Change Is Just Around The Corner
August 2006
Written By: Rick McFerrin
Owner/Full Time Guide
www.tennesseebassguides.com

 Introduction

It’s August 18, 2006 and I have just got back home from a guide trip on Old Hickory Lake here in middle Tennessee. After a short nap I decided to finally sit down and begin to write this Tips Article that’s been on my mind.  It is now 3:45pm, I’m looking out the bay window in our dinning room at a thermometer that’s reading 97 degrees in the shade. This is a very typical day here in middle Tennessee lately.  It can be summed up in one descriptive word “Hot”. It’s just been plain “Old Hot” here for weeks on end.  I’m not sure that we have had a summer that has been this hot Without Wind! Most days there has been very little if any wind blowing during the morning and mid day hours. The heat kicks up a thunderstorm every so often late in the day, but for the majority of the time it’s just hot and still. “BUT” there is change coming right around the corner!

It won’t be long before the 97 degrees will be replaced with much cooler air temperatures. Shorts and short sleeve shirts will be replaced with Body Amour and Gore-Tex suits. Iced down spring water will be replaced with a thermos of hot coffee. Sun block will be replaced with hand warmers. A quick ride in the boat to cool off will be replaced with a Coleman heater to help stay warm.  Yes, change is just around the corner. I can only speak for myself, but I can truthfully say “Man I’m Ready”.I’m ready for the Corp of Engineers to drop our

water levels to winter pool. I’m ready to kick my trucks 4 wheel drive in to get up and down the boat ramp. I’m ready for the extended points, humps and bars that have been invisible all summer to rise up above water level. I’m ready to be able to see my breath when I walk outside. I’m ready to look at my clients and say “Nippy isn’t it”.  I’m ready to hear my lovely wife say “You’re crazy for fishing in weather like this”.  Yes, change is just around the corner!

Not only is there weather and water change around the corner but there is also a focus change for me as well. My focus changes in the winter from primarily fishing for Largemouth on Old Hickory Lake  to fishing for those (as legend Billy Westmorland said) “Ole Brown Fish” on Tim’s Ford Reservoir near Tullahoma Tennessee.  To me there’s nothing better than chasing winter Smallmouth here in Tennessee. And we have an abundance of lakes and river systems to chase them in. For the beginner these changes can become somewhat of a challenge and propose several questions like. (1) How do you adjust to a 45 degree water temperature swing?  (2) How you adjust when much of the structure that you have been fishing all summer long is now on dry ground?  (3) What kind of adjustments do you make in your tackle? (4) Do you make adjustments in your presentation? You know the list of questions can go on and on.

Hopefully I can shed some light on this for those of you that are new to winter fishing. I certainly don’t have all the answers.  I’m learning more every year myself. And I know that there are many ways to catch winter fish, but I just want to share some of what works for me. As I always say, “Take what you can use and throw away the rest. “. So fasten your seat belts, open your mind and here we go!

Why Switch Lakes?

Before I go any further I need to address why I switch from Old Hickory to Tim’s Ford during the winter months.  Old Hickory is a river lake that is known primarily for a solid Largemouth Bass population. Old Hickory (22,500 acres) most certainly has a Smallmouth population but acre for acre the density of Smallmouth vs. Largemouth is less.  On the other hand, Tim’s Ford is already famed Dale Hollows closest middle Tennessee rival. Tim’s may never match Dale Hollows reputation for quality but take it from this full time guide, Tim’s Ford is a blue ribbon Smallmouth lake already.  My personal best Tim’s Smallmouth last winter was 6 pound 2 ounces, a trophy just about any where. The pictures that are scattered through this article are just some of the Tim’s Ford fish caught during  the winter season. See what I mean? Also in 2005 the TWRA established an 18 inch size limit on Tim’s Ford Smallmouth which can only help to increase the quality every year  Mile for mile lake structure on Tim’s is .(at least

for me) more conducive to Smallmouth.  There is an almost unlimited amount of deep water private boat docks, public and private ramps, rock points, shallow sloping gravel rounds, ledges, mud banks, long winding creeks and coves, islands, shallow water/deep water access areas and quick drop off’s, major river channel points. Many of Tim’s creeks are loaded with stumps and lay down timber protruding out into deep water. Although Tim’s is only 10,500 acres it fishes much larger and has an abundance of shad and crawfish for Smallmouth to feast on. Another factor is, in the winter months you don’t have to depend as much on generation schedules on Tim’s as you do Old Hickory.  Let me also say that Tim’s has a great Largemouth and Walleye population as well, which is always an added bonus. Spotted bass also roam Tim’s clear waters but on the average are smaller. If a fisherman is looking for a chance at a bragging size Spot, Center Hill near Smithville Tennessee is the answer. There are so many reasons  why I fish Tim’s and one reason I don’t want

to forget is “Tim’s is easy on the eyes”. What a beautiful lake, it’s not hard to get caught up in all the scenery around you.  Plus it’s just plain fun to fish Tim’s!  Moving on!

