posted April 24, 2008
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BOONE RESERVOIR, April 24Bass
Good
Fishing has been a little slow this past week but still some good fish are being caught. Most of the fish have been caught on Crankbaits, Spinnerbaits, Jerk baits (Long A’s, Flukes), Buzzbait’s are being worked on top water early morning and later in the evenings, Swim Baits are a good choice worked slow on steep banks and bluffs, and around brush, Tube bait’s and Jig’s have been popular Green Pumpkin, Green Pumpkin with blue skirt seems to be the color of choice.
Good
Crappie are doing well they have seemed to have went a little deeper also good stringers have been caught around Pt. 21, Pt.22, Pt.2 and in the TVA Boone Dam Access cove from the bank and by boat and above Jay’s dock in the Allison cove area. Most of the fish have been caught on live minnows and small jigs in 3-8 feet of water. The fish seems to be holding on brush piles and close to bluffs.
Striped Bass and Hybrids
Good
Fish are still being caught in the Watauga Arm from pt.17 to pt.19. Evenings have been good for some topwater action using long A’s swimming them on the surface. Plastic Jerk baits have been productive also around the dam. There have been some caught from the bank on chicken livers in Friday Hollow and around Deer Lick Island. On the Holston Arm around Candy Creek area and around pt.10 trolling around 4-6 feet trolling with planer boards with shad and some fish are being caught between 11E Bridge and Rainbow bridge throwing a Smokey Joe Long A also some are being caught at night on a Silver Flash Long A in the same location.
CENTER HILL, as of April 24 Fishing is good. Water temperature is 65 degrees. Lake is fairly stable. Several bass are being caught on top water baits, jerkbaits, and Carolina rigs while fishing from 2-to-10 feet on gravel banks. Crappie fishing is fair around fallen trees in 2-to-5 feet of water, on small jigs and minnows. A few walleye are being caught above Pates Ford, while trolling crankbaits in 10-to-15 feet of water. Bluegill fishing is fair on crickets and night crawlers, while fishing gravel pockets in 5 feet of water.
CHEROKEE LAKE, April 24
The water level has fallen a little this past week. Surface temperature is at 64.2 degrees and the water has a murky color. Bass are being caught in early morning along flats, points, and in the backs of coves. Fish with jerk baits, jigs, spooks, silver buddy, or rat-l-traps from the surface to 15 feet deep. Catfish can be found along bluffs and up near the John Sevier Steam Plant.
Crappie fishing is good with some limits being caught in the areas of Caney, Clouds, German, Ray, and Poor Valley creeks, and around Three Springs. Fish around brush piles and submerged trees along bluffs with minnows, flies, or grubs 2 to 12 feet deep. Striped bass were most active this past week in the areas of Point 8 to 10, Point 15 to 19, and Point 24 to 25. Trolling is best using large jigs tipped with grubs or straight lining with shad.
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CHICKAMAUGA, as of April 24
Lake conditions as of 4/22/08 was as follows: Surface temperature was on average 66 degrees and the lake elevation was 2.5 feet below normal summer levels. Bass anglers are catching heavy stringers in various locations and patterns. Some bass have spawned, others are now on the bed, and a few have yet to move in. Bass are being caught as shallow as one foot deep and as deep as 30 feet. A lot of smallmouth bass are being caught on the lower end of the lake. Flipping jigs, crankbaits, topwater lures and swimbaits are a few of the lures that most anglers are focusing on. Crappie are being caught on minnows and jigs. Some crappie are in the very shallow water near stumps and brush. A lot of crappie are still in the 15-to-20 foot range. The larger numbers of heavy crappie seem to be deep. Black and white crappie are being caught in equal numbers. Long poles in brush, trolling and tightlining are all proven and effective spring techniques that can be used for crappie. Bluegill are being caught very shallow and also along the banks that are deep, but adjacent to shallow spawning areas. Jigs and wax worms are very popular for bluegill anglers. Rockfish are being caught in the tailwaters, but the bite has been inconsistent. Catfish fishermen are catching a lot of fish on shad. The popular meeting spot for those that chase catfish has been the area near the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant.
