Best 5 of 9 this morning on Center Hill all on top water. It was extremely foggy when I got to the ramp this morning when it lifted I ran to a area that I thought would be holding fish and what do you know! The bottom picture is the Rapala Skitter Walk www.rapala.com  that I use. The bottom one has been through the war and it is hard to estimate all the fish that I have caught on that particular lure-I wouldn’t take $100.00 for it if someone offered. It started out with a blue top like the one above it-but the fish have worn the color off.  All 5 of these fish were between 18 1/4 to 18 1/2 inches-The 2 that I’m holding up was caught on 2 consecutive casts-I got one in the boat got her unhooked  and quickly cast again and got her partner.  Sufix 8lb Pro Mix was as always my line of choice.www.sufix.com  I had 4 other short fish and about that many blow ups that didn’t connect. More Lord willing next week. Big rain and nose diving temps on Monday-looks like we are headed into some great fall-winter weather. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

If you have a kid that loves to fish take them to Woods as soon as you can. Ronnie and I put in at Morris Ferry at 700am and had (no error here) 100 white bass by 9:00am and a total of 122 by 10:30am. Go under the bridge head toward the island and start watching your electronics in 16 feet and up. Most of our came out of the 14-15ft range. All of mine was caught on the Krocodile 1/4 ounce Live Image Spoon www.luhrjensen.com and 8lb Test Clear Blue Sufix Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com . Simple for a kid-just drop it over the side all the way to the bottom and gently flick the spoon up and down. Not much to get hung on out on this flat-if you do you might have 1 of those giant flat heads that roam these waters. This bite should continue for several more weeks-take your kids they will have a blast. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Fished NAJ with good friend Ken Jenkins last Friday the 6th. We struggled all day putting a few in the boat with the ones above being our best of 15 or more. 1 top water bite-no crankbait bites everything was on the slow and easy side. I was using the VMC Finesse Weedless Jig and soft plastics www.vamhooks.com on 8lb Clear Blue Sufix Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com. As you can see in the pictures it was a hot-slick no generation day-not making excuses just the truth.  We put in at Shell mound and at 1pm when we came back in there was only 1 other trailer in the lot everyone else had left before us.  I feel like a baseball player that’s in a long slump-got to change sooner or later.  Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished 5 hours on CH yesterday and had 7 total bites with the 4 above being the best. Everything on a VMC Weedless Finesse Jig and soft plastics. www.vmchooks.com and 6lb Clear Blue Sufix Pro Mix.  5 of the 7 bite came off of the same 20-30 yard stretch other wise zero. Water temps are down to 72-73 range as of yesterday. Not much more to tell. I’ll be on Old Hickory with Ken Jenkins the end of the week and will update you then. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

They call this dog days and I can attest that it still that in spades for me. What you see is the best of 15 from Normandy and Tim’s. Every fish came on either a #2 VMC Neko Rig with a 3/32 Neko Weight or a 3/16 VMC Finesse Weedless Jig and soft plastics. When you rig the Neko rig correctly hook ups are in the 80% to 90% range-amazing. The hook has a 3 degree off set point-long shank-wide gap and a stout Fluorocarbon Weed Guard. You can pitch this into heavy timber and fish it through consistently. The 3/16 VMC Weedless Finesse Jig has a 1/0 light wirehook-stainless weed guard-a V shaped bait keeper and a Hollow Head that let’s you snug you choice of plastics up tight.  www.vmchooks.com I tossed the Neko Rig on  8lb Sufix Clear Blue Pro MixMono and the Jig on Clear Blue 6lb test.www.suffix.com Cooler weather is setting in which will help out the  76 to 78 degree water temps on these 2 lakes.  Season are changing and I’m gearing up for a great Fall and Winter Season. I urge you to go to Rapala.com and view the videos on these 2 new VMC items, they are very helpful. Rick McFerrinwww.tennesseebassguides.com

Best 4 of 10 or more on Normandy yesterday before the storm ran me to the ramp.  I want to share what I was doing with those that may not be familiar with a Neko Rig. (bottom 2 pics) The rig I was using was a New VMC #1 Weedless Neko Hook a VMC 1/16ounce Neko Weight www.vmchooks.com  and a Black Trick worm.  The VMC Weedless  Neko Hook comes in 4 sizes a #2–#1–1/0 & 2/0 They have a 3 degree off set Point for better hook sets-Resin Closed Eyes that is much easier on line abrasion-and Long shaft-Wide Gap and a Fluorocarbon Weed Guard. The VMC Weight comes in 1/32–1/16–3/32 & 1/8th ounce. The ribs on the weight hold firmly in the bait without damaging the nose of the plastic. For those of you that aren’t familiar with this technique you choose your hook size in relationship to the plastics your using and your weight depending how quickly you want the bait to fall nose down. Yesterday I was fishing laydowns so I wanted a slower fall. Always insert your hook point toward the tail of the plastic (same when using a VMC Wacky O Ring) this will give you a better hook up. You can experiment on how much action to use on the rig-the fish will normally tell you.  Now I didn’t have any big fish again but there was 2 other boats there yesterday with Good Fishermen that I know well. One boat zeroed–the other 2 fish and we were all fishing the same kind of structure. Sometimes you have to use something different and this rig was the difference for me today. Go to www.rapala.com click on VMC then Bass Hook choose the Neko Hooks and watch the instructional videos. They will help you see this under the water. Hope this helps Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I think the fish are happy that Braxton is back in school. These are a few fish that Braxton caught in August on Chickamauga with his grand father Billy. I said it before but I will again this young man is a fishing machine and very honest. Billy told me that he wont take a picture with any Rapala clothing on unless he caught it on a Rapala Lure. Way to go Braxton-always be upfront and honest with your sponsors and it will come back to you multiplied. Proud of you Braxton.  By the way can you guide me on Chickamauga someday?  Rick www.tennesseebassguides.com

5 hours this morning on the Hill. The 6 above the best of 12 I think. I stayed close to the ramp because of the impending wind and rain from Irma that has made it’s way into our state.  The smallest spot in the top left hand picture is about the size of the other 6 that I caught. Still not on any big fish-but happy for what I got considering. Rapala Skitter Walk www.rapala.com  #2 VMCSpin Shot Drop Shot Hook weighted with a VMC 3/16 Tungsten Drop Shot Weight www.vmchook.com And a 3/16 VMC Weedless Finesse  Jig and soft plastic’s. Everything on 6lb test Clear Blue Sufix Pro Mix Mono. You can view videos on the Rapala.com Site of all products including the Spin Shot-and all the other spin shot skus—Maybe more the end of the wek depending on what this weather does. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Not much to talk about–I just haven’t been on any good fish. What you see is a mix of Normandy & Center Hill.  Rapala Skitter Walk-DT6 River Shad and “New BX Brat Pearl Grey Shiner www.rapala.com and Soft Plastics on a NEW VMC 1/8oz Weedless  Finesse Jig www.vmchooks.com. Today on Center Hill I must have caught 15 or more Smallmouth and Spots combined all between 10 and 12 inches. I had 4 out of one laydown—just couldn’t find the good ones.  More next week depending on weather conditions because of the hurricane  that’s headed to Fla. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Short and Sweet or Sweet and Short?  What you see was all caught in 20 minutes and then Zero with a capital Z……………………Rapala Skitter Walk—-Rapala DT6 www.rapala.com and soft plastics rigged weightless on a VMC Wide Gap Worm Hook www.vmchooks.com 6 and 8lb Sufix Clear Blue Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com.  Done for the week. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com