Answers To Some Puzzling Questions

In this section I’m going to try to answer some of the questions for the beginner that I proposed above. Please keep in mind this is what works for me on Tim’s Ford a deep moderately clear lake. Others may approach these questions from a different angle. There’s always more than one way to skin a cat, or in this case catch a Smallmouth! How Do You Adjust To Falling Water?  There are several factors directly related to this question. #1) Normal surface water temperatures will still be on the warm side as the Corp brings the lake down to winter pool. Then as the a fall air temperatures and rains take on a chill and our nights stay down in the 60’s 50’s  lower lake temperatures will gradually kick in.  #2) “If” everything is normal the draw down will be gradual. On occasion the Corp will pull the plug and seemingly drain or lakes including Tim’s overnight. When this happens fishing can be difficult for several days until the bass adjust to being rudely moved out of their homes.

Make no mistake about it when the lake drops quickly it will have an adverse effect on the bass until the lake and bass stabilize.  On the other hand I have always found it much easier to fish “rising water” on a shallow lake like Old Hickory because it tends to move the bass out and back into the creeks and coves that are so abundant.  On a deep lake like Tim’s Ford I have found the bass will simply follow the rising water up in basically the same relative locations.

 

Let’s tackle question #2 first.  If you don’t retain anything but what I’m going to say next it will be well worth your time.  Falling

water will affect different lakes in various ways. Such as, if a lake is relatively shallow and the fish are in the backs of the creeks when the water begins to drop let’s say 5 feet, most likely they will move to the nearest secondary break or point. As the water continues to drop another 5 feet the fish will move on to the next available point or break and so on until the water stabilizes. But, on a lake like Tim’s which is a deep lake, the fish will move much less in distance and their move will be more horizontal than vertical.  Bass on Tim’s just have a lot more water to work with. So let’s say that this Saturday you get on some Smallmouth on Tim’s on gravel rounds ¼ of the way back in the creeks near 2 main river channel points and the fish are holding in 15 feet of water. The Corp drops the lake 5 feet by next Saturday. Where do you look for these fish that you were on a week ago?  Have the fish moved and you look for them on the channel points 75 yards away or still 15 feet deep on the same gravel round?  I always start at the 15 foot gravel round, Why? As I said the fish on Tim’s have a lot more water to work with. I’ve watched this over the past several years. On a deep lake it will take more factors than just  falling water to push a Smallmouth into a radical move.

Comparatively the percentage of decrease in water depth of 5 foot to total volume on Tim’s is very small compared to the shallow lake. So always start on deep clear lakes where you found the fish last time and “Then” work your way out.  Don’t panic as the water falls on Tim’s or other deep water lakes. Historically it has been rare that Smallmouth head for 50 feet of water just because of gradually falling water. Normally they are going to stay fairly constant at the same depths. Other factors might make them move but not gradual falling water. How Do You Adjust To Falling Water Temperatures?. How hot has it been on the lakes where you fish this summer? Here in Tennessee we have had surface temperatures near 90 degrees on most of our lakes. Temperatures all most like bath water. When you talk about falling water temperatures this time of the year you almost have to look at it in multiple stages. Let me explain. I’ve addressed this same question many times in various articles over the past several years. I was brought up

under the teaching that there were “Magical Water Temperatures” that would push bass into (a) spawn in the spring(b)  fall patterns (c) winter patterns. Truthfully I have found that not to be so. I don’t believe it’s 70 degrees or 60 degrees,. Rather I believe the INTIIAL FALL PATTERNS are kicked in when the water temperatures makes a permanent  8 to 10 degree decline in late summer/early fall and same is true in the Spring but in reverse.   So this year (ONLY AS A RULE OF THUMB) I would consider 75 to 65 degrees early and mid fall. 65 to 55 late fall early winter. Then 55 and below winter.  Remember I said I will use this as a rule of thumb on Tim’s Ford this year. It might be different on your lake but the formula should be close.

