Tim's Ford 4-13-14-12
I spent the last 2 days with the
grandfather/grandson team of Denis and Josh Kellman
from
Wisconsin. Josh caught his personal best
Smallmouth and Denis came within ounces of his
personal best Largemouth and broke his personal best
on Smallmouth. We caught and released multiple fish
each day with the ones above being some of our best.
The Rapala DT6 Perch
www.rapala.com was by far our best bait for the
2 days. 6-8-10lb test Sufix Pro Mix
www.sufix.com as
always. Watching Denis and Josh these past 2
days brought back many pleasant memories for me
fishing with my grandfather and my day. 2 good
folks and a pleasure to be with. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 4-10-2012
Back on Tim's today after Crappie fishing for the
past several weeks. We have caught a lot of Crappie
on Normandy, Woods and Tim's over the past several
weeks. These are 6 of 11 that I caught today on a
Rapala Skitter Walk (Silver/blue) Rapala #7 Perch
Shad Rap and a Rapala Bluegill DT6
www.rapala.com
Everything on 6lb and 8lb Test Sufix Pro Mix
www.sufix.com.
More to come later this week Lord willing. Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Trigger X
www.triggerx.com
March 23-2012
Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
I
want to take just a little bit of time to tell you
about several Trigger X Baits
that I'm really impressed with.
For those of you that may not have heard about or
used Trigger X they are part of the Rapala portfolio
which in itself speaks volumes. Rapala
www.rapala.com
has always been known for crafting high quality
fishing lures and products and the Trigger X baits
are no different. All Trigger X baits
are manufactured with what is technically called "Ultrabite
Pheromones. Which is an attractant that zeros in on
"Specific" game fish with scent that perfectly
mimics the natural predator vs. prey response. These
soft plastic baits have incredible natural motion
while releasing the Ultrbite Pheromones.
Currently Trigger X manufactures 3 distinct
formulas. Let's take a look at each of the 3.
First is the Aggression
Formula
which primarily targets bass. T
his
segment has an extensive variety of baits raging
from Creature Baits, Craws, Frogs, Lizards, Tubes,
Twin and Single Tail Grubs, 5 different Worms and a
Swimming Minnow. The Aggression Baits come in a
variety of sizes and more colors than the rainbow.
One that I'm very impressed with is the 5 inch
Paddle Tail Worm. This is dynamite in a small
package. If your a finesse fisherman and love to
throw a Shaky Head, drop shot, split shot or Texas
rig you will flip over these. This little
floating worm
comes in 10 different colors, and has a big
vibrating paddle tail for the size of the worm. This
is a new item so if you can't find it on the shelf
ask your local sporting goods store to order them.
When fishing the paddle tail as a Shaky Head I
use the VMC Shaky Head jig that comes in 3 different
weights 1/8oz-3/16oz and 1/4oz. The hooks are needle
sharp Vanadium Steel, there is a spiral ring to lock
the Paddle Tail on securely. And it's hard to see in
these pictures but the jig eye is rotated 60 degrees
which allows for a great hook set. For those
of you that fish clear deep lakes like we do here in
middle Tennessee and are hooked on light line and
finesse techniques you need to give this set up a
try.....
Seccond
is the BIO Walleye Formula.
This formula specifically
targets Walleyes with the right shapes, sizes and
colors to trigger these finicky fish. Once again
there is a wide variety to choose from. As an
example the 3.5 inch Paddle Tail Minnow pictured to
the left and lower right. These baits come in 10
different colors and can be fished on a jig head or
a weighted swim bait hook. If you love to throw a
swim bait like I do you have to try these. These
baits have a great tail swimming action and are
extremely durable. We have caught 100's of
fish this winter on swim baits here in Tennessee and
these will add to your success as well. I like to
team them up with my favorite jig head the VMC
Dominator Smoochin Head jig (pictured to the right)
www.vmchooks.com
These heads come in 4 different color patterns with
3D Holographic eyes and 3 different sizes.
1/8oz-1/4oz-and 3/8oz. The line tie is also rotated
60 degrees and they have some of the sharpest VMC
needle point hooks the you can find. The Walleye
Formula also offers a Swimming Minnow, Swimming
Grub, Jumbo Leach and a Night Crawler. All of the
walleye baits are biodegradable. Keep wath on my web
site for Walleye updates-I'm getting ready to start
targeting them soon.
Third
is the Bio Saltwater
Formula. Technology that has been
developed and patented by the Center For
Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science has
been utilized in these baits. They are
biodegradable, extremely durable and targets
saltwater fish. Why am I telling you about saltwater
baits? Simple, Trigger X offers a larger 4.5 inch
Paddle tail Minnow (pictured right) in this series
that comes in 8 different colors and has a great
tail thump when retrieved at a moderately high
retrieve. There is no doubt that these will be
very effective on fresh water species not just salt
water. Once again I team them up with a VMC Smoochin
Head . There is also a 3.5 inch Paddle Tail
Minnow in this series. You may want to look at these
because there are some color choices that aren't
available in the Walleye formula. For those of you
that frequent my web site that lives near saltwater
there is also a Shrimp, Crab and Minnow available as
well. Trigger X also offers a "Rejuvenator
Spray" (pictured left) in 3 scents. Walleye,
Bass and Saltwater that will help you keep the
biodegradable and Aggression baits moist and covered
in Pheromones.
