Ken Jenkins and I fished Center Hill this morning and had steady action for the first 4 hour or so and then it died. We caught 15-20 total Smallmouth-Largemouth and Spots combined with most being very short. The ones above was out best and all  caught on soft plastics. I was using a 1/8ounce VMC Weedless Finesse Jig www.vmchooks.com on 8lb Advantage Sufix Mono www.sufix.com Water temp hasn’t changed since Monday-but it appeared that they pulled the lake down maybe 8-10 inches or so.  That’s it for this week and I appreciate you visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished Center Hill this morning by myself. I caught several smaller fish (8=10 inch) early on a Rapal DT6 www.rapala.com  I threw several top water baits and a buzz bait with no takers. I switched over to a 1/8 VMC Weedless Finesse Jig with soft plastics www.vmchooks.com and caught the ones you see above plus I lost 5 in timber. No “BIG ONES” but good solid fish. 6lb test Sufix Mono on the crankbait and 8lb on the jig. Water temp was 77 degrees.

Ken Jenkins and I fished Spencer Creek on Old Hickory for 5 hours this morning caught 10 with the 2 pictured being the best.  2 on OG Citrus Tiny www.rapala.com 8lb Sufix Adnance Mono  The rest on soft plastics rigged on Sufix 10lb Nano Braid www.sufix.com  #2 VMC  Worm Hook with a VMC Sinker Stop & a  1/8 ounce VMC Tungsten Worm Weight  www.vmchooks.com Water had the normal Old Hickory color and 78 degrees.  I know we are all faced with the same things as far as gas costs ($3.49-$3.59 today)  are concerned-so Ken and I are going to continue trade trips. Based on where we live we will use his boat on Old Hickory and Priest and mine on Center Hill-Normandy-Tim’s and Woods.  We also have limited how much running we are doing when we get to the lake–Maybe there will be better days ahead. Thanks for visiting my site rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Monday  Marshall and I  met Ken Jenkins and his grandson at Priest to fish with Striper Guide Merv Johnson. I wanted Marshall (5 yrs old) to experience the possibility of catching a big Hybrid or Striper on live bait before he had to start school this year.  We knew that the weather was going to be “if’y” and it was. Marshall got to watch on the sonar Merv’s  cast net settle down on a big school of shad and bring them back up and into the bait tank.  Then it rained & rained & rained Marshall hung in there as we searched spot after spot for Hybrids that were willing.  Then it got “Hot” and Marshall still hung in there—-Merv worked extremely hard for 7 1/2 hours to put us on fish-we ran from one end of Priest to the other. We marked  fish at every stop & watched them hover around our baits and then turn away.  They just had lock jaw—and having been a guide my self I can tell you that it is very frustrating because you want your clients to catch as many as they can.  Sometimes all you can do is all you can do!  Marshall caught 2 big cats , 1 Hybrid  and had a boat load of fun.   Marshall is back to school and his “Paw” “Me”  will be searching Tim’s-Center Hill-Normandy and Woods. Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin

I’m sure there are some that are tired of Grandson pic’s “BUT”. Just a quick report. I took Marshall this morning to Tims and found that the lake had continued to rise over the walk way at the state park and was still rising while we were there. Debris floating every where-but we decided to try it any way. The 2 that Marshall is holding was his best—plus he got a hook in his leg—Oh Boy!  Hook out back to the marina and Pa  fixed  things by a 30 minute swim at the ramp.  Another fun day….Rick

Marshall and I fished Tim’s this morning from 5:45 until 9:45am and Marshall had another good day all on a Rapala Ultra Light Crank Silver Blue www.rapala.com and 6lb Sufix  Nanobraid and a micro light rod. He had several 1st.  He caught his 1st Crappie-1st Hybrid-1st Cat Fish and ALL MOST his 1st White Drum. Check out the scale from that fish that he has in his hands He got it up to the boat I had net in hand but then—-you know the rest of the story. I would guess it was in the 15lb class.  He also got to see the TWRA stock 20,000 White Bass fingerlings like the one he has in his hands. Marshall caught 14 total today.  For those that are reading this if you have a kid that likes to fish or just get out in a boat now is a great time to take them to Tim’s with ultra light equipment like the Rapala Ultra Light Crankbait-Light line like the Suix Nano Braid and troll with either motor.  And let me say many of these fish he has caught the last 2 trip are suspended  out in 30 feet of water in bait.  They WILL come up and hit this small bait. Try them out on Nano Braid—-everyone will have a good time.  Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com 

Marshall had several 1st today. (1) He had never been in a bass boat (2 He had never caught a Smallmouth-Largemouth or White Bass (3) Never caught anything on artificial.  His 2 Smallmouth’s was 17 3/4–and 17 inches and his Largemouth was almost 18 inches. He also caught 15 White bass ALL ON a Rapala Ultra Light Crank Silver (pic) and Blue www.rapala.com and 6lb Sufix  Nanobraid (pic)  www.sufix.com trolling with either the trolling motor or outboard.  The only help he got from me was holding up on the micro light rod when he had the bass on.  The Ultra Light Cranks and Nanobraid on a ultra light action rod will pay dividends as the water warm up into the 80’s… Check both of them out at Rapala.com  there are videos that correspond to them as well. Marshall is the next generation of McFerrin fishermen—I watched him today pay attention to exactly what I asked him to do —he wanted to catch fish and he did all by himself. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

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I fished Old Hickory this morning (5 to 10) with long time friend Ken Jenkins looking for Shell Crackers and boy did we find them. We caught 53 plus 20 big gills. We released all except out legal limit. We started out throwing jigs-I was using a VMC 1/32 Crappie Minnow Luv Bug and a Tungsten Bull Fly  1/32 Jig we had a few hits but then we switched over to small pieces of night crawlers and it was on.  We stopped on one of Ken’s beds and it was one Cracker or a big gill every cast. I like using the VMC  #8 long shank  Aberdeen hook www.vmchooks.com  You don’t have as many gut hook ups which is great for the fish you throw back. 6lb Sufix Clear Blue Pro Mix www.sufix.com on a M/L rod.  We had several as big or bigger as the 2 that Ken is holding.  Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished Tim’s for 5 hours caught 5 Smallmouth and 1 Hybrid with the 3 above being the best.  I fiddled with docks for the first 2 hours with no result. Knowing that it was going to be “HOT” by noon I shifted tactics. I used my side scan to find a few areas of blue gill beds and all 6 fish that I caught were associated with these beds.  I was throwing the Rapala  OG Tiny 4 Coosa Special www.rapala.com pictured above on 6lb Sufix Clear Blue Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com . I set my boat in 6-8 feet of water and made my cast  parallel to the bank so that the OG Tiny would come though as much of the bed as possible. Full moon tomorrow night so the gill’s will be working away and the bass will chasing them. Pick  up a couple OG Tiny’s you won’t be sorry—-I have grown to really like and have a lot of confidence in the Coosa Special  it’s not only a great color but it has produced for me no matter the season. Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Marshall caught 15 nice blue gill a little bit ago in the pond. He’s going to be a good fisherman—I’ve been the baby sitter for the last 6 weeks  most week days because of the massive computer virus attack on the hospital where my daughter-in law works. She is able to start working out of their house again starting tomorrow so I should be able to get back out on the lake.  He’s a good kid-for real. Rick McFerrin