This morning Mickey and I went to the Private hole since the river is rising which generally messes up the fishing for me.  We started fishing at around 7:20 so we missed a part of the “good” time of the morning. The weather was overcast with no wind which was perfect for topwater fishing. I started with a Phillips Cripple Killer and Mickey had on a Chrome Crazy Shad. The fish cooperated right off the bat. We had 10 by 7:45 and some good ones in the mix. Here is one that just came up and sucked it down.

They would not just come up and blast the baits. Especially the big ones just sucked it in.  As the morning went on the fish got a little more timid. Sometimes a little luck was needed to get one to bite. I threw out in the middle by a log that came in with the flood that I have never caught a fish by. After working the bait for a few feet, my attention shifted to whatever Mickey was doing and when I looked back my bait was gone. Four pounds and change.  Another time when I threw by the end of a top, a gar ran out to get it and then another 4 pounder charged out and took it away from the gar. EDIT:  I forgot to write about when we saw a fish feeding in shallow water, knocking small bream up on the bank. Mickey threw his Crazy Shad to the spot and the fish hit with gusto. As the fish came to the boat, we discovered it was not a bass at all, but a large grinner. It hit the topwater just like a bass would. It also had one of Mickey’s few remaining Chrome Crazy Shads in its mouth. Finally the hook came out and we were relieved. The large 3 1/2 inch versions are no longer made so he is guarding the ones he has left. They are all scarred up but boy do they still work. We caught 22 on topwaters before we shifted gears and tried spinnerbaits, worms, DT-6’s and 4’s.  When trying a spinnerbait, I tied on a “found” one  that was small and had no skirt. For a skirt I threaded on a curly tail Kalin grub whose tail I had dipped in the red dyed Spike It.  I caught one little on on it before the line snapped when I set the hook on another.   That fish jumped several times in the next 15 minutes trying to throw the bait. Each time the fish jumped the bait’s blade jingled like 5o cents worth of change.  We ended the day around 2 p.m. with 46 bass, the largest 5 weighed 21 – 3. The FOD was 4-8.  A sure enough fun day of fishing.