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What gear ratio reels are most of you using for the warts and jerk baits? I used to think that the 5:1 was the way to go for cranking and jerk baits, but lately I'm hearing 7:1 and just reel slower. As far as colors of Warts go, I agree with everything said, but would add a Fire Tiger to the arsenal as well. One of our guys on our trip did well with that color last year, including big bass for the week. I've ad some good days when the wind was pounding the the slow tapering points throwing the Mag Wart in Fire Tiger as well. Mags are used up here in Michigan be a select few, including the guy from Kalamazoo, MI. When the water is cold up here, slow winding a Mag Wart will result in a 5 pound plus smallmouth on some days.

One angler turned them off and the other turned them around.

The third one is Tennessee Shad. another good one. I haven't modified this one yet:)

If you keep putting yourself in contention to win, you will win some day. If you are fishing a lake I may know something about, I'd be glad to share some info. I use FB quite a bit to connect with a lot of my fishing friends. Ed Dyer is my FB account name and my real name:) I just sent you a FB friend request.

Congrats on a job well done. Glad to hear you had three great experiences with your boaters. I had a couple in the Northern Opens that turned their back electronics around so I couldn't see them and purposely did not move the net to catch a jumping smallmouth on Lake Champlain. I bought some Damiki Shads and jig heads to fish them here in Michigan, but will bring them to Table Rock this year as well, along with the Ned Rig! Thanks for the heartfelt post. We are always hurt when we are so close, but sometimes forget how well we really did in this type of competition. Good luck the rest of this year.

Nice report and good work in the tournament. You did better than a lot of very good anglers. Nice picture of the biggun!

Here is a picture of three different Limited Edition Rogues and a Perfect 10. They come with the silver Gammies. Some guys use a dremel tool and grind off a 1/4 inch of the bill on the perfect 10. I have caught fish on these Rogues on Table Rock as well. On Fireline too. Most people don't realize how clear our water can be on a lot of the lakes in Michigan.

I'm looking for the Limited Edition Rogues. They are the same length(5 1/2 inches) as the Perfect 10, but have a shorter bill. We use the Perfect 10's also, but we have a lot more grass up here and they tend to snag in the grass more. I know Tim Hughes is very good. I have a few of his baits. I have a guy by me that can paint well too.

I believe everybody fishes the first two days, then it is cut to 12 the final day.

Up in Western Michigan, there are a group of anglers(including me) that throw the Big Limited Rogue on Fireline. When the big postspawn females are on the weed flats and weed drop-offs, it out-fishes most baits for 3-5 pound tournament fish. The best color was called Bream or Green Perch, but it really looked like a Baby Bass. The Tennessee Shad color was about the same, but it didn't have the lateral lines painted on it. They don't make the Limited Edition Colors any more. We also trick it out with a feathered treble, suspend strip on the throat and another around the front hook.If anyone has some of the 5 1/2 " Limited edition Rogues, I would be interested in buying them or trading wiggle warts or other baits for them.

Up here in Michigan, a week ago, I was ice fishing on 4 inches of ice and caught a nice limit of crappies and bluegills. By Wednesday, all the ice on the local lakes was gone. Today we had a couple of inches of lake effect snow. As I type, it is 23 degrees outside. Supposed to warm up into the 40's tomorrow and 50's by Tuesday. Winter will have a hard time making it back. Can't wait to come down to Table Rock for our annual visit.

It is supposed to be in the 50's up here in Michigan for the next week. Tomorrow will probably the last time I venture out on the ice this winter.

Is it too late to join the league? If not, please send me the pw.

I have been coming down to Table Rock almost every Spring Break since 1980. I think it was in 84 that I caught a 8-2(jig after dark), and two others in our group caught a 7-15 and a 7-8 that week(both on spinner baits). Big bass for our week would usually be over 6 pounds until the LMB virus. Then we had a few years when we caught nothing bigger than 3-4 pounds. In the last 6-7 years, we had a 7-3(Spinner bait at night) and a 7.89(A Rig). Hope we can catch some big ones this spring:) In the early 80's we would catch some very nice spots in the 3-3.5 range with a few pushing close to 4 pounds.We don't see those very often any more. We do see a lot more smallmouths than we used to, especially in the Aunts Creek area.

I fished the same Derby.We were second place with Big Bass the first Session and the we were horrible the last two with a skunk in the afternoon on Saturday and only one keeper on Sunday. Ended up 8th overall. We are here until this Friday, then we are heading back up to winter like weather in Michigan. The weather has been great, but for some reason the fishing has been very tough. Last Friday I caught some nice fish, but there was no solid pattern or location. Caught them from Piney Creek to point 9. More fish on a jerk bait, but the few bigger fish on an A Rig. we are catching fish each day, but nothing real big and they have been scattered.

I was out last night in Aunt's Creek from 9 to Midnight. My buddy in the front of the boat was catching fish immediately with a short arm spinner bait with a black/red skirt and a white little skinny dipper trailer, and a hammered Copper blade.. I was fishing a Strike King night time single bladed spinner bait in the Black/Blue color. My buddy caught around 15, with only 3 being keepers. I caught three, after I switched to a PBJ Mini Mop Jig with a Net Bait Kentucky Special Paca Chunk trailer.

I fish a lot of tournaments in Michigan on smaller lakes. Once you fish with someone and show them a spot, it isn't YOUR spot any more. If I'm competing against guys I also fish with, we let takeoff numbers decide and let best number say where they are going to start. After that, anything goes.

If the water clears up, the doctor and pede should work for small fish at least.

Looks like some real nice bass caught on jerk baits with very little wind. With this colder weather, looks like the jerk bait bite should still be on for a while.

I'm trying to pack for my trip to Table Rock starting on Thursday and it sounds like I should bring everything but the kitchen sink:) That is tougher to do when you aren't taking your own boat. A Rig, spinner bait,fish doctor, crankbait, wobble head, ned rig, jig, swimbait, jerk bait, football and finesse jig. When is the Fluke and Lizard bite start?

Any spawning fish down that way? Sounds pretty warm.

Great Pics Alex. Looks like they bit the crankbait well even though it appears to be a calm day. I guess your crankbait was one of the usual suspects. Can't wait t get down there on Thursday.

The Frabill Conservation series is a great net. I bought one after talking to the Frabill booth at the BASS Expo a couple of years ago. They told me I could net a Northern Pike with a crankbait hanging out of it's mouth and be able to get the fish and crankbait out with no problem. Way better than those heavy rubber nets.