S
Region II Fishing Report
October 5, 2009
PERCY PRIEST:
Water Conditions: Surface temperature in the high 70s, but watch for it to drop as the
cold fronts move in.
Bass: Most days very good. Some days the fish slow down, but overall
the bite has been terrific. Crank baits, spinnerbaits, topwater
baits, you name it. The fish are hitting. Many of them are below the 15-inch size limit, but the action has been very good. If you have a slow day, don't let that get you down.
Even fish take a day off. Go into the back of coves and look for fish feeding on minnows. Be prepared for sudden topwater action.
Crappie: They are beginning to bite better. Some reports have them them in 10 feet of water, but don't be surprised if they come even shallower in the weeks ahead. Fish around structure and don't overlook TWRA fish attractors, which are easy to find. Look for the
PVC pipes with TWRA stickers attached or find buoys with a fish and hook symbol. As always, minnows and jigs work well.
Hybrids/Stripers/White Bass/Yellow Bass: Look for topwater action. If
you can't find it, look for schooling fish below bait. Take topwater baits, but also take spoons or other baits that run deeper. Fish are fun to catch on top, but they keep hitting when they go down. Take artificial baits that imitate fluttering or dying baitfish.
OLD HICKORY:
Water Conditions: Surface temperature is in the high 70s and will be dropping as fronts
move in.
Bass: Fish the creeks with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or jigs and expect good action on some days. Baitfish should be up in the creeks and bass are sure to follow.
Crappie: Fish structure that is deep, but don't pass up a dock without trying to hit it with a jig or minnow. The crappie bite should only get better between now and early winter.
Sauger/Walleye: A few of these have been caught in the upper reaches of the lake (near the Rome community and Cordell Hull Dam). Troll crankbaits or cast deep running crankbaits. Jigs can work well, too, if you can find baitfish. Be prepared for the possibility of surfacing fish.
Region III Fishing Report
October 8, 2009
Center Hill:
Fishing is slow. The 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.
Chickamauga:
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:
Fishing is slow. The 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.
Watts Bar
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.
Region IV Fishing Report
Oct. 8, 2009
Boone and Watauga fishing reports will be discontinued while the creel clerk completes military assignments.
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 LOUDOUN RESERVOIR: 10/8/09
WATER CONDITIONS:
The predicted water level above the dam is about 812.20 ft. above sea level, which is down about 3-tenths over last week. Surface temperatures are dropping and are now ranging from the high 60’s to the low to mid-70’s. The water has cleared back up for the most part, but there seems to be a lot of sediment in the water causing it to look heavily stained. But, nothing major as far as debris.
SUMMARY:
The biggest news this week is that the crappie are biting very well. The boathouses are the place to find them. Boathouses are very good structure for crappie 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 crappie. The cooler water is contributing to some nice stringers of bass, with some nice ones being caught in the 3-5 pound range. Spinnerbaits 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. Bluegills 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.
CRAPPIE
Improving.
5-12 feet.
The crappie have moved back up under the boathouses and are biting tremendously well. I talked to one angler on Sunday morning who had caught 7 keepers within 45 minutes. And they all came from under the same boathouse, using small minnow imitators on small jigheads. Just about any boathouse you try is holding crappie, but some more than others. The float and fly or the float and grub tipped with a minnow are the good choices for some good keeper crappie. Rocky banks with submerged timber are beginning to hold some good keeper crappie also. Tight lining a minnow with a splitshot around 1/16 oz. is a good choice too. Live minnows are top choice for the bigger ones. Turkey Creek and Sinking Creek are still holding a few.
LARGEMOUTH, SMALLMOUTH AND SPOTTED BASS
Improving.
3-20 feet.
The spinnerbait in white or chartreuse color is catching some nice bass just about everywhere on the lake. Crankbaits are still doing fair, but the jig-n-pig in crawfish color or just about any dark color is doing better for the bigger ones. The bass seem to be working there way back towards primary points, and also still holding on submerged humps and submerged islands. Deep diving crankbaits and Carolina-rigged brushhawgs in green pumpkin or watermelon are two good baits to try.
CATFISH
Fair.
5-12 feet.
