Fort Loudon Fishing Report - 7/9/13

It finally quit raining long enough to let us get in some quality fishing without being soaked!  I heard on the radio it was the first day without rain since June 15.  We launched from the Concord ramp. The water was murky to muddy depending on the location and it was warm.  We were in 85 F water most of the afternoon. 6pm -10pm.  The flood gates are open at the dam and there is abundant current everywhere.  Initially, the sky was mostly sunny and it was hot and humid.  Somewhere around 90 F.  Then the wind picked up, the clouds rolled in, and it got comfortable.  There were more pleasure boaters than I thought would be out which made the main channel a little bit rough.
We took a very short boat ride to our first spot and my friend Joey immediately hooked up.  When he got it to the boat there were actually 2 largemouth on his Strike King crankbait.  One was 15 inches and the other was 13 inches.  He was using the first crankbait that I ever painted for him that I finished on Sunday afternoon.  He went on to catch a 16 inch largemouth and then a 17 inch smallmouth.  Then he lost the lure and was crushed for the rest of the night.  As for me, I caught a 13 incher and a 18.5 incher on a Carolina rig.  It was a fun afternoon on the water and you can't ask for much more than that. Praise God!
The fish are schooled up and a little bit shallower due to the lake levels being up.  They're pretty easy to catch right now.  So, be safe and have fun.

Strike King Perfect Plastic Caffeine Shad Review

Caffeine Shad

Zoom Super Fluke

Recently, I have been chasing schools of fish that are actively feeding on or near the surface of the water. I believe the most efficient way to catch these fish is with a soft plastic jerkbait. It's also a heck of a lot of fun! Normally, I rig the shad imitation on a weighted 4/0 hook, cast in the middle or just beyond the target school, and retrieve it in a fast jerk-pause-jerk-pause motion. This has been the most consistent and efficient way to catch these fish for me under any conditions.

There are many different manufacturers of these baits with different names for them, but they are generally referred to as "flukes". Technically, the Fluke is produced by Zoom. They have different versions such as the Super Fluke, Super Fluke, Jr., Tiny Fluke, and a few others. Some other makes and models of these type lures are Yum's Houdini Shad, Lunker City Slug-Go, Netbait Super Twitch, Strike King Zulu, and the Strike King Perfect Plastic Caffeine Shad. These are only a few of what is offered on the market.

Lately, I have been using the Strike King Perfect Plastic Caffeine Shad. This lure works a little differently than my normal choice, which is the Zoom Super Fluke. In Strike King's interactive, online catalogue they describe the Perfect Plastic line as follows:

Strike King's Perfect Plastics are the softest, saltiest plastic lures ever produced and feature Strike King's exclusive coffee scent (patent pending). These baits contain the world's best blend of soft plastic ingredients! This allows use of large amounts of salt yet keep the bait soft, pliable and fishable. Coffee adds to the appeal as it masks human scents and oils and causes added bites and longer hold times which increase your hook-up chances.

I will also mention that Perfect Plastics are endorsed by Kevin VanDam and his picture is featured above the image in the catalogue.

When I first saw this product and read the packaging, which says the same thing, I thought to myself, "Those are some pretty bold statements!" So, I decided to find out for myself. I bought one pack of Pearl colored Caffeine Shads and rigged one in place of my Zoom Super Fluke.

Right away, I was impressed. The lures are much softer than the Fluke. The tail is bulbous instead of split. I like this feature because as the lure falls it shakes similar to a senko-type bait. It is also heavier, which provided two more advantages over the Zoom Super Fluke. First, it casts farther to reach schools of fish farther from the boat. And second, it sinks faster allowing for much easier, deeper retrieves.

The only thing I disliked was the lure's durability. I could catch several fish on it before replacing it, but not as many as the Zoom Super Fluke. This is because of the lure's softness, but I would rather replace a few more lures than sacrifice it's pliability.

The reason I chose the Pearl color was because I like to color the top of them either chartreuse, blue, black, or purple. I can change the Pearl into whatever I want it to be.

I highly recommend the Strike King Perfect Plastic Caffeine Shad and give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Many lures today are hyped by advertising campaigns and this one is no exception. However, it is one of the few that delivers as promised. The Zoom flukes will continue to have a place in my arsenal, but I can easily picture them being gradually replaced.

Coming Soon - Comparison of Popular Jerkbaits

I am currently testing products in order to write an article comparing several types of suspending jerkbaits, including Smithwick Rogue, Lucky Craft Pointer, Lucky Craft Stacey King, Strike King, and Rapala X-rap. I am trying to be ready to post the results and my opinions on Saturday night, 4/25/09. Please check back.