Got back out today wanting to continue the pattern I found working get onewell on Thursday. Well hit some areas like I did Thursday with the same outlook and places I had not fished in a long time. Well the pattern held up and I ended up having one of the best days on the water than I've had in the late fall in years.
I started hitting grass lines off steep drops near mian lake water and creek channels. I started off fishing the Jackall Muscle 10+ crankbait along the lines catching a solid 18 lb limit in the first hour. I then worked several areas that looked the same culling a few fish along the way. I then moved out just a little deeper and found where the bigger fish were. I changed baits to the Jackall Swimming Ninja(both Tenn shad and Hitch colors) and it was the ticket for the bigger bite. I ended up putting the boat in about 15 feet of water and flat smoked em' on the Ninja. The bite got better as the day went on and clouds began to move in a little.
I ended up the day fishing the Ninja in several areas that had the same type drops and a five fish limit that pushed 29 lbs. on the Cull-M-Rite scales. I did get fewer bites on the Ninja that the keeper bites on the crankbait but it's well worth the wait between bites when you hook one. Hope everyone has a great weekend and looking forward to the holiday. Be sure to remember our discount gift certificates are on sale and going fast. I extended the number we were selling this year to give everyone a chance to get in on the bargin. These are good for trips the entire 2010 season. See you on the water and thanks to everyone for your support.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Lake Guntersville 11-19-09
Today got out kinda late and did something a little new. Had long time friend and client fishing with me and he wanted to test me today. He had asked me what area of the lake I had not fished in awhile and I told him about a creek I had not been in but once or twice all year. He said that was where he wanted to fish and see how I can just put the boat in and find fish in the short 3-4 hours we had before dark.
Well we put the boat in the water and I tied on 4 baits. A Jackall Muscle 10+(shad color), a Flick Shake on a Wacky jig head(Bluegill), a White Spinnerbait, and a Lake Fork Magic Shad. I looked at the map on the GPS found an area I thought they would be near on the pattern and went fishing. Well started working a long point near the mouth of a creek channel and after explaining why I picked that spot set the hook on a solid keeper. I stayed on the trolliing motor and after another 10 mins set the hook on another keeper fish. I tied him on the same color crankbait and about 3 cast later he set the hook on his first keeper. A few cast later another keeper about the same size as the others. We then made a move to duplicate the pattern and only had one on the 2nd stop but it was short. After checking out the map again moved to another area with only about 45 mins left to fish. Sat the boat down and nothing on the crankbait. I picked up the Flick SHake and SMACK! boated 3 more on 3 cast(I love that bait.haha). We noticed some fish coming up after shad that looked to be a little bigger so I pulled out "Kermit"(thats a hollow body frog) and let him work it over some grass patches. About 10 mins of daylight left he set the hook on a better fish and put her in the boat. IN the time we had on water I have not seen much at all we had a great day. Boated a solid limit and he said one of the best learning trips he had been on to date. Another great time on the water with a great guy. See you on the water!
God Bless
Phil.4:13
Well we put the boat in the water and I tied on 4 baits. A Jackall Muscle 10+(shad color), a Flick Shake on a Wacky jig head(Bluegill), a White Spinnerbait, and a Lake Fork Magic Shad. I looked at the map on the GPS found an area I thought they would be near on the pattern and went fishing. Well started working a long point near the mouth of a creek channel and after explaining why I picked that spot set the hook on a solid keeper. I stayed on the trolliing motor and after another 10 mins set the hook on another keeper fish. I tied him on the same color crankbait and about 3 cast later he set the hook on his first keeper. A few cast later another keeper about the same size as the others. We then made a move to duplicate the pattern and only had one on the 2nd stop but it was short. After checking out the map again moved to another area with only about 45 mins left to fish. Sat the boat down and nothing on the crankbait. I picked up the Flick SHake and SMACK! boated 3 more on 3 cast(I love that bait.haha). We noticed some fish coming up after shad that looked to be a little bigger so I pulled out "Kermit"(thats a hollow body frog) and let him work it over some grass patches. About 10 mins of daylight left he set the hook on a better fish and put her in the boat. IN the time we had on water I have not seen much at all we had a great day. Boated a solid limit and he said one of the best learning trips he had been on to date. Another great time on the water with a great guy. See you on the water!