As you can see Trigger X offers a multi-specie game
fish approach with baits that are designed to
trigger their feeding instincts. If you fish fresh
or salt water Trigger X has a size, shape and color
that will fit your need. Any sporting goods store
that carries Rapala
www.rapala.com products can order these for you
if they don't already carry them. For more
information visit the Trigger X web site at
www.triggerx.com
and
www.vmchooks.com . If you have any questions
that you would like me to address e mail me at
rickm@dtccom.net
Thank you Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford
w/O 3-19-2012
I had 2 fun days this week fishing with
Charlie Heath on Tuesday and , Larry Lambert and his
niece Aja Blumanhoust on Thursday. We didn't catch a
lot of big fish either day but we caught a bunch of
them. We caught and released Largemouth, Smallmouth,
Spots, White Bass and small Hybrids. Charlie and I
had more then 40 the day we fished and I think we
had that or close to it with Larry and AJA. Aja
caught the largest Smallmouth she had ever caught
and we all had a great time each day. Best bait both
days was the #8 Rapala X Rap Jerk Bait
www.rapala.com
We used this bait on Sufix Pro Mix 8lb test Mono as
always. Aja's smile says it all....doesn't it! Rick
McFerin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 3-16-2012
What a fun day I had with Mr. Earl Hull (pictured)
on Tim's. WE fished from 6:30 until 2:30 and caught
fish on every spot except 2 all day long. All the
fish was caught on the #8 Olive Green Rapala X Rap
www.rapala.com
By the way the X Rap in the picture was brand new
out of the box this morning and the fish knocked
most of the finish off the top and the sides, that's
how many and how hard they hit this bait. It's
hard to tell how many 14-17 inch Smallmouth we
caught...Our largest Smallmouth was 4lbs 14oz next
was 3lbs 4oz and the Rock Fish weight 13lbs 10oz. We
also lost 2 big fish we saw and 4 other very heavy
fish that pulled off. Warmest water was 63.9
degrees and there's no doubt that we have Smallmouth
on bed now-the new moon is April 6th...so unless I'm
way off the April and May moons will get most of our
fish spawned out for this year. Sufix Pro Mix 8lb
test for line.
www.sufix.com Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Nick A Jack 3-14-2012
Above And Below
It had been about 5 weeks since David Honey
(pictured) and I have been able to fish together.
But we made it yesterday down to Nick A Jack and
started out on the lake side. We had good wind and
cloud cover for the first 3 hours then it went slick
and bright. We caught several largemouth early with
the ones pictured above as our best. We caught these
on a swim bait and the "NEW Ike's Ink" Rapala DT6
Caribbean Shad color
www.rapala.com that will be available the end of
March to the first of April .After hitting a couple
areas that always gives up fish with no result we
opted to move down below the and fish the river and
have some "Big White Bass FUN". The current was very
strong for a while and hard to hold or even fish
some of the areas that we wanted to fish but the
eventually the generation lessened and we had a
blast catching well over 30 big White Bass and
several smaller Spots on a VMC Smoochin Head Jig
(pictured above) and a Swim Bait. The swim baits
pictured top to bottom are the Trigger X Salt Water
4.5" Paddle Tail Minnow and the Trigger X 3.5"
Paddle Tail Minnow.
www.triggerx.com
The next 2 are the Storm 4 1/2" and the 3 1/2 "
Paddle Tail Minnows
www.stormlures.com David and I threw our
swim baits on the 1/8ounce VMC Smoochin Head and
Sufix Pro Mix 6lb or 8lb mono
www.sufix.com .
***Important*** All independent tackle store that
carries "ANY" Rapala products can order the items
above if the don't currently carry them. Ask your
local stores to order them for you. More the end of
the week Lord willing. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Center Hill 3-7-2012
Daniel and I had a very relaxing-fun day on Center
Hill throwing live night crawlers on a 1/6th ounce
VMC Smoochin Head Swim Jig Head
www.vmchooks.com
and 6lb test Sufix Pro Mix Mono.
www.sufix.com The
Spots in the pictures was our best plus we had 22
good Blue Gills as well. A great day with my
youngest. More Lord willing later this week. Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 3-3-2012
Best Friends means different things to different
people. One thing is true though, distance and time
cannot separate best friends. You will always feel a
kinship with them, and be able to instantly continue
the friendship even after not talking or seeing one
another for some time. The guys that you see
in these pictures grew up as kids together in a
small town in Illinois and now 60 years later and
even though time and life has sent them in different
directions they are still best of friends and
traveled here to spend several days together. Jerry
and I had the privilege of fishing with Jeff,
Dennis, Pat and "Bucket" today on a 2 boat
trip. Truthfully as far as fish cooperation
was concerned it was a tough day but one of the most
enjoyable days that I have spent on the water in
some time. As I was listened to Dennis telling
me about some of their boy hood days together it
took me back to my early years as well....Time get's
by us quickly-it's wise to make the best of them.
Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 2-28-2012
Good Friend Terry Hicks (pictured) and I had a great
day on Tim's. Things started out slow with no wind
and bright skies, but when the clouds moved in and
the wind picked up everything took a turn for the
better. Every fish we caught today with the
exception of 2 was on the Rapala DT6 Red Craw that
you see in the pictures.
www.rapala.com
The other 2 was on a Rapala Flat Rap Jerk Bait and a
small swim bait on a VMC Smoochin Head Swim Head
www.vamchooks.com
dipped in JJ's Magic Clear
www.jjsmagic.com
Big Smallie was 4lb 9oz.....Water temps was anywhere
from 49 to 53 depending on location and protection.
Sufix Pro Mix 6lb test Mono as always.....Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 2-21-23-12
This is a 2 day report.
Tuesday 2-21-12....What a great 4 hours on Tim's this morning. The wind
was blowing 15mph to 25 mph and the Largemouth and
Smallmouth would nail a Rapala DT6n Red Craw
www.rapala.com
and a Luhr-Jensen Texas Red Crystal Speed Trap
www.luhrjensen.com The wind got up high enough
that I stopped taking pictures to keep from getting
blown into the bank. Big fish was 5lb 6oz .
