troutgnat

Tom, sorry, but no. The jigs I have are a lot differant than that. A very unusual looking head design. And yes the packaging does state 2006 ICAST best of show award.

Redbud, I really don't believe that to be a Meanmouth. It does not have the coloration and pattern of any meanmouth I have seen out of Table Rock. I just caught one last Sunday. Interestingly, now I am curious as to what the record is on a Meanmouth. I have never seen a Meanmouth larger than maybe a couple of pounds. I largest I have caught was right at 15".

Just my two cents worth here. I'm not going to address the time issue but going back on what someone said in a previous post. IT DOES HAVE ALOT TO DO WITH HOW YOU PLAY THE FISH that will determine how fast you land it. I often can judge the fishes demeanor once hooked which will tell me what I can and can't do with it. I DO OFTEN DO THE DOWN AND DIRTY on trout, I believe this was a Lefty Kreh technique. Anyway, keep your rod low and to the side to put side pressure on the fish and turn his head this will allow you more control over the fish to be able to land it quicker. Show them who's boss. Again, many variables warrant just how much pressure you can put on the fish. But, I use this method often and it works. The sooner you can turn their head and get them going where you want the better. This is especially a good method when fishing close to swift current. i.e........Get them out of it before they hit it and say good-bye down stream into your backing.........LOL

Anybody have any experience with the above jig. I found them in an Ace Hardware the other day and bought some to try out. I believe I know of Bobby Johnson, doesn't he hang around Fin and Feather tackle shop up in Springfield and used to be a sales rep in the fishing industry. Anyway just curious about this product and it's history and it's catchability if anyone out there has used it. Thanks.

Gentlemen, Very useful information! Bill, thanks for the insight. I have fished both those jig colors for quite a while and never once thought to contrast the two colors like that. I always seemed to color coordinate the trailer to match the jig.............DUH.

good point about the guides, but for me I'm going to do it because like you said, I can. Hmmmm........A 4+lb smallie on a noodle crankin stick?........sounds like a whole lot of fun!

Well you all sold me, I believe I will be sticking with P-Line!

Just an interesting question here. Almost have of the smallmouth and kentuckys we caught Sunday were puking up crawdads or had them in their mouths. I was able to collect several of these and they were all of the same coloration. A solid green pumpkin(dark olive) across the top and back, fading into brown down the sides with orange near the bottom 1/3 on the sides and orange on bottom. These were craws taken from fish around pea gravel in 16' of water or less. Im curious as to what color of jigs everyone is fishing and how well they resemble this coloration. I know crawdads change colors when they molt and depending on where they habitat. Craws in deeper water tend to be darker, etc. I usually tend to throw jigs in brownish/cinnamon/purplish in color or green pumpkin w/ accent colors. How about everyone else????

Fshrman, Wind was key for me yesterday as well. I was dragging points but got bit much better when the wind was on it. I threw a spinnerbait for a bit with no luck but just didn't the conditions for the bite where I was at, so I thought anyway. May I ask what the conditions and structure you were throwing your spinnerbait on? I was throwing the KVD premium in shad color in tandem gold colorado with large nickle willow leaf.

I have used P-line before and like it but I am definitely going to be using more of this particular floroclear!

Wayne, Had it on 8# P-Line Floroclear with a cylindrical 5/16" weight rubber-pegged 18" up from the doctor. Also using carolina crawlic juice on one and my partner was using Jacks Garlic juice on her rig. Don't know if that made a difference but we had no problem getting bit!

Eric, The Fish Doctor is a plastic bait made by Zoom. It's basically what most fisherman call french-fry or do-nothing baits. Picture a french-fry in green pumpkin color and you got it. Not much action, good for finesse style fishing or splitting shottin, wacky rigging or carolina rigging. There really is no wrong way to fish french fry baits! Zoom has other simialiar styles as does every other manufacturer out there. I never go anywhere without some of these in the boat as they can catch fish in just about any style of water any time of year.