God Bless
Phil.4:13
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Lake Guntersville 11-18-09
Headed out for a short time today after the cold fronts hit and the temps fell like a rock. I was expecting the fishing to be like it has been in the last few days but it was far from it. I had been following some fish that were alot slower to eat but bigger out of pockets during the last few days as they moved to deeper cover and main points near the mouths or creek channels. Well those fish like in days past were still moving and seem to have made the move to the main lake. I ended up finding sereral groups of fish in 10-18 feet of water and out on ledges and some bigger structure. My better numbers came off Jackall Crosstail Shad(ayu and Green Pumpkin) and Jackall Muscle 15+ crankbaits. The better fish were a bit more sluggish to coax into eating but they were well worth the wait. The Jackall Craw and Swimming Ninja were the baits of choice and boated several really good fish. Best five today would have gone around 26-27 lbs. with one solid kicker fish.
Best advice I could give is if an angler is looking for numbers stay on creek channels and in pockets and move shallow as the day gets longer and water temps warm up. If you want bigger fish don't bother getting out until 10 or so and stay on deep drops and near main lake areas and open water humps. These areas are producing great size but it's hero or zero type fishing. Best of luck to everyone and I will be back at it in the morning. Also thank you for the support and the awesome response on the Christmas Gift Cards. They are going fast so if someone is interested you need to have Santa give us a call. See you on the water.
God Bless
Phil.4:13
Best advice I could give is if an angler is looking for numbers stay on creek channels and in pockets and move shallow as the day gets longer and water temps warm up. If you want bigger fish don't bother getting out until 10 or so and stay on deep drops and near main lake areas and open water humps. These areas are producing great size but it's hero or zero type fishing. Best of luck to everyone and I will be back at it in the morning. Also thank you for the support and the awesome response on the Christmas Gift Cards. They are going fast so if someone is interested you need to have Santa give us a call. See you on the water.
God Bless
Phil.4:13
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Christmas Gift Certificates are ON SALE now
Just letting everyone know our Christmas Gift Cards are now on sale again this year. There has been an outstanding response as in years past and we have added more to try and accomidate everyone that wants one before they are gone. These trips are sold at a discounted rate and good for use anytime during 2010. We are offering 4,6, and 8 hour trips at the discounted rate as well as something new. Due to alot of demand we opened up our tournament pre-fish trips at the discount as well. These are in very limited number and trips need to be sch. ahead of time to insure we only have one client in a certian tournament event, which is our policy. The certificate must be purchased by Dec 24th to ge tthe discounted rate but to be honest they never last that long. Our regular clients grab alot of them up. Be sure and contact us if your interested and we wil get you taken care of. These make awesome gifts for that angler that has everything and also keeps you from having to drive all over town shopping. Be sure to contact us for more information and we will get everyone lined up. Thanks to all of our WAAY 31 fans for thier continued support.
Capt. Chris Jackson
205-706-2425
finsngrinsfishing@hotmail.com
Capt. Chris Jackson
205-706-2425
finsngrinsfishing@hotmail.com
Monday, November 16, 2009
Fishing Frontal Conditions
When out and about as well aas on the water I believe I hear one qustion more often than any other. That qustion is "how do you deal with weather fronts?" Well to be honest I could get into the scince of it but would rather discuss the tactics and how to approach them. I have however found that fronts tend to effect shallow water, grass type, lakes more than deeper clear lakes. Now don't get me wrong I think it effects all bodies of water but just from my experiance the grass lakes more.
One way I feel I or other guides have a slight advantage on the water over anglers that just fish once or twice a month is we deal with fronts all the time and have to fish during them under extream presure to produce fish day in and day out. If you look at alot of the tour pros you will find before they were full time on tour most were either fulltime or parttime guides. This prepared them to fish under nasty conditions and weather fronts.
