The search is on

I have really come to like Wheeler lake.  It offers a lot of different scenarios in a fairly compact size, if the wind does not blow hard.  Though I personally have not found the big bite I know there are nice fish here both green and brown.  My shallow bite has stayed very consistent through the week and this am we had some rain and that can only help to put a bit more color shallow and maybe and inch or two of depth back in the bushes.  Many areas of the lake are holding fish shallow but the size seems to max out at approx 2 lbs maybe a couple oz over if you stay with it and feel like culling Oz's.  I truly believe that these fish  are residents and simply have no need to move after the spawn.  Mild water temps and an abundance of cover and bait keep them there until the pads unfurl and they are getting bigger by the day.  Only question is,  where are the bigger bass???  For the last three days I have dedicated at least half the day to searching her out and well I have not been successful.  Someone has found them or will find a couple of them two days in a row and maybe that will be me or maybe not, all i can do is go searching again after I put 5 rats in the box.  A couple three to four lb bass will go a long way come end of day Thursday, I estimate the difference between 10 to 11 lbs and 13 to 14 lbs will be like 20 or more places on the leader board so.....the search goes on.......

Wheeler Practice

So fishing on Wheeler for the last few days has been great up to now.  Today I really struggled.  Fished down lake from the Elk river to the dam including first and second creeks, spring creek and a bunch of little main lake cuts along the main channel.  I caught one keeper all day, actually that was the only fish I caught all day.  William caught three keepers all day and a few very short fish but he wasn't really trying to catch the big girls.  Prior to today limits have been no issue but adding up to 11 or 12 lbs isn't going to cut it on game day so I really need to find a few kicker fish and well CATCH them.  Tomorrow's plan is to re check my shallow dealio and make sure the fish are still active but for this to work the water cannot drop out of the bottom of the bushes.  Always a worry on this lake.  A bit of rain would help my confidence level with that bite.  If the lake drops I will be kinda screwed but I'm sort of used to that lol.  Tomorrow is another day and I hope my confidence stays high.  

Wheeler

So Mercury finally did the right thing and sent me a powerhead and I just finished breaking it in.  I hope it stays together.  Put a fury prop on it and well that prop is pretty good to say the least.  Great hole shot, gained a few on the top end and handling is better across the whole powerband.  I will mess with the jackplate a bit and try and get some better numbers out of it but I would not doubt seeing 78 to 80 mph.  

Wheeler practice starts for me on Wed.  I have lived in TN for almost 3 yrs now and I still have not fished it.  I have heard that the majority of the spawn is done, that it is yet to come,  that there is no grass in the entire lake and also that that will make no difference.  What it comes down to is I just have to go and look for myself.  I cannot wait.

unexpected time off

The previously mentioned Mercury issues have kept me out of the PAA event on Neely Henry.  I am a bit peeved about that but I guess it is better than going down there just to have more issues and throwing 1500 away.  Two more cracks were found in the passenger side cylinder head and I think that is what finally changed the mind of Mercury's customer support, they are sending me a new undressed power head.  This news is good of course but I still have reservations about this.  I simply do not think that any mechanical assembly is causing the constant coil failures, a dressed power head may have been the best decision but what do I know, I am just a stupid fisherman, I have not gone to Mercury school.  

William Underwood took me out this last Sunday on Old Hickory in preparation for his upcoming fishers of men event this upcoming Saturday.  I was just happy to wet a line.  A lot of recent rain have turned the channel into pure mud but in the very very backs of creeks we did find some stained water.  Early in the day we saw low to mid 50s water temps and high skies and few bites but still some on crankbaits only, dirt shallow, later in the day we saw clouds and high winds but the bite improved.  We probably caught 18 pounds or so finding mid to high 50s for water and mid 70s for air with a cold front due to come in in the evening.  Fish ate both reaction bait and presentation baits, they were not picky and the closer we came to the fronts arrival the better the bite got.  Pretty much a textbook spring type deal.  Not sure what will happen to those fish come Saturday but they won't be far from where they were.  No signs of spawn yet, still little in the belly but growing goose eggs.  I predict 18 to 20 lbs for a single day event.  

Boat should be done by mid week then it's off to Alabama to see what the deal is on Wheeler.  I CANNOT WAIT TO HAVE A BOAT AGAIN>>>