DALE HOLLOW, as of April 24
Fishing is fair. Water temperature is 63 degrees; lake is stable. A few smallmouth are being caught on grubs and live bait while fishing flats in 5-to-15 feet of water. A few fish are being caught on floating worms and other topwater baits while fishing willow bushes and the sides of pockets n 2-to-5 feet of water. Crappie fishing is fair in the rivers, while using minnows and jigs around willow bushes in 2-to-5 feet of water. Several bluegill and shellcrackers are being caught while using nightcrawlers and crickets in the willow bushes.
DOUGLAS LAKE The creel clerk will be working on Cherokee during 2008. Reports for Douglas will resume in 2009.
FORT LOUDON, as of April 18
SUMMARY
The striped bass are still very active and becoming more aggressive as the water warms. Jerk baits are the ticket for some of the bigger fish. Medium divers are great choices. Bass are really biting just about everywhere you fish, with rocks and boathouses being the best choices. Both largemouth and smallmouth are biting very well and the crankbait and the shaky head worm are the top producers, with the jig and pig doing almost as well. The crappies have really turned on during this past week, with some really nice 15 inch black crappie being caught all over the lake. The water temperature is just about right to make the fish more active.
CRAPPIE
Excellent
5-12 feet
The crappie are still schooled up this week and the big 14 and 15 inch fish have moved up to the edges of the channels. The float and fly or the float and grub tipped with a minnow is number one choice. Try to get on the edge of the creek channel. Cast out into the deeper water of the channel, and work your float and fly back toward the shallower water. The fish usually bite right at the edge of the channel. They are up in the shallow water too, but seem to be holding at the edge next to deeper water. Good color choices right now seem to be chartreuse or white. Another good combination is two grubs rigged 12-18 inches apart with chartreuse on one and white on the other. Louisville Point is very hot right now along with Poland Creek. Turkey Creek and Sinking Creek are both producing some good keepers right now too. Ish Creek is also a good choice for some good keepers.
LARGEMOUTH AND SMALLMOUTH BASS
Very Good
3-10 feet
There bigger bass are starting to move up into shallower water, with some very nice ones being caught next to deeper water. The shaky head worm in watermelon color is really doing well around the boathouses and docks along with Zoom lizards and Power lizards too. Crankbaits like the Shad Rap and Rattle Trap and the Bandits are catching some really nice bass in the 2-5 pound range. Shad imitators are a good choice for some bigger fish. Rocky points next to deeper water or creek or river channel drop offs are holding some good size bass. Sometimes they are right up on the bank in two feet of water. Boathouses and docks are holding a lot of bass. Spinnerbaits are starting to take a few decent size bass. The crankbait seems to be the top producer right now.
CATFISH
Good
5-12 feet
The catfish seem to have moved back to a little deeper water, but there are still some holding on the brush piles up in the creeks. Submerged timber is also a good place to try for some good size channel cats. Minnows are a good choice in bait along with nightcrawlers and chicken livers. These fish will be thinking about spawning very soon and should be moving back toward the big rocks and rocky banks.
SAUGER
Improving
5-15 feet
The saugers are starting to bite upstream toward the forks of the river, and the dollflys and the 3 inch grubs in white or chartreuse are doing pretty well. They should improve over the next few weeks as spawning time grows closer. Bouncing the jig and grub off the bottom as you drift is a good way to locate these fish.
STRIPED BASS
Good
3-15 feet
The striped bass are really turning on this week with some being caught up to 50 lbs. Shallow diving and medium diving jerkbaits like Redfins and Rapalas are a couple of the top producers right now. Watch for the fish to start breaking while they are chasing the baitfish up into the shallower water, and then cast your plugs into the breaking fish and start jerking it back to the boat or bank.
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MELTON HILLNo Report
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Melton Hill, as of April 18
SUMMARY
Everything is still good this week and should continue to improve as the water temperatures climb and spawning time approaches. The bass, crappie, muskies, catfish, and striped bass are all biting just about anywhere you want to fish over the entire lake. Just about any minnow imitating crankbait is catching some good numbers of 1-2 pound bass. A good place to try is reactor cove, or any rocky points or watch for the bass to drive the minnows up onto the mud flats. The crappies are biting very well over most of the lake, and the float and fly is the bait of choice. The musky fishers are doing very well around the Bull Run area. The striped bass are mainly around the Reactor Bend area. The crappies are mostly in the Bull Run Creek area and up in the creek. The cats are in the steam plant discharge area.
