No more Tracker soon for me....

[elnutsmalljaws]

That is correct fellas. All of you guys that have found me on the ramps, on the water and at the One Stop because you noticed a Tracker Deep V Aluminum boat (and since I must be the only human alive that Bass fishes out of a Deep V aluminum boat) will soon have to look for some other brand boat. Soon I will be even easier to spot because I will be driving a Puma FTD Bass Cat with a 4 stroke V-8 5.3L 300Hp Yamaha in tow and I dare anyone to blow by me a bit too close for comfort (gotcha just kidding no new boat). But seriously come the end of January you will no longer see me in a "Tracker" Deep V. Yes it will still be the same boat, same Deep V, but instead of Tracker on the back sides it will read the following:

Elnutsmalljaws
"Certifyable Floatnflyable"

Dave Stewart hooked me up with a guy in Frankfort that will take off my Tracker decal and make me up with my own logo and put it on for me for peanuts. Lot of fishing to hopefully do between now and mid January but after that the Tracker will be no more. It will officially be my boat in name and title.

[Bonefish]

You have passed on to a "totally nother level."

[dcbasser]

Elnutsmalljaws
"Certifyable Floatnflyable"

Kind of catchy isn't it lol, maybe we can get a pic with you holding a brownfish on the other side painted on in all that garb you wear out there. would be great for a guide service advertisement lol Seriosly hoping i get to run into you and cliff next week and will try my hand at the fly first hand. I am literally chomping at the bits.

[BanditMan]

That's awesome. After telling my wife I wanted to be fishing today, she called me a "Certifyable IDIOT" I don't think that's going on my rig!...

[DJD]

Woody,
That tow vehicle would look good with some matching logo's or stripes! Maybe the Motor as well.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Elnutsmalljaws
"Certifyable Floatnflyable"

Kind of catchy isn't it lol, maybe we can get a pic with you holding a brownfish on the other side painted on in all that garb you wear out there. would be great for a guide service advertisement lol Seriosly hoping i get to run into you and cliff next week and will try my hand at the fly first hand. I am literally chomping at the bits.

Look us up next week. We are staying at Hendricks Creek in Cottage #4, fishing in his Triton, just look for the guy in the back of the boat with the All Pro doubled in half fighting the 5 pounder and Hens doing his usual Netboy impersenation. Pretty much fishing from First island to Illwill and will be idleing out of Hendricks Creek before first light. Hope to see you there.

By the way never been good enough, not good enough now, never will be good enough to start a "guide service". I have 3 offers on the table from fellas wanting me to take them FNF fishing at Dale in trade for me showing what I have learned over the years and I have a hard time in accepting any of these offers. 3sons gave me a G Loomis FNF rod as a gift a couple of years ago just for taking him out one day and he said he learned more that one day than he learned with 2 days with a certain guide on Dale. I just have a hard time in taking any money or money value just for helping a fella out with catching a few fish on the fly or teaching him something. Maybe it is just me and others would jump at the opportunities for "free" trips to the hollow and I do plan on going with the 3 but not so sure I won't pay my half when we do and if so hope they are not insulted. I was told by someone in the guiding business today that I should take them up on the offer because they will learn just as much from me as they would if they had to hire a guide at $300 for the day plus their other expenses of lodging, travel, gas and other.

[dcbasser]

I'll give you a call sometime this weekend Elwood, i ain't real sure where we will be putting in at but definatly hope to run into you somewhere along the way. I know most people that have met you share the same feelings i do. Your a heck of a guy and even though we only got to share a couple of those record breaking cold nights on laurel i learned so much just talking to you and i assure you i will not forget anytime soon. But this weekend will consist of running by the local baitshop during lunch and getting ready for what i hope will be a wednesday trip to the hollow. if i don't get to see you i definatly want to see some pics. i got a dinner bet that i will outfish my partner with the fly and him using the ol popeye and minnow technique, so we will see. have fun and enjoy the time on the water ol friend.

[elnutsmalljaws]

I'll give you a call sometime this weekend Elwood, i ain't real sure where we will be putting in at but definatly hope to run into you somewhere along the way. I know most people that have met you share the same feelings i do. Your a heck of a guy and even though we only got to share a couple of those record breaking cold nights on laurel i learned so much just talking to you and i assure you i will not forget anytime soon. But this weekend will consist of running by the local baitshop during lunch and getting ready for what i hope will be a wednesday trip to the hollow. if i don't get to see you i definatly want to see some pics. i got a dinner bet that i will outfish my partner with the fly and him using the ol popeye and minnow technique, so we will see. have fun and enjoy the time on the water ol friend.

