Thought I would give some more details about today's fishing report, since some of you have reported difficulties catching sandies here at CC lately. Sandies indeed have seemed finicky lately, and I attribute it IMHO to at least 3 things. First, I believe there are at least 2 generations of shad in the lake right now - older, bigger threadfin shad and the new, smaller hatch. At one spot you may be on fish feeding on the larger and at the next spot they may be feeding on the smaller. Second, the schools of fish down on structure on the bottom, which I search out, aren't always staying where I mark them. By the time I get my iPilot in the water and set-up with spot-lock to cast where I marked them, they have moved. A third problem, which I think I was experiencing last Thursday, is that my boat's shadow is spooking the fish in the 10 to 13 fow clear water.

The effect of all 3 of these problems is that I don't always immediately start catching fish once I've marked them and positioned the boat. So, I have to go through a progression to determine what the issue is. I always start with a #4 silver Mepps aglia worked like in the video. If no bites, I'll vary speeds and even alternate a fast then slow retrieve in same cast. If I feel a few nicks like fish are there but not taking the #4, I'll try a #2 with weight up the line about 16 inches. I keep a rod ready for this and one rigged for the #4. With a #2 I use my rod more to get the Mepps started quickly on each drag - by lifting it up while I start retrieve or by moving it to the side as I start retrieve. If I don't catch fish with a 4 or a 2, and I had just marked them, then they have moved. I grab my trolling motor remote and move the boat around the marker to see if I can relocate them, and if I do I set-up again with spot lock and start with #4 again. If I don't locate them with the trolling motor, I turn it off but leave it in the water and start the main engine and start searching the structure again. If I locate fish again, I drop another marker, position the boat, turn on and spotlock the trolling motor, which as I said is still in the water. Then start the progression over.

I had to do this at Iron Wall Hump and Spillway Hump today because the fish were moving around the bottom. I had to do this on Iron Wall Hump last Thursday, I believe, because my boat shadow was spooking the fish - causing them to move.

At Iron Wall Hump today, I was getting nicks and light hits on my #4 and would occasionally catch one. I switched to a #2 and started catching fish on most casts.

At Game Warden Hump today I marked really good concentration, set up and started catching whites an every cast on #4. It gradually slowed then stopped. With the iPilot remote, I moved the boat around and found the fish again about 20 yards up wind. Spotlocked and started catching fish every cast again. Left there with then still biting.

I hope this kind of detail will help you who are trying to learn the Mepps technique.

Awesome info. Thanks for all the great advice

Thanks Dennis, the chance to learn is always appreciated ! thanks for sharing !

Now that is supreme confidence in the bait you are throwing. Thanks for the advice. I will admit I had some success with the mepps when it was hero time but quickly abandoned it when fishing got tougher. Figured I had just gotten lucky before and didn't know what I was doing anymore. Either that or Lake Palestine just doesn't produce like Cedar Creek. Will have to try it again because have definitely been marking some good fish but just having problems making them bite. Thanks again.

Great information.

ATM97: I thought somebody would pick up on that - the confidence in Mepps. That came with a whole lot of experiences trying other baits when Mepps were not catching them. I finally realized that, if I can't catch them with Mepps, I can't catch them with any artificial bait. I say artificial because I suspect minnows or shad may catch them when no artificial can - just never went through the effort to prove it.

Thanks Dennis for all the great info you put out there.

Appreciate the lesson and the update Dennis! I found the Whites to have the same tendencies at Tawakoni on Saturday. We'd set up on some, catch 1 or 2 and then they were gone. Found myself moving around much like you explained and same process over again. I have been using your technique now for several months and I think I am starting to get the "hang of it". The ones I did catch were on the #4 and I did'nt even think to try a smaller size, but will next time. I have found varying the retrieve does sometimes make all the difference. Many thanks Sir!

Ditto for me also for Hubbard. I usually catch them on slabs first then switch to #4 mepps for quality fish. But I abandoned it also as soon as it got tougher. I always have one rod with #4 on. I am still learning mepps. I fished with a bunch of different folks and they have their own different "confident" lures. Glad to read and learn more from the master of Mepps on TFF. Or maybe I just need to schedule a trip with with Mr. Dennis on Cedar one day. We talked about hooking up a few years ago but never did

I completely agree with you on the fish moving Dennis. We use side imaging on our boats and there is no doubt that the fish are moving around quickly at times. I will see a big school and sometimes before I can get turned around there gone. Other times they might stay and let us catch 30 or more. I do the exact same thing as you do by leaving my motor in and moving around till I see them again. Many times they have only moved a short distance and not pulling the tm saves me time. When I'm seeing fish there's no reason we shouldn't catch them. That being said I've seen some finicky fish this last month that had me shaking my head. Bottom line is we can't make them bite so we just go find another school of fish. This lake has so many white bass in it its normally easy to locate multiple schools of catchable fish.

Going to try this method. I have a I pilot also. What size and what kind of weight do you use on the #2 mepps?

3/16 oz about an inch long with dog-ears on each end to mash on the line.

Here's a pic of the rig with #2 Mepps:

spooky fish have been the name of the game on hubbard this past week, too. glad to hear its not just my boat they're afraid of

folks, this is some seriously good info. pay attention to what dennis says

Thanks good to know. Thanks for the info.

Lots of great information in report and in the link at bottom of your signature, your story at Mepps. Thanks!