Tims Ford 8/30/2011

Well, I have to dust off the old Bagel again. My second time on Tims didn't work out so well as far as catching fish. But, wow, what a gorgeous lake. Had a good report that the crank bait bite for smallies  was on but it didn't pan out. I had a tip to a couple of good creeks to check and there was a lot of bait there but most was in the middle of the creek. By creek I mean a large body of water about 90 feet deep. I did see a number of jumps by either bass or hybrids but was never close enough to score. I fished a lot of stuff, explored around a lot on a really nice day, with low humidity and without as much heat. I learned this morning that a Tims guide also had a poor day (although better than mine). Ran into a good friend, Jack, on the lake also from Franklin checking out his GPS & Sonar. I hope to get back on Tims later in the fall.

Kentucky Lake 8/25-26/2011

Dog days of August on Kentucky Lake. Met my friend, Doyal, from Memphis at the New Johnsonville ramp at 6:30 am on Thursday with great anticipation. Our optimism didn't last long. We began with our shallow pattern that worked so well several weeks ago when it was just as hot. But, the bass were not there, no bites. We then moved down the lake to a point and rocky flat where we have had success in the past. Finally picked up a smallmouth about a 1.25 on a fluke. It turned out to be the only fish caught on plastic for two days. We continued to fish stuff we knew with little success. Doyal finally picked up a keeper on a crank bait. We then moved across the lake up the west side boat lane trying various spots. We spotted a few bass chasing shad. I caught 3 nice 2 pounders on a Big Hammer swim bait and lost 2 more and Doyal caught 1 on a crank bait. That pretty well finished us. We had a brief moment of terror when the engine wouldn't crank. We are maybe 5-6 miles and the opposite side of the lake from the ramp. Oddly, after a few minutes it cranked and no, it wasn't the kill switch. On the ride back the engine cut out when it was trimmed. After loading the boat we couldn't trim the motor up. The skeg was inches from pavement.  After fooling around a few minutes it trimmed up. We came out at 2:45 with the temp around 96. 

We checked in the Anchor Motel, covered the boat and headed out to eat an early dinner. The place we usually go was closed so we drove over to Camden, found a nice restaurant and had a catfish dinner and about a gallon of ice tea. Hit the sack about 8:30. 

Sign at the Submarine Restaurant

Up at 5:00 and over to a little restaurant across from the motel for a great breakfast. Launched the boat with renewed but misplaced optimism. Did I mention that the water temp was 85. We went south today and fished the ledges near the entrance to Birdsong  Creek. Doyal tried a different tack throwing a spinner bait on the ledge edge (a little alliteration). He wound up catching 5 fish on the spinner bait and crank bait while I only managed one on a crank bait. We pulled out at 12:30 and ironically had no issues with the engine or trim. We went back to the same restaurant of the morning, had a quick bite to eat and another gallon of tea before heading back to Memphis and Franklin. It was another 96 degree day. Although we had a good time we were disappointed with our catch. We just couldn't find the fish with the exception of the schoolers on Thursday.

Percy Priest 8-17-2011

Great expectations. It was a beautiful morning, overcast with a welcome chill in the air. I was on the water before good light, put on my running lights and pulled my rods from the rod box. Finally the reliable 200 Optimax cranked and engine temp warmed I headed a quarter mile away to the pumping station ready for a top water bite, buzz bait or popper, it didn't matter. Somehow the bass didn't get the message. Nada, nothing, no action on top nor on a fluke, jig, crank bait, swimbait and if I had one, a live minnow. These fish were truly turned off and not just there but all up and down the river. I fished the junction of Spring, Fall and Stones and a little way up Spring Creek. I then motored up the Stones stopping at likely looking spots including the fork of East Fork and West Fork. Fished a number of spots up the East to within 100 yards of I840. Retraces back to the intersection and cruised up the West Fork. 

