June 23rd. Baxter Area

[Bill Babler]

Got out at 5:00 and it was a boat race at Baxter. Lots of guide trips. Lots of boats running way to fast in the DARK. 

There were shad up shallow and in the bushes on the points. Not much top water at all and I did not have a single bite or blowup. 

Had 5 solid keepers and 5 shorts that were right there pushing the 15" line. All nice fish. . Also had 2 gar, both on football jigs. Can't ever remember catching a gar on an FB jig. 

Surface temps at the start were 85.5, when I pulled out at 10:30 right at 87.5 degree. 

Caught all my fish on a Lake Fork flutter spoon, a 6XD and the FB jig. 

I'm going to have to have Fisherman give me some lessons on the 6XD. I got a ton of really hammer hits on it but only boated two. 

My rig was a 7'6" Hvy. Cover Rod with a Lew's Tournament Pro. Spooled with 12# carbon. Never lost one I hooked but just could not get a hook in them.  I mean they wailed on it. Boat is 20' to 27'. Most bites on the cranker were in that 12' to 17' range. 

I will confess I had 13 drop shot fish off one bluffend and probably could have caught 13 more. They were just babies, I mean 8 to 10 inches. You could see them swarming the Morning Dawn 4" worm on live scope.

15' to 25 feet on the FB jig. 24' to 30' on the drop shot and the FS, suspended over depth. 

Good Luck. 

 

 

[Fishrman]

I not much of a deep cranker main lake.  All up the river for me.  I will l be playing with my new Phoenix over the next few weeks trying to figure out how to run my settings on mega live.  In the Joe Bass Saturday we thought it would be a 6xd day, but only managed 1 keeper and some shorts.  Flutter spoon was the ticket and the mega live helped with tasty decision.  Although not really set up like I think it should be,  it helped.  One day I'm headed that way to crank I'll message you. 

[Bill Babler]

Let me know, I'm an eager learner. Do you think it was small fish slamming the XD?  Had lots of bites on it. Long Rock runnouts, not gravel locations. 

Might have been gar, they tortured me all day. 

Kind of locations you would fish a jerker or a A-Rig for LM. 

Thanks. 

[Fishrman]

Could have been shorts, but generally you don't miss many like your talking about.  Maybe some small whites.  I'll get up that next week maybe, will let you know. 

[Smithvillesteve]

Bill: I am certainly not one to give you advice. You will forget more about bass fishing than i will ever know. But everytime i read on BassBlasters about a tournament guy winning with a crankbait they talk about changing out the hooks. Now, they are fishing for thousands of dollars and their livelihood. I dont have the time, energy or tools to change out hooks. That 6XD is a popular bait right now. 

[Bill Babler]

Thanks Steve, and as everyone knows I’m a big hook changer. The baits I threw yesterday were right out of the box, and I’m guessing Mustads. I hate Mustads, but as I mentioned I never lost  a hooked fish. 

These bites were just slams and I really have no idea why a hook was never taken, but none came unbuttoned, they just didn’t get hooked. 

Fished the same area today not nearly the traffic as yesterday, hard to figure why a Thursday would be busier than Friday. 

Surface temps when I started 0500 were at 83, so cooler than yesterday. We got a big storm last evening here at the Knob.   Put it on the trailer at 9:30 with temps at 84.5. 

Had 19 this morning but only 2 keepers, all on the 1/2oz.  GP Pigsticker with a Yamamoto twin tail GP trailer.   Most all the fish I caught today were under 15’ deep, and just about everyone had a hook hole in its mouth.

Don’t ya just love those really dark small jaws.

Nothing on the XD, Swim bait or top water. Did have a bass blow on a WP, but the gar on every location kept following it. 

From Campbell Point to point 9 the gar are simply everywhere, just terrible. 

Good Luck






 

[Royal Blue]

Bill you've forgotten more about fishing than I know, but I can tell you that I never throw a crankbait (even a deep one) on anywhere close to that heavy of a rod.  Medium to a moderate action medium heavy.  On the 5 and 6XD I use a 7' 6" inch rod, but never that heavy.  It gives them just that little split second to get that bait all the way in their mouth.  The slower action keeps the trbles pinned too.  Just my 2 cents, but I would bet those are good fish just not getting in their mouth all the way.

[Bill Babler]

I’m guessing your right. I just don’t crank with much other than a Wart or RK Crawler. Don’t really have a rod for those 17’ to 22’ crank baits. I just don’t do that. 

I might invest in one however. 

I did watch a KVD video of deep crankin ledges with a 6 XD and he was using a 7’ 4” Heavy Lew’s Crank bait Rod.  Full Graphite.  They have some blends up to 7’10” but the lure weight does not support that 1 oz. 6XD so he cranks with that 7’4” Heavy that supports up to a 2oz. Bait. 

He said never to use a rod that does not support the weight of the lure your throwing with it.  

He said a lighter rod just wears him out as he has to physically pull the bait. Said the Heaver rod for deep crankin is easier for him. 

Please let me know what you all use for theses 17’ to 20’ plus deep diving cranks. 

Might I ask what 7’6” rod your throwing your XD on? 
Thanks. 




 

[Bill Babler]

We’ll, I just found out what might have been my problem. 

Spoke to one of our local pro’s and when I told him about catching gar on the FB jig, he said I was rolling over them with the crank bait, not missing bass  

Who knows, but I bet he nailed it  these were hard thumps, like I hit something or it hit me

Still please let me know your thoughts on deep crankin rods that support those big baits.
Thanks All.  

 

[Fishrman]

I'm using the lews 7'11" LSD1.  Medium action.  Only rated to 3/4oz.  But I haven't had any issues that I know of.   Casts well,  good rod for fighting fish.   May need to get a 7'4"and see.