One way that you can visually see the beginnings of a fall pattern is by watching bait fish. Usually as the water cools the bait fish will move further back into the creeks and coves. NOTE:

This paragraph is for those of you that might fish a lake with an over abundance of shad. As an example let’s look at Old Hickory in past year. Shad last year and two years ago was so thick you could almost walk across the water on them and not get your feet wet. They were every where, all the time. River channels, coves, docks, creeks and pockets, solid shad everywhere every day.  If your lake is like that it presents a little tougher situation and you have to rely more on covering a lot of water and good use of your electronics than just the presence of shad alone. If we have a “Normal Fall” water temperatures will slowly but steadily decrease. Water temperatures won’t fall from 85 degree to 50 degree over night. This slow decline in temperatures gives bass time to adjust incrementally. Let me explain it this way. I know this may be somewhat simplistic but that’s just the way I am. As I said in the  opening of this

article it is 97 degrees in the shade, it’s hot! My body has adjusted to this heat, it’s hot but I’m use to it. Now let’s just say for fun that I go to bed tonight with the air conditioner left on 75 degrees like normal. Over night the air temperature outside drops from the high 90’s to 45 degrees or less.  A 45 degree drop over night and it’s not getting any warmer during the day. What a shock!  I wake up and I swear I see ice cycles hanging off our dresser mirror. I quickly by pass the shorts and tee shirt I was going to wear and grab a pair of jeans, long sleeve tee shirt and a sweatshirt. Man it’s cold, what a immediate shock to my system.  I wasn’t prepared for this. The temperature is 45 degrees but my body is still operating at the 90 degree level.  See where I’m going with this? But what happen if it takes 60 or 90 days for the air temperature to drop from 97 degrees to the same 45 degrees? The shock isn’t as great or maybe there’s no shock at all. My body has time to adjust to the declining air temperatures as I said above incrementally. I’ve adjusted gradually. 

This is probably an over simplification but the same principle applies to bass and their behavior relating to declining water temperatures.  If the water temperature dropped from 85 degrees to 50 degrees overnight the bass would be running for cover like me running for heavier clothes. They would have lock jaw for how long? How Long? If your answer is until their bodies have had time to adjust you would be very close to being right.  I can see the bass now, all huddled up under one big log, trying to get warm and looking at one another, not moving a fin and saying I’m not going out there!.  But when the temperatures drop gradually from 85 to 50 the bass adjust to it gradually as well. The falling temperatures begin to nudge them into their fall /winter way of thinking and reacting.  Then it’s up to us to adjust gradually in the way we approach our fall and winter game plans.  Don’t get ahead or behind yourself study the deep lake your on and be vigilant of everything that’s happening around you.

What kind of tackle adjustments do you make?:  As we move into the Fall and Winter you might be making the same type of move to a deep clear lake like me, there are several factors that I believe can make the difference between experiencing a good season or a so so season. Let’s look together.

Line: First of all let me say that I tend to be a “Light Line” fisherman most of the time no matter where I fish. So line adjustment which to me is so important especially on a deep clearer lake I already have in place. Over the years I have fished with 100’s and 100’s of people. Many of them in our pre-trip conversations will express their desire to use their own equipment. No problem-truthfully if I fished with a guide on another lake I would most likely want to us my own equipment as well. When we get to the subject of line size and I tell them that I use 6 pound test blue florescent for most techniques (occasionally 4 pound test) and when I’m throwing heavy spinner baits or some 20 plus crank baits I use 8 or 10 pound max there is a noticeable silence on the other end.  Most of the time they will tell me that they have 15 or 17 pound test on and they aren’t really comfortable with anything lighter. Not fully understanding how important light line is they come the day of the trip with heavy line.  But it isn’t long before their asking to use one of my rods because they can see the difference in the amount of hits I’m getting verses them using the exact same baits. Light line just makes that much difference. And when you combine the small diameter of light line with the visibility of blue florescent it gives you the ability to see the smallest of hit’s no matter what lure you are using. With florescent line you can see the bait move slightly off to the side, you can see the small quiver or tick in the line as the bait is falling.  I would just as soon stay home than have to fish Tim’s with heavy line for Smallmouth.

The question always comes up when you are talking about light line, What About Breaking Fish Off?  Well, I guess I would have to answer that this way. That’s what your drag on you reel is for. If you

fish light line with your drag winched down tight I think you will be in big time trouble.  But on the other hand if you are using the correct action rod (which we address next) and a reel with good line that has the drag set properly, and retying when you should, you will break off very few fish.   Rods:  This is going to be an easy on for me. There is only one brand of rod that I use and that is All Pro rods. www.allprorods.com  Roger Ray owner and V.P. Billy Campbell absolutely build one of the finest rods that you can ever have in your hands. It’s difficult for some folks to put down their pool cue rods and opt for different tackle. I can assure you as a full time guide making changes like this will increase you catch ratio drastically. I use basically 3 different All Pro Rods on Tim’s Ford. These are the length and action that work best for me.   All Pro APX7MST 7 Foot Medium Action: Lure weight on

this rods is 1/4 to 5/8 ounce with a recommended line weights of 6 to 12 pound test. These rods are 100% American made by American Rod Builders.  All APX rods are built with the blank running through the Fuji reel seat and handle which give you unmatched sensitivity. On the handle itself there are also graphite sensor rings that transmits additional sensitivity from the rod into your hands. From the instant you pick up one of these high quality rods you will be amazed at how light it is but how sensitive and powerful it is.   Finished off with Gudebrod thread wrap and polished titanium guides that provides smooth cast and greater distance with lighter baits (which is ultra important on clear lakes) this rod is unbelievable.  People laugh when I say I can feel the turbulence from a Smallmouths tail when he swims by…a little stretch but not by much.  I use this rod for all my crank baits up to 15 plus type baits, hard body and soft plastic jerk baits, most top water, some soft plastics  and light to mid range spinner baits and buzz baits.  All I can say is wow!

