This has been a very tough fall fishing season for me and many of the folks that I know and talk with on a regular basis.  Water temps continue to be high as well as air temps.  It’s been a long time since I woke up on Oct 27th and the 5:00 am temp outside is 68 degrees and we are headed for another 80 degree day.  Enough whining-here we go.  Center Hill water temp low 70’s:  I had 2 keeper Largemouth and 6 short Spots all caught on the New Rapala River Shad/Shad Dancer casting past balls of shad. This is going to be a tremendous bait this winter.  Before you say well why didn’t you do THIS OR THAT I did no takers in the 3 creeks that I fished in 8 hours . I talked with several fishermen that I saw and it was and has been  tough on everyone-with the exception of someone running into the right pocket and the right time. Tim’s Ford Yesterday water temp 69-71: The wind was just right (at least for me) it was 15-25 plus and under normal circumstances great Terminator Spinnerbait-Rapala Crankbait late October conditions-NO-but I did have 7 short Largemouth and 1 Short Smallmouth on a Rapala Helsinki Shad Husky Jerk scattered on multiple types of structure. Everything was on the river channel-NO-action period in long pockets or creeks where you could work other soft plastics-drop shot-Carolina Rig.  I also had 1 very heavy fish on off a shallow wind swept gravel/mud  point that just pulled off after 15/20 seconds. I think everyone within 5 miles could hear me scream when it came off!  Now Positive Thoughts: WE are very close to Tim’s cranking up on a Rapala Jerk Bait Bite-Along with the 8 short fish I caught I also had that many short strikes and also 4 or 5 chases back to the boat of fish I could easily see.  Come on colder water temps. I talked with Glen our TWRA Officer twice this week and everyone that he has checked on Tim’s has been experiencing much the same.  That’s the Long & Short-The Good-Bad & Ugly.  Just had to vent-Rick www.tennesseebassguides.com

This is the deepest cold front that we have had here in middle Tennessee in months. When I put in this morning it was 52 degrees and the wind was already blowing 15mph plus-I think it had to reach 25mph today. 100mph suit felt good first thing. Water temp was still 71 degrees but will continue to fall over the week end since we are going to have lows in some areas of mid 30’s. I had 4 total Smallmouth today and like Wednesday only 2 good fish. All 4 was caught on a Blue & Silver Storm Rockin Shad Lipless Crankbait www.stormlures.com I threw everything else with zero takers.  For those of you that are familiar with the Tin Fin the Rockin Shad has the same profile but has a very strong vibration and the multi-ball chamber emits a louder rattle than other similar lipless baits. Another great feature is it dives head first when it sinks but had a side to side rockin action.  Going to get good in the next couple weeks….Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

3 of 6 Smallmouth that I caught this morning on Tim’s. Water temp at daylight was still 71-72 degrees and normal Tim’s clear. All 6 today came on a soft plastic jerk bait rigged on a VMC 3/0 Red Wide Gap hook www.vmchooks.com and 10lb Sufix Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com  I’m glad that we brought back the Clear Blue Pro Mix-I know we had a big following on it when it was discontinued-but it’s available now-if your tackle store doesn’t carry it-ask for it—-it’s as good as it get’s.  It appears we set another HIGHT TEMP day here in middle Tennessee today-90 degrees——BUT———a good cold front with rain is coming tomorrow which will usher in cooler water and air temps—-Don’t like to wish my life away but I’ll be glad when this summer is over!!!!! Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

8 of 14 Largemouth all on Rapala Skitter V www.rapala.com  2 or 3 good fish and the rest were small.  Definitely a afternoon bite. I put in at 8am (47 degrees) and had only 1 at 1:00pm—-then I found them and caught 13  by 3:30pm.  The grass is aggravating when it come to top water BUT I couldn’t get them to hit anything else—-just clean the grass off and keep chunking…….Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com  “Love The Skitter V”

11 of 22 on NAJ today with Ronnie.  They love the new Rapala Skitter V www.rapala.com and when you could get it close “Game On” The “V” alters the action of this bait to give it a quicker cut when you snap the rod and if you give it a little slack line it glides. The Skitter V is 4 inches in length and weighs 1/2 ounce-so you can get a very long cast using Sufix Mono or Braid www.sufix.com  10 color/patterns -translucent 3D Holo Eyes—Just a fantastic  top water walk the dog bait that you need in your boat.   Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

