abkeenan

I am also less than even a novice with the blade and about a week ago (+ or -) I started a thread titled "Spinner Baits" because I like throwing them I just stink at it. I got AWESOME responses from the blade experts (Tfish4bass and Champ188) as well as others so you might want to read threw that thread as it is loaded with helpful info. I also "youtubed" some spinnerbait videos and saw one with KVD (spinnerbait GOD) and watched it so you might want to check that out also. KVD said that he "always" uses a trailer hook on his spinnerbaits and you will have more hookups. Don't think the trailer hook would hinder the action and only give you a better chance of sticking them, but then again what do I know about spinnerbaits?

1 more question for the experts: do you guys use either trailer hooks or a grub/split tail trailer on the main hook at any time?

Wow guys, above and beyond. Absolutely great stuff. Thanks again.

Thanks for all the info TFish, Champ and RPS. You guys are the best. I will hopefully get down there this weekend and give the Screamin Eagle a work out and see what I can get to nip me.

I agree with frog22. I also personally like the spot remover standup jig (in 1/4oz for me though) paired with a 5" YUM dinger. I feel like I have caught a little bit better quality fish with the bigger 5" dinger than something with a smaller profile.

Sorry to hear about your lack of success. Some days on TR can just be brutal so dont feel bad. Usually you can catch fish just about all year long (April-Nov for me) on the shakey head with some sort of worm (Senko, YUM Dinger, Chompers straight tail, Zoom centipede/fish doctor). I havent been to TR in over a month so I don't have a feel on the pulse of the fishing right now but I would try points and secondary points putting my boat in about 35ft of water and throwing up towards the bank and working it on bottom (dragging and short hops) back to the boat rather slow. Fish usually hitting it on the drop or when you drag it through the 10-25ft of water zone. Look for some wind to be hitting the points and if there is timber even better. Hope this gets you more than 1 1/2 fish. Top water is usually best before the sun gets up over the tree line and if its cloudy then the bite can last longer. -Brett PS- If that doesnt work try a 2oz mojo weight with 20lb test and attach the forementioned dynamaite, light, drop into water and count down 10 seconds. That should land a few.

I am a novice at best with the blade. Couple of questions: 1. Are you throwing more parallel to the bank or throwing shallow and working it back to the boat in the deep? 2. Are you burning it just under the surface? moderate speed at 5ft? 10ft? slow rolling on near the bottom? etc? 3. What size (3/8 or 1/2) would you recommend? -Brett

Anything going on at night? Or has it been too chilly to get out there after the sun goes down?

They are pretty common in TR. I mainly fish the dam area and we catch the crap out of them at times. They seem to really bunch up and usually on chunk rock type bottoms. Maybe thats why they call them rock bass? In April we catch quite a few on accident on grubs and centipedes. I have even caught them on big 12 inch worms. Those little boogers will go after baits well bigger than them. So if you catch one there is a 99% chance there are more where that came from. They are fun to catch and even better to eat. -Brett

Lucky Craft Sammy http://www.luckycraft.com/luckycrafthome/products/topwater/sammy100.htm

Champ and Capt Joe are steering you right. I myself use 17# trilene XL mono for my topwater. No reason to use small diameter since they are coming up to smash the bait and its more or less a reaction/feeding type bite. Like Champ said the high float of the higher test mono will make the topwater run better. Those fish probably that were stuck came apart or you would have seen them come back up flaoting to the surface struggling to get that sammy out within a few minutes from them breaking your line. -Brett

I would say crickets would be your best bet. You will also catch some random bass and catfish mixed in on them as well.

Fished Sat and Sunday in the dam area. Lets just say that fishing for the black bass right now is pretty dang tough. Started out mornings around 6AM on main lake points with little success. Mostly all shorts coming in the 15-25 FOW range early on. Being as hot as it is they move deep QUICKLY after the sun gets up and dont seem to want to eat anything. Most of the fish were caught on crawdad imitators (jig n trailer, baby brush hog, yum crawpapi). Wasted time in pursuit of the blacks before we happened upon some whites boiling on shad and we spent the rest of Saturday morning chasing them with decent success. The whites are just everywhere in the dam area and usually right in the mouth of coves and creeks and around the multiple islands towards the 86 bridge. Whites were caught on the standard lures (spoons, white rooster tails, inline spinners and top water baits). The whites are all over the area just kinda just keep an eye out for when they come up and then throw to them. If they go down they are still there just run your lures a bit deeper and you will get bit. Did our best on the whites in Brushy Creek but just look for the birds getting into the schools of shad and the whites will be near. Good luck. -Brett

The spillway at the dam is a pretty good spot in my opinion. I have never fished the bank there myself but always see several people fishing there when I am in the boat fishing that spot. From the spillway where the buoys stretch across to all the way around the point towards the dam I always catch fish. When you get around to the rip rap of the Dam where it is just a straight wall of rock to the dam itself the fishing dies off and I wouldnt waste my time. I have caught very nice fish there including goggle eye, nice largemouths and kentuckies, flat heads and sometimes those dumb white bass will come up there and then it is just on. Best white bass fishing day I ever had was actually right at that location. Massive Massive school of them came up for about an hour and just had a blast on topwater. My 2 cents. -Brett I forgot to add that I also caught an entire rod and reel there also on that point. haha.

