What a great day to be out on the water today - light winds, pleasant temps and cooperative fish. Thus, I stayed out a little longer � fishing from 10AM to 3:30PM. One objective today was to continue to test Pastor John�s spinners and also test some inline spinner creations from RSR Lures. I managed to catch a total of 77 fish: 70 whites, 3 hybrids, 3 cats and an eating-size yellow bass.

On the way out I ran into Fastguy George and Snaggin Steve at Long Ridge. They said they had caught 10 hybrids so far (not at Long Ridge), and Steve had caught to his chagrin a catfish. Seemed like George mentioned another fish or two but I forgot what he said they were. Then I headed on to my 1st spot � Merimac Point. I caught 25 whites and 2 hybrids there in 12 to 15 fow. I also caught fish at Spillway Hump and Game Warden Hump in 10 to 15 fow. The 3rd hybrid was caught at Spillway Hump.

Typically I started with #2 Mepps at each spot and after catching a couple of fish I�d start testing 4 other baits: #4 Mepps, Panther Martin spinner the size of a #2 Mepps, Pastor John�s Panther Martin replica and a RSR Lures inline spinner creation. As it turned out comparisons were difficult because the fish kept moving around. After catching a couple on Mepps 2 I�d catch a couple on one of the other lures then the fish would move. So, I�d try different ones immediately following the Mepps. Finally, at Game Warden Hump they stayed put long enough to compare more than one with the Mepps testing them all back to back.

Results: The Panther Martin and Pastor John�s (red/yellow body with #3 size blade) and RSR Lures replicas of Panther Martin (1/4 oz with white body and 3/8 oz with natural lead body) did well � almost as good as #2 Mepps. The RSR Lure Mepps replica(1/4 oz with natural lead body) had the same trouble as Pastor John�s Mepps replicas � the blade has trouble starting to spin. Sometimes it would spin OK and sometimes it had trouble. I tried bending the wire like with #2 Mepps and it helped some, but was still a problem, especially compared to the Panther Martin replicas, which do not have this problem. Since I have many years of experience fishing Mepps, it is not surprising that I am not as good with the Panther Martin inline and its replicas. That I can catch fish with them �almost� as well as with a Mepps is a very positive statement for them. I suspect as I get more practice with Panther Martin type spinners I can approach doing as well or better than Mepps 2.

Re the Mepps replicas, I�d like to see RSR change the clevis to one that angles toward the rear � like those used on Mepps. Until that difference is addressed, I will continue to think it is the reason for the slow to spin problem.

Here's pics of 2 hybrids. The 3rd was caught on RSR replica of Panther Martin and it pulled free as I was netting it.

Hybrid caught on Panther Martin same size as #2 Mepps


2nd hybrid caught on Panther Martin same size as #2 Mepps

Nice fish. Good report! Thanks for sharing.

This has been some of the more interesting Quality Assurance testing I've seen.

So it sounds like the smaller spinners are working for you right now. Are the smaller shad the food of choice at this time of year?

Does the lure size change all the time so you have to go out and figure out the size that will work that at that time?

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Typically here at Cedar Creek Lake the newer hatch of shad start showing up in mid summer, and from then until late September you have to down-size the lure. For Mepps spinners that means a #2. Guides like to use the small Pet spoon behind a Hellbender diving crank bait to troll for fish. You'll see some saying they wish "the slab bite" would come back. It does in October when the shad have become larger. Having said that, this year and 2013 were not typical in that I was able to catch fish on a #4 Mepps. I keep a rod rigged with a #2 and one rigged with a #4. If the concentration I find is feeding on mostly older shad, I can catch them with a 4 - if on newer, smaller shad - a 2. Year 2012 was a bear - even with a 2 they were very hard to catch, especially in September.

Thanks for the info. I figured it was related to shad sizes. I didn't know when the spawn was so that makes sense. I'll be out this weekend, i'll give some of the smaller spinners a try.

Also, my place is near "Y" on your map. Any idea why it's called 60 acre hump?

As always thanks for the information...

The peninsula immediately west of it was a 60 acre tract of land for sale in 2009. It had 2 or 3 huge signs facing the lake advertising 60 acres for sale. That's about the time I created my map and gave that spot a name - since I had not heard anyone before then refer to that hump by name or otherwise.

Makes sense, that land had already sold by the time we moved in. Subdivided like everything else out there.

We call it "the island" now. It was about 2 inches under water last time i was down. Hopefully it will go back to being an underwater hump soon.

Nice report.

Dennis great info as always, especially about lure size for sept. I was out on Sunday and found good dense concentrations of whites on sonar, at both st annes and spillway, however could not get them to take 3/4 kastmaster nor 1 oz. slabs. If i make it out this weekend I will definitely try smaller mepps or spoons. Closer to a pet spoon size. Along with smaller dia. Mono.