Sufix 6lb Pro Mix was again the line and size of
choice www.sufix.com
.Thursday 2-23-12 It
was a very tough day for Earl Hull and I on Tim's
today. Earl is holding our best 2 fish (Smallie was
3lb 4oz) we caught several other smaller fish as
well. Everything on a Rapala DT6 Blue/Siver Shad and
the DT 6 Red Craw...We threw everything in the
boat-jut tough at least for us. I will be at the Murfreesboro Cabin Fever Fix on
Saturday March 1oth and will have some of the new Sufix Pro Mix Clear with me. If you buy 3 Rapala
lures of your choice you will get a 400 yard spool
of either 6lb or 10lb free. Hope to see you there.
Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebasguides.com
NICK A JACK 2-09-2012
ABOVE & BELOW THE DAM
David Honey and I left Manchester this morning at
5:15am and headed to fish Nick A Jack above the dam.
Water temps was as high as 52 degrees in some areas
and the water color was good. We fished the lake
until noon and then decided to fish below the dam so
we loaded up and made the 5 minute trip to the dam
ramp. We caught several fish in both areas, above
the dam the Rapala DT6 Red Craw the #7 Rapala
Bleeding Chartreuse Shad Rap
www.rapala.com
and a 3 inch swim bait on a 1/4 ounce VMC Smoochin
Minnow Jig Head
www.vmchooks.com was by far the best. Below the
dam the Smoochin Head and swim bait was the best.
We had another 20 fish not pictured-many of them
below the dam was big white bass that we caught on
light tackle.....Both of us use Sufix Pro Mix Mono
in weights from 6lb test to 12 lb test depending on
the situation
www.sufix.com Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
3 1/2 HOURS ON NORMANDY 1-31-2012
I had to be back at the house by 11:00am this
morning so I only had 3 1/2 hours to fish by the
time I got to the lake. I only fished 2 spots and 2
baits......5lb 10oz was the big fish. Just like
yesterday I had several Ky's....I think there was 4
more Ky's that I didn't try to take pictures
of. Rapala DT6 Red Craw and the Rapala#7
Bleeding Chartreuse Shad Rap on 6lb Sufix Pro Mix
Mono.....www.sufix.com Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Normandy 1-30-2012
David Honey and I got a late start today on Lake
Normand but still managed to catch 10ith the
largest pictured above. Ralapa #7 Bleeding
Chartreuse Shad Rap did the damage for us today
www.rapala.com
on 6 @& 8lb test Sufix Pro Mix Mono.
www.sufix.com.
There is still a lot of color all the way up passed
the 2nd bridge....fish were tight to the banks. Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
2 DAY REPORT TIM'S FORD AND NORMANDY
Last week Randy owner of Murfreesboro Out Doors and
I spent the best part of a day on Tim's and
struggled all day. The 3 fish that we are holding
was our best and they all came on a VMC Smoochin
Head Jig
www.vmchooks.com tipped with a swim bait. Randy
has a great store and is able to order just about
anything that you need for Hunting-Fishing etc. He
carries a great variety of
Rapala-Storm-Luhr-Jensen-Sufix mono and braid and as
I said able to order anything you need if he dosen't
have it on the shelf. Randy and I both was using
Sufix Pro Mix -he is a big believer just like I am.
www.sufix.com
This morning 1-23-2012 David Honey called me and was
unable to go because he was sick so I headed to
Normandy not knowing what I would find because of
all the rain that we had yesterday. The mud line was
headed toward the Barton Springs Bridge....The 4
bottom fish was my best for the day-did the best I
could taking pictures by my self......We are going
to have to scope out the water conditions for the
rest of the week.......Rick Mcferrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Nick A Jack 1-17-2012
I have been blessed through the years to have
several memorable day's on the water and today was
near the top. Doug Markham and I set out for the
lake early this morning to shoot a video for his
site. To make what could be a very long story short
we caught and released approx 70lbs of Largemouth
with our best 5 weighing in at 37lbs with the big
fish weighing 10lbs 12 ounces. Everything was caught
on a Real Bait Company 3 wire Tennessee Rig, and
swim baits rigged on VMC Smoochin Head Minnows
www.vmchooks.com
and 65lb test Sufix 832 Braid
www.sufix.com .
We put the big fish in the live well until we got
everything out to measure her for a Tennessee Tarp
Certificate then she was released alive a well back
into Nick A Jack-you can see the whole process on
Doug's video. Doug and I have had some great trips through the
years together and this today was no exception.
Wow!!! Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
click
on the following link to see the video
https://www.facebook.com/people/Doug...type=2&theater
Nick A Jack 1-16-2012
My youngest son Daniel was out of school today so we
headed to Nick A Jack early this morning and had a
great 6 hours on the water. We caught and released
16 Largemouth and Spots along with a dozen or more
White Bass most much larger than the 2 white bass
that Daniel is holding. We caught everything on a 3
wire Real Bait Co. Tennessee Rig. We used VMC
Smoochin Head Minnow Head
www.vmchooks.com
and a couple different swim baits including a
Storm Wild-Eyed Shad
www.stormlures.com Our line was 65 lb
Sufix 832 Braid
www.sufix.com ...Daniel caught his personal best
today a beautiful 5lb 9oz Largemouth (see top row
cent picture) Murfreesboro OutDoors carries
the Real Bait 3 wire rigs as well as all the other
products. Good 6 hours with my youngest....He's a
good kid...............Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguiudes.com
2 Day Report 1-9 & 10-2012
Tim's Ford-Nick A Jack
This is a 2 day report for Tim's Ford and Nick A Jack. Yesterday I
fished with Michael McDaniel on Tim's and we had to hustle to find
any quality fish. There wasn't enough wind to blow a feather across
the lake all day yesterday and for the first time that I can
remember in a long time it stayed very-foggy all day. We caught 5 or
6 Largemouth and 3 big Black Nose Crappie all on a Rapala #7
Bleeding Chartreuse Shad Rap
www.rapala.com thrown on 6lb Sufix Pro Mix Mono
www.sufix.com . This is the 3rd
time that Michael and I have fished together and I always enjoy our
time together. Today I fished Nick A Jack with Jerry Steakly and we
had another fantastic day throwing the 3 Wire Tennessee Rig made by
Real Bait Co. with a variety
of Swim Baits including a Storm Wild Eye Shad
www.stormlures.com
Sufix 832 Braid worked extremely well-it is very smooth and is ultra
sensitive www.sufix.com . We lost
the first 3 big Largemouth we had on right at daylight 2 on the rig
and one on a Luhr-Jensen Krocodile Spoon
www.luhrjensen.com but was
able to catch 3 more throughout the day. In-between we caught at
least 100 White Bass that all looked like the ones you see above.