The catfish are everywhere and cut bait or live shad is the bait of choice, or you can take a throw net and catch a bunch of 2 to 3-inch shad, hook 3or4 of those shad on a 5/0 hook with a 1 oz. sinker and throw it out next to the river channel dropoff in 20 to 50 feet of water and catch some nice blue cats or channel cats. If you can catch some skipjack herring, you can hook them through the back behind the dorsal fin and drop them down to about 30-40 feet and catch some nice bass.
STRIPED BASS
Fair.
3-15 feet.
Shallow diving and medium diving jerkbaits like Redfins and Rapalas are doing o.k. The best producer right now seems to be the Silver Buddy or something similar, along with any kind of jigging spoons. Drop these chrome colored lures next to dropoffs where the channel cuts through or where the water level goes from 6-12 ft. down to 30-40 ft. Bounce them along the bottom with 3-5 foot lifts of the rod tip and let it fall, but be aware because sometimes the big stripers hit it on the way down as it flutters. The coves around Yarberry and dropoffs around the Concord area are good places to look for some nice rockfish. The canal between Fort Loudoun and Tellico Lake sometimes holds some nice big Striped Bass (Rockfish).
NORRIS RESERVOIR: 10/8/09
WATER CONDITIONS:
The water elevation is 1,010.5-feet, which is 1.2-feet lower than it was last week. The water level is expected to fall 7.2-inches over the next two days. Surface temperature readings in the early morning hours are 70 to 72 degrees. Afternoon readings are only as high as 73 degrees. The lake water is clear in almost all locations, the exception being the extreme upper reaches of the river arms. The September 1st summer water quality profile, giving temperature and dissolved oxygen data is available at the TWRA Region 4 Reservoir Data Collection web site: www.tnfish.org. This excellent web site is a good source of information on fish populations in east Tennessee reservoirs.
SUMMARY:
The series of weather fronts, coupled with a quick rise of several feet in the water elevation, followed by the resumed drawdown, have made fishing difficult. But, the cooler water has brought bass into shallower water, making them more accessible to anglers. LARGEMOUTH AND SPOTTED BASS are being caught in the shallows, close to shoreline cover. They’re hitting small crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinners, but the size of those shallow-water bass has been small. Cloudy days have helped anglers connect with some larger fish, but those have been slower to hit. SMALLMOUTH BASS are still on the points, moving in shallower with the arrival of cooler water. Some can also be seen hitting shallow schools of small forage fish, breaking the surface as they feed, far from the shoreline. STRIPED BASS fishing improved near Norris Dam and in the vicinity of Points 1 and 2. Night fishing saw many striped bass of 6 to 10 pounds caught, from very shallow at night to as deep as 40-feet during the day. WALLEYE have slowed further, with the rare catches coming as deep as 35 to 40-feet on alewife or shad, or jigged Mann O’Lures and Hopkins spoons. Catches of walleye were slow, but the quality of those caught continued to be very good. BLUEGILL were scattered from the shallow flats during the full moon to the steep, shady banks. Crickets and Beetle Spins, as well as tiny crankbaits were taking some nice bluegill. CATFISH catches slowed. CRAPPIE were slow except for the river section above Point 15 on the Powell arm and above Point 30 on the Clinch.
STRIPED BASS
Moderate.
Live shad, alewife or shiners. Six-inch rubber jerkbaits, 1-ounce doll flies with rubber trailers, trolled or tightlined to as deep as 40-feet. Very shallow at dawn; some seen in scattered surface breaks at dawn, on calm mornings. During the daylight, 35 to 50-feet in the channels except in surface concentrations of baitfish where surface breaks are occasionally seen in the mid to late afternoon hours. Live shad/alewife tight lined to 35 or 50-feet in schools of baitfish, or slowly trolled with downriggers. In the early morning breaks, use small jerkbaits, swim baits, or shiners. The vicinity of Points 1 and 2 were good last week, especially at night. Also some reported caught near Point 3.
LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Moderate, improving.