LARGEMOUTH AND SPOTTED BASS
Good
5 to 20 feet The bass seem to have moved back out a little and are concentrated at the edges of the creek and river channels. Tree tops are producing some fair size bass. Rocky banks and points seem to be holding some fair sized ones too. Brown hair jigs in 3/8 to 1/2 oz. size is a good choice. For bank fishers the boil at the head of the Bull Run steam plant discharge is producing some good size largemouth bass on night crawlers or the 2-3 inch shad caught in throw nets. Pitch it out and let the boil drag it around until you catch one.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Fair
5 to 25 feet Smallmouth are starting to hit better, and are in the boil at the steam plant along with the largemouth. These bass are also on the mud flats chasing minnows along with the largemouth. Don’t forget to try the shallow humps that are next to deep water. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits are top choices along with small crawdad imitating jigs in crawdad colors, in the 3/8 to 1/2 oz. size. The float and fly is always a good choice for smallmouth, and it works for crappie too.
CRAPPIE
Good
4 to 10 feet There are still quite a few crappies being caught up in Bull Run Creek and some of the other creeks. Try floats with minnows or little jigs tipped with minnows. The crappies seem to have pulled back into a little water also, but Bull Run Creek is still producing some good keeper fish around the submerged timber and deeper brush piles. Try chartreuse grubs tipped with a minnow. Try about 4-10 ft. deep with a float, and just work the grub by moving the float a couple of inches at a time, then let it sit still. Most of the time, they will hit when it is sitting still.
STRIPED BASS
Improving
7 to 20 feet
Keep an eye on the gulls. Watch for the breaking stripers and throw a minnow imitator into or around the school, you can pick up some very nice striped bass and sometimes a largemouth or two will be in the bunch. Sometimes you have to crank up the boat and run over to the place where the fish are breaking and start casting about 25-30 yards back from the breaking fish. 10 to 12 inch skipjack herring is another good bait for huge stripers. The bait must be very much alive and swimming before the stripers will even look at it.
MUSKY
Improving
3 to 10 feet
The muskies are becoming more active and the numbers of fish being caught and the ones that get away are much more frequent over the last couple of weeks. A nice 36 incher was caught just below the mouth of Bull Run Creek. A couple of good lures to try are the Jointed Believer, and the Shallow Invader, which are both proven Musky catchers. Pitch either of these lures up close to the bank and try a jerk and reel type retrieve. If you can, take a camera and get a picture of one or two before you release them. It is good to practice catch and release. They are very exciting fish to catch.
NORRIS, as of April 24
SMALLMOUTH BASS are good in shallow rock formations on points and on rocky banks. Shallow sloping gravel points are producing fish if you fish on the bottom at about 8 to 15 feet deep, but many daytime catches were made on topwater plugs and jerkbaits which were cast close to large, broken rocky banks and points. Night fishing on shallow gravelly points is good. CRAPPIE are in large creek and main channel brush piles or sunken trees on steep banks. STRIPED BASS hit well in the morning hours on both the Clinch and Powell river arms. LARGEMOUTH and SPOTTED BASS hit spinners and jerk baits in the shallow water in the back of coves and the creeks. WALLEYE and SAUGER were slow on the lower end, but very few anglers were trying for these fish.
