Good friend Terry Hicks and I fished Normandy this morning for 4 hours for Crappie and had 30 with 11 keepers that weighed in at 13lbs 7oz  a 1lb 1/4 avg. Same techniques and same baits as yesterday. Normandy Crappie will explode over the next couple weeks and this would be a great time to put a few in the freezer. TriggerX www.triggerx.com  VMC Jig Heads www.vmchhoks.com and Sufix 10/4 high vis yellow Performance Braid-Great combination that works. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I met Ronnie at the ramp ay 6:00am this morning to Crappie fish and things got started out a little slowly until we figured out what they were doing, and when we did—–you see the results above.  We had to have caught near 50 total Crappie today with the 24 keepers weighing  25lbs 2oz.  If I’m ciphering right that’s  over a pound apiece even here in Cannon County.  1/6th ounce jigs and small plastic baits like the Trigger X Nymph or the Wingding did the trick. www.triggerx.com  I also like using the Sufix  10/4 High Vis Yellow Performance Braid www.sufix.com  Great day with a good friend….Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Last Friday I fished out of  Kens boat on Old Hickory and caught 20-30  Largemouth but the 3 on the top row was our best for the day. If you fish Old Hickory I need to give you this tip. The Largemouth there love no let me say LOVE the  SMS05 Storm #611 Rainbow Smelt Smash Shad for some reason. www.stormlures.com I ran up on this last year and it worked again last Friday,  This little bait will run 6 to 8 feet on 6lb Sufix Mono www.sufix.com and over 20 of them smashed it Friday-we threw a variety on other crankbaits including a #5 and #7 Shad Raps and the Smash Shad out paced them hands down. Today 4-19-2016 I fished out of my boat on Nick A Jack for 4 1/2 hours only caught 1 of the 25 on a crankbait but they would nail a swim bait rigged on a VMC 1/8oz Dater Head jig. www.vmchooks.com and 8lb test Sufix mono.   I could have taken more pics each day but this will give you a good idea of what happened. No real big fish either day but a bunch of them—–if you can’t have fun doing this something is wrong with you.  More hopefully yet this week. Maybe even some Crappie pictures. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

The above is the best of a combination of the last 3 trips.  I have been on several fish just  haven’t been able to stay on good ones. Example today Ronnie and I had 3 Walleye-1 Rock Fish-3 Smallmouth and 4 Largemouth but only 3 keepers. It’s been like that for me lately-IT WILL GET BETTER! Now  for the good News!!!!  They will smash the new Rapala Shadow Rap Shad www.rapala.com with a vengeance. It has to be the way it backs ups and turns when you stop-it just seems to create a vicious strike.  Sufix Mono and Braid as always-this is some tough line that comes off the spool like silk and has little to no memory  in every weight range that I use. www.sufix.com.  The full variety of the new Shadow Rap Shads should be in your local tackle stores-check them out  you will be happy you did. More the end of the week-Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

What a great 6 hours throwing the new Rapala Shadow Rap Shad www.rapala.com on Tim’s Ford. Ronnie and I caught and released  7 Hybrid—7  Largemouth-5 Smallmouth and 1 Walleye and lost 4 with 2 of the 4 being Smallmouth bigger than what we put in the boat.   I started out with the New Haymaker color above then switched to the Blue Ghost.  Folks these new Shadow Rap Shads are going to be “HOT” I haven’t tried but 2 of the new colors and they both produced. Check these out on line or at you nearest tackle store——————Tie one on and see what I’m Talking about! Sufix Braid was my line choice today-no stretch and solid hook up’s www.sufix.com   Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Decent day on Normandy today-started out with a “Great” New Shadow Rap Shad (Haymaker Color) bite. I don’t have all the new colors yet but “For Me” the Haymaker caught my eye instantly. They would absolutely nail this bait. www.rapala.com  The Shadow Rap Shad comes in 24 colors and 2 sizes. It has a slow- vertical “rise” on pause action which perfectly mimic a shad in trouble. Larger profile presents more flash as it Kicks almost 180 degrees right then left, with very little forward travel, it stays in the strike zone. If you use a sharp snap and leave some slack line, it will actually spin around and look backwards. I caught and released 15 total with the 7 above being the best of the bunch. I was throwing these on 8lb Sufix Mono www.sufix.com and my favorite Jerk Bait Rod that I have had for 15 years or more. If I ever lost or broke this rod I would mourn. Believe me you need to get some of these new Shadow Rap Shads in your boat. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

7 bites and 4 in the boat in 7 hours………………..Tuff with a capital T. I was able to get 3 hits on the New Moss Back Shiner Shadow Rap Shad www.rapala.com.  Ronnie lost a big fish that took off for deep water and never stopped. I think it was a Rock Fish but we will never know.   Just a very tuff day………….water temps in the low 50’s great color……things are getting ready to break wide open………………Rick

The 7 you see above is what I managed to put in the boat this morning in 5 1/2 hours….but should have been 11…..I couldn’t keep the stuck…many short hits even cranking about as slow as I could and still get the bait down. All On a Rapala DT6 River Shad www.rapala,com and 6lb Test Sufix High Vis Yellow…….More next week If the Lord allows. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Ronnie and I fished Normandy for 6 hours this morning and caught and released 14 Largemouth and Spots. Of the 14 -8 were keepers with the big fish weighing 6lbs 6oz . Everything was caught on either a Rapala DT6 Red Craw or a Rapala #10 X Rap Clown www.rapala.com.  and 6 or 8lb Sufix Mono www.sufix.com  Water has great color and we found water as warm as 51 degrees-Here’s the catch-the fish were very isolated in very short sections of structure-Hunt and Peck at it’s best……Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Yesterday Ronnie Wooten and I fished Center Hill together. I’m not sure how far down they had pulled to water since last week but it was considerable and they were pulling hard while we were there. To make this short we pulled in on our 2nd stop and Ronnie caught a 2 lb Spot and a 3 1/2lb Largemouth on the Rapala DT6 River Shad and for us we never had another hit.  On the other hand another friend of mine was there and had 14 total and the best 5 went 17-18lbs. The basic same thing happened to Ken Jenkins and I a couple weeks ago which should have been fresh in my mind. But while I was trying to force feed the fish with the same baits and techniques that has worked so well lately-he when to a Carolina Rig and had a great day. You would think at my age and the 1000’s of hours on the water that I have logged in my life time  I would have–remembered–and  adjusted………………….BUT NO………..Never really like the taste of HUMBLE PIE but if I have to have it make my Pecan!   Rick