Very shallow next to the bank, and as deep as 15-feet, tight to brush in the hollows and near wood structure on the main channel rocky banks and in the creek hollows on shallower sloping rocks. 1/2 oz. spinners and small crawfish colored crankbaits were taking more fish than previously, when fished close to shoreline cover, along banks with large rocks. But, 6-inch plastic worms and lizards, Baby Brush Hogs, Otters, 3/8-ounce rubber skirted jigs, and Tiny Beavers are doing best when fished with a slow presentation. Green pumpkin, watermelon, red bug, and June bug colors continue to work well. 6-inch green-pumpkin and redbug plastic worms are taking some nice fish on Carolina rigs, or fished with small splitshot, from “right on the bank” and down to 15 to 20 feet, or on Texas rigs on steeper, main channel banks. Concentrate on the rear of the hollows near wood, and off rocky points.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Slow, improving as the water cools.
Mid-lake humps at 15 to 25-feet in late afternoon. 10 to 15-feet on points when the water is being drawn and there’s a cloudy sky, otherwise as deep as 25-feet on the points. Target main channel, clay-bank drop-offs near points at those depths, and where the current can be felt when the lake is being drawn. Mid-lake humps at 20 to 25 feet where baitfish can be seen, bottom-jigged with Pixie spoons or small Hopkins-type spoons, as well as ¼ ounce black-on-black hair jigs are producing some smallmouth. 3/8-1/2-ounce rubber skirted jigs with small rubber trailers, in watermelon or pumpkin shades. June bug, Red bug, green pumpkin or equivalent color slider worms (or equivalent in 4-inch size) on Shaky Head jigs, on the long points as deep as 25 feet. For live bait fishermen: Large shiners fished with a split shot, but no float, allowing the bait to drift deep along main channel rocks. Some days have seen smallmouth actively feeding on the surface, especially when it’s calm and tiny baitfish are schooling near the surface.
CRAPPIE
Moderate in the main channel brush and submerged timber above Points 30 and 15. Best at night, under lights. Slow elsewhere. 10 to 20-feet deep in brush, but occasionally as deep as 15 to 20 feet at night on deep brush at night. In early morning or in stained water, as shallow as 2-feet; after the sun hits the brush, they’re dropping off deeper or tighter to cover. Some good crappie are being taken on steep, broken rock main channel banks near flooded trees, at night under lights with tuffy minnows as bait. Tightline or drift lures into deep, main channel brush on the bottom and into shoreline brush on steep banks. On high barometer days, slowly troll or drift tube jigs or hair jigs tipped with minnows along the bottom, near brush. Drop popeye flies or small tube jigs into the submerged tree tops or deep brush. Use medium tuffy minnows or 1-inch tube jigs or 1/32 oz or 1/64 oz popeye flies tightlined into the brush.
WALLEYE
Slow.
35 to 40-feet deep, on the bottom.
They’ve been slow to hit, but the quality has been excellent, with fish exceeding 20-inches being caught. Best bet: Night fishing with shad or Mann O’Lures jigged on the bottom at 35 to 39-feet. Trolling with spinner/nightcrawler rigs or plugs such as Thundersticks and 911 RedFins has produced some fish, but it has been slow. Trolling with nightcrawlers and spinners in bright orange or copper, #6 Hildebrandt blades with a line of orange beads are working in the clear water sections for those trolling during the daytime. The Loyston Sea section has seen the most walleye caught, but Poor Land, Rabbit Island and Cove Creek are about as good.
BLUEGILL
Good.
5 to 15-feet deep. But larger ones are hitting tightlined crickets as deep as 30-feet on main channel banks. Crickets, wax worms, BeetleSpins, Rooster Tail spinners, popping bugs, along steep, shady, rocky banks.
MELTON HILL RESERVOIR: 10/8/09
WATER CONDITIONS:
The predicted water level above the dam is right around 794 ft. above sea level and holding steady. The surface temperatures have started to fall back a little and are holding between 65 and 75 degrees. But, when TVA opens the dam at Norris Lake, you can watch the temperature drop on Melton Hill, and the farther upstream you go the colder it gets. Cooler nights will cause slightly cooler surface temperatures in the early morning. There does seem to be some debris floating around and the water is clear, with a slight stained color to it.
SUMMARY:
Everything is still pretty much the same as last week, except for the water surface temperatures dropping a few more degrees overall. 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.
LARGEMOUTH AND SPOTTED BASS
Moderating.
