Shadcranker

Green pumpkin Candy 4" Prowler tube TX Rig 1/4 oz weight. I can mimmick a craw or shad with it, and fish 2-30 ft.

If the shad are spawning (usually mid April to early May), there should be a tremendous spinnerbait bite early out on the grass ledges (mouths of the major creeks wherever you find grass beds say in 5-10 ft). The first wave of post spawn fish will be gorging shad in the low light hours. After a couple of hours, move toward the bank and fish for ones around the spawn (senko, lizard, tube, trap).

1. Shaky head for 4" and 5" finesse worms (Zoom or Roboworm). 2. Foating worm fished weightless in the mid to late Spring (Zoom Trick worm in bright color)

Culprit 7.5" worm for regular worm fising and Zoom Ole Monster for ledge fishing.

I use bang Pure Craw. a friend of mine has been through the plant, and this stuff is actulaly rendered from crawfish and put in aeresol form. I thought it was a gimmick until the guy in the front of the boat caught about six to my one on a football jig on structure. It's more of a confidence thing with me now, but I wouldn't jig fish without it.

All I use are #5 and #7's with deep bill. #5 will run about 5ft on 8 lb line. #7 will run about 8ft. You need to throw them on spinning tackle. they are very light and hard to cast in the wind. We usually throw them in the Spring in fairly shallow water (2-6 ft). Great fish catcher.

Saw some at Boaters' World the other day. they look to be well made- long round rubber, hand-tied, with a good hook. Just curious if anyone has used them. Also, any hardcore jig fishermen out there, do you like round rubber over silicone? What brand of round rubber jig do you like?

I've got the Crucial DS Rod, and it is awesome. I have a Symetre on mine, but for the $$$, you can't beat that stick.

Yes. I have had a lot of success on these types of baits. the original Chatterbaits were great, but since they are now mass produced, they seem to be poor quality compared to some others, but for $4- what the heck. My personal favorite is the Gambler Swim Blade. the key to these baits iMHO is to fish them around cover. Wood and grass are best. the vibration is amazing, and the fish will come get it. I have had zero success on my home lake on it, b/c it's mostly just rock. I've had most of my success on it from early Spring through post spwan over submerged grass at Guntersville and KY lake. if you fish grass, give it a try.

Was fishing a weekend series regional at Eufaula in 06. Non-boater gets $25,000 for first prize. I end up finishing fourth and get a whopping $450 check (still qualified for the nationals). Lost a fish the second day that was easily 5/12 pounds and possibly 7 or 8. Hooked her on a chrome and blue trap. Fought her for thirty seconds or so. My partner had the net in the water, and she jumped about a foot from the net, throwing the trap back at me. I did the math at the final day weigh in,, and if I'd have had that fish instead of the 2 lbr I ended up weighing in that day, I would have won the event by around 2-3 lbs and you guessed it- $25,000. Thanks for opening up that wound with this thread :'(.

"Next on my list would be Bill Dance. I find his show entertaining and enjoy his wit and charm. I have met Bill on numerous occasions and he seems as genuine in person as he appears on his show." Don't get me wrong, I like Bill Dance as a person. I have also met him, and he is a good man, and a great fisherman. Just IMHO, his show is a joke now, b/c all he fishes is private strip pits in FL where you and I can't fish. He catches 3-7 lb fish one after another (fish see no pressure), and he has turned the show into a Booyah infomercial. If he fished public water and caught an occasional dink like the rest of us do, his show would have a lot more credibility. That said, his bloopers are hilarious. SC

Spinnerbait- Under the right conditions I can catch em on it, but day in and day out, it's just practice casting for me. If I can throw one around shallow cover, in stained water, and if the wind is blowing, in warmer water temps, I can catch a few. Other than that I do not have much confidence in them. It's weird b/c I have a ton of confidence in a buzzbait in low light conditions in warmer periods. You would think when the buzzbait bite dies, you could just pick up a spinnerbait and keep catching them. I've not found it to be the case.