All Pro AtlAntis Series AT76MLS 7’6” Medium Light Action: Lure weight on this rod is 1/16 to1/2 ounce. Recommended line weight is 4-8 pound test. When I didn’t think Roger and Billy could come up with something else as fantastic as the APX they introduced the AtlAntis series rods.  Roger was approached by inshore saltwater guides to build a rod for redfish, speckled trout, tarpon and snook. The All Pro team went to work and over the course of many months of R&D these rods were developed. When the first proto types arrived at the office I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. Immediately when I held one my mind raced to small crank baits, mini hair jigs, finesse shaky head worms, whirly bee’s, small/light top water baits, live bait and more. The 7’ 6” length enables you to get extra long casts with extremely light baits. The same 100% American made construction but built extra tough for salt water use but yet light as a feather.  I have used these rods since the Fall of 2005 and I can tell you from personal experience that the construction and length of these rods will absolutely wear a fish down at the boat. Light weight construction, unbelievable sensitivity (let me say that again) unbelievable sensitivity and power when you need it.

All pro APX  Series APXCS7MHCA Medium Heavy Action: Lure weights on this rod is 1/4 to 3/4 ounce. Recommended line weight is 8 to 17 pound test. This is the rod I use for all my larger/heavier baits.  I particularly like the tip action on this rod and you can feel every thump of a spinner bait blade and every wiggle of a crank bait.  I spool my bait casters with 8 or 10 pound test max. This rod is ultra sensitive, strong, rugged and responsive to hook sets.  These are the 3 rods that I use day in day out on Tim’s Ford.  I can’t explain enough how important rod sensitivity is. Many times it’s just a different feel. Something that’s just not normal when a Smallmouth inhales a small bait. If you are sitting there with the wrong equipment you have greatly limited your success before you even get to the ramp.  Now let’s tackle the last point. Lure or bait presentation.

What adjustments do you make in presentation?   Most people that are use to fishing lakes that are more on the shallow side tend to sit out away from the bank and cast in.  This type of presentation works well in that setting. But when you are fishing a lake where the banks drop of quickly,  you are much better off to parallel the banks.  This is very easy to do with no more than one or two people in the boat, almost impossible with three.

Here is the way I approach an area that I intend to fish. First I shut my motor down a considerable distance away from the area I want to fish. I always use just enough trolling motor speed to do the job. My first thought is not to make any more noise than I have to. If the wind is blowing into the bank I’m going to fish (hopefully it is) I stay off the bank far enough to keep the boat from banging into the rocks but still parallel with the bank.  If there isn’t a wind I position my boat to where you can almost step out on the bank.  The whole idea is to keep the bait that you are using in the “Strike Zone” as much as possible. If you are throwing crank baits you will want to beat and bang off everything possible on your retrieve back to the boat. The same is true with spinner baits. When I come to a point or just before the center of a round I swing my boat out away from the bank so we can make repeated casts across the face of the point.  If I elect to fish the backside of the point I immediately reposition my boat back again.  I have also found that when fishing non-weed less hair jigs and live bait it’s better for me to sit out and cast in to keep from being hung as much. Saves a little aggravation.

Most of the fish we catch late fall and winter on Tim’s Ford will be in 15 feet of water or less. That’s not to say that there isn’tsuspended fish that can be caught in deeper water with a spoon or drop shot rig. But by in large if you will position your boat against the bank as close as possible you will find your catch ratio will go up dramatically.

Conclusion

Yes change is just around the corner and you can be there enjoying every bit of it. I hope that I have given you some things to think about. Every ounce of content in this article works for me day in and day out as a full time guide.  Remember all of these up coming events depend on decreasing water temperatures. Be aware each day you are on the water of the changes that have taken place.  Sit down at home before you get to the lake and lay out a tentative plan of action and then adjust as need on the lake.  If I can help you or answer any questions feel free to e-mail me at rickm@dtccom.net or through my web site at www.tennesseebassguides.com  Office telephone number is (615) 765-7303.  Thank you for reading this article….I hope you have a great fall and winter season. Rick McFerrin Owner/Full Time Guide Tennessee Bass Guides LLC.