My oldest son Rick Jr. and I fished Tim’s today from 8:00am until 2:00pm and had 7 total with the ones above being our best. It was tough all day-we may have had 8 or 9 total bites .  VMC Weedless Jig www.vmchooks.com and soft plastics was by far the best for us.  I hope to fish Friday IF SO I’ll post what we do. Thanks for visiting my site and MERRY CHRISTMAS   Rick

Ken and I fished Tim’s today  for 6 hours. We caught and released 9 total with the ones above being our best,  They hit a Rapala OG DeepTiny 7 Green Gizzard Shad www.rapala.com  or a VMC Weedless Finesse Jig www.vmchooks.com and soft plastics . The OG’s are great flat sided balsa baits with a circuit board lip that runs true every time . “I THOUGHT” they would hit RED today but it didn’t happen-they liked the shad instead.  Water temp when we started was 49 degrees and got up to 51 degrees before we left. No real pattern to tell you about-just keep your trolling motor down  and keep chunk’n. 6lb Sufix Clear Blue Promix mono and Sufix Yellow Performance Braid with a  Sufix Advance fluorocarbon leader .  Check out all of our great items at Rapala.com Maybe 1 more post this week before the bas weather sit’s in. Thanks for visiting my site.  Rick McFerrin

Once again no big fish BUT a lot of them. I caught and released 26 today on Tim’s all about the size that you see me holding above. I went to the lake today with this mind set. I’m going to throw baits that I haven’t used in a while.  So I tied on a  06 Rapala Blue/Chrome Rippin Rap and a DT Flat . They were working so I just kept chunking.  (the DT Flat has been discontinued) BUT we have the Ott’s Garage Slim 6 that works equally as well in colder water.  Water temp is right at 60 degrees and the lake is 8 feet down from summer pool. This was a classic Tim’s late fall crankbait day-The More Wind The Better.  Rapala makes so many great crankbaits including the OG Flat series that are available in all depth ranges and colors to meet ever fishing situation and you can view them at Rapala.com  Sufix mono as always.  I”m looking for some “BIGGER ONE’S” after Thanksgiving. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

This week Rick Jr. Amanda Ken and I caught several short Smallmouth (over 30) on Tim’s with a couple decent ones mixed in.  If we were in a short fish tournament we would have won. Over the past few trips we caught fish on a White McFerrin Signature Series Swim Jig , Crank Baits and soft plastics on a VMC Weedless Finesse Jig.  Water temp hovered in the 60 range and the lake as of yesterday is approx 7 feet below summer pool and dropping. We are on the verge as far as I’m concerned of winter crankbait season and Rapala has the baits and colors that you need if you love to toss crankbaits. Shad Raps-DT Series-Wiggle Warts-OG Series check them all out at www.rapala.com. Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Tips For The Beginner

Understanding the RED FACTOR

Rapala DT 6 Red Craw

Monday I was getting gas here in Woodbury when a man that I next to me struck up a conversation. He told me he and his son were just getting started bass fishing in the last year or so and that they are regular visitors to my web site.

He said they enjoyed the information that I post and that they had been reading my old Tip’s For Beginner Articles that I have written through the years. He said that his son was fishing on a high school team and that they were navigating their way through the endless varieties of crankbaits and colors that are available.

Then he asked a specific question. What Is The Deal With Red? That opened up our conversation about the when’s and why’s of the Rapala DT 6 Red Craw. Which in my humble opinion is one of the greatest crankbait ever designed. And because of that conversation I decided to write this short tips article focusing only on cold water and the Rapala DT6 Red Craw.

First we need to talk about Tennessee crawfish. I ‘m not a biologist- I’m using data straight from the TWRA that is available to everyone AND what I have learned through years of being on the water here in Tennessee.

. The TWRA says that there are 96 species of crawfish in our state. Crawfish range in colors including green-brown-blue AND RED in certain stages of their lives. The RED FACTOR is dependent on the particular specie and other things such as the Vitamin A availability in their food supply, varying water color-temperature and clarity conditions.

