roadwarrior

A couple of suggestions: 1. Don't fish your tackle box, focus on a couple of simple, but effective lures. I'll be specific: Chrome and blue Rat-L Trap. Fish it parallel to cover or along the bank in 5-10 ft of water. Cast it out and burn it back, nothing fancy. White/chartreuse spinnerbait, cast and retrieve, same as above. Jitterbug, black, slow retrieve. 2. Fish points only. The water where the point extends into the lake and the shoreline on either side. Then move on to the next. At some point in the day there are (almost) always fish holding on this structure. 3. A day with a guide is a great investment.

Saturday morning was cold, wet and windy. Killed 'em on a white Slug-Go, but that's what I planned to use regardless. I don't have a go-to lure for rain. I can't remember any trip where the rain itself has had any impact on the fishing. Aren't the fish already wet?

I have read many articles about fishing shiners in your neck of the woods, and I think most guys hook 'em underneath and near the tail so they can swim freely. That doesn't work in river current, they drown. I fish them hooked upward from the lower jaw through the nose, they have to be lively and this doesn't kill them. I use a circle hook, so the fish sets the hook, 95% of the time right in the jaw. You NEVER set the hook with a circle. Again, I don't know if this will work for you.

Well, if you like catching big fish and lots of 'em, you'll probably find fishing a shiner works pretty well. I can't be much help with the techniques you guys use in Florida, but Chris covered that already. I don't actually fish shiners in Tennessee or Arkansas for largemouth bass, but I use them almost exclusively on the Tennessee River targeting smallmouth. So, here's how we do it, maybe this helps: First of all, we drift the river approximately fifty yards out or far enough to cast to the bank or within five yards or so. We buy the biggest bait we can find, 3-5 inches minnows. Hook 'em up on a Gamakatsu Octopus Circle Hook #6. Attach a split shot #4 or #5 or as small as you can get away with, about two feet above the hook. Light line is important for the bite, at least around here, so I'm spooling up 4 & 6 lb test Yo-Zuri Hybrid. We use spinning tackle with a GREAT drag system. We drift parallel to the bank and cast at a 90 degree angle, straigth towards the bank. As we drift we try to click the bottom and fish at no more than a 45 degree angle to the shore, NEVER down stream. Big fish are on or around structure and ALWAYS in current. We try to fish deeper water, 5-20+ feet. Hope this helps.

Raul, Too funny. Twenty minute drive, two hour flight and another fifteen minute drive, just too funny. So, you go there often? I'm ten or fifteen minutes away.

This is all good advice for dropping water levels in general, but Kentucky Lake is a river/lake and falling water is both dramatic and immediate. More importantly, falling water indicates either a reduction or the elimination of current in the system. River fish react to this change in their environment bigtime. After the water level stabilizes, fishing improves somewhat, even without any current, but it 's still not good. If you have success, give us a post, I never have.

Man, thanks for the "A". Something I like about fishing Senkos, besides catching fish, is having a smoke. It's not easy when your throwing a Rat-L Trap! You'll probably find this odd, but I never fish Senkos with weight. If I need weight I'll use a Kut-Tail, Gitzit, lizard or jig.

Well Raul, a jig is probably the right answer, but the conditions you describe are EXACTLY the same as those facing me on the days I have caught my big bass. I know 10 lbs is not that big of a deal to you, but here in Tennessee it is! So, I would be throwing a 6" Senko. Next, a Fat Ika and then a jig with a double tailed grub trailer. If none of that works, I'm back to the Senko until I have to go home. Oh! BTW, if I'm fishing with you, I'll throw whatever you recommend!

Our stripers are river fish and concentrate at the dam. There are little stripers than infest the entire river system, but they are generally bank runners. I was really referring to lake fishing because the bait is generally schooled and concentrated at specific spots. This is NEVER the case on the river. We have baitfish throughout the system and they seem to always be on the run. We only use the depthfinder for depth, structure and temperature.

I do most of my fishing on the Tennessee River below Pickwick Dam which is technically Kentucky Lake! So I know a little bit about TVA release and the problems associated with falling water. You're not going to like the answer, but I have fought the problem many times. Go home....Sorry man, when the water starts dropping the fish stop biting. If they don't cut the water off completely, the activity will pick up a few HOURS after the water flow stabilizes.

Great thread and excellent thoughts gentlemen. I think we have all been in situatiions where everything seems perfect and we still can't get a bite. So what are we to do? I suggest we go back to fundamentals: No matter what we do, we can't catch fish if there are no fish where we are. At that point we need to rely more on our electronics. Even if you can't actually identify bass on your screen, find the bait fish. This may not solve the problem every time, but it's a step in the right direction.

It's basically a yellowish green. For some reason this color is particularly effective in clear water. If you can fish it with a jig head (traditional rig), that's what I would recommend .

In the Midsouth all the rivers have bass unless they are fed from the bottom of a reservoir, like the White River or Red River, then they have been tranformed to trout streams. The Spring River is the only natural cold water river that I am aware of in the region and smallmouth are even caught in this river (they may spawn in some of the warmer tributaries).

Good point Chris. Casting accuracy is so critical for big bass in particular, especially when you are looking for a reaction bite. Even though you won't always know it, the first cast near a big fish either results in a strike or you may scare the big girl off.

