this experiment. Something I can tell you for sure is that I'm going to fish these other baits HARD. My mindset is to demonstrate that LBH is correct and Brent's baits are just as good as the GYCB Senko. The test period is what I consider to be the very best time of year to fish soft plastics. I can assure you and everyone else on the forum, I'll make a good faith effort and report the results however the cards fall.

The bigger bass will be below the school. Heavy (1/2- 1 oz ) spoons might be an option.

Wow! You Kansas boys need to come down here on a vacation.

Just another Cali Bass, but man, what a fish!

#1 GYCB Fat Ika #2 6" Senko #3 Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo tube I'm fishing structure. This is the very best time of year to fish soft plastics.

Well, I voted "yes", but I probably was thinking of something else... If it was a green fish, I probably would not go through all the trouble involved, but I might. Now, if it's a brown fish, then that's another story. Technically, an 11 lb 15 1/2 oz smallmouth would become the Tennessee State Record. The current record is the World Record, 11 lb 15 oz. To be recognized by the IFGA, a new WR must weigh 2 oz more than the current record. So, for example, although 12 lb would be a State Record and the largest smallmouth ever caught, it would NOT be recognized as the WR. Does that make any sense? When I catch that bass, we're going to have a fight!

We'll see. I fish some ponds that are very productive and this is the very best time of year to fish soft plastics. One fisherman's experiment doesn't qualify as being very scientific, but it should be interesting none the less. I admit to being a die hard GYCB fan, but I will not be throwing one at all for the next ten weks or so.

Actually, they are tasty! Here is a revelation which I suspect will surprise any Senko aficionado: I never fish the bait "wacky". Nope, never.

Fresh Senkos rarely fly off a T-rig, especially if you fish spinning tackle. When the top tears, I bite it off and fish a 5 3/4" bait. Although you sometimes lose the Senko after just one fish, I think the average is something closer to three. On rare occasion, I can fish the same bait for most of an outing, 8- 10 bass is possible. Also, if the bait is not torn up in the middle, I'll bite off the narrow end and continue fishing. They work just fine this way, too.

And get yourself a rubber net!

I know it's too cold to stay out all day in Michigan, but here in Tennessee the best smallmouth fishing is October through February. We don't fish much in December because of the weather, it gets cold here then, too. Some days are too cold in January and February, but we can fish most days.

Needemp, In a river, smallmouth will suspend near anything that creates a current break. Those fish I target. In a lake, Kentucky bass will often suspend at the thermocline on structure that attracts baitfish. Those bass can be caught with a vertical presentation. The bass that are so hard to catch are largemouth suspending in deep water. As has already been noted, these fish just "live there". They have no interest in feeding. Still, if you can put a lure or bait right on their nose, sometimes you can get a strike. Specifically, in one of my ponds I have tremendous success along a ledge. The bass stage there and occasionally come in to hunt bluegill and other baitfish on the shallow ledge. I fish deep, off the drop and cast parallel to this structure. Even though the bass may not be active, they often strike. This, I believe, is why I am able to catch big bass during the middle of the day.

LBH. No, money does not grow on trees. Yes, I will fish your bait the rest of the summer. If your are offering Yum Dingers or any other specific brand that is readily available, I'll pick them up myself. If you are using someone's hand pour, I guess you'll need to send them. This will be interesting. I will fish what ever you recommend EXCLUSIVELY for largemouth bass from now until the end of September and report results. Gosh, maybe even a picture. You da man. Great idea...Game on! Two qualifiers: #1 I will fish these baits to prove you are RIGHT, not wrong. I will fish these baits exactly the way I would fish a Senko or I will fish them any way you recommend. #2 I will fish the colors you select or the same basic colors I always fish, you make that call. The point is that I don't want to change any other variable, just the lure. If you have some other ideas to make this more like a "blind" test, I'm up for that, too. BTW, The hot, bluebird days of summer have always produced my best largemouth bass. This is the best time of year to try this little experiment.

Russ, You have been MIA. I told you I would NOT do this again...Oh well... I like your camera and I was never questioning your suggestions or sincerity. I just wish you were fishing the "right bait" so you could show us more tape and bigger bass... Here is a simple formula for calculating the cost or value of your bait: $1.00 for any bass caught $100.00 for bass over 5 lbs $1000.00 for bass over 10 lbs Now, add up the dollar value of the number of bass caught, adjusting for the value assigned to size. Then subtract the cost of your baits from the total sum. Using this formula, you too will become a GYCB fan.

#1 Quit fishing that "spot". What's that about anyhow? I NEVER fish "spots" that don't produce quality bass. #2 Start fishing a tube, T-Rigged and deeper. I guarantee you won't keep catching a bunch of dinks, you may not catch anything at all; but if you do, they will be better fish. If you don't, stick with the lure and move on. Tubes are my #1 summertime bait. It's not about where I live and fish, tubes catch bass everywhere, period!

ITT XPoints. These are the lightess, strongest and sharpest hooks made. Although there might be a couple of considerations for a slight adjustment in hook size to have the "perfect" size for a Senko/ knockoff, a 4/0 EWG generally fits the bill.

That's not funny. You can keep a bass in an aquarium, they just don't seem to do well after a while. I know several guys that have bass, but they don't have the color you expect in a natural environment.

Unless you have the money, experience and scientific expertise of Cabela's, BPS or a state funded fishery, bass don't do very well in an aquarium.

No, no, no. Everyone's entitled to their opinion, even when they're wrong! I told LBH that I would NEVER get into this debate again, but heck, it's just too much fun... I'm sure the knockoffs catch lots of fish, but I have had too much success with GYCB products to switch. I fish a few other soft plastics: Slug-Go, Roboworms, Micro Munch Tackle El Gordo tubes and Mizmo tubes. So there! BTW, Brad_Coovert, That was a clever reply...

The last time I talked with Bill Dance I showed him some pictures and asked him if he would like to go smallmouth fishing on the river this fall. He said, "Sure".