There is really 2 ways to produce bites under bad weather fronts and conditions. The first way, and my favorite, is fishing a reaction strike. The best way to do this picking out a couple of baits, getting them ready on the deck, getting in areas the fish should be according to patterns, and fishing hard. I like to tie on baits like the Jackall Muscle 7+, 10+, 15+ or MC series depending on the depth I'm fishing, a bait like a spinnerbait or swim jig, and a topwater bait(only if the water temps are above 50 or so degrees). Now sometimes I will put several "go-to" colors on the deck of each bait so I can switch them fast.
I then get in the areas I have fished in better conditions and have boated fish and fish them fast, makeing several cast to each target before moving to another target area. I then re-fish the area with a couple of other baits to see if I can get the fish to react to the baits or colors. One thing that is very important while doing this is watch everything around you for clues of where fish might have moved and know what your bait is doing every second. If you get a strike or catch a fish remember where the bait was and what it was doing when the fish hit. This is very important to remember so you can duplicate this in the area as well as other areas. SO if you were ripping a crankbait out of grass at a fast pace and the fish hit just as you stopped the bait in the grass you can re-create that action on your other cast and catch a few more fish. I have also found if you are fishing a lake that is deeper or fishing structure type things like lay downs or stumps, the fish tend to be real close to cover during fronts. I always try to hit things when fishing during fronts. If your fishing stumps and the fish hit just as your bait slammed into it then remember what side of the stump it was on and you can pin point areas that will be non-productive and pass them by while saving some time.
The second way I fish during fronts is very productive and if you have found fish in an area while reaction fishing you can re-work the same areas with this tactic and sometimes get a few more bites. This way of fishing is very SLOWWWWW! I choose baits like Lake Fork 10" worms, the Hyperfreak series of plastics, big jigs, or spinnerbaits fished on the bottom. Now I also do one thing that takes some time and practice to get the hang of but I will fish a deeper crankbait when fishing grass lakes and finesse it like a worm. The biggest key to this slow tactic is tossing the bait out and let it soak. I might move it an inch or two at a time and let is sit as long as 3-5 mins between moving it. This is very hard for alot of anglers to do when they dont have confidence in it or the area they are in but very effective.
If you get on the water and conditions change try one of these tactics and see if they don't work for you. I can almost assure you anyone can turn a bad day on the water to a day to remember. There is nothing better than going back to the ramp on a day that was tough on other anglers knowing you put some fish in the boat when others couldn't. If you want to see these tactics used in person besure to give us a call and we can set up a trip to show you how well they work.
One way I feel I or other guides have a slight advantage on the water over anglers that just fish once or twice a month is we deal with fronts all the time and have to fish during them under extream presure to produce fish day in and day out. If you look at alot of the tour pros you will find before they were full time on tour most were either fulltime or parttime guides. This prepared them to fish under nasty conditions and weather fronts.
There is really 2 ways to produce bites under bad weather fronts and conditions. The first way, and my favorite, is fishing a reaction strike. The best way to do this picking out a couple of baits, getting them ready on the deck, getting in areas the fish should be according to patterns, and fishing hard. I like to tie on baits like the Jackall Muscle 7+, 10+, 15+ or MC series depending on the depth I'm fishing, a bait like a spinnerbait or swim jig, and a topwater bait(only if the water temps are above 50 or so degrees). Now sometimes I will put several "go-to" colors on the deck of each bait so I can switch them fast.
I then get in the areas I have fished in better conditions and have boated fish and fish them fast, makeing several cast to each target before moving to another target area. I then re-fish the area with a couple of other baits to see if I can get the fish to react to the baits or colors. One thing that is very important while doing this is watch everything around you for clues of where fish might have moved and know what your bait is doing every second. If you get a strike or catch a fish remember where the bait was and what it was doing when the fish hit. This is very important to remember so you can duplicate this in the area as well as other areas. SO if you were ripping a crankbait out of grass at a fast pace and the fish hit just as you stopped the bait in the grass you can re-create that action on your other cast and catch a few more fish. I have also found if you are fishing a lake that is deeper or fishing structure type things like lay downs or stumps, the fish tend to be real close to cover during fronts. I always try to hit things when fishing during fronts. If your fishing stumps and the fish hit just as your bait slammed into it then remember what side of the stump it was on and you can pin point areas that will be non-productive and pass them by while saving some time.