The more vitamin A can mean a more reddish color-less vitamin A results in blue or black coloring. We are in the beginning of a seasonal change from warmer water to colder water. REMEMBER Lake water temps are going to continue to decrease.

Crawfish are bottom dwellers. And It’s been my experience that when water temps range between let’s say LOW 60’s down to 45 degrees crawfish will begin to SLOWLY become less active WHICH MEANS WHAT?

It means you can begin the pinpoint areas where they are going to spend their winters and be found more easily. And unless there has been a drastic environmental change in the lake they will be in that area year after year.

Once again the degree in in-activity is Gradual-it’s not like flipping a switch from active to dormant. So we have a window of time, down to in my opinion below 45 degrees where crawfish become almost dormant and burrow into the reddish clay and the rich Vitamin A sediment of our waters.

And the result is RED and that is why you need to have a DT6 Red Craw tied on all day long if you like to throw crank bait this winter even below 45 degrees.  You just have to change your retrieve speed.

I’m not saying that the Red Craw is a cold water bait only because it’s not. I also use it as a contrast color in warmer muddier water because it creates a great silhouette for bass to key in on. But I love it during this season.

If your reading this and your a beginner the DT stands for Dives To. So the DT6 on a long cast can easily reach the 6 feet deep strike zone on 10lb test line. I always throw my DT 4’s-6’s-8’s and 10’s on either Sufix Clear Blue Pro Mix  6lb or 8lb test mono.

That has been my thing for years and years. By doing so the DT6 will dive even deeper on the lighter line. Some are hesitant to use light line on crankbaits but if you have your drag set correctly-use a good VMC Snap and check your line you will be surprised the fish you can put in the boat.

Once again the Rapala DT Series in my opinion is one of the greatest crankbait lines ever designed. Made of ultra premium balsa wood, carefully placed internal weights and rattles, tapered body, ultra thin poly carbonate lips that dig down quickly, VMC hooks, tank tested and ready to go right out of the box.

For more information on the DT Series go to Rapala.com or feel free to contact me at rickm@dtccom.net and I’ll be happy to help. Good luck and I hope you have a great DT6 Red Craw winter.

Fished Tim’s Today from 6:30 until 11:30 caught 9 with the ones above being the best I caught fish on a Crush City Tilapia Cleanup Craw -Crush City Goby Pig Sticker and a drop shot worm.  www.rapala.com If you haven’t tried the PS it’s 5 inches long with very heavy salt-color-flake and scent. It’s great for skipping under docks-low hanging limbs and in thick lay downs. It’ can be rigged in several ways-whaky-exposed hook or Texas rigged. The action on this bait when “Walked” is fantastic. I urge you to go to www.rapala.com click on Cush City and check them out.  “NOW” a confession I lost a Smallmouth today that was “HUGE” I had set my spot lock and was fishing off the back deck, I hung the fish he jumped and takes off toward the front of the boat and you guessed it right into the turning blades on my Minn Kota. I lost the fish and had the biggest wad of Sufix yellow braid in my motor. Been a Looooong time since that has happened to me.  More Lord willing next week Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Ken and I fished Center Hill from 6:30 to 11:00am this morning. We caught and released 15 mix of Smallmouth-Largemouth and Spots. We have had a TON of rain/storms on and off this week and today was my best bet to go.  Thinking about all the rain I decided to run to the back of a creek as far as I could go and see if there was any  colored water. We didn’t find any but we did find some that was slightly stained. We started there and 15 later it appears to have been a good call.  Water temp was 76 degrees and for the most part of the morning there was no wind to speak of and a good cloud cover.  Lately  I have had a decent top water/craw bite. No top water fish today but the craw still works.  Everyone has a favorite  craw-If you haven’t tried the Crush City Clean Up Craw www.rapala.com  I urge you to pick up 2 or 3 packs.  Rig them on a VMC 4/0 Wide Gap Hook www.vmchooks.com  use as light of a weight that you feel comfortable with (I used a 1/8 VMC Tungsten) Use a good Braid like Sufix 20lb Yellow Performance-and a Sufix fluorocarbon leader.  www.sufix.com and you’ll be good to go. Don’t hesitate to start shallow and work you way out of the creek.  Hope this helps-weather is suppose to be good to go next week so I’ll let you know how I do. Crankbait time is just around the corner check out all out hard baits at rapala.com Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I launched this morning on Tim’s at 6:45 ran to my first area, got out the Rapala Skitter Walk and it was on pretty quick. I was using the Rapala Holographic Bone Skitter Walk-There has been something about this color on Tim’s the last couple years -verses other colors. I think it’s the flash of the green/pink/blue line that runs the length of the bait-and the more sunlight the better it seems. The Skitter Walk has been a staple for me over all of these years with Rapala. The weighted tail helps the bait to remains more or less level when your not moving it. TODAY that was very important. The majority of my hits happened when I stopped and started walking the dog again. They wanted to kill the bait. The Skitter Walk has internal rattles that make a great “Knock” with the side to side movement. 2 sets of very sharp MMC No.3 Trebles. I used 20lb Sufix Braid and a VMC Snap the gives the bait even more freedom. Thanks for visiting my site-More to come this week if all go’s well. Check out all the colors and patterns at Rapala.com Rick

