*T*

Again, going back to the original post, if there are millions of 13 - 14" spots in the lake and food sources are in excellent shape, aren't we poised for a boom year or two rather than "stunted spotted bass" issue. LM & SM populations look to be in better condition than they have been in a long time. Please, no repeat of fish kill-off.

Haven't been to lake in a bit but it seems like LM & SM bite earlier in year, spring & early summer, was also excellent, both legal & sub-legal. Their populations appear to also be flourishing. Also shad population is strong. Is there bad news here or just good?

Meanmouth. May be wrong but don't they sometimes have more characteristics of a smallmouth and then others look more like a spotted bass. Great fish!

How can I justify buying new jerkbaits if I don't lose one once in a while? Just kidding, it hurts to lose any of them and recent years have mostly been using Megabass & Luckycraft jerkbaits, so you know how much that can hurt. Not just the cost but not having that particular bait for use. Similar to other's comments, I currently use retractable dog leash with an old rubber-coated lure retriever with like 4 or 5 chains below it. Must have save $1,000+ in retrieved lures over many years with this.

Thanks for the info. I am a Vietnam vet. I support the all of our military heroes/patriots, especially those wounded, whenever I can. I checked out the web site and will donate.

Last I heard we were $17,000,000,000,000 or more in debt with much higher unfunded liabilities and continuing to borrow from our enemies. Need focused spending cuts. Guess we get what we deserve through who we elect. Sorry, I'll stick to fishing commentary in the future.

Congress? Didn't know this site was meant for political discussion. If so I have a few comments.

Does anyone have experience with both the Keitech Swing Impact & KSI FAT. Different uses, versatility, successes.......?

http://support.baits.com/product-images/Hardbaits/Jerkbait%20Tenkuu-76/jpg/ With more detail, I like many more of the available colors. Why don't more hardbaits use the oval split rings? I end up changing the round ones out.

Thanks for that link, Champ. Kinda leaning towards that Watermelon / Black Flake, Sexy Shad, Albino Shad, and of course, Silver / Black Back. Some of those other colors are a bit too much for me.

Always like looking over new baits coming onto the market, especially new Jerkbaits! Just received new catalog from Gary Yamamoto Baits and was liking the looks of the "Tenkuu" Jerkbaits. Available in 2014. Come in 76mm, 100mm & 110mm. Don't see a link to the colors, but in catalog they look vgood. Looks to be decent pricing. Thought I saw $7.99, but don't quote me on that. Really don't need more baits, but what the heck, people collect all kinds of things. Guess collecting way too many baits is my thing. Contact them for catalog if you want to see colors. Here's link http://www.baits.com/?p=46

Wide range of views when it comes to favorites or importance of bait colors. Kinda like rifle & caliber discussions around deercamp campfire. Many of the ideas work, but everyone has their own opinion and history of what has worked for them.

Why I didn't know those ever broke down, only got better with age. Still occasionally use my old 5500C (for A-rig & big stripers) and my 4500C (spinnerbait & some topwater).

Yes, interesting is right. You would think that the prey would evolve away from colors most perceptible by their predators.

What's the consensus on bass seeing the full color spectrum or is there none? I know you all have your stories about one color outfishing others, but is it a case of confidence colors, light vs. dark color, dull vs. reflective, contrasting colors on a bait, what has worked in the past or even recently, etc. And as depth increases or water clarity lessens, colors do not appear anywhere near what you and I see in sunlight, as the spectrum of light reaching the bait and being reflected (color you see) is changed dramatically. I had always thought that in clear waters with lots of light penetration, the success of colors like smoke, gr. pumpkin, watermelon seed, and some others was mostly because they blend in so well with the environment and appear to have softer, more natural edges to them as opposed to solid/dense colors (black) or flashy ones. Just thinking out loud.

There's not much better than kids catching great fish on a family outing at Table Rock!! Those are some serious smiles. VG pics!

Like that white spook. Replacement hooks? LM, SM, Spots, Nice. Hope that wasn't your blood in the boat. Nice pics!

Sorry 'bout stealing the thread but talking about older soft plastics, and a few of you may remember these, around 30 years I ago often used 6" Fliptail Grubs on 1/8 - 1/4 oz. heads with success in some small derbys at TR. These were fairly bulky with LARGE paddletail. Manufacturer had a line of 6" & 8" worms that were very popular also that you can occasionally find on-line. Because they were so bulky, they had a slower fall rate and that may have been part of their attraction to the fish. Think at some point I discarded what I had left. Regret that now as searches have been unsuccessful and don't think they are still available. Was this a dream or does anyone else remember these?

Beautiful SM! Some dimensions available??

Have 2 Carbonlite 7', Mediums with Shimano Stradic 4000s with Berkeley Sensation 10# for Grub fishing. They are relatively new but seem Vgood casting, sensitivity, lightweight, fighting fish.

Looks to be quite an ongoing 2013 season on Table Rock. The high water year's great spawns have shown up for most all fishermen out there. Are we maxxed out on numbers, but maybe not on sizes? Great numbers coming in as well as many larger fish. LMBV hopefully a thing of the past and seem to be more LM than years past. Shad population is vgood. At capacity? Still room for growth? Water conditions seem good to common person. And, other than the late warm up, should be another vgood spawn this year. Interested in thoughts of Table Rock guides/regulars. Thanks

Quillback, Yes, actually commented on this a while back. Have used Jointed Floating Rapala as wake bait for years. It's not going to give as much of a wake as a Redfin, but it lands much softer and has a great soft wake, both things which can help on very flat, quiet water. Post-spawn bite, like right now, should be vgood. Little bit different bait than Redfin for use in a different situation, but a good one.

Bill, OUCH is right. Hurts all of us to hear about these incidents.

Just spent better part of week with wife & daughter at TR. Excellent bite all week & at times all day with AM being best bite. Base Camp was Aunts Creek area. Fished Flat Creek to Mill Creek. Great mix of LM, SM & spots with some whites thrown in for good measure. At times topwater was best bite with Redfin leading the way with some Sammy & prop bait going good too. Good schools of whites off points across from Joe Bald. They just wouldn't stay up long but you could mark them and catch them vertically, but tough keeping up with their movements. And some amazing congregations of mixed bass busting shad also around there, numbers and size. Grub bite very hot at times in pea gravel pockets just east of Joe Bald. Many nice SM with some spots mixed in, 15 to 25 ft of water. Lost a great LM on a jump next to the boat by the buck brush there maybe 6#. Best grub fish in the boat 4-1/4# LM from James arm not far from Aunts Creek.. Good all day mojo fish doctor bite shallow around brush but only a few good ones of 15 - 17". All-in-all a very good trip. Wife & daughter caught some and enjoyed the topwater bite. I want more!!