Meeks Tournament 5/20

[dtrs5kprs]

There were just too many of those big girls taking boat rides when throwing the chandelier took off. As Jason says, folks everywhere were showing pics on phones of fish over 6#, so we obviously had a lot of them. Now, not so much. Not coincidentally, the effectiveness of the A-rig seems to have really tapered off, in the same time frame. Remember the PAA in June of 2011 as the flood was dragging on? Guys fishing the derby were thumping big fish with 14" worms, and huge swimbaits. We had a lot of big largemouth just a few years back.

Think the ticket on the deep suspenders might be big swimbaits, as they fish them in CA. I don't have the temperament for it though. I have caught some better ones (over 20") fishing baits like a Storm swimbait about 20'-25' down around wood on main lake channel swings. There again, folks need to really watch them for signs of pressure trouble. Not something you think a lot about unless you are fishing vertically, but several of the ones I caught that way had to be fizzed before they could get back down.

There are also those old boys down in SC and GA who fish lakes like Lanier and Hartwell, and fish jigs down into those deep trees. Down to 50' and more. That has worked down there for decades. Slightly different lakes, but we have some of the same features available, especially down by the dam, and maybe Baxter - mouth of the James.

Never forget the old tailspinner either, or the new BPS version of the Cordell Super Shad. There is a reason Stacey King fishes it, and that BPS now makes a version of the old bait.

***And no, I'm not anti A-rig. Throw what you like, or what you have to. Just seems a bit coincidental to me.

[Moswimb8slinger]

Someone say swimbaits on the rock?lol

[Bass Enforcer]

Man, I was going to say just the opposite. I have caught more bigger fish year particularly in the dam area, than I have in years past. Several 4 pound small mouth. The unfortunate thing is I can't seem to catch them on tournament days. I guess I'll count my blessings. I will say, most of the bigger ones have came just after dark. Maybe if there were some tournaments that went from 3 to 10pm I may have a chance. Haha good luck everyone and thanks for all the post. Everyone does a great job!

[dtrs5kprs]

Man, I was going to say just the opposite. I have caught more bigger fish year particularly in the dam area, than I have in years past. Several 4 pound small mouth. The unfortunate thing is I can't seem to catch them on tournament days. I guess I'll count my blessings. I will say, most of the bigger ones have came just after dark. Maybe if there were some tournaments that went from 3 to 10pm I may have a chance. Haha good luck everyone and thanks for all the post. Everyone does a great job!

The brown fish are a different deal entirely. They are thick, and there are good ones available. I'm not so sure you couldn't cash checks right now with good brown fish. Just don't think guys are fishing for them in derbies because herd thinking says you must have largemouth. I'd take my chances with an 18" brownie weighing against an 18" black, especially post spawn.

Another thought, and perhaps I am overthinking it, is this. The largemouth we have now are largely offspring of fish that survived the virus. How did they manage that? At a guess, by being strong enough to live through it when others died, or by living in places where they had less exposure to sick fish. The fish in the rivers should have had the most exposure, because of the smaller area. Like folks getting the flu by being in the doctor's office instead of outside. Fish in the main lake, say Baxter to the dam (big water), should have had a lower chance of encountering an infected fish.

Leaves me thinking we now have largemouth that are either genetically wired a bit differently, perhaps even impacting their behavior, or that have learned to behave differently in the extreme. Again, throw in the loss of the big bushy cedars, and increased pressure/traffic, and you likely have fish that are even more prone to suspending deep.

[JacobW]

I fish a lot in the upper end around big m to eagle rock and guys like Quillback would agree that there is a ton of fishing pressure up here with a lot less water to fish.

[Quillback]

There is a ton of pressure up the White this year. Even during the week there are a lot of boats, every day is a Saturday it seems.

[slowbait]

The fish are getting smart. You guys talk about fishing pressure and your right. Just look at the post on this web. Most of the fisherman on this post go everyday. So a lot of pressure just from us, not alone everyone else. So, Its like roaring river state park, the fish get smart and you can only hook them so many times before they change there ways. Its hard to believe that you can even catch a fish on Table Rock with all the tournaments and pleaser fisherman fishing everyday in the same areas. I bet there is not a fish in the lake that has not had a hook in its mouth. So be happy that you even catch a fish. I am.

[Champ188]

A friend loaned me a book called Trackin' Trophies a few years back that is a real eye opener. If the book is truly representative of how big fish behave --- and I have no reason to doubt it --- they spend only a small fraction of their lives in waters where they are likely to be susceptible to the average angler.

Jason nailed it about where they spend the rest of their time --- way out offshore, suspended with the baitfish. Furthermore, the biologist who did the research for the book (he used electronic tracking tags) found that when these big fish did move relatively shallow to feed, they usually did so under the cover of night.

I do think the A-rig has made some of these fish more vulnerable to those who throw it (I'm not among them; tried it and just don't enjoy it). But I also think the numbers of catchable big fish have declined, leaving them even harder to locate and catch. I think it would humble us all to know just how many are really out there that are just hard as heck to get a lure in front of.

As for those who have toted them home for photos and then killed them, the rest of us are now paying the price for your irresponsibility and ignorance.

http://gifyoutube.com/gif/v13pJk

[Flysmallie]

As for those who have toted them home for photos and then killed them, the rest of us are now paying the price for your irresponsibility and igorance.

The irony is that you can't even spell ignorance correctly.

[Sprint21fter]

Adapt or die. Fish move every year, I predominately fish 20ft or less when the water is 50 degrees or warmer. The main thing is to find bait find the fish. I think the fish are feeding at a different time right now when there isn't a whole lot of people on the water. Hence, 2am-5:30am or 6pm-8pm (except for the night guys) The last campbel point night tournament a buddy of ours caught a 6.60 and lost big fish to a guy that had a 6.80 and another twinkie with it. Table Rock is fishing like it has back in the early 90's where 16-18lbs will be a strong bag. The fish are still there but we have to outsmart them.