Blue Raider Bob

I'm thinking that's the same fish over and over again! 😁 Actually, those are extraordinary bass. Anyhow, way to stay after them! Thanks for taking us along but I'm not jealous.....

Looks like a really cool place to fish. I admire those stacked stone walls. Lots of skill and elbow grease.

That's what I thought! Struggled to catch 20! I'm struggling to comprehend 20!

I think you're on the right track. Being predominately sight feeders, I bet the lateral line wasn't exercised in the clear water environment, but I may be mistaken. There is always good clarity in my pond, but in the summer, with the phytoplankton bloom, the clarity is reduced.

What a difference just a few degrees make. Last Sunday's Shad release in 45 deg. water brought no interest from the pond LM, I mean none at all. Shad were swimming right past the resident LM's with no aggressive movement at all. Fast forward to this past Sunday's Shad release with the water just a couple of degrees warmer, and the reactions were completely different. The LM were quick to recover from their (Human on the bank) scatter, and came right back to the release point. They ran down the weaklings and busted topwater after others. Fortunately the release was large enough to allow a nice school of healthy Shad to occupy the open waters. Did the very few degree difference in the water make all the difference in the changed behavior? Probably not. There are just so many variables involved, but it surely made some difference. We still have so far to go of our understanding of Micropterus Salmoides, but its a fun journey. One other interesting thing to mention....one of my Bass has a blind eye. It is about 16" long and I did not notice this until the water cleared this fall. The water is tap water clear now and I see (Deadeye) often. I must have blinded him when he was caught and just didn't know it. Well. anyway, this last shad released had shad swimming by Deadeye, and Deadeye fed on the ones that crossed his good eye flank. While this is no surprise, Deadeye did not feed on the shad that swam past his bad eye side. The lateral line should have been his (Eyes) on the blind side but he never reacted to anything that passed him there. Just more food for thought.

He's responsible for my addiction as well! 🙂 I am really enjoying the blade bait program and will use mono as well. I have never liked floro.

I'm having so many fouled casts using the Damiki Vault that I thought I'd get everyones opinion on their favorite blade baits. The Damiki gets bit for sure, but I keep reeling in a bait that has the rear treble wrapped with line. Do you soft jerk these baits, steady retrieve, how are they used and am I the cause? I am not using these as jigging spoons, but more like a crank bait with a slow jerk bait type retrieve and slow drop. Any thoughts, and what are your favorites?

That's just too funny! This caused a sure-nuff belly laugh!

Went to Percy Priest Res. near Nashville Sunday. Cold gusting winds, colder sprinkles, muddy water, perfect conditions for watching football on the couch. But.....I was on the water, albeit only three hours. Wind made boat control very difficult, but I wanted to use Team9's suggestions and work with the jerkbait and the blade bait. After a fruitless hour or so, I came across a totally submerged tree and the little fish were all over it. Using the Damaki Vault (Thanks Alex), I caught two dinks and a 17" Smallie that went 2 Lbs. 5 oz. Unfortunately I had to use my back-up scale which consistently weighs 2 oz less than my favorite. Sigh. What the water gives, the water takes away. The Damiki caught a submerged log and that was that. Alas, I had ANOTHER! a few short casts later, I hooked and landed a fat 16" LM, and ended the short session with four. Shad were all over the screen so I filled up a cast net on the first and only toss and headed home to Shad stock the pond. Thanks for everyones advise! Can't wait for Sunday!

Yes, winter fishing on the Cumberland can be fantastic!

Yes, usually the fishing is great but I've been on a LM mission this year and have passed on river fishing. Winter is a great time to float the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers below dams. I am going to concentrate on local bodies of water such as Percy Priest, and Normandy. These lakes do not have vegetation due to level swings for flood control. I'll be perfecting the four presentations suggested by Team9. Guntersville is just too far away at two hours one way, and Nickajack, (which is a miniature Guntersville), just hasn't produced for me lately. The lakes TnRiver suggests are just too far away as well. This thread usually follows the evolution of my pond and it's changing seasons. Right now I am stumped as to why the bass are not feeding on the shad. They may have after my observation ceased, but there are dead shad all over my pond now and I cannot repeat that mistake.

More intrigue concerning cold water. Skunked at Nickajack but I only fished for an hour or so. Couldn't relax, too many worries I'm dealing with. Went to the new marina boat slips and shad were everywhere. Filled up two 55 gallon barrels with just four tosses. Cranked up the aerators and hauled buns back to the dock. Pulled up to the pond and released net fulls of shad. The LM were not interested a bit. The few that were curious enough to welcome the new pond mates made no aggressive actions. Most shad swam off but several dozen were anywhere from dead, to weak swimmers. The LM did not even pounce on the unfortunates. I do not know how you guys (Team9) catch bass in this cold water. It does not work for me. Water temps in forties. Warmer water would have witnesses mayhem on a release like this. Going to try again Sunday. Also going to try a different kind of lake.

