4/15-Murray-Fishing deep session

[VinnyBass]

Had some success in deeper water recently and especially on my last trip to Murray, so I decided to just fish deep and use reaction baits only. Despite the late start(looked like like rain this morning), I ventured out away from the shoreline even though it looked inviting. I searched for shad balls and found some, but the few bass that were around them did not like my baits. I tried an assortment of underspins, blades, hover baits, spoons and even tried an ice jig for a few minutes just for the heck of it. The shoreline was tempting me as over 2 hours went by and no takers, but stuck to my plan. I then reached in and hook a large spoon on as I had nothing to lose. After a bit of bouncing it off the bottom, a bass slammed it which was a nice surprise as I landed a bass about 3 1/2 lbs. I worked the larger spoon more and was alternating between other baits and landed a small bass on a Damiki Underspin. I went back to the large spoon(still jazzed about the bass I caught earlier) and landed another even healthy bass. The wind was howling on and on and working the Damiki Underspin again close to the bottom slowly I picked up another nice bass. All these fish were in between 20-35 feet of water. Then before leaving I just started working a smaller spoon bouncing off the bottom and lost a nice one on its first jump. I continued to work the spoon off the bottom and at first thought I snagged some line, but it started kicking and I landed another bass. It was strange not tossing plastic worms and crawbaits, but I was happy that I stuck to my guns and finally landed a few healthy bass. The bass have been eating lots of shad no doubt.

Small but healthy-Damiki Underspin

Hey McFish...a bigger bait is sometimes better...ha ha

Damiki Underspin

On a rooster tail.........Shhhhhhhh

[KillinTime]

Way to go! I have only had luck with the smaller spoons. i have some of the larger ones, no luck on the bass. I have had luck with them on Yellowtail when they are zoned in on smaller baits.

Nice work!

[VinnyBass]

I just threw that bigger spoon on because I was working deep water for close to three hours and I just figured I’d try it for a while because I had nothing to lose. I really jazzed and lucky when a bass slammed it. When I got another bass on that bigger spoon, I realized that there is another option for me. Previously, I never caught a bass on a big spoon so I never threw them much.

[Fishtricks]

Rad

[Dannicus]

Had some success in deeper water recently and especially on my last trip to Murray, so I decided to just fish deep and use reaction baits only. Despite the late start(looked like like rain this morning), I ventured out away from the shoreline even though it looked inviting. I searched for shad balls and found some, but the few bass that were around them did not like my baits. I tried an assortment of underspins, blades, hover baits, spoons and even tried an ice jig for a few minutes just for the heck of it. The shoreline was tempting me as over 2 hours went by and no takers, but stuck to my plan. I then reached in and hook a large spoon on as I had nothing to lose. After a bit of bouncing it off the bottom, a bass slammed it which was a nice surprise as I landed a bass about 3 1/2 lbs. I worked the larger spoon more and was alternating between other baits and landed a small bass on a Damiki Underspin. I went back to the large spoon(still jazzed about the bass I caught earlier) and landed another even healthy bass. The wind was howling on and on and working the Damiki Underspin again close to the bottom slowly I picked up another nice bass. All these fish were in between 20-35 feet of water. Then before leaving I just started working a smaller spoon bouncing off the bottom and lost a nice one on its first jump. I continued to work the spoon off the bottom and at first thought I snagged some line, but it started kicking and I landed another bass. It was strange not tossing plastic worms and crawbaits, but I was happy that I stuck to my guns and finally landed a few healthy bass. The bass have been eating lots of shad no doubt.

Murray big spoon.PNG

Small but healthy-Damiki Underspin
Damiki underspin fluke.PNG

Hey McFish...a bigger bait is sometimes better...ha ha
Big spoon deep.PNG

Damiki Underspin
damiki underspin bigger.PNG

On a rooster tail.........Shhhhhhhh
sppon deep.PNG

That's awesome Vinny. One of these days you gotta teach me how to spoon fish!

[VinnyBass]

Hey @Dannicus if you could show me how to catch fish on those tiny little baits that you have mastered, I would be glad to give you some tips… but as you know, there’s no guarantees in bass fishing. I hope that doesn’t mean I’m gonna have to spend several hundred dollars on BFS tackle…. but the way you’ve been catching bass, it sure the heck may be worth it.
Tight lines

[bendopolo 44+]

They do really well back East with the big Spoons because the Bass are actively feeding on Gizzard Shad and Skipjack. Out here, on a diet of Threadfin Shad we rarely get them on big spoons. In the Fall when the Threadfin are at their biggest the Swim Spoon bite can go off for numbers. As for jigging Spoons the Kastmaster is effective but the 1/2 to 3/4 oz. Hopkins with short blue/white feathers has always scored big. I drill a hole next to the original tie on hole, slightly off center, add a split ring, for the best action while vertical jigging.