These products that I have mentioned above can be purchased at
Murfreesboro OutDoors-if they by chance don't carry a particular
item let Randy know and he will try to get it for you. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Editors Note:
Just wanted to share this video I found regarding the legality of
the "Alabama/Tennessee Rig". It is very informative and
demonstrates actual examples of legal and illegal bait
presentations. It was recently aired on WRCB TV in Chattanooga. It
is presented by TWRA fisheries chief Bobby Wilson. Hope this helps
those who still might be confused as to what is legal in the state
of Tennessee
Tim's Ford 1-6-2012
Terry Hicks (pictured) and I put in at the State Park Ramp this
morning at 6:30am and fished until 12:30. Water temp was 47 degrees
if they drop the water much more the ramp will be iffy....you can
see the end very easily. For most of the morning we didn't have any
wind but still managed to put the Smallmouth and Spots that you see
in the boat. I also lost a very good fish that hit with 2 or 3
cranks left at eventually pulled off. Best lure by far for us was
the Rapala Red Craw DT6 (see picture below dated 12-30-11) 6lb Sufix
Pro Mix Mono line of choice. Last post for the week-Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Below Nick A Jack Dam 1-5-2012
Yesterday I met good friend Jerry Steakly in Manchester and we
headed out to Nick A jack to throw the Alabama/Tennessee Rigs. This
was my first experience with these and I found out a couple things
that might help you in the future should you want to throw these
type of rig. #1 KNOW YOUR STATE LAWS
concerning the use of these rigs #2 If your fishing below a
dam like we did yesterday you definitely need some stout line-I used
the 65lb test Sufix 832 Braid smmoth as silk
www.sufix.com #3 it wouldn't hurt
to have a couple different weights of these rigs and here's why.
When we put the boat back on the trailer Jerry looked at the rigs I
was using and they were much lighter than what he was throwing-what
difference did that make? Well when we started out we were in an
area that had allot of current and the fish were out in deeper water
and he basically caught all the fish because his rig was getting
down in their strike zone and my rig was riding to high-in the
excitement of catching fish neither of us took time to figure out
what the difference was. When we were in water that didn't have as
much current my rig worked just as well as his and our catch ratio
was equal. This can be corrected either by the weight of the rig
it's self or by the weight of the jig heads that you use. #4 You
need stout line because you may catch doubles or more on the same
cast (as pictured above) #5 watch your electronics and stay in
bait....these rigs are heavy and if you can save a few wasted casts
during the day when you my age you will appreciate it. #5 I used VMC
1/4 ounce Smoochin Jig Heads
www.vmchook.com and a couple different swim bait bodies
including a Storm WildEye Shad
www.stormlures.com and they
all seemed to work atleast today. #6 Make your center swim bait
LARGER than the others-this made a huge difference. I use rigs that
were made by 3 different companies Mean Mouth Lures
www.meanmouthlures.com
Real Bait Company and JJ's Magic
www.jjsmagic.com and they all worked equally as well. The result
for the day-we figured we had to catch near 100 total fish ....65%
of them were Chunky hard pulling White Bass (see lower right
picture) the rest was basically Largemouth. Is this something that I
would want to do every day? No....I'm a light line (6lb test)
guy...........Will I do it again? Yes if the Lord allows-It was a
lot of fun and when your fishing with someone like Jerry that knew
the technique and spots it helps cut the learning curve
tremendously. Jerry thank you for another good day on the water with
you....we will do it again............Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 12-30-2012
I fished Tim's today by myself and had the best crankbait day that I
have had this winter. Water temp was 49 degrees and extremely
windy...25-30pmh. At times the waves would come over the front of
the boat when you were headed into the wind. I did the best I could
taking pictures-it was hard keeping the camera on the seat long
enough for it to flash....I caught 20 plus today with some great
fish not pictured-just to much to handle by myself. I caught
everything on the baits that you see in the picture below. Rapala #7
Bleeding Olive Shad Rap-#7 Rapala Bleeding Chartreuse Shad Rap,
Rapala DT6 Red Craw and a Rapala DT6 Hot Mustard
www.rapala.com I also
caught a couple on the Long John Swim Bait dipped in JJ's Magic
Chartreuse www.jjsmagic.com
with a VMC Smoochin Head 1/4ounce Swim Head
www.vmchooks.com Everything on
Sufix 6lb Pro Mix www.sufix.com
Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Recent Tim's Ford Picture
I haven't posted pictures lately but here are some of the fish that
we have been catching over the past few days. There have been
multiple fish caught as well that I didn't take pictures of .
I had the pleasure of fishing with Robert Markham, Joe and Katie
Clark and that's yours truly (bottom right) with a fish that Doug
Markham caught with me a few days ago. We have caught fish on live
Tuffy's, Whirly Bees, Long Johns, Rapala DT 6 Hot Mustard
www.rapala.com , Luhr-Jensen
Speed trap Root Beer
www.luhrjensen.com and everything on Sufix Pro Mix 6lb
test mono www.sufix.com and live
bait on VMC Bait Keeper Hooks
www.vmchooks.com Thanks for visiting my site and I will get back
to posting more pictures and info after the first of the year. Going
to take a little break. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 12-13-2011
Tuesday we had a 2 boat trip on Tim's with David Honey and the
father/son team of Ken and Joseph Jenkins. We fished a completely
different area of the lake than I have been fishing preparing for a
video that I'm suppose to shoot with Doug Markham next week. The
bite was tough for both boats, David and I threw tuffy's all day
while Ken and Joseph threw a combination of tuffy's, jigs, swim
baits, crankbaits etc. David and I lost 2 other good fish that we
just didn't have stuck and caught several other short fish as well.
