Our best 3 of 7 Largemouth and Smallmouth that Terry and I caught this morning on Tim’s. We also had several white bass as well.  Water temps pushing 90 degrees–I certainly don’t get reports from everyone but of the ones I do get “NIGHT TIME” has been producing the best. Rapala Skitter V and DT6 River Shad www.rapala.com produced for us again. We could mark schools below us suspended in 25-30 feet but they wouldn’t touch any vertical presented bait.  Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

5 of 9 Largemouth I caught today on NAJ on the new Rapala SkitterV between daylight and 9am. Todays fish were smaller over all but still would “Hammer” the Skitter V www.rapala.com  At least in the area of the lake that I fished it was a typical Mid Summer Dog Day—–hot from the get go-very still-nothing in the grass I fished- and just 1 here and there on the out side edges.  Once again the Skitter V is going to be a top water bait you will want to get as soon as they hit the shelves.  Thank you for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I am always excited when we come out with our new Rapala lures for the following years.   I received the first  of them the end of last week and today was the day that I was going to put them in the water. First let me say this I’m only going to address 2 of them in this post. What you see above is 7 of 10 Largemouth that I caught this morning.  My love for the Rapala Skitter Walk is well documented but there is a new twist —5 of the 7 demolished the new  Rapala Skitter V with the largest being a respectable 5lb 4oz (not bad for 1st time out!!!!!  I tried to take some pictures so you can see the difference in the bait vs. the original Skitter Walk. Looking straight at the 2 the Skitter Walk has a more rounded side and bottom vs. the NEW SKITTER V that has a V bottom/tapering sides which changes the action of this bait unbelievably. If you snap your rod and leave slack line it will glide, and 3 of the 5 hit this bait today on the glide. The new Skitter V is 4 inches in length and weighs 1/2ounce  comes in 10 colors, has a translucent body , 3D Holographic Eyes and a set of super sharp #4 VMC Hooks. The 2nd is going to be fantastic as well-the new Rapala  Shad Dancer is a 2 inch 1/4ounce crankbait that can be either trolled or cast and drives 7-10ft deep on 10lb test-deeper for those of us that are light line guys.. I caught 2 Largemouth and 8 or 10 white bass on the Live River Shad today. —I’m going to make a prediction this bait here in our middle Tennessee Lakes will be one that everyone will be talking about and looking for. When you find them you better buy them. It comes in 16 colors for every need and preference including the LIVE RIVER SHAD and RED CRAW colors-which are mega favorites here in middle Tennessee.  Folks I have never led you wrong these  2 new additions to the Rapala line up is going to be GREAT!!!  By the way I put in at daylight and it was sweltering by 9:45 when I left the lake-just flat hot, and was the only trailer left in the lot.  Go to Rapala.com and you can pull these baits up and get a far better idea of what they look like.  Thanks for visiting my site Rick www.tennesseebassguides.com

The bottom 2 pictures where Ronnie is wearing a gray hat with blue lettering  is from Tim’s last week the others (Ronnie wearing a gray Rapala hat) are 6 of 27 that he and I caught on Nick A jack today on a Rapala DT6 Live River Shad Crankbait. www.rapala.com  I honestly believe that the Live River Shad pattern in the DT6 and DT10 is one of the best that I have ever used. This bait has worked for me on Nick A jack-Center Hill-Tim’s-Normandy-Percy Priest and Old Hickory over the past year or so.  Water temp was 90 on Tim’s and 86 on NAJ.  We both use Sufix Mono www.sufix.com in 6 to 12 lb test depending on the application.  Another “HOT” day by 10am-fishing was short but sweet.  Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I have been on vacation for the last 2 weeks and finally had the opportunity to head to Tim’s this morning with Ronnie. The results in the 4 hours that we were there were slim.  We had 6 bites-lost 3-and put 3 in the boat.  A 20 inch-18 1/2 inch Smallmouth and a 19 inch Largemouth.  We thought we might have a decent top water bite but it just didn’t materialize.  The storms with lightening-thunder, winds and heavy rains were moving back and forth over middle Tennessee so we stayed close to the ramp “Just In Case” !! Soft plastic swim baits rigged on a 3/0 VMC wide gap hook www.vmchooks.com was the best for me. We both were using Sufix 8lb mono www.sufix.com-Here comes the broken record with absolutely no apology —–Sufix Line  is fantastic-small dia. smooth as silk-ultra sensitive and STRONG….If you will try Sufix in the same weight that you are currently using in another brand you will never go back to your old line.  That is how good Sufix is.  More to come the end of the week when all these storms pass through. Rick www.tennesseebassguides.com

