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

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