The second way I fish during fronts is very productive and if you have found fish in an area while reaction fishing you can re-work the same areas with this tactic and sometimes get a few more bites. This way of fishing is very SLOWWWWW! I choose baits like Lake Fork 10" worms, the Hyperfreak series of plastics, big jigs, or spinnerbaits fished on the bottom. Now I also do one thing that takes some time and practice to get the hang of but I will fish a deeper crankbait when fishing grass lakes and finesse it like a worm. The biggest key to this slow tactic is tossing the bait out and let it soak. I might move it an inch or two at a time and let is sit as long as 3-5 mins between moving it. This is very hard for alot of anglers to do when they dont have confidence in it or the area they are in but very effective.
If you get on the water and conditions change try one of these tactics and see if they don't work for you. I can almost assure you anyone can turn a bad day on the water to a day to remember. There is nothing better than going back to the ramp on a day that was tough on other anglers knowing you put some fish in the boat when others couldn't. If you want to see these tactics used in person besure to give us a call and we can set up a trip to show you how well they work.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Jackall Swimbait Information
I have recieved several e-mails asking about the Jackall swimbait models and other equiptment to use them. So here is a small review of each bait, tactics they are used for, and things you need to know to get you started.
First one of the most popular baits in the Jackall line up is the Giron. Now this bait may not be the number one seller as far as stats go( I don't know those numbers) but I see more anglers buy and fall in love with it at more shows than most any other hard swimbait on the market. First thing is you need to fish it on a good solid rod with a Mod/fast tip on it. I use either the Jackall Rushburn(6'11") rod or the Daiwa 7'4" swimbait rod. Rod choice depends on how deep I am fihsing the bait. I use a slower gear reel like the Daiwa Zillion cranking reel and Lake Fork FlouroHybrid 26 or 32 lb line. In the spring I fish this bait a couple of ways but most often swimming it over grass beds where fish are starting to get ready to spawn. The key to this bait is fish it very slow and don't over work it. One other way this bait is awesome is "bed fishing". When I find a bass on bed I cast it well past the bed and work the bait up to it slow. Once it is near the bed stop it and let it fall. The bait will sit on the hooks and not fall over. If this doesn't key the big female to strike then pull it back in and place a very small spot of lead tape on the underside if the nose. This will cause the bait to nose over and look to be feeding on the bottom when it is stopped. Then repeat the steps before and let it sit in the bed. I have only seen one fish not strike it in this manner. One other way to fish it is topwater. Toss the bait out hold the rod tip up and wake the bait back to the boat. I also sometimes, twitch it as I work it back to the boat. It will trigger alot of strikes when other baits won't.
Another hot bait bait is the Jackall Mikey. This bait comes in 3 sizes and several colors. I have boated fish on every color they make and every size. The Jr. size is great and will boat alot of fish from 2 lbs to fish well above 7 lbs. I work the bait on the same rods except on the Jr I use a Jackall Master Stroke rod. It has a little faster tip and makes it easier to cast. I like to fish it over grass and laydowns working it like a wake bait or just under the surface. The Sr version is nothing short of awesome for bigger fish. YOu will get alot less bites but if you are looking for a huge fish this is the bait to have. I have boated several fish in the 9-11 lb range on this bait in the last 2 years.
One bait that doesn't get alot of attention but is most likely my favorite is the Dagored. This bait is a jointed bait with a small prop on the back. It is used for topwater as a wake type bait and has won me alot of money over the years on waters all over the country. I have boated huge largemouth and spots on the bait but also had great numbers of smallmouth on it. This bait was the main reason I became a part of Jackall several years ago. When I first started buying them you couldnt get them in the US. I ordered them from an on-line tackle company(that I should own stock in by now.LOL) in Japan. WHen I first met Kota he asked me if I knew of Jackall baits? I opened up my box and showed him one section full of Dagored baits. He laughed and asked how I got them and the rest was history.