The TVA website said the lake had come up a bit overnight with all the rain but not sure if it was enough to help the ramp situation. On your side of the lake pretty much the State Park ramp is the only ramp in the water. I know Lillydale, State Park, Horse Creek and Pleasant Grove are the only 4 I know of and even Pleasant Grove was at the bottom of the actual ramp last week. We will be putting in at the State park Monday morning them I will be taking the warm ride in the truck to Hendricks while Hens gets the cold ride in the boat to pick my up at Hendricks after I park the truck. Holly Creek says people are launching on the far left hand side of the ramp but it is pretty much launch at your own risk. She did not sound TOO confident in that and I would not trust it at all. From what I hear, if we don't get a lot of rain and they don't push more water thru Cumberland then Dale will get lower. I hear the reason Dale is so low is to keep the river from running dry down thru Nashville since there is not enough flow thru the Big C. I talked to Fred McClintock this morning and he said there are many parts of the Cumberland river just south of the Cumberland Dam that is pretty much a ripple and you can wade all the way across and not get knee deep. Sounds pretty serious and not looking good for the Dale Hollow lake level in the future.

[Chubminnow]

The past two years for me it seemed like I could put in at the dam (in my waders, lol), and wade all the way to the Tennessee line. This is a slight exageration of course but in certain sections of the river I could easily, EASILY, wade up or down river for several football field lengths in each direction with no problem.

[RoadToad]

By the way never been good enough, not good enough now, never will be good enough to start a "guide service". I have 3 offers on the table from fellas wanting me to take them FNF fishing at Dale in trade for me showing what I have learned over the years and I have a hard time in accepting any of these offers. 3sons gave me a G Loomis FNF rod as a gift a couple of years ago just for taking him out one day and he said he learned more that one day than he learned with 2 days with a certain guide on Dale. I just have a hard time in taking any money or money value just for helping a fella out with catching a few fish on the fly or teaching him something. Maybe it is just me and others would jump at the opportunities for "free" trips to the hollow and I do plan on going with the 3 but not so sure I won't pay my half when we do and if so hope they are not insulted. I was told by someone in the guiding business today that I should take them up on the offer because they will learn just as much from me as they would if they had to hire a guide at $300 for the day plus their other expenses of lodging, travel, gas and other.

Nonsense; you're plenty good enough. I have yet to make my first FnF cast, but just based on what you've already posted on this board for free, I'd have a pretty good idea how to get started. And if I were ever looking for a FnF guide and you were available, I'd jump at the chance. I'm sure a lot of other guys who read your posts feel the same way. Just something to think about, and I know you have other factors at play that might complicate the decision. And I certainly respect your willingness to share what you've learned for free. But if you don't do it, please don't say it's because you're "not good enough," because you ARE.

Good luck at Dale

[elnutsmalljaws]

Nonsense; you're plenty good enough. I have yet to make my first FnF cast, but just based on what you've already posted on this board for free, I'd have a pretty good idea how to get started. And if I were ever looking for a FnF guide and you were available, I'd jump at the chance. I'm sure a lot of other guys who read your posts feel the same way. Just something to think about, and I know you have other factors at play that might complicate the decision. And I certainly respect your willingness to share what you've learned for free. But if you don't do it, please don't say it's because you're "not good enough," because you ARE.

Good luck at Dale

I certainly do appreciate the kind words. I guess if EVERY client that I ever got, hired me to learn about floating the fly then I know they would be more than happy with what they paid for. But not all people who hire guides hire them for knowledge, they hire them to put them on the mother load and as anyone that has wet a line for any length of time, that just does not happen. I have been on 6 paid guide trips in my life and we never hit the mother load on any of them and these were trips that were scheduled during prime parts of the year for that particular species. I have had 3 with Dave Stewart a few years back, 1 with Gerald Bates for stripers on Cumberland, 1 with John Davis my first day on Dale, and 1 with Steve Headrick for night fishing Dale. The John Davis trip was probably the best catching trip in perspective because I did land a PIG on a silver buddy that is on his website and in his book in his cabins, plus landed my first 4 of many on the fly. But, what I did with all of the trips was talk to the guides in advance and let them know what I wanted out of the trip, lake familiarization, learn to follow the bait, FNF, silver buddy, troll for Stripers with planer boards and stuff like this. I will say without a shadow of a doubt that I was 110% happy with each and every trip and will be forever in the above guides gratitude for what they taught me on those trips because I still use the same information to this day every day on the water in respect to where and what I am fishing for. Having not worked but only 2 months in 2 years makes my resources a bit on the limited side and I would love to be on Dale every day this winter but certainly would not want to be away from my wife and kids that long and certainly can't afford it either. Maybe I need to talk to those that are offering to take me fishing at their hard earned expense and make sure they will get out of it what they want to make sure their money is going to good use. I don't know but I just have a hard time in taking any money value for helping a fella out fishing. I can't tell you how many homeade FNF bobbers that I have given away over the past 4 years, my guess is between 75-100 and when they retail for $5+ for 2 in the store and I can make them for about a quarter apiece plus my time, I just want to help them out by saving them several bucks if they bought them in the store. Mine work just as good, kitchen sink test everyone and have not bought one since 2004 and anyone that has ever fished with me has not bought one either. Heck I even gave Billy Redneckshadrap a handful on Saturday even though he smacked me around like a little red headed stepchild, (I want them all back Billy, so give them up, just kidding). Thanks for the kind words and if I can help anyone learn the FNF technique a little better just drop me a line with your number and I will call you and talk about it. Elnut

