posted October 29, 2009
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BOONE RESERVOIRBoone and Watauga fishing reports will be discontinued while the creel clerk completes military assignments.
CENTER HILL, as of Oct. 8
Fishing is slow. Water temperature is 71 degrees; lake is fairly stable. A few bass are being caught on topwater baits and small worms while fishing channel banks in 10-to-15 feet of water. A few crappie are being caught in the rivers around fallen trees in 5-to-10 feet of water on jigs.
CHEROKEE LAKE
The creel clerk that alternates between Cherokee and Douglas has retired. It has not been determined when that position will be filled. At this time there are no reports available.
Send your fishing report via E-MAIL to Richard Simms.
CHICKAMAUGA, as of Oct. 8
The drawdown started on September 1st. Heavy rains delayed the drawdown temporarily and now the lake is at the normal seasonal level which is 1 foot below the average summer level. Cloudy to murky water is being found in most areas of the lake. Rockfish are being caught while using shad for bait in the tailwaters below Watts Bar Dam. Bass anglers are catching the better quality fish in the large water locations. Each day more and more bass are being caught in shallow bay areas. Almost all types are lures are being used depending on the type of water being fished. Crappie are being caught near river bluff walls and along secondary banks with blowdowns. Minnows and/or jigs are being used for bait. Catfish are being caught in select areas located on the main channel. Several anglers have caught fish weighing in excess of 30 pounds and a few have been caught that weigh in excess of 50 pounds. Shad is the best bait. Bluegill are being caught along the deep river flats while using crickets or worms for bait.
DALE HOLLOW, as of Oct. 8
Fishing is slow. Water temperature is 70 degrees; lake is falling. A few bass are being caught on topwater baits, while fish are chasing chad in the mid-section of the lake. A few crappie are being caught above sunset while using minnows in trees in 15 feet of water. A few walleye are being caught while jigging spoons on drops in 33 feet of water.
DOUGLAS LAKE
The creel clerk that alternates between Cherokee and Douglas has retired. It has not been determined when that position will be filled. At this time there are no reports available.
FORT LOUDON, as of Oct. 29
All still looks good over the entire reservoir and anglers are still catching fish everywhere, from the catfish anglers to the pan fishers and everybody in between. The water temperatures are just about perfect for any kind of fishing you want to do. The crappies are still biting very well. The boathouses are the place to find them. Boathouses are very good structure for crappies and you’ll also find some nice bass under them too. Small minnow imitating lures are doing really well. Live minnows are very hard to beat when it comes to some very nice keeper crappies. The cooler water is contributing to some nice stringers of bass, with some nice ones being caught in the 3-5 pound range. Spinnerbaits and topwater baits are doing very well, in white and also chartreuse colors. The primary points are starting to hold more bass, and the jig and pig is a good bait choice, along with brushhogs and even big tubes. The best color choices are dark colors like black and brown or black and blue and also watermelon seed. Crankbaits are catching a few nice bass and also the shaky head worm in watermelon seed color. The catfish are still biting very well and jug fishing for big cats is a good method. Striped bass are still chasing shad in a lot of places in the reservoir, and they are breaking water while chasing those shad, so anytime you see those breaking fish, throw some kind of minnow imitator anywhere close to them and you will almost certainly hook something. Bluegill are still biting well over most of the reservoir and should continue for a couple more months. Rock bluffs and submerged structure are good places to start looking for these scrappy panfish.
Click Above, You Deserve It!
Send your fishing report via E-MAIL to Richard Simms.
MELTON HILL, as of Oct. 29
Everything is just about perfect for the fall fishing we’ve been waiting for. The water temperatures are right where they are supposed to be, the water level is maintaining very steady depth and the fish are cooperating for the most part. The falling water temperatures are triggering fall feeding instincts, and all species of fish are starting to bite a lot better, especially the ones that like cooler water, such as the crappies and the striped bass along with the muskies and the smallmouth bass. The fall bite is always good, and it is also a beautiful time to be on the lake, especially when the fall colors are at their fullest. There is already some color beginning to show, but over the next couple of weeks we should be getting close to the peak of the fall foliage. This time of year also makes for some beautiful pictures, so bring your camera. There have been lots of musky sightings from Bull Run Creek all the way down to the Melton Hill Dam. A good number of the ones being spotted are juvenile fish, but there have also been some huge fish spotted by some of the musky anglers. The little shad minnows are working the surface over the entire reservoir, and that means the predator fish like the black bass and the striped bass plus the white bass and all other minnow eating fish will be following the giant schools of baitfish. The striped bass are starting to break more and more over the entire reservoir. The musky bite is starting to pick up and should continue to improve as the water temperature begins to cool. Some nice muskies have been spotted as far down as the ski area around Reactor Bend. Jigs and brush hogs and crankbaits are still doing fairly well for bass. The jig and brushhawg combination is still catching some good keeper bass. The bass seem to be concentrated on the banks with rocks and submerged timber and also around islands with deep water ledges close by. A good place to start is on any rocky banks or submerged timber especially with current flowing past close to deeper water. The crappies have slowed down a little over most of the lake.
NORRIS, as of Oct. 29
CRAPPIE and BLUEGILL are still hitting well at the 20 foot depth. In stained sections upriver, they can be caught at half that depth, in main channel brush. LARGEMOUTH and SPOTTED BASS continue to hit at 15 to 20-feet, especially for those using minnows. SMALLMOUTH BASS catches are improving. They hit well on the submerged humps and points, near the bottom at 20 to 25-feet deep. Most caught have been below the 18-inch minimum size limit. STRIPED BASS: The Norris Dam to Point 5 vicinity continues to produce fish, but some upstream movement has been seen, with catches increasing near Stardust, Pilot Island and as far upstream as 33 Bridge. Night fishing was best, from the surface to 40-feet for suspended fish. WALLEYE catches were slow. CATFISH were slow.
SOUTH HOLSTON
No Recent Report
TELLICO
The creel clerk is currently off work due to a back injury. Reports will resume as soon as he recuperates.
WATAUGA
Boone and Watauga fishing reports will be discontinued while the creel clerk completes military assignments.
WATTS BAR, as of Oct. 8
The lake level is normal. Scheduled drawdown should begin on November 1, 2009. Bass fishermen are not catching a lot of keeper bass. Several small fish are being caught and a few heavy weight smallmouth bass are being caught or at least hooked. Several fishermen have caught 5 pound smallmouth in recent days and a few have shared their stories about the one that got away. Shallow points and ledges located in the large water locations are producing the large smallmouth. Largemouth bass seem to be located along secondary areas that are slightly deeper than the surrounding areas. Brush and windward banks will increase the odds of catching fish. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are being used to catch a greater number of smallmouth bass. Flipping jigs are being used by those wishing to enhance their largemouth stringers. The number of crappie being caught is increasing everyday. Minnows and/or jigs are being used for bait. Blowdowns located on sloping banks with at least 12’ of water seems to be a combination that most crappie enthusiasts are using to catch the maximum number of fish. Many bluegill are being caught while using topwater flies in the secondary water in the area above Hwy. 58. A lot of catfish and several heavy weights are being caught while using live shad for bait. Main channel ledges are being targeted by those catching catfish. Rockfish are being caught in the main channel while using shad in the areas located upstream.
Go HERE for Georgia Fishing Reports & links to GA Lake Levels or check Water Release Schedules from TVA Dams
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