Not much more to share than that. No wind 90% of the day water temps
in low 50's.............Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 12-09-2011
I met Jay Arnold at the lake at this morning at 9:00am and we fished
until 3:00pm. Our bite started out very slowly for us this morning
but as the day progressed it did pick up some. The 3 Smallies above
was our 3 best, we also lost 2 others in the same category. We
caught several smaller fish as well and once again (broken record)
all on tuffy's. Every one of our fish was "just barely" stuck,
it didn't matter how long you let them carry the tuffy, that's why
we lost the other 2 good fish we had on. I had to laugh at Jay
trying to break the Sufix 6lb Pro Mix when he got hung up on the
bottom-he kept pulling the boat toward the bank.....This line is
fantastic www.sufix.com. We
also used another of my regular go to hooks for fishing these tuffys
the VMC #6 bait holder hook....if they weren't needle sharp as
they are I'm not sure we would have caught the fish we did as light
as they were taking the tuffy in.
www.vmchooks.com More next week Lord willing! Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 12-07-2011
David Honey (pictured) and I got to the lake at 7;00am and fished 4
hours. Air temp was 31 degrees and was snowing and sleeting
when we reached the lake. The wind was out of the North and we had a
hard time staying on our spots. We decided to
only throw tuffy's again today and as it wasjust like last week a good
choice. We caught several others that are not pictured. We used 6lb Test Clear Blue Sufix Pro Mix
Mono www.sufix.com and #6 VMC
Circle Hooks www.vmchooks.com
a small split shot and the tuffy. This is a perfect set up for
throwing these minnows. The Sufix Pro Mix comes off a spinning reel
like a dream and the VMC hooks are needle sharp. Pick some up you
will be overly pleased---I have been. David is a very good friend
and he and have been blessed to put some good ones in the boat
together over the years-and today was no exception. I have 2 more
days this week "If" we can manage the weather. Got to figure
out something on my hands.....how many ways can you spell
NUMB...NUMBNESS-VERY COLD................Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 12-01-2011
Terry Hicks (pictured) and I met at Holiday Marina on Tim's this
morning around 9:00am. Air temp was 31 degrees and the water temp
was just about like it was yesterday in the mid 50's. We decided to
only throw tuffy's today and that was a good choice but we (I) blew
several of our opportunities. The fish above was our best "that we
put in the boat" We lost 6 big fish (I lost 4 of the 6) and all
close to the boat . My problem was a reel that gave me fits today
that I thought about leaving in the bottom of Tim's. I won't be
using it again, it's headed back for a refund. You don't get much
for $100.00 these days. We used 6lb Test Clear Blue Sufix Pro Mix
Mono www.sufix.com and #6 VMC
Circle Hooks www.vmchooks.com
a small split shot and the tuffy. You can't get any easier than
that. The minnow bite will be on all winter, it's a fun relaxing way
to spend your day on our middle Tennessee waters. More next week
Lord willing. Terry is a very good friend-a good fisherman and
a lot of fun to be in the boat with. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 1-29-2011
Thanksgiving travels are over now back to chasing those brown fish.
Today Jerry Steakley and I had a good day on Tim's catching
over 15 Largemouth-Smallmouth and Spots (oh yes 1 big Crappie) on a
combination of baits including a 018 Luhr-Jensen Tire Tiger Crystal
Speed Trap and a Rootbeer Speed Trap.
www.luhrjensen.com
Water colors varied from the upper end where there is a lot of color
to mostly clear in the middle part of the lake. We saw water temps
that ranged from 52 to 55 degrees and the lake is up 3 feet due to
all the rain that we have had over the past several days. It
rained-sleeted and snowed on us today and the winds were brisk at
15mph plus. As always the Sufix Pro Mix Mono came through like a
champ. www.sufix.com Jerry and I
always have a good time fishing together and today was no exception.
More to come later this week Lord willing. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Nick A Jack 11-18-2011
It was a cold 26 degrees when Terry Hicks (Pictured) and I put in
this morning on Nick A Jack. Water temp was 56 degrees when we first
got there and 58 when we left. I knew that we were going to be in
for a tougher day than David and I had on Tuesday because of the
cold front and the high pressure system that was sitting right on
top of us. We did manage to catch 15 Largemouth ALL-ALL on a
same Rapala Blue Shad DT4
www.rapala.com that I use down here all the time. (See picture
of bait in 11-15-11 post). Other than 30 degrees difference in air
temps here was the difference from this past Tuesday and today.
We caught all 15 in 3 places only. We hit each of these 3 places 2
times during the 6 hours that we were on the lake. We couldn't by a
bite any where else> BUT CHECK OUT THE CENTER PIC. When you got a
bite they would nail it. They love this DT4 on this lake. Terry and
I both throw only Sufix Pro Mix Mono
www.sufix.com on spinning and bait casters. If your not trying
Sufix your missing the boat. I don't think I'll fish this next
week-a lot of Thanksgiving to do. More in a couple weeks. Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Nick A Jack 11-15-2011
David Honey (pictured) and I got back on the water today and had a
good rainnnnny day. It was raining when we got to the mountain this
morning and rained on and off all day. There was a tremendous amount
of floating grass every where in the lake but when you could get the
Blue Shad Rapala DT4 passed the floating stuff the bass would nail
it. www.rapala.com The
great thing about the DT4 is that you can run it just above the
grass and fish it in some of the shallowest areas of the lake. We
also did well with the VMC Smoochin Head Minnow
www.vmchooks.com these come in
4 sizes from 1/16oz to 3/8oz so you can fish all levels of the water
columns. We switched between a grub and a small swim bait. We caught
and released 15 or more and lost at least 8 or 10 others. The 6
above was our best. Sufix Pro Mix on all my reels....hard to beat.