That's a real good point. thanks

My pond gets temporary stockings. I went out yesterday afternoon and did not see a shad😶. Guess the green tunas woke up. I'm going to thin Saturday and try to catch a dozen or so under say 14" to release in the Stones River. I would love to have a reproducing population of Shad but have my doubts about the reality.

You're not a bass angler....You are a Bass LEGEND !!!!!!! I fish for Bass....You actually catch them!

My enjoyment of FFS is different I think, than most anglers. I do not stare at the screen to watch my lure in action, (well, sometimes I do), rather I use my FFS to explore the hidden, underwater world that I am so addicted too. I relish watching the movements of the Shad and the other species that I encounter. Just like a huge flock of blackbirds, the Shad swarms move in unison one way, then another. I waste much precious fishing time just observing. One thing is for sure.....the bass hug the bottom when they follow the schools....UNTIL they make a movement to feed. I also enjoy the ease which I can select areas to toss the cast net. Instead of blind casting, I can creep up alongside a Shad school and drop the net over the top, then I can follow the net down on FFS and watch as the school scatters and the net cover the unfortunates. dang I sound morbid! I caught my max load of Shad Sunday on just two tosses....and my tosses stink because I am garbage throwing a cast net. Even with half opening nets, I pulled up gobs. As I trolled through the boat slips, I could see gobs of fish larger than Shad, but smaller than bass, stacked up from the bottom all the way to the tops of the water columns. There are just so many fish occupying certain areas of a water body while other areas are totally void of fish. If I could crack that code, I may have a picture to share someday!

Cold Water Bass behavior. Went to Nickajack Sunday and worked for strikes. Water clarity was excellent but the fishing was not. Could not buy a bite for a couple hours and could not find baitfish. Water temp 56 deg. Finally decided to call it a day and go by the boat slips to catch Shad for my pond as there are always schools of Shad around the covered slips. First school I found using the Livescope showed Bass hovering below the school. Caught four small ones on a mini-jerkbait. This was the only thing they would bite. Only took two cast net tosses to fill the 55 gallon plastic barrel with a couple hundred 2-3" Shad. What was fun, besides just catching the Shad, was I also caught a largemouth! second time I've caught a largie with the castnet in the shallow water. I threw the dummie back and raced to the ramp for the hour and ten minute drive home. With the barrel filled three quarters, and the max bubbles aeration going, the Shad were in surprisingly good shape when I pulled up to the pond. With the cold nights, my pond water is in the forties. Usually when I start releasing Shad or other types of bait fish into the pond, there is an immediate reaction from the occupants. This time, however, the residents were very slow to react. The ones that were curious seemed, at first, not the least interested in the offered buffet. Slowly the instinct took over and the weak swimmers were consumed, not by the sudden, missile like strikes, but by slowly easing up to the Shad and a quick inhalation. I did have the pleasure of witnessing the stronger Shad forming a school of perhaps fifty or so over the deepest part of the pond. My conclusion was once the water gets good and cold, there is a definite effect on the movements and appetites of Largemouth. At least from what I can observe. Back to Nickajack.....I think it was Buck Perry who wrote, (You may find baitfish with no Bass, but you will never find Bass with no baitfish.) This was true yesterday. The Bass were under the balls of Shad and showed up clearly on the FFS. Just couldn't get them to bite. Next trip, I'm headed for the boat slips!

Ck out the forum on Smallmouth Bass and read AJ's Brown Bass Tools Questions and Answers. So much good info that will help you whatever color Bass you pursue. Otherwise, hang on the line and somebody will give you advise to get you going.

Welcome Darrin! Excellent advice is on the way from anglers who can CATCH UM! me, I still drive the suck bus. 😶

Can't believe your puppy is that close to the water and not wet! Now that you've crushed the excuse to walk the pooch......launch the canoe!

Went to NickaJack last three Sundays. Twice one boat at ramp and once two boats at Shellmound. This is the place where in the summer its a traffic jamb at the ramp. Love fishing in the fall! Just me, geese, Coots, Cormorants, and weeds.

thanks! That was fun!

No, its a thick solid mass of Millfoil and Eelgrass. It has paths through it that look like cattle trails through woods. I try oi fish the infrequent open areas but the bass are everywhere. Tried it but will keep on trying. Just too many bass to leave the spot. Thanks everyone! The monkey just got a big order!

Looking for lure ideas to fish grassy flats. The areas I'm fishing on the Tennessee River Lake Nickajack are covered with different grasses that grow to the waters surface. These areas are too thick with vegetation to use anything that has hooks that hang, so It's strictly topwater. The problem is, I can't get a topwater bite with buzzbaits, and poppers and walking baits foul. The Bass are in there because it is a non-stop feeding frenzy chasing Shad. I did catch a keeper on a ToadZ weightless, but it was the only frog bite I got. I tried a weightless Fluke to no avail and my questions is....does anyone make a shad imitation that can be fished weedless across the grass that would get the attention of the marauding largies? Anyone use or would recommend a spoon, like a Johnson Silver Minnow? If so, do you use a trailer? One fish for two hours of chasing blowups beats working but I'm hungry for more. thanks

I must be kin to papajoe! We think alike!