Blue Raider Bob

I was catching Smallies and Spots on the Cumberland River yesterday. A barge went by and the bite completely stopped for at least thirty minutes.

Saw a juvenile on the River Sunday. Looked disheveled like a long night and a short sleep. Can't find the big bass but the small ones were eating like sharks. Caught 43 but only 2 over 15".

Going there in three weeks to fish with Bobby Gentry. He's caught a few biguns! I'm just hoping to break a modest PB. Been there twice before and came away empty.

Unk THAT is not a Dink! Same thing happened to me a few years ago. Went fishing and caught a Smallmouth. Been ruint ever since. Now that's all I fish for! would love to catch one that size. They pull like a scalded dog!

Came out of the Duck River just west of Chapel Hill. Caught plenty of little ones but never one like that!

Bird I never would have believed it if you hadn't posted this picture! One things for sure..... our two baby bass are gonna grow up to be the meanest fish in the rivers! What were they thinking?

How bout that dude clocked at 104 MPH! Don't think i could get the bat around on him even back in my swinging for the fence days! Bet those batter's are a little bit nervous walking up to that box! Kind a like Randy Johnson in my time. I work with a buddy that faced Justin Verlander in college. Said he took three pitches and went and sat down! Never saw the first one.

I have never used an attractant but so many of the authors I read recommend them, including Jim Root, Bobby Gentry, and Kevin Van Dam. What are your thoughts? Are you convinced that attractants create more bites and if so what brands would you recommend? I mostly fish for Smallies and Spots in current on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers with the usual arsenal of swim baits, cranks, craws/tubes, and Ned rigs.

How did you do on the Hill? I barely escaped the skunk on the Cumberland River Sunday

Started at 48 deg. got up to 52 deg in the back of Indian Creek. Lots of people fishing but I did not see anyone catch a fish. Heard there was a 200 boat tournament there Sat. and Thurs. and Friday practice days a lot of fish were caught shallow on Chartruese spinner baits. I had one big fish on Friday but did not get it in. Nary another bite the rest of day.

I got skunked Friday at Dale Hollow. Ist time i've been skunked since........well I don't remember ever getting skunked. I can understand your disappointment. Tried Silver Buddy, Ned Rigs, Jerkbait, Crank....ect.

All my bass this year don't add up to that one. Need to learn jerkbaits myself as i've never tried one. Stuck in the Ned rig mode for years. Going to Dale Hollow Saturday though. Some big brown monsters swim that deep water.....just never know! Where is that state? I'd like to take a road trip! Great job by the way. Keep it going. My LM PB is 7-4 and it's an addiction to always chase it. We grow DD bass in Tennessee but I've never seen one.

Sorry. Mispelled butt. Anyway the bass got the duck gone!

He sure looks like a proud papa! My daughter and I were walking around our pond one day followed by a pet Mallard that swam along beside us. We reached a spot near the bank where a Bass was guarding his nest and to our surprise the Male left his nest and bit the Mallard on the but! No kidding. We could see it clearly. When the duck bolted like its .........was on fire, the male went right back to the nest. It wasn't afraid of us at all. They do their jobs!

Long time Crappie fisherman and just learning about Bass but don't the males make the nest and the females only hover over long enough to deposit eggs?

What colors work for you? I'm heading to the river below Pickwick next month and hope to see you there!

I have a pond on my property that mirrors what you are seeing. Every winter the fish disappear. That's bass and bluegill. When late winter begins to arrive and we have sunny days the bass are easily seen at the very top of the water column in the north bays in the afternoon. The bluegills reappear as well. The middle and southern sections of the pond are fishless "my pond is so clear I can see the bottom". The fish disappear on cloudy, or rainy days, and reappear when the sun comes back. I cannot get these fish to eat anything I throw consistently. Occasionally I will get a small one on a TRD but the big ones have lockjaw. Mine keep their backs wet but I know just what you mean. Schools in midwater right at the top. Wyatt I wish I would have read your question thoroughly before answering. If you have a one acre pond full of 4-7 lb bass then maybe i'd better come and see the issue in person! LOL

Yes I know this isn't a bass but when you hook something like this drifting down river in current tossing a ned rig it still makes for an accelerated heartbeat! 8lb 13 oz and durn they can pull. These guys head straight for the bottom and have to be drug to the boat. I'll claim anything that swims to get the skunk out the boat!

1st Largie of the year caught on RC Crawler. Nickajack Lake 1st Spot of the Year 14-3/4" 2 lb 3 oz caught on Mepps Dressed Aglia Tennessee River. Been slow so far. Four trips and five bass. Six hours on the river and two bites. This spot and an 8lb drum. Threw everything in the tackle box and broke out old reliable....the Mepps Aglia to whoop the skunk!

Fortunately most member also fish rivers and help those of us that are new in this sport. I was a lifelong crappie fisherman until a trip on the Tennessee River below Nickajack dam. I caught a 3 lb 10 oz smallie and my crappie poles got retired. I have been pursuing smallies ever since but I have much to learn. I'm grateful that all my river fishing questions are answered sincerely and never ridiculed. I almost fish rivers exclusively both the Tennessee and the Cumberland. Something about drifting with the current and tossing TRD's and Shad Raps makes life !!!!!! Sure appreciate you guys and the forum!

Man I feel your pain....except my same situation was not nearly as bad. My boat slipped the dock rope and started to drift but another fisherman was heading in and saw the issue. He pulled my boat back. If not I would have had to do what you did!

Gonna try some fluke styles on the river soon. What colors are working for you? I threw everything in the tacklebox Sunday and only got one good spot. River was cold, high, and muddy below Nickajack.

Not a monster but not bad for a freezing cold day on Nickajack. Also caught on a Ned rig. Wind blew me off the water. I'm ready for Spring!

What's that old joke... you know you're country when you cut your grass and find a car? Well you know your country when you wait behind a rooster at the drive-thru!