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Old 02-01-08, 02:11 PM   #1
carolina-rig-01
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Default well i am screwed

well i pre-fished a tourney the other day, the tourney isn't until next saturday but we had a break in the winter weather so i decided to pre-fish a little earlier than i would of liked. the water temp was around 40* and i figured i would need to fish deep and slow. tried fishing deep in a lot of places that i know were holding fish but couldn't get bit. i went shallow against everything i thought i knew and then i found some fish. they were all in 10 fow and on ledges and points with wind. i knew it was a gamble hoping for a shallow bite to hold up for more than a week in the winter but it was all i had. i had overheard a lot of other guys talking and i knew that if my pattern would hold up i would be in the thick of things. but lastnight table rock saw 8-10 inches of snow, so my fish are gone. now i wish i wouldn't have pre-fished at all. at least that way i wouldn't be tempted to fish shallow, now i am lost and am kinda hoping this tournament gets canceled to keep me from starting the year off in a hole. i hate this time of year, bring on spring!
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Old 02-01-08, 02:19 PM   #2
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Bass don't alway's go deep just cus it get's cold. They're is no truth to that. Unless your fishing on a river. I would fish the shallows first. 1st. bait i would use is a suspended Rogue (Bleeding Clown Color) 2nd. I would throw a 1/4 sassy shad on a slow to med. retrieve. (Chartruse Glitter)
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Old 02-01-08, 02:25 PM   #3
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well i think that the quality fish i caught were ones that just didn't move out yet. i know not all fish go deep but this tourney is on table rock way up james river and it seems that once the better fish on james river go deep they tend to stay there until it warms up quite a bit. i threw a jerkbait (lucky craft pointer) a lot the other day and didn't even get bit, i couldn't believe that because a suspending jerkbait is usually killer on the rock this time of year (it still may be the ticket on tourney day). but i was on a solid jig bite that may or may not hold up, the trick was working it sllooooowwww! the slowest you think you can work a jig, you had to work it about half that fast.
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Old 02-01-08, 02:40 PM   #4
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i've gott nothing against that lucky craft at all. But sometimes it comes down to the presentation of the bait. I would throw the Rogue first & Have especailly at the RocK!!! Try the Bleeding Clown color.
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Old 02-01-08, 02:53 PM   #5
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yeah the rogue is a killer at the rock. and i have a box of custom painted rogues in the boat ready to go.
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Old 02-01-08, 03:06 PM   #6
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My opener last year the water temp was right around 40 and we ended up catching over 20lbs in 3ft. of water on 1/4oz. bleeding spinners...we were the only boat in that area all day! Everyone else was fishing 20+ ft and not catching a thing..only a handful checked in with 5 and most were dinks..just goes to show you never know
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Old 02-01-08, 05:19 PM   #7
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if you were catching fish, then on the day of the tourney i would just stick with it and im sure you'll eventually get some bites.
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Old 02-01-08, 05:25 PM   #8
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Only one bait will hold up to that premise at the Rock that is the Rogue. Any other bait will change almost daily. Not sure why but for most us in Missouri know that. The Rock is a Rogue lake first & any other bait second.
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Old 02-01-08, 05:34 PM   #9
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as long as the water level remains roughly the same. those bass will still be there.. snow is the same as rain to a fish..if the water stains up they may even move shallower..

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Old 02-01-08, 05:36 PM   #10
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You get out these parts & fish much Zook!!!
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Old 02-02-08, 02:57 PM   #11
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why moose?? i do get around a bit..

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Old 02-03-08, 08:05 PM   #12
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I'd start by fishing the first drop adjacent to where you caught ur pre-fish. If they're affected by the cold thats where they'll be.
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Old 02-03-08, 08:18 PM   #13
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With a front comes rain and snow, of which you had. With a front bass go deeper.

I ditto Jones and would say to go to the next drop from the spot you originally caught fish. Then again, you mentioned it was a week before the tourney, so the tables could turn...

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Old 02-04-08, 12:33 AM   #14
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things may not be all that bad. first off, the point where i have been catching my quality fish has good ledges. one side drops quickly from 15' to 40'. the other side drops from 15' to 25' pretty quick. i planned on starting deeper on the ledges of this point as this is where i expected my fish to go. there was also some sort of structure on this point but i had trouble figuring out exactly what it was with my x135. i will have my h-bird sideimaging unit by the tourney so i should be able to find out what i was looking at and maybe it will be holding my fish. anyways, tomorrow is supposed to be almost 80* with rain and it's supposed to be around 50* all week long. with this warm rain and warmer temps i am hoping this really helps me out. plus the rain should add some color to the water and on table rock this is always welcome, but color will help everyone since the water won't muddy up enough to kill the dropshotters.
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Old 02-04-08, 12:34 AM   #15
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oh and a buddy of mine is going down tomorrow and is gonna let me know if he gets on fish, who knows if he does then maybe he will earn a trip in the danger ranger and i won't fish this one alone as i planned to.
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Old 02-06-08, 09:10 PM   #16
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while bass do preferr vertical movements as opposed to horizontal movements this time of the year it does not dictate that they will drop in depth. The water temp is most likely the same at 20 feet as it is at 5 feet this time of the year. The one ingredient that you mentioned that is very important this time of the year is wind,
During the winter bass love wind swept points,especially if the water is clear.
If the water is clear the snow most likely had little effect on the temp. If the bottom is dark the sun will warm the shallows fairly fast. Stained water reacts much faster to temperature varience than clear water does.
If the water is clear and the wind is blowing in on the point your fish probably didnt move. If the bait left, wind is not blowing or there is a sudden change in water level they may move deeper. Start out doing what you were, practice a lot of stealth and use plenty of scent. Scent is much more effective in cold water than in warm.
Right now on Norris in Upper East Tennessee mountains the smallmouth are hitting a float n fly at 14 to 15 feet deep on 45 degree banks. The water temp is 46 and the lake is gin clear. Fish2win
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Old 02-06-08, 10:38 PM   #17
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Are you using a slip bobber on the Float-N-Fly, Fish2win?