www.sufix.com Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford w/o 11-7-2011
This was a fairly tough week on Tim's for good quality fish. I
fished with Jason Lee-James Gillespie and Roger Holt and the fish
above was our best. We caught and released several smaller fish on a
variety of bait but the Rapala #7 Bleeding Shad Rap
www.rapala.com was by far the
best bait we also caught fish on a swim bait as well on a 1/4 ounce
VMC Dominator Smoochin Head Minnow Head
www.vmchooks.com . 6lb test
Sufix Pro Mix Mono was the line of choice. Tough over all week-a 3
good guys to be out with. More next week. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 11-5-6-2011
Yesterday I fished 4 hours with Mr. Dick Griffiths with the 2
Smallmouth above being our best. Today I fished with Stephaine
Wright and
Rhonda Loop and we couldn't manage a keeper fish all day. Both days
we caught and released several smaller Smallmouth all on Tuffy's.
I talked with the President of a bass club on the lake today
and there was only 3 keeper fish caught by the 24 fishermen by the
noon weigh in. I think we are in the process of the lake turning
over and when that happens you are going to have the good day-bad
day scenario for a little while. We also talked with a couple guys
that have fished Tim's for 20 or more years at the ramp and they
didn't put even 1 fish in the boat today.....just plain tough today.
Bill, Stephaine and Rhonda were amazed at the strength of the 6lb Sufix
Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com that
we used. Folks this is some kind of great line, need to get you
some. If your local sporting good store doesn't carry the Pro Mix
ask them to order it, I assure you they can....3 days next week Lord
willing. 2 good days on the water with 3 great people....Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Just A Little Live Bait Information
There are times on Tim's Ford and other lakes and rivers, when
fishing "Live Bait" can turn a so-so trip into a good one. To keep
from running back and forth to the local bait shop you can make
yourself a fairly simple inexpensive system to keep minnows of all
varieties and sizes based on your particular need. I have used
the system above for several years and have found it to be very
efficient. Let me explain what you are looking at.
The top left picture: This is a 30 gallon round heavy duty
plastic container with a lid that my father in law gave me.
It sits on an old charcoal grill stand that has a hole in the middle
of it where the grill tub set. This let's me sit the 30 gallon tank
on top of the hole and allow room for a PVC water line shut off
valve and pipe that I have inserted in the bottom of the tank
to easily drain water into the green 5 gallon bucket you see sitting
below. ***Important*** All minnows emit Ammonia from their
bodies-this is what will kill your bait if not handled correctly.
Ammonia will settle to the bottom of the tank-that's why I have the
drain in the bottom of the container. It's very easy to remove 5
gallons of water then replace it with fresh water treated with a
Shad Keeper-Better Bait type product (Bottom Center Picture) These
product remove chlorine from the water and helps with the ammonia
problem as well. I plumbed a inside water line down to a
faucet sitting behind the tank where I attached a hose. This way I
don't have to keep a outside faucet on during the winter and take a
chance on it freezing. **Note** I like a round container
better than a square one if you are going to keep bait for any
length of time. The round container doesn't seem to stress the
minnows as much (more ammonia) as a square one.
Bottom right picture: These are 2 "Dual Line" aquarium
aerators. I cut out a hole where I insert the 4 air lines down into
the tank...they plug into a electrical outlet that sits behind the
tank. I also have the larger aerator (bottom picture left) that I
use at times if I am keeping shiners, which for me are touchy to
keep at best.
Top right picture: I transport all my minnows to the
lake in 2 minnow buckets like the one that you see above. The bucket
is equipped with a external aerator that helps keep the oxygen
levels up while you are on the lake. This aerator runs' off of 2 D
cell batteries. The warmer it is the more crucial your aerator
becomes. Just a heads up----spend a little $$$$ and buy a square
plastic milk crate to sit your round minnow bucket in. It will save
you from dumping your bait over when running down the lake in heavy
waves. I learned this from experience the hard way. Also make
sure you have a small container with you that you can use to dip
some of the water out of your bucket and add lake water to help them
adjust to the (warmer) or (colder) lake water. I use a 20 gallon
tank in my boat when fishing larger bait.
Water Buckets: You can buy new 5 gallon buckets from
almost any home improvement or discount store. I keep 3 buckets that
I have marked "MINNOWS ONLY" on them. This keeps me from
accidentally killing my bait with detergents and other chemicals
that I use in washing my truck and boat. That's it....then all
you have to do is find the fish when you get to the lake......Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 11-1-2011
I had a great 4 hours with BV and Sharon Johnson on Tim's. In that
short amount of time we caught and released a dozen or more
Smallmouth with the largest weighing in at a respectable 4lbs 4oz.
BV lost two good fish and the action stayed fairly strong all the
way through. BV and Sharon I had a get time with you folks....a joy
to be out with. 6lb Sufix Pro Mix
www.sufix.com and VMC Baithholder
hock tipped with a tuffy........Rick Mcferrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 1-28-29-2011
This is a 2 day report for Tim's Ford. Yesterday my clients chose
not to fish so since the boat was already in the water I fished
about 2 hours. It was the first cold rain that I have fished in this
Fall , I guess I got broken in quickly. The forecast
was for the rain to stop around 8-9 o'clock but it stayed around all
day. I caught 4 Smallmouth and 4 Channel Cats in the 2 hours-all on Tuffys. Then said to myself----Self your nuts for sitting out here
all alone, so I loaded the boat and went to the house. .....Today I
fished with the Grandfather-Grandson Team of Bill and Dylan
Williams. It was 36 degrees and foggy when we put it but cleared and warmed up to 57 by the time we left the lake. We caught several
Smallmouth on Tuffys today as well. Dylan is a good fisherman
and a very polite young man. It was a pleasure sharing the boat with
the Williams today. All fish was caught on Sufix Clear Blur Pro Mix
Mono 6lb Test www.sufix.com and
VMC Bait holder Hooks.