Ken and I fished Tim’s yesterday from 8am until 1pm. We caught and released 11 total  (no big fish) with many about the size that you see above and smaller.  Lake is at 888 which is  summer pool and the water temp was in the 78-79 degree mark where we fished.  We did see some top water activity to far  away from us and we couldn’t tell if it was bass or hybrids. Still good to see.  The Crush City Green Pumpkin Blue Flake Clean Up Craw www.rapala.com  has produced a lot of bites for me in the last few trips. You can rig the craw in many different ways from Texas Rig with a VMC 4/0 Wide Gap Hook to what has become my favorite the VMC Finesse Jig (shown above) I’m not nor have ever been a power fisherman-finesse has always been my thing. These jig come in 4 sizes 3/32-1/8-3/16 and 1/4 ounce and 2 colors Green and Black Glitter finish. Each one has a needle point VMC 1/0 hook-Stainless Weed Guards and a Hollow Back that allows you to snug up the craw for a very small natural presentation. The Clean Up Craw is only  3.5 inches long  which fits my type of fishing extremely well.  Even though the Craw has a tight water moving kicking action when reeled at medium and faster speeds IT ALSO has a fantastic movement at slower inching along speeds as well. Now if you are someone that likes to Flip-Punch-Carolina Rig it is perfect for you as well. Infused with Color-Falke-Salt -Scent and Back Rib to hide hook points. Check out all the colors (17)  and additional info on both of these products at Ralala.com. Thanks for visiting my site  Rick

Just a quick explanation. I have been having a serious problem with my I Phone every since the Sunday update that Apple did. When Apple Tech was helping me-somehow my pictures from Center Hill and Nick-A Jack Dam was deleted and we couldn’t find them. (What happened to the cloud?)  So for today  I bought a cheap phone ($30.00)  just to take pictures with. Monday Ken and I had 9 on Center Hill-my best came on a VMC  1/8th Weedless Finesse Jig and soft plastics-20lb Sufix Yellow Braid and 8lb Sufix Fluorocarbon. Ken had the Big fish which was in the 3 lb range. Tuesday Jared and I had 7 total bites below the dam-there was minimal generation/current so I don’t have to tell you what that can mean-big fish 2 ½ maybe 3. . My best bait was a Rapala DT6 River Shad on 10lb Sufix Clear Blue Pro Mix. Now for Wednesday/today at Tim’s. I only had a few hours to fish s I put in at the state park  hit a couple spots with no results throwing a variety of baits.  I was almost out of time so I ran into the very back of a long pocket (5ft deep)  to work my way back out and that’s where I found the 3 that you see above (Total Weight  for the 3 was 8lb 1 oz)   and 2 that I lost all on a Crush City Green Pumpkin Blue 3.5 inch Clean up Craw rigged  on a VMC Worm Hook and a 1/8th VMC Tungsten weight The legs have a very tight kicking action and the ribbed hook slot on the back make it perfect for throwing into some thick stuff. Salt-Scent and flake infused–great small package. Back at it since the 100 degree days have passed. Thanks for visiting my site Rick