Just thought I would throw this tid-bit in here. I had respooled my two spinning rods with P-Line Floroclear in 8# test yesterday for dragging the fish doctor. Absolutely loved it! Sensitivity was great. Knot strength, no problem with a palomar. Cast'd like a dream. I can't say anything bad! Anybody else have any experience with this line? I bought the rod above at last years Spring Fishing Classic. They were advertising it for drop-shotting. Something I need to really learn how to do.......LOL. Anyway, after handling it and really trying to get a feel for I had bought it for swimming a grub and finesse/shaky-head fishing. It performed flawlessly yesterday for dragging the doctor. Length was ideal for casting some distance and hooksets usually not a problem except for when I wasn't paying attention! My dragging technique is too keep rod low and sweep to the side and a reel-down and low jerk to the right side for the hook set. It works best for me since I'm right handed. Anyway, just had to brag on this rod and see if anyone else out there owns one!?

Thanks Denjac!, Definitely not always my confidence bait but just enjoy the feel of the sucking in of that crankbait when the bite is on. Also, the fight on a fiberglass wobble stick is just incredible!.......LOL. That really is what gets it for me. Kind retarded, huh? Funny thing is, I never threw a crank yesterday though had the rod and them with me. Was too busy catching fish........HA

Had a great day on the rock. Put in at Indian Point Marina before 1st light, and motored straight across lake to main lake point. First cast of the day on a spook and had a 3lb smallie blow up on it. Landed it and went on to catch a couple shorter smalls and a kentucky. School of whites came up and of course had to have fun with them. Had my lady friend with me so wanted make sure I got her on fish using something she could fish easily and effectively so shortly after daybreak stayed on the point and started dragging the fish doctor again. I stayed on topwater but after about 5 fish down to my partner resorted back to the fish doctor. I couldn't let her beat me! We had some wind on this point for good bit and wore out about 10 or so smallies on the fish doctor. Wind died down along with the cloud cover and so did the fishing. Started moving around, went up the Indian and hit some docks. Caught one 14" largemouth, another real nice smallie and a number of kentuckies all on the doctor. Motored down the the main lake Indian point and had several more smallies with one close to the 3lb mark, still fishing the doctor. For the afternoon we went across from this point and hit the first 3 main lake points down the right hand side. Continued to pull a couple of smallies off each point. From about 3pm on whites were coming up all over this points, sometimes at random you just had to idle around and spot em. I ended up filling the live wells with whites on a bone-white spook Jr. , with my counter part using a chug-bug. With daylight over the horizon we were coming up on another point still catching surfacing whites when I saw a big blow up and actually saw a big small mouth actually come out of the water. I hit the trolling motor and got within range, we both hooked up on our first casts with two decent smallies. We boated 5 smallies out of this school with my last one again being right around 3lbs again on a spook! So, here's my question!!!......I believe I actually saw a school of smallies schooling shad on top. Not just a random smallie in the middle of a bunch of whites. Could this have been a school of surfacing smallies? If so, it was my first time witnessing this and it was so COOL! All in all, had a great day and got another one hooked on fishing the Rock!

Gentlemen, I as well caught a lot of shorts yesterday around the Indian Point area. Though, interestingly enough my first and last smallmouth of the day were both on a spook and close to 3lb each. Both on main lake points with a little wind, one at day break and the other at dusk.

I knew he wasn't using a cranker I was just looking for some info to help me catch some smallies on a crank this time of year. One of you all brought up a good point though about Wiggle Warts. I've got this bite down in the spring and have had alot of fun. Who doesn't enjoy the wiggle wart bite in the spring??? Anyway, I never really considered throwing the wart much any other time. Could it be that productive???