NoLuckFishin, For crankbaits, jerkbaits, topwater and spinners your Ugly Stick will work. These are basically reaction lures and the strike is usually decisive. With these lures the fish generally hook themselves and the problem fisherman sometimes have is "setting" the hook which usually means pulling it away and out of the fish's mouth. A soft rod, like an Ugly Stick diminishes the force of the set and effectively reduces this problem. Another issue with these classes of lures is the fish's tendency to throw the bait. Again the Ugly Stick is forgiving which helps reduce the tension on the line thus reducing the fish's leverage when they jump. This is the good news. The bad news is that the Ugly Stick has NO sensitivity, none, notta, zero. So, for finesse fishing or for a subtle bite, the rod is worthless! You need a different rod for soft plastics. I recommend a graphite composit, medium power, fast action.

#1 You first have to find fish. It doesn't matter how good you are or what you are using. If there are no fish where you are fishing, you're not going to be successful. There is an extensive library on this forum with many articles addressing this issue. Read them all, maybe take some notes and devote your time to more promising areas on the water you are fishing. If possible, hire a guide. If you are an inexperienced angler you'll learn more in one day fishing with a guide than anything else you can do. #2 Concentrate on getting bites. You cannot land a fish if you don't first hook up. I think I get more bites using lighter line, specifically when fishing soft plastics. My two most productive lures are Senkos and Fat Ika and I fish them on 6lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid. #3 In order to fish with lighter line you'll need a reel with a good drag system. This is far more important than the particular rod you are using. #4 Be patient and focus on your presentation, not the next thing you're going to try. For most soft plastics, slow down. Many bites occur when the bait is motionless or on the initial movement AFTER it has sat still for a moment. #5 Use fewer lures on a given day so you can get better at what you are fishing. Confidence comes when you think you know what you are doing and will generally result in catching more fish. #6 Have a plan before you go out and stick with it. Better fishermen and the pros talk about versatility, but until you're comfortable with a variety of techniques and lures, stick with what has worked for you. Get better before you get broader. #7 Have fun. Don't get discouraged, this isn't rocket science. If you stick with it you will catch fish.

I think you'll probably find almost everything works this time of year. Here's a couple more suggestionns: jerkbaits, 4" lizards, single tail grubs and Gitzits (I especially like baby diaper yellow).

tritonman, I like docks, too. I guess it's how you define deep/shallow. When I'm thinking shallow that's <5 ft, like on the bank and in the grass. For example, instead of fishing just along a grass line, I'll fish a little further out where the drop is more predominate. With docks I have my best luck around wooden pillars (as opposed to floating docks). I especially like this structure when the dock is immediately adjacent to deep water, an escape route for big fish.

I fish for big fish, so I fish deep structure the majority of the time. Unless, of course, I'm pond jumping and even then I'm generally in 5-12 feet of water.

January '04 I caught my personal best on Beaver, 37 lbs. Maybe we could hook up and hire your friend! I'm told the best striper fishing on Beaver is late fall and into January. Let me know what he thinks and maybe we can plan a trip. The best striper fishing on the Tennessee River is right now!

I generally fish the Tennessee River below Pickwick Dam, but sometimes the lake itself. The water is stained and good fishing is always dependent on current. I get over to a couple of clear lakes in Arkansas which are much prettier but the fishing isn't nearly as good. I guess my favorite lake is Bull Shoals but I really like Quachita and Beaver, too.

bassmaster, I'm saying blades do matter. I want flash in clear water and more vibration (the thumping of Colorado blades) in stained or muddy water.

Bass_junky, Those darn bass don't always follow the rules, do they? I don't actually fish bedding bass, but I try to keep track of where I think they are going and when they are on the move so I can catch a few of those big mommas before they nest. I would fish just off the flats you're talking about, in the deeper water. That's where those big girls will stage.

Skeeter6598, Exactly...Since most fishermen fish shallow water and occasionally catch a big fish, most assume that's where they live. Not so. Big fish spend most of their time suspending in or around structure in deep water that has access to even deeper water. Regarding the timing of the spawn, it's not a north south issue on a reservoir. The water near the dam is generally the deepest and the coldest. The water "up lake", which used to be "up river" is usually warmer. More importantly, lake arms that used to be feeder creeks and fields are now shallow(er) flats. So, these areas may be perfect bedding sites and prespawn bass will be coming in to prepare, post spawn bass will be leaving. All this activity generally starts earlier up lake and proceeds down. Chris answered the original question asked on this post, bass stay on or near their nest about two weeks. However, they don't all spawn at exactly the same time. So what you might consider a bedding flat may stay active for a month or more.

There is a very interesting article in this month's In-Fisherman on color and how fish see. The article is about walley and does NOT apply specifically to bass or any other species, but I think there are some parallels. Water color has a dramatic impact on color, depth and light penetration are contributing factors. Personally, I've noticed that blue and green are more effective in clear water, although most of the literature suggests natural colors. Color and flash seem more important when fishing reaction baits. Although I'm not convinced color is important with worms, I fish dark natural colors at depth regardless of water color. As far as blades go, it seems intuitive that flash would be a key in clear water (silver willow blades) whereas, vibration (Colorado blades) would be more important in stained or muddy water and at greater depth. Sound or noise must come into play, but for me it's not a factor, at least regarding soft plastics. The thinking goes that the weight clicking rocks on a Carolina rig for example, attracts fish like the clicking of a crawdad. Well, I never use any weight when fishing Senkos or Fat Ika and I catch fish in water of all clarities. Sure, I catch fish on a C-rigged lizard but that doesn't really prove anything about sound, the weight just keeps the lizard on or near the bottom.