5 to 20 feet.
The bass seem to moving back up and concentrating close to the rocky banks especially the banks with some kind of trees or submerged timber near deeper water, especially if you can find a bank that has rocks and fallen trees close together. Watch for fish to be breaking the surface, and throw a minnow imitator into the area where the fish are breaking, and do a quick retrieve to catch some of the breaking fish chasing shad minnows. Submerged tree tops are producing some fair size bass around the mouths of the creeks, but structure seems to be the key. Rocky banks and points along with ledges that dropoff into deeper water seem to be holding some fair sized ones too. Green pumpkin brush hawgs and baby brush hawgs are always a good choice. Instead of rigging a brushhawg Texas style, try rigging it with a jig in the 3/8 to 1/2 ounce size. Spinnerbaits in white and chartreuse are working fairly well. Deep diving crankbaits and Carolina rigged lizards are good deep water baits.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Improving.
5 to 25 feet.
Smallmouth are still hitting those green pumpkin brushhawgs. These bass are mainly on the rocky banks and points over most of the lake. Don’t forget to try the shallow humps and the stump fields around Carbide Park and across from the mouth of Bull Run Creek. Crankbaits and chatterbaits are top choices along with small crawdad imitating jigs 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. Lizards are picking up few here and there, mostly around the boathouses.
CRAPPIE
Moderating.
4 to 10 feet.
There are still a few crappie being caught up in the Bull Run Creek area, but they seem to have moved on back out to deeper water and more toward the main channel. Any boat houses close to deeper water is a good place to start looking. Try chartreuse grubs tipped with a minnow. Try about 4-10 ft. deep with a float, but you may have to go as deep as 25ft.for the bigger fish.
STRIPED BASS
Improving.
7 to 20 feet.
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 before you get to the breaking fish. 10 to 12-inch skipjack herring is another good bait for huge stripers. These big fish are all over the lake, but sharp drop offs into deep pools is a good place to start looking for the bigger ones. Swim baits that imitate shad sometimes fool these big predators. Trolling live Skipjack Herring always seems to work the best.
MUSKY
Improving
3 to 10 feet.
The musky bite has begun! They are as far down as Reactor Bend back in the ski area and in Jackass Cove. Some monster fish have been spotted in both areas. There has also been a good number of juvenile fish spotted, which means the musky fishery seems to be doing well. A couple of good lures to try are the Jointed Believer, and the Shallow Invader, which are both proven Musky catchers, along with the Bulldawg and the Jointed Rapala. Pitch either of these lures up close to the bank and try a jerk and reel type retrieve. Remember, there is a 44-inch minimum limit on these fish. Which means that, a Musky has to be at least 44 inches to be harvested and anything less than 44 inches must be released unharmed.
October 5, 2009
PERCY PRIEST:
Water Conditions: Surface temperature in the high 70s, but watch for it to drop as the
cold fronts move in.
Bass: Most days very good. Some days the fish slow down, but overall
the bite has been terrific. Crank baits, spinnerbaits, topwater
baits, you name it. The fish are hitting. Many of them are below the 15-inch size limit, but the action has been very good. If you have a slow day, don't let that get you down.
Even fish take a day off. Go into the back of coves and look for fish feeding on minnows. Be prepared for sudden topwater action.
Crappie: They are beginning to bite better. Some reports have them them in 10 feet of water, but don't be surprised if they come even shallower in the weeks ahead. Fish around structure and don't overlook TWRA fish attractors, which are easy to find. Look for the
PVC pipes with TWRA stickers attached or find buoys with a fish and hook symbol. As always, minnows and jigs work well.
Hybrids/Stripers/White Bass/Yellow Bass: Look for topwater action. If
you can't find it, look for schooling fish below bait. Take topwater baits, but also take spoons or other baits that run deeper. Fish are fun to catch on top, but they keep hitting when they go down. Take artificial baits that imitate fluttering or dying baitfish.
OLD HICKORY:
Water Conditions: Surface temperature is in the high 70s and will be dropping as fronts
move in.
Bass: Fish the creeks with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, or jigs and expect good action on some days. Baitfish should be up in the creeks and bass are sure to follow.