www.vmchooks.com Unless something changes I will have 3
reports for next week. Until then be careful and enjoy. Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Fall Break October 17-2011
Daniel is on fall break this week and our original plans was to
spend the first 3 days of this week on Lake Barkley fishing out of
Dover Tennessee. After watching the weather forecast of impending
bad weather we decided it was best to save the $$$$$ and stay closer
to home. So yesterday I asked Daniel what he wanted to do and his
reply was go to Tim's and use his fly rod and catch some Crappie and
Bluegill. So we headed to Tim's with his fly rod and a couple
of 13 foot telescoping Crappie Rod's, and a bucket of Tuffys.
(No bas rods) It was a very clear, bright high pressure day and at
least for us we couldn't find any Crappie on the outside edges of
lay downs. maybe we were on the wrong tree. This is where the
ol'cane pole comes in handy. The upper left hand picture shows you
where we found these beautiful slab Crappie all weighing within
ounces of one another....right in the middle of the thickest parts
of the trees. By using the longer rod we were able to stand on
the front of the boat, stay away from the cover far enough not to
spook the fish but still drop the Tuffy in the smallest of areas.
One trick that I learned from my dad years ago when fishing cover
like this was that a "smaller" hook keeps you from getting hung up
as much in the cover. So I used a small #12 VMC Bait Holder Hook
www.vmchooks.com 8lb
test Sufix Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com
and a float that I could easily take on and off as needed. Now
the fly rod. Daniel must have caught 30 or more Bluegill with
several about the size of your hand-and he enjoyed himself big
time.....That is what the day was all about-Him and just being
together taking it easy.....can't beat a day like yesterday-or the
Crappie we ate last night. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 10-12-2011
I had the pleasure of fishing with Mr. Leon Wyman today on
Tim's. We started out looking for Smallmouth and Largemouth and
caught several in the size range that you see in the top upper left
hand corner . We decided to look for some Hybrids and you can
see the results. All our bass was caught on a Rapala Fat Rap and all
of the Hybrids and Stripers on a Rapala Skitter Walk
www.rapala.com 8lb Sufix Pro
Mix Mono on the Hybrids and 6lb on the bass
www.sufix.com To quote Mr.
Wyman "This has been the best day of fishing I have ever
had".....Rick Mcferrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 9-29-2011
Mr. Jay Arnold and I had a blast today on Tim's throwing Tuffy
minnows. We caught and released well over 20 Smallmouth, Largemouth
and Spots with the 3 above being the largest. We also caught 13 big
slab Black Nose Crappie. Jay is a great guy, good fisherman and a
pleasure to spend the day with on the water. The Largemouth above
was caught on a Luhr-Jensen Krocodile Spoon
www.luhrjensen.com and 8lb
test Sufix Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com
Evereything else was on 6lb Sufix Pro Mix and a #2 VMC Bait
Keeper Hook. More to come Lord willing. Rick Mcferrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 2 day Report 9-22-23-2011
Yesterday Terry and I had a great day catching atleast 20 Smallmouth
and Largemouth ...But...we
couldn't put a big one in the boat. Rapala Flat Rap Silver/Blue did
the trick again...8lb test Sufix Pro Mix lis by far the line of
choice. www.rapala.com
www.sufix.com Today Daniel was
out of school so we teamed up with David ....bought 10 dozen Tuffy's
and what a great day. Smallmouth-Largemouth-Hybrid-Black Nose
Crappie-Channel Cats-hand size blue gill......we had to catch 60 or
more combined easy. Today we used VMC Bait Keeper Hooks
www.vmchooks.com 6lb Sufix Pro Mix
www.sufix.com and yes ALL THE
FISH was caught on the Pro Mix.....if your not using this line you
are missing the boat...small diameter-limp-comes of the spool like
silk and very strong. The Blacknose were all clones weighing between
1 1/2to 2lbs each. Water temp was 71 with a north wind and air temp
in the high 50's and mid 60's. 2 great days. More next week Lord
willing.....Rick Mcferrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 9-15-2011
Terry and I put in at daylight again this morning not knowing
for sure what the front that came through late last night and early
this morning was going to do to us. Water temp was 74 degrees
and air temp was 65 degrees when we started at 6:00am and the air
temp was 58 when we put the boat back on the trailer at 12:00 noon.
We had a misty rain all day and the wind blew 15mph for most of the
day. We caught and released 15 Smallmouth with the best ones
pictured above. The lure that Terry is holding in the lower
right hand picture is what all but 2 were caught on today.
It's the same FLR06 Rapala Flat Rap silver and blue that we have
been using the past couple weeks. These balsa wood baits have a
distinctive wobble due to their flat sides and triangle lip that
rolls the bait when jerked.
www.rapala.com Another thing I like about these is that
you can get a long cast even against the wind. VMC Sure Set Hooks
www.vmchooks.com are
razor sharp which makes a huge difference when these Smallmouth
flash at the bait and not attack it. All of our reels are
filled with Sufix Pro Mix mono....we used 8lb test mono today.
www.sufix.com Painters
coming next week to the house so I'm not sure when my next post will
be....but when I go I will update you as always.....Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 9-13-2011
Terry and I put in at daylight and by 6:30am he had already caught 5
Smaller Smallmouth (not pictured) on the Rapala Flat Rap Blue/Silver
(FLRO6) pictured above. We moved a couple times and caught the 4
above on the same Flat Rap and a Luhr-Jensen Krocodile Spoon
www.luhrjensen.com We lost 2
fish we didn't see and put the boat back on the trailer at 11:00am.
