Upper End Report

[rps]

Fished this morning until shortly after noon. Early, while it was still raining, I spooked and caught 12 mixed LM and spots, as well as three huge white bass. One of the white bass was 19 inches long and weighed nearly four pounds on my Cabelas spring scale. She was slack bellied and spawned out. Probably would have been record size a few weeks ago.

None of the blacks were anywhere near that size although two would have measured. I had several fish come unbuttoned and one of them was quite respectable.

After the sun thinned the cloud cover and the wind picked up, I fished a fish doctor for a while and picked up three more shorts and a large bluegill. Couldn't seem to find the magic this trip with the plastics. I tired of being blown around and came in. I may well try again tomorrow, although the forecast is for post cold front sunny skies.

[smallmouthjoe]

I lost so many fish this weekend on the spook. I don't know what the deal was I let them have it and completely turn and swim away with it but I couldn't get a hook in them. Frustrating, but I did come away with a couple. I couldn't get the soft plastic to work either until I started throwing a dropshot around docks. It was not my best weekend.

[rps]

Last year, when I wrote of a day like yesterday - fish that didn't hook up or came off - Bill Babler reminded me to not set the hook. Just reel until you feel the fish then bow up. It has helped my percentage. Still, days like yesterday happen. For every fish I landed, I had more than that many more missed strikes. I cannot complain though. I had a marvelous time yesterday morning.

[Bill Babler]

SMJ That is just fishing most of the time, as RPS said. This was a very strange topwater weekend however, and has been for the entire week. I have had and my guides have had fish blowing up all over baits, to not get them stuck.

They seem to be sticking themselves just a little better on a moving topwater bait, rather than a splasher or chugger. I stated this on another thread.

I believe the spook will generate as many or more bites if fished correctly than any of the high dollar wakers on the market. The Cavete' is getting them poked on it right now.

Believe me my brother, you are not alone in not getting them to the boat.

Keep a flinging and keep it a movin.

Give one of the wake baits a try by putting the spook in the bullpen for a morning or two and see if that helps. Maybe yes, maybe no.

Good Luck

[smallmouthjoe]

Thanks for the advice. I usually don't get so frustrated but when I've lost the fifth or sixth nice looking bass I start to yonder about my skills as an angler. I was thinking about a wake bait this weekend and wishing that I had invested in one in the past. I think I'll go to BP and pick one up. Thanks again guys.

[Phil Lilley]

You know... I love the "bite" on topwater soooooo well I don't care about the hook-ups..

You know what I mean?

[FRENZEL]

I had them knocking the spook 3 feet out of the water yesterday morning.. It is almost like the most violent strikes don't produce good hookups. And I found some of the missing Kentuckies out in 25 feet of water yesterday. They ate that topwater but I could not get them to hit a thing after they went down... Then came the wind and I couldn't stay over em. Just hovering at 18 to 20 feet 5 feet off the bottom.

[Hunter91]

lilley,

I agree with you. My wife and I were out of Baxter Friday morning and had several awesome blowups that we did not get and she was getting frustrated. I told her thats why I love topwater fishing at least you get a visual on strikes. I enjoyed watching 4 or 5 bass fighting for the bait all the way to the boat even when none hooked up. Don't get me wrong I love the hookups too!!

[Bill Babler]

Here is something else to consider, and I may be entirely off base, but are you boy's absolutely sure they were K's hitting your topwater splashers???

Could any of those "Heat Seeking Missles", have been White's???

White's can for sure be in the middle of anything that is being pushed to the top. Can be 20 K's there and only one White, or Vis-a-versa. On a big Topwater, even a Spook Jr. it can be a very hard hookup with a white.

Here is a tip, that will work way better than a grub or a spoon for surfacing fish. ("Gosh, I'm giving all my goodies away.") Try a big inline spinner, like a mepps, or a panthermartin. or a big white and silver roostertail. Silver blades work the best. Also nothing will work any better than a 1/4 oz horse head roadrunner in grey on schoolers. If you see some chasers, and they just follow the towater to the boat, or you are a missin-em, throw that inline and see if it hooks you up. And for gosh sakes, don't jerk it. When you feel a fish pull on it, it's in his mouth and he is already hooked. By givin a big Cock-a-Maney-Jerk with whiplash conitations, most of the time you will just tear it out or pull it free. Just lift strong and keep your stick bowed to the max.

The very best inline spinner, and ya'll will have to help me remember the name, I have a dozen is made by the company that makes those real expensive titanium spinnerbaits. Gosh, they make a perfect bright silver inline spinner in 1/2 oz, that works like a dream. Roland Martin used to hawk them, and to tell you the truth, I'm not sure they are still around. The inline spinners I have from them, are wonderful.

This will for sure let you seperate the Whites and the K's as they both just cannot leave it alone if they are chasing shad to the surface. They will for sure get hooked in either the "Upper or Lower lip".

[motoman]

Bill, I'll take a stab here, I know Terminator makes the Titanium spinnerbaits. They have an inline spinner too. Not sure if this is it?

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http://www.terminatorlures.com/in-line_spi...n-line_spinner/

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