Bill, Thanks for your input. But I just got to say I love fishing crankbaits. I got hooked on fishing them when I was over on the east side of the state around Wapapello, Mark Twain and occasionly LOZ and some private waters and figured out how to catch fish on them. I have never really had the opportunity to fish smallies on a crank thus my reason for the request. Fall can be a good time to catch fish on shallow cranks when they start moving up so I wanted to be prepared and see what I could make happen. The good ole' Shad Rap has been a good fall bait for me as well as some flat sides around docks. Well anyway tomorrow it shall be topwater, jig, spinnerbait and dragging plastics for me then....................D

Once again error on my part. I didn't mean the actual lake points. My Hot Spots fishing map shows them as a number with a circle around it classified as "areas". So, I was between "areas" 18 and 21 on the Indian Point Marina side of the lake. Hope this clarifies me a little better yet. Funny thing is I'm the same way with a highway map........Can't read maps well I just know where I'm at from being there before. Don't ask me how I got there or where I was at,..................kinda thing. Anway, Denjac can you give me some pointers on catching them smallies and kentuckys on crankbaits on these areas were fishing.???? Thanks.

This is what I get for burning up the lake. And for having fishing insanity. I had fished around Big Cedar just a few days ago looking to get on a good smallmouth bite, found some fish but was itching to try new water so decided to head to Indian Point the next time out. SO, to confirm, I do know Big Cedar is on Long Creek. In my previous post I mentioned I was headed up Indian Creek past Big Cedar. I meant the Little Indian Marina not Big Cedar. So everyone knows, yes, I was up in the Indian past the Marina. I FEEL LIKE A FISHING IDIOT!!!.............Sorry.

Wow, I can't believe I did that! That's what I get for fishing to many differant areas at once. I just fished around Big Cedar a few days ago. I guess I just temporarily forgot where I was at! I HAVE FISHING INSANITY!!! I meant to say Indian Point Marina. So, it is clear I fished from main lake point (21) at Indian on up past the Marina to around 18. Thanks for the insight to my error.....................D

Denjac, Congratulations on your day. I was up the Indian past Big Cedar yesterday and got on some fish though most were small. Except I did catch two Kentuckys in the 2-3 lb range also and 1 15" smallie. I found them on marble size pea gravel and any docks with adjacent pea gravel. Most of my fish came shallow, perhaps I should have concentrated my efforts deeper and with a jig. I was getting bit on dragging a zoom fish doctor so I stayed with it. Anyway, can you provide me a little more insight of what kind of structure and depth you found your fish on? Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks. I plan to return on Sunday.

I have to add my two cents! AFTER READING ALL THE POSTS IN THIS THREAD I FEEL LIKE I'M IN COLLEGE BIOLOGY CLASS AGAIN...........................LOL.......HA.

Posted my report under previous thread 'Headed To The Rock, Now'

Well gentlemen I survived the gastapo coming and going. My lucky day I guess. When I pulled out there were two of them in their vehicles right there waiting for those who were returning at dusk. I trailered up with no hassel. However, they left just a frog hair before I pulled out and one of them didn't even make it out of the parking lot; here came the lights and they got somebody. 1 minute after that as I was driving up the hill there was the other with a vehicle pulled over that quick. Like I said I got lucky and learned a lesson. Must mind P's and Q's at Indian Point that's for sure. Now for the fishing! Fishing was decent. I boated about a dozen. Around 7 smallies and 5 kentuckys. I fished the Big Cedar side between 18 and 20(main lake point at Indian). Probably could have caught more fish but was hitting random spots looking for a pattern to come back Sunday to. Caught one big Kentucky right off the wake break in front of the ramp on a spinnerbait. I pulled a 3 1/2 lb off a dock with a Senko. Those were my big two. All my others were caught by dragging a Zoom fish doctor in green pumpkin around the fine pea gravel banks. Numerous fish were caught adjacent to docks. I tried to find some crankbait fish and managed to catch two on a Excalibur Fat Free Shad in Citrus Shad color. I tried to keep the boat in around 20-25' of water and cast at a 45 degree to the bank for dragging the doctor. Most fish I caught were quite shallow 15' or less. Maybe I could have caught more and bigger fish out deeper but it was fun anyway. I would like to sharpen my crankbait skills on some smallies can anyone give me a little more insight for crankin up some smallies this time of year??? Thanks!