SOUTH HOLSTON, Dec. 28
Bass fishing seems to be picking up with the cooler temperatures. The Smallmouth bass are really starting to become more active. Bass fishing was slow on the bluebird sky days, but good numbers of bass were caught on the days when an overcast sky was present, as usually is the case on South Holston. Largemouth bass can still be found in treetops or on flats with a crankbait or a white or chartreuse spinnerbait or fluke, but most catches is predominantly smallmouth. The largemouth numbers are better up toward the Virginia line. Smallmouth have been taken on three basic baits the past couple of weeks; float and fly, bone color “Long A”, and a white or chartreuse fluke. The fluke has been especially good early in the mornings, or throughout the day on cloudy days. Fishing the fluke in about 3-8 feet of water off shallow dirt points has been working the best. A bone color "Long A" has really been effective the past few weeks off points in the mornings, especially if there is cloud cover or a good breeze blowing. The float and fly has been another good method for catching quality fish and good numbers in the middle of the day, especially a float and fly with a minnow about 15-20 feet deep off bluffs and walls. Blue or grey flies seem to be the colors of choice. As the water temperatures continue to drop, the fly will get even better. The lower end of the lake seems to be the hot spot lately, from Point 3 down into Riddle Creek. When it rains, fishermen have been reporting good numbers of smallmouth up in the river on the Virginia side. Spoons have also been producing quality smallmouth off points. Crappie fishing is still slow and cooler water temperatures are probably needed before the fishing really becomes active. The best numbers of fish can be found in the creek channels and coves where brush or treetops are located. Most of these fish are being caught on live minnows in about 5-8 feet of water. Blue or Chartreuse jigs and flies have been somewhat successful. Jacob’s Creek, around the Observation Knob area, and Little Oak area seem to be holding the most crappie now. No reports on Walleye this week.
TELLICO
The creel clerk is currently off work due to a back injury. Reports will resume as soon as he recuperates.
WATAUGA, as of April 24
Bass
Good
The fishing has picked up this week the fish seem to be moving back into pockets and back of coves with some Big Spotted Bass, Smallmouth and Largemouth were caught on steep rocky banks and along bluff and also Crankbaits, Spinnerbaits, Jerkbaits. Tube Baits are a good thing to be throwing on shale and rock banks 5-10ft. The upper end of the rivers down to cove ridge area seems to be where everyone is fishing as the water is a few degrees warmer. Colors of choice have been chartreuse/white spinnerbaits, black and silver or bone color jerkbait, crawfish color crankbaits and white flukes green pumpkin tubes.
Walleye
Good
This week has been a productive week with the walleye. Most of them have been caught across from Milligan boat ramp on pt.5 and on the left hand banks across from pt.6 and around Pioneer Landing pt.7 and some coming out of the Roans Creek area below the boat ramp. Most fish have been caught on Long Bill Rebels and Long A’s. Color of choices have been Black/Silver side, Brown/Chart, Rainbow Trout, Purple, Bone Color Long A’s
Trout
Good
Rainbows have been caught on lower end of lake around Rat Branch and TVA ramp also around Milligan boat ramp on upper end of lake. They have been caught on night crawlers and powerbait and also while trolling.
Lake Trout
Fair
Lake Trout have started to show up around the Big Island up to pt.9 trolling anywhere from 50-95 feet. The fish is not concentrated in any specific depth.
WATTS BAR, as of April 24
Lake conditions as of 4/22/08 was as follows: Surface temperature was on average 65 degrees and the lake elevation was 1.5 feet below normal summer level. Crappie limits are common on the very upper end of the Tennessee arm of the reservoir. The finger leading toward the "little T" Dam is holding numbers of crappie. Drop shotting is the better method for catching numbers in this area. Shallow bays are starting to see a larger number of crappie that are moving into these areas. Brush and stumps in water depths of 8 foot or shallower are popular areas for anglers on the upper end of the lake in search of crappie. The lower end of the lake is less predictable and the bite has been sporadic. The typical bite on the lower end has been a bit deeper and on occasional has been shallow. The more frequent bite on the lower end is still on average deeper than 10 feet, especially for the heavier fish. Minnows and jigs are being used in equal proportion. Heavy stringers of bass are being caught on various patterns and lures. Anglers can focus on their lake knowledge and strengths for bass. Some bass are spawning and some are being caught in water depths greater than 20 feet. Deeper banks adjacent to spawning areas can be productive places to fish as prespawn and earlier spawners may be caught. Topwater lures, crankbaits and swimbaits are the more popular lures for most anglers. White bass and rockfish are being caught in the tailwaters. The rockfish bite is not as good as it will be in May. Live bait will offer the best opportunity for the larger fish to be caught. Some catfish are being caught in the large creeks and bays. A few river catfish are being caught. Some catfish are being caught on jigs and minnows. Skipjack is the best bait for the large catfish. Bluegill are being caught near piers and docks.
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