Nick

I'm a co angler arriving Monday for the Hartwell event, and I could use a roommate at the Best western motel in Seneca. I'll know tomorrow for sure if one half of the room is available. Good luck. I thought the field was full already. Did you get a confirmation letter?

Creek Crappie, The Center Hill and Dale Hollow smallmouth wuld be somewhat more specialized and somewhat different quarry than a Great Lakes, Missouri Ozarks streams, or New York smallie for several reasons that we need not go into. Fishing these Tennessee impoundments is best mostly at night except in March-April during the spawn and in winter with the floatin fly daylight hours work. These lakes really demand finesse approaches most of the time during the day with lighter lines, smaller lures, and often deeper presentations. I would rate these lakes quite difficult for beginners, so if you live near a stream or creek that has smallies, you will be able to be much more successful in a much shorter amount of time. These large impoundments will demand that you have a solid boat with good electronics and a decent knowledge of structural elements, food sources, and current that will help position these fish. Only during the spawn can you fish successfully by hugging the banks, so the other 49 weeks of the year, it can get a little daunting for a beginner. Creek and stream smallies, by their aggressive nature, can be had just about any time by anyone who can cast small lures decently along the banks. Not saying this is always the best way to catch loads of big smallies, but you will have success fishing for them if the water supports a decent population., and you give a solid daylong effort. You often need just a canoe, kayak or just go wading, and these fish are not usually finicky. A few four inch green pumpkin worms, small crayfish cranks, a small white or chartreuse spinnerbait will work nearly 100% of the time fished on 6 or 8 lb. line unless you encounter high muddy water. If that is the case just wait a couple of days for the water to gets back into fishing shape, (clears up a little.) So if I were you, I would start a serious campaign of gathering info on running water smallies near you for best results and forget the big lakes for now.

Creek Crappie, The Center Hill and Dale Hollow smallmouth wuld be somewhat more specialized and somewhat different quarry than a Great Lakes, Missouri Ozarks streams, or New York smallie for several reasons that we need not go into. Fishing these Tennessee impoundments is best mostly at night except in March-April during the spawn and in winter with the floatin fly daylight hours work. These lakes really demand finesse approaches most of the time during the day with lighter lines, smaller lures, and often deeper presentations. I would rate these lakes quite difficult for beginners, so if you live near a stream or creek that has smallies, you will be able to be much more successful in a much shorter amount of time. These large impoundments will demand that you have a solid boat with good electronics and a decent knowledge of structural elements, food sources, and current that will help position these fish. Only during the spawn can you fish successfully by hugging the banks, so the other 49 weeks of the year, it can get a little daunting for a beginner. Creek and stream smallies, by their aggressive nature, can be had just about any time by anyone who can cast small lures decently along the banks. Not saying this is always the best way to catch loads of big smallies, but you will have success fishing for them if the water supports a decent population., and you give a solid daylong effort. You often need just a canoe, kayak or just go wading, and these fish are not usually finicky. A few four inch green pumpkin worms, small crayfish cranks, a small white or chartreuse spinnerbait will work nearly 100% of the time fished on 6 or 8 lb. line unless you encounter high muddy water. If that is the case just wait a couple of days for the water to gets back into fishing shape, (clears up a little.) So if I were you, I would start a serious campaign of gathering info on running water smallies near you for best results and forget the big lakes for now.