Crucial, Avid on sale, or E21 Stix

Best: 1. Elite Series 2. The Bass Pros 3. Ultimate Match Fishing- was # 1 until this stupid college stuff. These guys stink! 4. Scott Martin Challenge 5. Day on the Lake Honorable mention- FLW and WGFS (Zona is hilarious) Worst: 1. Bill Dance- infomercial on private strip pits in FL that no one else can fish 2. Fishing University- infomercial and that's all 3. In Fisherman- they think Carp is a game fish. 4. Roland Martin- another infomercial 5. Bass Champs TV- the host is a complete jack_ss! Fishing action is actually pretty good. Dishonorable mention- Shaw Grigsby- acts way too goofy when he hooks a fish- "oh man is ths awesome or what ?"; Bass Edge- host squeels like a little girl when he gets one on :-* .

There are two ways for weekend anglers to make it without fishing the big tours: Fish the Federation Nation Club route and be the regional champ at the national tourney (I think 6 Federation anglers make the Classic each year). It's a one time shot. Fish the BASS / ABA Weekend Series as a boater, make the regional, make the national, and win it. Jeff Coble has won the national two out of three years, so he's going back again. Otherwise, you have to fish the BASS Opens (3 events per year), and finish I think in the top 5 in the points, then move up to the Elites the next year, and then finish in the top 30 in the points to make the Classic. The Elite Series costs around $60K per year just in entry fees, plus travle, food, gas, tackle, etc. Count on laying out $100,000 per year just to fish one year on the Elite Series. Realistically, if you want to make it as a national touring pro, you need to start with a club, prove yourself through the club ranks, making it to regionals and nationals. Fish the BFL's, weekend Series, etc. and make a name for yourself, attract sponsors along the way, and then, decide if you want to fish BASS or FLW. Then step up from the weekend series divisions to the Regional touring circuits- BASS Opens or FLW's Stren Series or FLW Series Division. It's a process, but you'd better prove yourself on the local and regional levels first. I know some darn good fishermen from my area who have tried to make it, and there are tousands of others trying to get there too. You'd better be good, b/c it is expensive, and you can dig yourself in a big hole financially if you can't make a check in the events.

You're closest to: Watts Bar- TN River Resrvoir b/w Lake Loudon in Knoxville and Chickamauga in Chattanooga. It's a typical TN River fishery with lots of drop-offs, structure fishing, and a good variety of shallow cover. Like all TVA dam controlled fisheries, it can be very current dependent (30-40 minutes) Dale Hollow- world renowned smallmouth lake and holder of the world record. deep, clear, remote. Great float n fly lake in winter, and great jerkbait lake in Spring. Night fishing can be fatastic in June and July with a hair jig. Also a good largemouth fishery in the Spring around flooded willows. (1 hr) Center Hill- similar to Dale Hollow, although the smallmouth fishing is in a down cycle. Loaded with 2-3 lb spots. deep and clear highland reservoir. (1 hr) Also, 1 hr from Knoxville (Loudon and Tellico). About 2 hrs from Nashville and Old Hickory and Percy Priest.

If you are around fish they will bite it. Just pick a bunch of high percentage spots and make a milk run. Throw a 3/4 oz and just drag it slowly down the ledge (say from 8ft down to 20). Pick channel bends, corners, and /or deep edges with cover on them (stumps or rock piles). Also, make sure and use a heavy action rod. You really have to hit em hard on a deep jig, or when she jumps, she'll spit it at you. Sometimes the deep fish can be color selective, so rig up one black n blue and one green / brown, and mix up the colors. Also, I've found that trailers can make a difference. My two favorite football trailers are a Zoom Speed Craw and a 4" Twin Tail trailer. I've also caught some on a sweet beaver trailer, but 70% of the time, I throw the Speed Craw.

Owner TwistLock 3X Weighted WG hook in 5/0. They just arrived at my BPS this morning, and I grabbed three packs. they have the screw in type spring and are keel weighted in 1/8 oz. Look really good. Brand new hook for them. www.ownerhooks.com/pages/newproducts.htm Later- SC

Based on recent history- Erie. I've talked to several folks including a guide at Pickwick, and the lake seems to be in a down-cycle for brown fish. From what I hear, the LM fishing is still good, but smallies are not playing much of a role in the tourney sacks down there anymore. There are still a lot of fish caught on both Wilson and PW beow the dams in the current when they're generating, but that's mostly live bait deal. Lakes do go in cycles, and based on everything you read and hear, Erie is way up and PW is way down. If you want to come down South, you should really look at Dale Hollow. For numbers of 3-6 lb fish it's amazing. It's very clear and can be tough, but if you hit it right, it can be phenominal (scenery is awesome too). Best times to go are Feb for floating fly, April for Jerkbait and convential day fishing, and June, around the full moon for night fishing (when the alewife are spawning). One huge advantage of Northern lakes IMHO is that not as many anglers target bass, and many of the fish are really unpressured.