Finally the latest in the Jackall Hard Swimbait line is the Sride. This bait is one of the most versital swimbaits I have ever fished. I use a longer rod like the Daiwa Steez 7'4" swimbait rod to fish it. YOu can fish this bait deep and slow roll it and one level or you can fish it like a jerkbait. The jerking action will trigger strikes when most baits will not. on one snap of the wrist the bait will "shoot" up and in one direction, the next pull it will dive and move 4 feet in the other direction. This bait looks just like a fish chasing shad or if you let it fall some after a few pulls it looks like one that is struggling to stay alive. One other way to fish it is on topwater in the same way. Work it like a "Spook"type bait and it will produce great fish as well.
The last bait in the line is a "Soft" swimbait called the Swimming Ninja. This bait has recieved alot of press in the last year. I fish it on the bigger rod due to it's weight but the action is best on lighter line or briad. Learn to count it down and while holding the rod tip down slowly reel the bait back to the boat. every now and then vary the speeds and let the bait fall as well. This has triggered several bites in an area that has slowed after a few fish. This bait has some of the one of the best actions I have seen in this weight and size with hooks made into it.
I hope this kinda helps get you started in the swimbaits from Jackall and feel free to ask qustions or send comments of what you have experianced while fishing these baits. Biggest thing to remember is this type of fishing is for bigger bites so numbers may drop some but the size is well worth it. Many of my clients tell me after fishing swimbaits the main reason they have not boated fish on them was they had not fished them long enough. Just stick with it and they will produce and your confidence will in this tactic will grow. See you on the water
God Bless
Phil.4:13
First one of the most popular baits in the Jackall line up is the Giron. Now this bait may not be the number one seller as far as stats go( I don't know those numbers) but I see more anglers buy and fall in love with it at more shows than most any other hard swimbait on the market. First thing is you need to fish it on a good solid rod with a Mod/fast tip on it. I use either the Jackall Rushburn(6'11") rod or the Daiwa 7'4" swimbait rod. Rod choice depends on how deep I am fihsing the bait. I use a slower gear reel like the Daiwa Zillion cranking reel and Lake Fork FlouroHybrid 26 or 32 lb line. In the spring I fish this bait a couple of ways but most often swimming it over grass beds where fish are starting to get ready to spawn. The key to this bait is fish it very slow and don't over work it. One other way this bait is awesome is "bed fishing". When I find a bass on bed I cast it well past the bed and work the bait up to it slow. Once it is near the bed stop it and let it fall. The bait will sit on the hooks and not fall over. If this doesn't key the big female to strike then pull it back in and place a very small spot of lead tape on the underside if the nose. This will cause the bait to nose over and look to be feeding on the bottom when it is stopped. Then repeat the steps before and let it sit in the bed. I have only seen one fish not strike it in this manner. One other way to fish it is topwater. Toss the bait out hold the rod tip up and wake the bait back to the boat. I also sometimes, twitch it as I work it back to the boat. It will trigger alot of strikes when other baits won't.
Another hot bait bait is the Jackall Mikey. This bait comes in 3 sizes and several colors. I have boated fish on every color they make and every size. The Jr. size is great and will boat alot of fish from 2 lbs to fish well above 7 lbs. I work the bait on the same rods except on the Jr I use a Jackall Master Stroke rod. It has a little faster tip and makes it easier to cast. I like to fish it over grass and laydowns working it like a wake bait or just under the surface. The Sr version is nothing short of awesome for bigger fish. YOu will get alot less bites but if you are looking for a huge fish this is the bait to have. I have boated several fish in the 9-11 lb range on this bait in the last 2 years.
One bait that doesn't get alot of attention but is most likely my favorite is the Dagored. This bait is a jointed bait with a small prop on the back. It is used for topwater as a wake type bait and has won me alot of money over the years on waters all over the country. I have boated huge largemouth and spots on the bait but also had great numbers of smallmouth on it. This bait was the main reason I became a part of Jackall several years ago. When I first started buying them you couldnt get them in the US. I ordered them from an on-line tackle company(that I should own stock in by now.LOL) in Japan. WHen I first met Kota he asked me if I knew of Jackall baits? I opened up my box and showed him one section full of Dagored baits. He laughed and asked how I got them and the rest was history.
