Mid White

[SKMO]

Launched on mid-white about 0730 and immediately found some Sammy topwater fish on some favorite spots. Had several fish and some OK keeper spots in first 90 minutes, then called Babler to report in as I knew he was on a bass trip and we had agreed to compare notes after an initial foray.

He was doing well on another type bite but asked me if the topwater was a spook-type or a redfin. After hanging up the cell he had put the bug in my ear about the redfin and I wondered "why didn't I think of that"? I put a lot of trust in ol' Sammy and forget to branch out in the topwater arena. To settle the issue and answer the question I tied one on and... it turned out to be the best phone call I have made in a LONG time.

Long story short it seemed like every bass in the neighborhood had a bone to pick with the redfin, they could not leave it alone. Immediately started catching larger fish. By the time I left at 3PM I was well into double digits on legal fish and if I guestimated the number of total fish landed, plus swings and misses/follows on the redfin you would call me a lier so I will leave that number to myself. It was a nice big number. For much of the day I imagined myself fishing in Bill Dance's private pond, not Table Rock Lake.

Pics are of a 21" LM (out of 25' water) with a stub of a tail that literally bled allover the boat. Plus a personal best 20" meanmouth. Fluke was just laid there for scale, caught on Redfin. Doubt if I will ever beat this for a Meanmouth but I'll keep trying.

Pattern was the ends of tree lines on the lake end of spawning coves. Caught several Sammy fish but redfin fish were more agressive and better quality.

Thanks Bill, would never have turned out this way without your input.

[conman]

SKMO, I will be down by Cape Fair tommorow, are you fishing near this area?

Tell me more about the "Redfin" I am not familiar with that... color, manufacturer?

Thanks

Nice Fish!!!

[WebFreeman]

This will seem like a stupid question since you were talking about "top water," but how were you fishing it? I've read a lot of articles on "wake baits" like the redfin fished real slow on top making a wake, but I've always done better fishing them 1-2' down w/ a stop and go.

[LWW]

Please clarify your "Spook / Redfin" train of thoughts. Is a spook considered a redfin imitation? More info please.

Thanks

[MOBass]

If you don't mind sharing could you say what type of red fin you were using? I believe there are two body styles.

[wily]

I'll jump in and offer my two cents. Redfins are easier to use than a spook. You just throw it out and steady reel it in. Reel at a speed where the bait stays on top of the water and creates a "v" wake back to the boat. If you reel too fast it dives a little. It is easier if you keep the lure in front of the boat while you are using the trolling motor.

Redfins are made by cotton cordell. They're basically a big hollow rapala minnow bait. They come in both jointed and non-jointed styles. There isn't a trick to redfins, you reel it just fast enough to make a wake on top of the water.

It's a big fish bait. They also work good at night because of the steady movement, similar to a jitterbug but without the noise.

[SKMO]

SKMO, I will be down by Cape Fair tommorow, are you fishing near this area?

Tell me more about the "Redfin" I am not familiar with that... color, manufacturer?

Thanks

Nice Fish!!!

Sorry I was slow in replying. The TR Redfin bite is kind of an elusive and legandary thing. It either works great or it does not work worth a hoot. When it works hang on cause it is definitely a big fish bite. My #1 most memorable day on the Rock was on the Redfin.

Here is a link to the redfin, I guess BPS does not carry them:

http://www.lurenet.com/catalog.aspx?catid=CJ9JointedRedFin

When TR fishermen talk about a redfin bite they are always referring to the jointed model run right on top, making a "wake".

There is no lure I modify as much as a jointed redfin. You gotta make it float more. Replace both factory hooks with lighter and sharper Gammy hooks. I put a dab of lead putty on the rear of the front section to hold it down, and I put a piece of foam tape on the front of the front section, right behind the bill to add bouancy to the front end. You want the thing to be trying to crawl up OUT of the water during the retrieve, and make a wake across the top of the water.

I'm not sure if color is very important but I have a smokey joe color and a blue over bone that both work well. Base color is usually some shade of off-white.

It's hard to get one running just right. Hold rod tip high and reel kind of fast initially, or let it float up till it comes to the top, then just swim it on the surface. You want your line more or less completely out of the water.

Sometimes it works in shallows, I usually do best around deeper submerged trees.

[MOBass]

I skulked the aisle at BPS and they had both jointed and non jointed. I was pretty sure the jointed was the preffered model. I appreciate the info on the mods to the bait. I know a couple of folks that fish this bait a lot but have been very tight lipped about the mods. I had figured out the wait to the back of the bait but had not figured out the foam up front. As was mentioned deeper water on points or over timber seems to be where this bait performs best. I may need a mental health day next week to go try some new stuff.