Was wondering if you guys fishing at night are having to fizz fish also? I have never fizzed a fish and am kinda apprehensive to do so since I dont know what I am doing. That being said should I buy the bendz mender pen needle style fizzer tool or go with the anal fin clip weight things that also supposedly work well. Opinions fellas??? -Brett fizzing tool http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Bends_Mender_Deflator_Needle/descpage-BMDNP.html fin clamp weights http://www.flipclipfishing.com/

They should stay alive for a few days especially if you have food in the trap still. Depending on how many you have and what kind of trap I would be more concerned with them getting out than dying. If you set you trap lets say Friday night and are wanting to have your "crawdaddy" feast on Sunday afternoon you should be fine just leaving the trap Fri night, all of Saturday and clean them Sunday morning. You are obviously going to check Saturday morning and if you have a LOT of crawdads then over crowding can kill quite a few of them and I would take some out and clean them on the spot.

Wondering if anyone has had the chance to try the Berkley NanoFil? Seems like it makes good sense to try it on spinning gear. Was really considering getting some Suffix 832 and using leaders on my spinning stuff but just haven't gotten around to it yet. Now NanoFil has come out and I may just go with that instead of the 832 and not having to mess with fluoro leaders. Thoughts, opinions, gripes, etc.?

Nice Jeremy. Thats part of what makes fishing great, you really never know what may end up on the end or your line. Are you bouncing that DD crank on the bottom or fishing it threw a depth zone?

Couldnt have agreed or said it better than Martin. That is tip top info and EXACTLY spot on what I do with my lines. Trotline is the way to go if you are after the cats just for the sake of the meat, if fishing rod and reel then I can't help you there. -Brett

Yes they can escape but if you use the square trap that I mentioned in my last post they RARELY get out. The round/footballish looking 2 halves ones yes those would let more than a few out if you left the "daddys" in there with the food down to the bones or next to nothing. I will try to find the one online that I use and its really is a great crawdad trap. I think we got it from a local place around TR but not exactly sure where. -Brett

I am going to have to second BobbyP's suggestion. I always put it in the boat slip of the dock somewhere in the 15 feet of water range. We have a square trap and it has a seperate bait holder made of the same chicken wire as the trap that hangs in the middle of the trap. Its works FANTASTIC as is much better than the round type of trap that opens into 2 halves that I used to use before I got the larger square one. Any sort of meat/bones/carcass works but I just started using round bologna that is unsliced and still in the outer casing. Then I just cut it open to where some of the meat is exposed and it works just as good as I ever did with the carcasses and it last FOR EV ERRRRR.

Measure out your line against how long your pole is (6ft,7ft,etc). Let the grub sink next to the boat and count how long it takes until that amout of line you measured is gone. You can then calculate how long it takes for the grub/jighead to get to a certain depth. For example: If it takes 3 seconds to drop 6 feet then you can estimate that falls at 2 ft per second. So if you want it at 15 feet after it hits the water wait about 7-8 seconds and start swimming it back.

Wow! Nice going RPS. With all the information you have shared about walleye/bass fishing on this forum you are most deserving of that monster 'eye. Don't know what the lake record is but I would imagine that has to be in the ballpark???? I didn't even think they got that big in TR. One question though.....why are you embarrassed in that picture by hiding behinds its girth??? Just kidding. Congrats. -Brett

3 scenarios: 1. Topwater: Spit'n Image - one comes up and misses in a huge blow up. You keep the bait going and he comes back 1-3 seconds later to crush it again and gets stuck. 2. Jerkbait: Spro McStick Norman Flake - After a few twitches and jerks, letting the bait sit for 5-10 seconds and as soon as you give it another twitch it is like a freight train ran into the end of your line. 3. Eakins/Jewel/Bass X Jig: Throwing a jig with a paca chunk trailer and before youre on the bottom you already see your line making a b line for deeper water. All three make my heart skip a beat and get that adrenalin pumpin'. -Brett

Sounds like I am going to see you very soon on the A&E channel on Intervention. You will be the first Bassaholic case in the shows history. I hope they give you the help you need in Jig Rehab. Good luck. -Brett