Got Ronnie out for a little while this morning (3 hours) -He’s been under the weather so it was good to spend a few hours with him doing what we like to do. We never left the ramp area in those 3 hours-trolling motor only until we put the boat on the trailer.   Everything on a Rapala DT6 or DT8 Red Craw or Helsinki Shad. www.rapala.com Sufix Pro Mix Clear Blue 6lb Mono www.sufix.com  Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished Center Hill from 6:45am until noon today. The bites were few and far between-I had 6 bites and put 4 in the boat including the Smallmouth pictured above . For those of you that are out of state our first real cold front for this year started last night.  There was a stout north wind that you just couldn’t seem to get away from. Air temp was 55 when I left. Every on 10lb Sufix Yellow Sufix Braid and 8lb Sufix Fluorocarbon–www.sufix.com and a VMC Weedless Jig www.vmchooks.com . I tossed a crankbait and spinner bait as well with no takers. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

This is a 2 day report. Ken Jenkins and I fished last Thursday and I fished today by myself. Both days gave up a bunch of short Smallmouth as well as what you see above.  Water temps still running 67-70 and I think they had dropped the water level a little since last week. The fish was a little deeper today (20ft) last Thursday more in the 10-15 range.All fish both days came on Sufix Yellow Performance Braid and Sufix 8lb Fluorocarbon leader www.sufix.com  VMC Weedless 3/32 Jig and soft plastics . www.vmchooks.com.  Thank you for visiting my Site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished the grass at Nick a Jack yesterday and had 7. One on a Terminator Buzz Bait www.terminatorlures.com and 6 on soft plastics rigged weightless 30lb Sufix Braid and 15lb Sufix Fluorocarbon www.sufix.com and a VMC Wide Gap Heavy Duty 4/0 Worm Hook www.vmchooks.com  Fished Tim’s today I caught 16 Smallmouth and 1 Spot.  Rapala Skitter Walk–Silver DT6-rapala.com and a 3/32  VMC Weedless Finesse Jig and soft plastics. Tims was 66 degrees at the ramp and 70 when I left.  A ton of 12-14 inch Smallies have moved up but I was able to catch a 3lb 9oz and a 3lb 3oz Smallmouth on “My Last Stop” —–one more cast!  Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Back at it—good to have the hot weather behind us. I can handle colder weather but not hot anymore.  Before I go any further I have had several people wanting up dates so I will show you some of what I had this week on Center Hill and Tim’s. There are no 18inch  keeper Smallmouth-all short. I had 13 today on Tim’s 5 on a New Rapala DT8 Red Craw and a Silver and Blue. www.rapala.com and Sufix 6lb Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com and  the rest on a VMC Weedless Finesse Jig www.vmchooks.com and soft plastics. Sufix 20lb Yellow Performance braid and a 8lb Sufix Fluorocarbon leader. 2 On a Rapala Skitter Walk on Center Hill and a couple on soft plastics. I could only fish 4 hours on Center Hill so I stayed almost within site of the ramp at Ragland. I hope this will be the start of my fall/winter up dates.  Hopefully I will have some larger fish. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished Normandy this morning from 6:15am until 9:45 am until it got to hot. I caught the 3 above—a 5.4lbs—-4.6lbs—3.12lbs–the 3 weighed in at 12.92lbs. They would wham the new Rapala Holographic Bone Skitter Walk www.rapala.com  that you see above. This bait has the same “thump” that the Skitter Series has plus a Blue-Pink and Silver hologram, This is going to be a “GOOD ONE”   10lb Sufix Pro Mix Mono…..Sufix.com .Going back Lord willing Thursday. Thanks for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished Tim’s yesterday morning from 5:30 until 10:00—Caught 7 Small mouth and lost 2 good fish at the boat,  just didn’t have them stuck good. The fish above  both measured right at 19 inches each and the  2 that I lost was that size as well. Those bite were all on the same bank that historically produce good in the dog days of summer-but when the sun got on it “I” couldn’t stay there—to hot for me.  I believe that you could fish it at night and do really good. The others were scattered here and there. All on Sufix  10lb Yellow Performance Braid and a Sufix 8lb Fluorocarbon Leader. www.sufix.com  VMC 3/16th Weedless Finesse Jig and a VMC Shaky Head Jig with soft plastics on both. www.vmc hooks.com  ***Truthfully  with the gas prices the way they are it’s hard for me to justify spending that kind of $$$ on a 3 or 4  hour trip—I’m looking forward to cooler fall and winter temps——which equals longer trips! More when I have it.  Thank you for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I fished Woods this morning for 5 hours. I caught the 5 above and had 2 others that got off. I had  3 on a Rapala DT6 Green Gizzard Shad www.rapala.com on 6lb test Sufix  Clear Blue Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com I always use a #1 VMC Duolock Snap on all my cranbaits. It give them a little more freedom which can make a big difference at times.   The others on a Texas rigged soft plastic 1/16th VMC Tungsten Worm Weight-pegged with a VMC Sinker Stop and a 2/0  1x Round Bend Worm Hook www.vmchooks.com  20lb Yellow Sufix Performance Braid with a 10lb Sufix  Fluorocarbon leader.  Everything for me was very shallow.  More next week–I hope to take my 4 year old Grandson Marshall out on Monday to do some pan fishing-going to be a lot of fun. Thankd for visiting my site. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