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Old 02-07-08, 10:57 AM   #18
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Hey Carolina, since i know the area better than some of the others here. If the quality fish are deep. Throw 1/2 jig with a jumbo pork on the back. Color wise i would use Blue or Brown. Soft plastics 8 to 10 curly tail worms & senko's. Color wise watermelon,purple & motoroil. Now i realize these are big baits. 2 reasons bigger quality fish that was easy. 2nd the metabolism is a little slower right now. So bigger baits make easy for fish to key in on the bait. Make it easy to be seen aswell. Work these baits very slow. That is a myth that bass are'nt in the shallows this time of year. Suspended Jerkbaits have them ready to go. I would'nt even hestiate to have a rod rigged & ready to go. You know as well as i do that this is a rogue lake. Use a suspended model. If not get some storm strips. Work these baits in the deeper area's as well. Try carolina rigging a Rogue you might be surprized how well that works at the Rock
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Old 02-07-08, 11:01 AM   #19
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Do your self a favor. Go in with Confidence. Leave the negativity at home. You'll be better off.
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Old 02-07-08, 12:40 PM   #20
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well i just got done talking with a buddy of mine who is also a guide on table rock. he told me what i wanted to hear, start doing what i was doing before. but if it doesn't work out he gave me a lot of plan b's. i know what you mean about table rock being a jerkbait lake. and i have several boxes of jerkbaits and i love using them this time of year, so believe me i will be throwing them. and i use suspend dots on a lot of my suspending models since they still try to float a little. as for the jig.....i never leave the ramp without at least 2 different jigs tied on. i am also planning on throwing a dropshot, splitshot rig, and having a spoon ready to go incase i find a school. thanks for the input and as for the negativity....i always use the drive to the lake to get my head right so don't worry about that.
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Old 02-07-08, 05:16 PM   #21
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I've been fishing a lake that has between 42 and 45 degree water. There are some good fish shallow. I'm talking 4'-6' deep. This body of water is deep and the fish can drop off as needed but they seem comfortable where they are at.
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Old 02-07-08, 05:28 PM   #22
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After all, they did name the Luckycraft Pointer "Table Rock Shad"...

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Old 02-07-08, 06:15 PM   #23
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LIlMooseCountry,
I like your way of thinking!

If it was me , and believe me I've fished ky lake on same conditions, I too would choose the rogue, either main lake points about from the bank to 10 feet, with long pauses between twitches. Later when the water gets mids 40s or warmer pea gravel points with the rogue. This time of year the water is clear, the clown would be my first choice, and I'd have another rod hooked up with black/silver/orange belly rogue.
Also a slow moving spinnerbait for a change of pace would be my second choice, look for the northeast bank for slightly warmer temps...4-10 ft of water.
Then of course who could not throw the cold water staple, the pnj with pork
Black n blue, but I'd use a #11 porkchunk on one rod, maybe a bigger pork on another rod with punkin seed...after all it will be clear water.
On cold days of tourney fishing, fish for one good fish, not numbers..
You wont see bags full of fish at weigh in ........yet.
I'd take my time and pick apart an area if you graft fish..and remember,
dont leave fish to find fish just because they quit biting.
I'd bet the warmest part of the day is when you'll get bit...
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Old 02-07-08, 06:54 PM   #24
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L.L. table rock shad is actually killer on table rock lake too! jb i hear ya man. my fish really didn't turn on until the sun had a chance to get going, usually on table rock in the winter you will find a good jerkbait bite on chunk rock banks after the sun gets on them. but all my fish came on pea gravel and i couldn't get bit on chunk rock. i do have a few good chunk rock banks to hit anyways because tourney day could be a different story. i plan on throwing the hell out of a jig and jerkbait and working them painfully slow. if my fish never turn on or just shut off i will downsize to a grub and dropshot. i really think 8#'s will win this tournament ( and these guys can stick fish with the best of em') it is that brutal right now. so i am fishing for just a few bites and hope i get the right ones.
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Old 02-07-08, 06:55 PM   #25
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if all else fails, i could just idle around all day watching my new side imaging unit.
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