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

Wow!!! The very first fish I put in the boat was a 5lb 12oz Smallmouth,(on the digital scale)  what a beautiful fish. I kept looking in the live well at her on and off for an hour. Another 18-19 lb  5 fish day but this time mostly on the Rapala DT6 River Shad www.rapala.com The only fish that was real aggressive was the Smallie  the others would hit the River Shad and would just swim off to the side. That’s where at least for these old eyes where the Sufix High Vis Yellow  line comes into it’s own.  Had to leave to meet my wife in Murfreesboro and I left them biting. Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I had a good 6 hours on Center Hill  today. I caught and released 12 Largemouth and Spots all caught on a #7 Rapala Shad Rap River Shad pattern www.rapala.com and 6lb test Sufix High Vis Yellow Mono www.sufix.com.   I don’t’ believe that I caught a fish in more then 3 to 4feet of water at best. When I had my first 5 in the live well I stopped and took some pictures and weighted the 5. The 5 weighed 15lbs 3oz with the big fish weighing 5lb 6oz.  I released that 5 then caught 7 more with 1 Largemouth weighing 3lbs 2oz and another 3Lbs 12oz. the other 5 were all keepers as well.  No way to know exact weight but if I culled the 2 smaller Spots in the first 5 I weighed and replaced them with the 2 Largemouth I believe I would have  had 5 fish in the 18 lb plus range. 47 degree water and just right as far as I’m concerned for the crankbait. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebass guides.com

What a great 6 hours with Ronnie Wooten today on Tim’s Ford. Let me start by saying other than the picture of the landing net there are NO double pictures-all separate fish we pulled back in a protected cove to take the pictures. —-Ronnie and I caught 12 total today with 7 being over the 18 inch size limit on Smallmouth. We weighed the 7 keepers and they weighed in at 18lbs 2oz on the digital scale. Everything was caught on a very small hair fly that Ronnie ties and both of us used Sufix 6lb High Vis Yellow mono. www.sufix.com  For anyone that want to “SEE” (which I always do) their line the high vis is great and doesn’t seem to bother the fish any-as a matter of fact it disappears quickly in the water. That was as simple as it gets-6lb Sufix-small hair fly. By the way Ronnie put it on me today-but I was a very good net guy.  Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Yesterday my old friend and fishing partner for many years pasted away at his home. David Honey was a great guy, a loyal friend and a joy to be with. The Lord has allowed us to make some great memories together on the water. They are ones I won’t forget.  I’m going to miss him. Rick

Ronnie and I fished Tim’s this morning for 5 hours before the rain and snow set in. We had 5 or “MAYBE” 6 bites and the 3 chunks above was our best.  We tried to use  micro jigs like a 1/16th brown and orange but the wind was very strong and it was difficult at least for me to detect a bite. So I switched to a 1/4oz Terminator Swim Jig that I had changed the skirt to a Terminator Pumpkin Green and that made the difference for me. I was throwing the jig on Sufix 8lb test mono www.sufix.com on a m/h spinning rod. Glad I got home when I did the snow has covered the ground and the fire place feels good!  More hopefully by the end of the week  if the weather cooperates. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com