Really depends on your club's rules and how serious they are. Our club is fun, fellowship, and learning based, and we have a decent level of competition, but our primary objective is to have a good time, so we all tend to be pretty easy going. I own a boat, and the things I appreciate from a non-boater: - offers to pick up a bag of ice, and asks what i'd like to drink (not mandatory, but it helps, when I have to get everything else ready on the boat) - help net fish (I help him too) - pays for some gas / oil (our club has a rule - $30, so not an issue) - does not try to cast over my shoulder (likewise, I try to position the boat where he has plenty of water to fish) - defers to my experience on the water if I'm on fish and he's not. Lot's of non-boaters say" I heard that's a good bank over there. let's give it a shot". If the non-boater has been fishing a lot lately, and is on fish, I'm happy to go to some of his spots. - Does not reveal all of the spots I've worked hard to find to every fisherman he knows. - is happy to help clean up the boat after fishing (empty trash and wipe it down). - bring a reasonably sized tackle bag that will fit into the boat's dry boxes. As far a rods go, most rod holders for passengers will hold 4-6 rods pretty easily. I'd say 6 is tops, but 4-5 is a good number most of the time. If you talk to the boater before hand, ask what you'll be doing. if he's really going to be moving fast all day, burning a trap, you probably don't need a bunch of rods. That's about it. I'd say the fact that you asked this question tells me that you will be a good non-boater. Good luck and have fun with it.

When the fish have seen about eight million traps, super spots, etc. in the early Spring on Guntersville, sometimes the Bayou Boogie is the ticket. I always have one tied on in the Spring. They're old school, and inexpensive, but they really work.

I'm thinking it will be won out on the drops. Really depends on the water / rain / current situation. If we have a drought like we did in 07, it could be tough. If we have normal weather with good current flow I would think it will be won on CB's, Jigs, Big worms off-shore on the ledges. If the lake is flooded that late, it could be a flippin bite in the bushes. I'm hoping for an offshore deal. Not too fired up about trying to flip bushes in the back of a pro's boat.

I registered for my first big-boy pro-am tourney and just got the word that I got in. Co-anglers are guaranteed two days, and if you make top 50, you get to fish day three. Should be a good time. It's on one of my two favorite lakes (Elite's aren't going back to Guntersville this yr ) Hope I draw some good pros, but I guess at that level, they all know what they're doing, eh?

I think the $160 version is a great stick for the money. They are light as a feather and seem very well made. I'm not so sure on the $250 version. It looks almost identical to the lower priced one, with a weight adding deal at the bottom. My opinion is your paying for the Boyd Duckett name on those higher priced models?? I think it's somewhat comparing apples and, you gueesed it, oranges. The Carrot Stick compares to Kistler and Powell in my mine b/c of the design type and weight. Plus e21 is somewhat of an unknown commodity at this point. The Avid is more of an old school design, with a great blank and a solid reputation for quality. As far as being savy marketers, I give e21 major props. They did something truly unique with the design and look, won a big award at ICast, and then signed the reigning world champion in Boyd Duckett to promote the product. Marketing is half the battle in consumer product sales, and they've done a heck of a job in branding the thing. I've picked them up twice, and so far I like the feel of them. That said, I'm a Powell guy for now. I just like the design, quality, and value for what you pay. I own one Avid, and I like it fine, but it's not a lot better or worse than similar rods in the same price range IMHO. In fact, again, I prefer the Powell.

I've got both. These and the Basstrix, and they are the most comparable knock-off I've seen. Size, shape, feel, color detail, etc. very close. I guess the proof will be in the action, but I can't imagine there's much difference. As far as the smell goes, the Basstrix doesn't smell that strong, but I plan on dousing them both with BANG Shad formula anyway when fishing.