Blue Raider Bob

Got to chime in. In my teens my fishin' buddy and I were in a slough off the St. Francis River in Arkansas called Raft Bayou. It was midnight or so checking trot line under trees when all of a sudden the worst screaming imaginable happened in the branches right above my head. When I got my wits together and climbed off the bottom of the boat I shined my light up and these two Big Racoons were fighting it out over our heads. I started to go grey from that moment on.

That's not tiny! This is tiny!

Would not be surprised that you caught the same fish you lost. Earlier this year fishing on the Tennessee River I hooked a smally, got him to the boat, started to lift and he fell off the swimbait. Honest to goodness I saw him swim straight for the swimbait he just lost and bit it again! Got him in the 2nd time and turned that mean little dude loose.

Absolutely I have always thought that they see it coming and time their strike.

Tennessee River 1/8 oz Ned Rig Coppertruse Tickler Mepps #3 White Dressed Aglia Big Bites Swim Baits Caught this 42-1.2 " Flathead on the Ned.

Yes! in my part of Tennessee a poor man's lobster is a crawdad!

My wife doesn't like to fish and the kids are grown and gone. I just fish by myself mostly now and enjoy the gift my dad passed down to me....love of the outdoors and the water. I find that when I take my fishing buddy I spend more time trying to put him on fish than I do. I guess that what friends do.

Rock Magnet for sure! I bought four from TWH after reading this thread. Yes they work! Caught fourteen mixed species Sunday including 15 and 17" Smallies. Lost all four by end of the day in the rocks. Also broke a rod tip trying to unhook a gar and dropped another rod and reel in the River. Expensive addiction we have! BTW can anybody beat this for smallest bass ever?

The Tennessee River! 42-1/2" Flathead caught on a medium light spinning outfit fishing a TRD Ned Rig for Smallies!

Got a mix of 19 Spots and Smallies yesterday on the Tennessee River. They were all small except for one 15" Spot. That's a good one for me. The surface temp was 78.4 so we are still a long way from Prime Time here in Southern Tennessee. One small Smallie (maybe 9") threw up a Zoom Speedcraw on the bottom of my boat. Glad that happened! Got a free lure and a healthy fish!

Put a pond on your bucket list. Yes you will spent way too much time and energy but it will pay you back tenfold. I spend parts of every day on my pond if its only to watch. I started digging mine 25 years ago but it would not hold water. Four years ago i laid a pond liner down, dug a well with a solar powered pump, and built a floating dock. The incredible amount of life that the pond attracts is amazing. Not only do I have fish but water birds, frogs, turtles, and unfortunatly otters in the winter. My floating dock is my therapy just like river fishing only I use it daily. Good Luck!

Went to Tennessee River Yesterday. Fished for two solid hours using Black Hellgramite on 1/8 jig head in Current and and Current Eddies. Not a single bass bite. Gots lots of pecks from Bluegills. Went to #3 White Mepps Aglia and caught five small spots then went to Ned rig and caught 15 small spots and smallies with one sauger. What am I doing wrong? I know the smallies are still in deeper water with 78 deg. surface temps but I thought at least I would catch some spots on the Hellgramite.

I have a 2/3 Acre pond and I have transient turtle populations including the occational snapping turtle. Just my opinion but I would leave the turtles alone. They have a niche in your overall pond ecosystem. With the greensunfish issue you have they can only be benificial. But like NFlorida Mike says, the otters are where your problems may arrive if you have a local population. They will wipe out all large fish in a pond your size in a small amount of time. I have this issue every winter. I find bass skulls on the pond bank and bluegill scales all over me dock. Don't know how they catch them but they do.

To TNRiver46. I fish below Nickajack dam to the Alabama State Line (although it's not marked). It is the headwaters of Guntersville. Love that river fishin'. My PB Smally, Spot, and Largemouth came from here, not to mention the occational big Bluecat, Channel, and Drum that will eat an artificial. Gonna try it again tomorrow. The water temp has fallen to 77deg.

Thanks Everyone! I picked up a box of Bass Pro Brand while I was in Nashville this past week but my absent mind (that's being kind) left them in my garage when I went to the Tennessee River Sunday. Still caught twenty five with big fish being a 15" Spot. Caught them on Mepps #3 White Aglia and Ned rig TRD. Actually big fish was a huge drum. Man they can pull like the devil.

What color are natural Hellgramites in rivers and do the colors vary with sub-species or different bodies of water. Any favorite colors or brands of artificials? Most brands I've searched are 3" to 3-1/4. Are Hellgramites really that large? Thanks in advance for everyone's valuable information on this site. Since I found this site my job production has plummeted but my catch rate has improved! BTW I am in Middle Tennessee if that makes a difference.

Thanks so much for this information. I can hardly imagine how much work you put in a I am very grateful. I am a lifelong fisherman of sixty years but have only in the past four years started pursuit of SMB, and only because of a 3 lb 15 oz hitting my Pearl Bomber in the Tennessee River. Now I'm ruint as we say down hear. I have so much to learn and so appreciate this forum and guys like you! Bob

Tennessee River and Cumberland River

New to the forum and love the talk of Smallmouth Bass in Rivers. I would really like more info on the Tube fishing you guys are talking about. I fish the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers in middle Tennessee especially below Nickajack Dam at the Guntersville headwaters. Can you guys point me to some info you have printed?