Been slinging suspending jerks for a few decades myself. Conditions do change and what the bass want changes, but it's been my experience that finding the fertile ground to jerkbait fish is undoubtedly most important variable to control- way more so that brand, color, movement, or even lure depth. Since I fish them mostly now at Lake of the Ozarks, I'm constantly looking for shad at the depth level within the range where my jerkbait will suspend. Sounds easy, but lots of guys just go down any banks fishing them regardless of the presence of suspended food fish. When the shad are hugging the bottom, rareIy do I have a good catching day with jb's. can look at my locator and pretty well tell when I get to a patch of busted up shad, that is, smaller clumps of scattered that indicate they have been targeted by gamefish. I often tell my buddy in the boat next to me to get ready for a strike, and it happens pretty frequently when I see the right formations on my screen. After location of food at the proper depth, then one can tweak the color, speed/tempo, action to get even better results. Particularly if one guy in the boat is getting the vast majority of strikes, then through comparison, better start copying what he is doing. Sometimes it's pretty subtle. I do find it interesting that on Lake Ozark, a very good jb lake, that the suspending Rogue was supplanted by the Pointer which in turn was supplanted by the Megabass brand these last two decades. It's hard to argue against the Megabass brand for its casting distance and fish catching abilities. It tends to suspend tail down often, but occasionally rides parallel to the surface. For those wanting to save a few bucks, the Lucky Strike Clunn model works pretty much the same, but the internal weights can be fussy, and the lips are slightly smaller than the 3x more expensive Megabass. I'm not saying the Megabass 110 is always better, but it's really hard to argue tournament results around here. Like Bo says, and we have won money before together jerk baiting, sometimes bass want something different for no apparent reason. At times, the could prefer a painfully slow sinking model that will get down to the 10-12 foot level with a quicker quiver than a spoonbill will give, but there are times that the fish want a spoonbill, wide wobble. And some around here even drill holes in a floater Rogue to make them sink in a circular pattern as deep as the angler wants and they can be deadly at times. So the real key is to be flexible and not tied in to one approach or lure. Sometimes the retrieve pattern makes a difference, but I like to fish them as fast as I can as long as I'm getting bit. I'll cover more water that way. I might actually only suspend and slow it down for 6-8 feet during a long retrieve(and I might hold it still for 6-10 seconds in a preferred zone) when I'm really dialed in to the location. Faster can be better when fishing against the clock. As far as fishing the xrap, go for it. They catch lots of bass, and it can be slowed down and stopped in any temperature to match the bass' wants. I kind of like that little, cute fly tail too. It can be a trigger. I would agree that braid gives better feel, and I think working a jb with just the tiniest bit of slack in the line gives that bait more wiggle room if desired. I like to move my rod tip at the 8 o'clock position about 2-3 inches before I feel the lure pull tight. I think I get better twitches that way if the bass want a sharper twitch. For economy, I can't find a way to beat straight Yozuri hybrid in 8 or 10 lb. test, and a 6'9" medium rod, and a quality bait caster. I get decent feel, and I don't break off like I did with flouro. For me jb fishing is done below 50 at it's most effective, and below 39 degree water temps, I have a much tougher time like everyone else I know.

JDJ, People say I know more about Ozarks smallie fishing than anyone so here goes. If the water has lost it's green algae color and has turned gin clear with 6 or more feet of vis., and if the minnows are still gathered on the surface just behind big rootwads, I have good news. Fish a regular watermelon fluke(old style 4" model) on a 1/8 oz. shaky head hooked weedless. Drop this lure into the densest, darkest wads and you;ll be amazed what happens. Next, if the water temps are above 48, and no doubt they are down there, find the smallest walking lure, prob. 1/4 oz. zara,, paint it a dull tan, and learn to walk that bait very slowly. The only great topwater for me when the temps get cool and water has lost its algae. That bait looks just the same color as many leaves drifting down river, but the bass really eat it, although they tend to roll on it slowly the cooler the water gets. I also agree with the 1/8 oz.brown finesse jig with a small brown or green pumpkin trailer. The location of bass usually means one of two things in our Ozarks streams. They are either on rocky deeper bluff areas or piled up in deeper wood. Note the prevailing pattern as you fish. Current flow will also help position the fish. As the water cools into the lower 50's and esp. the 40's, smallies will shun the heavier current unless there is a substantial current block for them to nestle in like behind a large boulder pile or in a rootwad. So concentrate on the bluff holes with good rock formation and do try to get your casts close to the banks. Consider shade as your friend in clear water, esp. the edges of it. This time of the year the rivers get lots of shadewhich will help you catch fish in clear water. It may take well over an inch of rain to discolor the Spring R., but the old notion of the after being too dirty to be "in shape" as the old timers called it is just bunk. Try to hit the river when it is off colored. If the vis. is 15-30 in. throw a 3/8 oz. double willow spinnerbait or your favorite rattle jig, or even a wiggle wart with some orange/brown in it and have a blast. I do prefer the water to be dropping less than 4 in. per day when it gets dirty, but just go when you can as long as it's not dangerous to be fishing.

