It's on!

Believe it or not, artificials outfished minnows yesterday. I will add a pic later, but of the 15 smallmouth landed, all were in the 3-5lb range. Four were caught on store bought minnows, the rest on a Rage Tail Menace, bullet weight and 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG Offset Worm Hook. We fished the minnows on spinning gear, Octopus Circle Hooks and #4 Yo-Zuri Hybrid. I fished the Menace on #12 Sniper FC, BCR 893, Curado 50E.

Every fish was caught in 8'-10' of water. Surface temperature was just over 70*.  I lost 4 smallmouth on the circle hooks which almost never happens. After three jumps the fish of the day threw my Menace 10' from the boat. The fish came 3' out of the water! In addition to the brown fish we caught tons of the usual suspects on live bait, including 3 giant gar. I also caught a 3lb spot on a 3/8 oz Sierbert Outdoors jig/ Rage Craw (PBJ). No trash fish on the Menace.

 

 

 

I wanna see that spot

Thank you for the detailed report. Wish I lived in your neighborhood.

 

May I ask how you were retrieving the T-rigged Menace? Swimming? Dragging? Hopping? Stroking/ripping?

It wasn't on at logan martin today. Glad someone is catching them.

Thank you for the detailed report. Wish I lived in your neighborhood.

 

May I ask how you were retrieving the T-rigged Menace? Swimming? Dragging? Hopping? Stroking/ripping?

 

We try to maintain the boat 25 to 30 yards from the bank, cast upstream at a 45* angle and drift.  I T-rigged

the Menace weedless with a 1/4 oz bullet weight, cast and drag. The only imparted action is an occasional

pop when I hit a rock. That little lift will also reduces hang-ups a little, but you are still going to lose a lot of

baits.

 

For reference, we had 56,000 cfs so the current was strong. With less current you might have to adjust

your retrieve. You never want your bait downstream. The fish were VERY aggressive and there was never

a doubt whether you had a bite or not.

 

 

 

Way to go Kent.

 

Sounds like a Killer day

 

Congrats

 

A-Jay

Nice write-up, Kent, and that's a nice healthy smallmouth too!  

Nicely done Kent!!

I am jealous!

The gates were open Saturday so we fished the lake. However, we were 

not at the right place at the right time. Two smallmouth and a drum is all

we could mange in six hours. Then we met some friends at the ramp on

Yellow Creek for their weigh-in. 1st Place 26.35, our friends took 2nd with

22 and change, 3rd was 21.98. 

 

Humbling...

 

 

well done, sir!

nice job !!  and nice post !!   I love the Rage Tails !!!

Great haul, Kent. Sweet fish.

That's the way to catch them!