CJHooker

Setting the hook can be a trial and error process.Nine times out of ten I'm setting it as soon as I feel a bite,ofcourse there usually is a moment of hesitation to get my slack out.Sometimes I may find that I need to set the hook really quick and I may not alow much slack to get in my line other times,when the fish are really biting and holding on I may have enough time to get the slack out.On the other hand I may need to let them take it good.Usually a big fish is going to suck up anything you are presenting and not play around with it.The smaller ones are the ones tapping and running fast with it.Another thing you mentioned about the hook you are using,this is only my opinion,I like a 3/0 worm hook with an off-set shank on a worm.Not a wide gap.Good Luck!

Cujo that's right it doesn't have to be dramatic.Some drops you need to fish the whole thing or until you find the sweet spot.The best drops have some sort of structure or cover on the top.

Sorry about your rod,but that's funny my boss caught a 46lb. blue cat using the Paca chunk as a jig trailer.Another thing is it's funny how baits that work real well will almost always attract other species.

Don't know how well the T-rig works for you but down here it works well.I usually will use up to a 1/2 ounce sinker in that deep of water.That or shorten up your leader on the C-rig.Hope this helps.Another thing I keep in mind is to always work slow atleast to start out.

NetBait's Paca Crawl is my new found friend in any of the green-pumkin colors.

You can click on a persons user name and get some info on them.Try mine.

I'm in the same boat.Can't get the crankbait bite going yet.I have been catching them on a rattle-l-trap though.Have you tried that?

Bassman,you are in my ballpark.You'll need to start out by keeping your boat in the deeper water and casting to the shallows.I always start atleast a casting distance off the ledge and work it all the way to the deep.The first presentation I try is dragging a jig on the bottom.If I don't get any bites,I will go to lifting it up off the bottom letting the line slack so that the jig will fall straight down.The fish will usually hit it on the fall.I use these same presentations with a 10 inch worm on a Texas-rig.There's alot more to fishing a ledge.It's hard to explain all the details.A good tip is to find the ledge on your depth finder by idling over it and throw out a bouy marker then zig-zag across it a couple of times to try to look for brush then throw another marker on down the ledge about 25-50 yards pending on the size of the ledge.This will help alot especially if you haven't fished it alot.Good Luck!

What are some of these crankbaits you rip?

I agree with Nick green pumkin rules on my lake.Rootbeer has been a good color crankbait!I have posted it before about a shortcut.When I usually find a good color of crankbait,soft plastic,or almost any lure,I go to the bait stores to find them sold out.It gave me the idea those were colors that must be working.So, look for those empty hangers and see if there is a tag on it that shows the color that was there then go to other shops to see if they might have that color in stock.

Oh yeah and about the heat.You may want to look at the water temp in those creeks or if their is alot of vegitation.You may have heard this before but the fish look for higher oxygen levels not for cooler temps.If they have cover or structure,food,and the right oxygen levels you could probally find them in any depth.

Sounds like you have found a good pattern.I tried some of the spring fed creeks that are cooler water temps.Haven't had as much luck as you have.When I go deep in the summer I only go to about 10- 25 ft. of water.I had 2 fish last Saturday one was 6 lb. 14 oz. and the other was 6 lb. 4 oz.off of ledges in about 15 foot of water.I wish our fish would stay shallow in the summer but the biguns' usually don't.

Sorry I didn't read the whole question.The LM was caught on a shad rap in early spring.The SM was caught on a Lucky Craft Sammy 100 in the fall.

Largemouth 7lbs. even Small mouth 3.7lb.

Gonna get my hands on that article.I've noticed a few 3-4lb. smallies weighed in at our tourneys.Most of them caught on a half ounce jig on ledges some of them caught on tubes.I'm guessing in 15-25 ft. of water.I've got a spot marked on my topo I was told had some smallies on it and it is in 20 ft.I fish a lake on your river chain as I think you know.I'll let you know how I do.Good Luck!

Its really not hard.You can by it in a bottle and just dip however much of the tail of a worm,tube,lizard,or any soft plastic down into the dye pull it out and it is dyed.I like the aresal spray myself which you just spray on.Some plastics won't dye as well as others.Spkie It is a scented dye(garlic)the fish in my lake love it most of the time.

Smallmouth seem to love my green pumpkin tubes dipped in lime.As far as largemouth somedays I do somedays I don't(just depends on how the fish are acting or the color of the sky)I've also found that the spray can is prevents alot less mess.

In my neck of the woods the 95 degree temps also bring lack of rain which means lack of current.We usually go deep on ledges and humps with a jig-n-pig,11 inch worm,or a tube.Depending on the fishes positioning we may drag it,bounce it off the bottom or do what we call stroke it(which means to make it jump off the bottom).I usually look anywhere from 10-25 ft. of water.Baitfish plays a big role also.

I know how some of you guys feel.I fished from banks from before I could remember until 3 years ago I bought a 14 ft. johnboat.The one thing I can say about wading small rivers,getting chiggers trying to get to that one small opening in a pond to hang in some tree,or running down the bank to keep up with a big un' and get her in is I had prepared myself in certain ways for taking on the big water by boat.I learned how to place my texas rigged worm right where I wanted it anyway I could get it there.Once I got on a boat and was able to get whatever angle I needed it was a peice of cake.There was alot of things I learned in the creeks and the ponds.I still like to go back now and then just to remind me where I came from and to catch that big un' of course.Fishing from a boat does give you a better oppurtunity for better bass fishin' in my opinion.

Thats what I love about this forum.I do use observation,but I need to use it more.Anglers who think like that are likely to be one step ahead of the others.Thanks Raul!

4 inch tubes with chartuese tails.A spook bait well too.And so does everything else the other guys mentioned.

Earthworm is right about the slide in head.Pending on the current and depth your probally going to need a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce head so it will get down and not drift as bad.I would probally start by dragging it slow.Smallies like a slow presentation.I have thrown out before and laid my rod down to get a drink or make up more tubes and there be a fish on it when I pick it up.Not sure where you are fishing but I love to dip my skirt or tail in dye,it helps them see it better.Good Luck! P.S They also like to hit it on the fall alot so be ready.

I had the same thing happen to me before.I only found one thing that worked though I don't think I tried the tube or the tiny torpedo,but the Sammy 100 by Lucky Craft did do the trick.Other spook baits worked but not as well as the sammy,

Pending on the season,but overall I like the rocks. I have caught my biggest fish of rocks.I feel it has several reasons for being great structure.First in the earliest parts of spring the fish on my lake go to rocks to warm when the water temps are still low.Two, rocks are the most ancient form of structure in most lakes.They are also the most common stucture in deep water(10 ft.+),this is where I search for large bass 75% of the season.Three I can fish it more cleanly than grass and other structures eventhough rocks can be very hangy.And last,that where I usually find those agressive smallmouth that I love to catch.

RW,thanks for the useful info.I fish Kentucky and Barkley lakes.I do keep a close eye on the water release schedules.Last week the TVA was spilling about 46,000 cubic ft. The fish were biting well.This week they have cut that in half.All that rain water has drained and I don't think anything is going to change by Saturday.I fish the BFL as a co-angler,but this go around there is a chance I don't get in as a co-angler so I am going to give the boaters side a shot.I just started fishing tourneys this year.The reason for my initial question is I've noticed this past week the bite has calmed down alot.I've also noticed more fish suspending out off the humps and ledges in deeper water on my depthfinder.I'm pretty sure the lack off current has had something to do with it.What you said about fishing the slack water may be my best bet,I guess I got three days to find out!Thanks again and Good Luck out on the water!