Elnutsmalljaws
"Certifyable Floatnflyable"

[Dave Stewart]

I was the guide that told Elwood that I saw nothing wrong with him accepting someone paying his expenses to go to Dale fishing with them when they were wanting to learn more about the FNF. Elwood obviously knows this technique very well and paid his dues to learn it and is willing to share his knowledge with anyone that goes fishing with him.

Also as Elwood said: no one hits the mother load every time they go out whether it be with a guide or not. Your chances are increased of course if you are with someone that is on the fish every day or most days of the season which all professional full time guides are. But, hitting the mother load means you are out there to try to catch as many fish as you can...ie...just a fun, let's try to catch all the fish we can trip. On these type trips we sometimes do hit the mother load and put a lot of nice fish in the boat..but it does not happen every time...but it does happen. I had a number of trips this past season in which we put many limits of good fish in the boat...had a few I can remember this past spring in which I was taking guys out to get ready for a tournament and had to pull them off the fish almost immediately because they were hammering 4-6 lb fish on every cast and they had a tournament the next day. This is not the norm...but it does happen.

On the other hand, I do a lot of focused teaching type trips like one that Elwood mentioned...lake familiarization and I also do focused trips to teach ledge fishing. I always let my clients on these trips know up front that these trips by nature of what we are doing out there are not designed to go out and try to catch a bunch of fish. We are out there to learn..and in doing so we are normally covering a lot of water, going over a lot of techniques and even spending time in a class. Now once in a while on one of these trips we will pull up on a spot where the fish are feeding and slam a number of them...have had to leave these feeding fish many times so we can continue with the learning process that the trip is focused on like lake familiarization or ledge learning. More often than not, we will only put a few fish in the boat on one of these trips because we cannot sit around and wait on the fish to decide to start feeding...which is not a problem..these trips are designed to teach you techniques, patterns, elimanate water etc so that you can improve your fishing in the future.

Elwood said it right...let your guide know up front what you want out of the trip...if you want to learn something specific like a technique or learn the lake etc....discuss this with the guide...but don't go out with the expectation of loading a boat with fish...Example...you want to learn how to find and fish the ledges. I do this type trip. You get 3 hours of classroom and 5 hours on the water. On the water time consists of seeing as many different type ledges as possible in that short period and learning the techniques to use and how to set up on the ledges. Fact is, if you want a chance to catch a number of fish on the ledges...you need to sit on a ledge for a long time in most cases and wait the fish out until they are ready to feed. So you see, you can have it one way or the other...just depends on what the focus of your trip is.

Bottom line here is: There is more to being a guide than just going out to tell someone to throw this lure "over there" and hope they catch some fish. I have known Elwood for quite a while now and I think he would make a good guide. He would have to make some adjustments like learning how to sit up in the front of the boat without a fishing rod in his hand trying to catch fish while watching the other folks in the boat having a ball catching them....spend his time positioning the boat for the clients and teaching them, netting their fish, taking pics, getting lures unhung, retying lures etc.....but, Elwood already posseses the one quality that is common to all successful guides..he is a people person and doesn't mind sharing his knowledge.

Back to what started this...I don't see anything wrong with someone paying for Elwood's expenses like gas, motel and food to go to Dale with him to learn more about the FNF technique. In the same respect, I would not expect Elwood to not fish and spend all his time on the water with you teaching, positioning the boat for you, tying on your lures, netting your fish, taking your pic etc....If there is a big smallmouth in the vicinity eating the FNF Elwood is gonna go after him...he can't help himself...lol.