Finally the latest in the Jackall Hard Swimbait line is the Sride. This bait is one of the most versital swimbaits I have ever fished. I use a longer rod like the Daiwa Steez 7'4" swimbait rod to fish it. YOu can fish this bait deep and slow roll it and one level or you can fish it like a jerkbait. The jerking action will trigger strikes when most baits will not. on one snap of the wrist the bait will "shoot" up and in one direction, the next pull it will dive and move 4 feet in the other direction. This bait looks just like a fish chasing shad or if you let it fall some after a few pulls it looks like one that is struggling to stay alive. One other way to fish it is on topwater in the same way. Work it like a "Spook"type bait and it will produce great fish as well.
The last bait in the line is a "Soft" swimbait called the Swimming Ninja. This bait has recieved alot of press in the last year. I fish it on the bigger rod due to it's weight but the action is best on lighter line or briad. Learn to count it down and while holding the rod tip down slowly reel the bait back to the boat. every now and then vary the speeds and let the bait fall as well. This has triggered several bites in an area that has slowed after a few fish. This bait has some of the one of the best actions I have seen in this weight and size with hooks made into it.
I hope this kinda helps get you started in the swimbaits from Jackall and feel free to ask qustions or send comments of what you have experianced while fishing these baits. Biggest thing to remember is this type of fishing is for bigger bites so numbers may drop some but the size is well worth it. Many of my clients tell me after fishing swimbaits the main reason they have not boated fish on them was they had not fished them long enough. Just stick with it and they will produce and your confidence will in this tactic will grow. See you on the water
God Bless
Phil.4:13
Lake Guntersville Fishing 11-05/10-09 Report
Well sorry the reports took awhile but really not much has changed. The bite did get more solid and I found some "rat fish"(for those of you not around Guntersville, thats fish caught on a hollow body frog/rat over matted grass). I was happy to find a ton of fish in the 4-7 lb range up river and bite was very solid on Thursday. I checked them on Friday before a tournament on the 7th and they were still there and eating.
Sat. I fish a club event and with the group of guys that were there told my fishing partner for the day it would take atleast 20 lbs to even think about a check but more like a 25+lb bag to win. I made a very long run up to the area only stopping one place on the way to the fish in the mat. after smoking through the area without a bite moved to the mats. I told my partner we would either win or lose there, which has been my attitude on tournament fishing the last 3 years. We busted 3 keeper fish almost as soon as we stopped and things were looking good. Now this is the stupid part of my thinking, I knew it would take atleast 20 lbs so 3 pound fish would do me no good. With that being said and not fising for any points I never even put the fish in the live well. Keepers here are about 3 lb fish. He and I tossed back about 9 3 lb fish and never got a better bite. We never left(which was a mistake on my part) but I made the dession.
Anyway after time ran out we made the run back near the launch to finish up on a community spot with a big swimbait. Without a bite there we tossed it on the trailer. Well after talking to a few guys and tell them we tossed back 16-17 lbs because we knew it was no good anyway. they said "man none of the guys did good today. Now most of these guys bad days are 20 lb bags so I didnt think a thing about it. Well after the weigh in was over and we were putting up rods a guy walked up and said he couldnt believe we tossed back fish. I asked why and he told us we would have won it. Winning weight was 13 and change. Yes, I know we were stupid but the caliber of the anglers we were against we knew 3 lb fish were no good. Guess we live and learn.LOL
On Sunday went with a buddy in his ride due to mine having a few issues and it was tough. We had several bites on the frog but the better bite was still just keepers on the Flick Shake and Live Magic Shad. Monday was just an awesome day. The Lake Fork Magic Shad and Hyperfreak were the ticket off drops and docks. Best five was every bit of 27 lbs.. The fish ate all day with the better fish coming in the later day. ON Tuesday it was a great bite but nasty weather. I think I even saw ducks looking for cover and frogs with straws in thier mouth to keep from drowning.LOL Boat stayed full of water most of the day but the fish ate as good as Monday.