I experienced steering cable problems and had to leave my boat at
the shop. If I get it back this week I will be back on Tim's and
will up date you then. Water temp was 74 at daylight and 75.3
when we left-lake has fallen about 8 inches or so, color is great.
More when I get my boat back. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 9-7-8-2011
2 Day Report
Yesterday (Wednesday)
Terry Hicks and I had one of those "DAY'S THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN".
We lost a mix 7 Smallmouth and Largemouth all about the size
of the Smallie in top left hand picture. We probably caught 10 or 12
smaller fish plus the big large mouth. Best lure hands down
yesterday was a Fire Tiger FR05 Fat Rap. We did however catch fish
on a Rapala X Rap and DT6. Every fish we caught was just barely
stuck and "if " they jumped it was all over. The big
Largemouth was caught vertical jigging a Luhr-Jensen Krocodile
Spoon. www.luhrjensen.com Water temp yesterday was a much cooler 75 degrees.
(Thursday)
This was the tougher of the 2 days for David
Honey and I. We ran more today than I normally would in 3 trips.
Water temps was 73 degrees this morning and we have a mostly cloudy
day to work with. We caught 8 ot 9 with the best 5 pictured above.
Shaky Head dipped in JJ's Magic
www.jjsmagic.com a DT6 Olive Green Craw
www.rapala.com and a
Rapala X Rap in Olive did most of what was done. All of our rods
were spooled Sufix 6lb& 8lb Pro Mix
www.sufix.com . More to come next
week Lord willing. Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 8-30-2011
This was a tough one on Tim's today for Terry and I. We
actually ran to our first spot before daylight and was poised and
waiting for sun rise. We had the opportunity for 5 fish and caught 3
(above) At least in the area of the lake where we were (and did so
well last week) it was dead. There was still a lot of bait but
nothing in them. We even dropped live bait down on suspended fish
with zero results. We loaded out at 10:00am. The big hybrid was
caught on a Luhr Jensen Spoon
www.luhrjesen.com and 6lb test Sufix Pro Mix Mono
www.sufix.com I keep
telling everyone how strong but yet smooth this line is and I'll
keep telling it.....you need to buy some and try it....fantastic.
The spot is one of the largest that I have caught on Tim's so
far. It hit a Prowler Slim Jim rigged weightless
www.powlerlures.com
8lb Sufix Pro Mix and a razor sharp 3/0 VMC Wide Gap Worm Hook
www.vmchooks.com. I intended
to fish Thursday but the lake is already very busy with ski
boats.......might just set this out until after the
holiday......Rick
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 8-25-2011
Good friend Terry Hicks and I put the boat in at daylight on Tim's
and wound up having a fairly good 3 1/2 hours before the sun got
high and things died down. We started out throwing a Rapala Skitter
Walk www.rapala.com
and I only had 1 bite in the first hour which I didn't land. We then
moved to an area where there had been a lot of bait, changed to a #8
Rapala X Rap in Sliver and Blue and Olive Green to match the size of
the shad and we never looked back. We caught and released 15 or more
Smallmouth with the largest pictured above. All caught on Sufix 8lb
Pro Mix Mono. www.sufix.com
We also caught a bonus Hybrid on a Luhr-Jensen Krocodile Spoon
www.luhrjensen.com
Terry and I was trying to remember if we lost 3 or 4 good fish as
well....not sure. I could blame the lack of memory on either the sun
or we both had a senior moments. Either way they were good
heavy fish. After things died down we ran the opposite
direction to a long cove where we caught 5 or 6 White Bass (Not
Pictured) trolling crankbaits. 11:30 boat back on the trailer, air
conditioner on and headed to the house. 1:30pm nap on the
couch. I will be back on the water more as we head into
fall.....and will post what I have. Until next week, be safe,
don't take chances on the water and watch out for carless boaters
over thge up coming holiday. Rick
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Nick-A-Jack 8-18-2011
Good friend David Honey and I made a 5 hour trip to Nick-A-Jack
today and had a couple good hours before the sun got high and hot.
The first place we pulled into we hung a heavy fish (that we didn't
see) and caught one on a Trigger X 10 inch Hammer Worm
www.triggerx.com rigged
weightless on a VMC 8313 Round Bend #5 Worm Hook
www.vmchooks.com and
Sufix Pro Mix 10lb Test Mono
www.sufix.com We also had 5 blow ups on a Tigger X Frog that we
didn't stick. Just before we left I lost another good fish on a
Prowler Drop Shot Worm
www.prowlerlures.com and David got broken off at the boat
on a shaky head. I have had several phone calls asking why I
haven't been posting reports. Simple every since I had the heat
stroke several years ago on Old Hickory I just can't handle the heat
and I don't take chances. Cooler day are coming and Lord willing I
will have pic's and info to share. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Normandy 8-5-2011
Well Daniel is back in school and it's time that I get back at it
again, and truthfully I'm ready. I fished Normandy today with long
time friend Terry Hicks and we had a "decent day". We put 12
Kentucky's in the boat all about the same size and I lost one good
largemouth as well. I could have taken more pic's but this will give
you a good sample. We caught fish on a Spoon
www.luhrjensen.com and a
Prowler Finesse Worm
www.prowlerlures.com dipped in JJ's Magic
www.jjsmagic.com The key today
with the spoon was being able to see your line as the bait
dropped. Most of the time it was a slight tick and that's where the
Sufix Pro Mix Clear Blue 8lb Test worked like a charm
www.sufix.com. Many think that a
spoon is only a winter bait but they can be very effective all year
long. Last week when I got my trolling motor back out of the shop I
made a 4 hour trip to Normandy and has almost to the fish the same
results throwing a Luhr_Jensen Krocodile Spoon-a Rapala DT10
www.rapala.com and a Prowler Pro
Slim Jim. Glad to be back and looking forward to the water temps
falling....surface temp was 87 degrees today. Rick
Mcferrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
