Today I fished Taylorsvile (a.k.a "The Dead Sea"). My first three trips to this lake (all last year) were really bad. Today I caught 8 but only one keeper (several near-keepers... anybody invented a fish-stretcher yet?), but it was a beauty and my personal best... 18.25" and 4.25 lbs, so progress is being made, or maybe I just got lucky.

Anyway, I caught them on plastics and crankbaits close to the bank.

My co-workers and I have organized a little tourney series, and we will be at T-ville in two weeks. Our format is that the non-boaters (most just learning how to fish) will draw their boater from a hat and they will be a team. My concern is that T-ville will be stingy again and that our non-boaters will be discouraged (this is our second tourney and some have dropped out partly because the lack of success in post-frontal conditions at Willisburg, our first tourney of the year).

So, I am going back to the office with my report, and will give them a link to this thread. What I would REALLY appreciate is for you Taylorsville fishermen to share some info... maybe just what you use primarily to put fish in the boat. Everyone wants catch hawgs, but even short fish are fun, especially for a beginner.

So... what do baits are you guys throwing this time of year? Any advice for some novice fishermen tackling the stingy Taylorsville Lake?

Thanks in advance, as always.

John