I am thinking to start off Wed very slow, being it will be windy with a huge post front smacking the fish iin the head. Guess we will see what the day holds. I want to thank all of you for the kind words and support to not only my family but also the site. We could not do this without you guys/gals. If you have a story or fishing report let me know and I will post it here. Thanks agian and see you on the water.
God Bless
Phil.4:13
Sat. I fish a club event and with the group of guys that were there told my fishing partner for the day it would take atleast 20 lbs to even think about a check but more like a 25+lb bag to win. I made a very long run up to the area only stopping one place on the way to the fish in the mat. after smoking through the area without a bite moved to the mats. I told my partner we would either win or lose there, which has been my attitude on tournament fishing the last 3 years. We busted 3 keeper fish almost as soon as we stopped and things were looking good. Now this is the stupid part of my thinking, I knew it would take atleast 20 lbs so 3 pound fish would do me no good. With that being said and not fising for any points I never even put the fish in the live well. Keepers here are about 3 lb fish. He and I tossed back about 9 3 lb fish and never got a better bite. We never left(which was a mistake on my part) but I made the dession.
Anyway after time ran out we made the run back near the launch to finish up on a community spot with a big swimbait. Without a bite there we tossed it on the trailer. Well after talking to a few guys and tell them we tossed back 16-17 lbs because we knew it was no good anyway. they said "man none of the guys did good today. Now most of these guys bad days are 20 lb bags so I didnt think a thing about it. Well after the weigh in was over and we were putting up rods a guy walked up and said he couldnt believe we tossed back fish. I asked why and he told us we would have won it. Winning weight was 13 and change. Yes, I know we were stupid but the caliber of the anglers we were against we knew 3 lb fish were no good. Guess we live and learn.LOL
On Sunday went with a buddy in his ride due to mine having a few issues and it was tough. We had several bites on the frog but the better bite was still just keepers on the Flick Shake and Live Magic Shad. Monday was just an awesome day. The Lake Fork Magic Shad and Hyperfreak were the ticket off drops and docks. Best five was every bit of 27 lbs.. The fish ate all day with the better fish coming in the later day. ON Tuesday it was a great bite but nasty weather. I think I even saw ducks looking for cover and frogs with straws in thier mouth to keep from drowning.LOL Boat stayed full of water most of the day but the fish ate as good as Monday.
I am thinking to start off Wed very slow, being it will be windy with a huge post front smacking the fish iin the head. Guess we will see what the day holds. I want to thank all of you for the kind words and support to not only my family but also the site. We could not do this without you guys/gals. If you have a story or fishing report let me know and I will post it here. Thanks agian and see you on the water.
God Bless
Phil.4:13
Lake Guntersville 11-03/05-09
The temps are getting stable and the water temps are getting back to normal for this time of year. The week so far has been up and down as far as catching fish but two days of the report I was fishing areas I have not fished in years and working on some new stuff. Today I got out looking at some open water stuff and trying alot of baits in the same areas. I fished one roadbed that gave me my biggest fish on a Lake Fork Live Magic Shad that was fished on a C-Rig. The winds made me have to add some heavy weight to get the feel for bottom. I did get some bites on the Flick Shake but they were very hard to detect and not as big a fish.
The crankbait bite is getting better on the open water areas off deeper drops. I have been fishing the Jackall Muscle 15+ crankbait running the bait into structure on the drops. Most of the hits have been solid keepers and I think only 2 short fish on this tactic. One thing is to fish that bite you have to have the mind set you are only going to get a few bites all day but they are the good bites people look for.
I will be on Guntersville the rest of the week working on some things then hope to spend the weekend getting ready to fish the "Wounded Warriors" event for the Semper Fi Task Force. They do a great thing beinging over 60 wounded MArines and thier families to North Alabama for alot of awesome events and to show our thanks for everything they do. We will be doing this fising event on Lake Wheeler and it is always a blast!
The crankbait bite is getting better on the open water areas off deeper drops. I have been fishing the Jackall Muscle 15+ crankbait running the bait into structure on the drops. Most of the hits have been solid keepers and I think only 2 short fish on this tactic. One thing is to fish that bite you have to have the mind set you are only going to get a few bites all day but they are the good bites people look for.
