Flogging

[Macsimus]

I've been flogging the water to a froth since arriving here March 1st with nothing worthy of a report. However, just being here and trying beats the land of ice and snow every day, all day. Like Basspastor, catching them deep is a summit I'm still looking up at. Thank you for your inspirational post, by the way. Yesterday, I ventured over to the Kings in search of warmer water. It was stained less than I expected given the recent rains, but still had enough floaters for a little pucker factor running down the lake. Table Rock finally granted me a bit of mercy as I blundered into a school of Spots and LMs, catching 20 including 5 keepers. One of them was this "Lil Ol' Meat Pouch" to borrow an epithet from Zona. She went 21 1/2" and tipped the scale at 5.23 lbs. She eagerly lunched a white chatterbait with an Albino Zoom Swimming Super Fluke Jr for a trailer. I remember thinking, this is a big one and wondering if it might not be some other specie as it was pulling so hard. All of the fish came on either the chatterbait or a 4" Keitech Swing Impact on a 1/4 ballhead jig. Water temp was 61. 

 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

Nice.  

[Royal Blue]

 Are you winding the chatterbait, or working it like a jig?  I throw a lot of chatterbaits and get bit quite a bit, but haven't ever figured out anything other than just fishing it like a spinnerbait.  Just curious as to how others are fishing it.

[Macsimus]

I was fishing it like a jig, letting it fall to the bottom and working it back slowly. 

[Quillback]

Congrats on some good catching!

I have been thinking of a chatterbait myself, seems like the pros are throwing them on just about every tourney show I watch.  And they are catching fish.  I watch how they work them and it seems most of the time they just roll them like you would a crankbait.  

[dtrs5kprs]

Good one Cal.

[bferg]

1 hour ago, Quillback said:

Congrats on some good catching!

I have been thinking of a chatterbait myself, seems like the pros are throwing them on just about every tourney show I watch.  And they are catching fish.  I watch how they work them and it seems most of the time they just roll them like you would a crankbait.  

I started this spring determined to catch a fish on the chatterbait- have not thrown them much in the past for some reason.  I love how versatile it is- throw it like a jig, throw it like a crank.  Well, I still haven't caught on on it.  You have to work it pretty slow to keep it on the bottom...  but I am gonna keep trying!  Great fish!

[dtrs5kprs]

7 minutes ago, bferg said:

I started this spring determined to catch a fish on the chatterbait- have not thrown them much in the past for some reason.  I love how versatile it is- throw it like a jig, throw it like a crank.  Well, I still haven't caught on on it.  You have to work it pretty slow to keep it on the bottom...  but I am gonna keep trying!  Great fish!

Same. Especially after watching the Bull Shoals MLF. Put a bunch together for the trip.

[BassPastor]

Wow great fish! Glad TR rewarded your efforts. If you're like me, there is a point where my expectations drop a little bit, and I just find contentment with exploring the lake and keeping those lures in the water. 

I haven't found water as high as 61 degrees yet, that's a good little tip. We have a family condo just behind State Park Marina. I fish out of a 40 year old Crestliner with an equally old 35 hp Johnson, so I don't tend to venture more than 2-3 miles from home. Hopefully the warm water finds it's way down lake fairly soon. 

Good work! 

[Nitro 750]

Nice fish!!!!