Tim's Ford Saturday 23July: Another tough night for smallies last night.... Looks like the fish have moved out deep... I only had 5 hits last night for 3 fish, 2 smallies and one fat...

DocB Loc: Bama

Another tough night for smallies last night....
Looks like the fish have moved out deep... I only had 5 hits last night for 3 fish, 2 smallies and one fat head.... It took 16 lbs to win it with two 14 lb sacks weighed in as well.... Out of 8-10 boats, only three limits weighed... Out of the three limits, only 2 smallies weighed.... Pics of my two smallies, a 17.5 and a 19 in her.....
Doc

Huntm22 Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven

Keep after em - your turn is coming!

DocB Loc: Bama

Huntm,
Tim's is turning into a fat head lake, as far as tournaments, it's hard to compete when you fish for primarily smallies. If I'm going to compete with these guys, I'm going to have to learn the fat head water and pass on chasing the smallies... I don't know if I can make myself do that or not, I would rather catch 1 good smallie than 10 fat heads....

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

DocB wrote:

Another tough night for smallies last night....
Looks like the fish have moved out deep... I only had 5 hits last night for 3 fish, 2 smallies and one fat head.... It took 16 lbs to win it with two 14 lb sacks weighed in as well.... Out of 8-10 boats, only three limits weighed... Out of the three limits, only 2 smallies weighed.... Pics of my two smallies, a 17.5 and a 19 in her.....
Doc

Still some nice fish Doc. If you're in it for the money, Largemouth would be the way to go, but I agree with you about preferring to catch Smalljaw. I'm going out on Tuesday, and will do some deep searching for the Brown ones. Thanks for the pictures, and Good Luck next time.

DocB Loc: Bama

Fred,
I don't know what your water temps are looking like, but I am seeing high 80's here... It's time for our fish to start moving out... They haven't really done that on Tim's the last couple of years, but I think we will see it this year... The last couple of years, we had wet summers, and I think that kept the water temps down a few degrees, and we caught fish up shallow all year... Both of the smallies I caught last night hit in 20 or so feet of water....

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

DocB wrote:

Fred,
I don't know what your water temps are looking like, but I am seeing high 80's here... It's time for our fish to start moving out... They haven't really done that on Tim's the last couple of years, but I think we will see it this year... The last couple of years, we had wet summers, and I think that kept the water temps down a few degrees, and we caught fish up shallow all year... Both of the smallies I caught last night hit in 20 or so feet of water....

The last two places I went were up to 82.5°- 84.5° . The shallow Smallmouth bite is mostly over, but the Largemouth bite is still good around cover. The place I'm going Tuesday has some nice underwater points, gravel bars, and humps. I'll be looking there, if the wind and other boats allow.

DocB Loc: Bama

Fredfish wrote:

The last two places I went were up to 82.5°- 84.5° . The shallow Smallmouth bite is mostly over, but the Largemouth bite is still good around cover. The place I'm going Tuesday has some nice underwater points, gravel bars, and humps. I'll be looking there, if the wind and other boats allow.

I was seeing 85.5-87.5 last night... I don't think the temps got any higher all year last year.... With the high temps we are seeing this year, I expect to see water temps above 90 soon.... If that is the case, the smallies should move to the thermacline around 20-25 feet on Tim's ... The fat heads will stay shallower, but the smallies will move to cooler water... They may move up for short periods, maybe to feed, but they won't stay there...

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

DocB wrote:

I was seeing 85.5-87.5 last night... I don't think the temps got any higher all year last year.... With the high temps we are seeing this year, I expect to see water temps above 90 soon.... If that is the case, the smallies should move to the thermacline around 20-25 feet on Tim's ... The fat heads will stay shallower, but the smallies will move to cooler water... They may move up for short periods, maybe to feed, but they won't stay there...

Louigi Loc: NC/TN

I'm planning to move to the Fayetteville area this week. I don't have a boat yet but 'm to. What is a fat head?

Louigi Loc: NC/TN

I'm planning to move to the Fayetteville area this week. I don't have a boat yet but 'm to. What is a fat head?

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

Louigi wrote:

I'm planning to move to the Fayetteville area this week. I don't have a boat yet but 'm to. What is a fat head?

I believe Doc was referring to Largemouth. He prefers fishing for Smallmouth.

DocB Loc: Bama

Fredfish wrote:

I believe Doc was referring to Largemouth. He prefers fishing for Smallmouth.

You're absolutely right, a fat head, green fish, or sometimes just a "head" are all slang for largemouth... Smallmouth are often called smallies, small jaws, jaws, or brown fish.... I'm sure there may be other names in other parts of the country, but these are what's common slang around here....
Doc

Fredfish Loc: Prospect CT.

DocB wrote:

You're absolutely right, a fat head, green fish, or sometimes just a "head" are all slang for largemouth... Smallmouth are often called smallies, small jaws, jaws, or brown fish.... I'm sure there may be other names in other parts of the country, but these are what's common slang around here....
Doc

Louigi Loc: NC/TN

Thanks. I had never heard that slang. Brownies is a term used for smallmouth up in Canada. Sometimes blacks or blackies for largemouths.

DocB Loc: Bama

Louigi wrote:

Thanks. I had never heard that slang. Brownies is a term used for smallmouth up in Canada. Sometimes blacks or blackies for largemouths.

Lougi, you will hear "brownies" here as well