[Mcfish]

I just threw that bigger spoon on because I was working deep water for close to three hours and I just figured I’d try it for a while because I had nothing to lose. I really jazzed and lucky when a bass slammed it. When I got another bass on that bigger spoon, I realized that there is another option for me. Previously, I never caught a bass on a big spoon so I never threw them much.

Now you know where they went when they dropped the water level! I think if I welded 4 of my spoons together..it might equal one of those gigantor spoons! Once again, you take something those fish have probably never seen and you make them eat it...outstanding!

[Big C]

Excellent angling Vinny!

[VinnyBass]

Excellent angling Vinny!

I am on stand by for jury duty so it was a day I did not have to go in and it was more of a
"I better do something today"and choose fishing over yard work. I was pretty stubborn
as the shoreline constantly tempted me to fish shallow. I was out in deeper water for
almost 3 hours without even a bite or even a tap on my line until finally I landed my
first bass. I stayed out there and got lucky. I am glad I did because I may never have the
willpower to do it again. ha ha.

[Early release]

Good move going deep with the wind whipping. NIce fish, I need to get back out to Murray.

[VinnyBass]

Good move going deep with the wind whipping. NIce fish, I need to get back out to Murray.

I wonder how many spoons or baits I would’ve lost doing the same thing at Lake Hodges ha ha
Tight lines and maybe I’ll see you over at Murray

[1Fishdude]

Good job out there Vinny with the bigger spoons. Those are the ones ive always used and done ok but not great out here. Thanks for your tips for me and by the way I have contributed more spoons to hodges working the river channel than i would have to admit. When the lake was full it was a true black hole to fishing tackle. Some of my fishing buddies still wont fish it. I love it because the lake produces big bass and more for me on jigs.

[VinnyBass]

Many years ago......near the buoy line at Murray there is some underwater structure that I am guessing a cable, old tree or anchor
rope or something that was a little ways north of a floating blue barrel used to be for decades. They removed the barrel the other
year, but anyway I used to catch bass right around that structure and but I have also snagged many baits there too. One day I lost 2 spy
baits(@$13 a piece years ago) which was upsetting years ago and a number of spoons there. I am not sure how many, but at least
10 or more and most of them I changed out and replaced the hooks so they were a little more pricey than just a regular spoon.
Anyway, one day I took my boat over and decided to bring an anchor figuring I could drop it down and pull up that anchor rope
or whatever it was and retrieve all my lost lures. I was in my first Ranger boat so I wanted to be careful where if I was in a lake
boat, I might have gunned it more. I dropped the long rope with an anchor down there and successfully hooked what I believe
had all my lures on it. I imagined that I would hit a jackpot and find many other lures also. Needless to say......it would not
budge as now my anchor was stuck. I tried going different directions and still would not come undone. I think about 30-40
minutes went by of me looking stupid which seemed like hours and somehow my anchor came up with nothing on it.
I quickly put it away, fished for a little bit and just headed home not a happy camper.
It helped me realize that sometimes you are just gonna lose stuff and there is nothing you can do about it.
It is all part of fishing.

[Pourboy]

Great job out there! Thanks for the report.

[VinnyBass]

Great job out there! Thanks for the report.

Thanks and Congratulations on your PB
for this year at Hodges. You could see in the video you were pretty jazzed.
Tight lines always

[Pourboy]

Great job out there! Thanks for the report.

Thanks and Congratulations on your PB
for this year at Hodges. You could see in the video you were pretty jazzed.
Tight lines always

Thanks Vinny! Now it’s time to get a better one. I’m always stoked on good fish.

[VinnyBass]

Great job out there! Thanks for the report.

Thanks and Congratulations on your PB
for this year at Hodges. You could see in the video you were pretty jazzed.
Tight lines always

Thanks Vinny! Now it’s time to get a better one. I’m always stoked on good fish.

"Now it’s time to get a better one"

Now that's the words of a true bass fisherman!
I have no doubt that you will be pulling in many bigger ones.