Interesting Tennessee Law

[antilibrarian]

I was out yesterday below the dam at Percy and caught 1 'gill and 10+ stripey bass thingys. All on Alpha's TM. I have found that an incredibly slow retrieve and a rather energetic (quick, not hard) jerking on the rod tip was what was getting the hits. I had the same experince last Friday out at Montgomery Bell SP, although the fish were all 'gills except for two smallies. The one smallie was a bit bigger than I would have expected. The fellow next to me was chuckling at my 4'6" UL pole bent over in a P shape!

I figured out the right speed by watching a chartreuse TM in the clear water at MBSP. The fish there seem to prefer darker colors (tannin from all the trees around the lakes?) so I wasn't too worried about a hit while I figured it out.

[Transplanted Sportsman]

Travis, the last few trips have not been entirely fishless, last Sunday at Nickajack was very crowded people lining the banks of the bay I fished and boats everywhere, both nearby ramps were full, so my positive side says too much fishing pressure, but I caught one good size Crappie (about 13 in), 3 or 4 small bluegills and a very small lm bass, I'm retriving it at a very slow pace, twiching it here and there, getting hung and loosing a few jigs here and there as well, most of the time I'm casting a 1/64 with a small split shot about 14 in up the jig or a 1/32 jig from about 15 yards from my Riverhawk parallel towards the bank, every piece of cover, wood, rock, culvert etc gets special care to be fished toroughly but so far to no avail, and it has been the same every weekend, first at Center hill, week after that at Normandy and later Bedford lake, so at this point I'm getting a little discouraged, but I will hang in there!! I know that at one point I get the missing piece that will help me unravel this mistery called fishing!!

[Alphahawk]

Travis is spot on about the "cadence". We call it twitching. You have to find out the depth of the fish. If you start a retrieve on a Trout Magnet as soon as it hits the water it will stay only about 6 inches under the surface. It is certainly not the Holly Grail of fishing lures....but if crappie...Gills....white bass....smallies.....and trout are around, it will catch lots of them....especially this time of year. My nephew was a full time smallie and crappie guide for several years.....and good at it. He poo pooed the TM for years.....wouldn't try it. Well now that he has started using it after I took him to Nickajack he won't put it down. Been sending me texts with pics of crappie and shell cracker for a week now. It is not for everyone....a lot of folks can't make the move to 2# test line. If you fish for largemouth it does not catch them like dozens of other baits do. If you fish for Striper it certainly is no good there with 2# test line. It is just another tool to use to catch certain fish....and it is very good at catching those fish. It is the only lure that is readily available for spin fisherman that is that small....unless you go to a fly shop...at least that I know about. If anyone knows of a great UL bait tell me....I want to try it. I have some Wooly Bugs that were made by a fly shop out west. They are tied on a tungsten bead and only weigh about 1/48 of an ounce. They catch the fire out of fish....but I guard them like gold. They cost me a buck fifty each! So I cant be buying a lot of them as much as I fish. I am constantly buying UL baits and trying them. I just bought 60 bucks worth of UL cranks. So I will keep trying baits and when I fish an UL bait that outperforms the Trout Magnet I will quit fishing it....but I have been looking for years and have not found that bait yet. I have given away a lot of Trout Magnets....and Crappie Magnets. I paid for 95% of them. It is only recently I was given samples to give out. I just like to see people catch fish. So if you see me out and want to try a color I may have I will be more than happy to help you out....or help you in any way I can. Hey...until it gets hot...which it is here I think....I carry a 20,000 yard of 2# test line in my car in the cooler and will fill up someone's reel with it if they want to try it....but that is the only fill up they get. Sore Lip'Em All! I'm going to try to sore lip some crappie tomorrow.


Regards

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by Transplanted Sportsman

Travis, the last few trips have not been entirely fishless, last Sunday at Nickajack was very crowded people lining the banks of the bay I fished and boats everywhere, both nearby ramps were full, so my positive side says too much fishing pressure, but I caught one good size Crappie (about 13 in), 3 or 4 small bluegills and a very small lm bass, I'm retriving it at a very slow pace, twiching it here and there, getting hung and loosing a few jigs here and there as well, most of the time I'm casting a 1/64 with a small split shot about 14 in up the jig or a 1/32 jig from about 15 yards from my Riverhawk parallel towards the bank, every piece of cover, wood, rock, culvert etc gets special care to be fished toroughly but so far to no avail, and it has been the same every weekend, first at Center hill, week after that at Normandy and later Bedford lake, so at this point I'm getting a little discouraged, but I will hang in there!! I know that at one point I get the missing piece that will help me unravel this mistery called fishing!!

browntrout fished Center Hill Saturday. He is very proficient with the TM...nothing....not even a Pumpkin Seed. He even tried the Caney...nothing. My guys that live at Nickajack told me Sunday was not too good but Monday was killer. I have made several trips to Williamsport and not had a hit. To me the water is just not quite right for Gills in a lot of places and the crappie bite has been a little finicky with the weather also.


