Buzzbaits, Plastic Worms & A Flathead

I was at the boat house yesterday morning by 5:20 am. The rain started pretty good about 5:30. Since I was up, I started organizing my tackle box, which was long over due to be done.

The rain let up about 6, and it became a perfect morning. Calm and about 70 degrees. The fish were active too.

I started off throwing buzzbaits around the edges. Let me give you some advice if you are fishing buzzbaits......... Keep a rod rigged up with a plastic worm close by. As you know, if you are fishing a buzzbait, you are going to miss a few. If you miss, put down the buzz and grab the plastic worm rig. Throw the worm right on top of the miss. More times than not you will get a bite.

I used this pattern with a lot of sucess. I even caught a 6 pound Flat Head Catfish. I don't know if the catfish hit the buzz or not, but I had a miss and threw the worm back on top of it. As soon as it hit the water the big cat grabbed it and the fight was on. I got excited thinking it was a bass.
A BIG bass. However, after a bit it wasn't coming up and I knew it was either a catfish or grass carp. I'm not complaining, it was a fun fight.

Ran into Albert Saik as I was heading in. Albert, and his fishing partner Lindsey, were pulling in one bream after another.

All in all it was a great morning to be out on the Lake fishing. I was glad to see a lot of boats out doing it.

After my post on Fly Fishing for a State Record, I got out my Dad's fly rod yesterday afternoon and practiced casting it off our bank.

I've got a long way to go. I won't be scaring any records anytime soon with my casting ability.

At least I didn't hook myself in the back of the head.

State Records, Fly Fishermen Take Heed

I took a look at the Mississippi State fishing records and have some thoughts. While I think the Largemouth, Crappie, and Bream records caught on regular tackle are safe, I think any fly fishermen on the lake have a chance at a couple of records.

I have caught bigger bluegill and redear on regular tackle out at the lake than the current fly fishing records. It stands to reason a fly fisherman can break those records.

Also the White crappie record is open in the fly division. That means if some one has caught a White Crappie on a fly, they haven't weighed it in. There are lots of articles on fly fishing for Crappie. Google it and try it out, you just may make the record books.

Also if the Bass keep getting bigger, like they have been over the last couple of years, who knows, a 12 pounder on a fly wouldn't be impossible.



Here are the Mississippi State Records for fish that we have at the Lake.
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Regular rod and reel

Largemouth Bass ---- 18.15 lbs

White Crappie ---- 5lbs - 3 ozs

Black Crappie ---- 4lbs - 4 ozs

Bluegill ----- 3.45 lbs

Redear ----- 3.33 lbs

Yellow Bass ---- 1.46 lbs ( caught at Lake Cavalier)

Grass Carp ----- 53.2 lbs
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Fly Rod

Largemouth Bass ----- 11- 62 lbs

White Crappie ----- Open

Black Crappie------ 3.02 lbs

Blue Gill ----------1.37 lbs

Redear ------------1.o6 lbs

Yellow Bass-------- Open

Grass Carp --------- 20.37 lbs

All Species State Records can be found here

Going Deep

I talked a little earlier about our deep water pattern and put up a post about post- spawn bass.

Using a deep running Strike king series 5 in the Grizzard Shad color , or, a 1/2 oz jig with a Zoom Creepy Crawly trailer in about 12 -14 feet of water, we have had some luck. We have also had some luck with plastic worms, they just haven't caught as many as the other 2 baits.

Wednesday afternoon this pattern produced several good fish, including the 7 and 6 pounders shown below. Fishing the banks is good , but sometimes fishing out of the other side of the boat is better.

Jimmy Pickle with a couple of lunkers caught Wednesday, on a deep water pattern....

Fishing Rodeo Recap

First, I want to thank all who came out and fished in the rodeo. We hope to have more rodeos in the future, along with making this year's rodeo an annual event.

Thanks also to Debbie and Albert Saik for their help in organizing the rodeo. Any thing I needed I could call on them.

Thanks to Chris Bates at Big Buck Sports in Ridgeland for his help and for donating the scales. Big Buck has really upgraded their fishing department, and can special order anything you need. They also have live bait such as crickets and worms. Big Buck is close by the lake, so please try them out for your fishing and hunting needs. Be sure and thank Chris for his help in making the rodeo better if you see him.