They can all be good. I'll make the case for Lake of the Ozarks based upon weather factors, lodging, and food. During the week last week, I saw just two other boats fishing. Had miles of it to myself. You often can choose any style of angling in late fall. On this lake with its numerous twists and turns and deep coves, the wind can't tear you up like KY Lake. Way more places to stay, shop, and eat also. Often a great topwater bite, flipping dock bite, shallow crank bite, spinnerbait bite and even the crappie and white bass are often started by then also. On the darker, windier days fish more aggressively with buzz/spinnerbaits on the banks esp. with chunk rock and windier points, and on the calmer/sunnier days fish the docks in the coves with jigs, I'm often down there, so hit me up for a report before you come down. Good luck.

Nu Jig is ramping up for production. Bo James, the creator of both jigs is reverting back to the old style weedguards with three sizes whereas Alpha is still using the double brush guard design. The moderators of this forum did not appreciate the Alpha jig discussion last year, but the proof of this jig's effectiveness is undeniable. Bo actually nade this jig in ther 80's as the Viper Jig, but it was discontinued over disputes over manufacturing rights. (Quite a tale of woe.) I'm rooting for my old buddy to get this jig out to the public very soon. Let the jig revolution beign!

Cool story! My pond bass learned very quickly to flollow the snakes around the rip rapped edge waiting for the snakes to flush out a crevice hidden minnow. It's common to see as many as two dozen bass following a snake since that's the best way for the bass to get at those pesky minnows.

If it's small and has lots of nice fish, you can catch them about any way you wish. Some presentations could be more effective, but fish your strengths first. If you put in early, try the topwater bite. You didn't mention water color, and that may end up being the predominant factor in choosing the best depth to fish. And if it is windy, do burn a spinnerbait shallow.

I refuse to run Merc oil in my 225 2005 Opti. I've been running Cabelas semi-synthetic for 3 years with no probs. It has been regualrly sale priced below $15 a gallon. As long as its TCW 3, Merc will not void a warranty either. I have read that nearly all boat motor oils are nearly identical in composition with very minor changes in additives which allow companies to trademark each as their own. Reminds me of the old days when Grandpa would only buy Shell gasoline. Most major Opti engine probs are caused by improper warm ups in Opti engines.

Smallmouth in smaller streams are very easy to catch if the stream has a decent population. They can't hide and they are aggressive by nature. Fish the cover, shade, and current in summer with an emphasis on the deeper current areas with cover (rock, laydowns, brush) to find the larger bass. Casting accuracy and a quiet approach is a must as is strike detection. Bait selection can be just about anything 1/4 oz. and smaller that doesn't hang up much. If the water is often off colored, I'd start with a smaller willow spinnerbait since it can be fished quickly an ithrough a lot of cover.

Depends on what they want. For slower presentations and neutral bass, minnow baits like the Bomber Long A (specially treated for more bouyancy) or a Bagley floating minnow. For days when they want more noise, a 1/4 oz. Pop R is very effective and cost effective. For quick moving and audacious aggression from unpressured and active bass, any medium sized buzzbait covers the water very quickly. Great all aroiund bait for "walking the dog" is the new Strike King walking bait in the smaller size. Generally fish the shad patterns, except in dingy water, go with a black buzzbait. The reason I didn't put in any prop baits is that they can be prone to line twisting, and the props can get out of tune quickly unless handled by an experienced angler.

very slow sinking plastic like a weightless senko in the shade

Bass Tracker. FYI.....They are not muskies. These are chain pickerel. a smaller cosuin.

I tried to get with some of you fellows to go down to my lake house at Lake of the Ozarks. Fishing has been awfully good for both bass and crappie since Jan.. I live in Chesterfiled/Ballwin and go to the lake for 3-5 days nearly every week. I'm retired so I get to go whenever. I guide on the Meramec River for smallies, but that's another story.