The last 2 mornings I fished with Ronnie Wooten and Terry Hicks on Tim’s. It had been a while since I have been there so I looked back into my notes from prior years to see what I did and what part of the lake produced.  My records show that it’s just about now  that a couple areas I like begins to provide some great Rapala Skitter Walk www.rapala.com  top water action and what do you know it proved true the last 2 days.  The Skitter Walk is 1 tough bait that imitates a life like bait fish that is trying to get out of dodge which at times results in explosions that are nothing short of brutal.  The top water bite lasted a short period of time each morning  but should continue to get better and longer through out the day  over the next few weeks. Hard to beat the Rapala Skitter Walk www.rapala.com teamed up with Sufix  30/8 Braid www.sufix.com.By the3 way  Sufix Braid is a rounder, smoother, thinner and quitter braided line that works well on a bait caster or spinning reels. These are all separate fish no double pic’s. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Ronnie and I had a good couple hours early on Normandy today throwing soft plastic jerk baits rigged on VMC #7311 Fastgrip  2/0 Wide Gap Hooks www.vmchooks.com. These hooks have a 15% greater penetration than that of most ordinary hooks on the market today because they have a 3 point Microbarb. They are also 1x strong and made from vanadium steel.   We  both used Sufix 8lb test Mono www.sufix.com.  We lost a couple good fish that we got hasty on and had 3 or 4 short ones as well.  “But” when it was over it was over for us. I had to laugh at Ronnie this morning he was throwing a centipede  got hung up and pulled and pulled trying to break the 8lb Sufix. He said man I have never had line as good as this before!! Quote unquote.  If you haven’t tried Sufix  and VMC hooks your missing the best mono/hook combo on the market today in my humble opinion. Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Back several weeks ago I was asked to do Rapala Crankbait seminars for the Music City Center Sports Festival in Nashville. This is a great event that incorporated all types of out & indoor sports that kids could be involved in, instead of spending their time with a Phone or mouse in their hands. I had the opportunity to talk with many young folks and their parents and frankly I was impressed with what I saw and experienced.  Two young men are on their high school bass fishing team and was soaking up everything I said to them. It was also a joy to see how many young girls and their mothers are into fishing-Randy from Murfreesboro Out Doors did a great job setting up the booths and demo area and as always was a pleasure to work with.  Independent stores like Randy’s is a dying breed I’m afraid-when you walk into his store you will talk to men that live and breath hunting-fishing etc. They know what is hot-they know what is going on in middle Tennessee-it’s not a hourly paid job for them it’s their life.  We need to support them as much as possible. This was a good day for a good cause-Thank you for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I met Ronnie at the ramp at 5:30am and he and I fished for just 2 1/2hrs before he had to leave. We started out with 2 short Smallmouth and 1 short Largemouth on a Storm Smash Shad www.stormbaits.com and 6lb test Sufix mono www.sufix.com. We moved for some deeper banks and picked up the 2 good Largemouth that you see above on Senko rigged on a VMC 1/0 worm hook www.vmchooks.com and 10lb Sufix mono. We also had 2 or 3 short fish on the deeper banks as well.  Ronnie had to leave so I took him back to the ramp and I fished for another couple hours and had 3 Spots and another Largemouth and the Walleye pictured above which I caught on the same Smash Shad. That’s it-lock stock and barrel.  Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

What a fun 4 hours on Old Hickory today with good friend Ken Jenkins catching and releasing at least 75 Blue Gill with many as big as your hand. (What you see in the net is 50) which we released and then we kept count on the remainder.  Ken knew exactly where to look and before I got rigged he had 3 or 4 in the boat. These fish wouldn’t hit a float rig so we used the drop shot method which kept our baits up out of the snags . VMC makes a great drop shot hook called the “Spin Shot” in sizes #8 to 2/0  and Tungsten Drop Shot Ball Weights from 1/8ounce to 1/2 ounce.  www.vmchooks.com . We used nibbles and red worms for bait and truthfully they both worked well. Combine this set up with 4lb or 6lb test Sufix mono www.sufix.com and a ultra light rod and you are in for some great battles.  Thanks Ken for a lot of fun-by the way by 10:30 in was already HOT in capital letters-be  careful on the water-it was 10 years ago that I had a heat stroke on Old Hickory and I have never been the same when it come to heat. Stay in the shad-drink liquids and there is always another day….Rick www.tennesseebassguides.com