I will be on Guntersville the rest of the week working on some things then hope to spend the weekend getting ready to fish the "Wounded Warriors" event for the Semper Fi Task Force. They do a great thing beinging over 60 wounded MArines and thier families to North Alabama for alot of awesome events and to show our thanks for everything they do. We will be doing this fising event on Lake Wheeler and it is always a blast!
Guntersville 10-30-09 Report
Well while looking at the weather last night they said high winds anthey were not kidding! I put the boat in the water in the mid-lake section and wanted to fish some open stuff in the nasty wind for one reason, practice making fish bite in bad conditions. The morning started off kinda slow with water temps still in the low 60's and the water levels at about normal for this time of year. I also noticed the current was smoke'n. I hit some high spots on the mid section with several colors of JAckall Muscle 15+ cranks with Firetiger being the best and Chart/Purple pulling a close 2nd. I then noticed the bite got lighter as the day got longer. I switched gears a little and started working a 1oz spinnerbait(white/chart) off the edges of the humps. I fished it a little strange though, I would toss the bait out then after it hit the bottom slow roll it while picking up the rod tip. After the rod reached about 11 o'clock I would drop the tip and kill the bait. The would knock slack in the line everytime they hit it. As the winds got worse and the water conditions went with it and became stained on the shallow tops I made a move.
While fishing the blade I got to thinking about the days I spent on Lake Champlain and how I learned to fish plastics in the wind there. Well I didnt really care about the bite but wanted to practice more than anything and gaining feel in the winds so I hit the deeper ledges and sections of submerged grass I had found while riding the other day. I knew the shallow bite would be off due to the water color so I thought about how the winds didnt effect the deeper water. I moved to the grass sections(which are still super green and still growing) and pulled out the small jigs and dropshot. I would position the boat on the flat so I could drift, tossed out a drift sock to slow everything down and did the ol' "Yankee drag". Yes I made that term up from hearing about draging tubes up north with this tactic.LOL Well my gut paid off bigtime. I would make a pass catching about 2-4 fish every time then crank up go back to the top and start again. Ended up with great numbers on both baits on 4 different sections of grass before calling it a day.
Guess my best 5 would have been a solid sack of about 23 lbs give or take. For the conditions I was very glad to have that and it was not expected. I did learn one thing from today that I learned at Lake Champlain. This bite is funny and if you dont do it much you will loose alot of fish until you get tuned into the hang of it. That being said if you are going to try this expect to loose some before you get good at it and once you get the feel do it about twice a week reguardless if you plan on catching fish or not to stay on top of it.
Hope everyone is going to have a great and safe Halloween weekend and remember to dress warm. They are calling for some cold days ahead. See you on the water.
God Bless
Phil.4:13
While fishing the blade I got to thinking about the days I spent on Lake Champlain and how I learned to fish plastics in the wind there. Well I didnt really care about the bite but wanted to practice more than anything and gaining feel in the winds so I hit the deeper ledges and sections of submerged grass I had found while riding the other day. I knew the shallow bite would be off due to the water color so I thought about how the winds didnt effect the deeper water. I moved to the grass sections(which are still super green and still growing) and pulled out the small jigs and dropshot. I would position the boat on the flat so I could drift, tossed out a drift sock to slow everything down and did the ol' "Yankee drag". Yes I made that term up from hearing about draging tubes up north with this tactic.LOL Well my gut paid off bigtime. I would make a pass catching about 2-4 fish every time then crank up go back to the top and start again. Ended up with great numbers on both baits on 4 different sections of grass before calling it a day.
Guess my best 5 would have been a solid sack of about 23 lbs give or take. For the conditions I was very glad to have that and it was not expected. I did learn one thing from today that I learned at Lake Champlain. This bite is funny and if you dont do it much you will loose alot of fish until you get tuned into the hang of it. That being said if you are going to try this expect to loose some before you get good at it and once you get the feel do it about twice a week reguardless if you plan on catching fish or not to stay on top of it.
Hope everyone is going to have a great and safe Halloween weekend and remember to dress warm. They are calling for some cold days ahead. See you on the water.
God Bless
Phil.4:13
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