All of this time I had not had a legitimate  bite, a few bream nibbles is all. Why we fishermen are so stubborn I don't know. We insist on catching (or trying) to catch a fish the way we want to. I had used my search bait, a fluke, most of the morning because I have confidence in it. It then dawned on me (about 11:00) that as reluctant as the fish were maybe a smaller finesse approach might work, duh! I rigged a mojo rig with a shaky head worm and a few minutes later I hooked a nice bass. This one was quite strong, making about 5 strong surges and on the sixth, the sickening sound of mono parting. Lest you think I am claiming yet another six pounder escaping, I can only say this one was between 3 & 4 and never jumped but was seen clearly on those runs by the boat.

Finally caught another but small. Fished a few more spots on the way back toward the Jefferson Springs ramp but made one more stop at the pumping station. Finally picked another squeaker on a rattle bait. By then the sun began to bear down and I loaded out about 1:30 with 2 bass and a couple of white bass. I saw no schooling fish and not a lot of big shad schools on the surface. This was a disappointing fishing day but a great day to be in God's incredible creation.

Old Hickory 8-13-2011

Tournament day!  Arrived at the ramp at 4:50 and located my partner for the day, Sam. He expertly backed the boat in and we were on the water by 5:10 waiting for safe light. We stopped at my favorite grass bed a short way from the ramp. Caught my first keeper while it still very low light, not very big but a club keeper. We thought we found a pattern for the day, work the grass. But it didn't work out that way.  From there we fished the wood at the mouth of Spencer Creek. I caught another quick one on a mojo rigged fluke. A few minutes later hooked what felt like a nice fish. He made a strong run toward deep water but alas, he went free. All lost bass that were not seen can be any size you wish (6,5,4 ?). We continued down that bank. We both picked up 2-3 more keepers, mine on a jig and the fluke and Sam on a power worm. 

We headed down lake to a cove with great grass. I'm just stubborn when it comes to grass. Fished all the way down the line of grass without a bite. Just as we turned to back down the line, I hooked my fifth fish on a fluke. A minute later Sam connected on another keeper. We tried a few other spots, even on a ledge, with no more hookups. Headed back to Spencer Creek to fish a drop with no success. Had one more spot before weigh in. With 10 minutes to go Sam connected with a nice fish on that motor oil worm. It was a 3.13 and good enough for big fish. It was a much tougher day than we expected. Some said the full moon allowed the fish to feed all night.  

I wound up with the only limit and took first with 6.38 not impressive but still first. Sam with 3 fish was second and Rob was third. Still great to be on water.

Percy Priest 8-5-2011

Well, this was a different sort of a day at the lake, cause it really wasn't a lake. It was the river, the Stones River to be exact. A good friend told me he had a good day on the river so I gave it a try. I put in at Jefferson Springs about 5:30 am and hit a spot that I had done well last fall. Not a bite. That's when I went exploring. Started up the river with a GPS that worked sometimes and sometimes not. The reason I needed the GPS is to stay in the channel of the river which was marked sparsely with buoys. Fished several likely looking spots with no hits.

Finally came to the East Fork/West Fork junction. Great looking spot. No bites. Journeyed up the East Fork stopping occasionally but again no bites. By the way, it was a great morning, cloud cover, not too hot. Reversed directions and headed back to the West Fork traveling 2-3 miles that way. Fished likely looking spots and finally got a bite on a fluke but no hook up. Met a local who fishes several days a week on the river. He had been catching good numbers of fish as recently as Wednesday, the 3rd but he was fishless on the this day also. His theory was a 3 inch rain in Murphressboro on Thursday turned the fish off.

I motored back to my beginning spot and hooked a 12" bass on a bitsy bug jig. I then caught a couple of more 13-14" on the same bait. Switched to a red eye shad and caught a couple of more bass and a tiny white bass. That first bass came at 10:50 am. In about 20 minutes it stopped as suddenly as it started. Could have been the thunder in the distance. I loaded out at 11:45 and headed for home. Went through an incredible thunderstorm, so heavy it was hard to see on I840.

All in all, an interesting day. Avoided another bagel on Priest and learned some new areas to fish.