Regards

[MNfisher]

Originally Posted by Transplanted Sportsman

I'm retriving it at a very slow pace, twiching it here and there,

When I fish the TM. It is a constant VERY slow reel and constant twitch. Very fast small twitches. Like alpha says, it's a cadence, once you figure it out, it is hard not to do it. I tried to teach my wife last night, she couldn't get the hang of it.

I was bank fishing JPP last night, cast after cast with flukes, topwaters, crappie mags, rooster tails, no bites. Grabbed the TM rod. White bass, yellow bass, and a few hybrid. Got a bite every cast! Went back to fluke, nothing, back to TM, game on.

That bait will get non active fish to eat a lot of the times once you get the twitch down.

[Transplanted Sportsman]

I guess I have to see it live in action to see what is that I'm doing different, I do let the bait sink a few seconds before the fist twich is made, these are very short and sharp but I do not do a constant twiching, I would let it sink a bit depending on depth and then start to reel it in and I would twich the rod 5 or 6 times before the TM gets boatside.
Alpha, despite the large crowd last Sunday at Nickajack I seen very few people catch fish, I guess I was a day early this time, My UL set up is a 7' 6" Micro lite rod from bass pro and a Shimano Sienna reel as I heard you like this reel, it is filled up with 4 lb mono but i have a 2 foot section of two lb fluorocarbon on the bussiness end.
MN fisher, I'm sold on the TM despite the fact that it has not made epic catches (yet) last year around October I had a day on the water that it outfised live bait (minows and worms) two to one on the three colors I tried (bison, bulldog and the purple redemption) caught a bout a dozen spots at Normandy about 16 solid gills (palm sized) and half dozen Crappies in the 12-16 inch range, on this Ul setup, best day on the water for me!! but these days I can count with one hand lol!!!
but it will do it one of these days!!!

[MNfisher]

Originally Posted by Transplanted Sportsman

it is filled up with 4 lb mono but i have a 2 foot section of two lb fluorocarbon on the bussiness end.

I honestly believe having 2 lb test on the entire reel gives you better feel, control and gives the TM better action as well. But just my opinion. I didn't want a full spool of 2 lb line either at first. Now I will never go back to 4 after trying it.

[Travis C.]

On the first cast into a spot I count it down all the way to the bottom. That way I have an idea of how to work the water column after that first cast. My "twitches" aren't what you would think it is. All I do is shake my wrist a little more less a quiver like you would shaking a new rod to see how it feels. Couple that with a slooooooow steady retrieve and that is about it. Sometimes I won't even do that much just retrieve it but only on the Caney will I actually twitch a good pop because the trout really seem to respond.

I have the reel with 2lb line as well.

[Transplanted Sportsman]

allright guys you win!! I will do just that and fill the reel with 2 lb line and give a try to the "Travis twiches" just shaking the wrist and a very ultra slow retrieve and see what happens! and then try to adjust to the actual conditions and what the fish want for the day.
any idea what is the fall rate for the 1/64 with a size b split shot and the 1/32 jig heads???
guys I certainly appreciate all the advice, I hope I can report soon with some better catches and maybe some pics, thank you!!

[MNfisher]

Originally Posted by Travis C.

All I do is shake my wrist a little more less a quiver like you would shaking a new rod to see how it feels. Couple that with a slooooooow steady retrieve and that is about.

This is identical to what I do. Travis just describes it better!

[agelesssone]

Fished my little deep woods lake yesterday where we hammered big gills last week. Very slow and low catch rate. We caught about fifty gills, not near as many as last week, and they were, on average, smaller.
The ticks, however, were abundant! I removed about a dozen while fishing, and another seven when I undressed. Time for deet if you are heading to the woods!

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by agelesssone

Fished my little deep woods lake yesterday where we hammered big gills last week. Very slow and low catch rate. We caught about fifty gills, not near as many as last week, and they were, on average, smaller.
The ticks, however, were abundant! I removed about a dozen while fishing, and another seven when I undressed. Time for deet if you are heading to the woods!

Good bunch of fish! I haven't had to deal with ticks in years....and hope I never get into them again. Haven't forgot about fishing trip....Williamsport is just not ready for the Gill bite and bass have slowed.



Regards

[Mike Anderson]

Going to have to try the TM someday. Alpha if you ever need some flies tied let me know, I'd be happy to tie them up for you. Even better I could show you how to do it yourself and ruin you for life.

[browntrout]

Originally Posted by Mike Anderson

Going to have to try the TM someday. Alpha if you ever need some flies tied let me know, I'd be happy to tie them up for you. Even better I could show you how to do it yourself and ruin you for life.

Mike,
If you used the TM they would never let you back into Cumberland Transit again. You would be ostracized like the rest of us "baitchuckers".

Roy

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by MNfisher

This is identical to what I do. Travis just describes it better!

Sportsman, I'd love to take the credit for my twitches but I am afraid that goes further back than I do. LOL...