First I want to thank everyone that checked to see if I was still breathing-it’s just been TO HOT for me-but I’m back at it again and will post trip results as always. What a beautiful early fall day-air temp never got above 80 and the humidity was very low.  When you add in a 10mph wind it was great. After having 93 days over 90 degrees and heat indexes over 100 it was a very nice change.  Extended forecast has us in the 50′ and 70’s all week which will help bring the water temps down-Normandy was at 81 surface yesterday and lake level is dropping. .  I caught and released 8 bass yesterday. 7 Spots and 1 Largemouth with the 5 above being the best.  There was a few busts here and there and if you was close enough to get a Luhr-Jensen Krocodile Spoon near them  they would hammer it.  www.luhrjensen.com  There are times that they will hit the spoon immediately other times it will be as you let the spoon fall. I like using Sufix 832 30lb Braid on my spoon-The small dia. smoothness let’s you get a very long cast when needed and the strength is incredible.  www.sufix.com Just a side note-I tried vertical jigging the spoon and a drop shot with no success. This will all change when the water cools down.  I also caught them on a soft plastic stick bait rigged on a Red  3/0 VMC Wide Gap Hook www.vmchooks.com and 10lb Sufix Pro Mix www.sufix.com.  Thinking ahead-if you haven’t purchased any of the new DT colors you need to take a look at them as we go into the fall/winter crankbait season—-and don’t forget the River Shad -Red Craw and Demon DT6’s—————-they will help you put more fish in the boat this year.  Thanks for visiting my site-Keep Watch more info is coming. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Ronnie and I had a good day on NAJ today catching and releasing 32 Largemouth and 5 White Bass . Top water action was spotty but be sure to have a Rapala Skitter Walk or Rapala Skitter V tied on. We also caught several on a Rapala DT6 River Shad www.rapala.com and a stick bait rigged with a 3/0 red VMC Wide Gap Hook www.vmchooks.com and 10lb test Sufix Mono www.sufix.com The Corp had 2 generators running today which was a plus-water temp 85-86 air temp 85 but felt like low 90’s. I have to admit that it was better than the 70 (YES 70) days this summer over 90 degrees with heat indexes of 100 plus. Cold front moving in tonight which will drop the humidity -and not sure what the weather coming up from the gulf will do to us next week—it will be what it will be—just have to roll with it.  Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Hey Guys Check These Out They Are Going To Be Hot!!!!!The inimitable Rapala^® Shad Rap^® and the venerable DT^® (Dives-To) Series are now available in five new lifelike, seasonally specific retreating-craw patterns: Blaze, Delta, Mossy, Ole Blue and Rusty.

The new craw-color designs are available in two Shad Rap® sizes, 05 and 07, and all DT® Series models (04, 06, 10, 14 and 16). Here’s what the new craw patterns look like:

• Blaze is mostly orange from tip to tail, with a red-shaded back, yellow claw accents and realistic shell-pattern details throughout.
• Delta is dark red from tip to tail, with a black-red back and sides, light-red claw highlights and realistic shell-pattern details throughout.
• Mossy is moss green from tip to tail, with green-yellow claw highlights and realistic shell-pattern details throughout.
• Ole Blue is blue from tip to tail, with white-blue claw and side highlights and realistic shell-pattern details throughout.
• Rusty has red claws, a brown body with yellow side highlights and realistic shell-pattern details throughout.
• Check Them Out They Are On The Shelf Now!!!!!!    Rick

11 of 18 Largemouth  and 15 White Bass that Ronnie and I put in the boat on NAJ this morning.  There was little to no movement early so we threw a 10 inch worn rigged on Sufix 10 or 12 lb mono www.sufix.com and a 3/0 VMC Wide Gap Hook www.vmc hooks.com.  I know a lot of companies talk about how sharp their hooks are-but it is hard to beat the penetration that you get with a VMC super sharp hooks. We move around a little and found several willing Largemouth that would HAMMER the new Rapala Skitter V www.rapala. It stayed nice and over cast for most of the morning and when the sun popped out and it got hot we loaded out.  Good day with a good friend…….Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

4 hours and 5 bites 4 bass  that sums up Tim’s for me this morning- although the 2 Smallmouth were great fish. No surfacing fish at least in the area that I fished so I went to an old pattern that I used in past years “Deep Water Docks”  All 4 came out from under docks that were in 40 feet of water or more on a VMC 3/0 Wide Gap Hook www.vmchooks.com rigged with soft plastics.  I really like the Sufix 10lb Clear Blue Pro Mix when I’m fishing this pattern-It’s stronger than strong comes off my reel silky smooth-very easy to see and allows me to “skip” baits way back under the platforms.  For all the mid-tn guys that loved Pro Mix it’s available again at Murfreesboro Out Doors and other retail outlet’s www.sufix.com That’s it for this week. Rcik McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com