Fished NAJ today  from 7am until 12:30 with long time friend Jay Arnold.  What you see above was the best of 14 that we put in the boat-we also had several get off.  Everything we caught was in 5 feet of water or less and most on a square bill——and I think maybe 2 or 3 on soft plastics rigged on Sufix 20lb Yellow Performance Braid and a 12lb Sufix Fluorocarbon leader www.sufix.com.  I was using a VMC  #2 Worm Hook and a VMC 1/8 Tungsten Worm Weight pegged with a VMC Sinker Stop www.vmchooks.com.  Thanks for visiting my site—more to come Lord willing. Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com

I love May and June for pan fishing. So I fished Center Hill Monday looking for Shell Crackers and big Blue Gill. I caught and released multiple (What dad called) SNUB NOSED BLUE GILL. At least 20 or more bigger than you hand-BUT only 1 Shell Cracker. I looked for them until it was getting hot around noon (near 90) and decided to head back in. As I was running toward the bridge at Siligo I saw a nice size bust  out in the middle of the Chanel. I had a 1 inch Shad color Jigging Rap tied on a light action rod with Sufix 6lb Pro Mix Mono www.sufix.com  so I stopped dropped the Ultrex and there they were 20 feet down in bait. I set the spot lock dropped the Jigging Rap made 2 or 3 snaps and wham one of the Large mouth you see above-2 more drops 2 more hook ups 1 more large mouth and I lost 1 of the biggest Spots that I have had on on Center Hill. Then it was over! It was a matter of the right place at the right time using the right lure. I started fishing a Rapala Jigging Rap www.rapala.com back in the 60’s and 70’s Ice Fishing in northern Indiana and Michigan and caught a ton of fish. BUT I soon learned that the Jigging series lures from Rapala works in open water applications just as well.  Rapala offers a Jigging Rap-Jigging Shad Rap–Jigging Snap Rap–Jigging Flat Rap and a “New Jigging Shadow Rap” Each with their own techniques—-multiple sizes weights and colors. There are also all kinds of videos on the Jigging series on our site at Rapala.com and on line as well.  If your a Walleye fisherman you need to check out some of Al Linders videos on Jigging Rap Walleye. No matter what lake your fishing having a Rapala Jigging Rap on when you leave the dock for deeper suspended fish is a very good idea. Check them out at Rapala.com “NOTE” with gas prices the way they are I will only be making 1 trip a week-but I will post what ever the results. Thanks for visiting my site  Rick McFerrin www.tennesseebassguides.com