Help Please?

[livewell]

OK, I had never looked so forward to a fishing year in all my life. I went to the bassmaster classic, watched every bass fishing show coming and going. I had spring fever so bad this year I almost had flowers sprouting out of my butt. After the classic I could not wait to order the sexy shad crankbaits. After 6 weeks on back order finally got them. I'v not had any luck out of them, then I remembered I ordered a johnson silver spoon after watching Kelly Jordan on umf. I have not thrown it yet, I need some advice on where to throw this bait. Is it weedless? can I throw it in brushpiles? I fish mainly smaller lakes in eastern ky. Is it a good summer bait. Please help me out with this?

[DJD]

Are you not catching any bass at all? Or are you just trying to learn these new baits?

[livewell]

Trying new baits. Trying to catch bigger fish.

[DieHardWildcatFan]

the way I love to fish a Johnson Silver Spoon is to first put split ring on the front of it to tie to, then I put a white or blue or black Zoom Super Chunk on the it as a trailer and I throw it in the grass, around wood, and fish it just fast enough to see it under the water, when I clear the cover, I kill it to a two count and then start it again in the open water, you can also go parallel with the bank in front of grass and it looks like a lady of the evening selling her wares walking down the street!! I have had a lot of luck with it all times of the year, just vary the retrieve speed to see what the fish want...Good Luck and Happy Catchin!!

[Col Forbin]

I did better with the sexy shad in early spring and mid spring. I never understood why it was such a great color, until one of my catfishing friends that netted live shad for bait showed me some early shad he netted in late april - identical to the sexy shad pattern. I don't know if their color pattern differs throughout the year or not - but in the spring they are the spittin image of each other.

As far as the spoons go, I have had some luck this year dropping them down deeper ledges with isolated brush. If you get on an active ledge, you will often see your line take off sideways before it hits the bottom. Also, I don't know if you are familiar with stroking a jig - but you can fish these just the same, but instead of quick upward jerks, use a slow sweep off the bottom or edge of a ledge (pop it up a good 5 feet) and let it flutter back down. I had the best luck with these, just after the bass got done being very aggressive and chasing big crankbaits, but before the slow botton (heavy jig, c-rig, and t-rig) bite became the dominate pattern. I am guessing they will be good again the middle to end of september. But right now, I am only catching them on slower patterns.