I fished with Loooong time friend Billy Campbell yesterday on CH.  Water color varies all over the lake. You can find everything from very stained to semi clear with varying temps. (47-45)We covered a lot of territory  to manage the 3 that you see above. Billy is trying to hide his identity holding up a obvious very short fish. (You can’t hide) By the way  I caught the short fish and Billy caught the 2 good ones.   Best crankbait was the Rapala DT6 Red Craw which we both used. Looking back I should have thrown the Ots Deep Tiny in the same red craw (pictured above) **that will be a note for next time*** www.rapala.com I was using Sufix Clear Blue 6lb Pro Mix which has been my favorite for many years www.sufix.com  One thing that I have always liked about Pro Mix is the abrasion factor. We were beating and banging off of  rocks all day with very little little (if any) abrasion.  We did talk with 2 other friends that had 10 and a couple good fish. Like us they covered a lot of water and hit on one short stretch where they caught 5 of their 10  and I thing at least 1 of their big fish 4 3/4lb Smallmouth.   I had a great day with a great friend. Thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished Tim’s 2 times this week. The first day I had 8 total Largemouth Smallmouth mix and the 2nd day with Ken we had 12 total mix . Monday I had 4 on the “NEW”  Red Craw OG Deep Tiny 7 pictured above with the Tiny 4. The 7 is a silent/non rattling flat sided floating bait that has a very tight wobble and is rigged with VMC 1X Strong Hybrid Trebles.  They would “Pop” these with a vengeance.   For those of you that know me, you know that I have always been partial to “Crankbaits & Light line” I throw all my crankbaits up to 12ft deep on my favorite mono 6lb test Sufix Promix Clear Blue Mono.  Monday I was bumping the bottom at 8/9 feet deep easily with the Tiny Deep 7. I’m excited about both the Tiny 4 and Tiny 7.  Both come in 19 color patterns that will meet all fishing conditions and both need to be in you tackle selection.  On Monday I also had 4 on the “New  Pumpkin Magic Crush City Ned BLT” Rigged on my favorite  3/16th VMC Weedless Finesse Jig (Pictured above)  The BLT will stand straight up on a 1/4 ounce jig head . The Ned BLT are flake-salt and scent injected and comes in 16 colors and all are 3 inches long. They are made out of a durable floating plastic TPE material. These will work great in all finesse situation including drop shot.  Friday with Ken it was strictly a Ned Rig day. We couldn’t get bit on any moving bait.  20 total for the week-55-56 water temp.  Tim’s should be getting better after next weeks cold snap.  You can check out EVERY bait that I just talked about by going to www.Rapala.com  We have videos on most plus tackle tips. thanks for visiting my site Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Tim White and I fished Tim’s one day and Center Hill for 2 days and honestly struggled on all 3 days.  I’m missing about 4 or 5 other pictures that included a couple decent smallmouth -not sure what happened.  The ones above was our best on Center Hill. We caught several fish about the size that you see but we just couldn’t come up with the quality.  Rapala Skitter Walk was the best top water for me www.rapala.com We both use a variety of Sufix braid and mono www.sufix.com We caught several on a variety of cranbaits including the old reliable Shad  Rapala DT6.  Water temp was in the 62-63 range and dropping. Ramps are all in good shape.  That’s the good bad and ugly. I think we are very close to a good top water and cranbait bite on CH. I’ll update as I go. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

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