Thanks to Richard Painter and the Fishing Association again for putting up the prizes. Be sure and join the Fishing Association if you haven't already.

Thanks also to Jimmy Pickle for driving down early from Carthage to help with the scales.

Here are the results.....................................................................................................................................

Men's Bass

1st Scott Bates 13lbs -10 ozs

2nd J.D. Fly 10lbs - 13 ozs

3rd Albert Saik 10 lbs - 5 ozs

Lady's Bass

1st Debbie Saik 12 lbs

2nd Lynn Forsythe 3 lbs - 12 ozs

3rd Angel Wilkerson 2 lbs - 8 ozs

Open Bream

1st Sonny Wilcox 4 lbs - 10 ozs

2nd Albert Saik 4 lbs - 6 ozs

3rd Debbie Saik 4lbs - 4 ozs

12 and Under

Sam Bates


Big Bass

Scott Bates 4lbs - 11 ozs

Big Bream

Albert Saik 9 ozs

Big Crappie

J.D. Fly 1lb - 3 ozs

I will be getting the Lunker winner's prizes to them as soon as possible.

Scott and Chris Bates hold up their pair of 4 pounders



Sam Bates, 12 and under winner, bringing in his fish to the scales



Prize winners Albert Saik, Debbie Saik, and Sonny Wilcox after the rodeo

Hope You Join Us Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the Fishing Rodeo sponsored by the Fishing Association. We have some good prizes and some other things thanks to the help of Chris Bates and Big Buck Sports.

We are hoping and praying for good weather.

I'm heading out shortly to the Lake to start getting things ready. If you have any questions my cell is 601-672-9728.

Please be there to fish and have some fun.

Weekend Fishing Report

I got to go out for about an hour and a half Saturday morning. The wind was up pretty good even at 6am. I caught 4 , including 3 "throw backers" all around 4 pounds. I was using a black Swim senko. When ever I'm not having much luck, I go to this bait. It will almost always get results. This bait can be fished 3 different ways. You can dead stick it like a worm, slowly swim it, or reel it fast and it becomes a buzz bait. They were hitting it Saturday while I was swimming it. To get it to stay down a little more, I tied on a 1/8 oz jig head and then rigged the bait. The only drawback to these is that they tear up pretty easily, and they are expensive. I only had 3 so when I lost my last one, that did me in. I've got to stock back up with them. It's a great "when they ain't biting bait".

My brother -in-law Craig and I also went out around midnight and set out some catfish jugs for about an hour. No luck jugging, but we still had a good time.

Craig went out at day light Sunday morning and had a perfect day. The Lake was like glass and he could really spot the bass schooling. He had two double bladed buzz baits. One black and one white. He would throw it over the school and buzz it back through the school. They seemed to like the black better, but the fish tore the blades of both his baits. That's called killing it.

Like me, he was done when his baits were wrecked. He said if he had more buzz baits he would have caught one every cast. He still brought in a boat load about 9 am.

The Fishing Rodeo is shaping up well. I've had some feedback from people who plan to enter. I hope all that can will try to enter. It will be fun and it's good for the Lake. Let me know if you plan on being there.

Remember, the scales open at 7am thru 11:30 for the Men's and Lady's Bass, Under12, and The Open Bream divisions.

But the scales will stay open until 4 for the Lunker Division. Lunker fish need to be alive. You can enter as many fish into the Lunker Division as you like.

So, if you can't get there in the morning, you will still be able to compete in the Lunker Division.

I did have these questions by email.

Do grand children count? Of course.

When can I start fishing? Anytime the morning of May 16. The earliest you can weigh in is 7 am.

Where will the scales be? Near the boat ramp at the Clubhouse.

I want to say a special thank you to Albert and Debbie Saik. They have been great help in organizing this rodeo. They care deeply about the Lake, and it shows through their willingest to work hard in making it better.

Also thanks to Richard Painter and the Fishing Association for donating the prizes. Glad Richard is feeling better.

Please come out Saturday and have some fun with us.

Contact me if I can be of any help.