Crappie: Fish structure that is deep, but don't pass up a dock without trying to hit it with a jig or minnow. The crappie bite should only get better between now and early winter.
Sauger/Walleye: A few of these have been caught in the upper reaches of the lake (near the Rome community and Cordell Hull Dam). Troll crankbaits or cast deep running crankbaits. Jigs can work well, too, if you can find baitfish. Be prepared for the possibility of surfacing fish.
Region III Fishing Report
October 8, 2009
Center Hill:
Fishing is slow. The 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.
Chickamauga:
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:
Fishing is slow. The 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.
Watts Bar
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.
Region IV Fishing Report
Oct. 8, 2009
Boone and Watauga fishing reports will be discontinued while the creel clerk completes military assignments.
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 LOUDOUN RESERVOIR: 10/8/09
WATER CONDITIONS:
The predicted water level above the dam is about 812.20 ft. above sea level, which is down about 3-tenths over last week. Surface temperatures are dropping and are now ranging from the high 60’s to the low to mid-70’s. The water has cleared back up for the most part, but there seems to be a lot of sediment in the water causing it to look heavily stained. But, nothing major as far as debris.
SUMMARY:
The biggest news this week is that the crappie are biting very well. The boathouses are the place to find them. Boathouses are very good structure for crappie 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 crappie. The cooler water is contributing to some nice stringers of bass, with some nice ones being caught in the 3-5 pound range. Spinnerbaits 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. Bluegills 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.
CRAPPIE
Improving.
5-12 feet.
The crappie have moved back up under the boathouses and are biting tremendously well. I talked to one angler on Sunday morning who had caught 7 keepers within 45 minutes. And they all came from under the same boathouse, using small minnow imitators on small jigheads. Just about any boathouse you try is holding crappie, but some more than others. The float and fly or the float and grub tipped with a minnow are the good choices for some good keeper crappie. Rocky banks with submerged timber are beginning to hold some good keeper crappie also. Tight lining a minnow with a splitshot around 1/16 oz. is a good choice too. Live minnows are top choice for the bigger ones. Turkey Creek and Sinking Creek are still holding a few.
LARGEMOUTH, SMALLMOUTH AND SPOTTED BASS
Improving.
3-20 feet.
The spinnerbait in white or chartreuse color is catching some nice bass just about everywhere on the lake. Crankbaits are still doing fair, but the jig-n-pig in crawfish color or just about any dark color is doing better for the bigger ones. The bass seem to be working there way back towards primary points, and also still holding on submerged humps and submerged islands. Deep diving crankbaits and Carolina-rigged brushhawgs in green pumpkin or watermelon are two good baits to try.
CATFISH
Fair.
5-12 feet.
The catfish are everywhere and cut bait or live shad is the bait of choice, or you can take a throw net and catch a bunch of 2 to 3-inch shad, hook 3or4 of those shad on a 5/0 hook with a 1 oz. sinker and throw it out next to the river channel dropoff in 20 to 50 feet of water and catch some nice blue cats or channel cats. If you can catch some skipjack herring, you can hook them through the back behind the dorsal fin and drop them down to about 30-40 feet and catch some nice bass.
STRIPED BASS
Fair.
3-15 feet.
Shallow diving and medium diving jerkbaits like Redfins and Rapalas are doing o.k. The best producer right now seems to be the Silver Buddy or something similar, along with any kind of jigging spoons. Drop these chrome colored lures next to dropoffs where the channel cuts through or where the water level goes from 6-12 ft. down to 30-40 ft. Bounce them along the bottom with 3-5 foot lifts of the rod tip and let it fall, but be aware because sometimes the big stripers hit it on the way down as it flutters. The coves around Yarberry and dropoffs around the Concord area are good places to look for some nice rockfish. The canal between Fort Loudoun and Tellico Lake sometimes holds some nice big Striped Bass (Rockfish).
NORRIS RESERVOIR: 10/8/09
WATER CONDITIONS:
The water elevation is 1,010.5-feet, which is 1.2-feet lower than it was last week. The water level is expected to fall 7.2-inches over the next two days. Surface temperature readings in the early morning hours are 70 to 72 degrees. Afternoon readings are only as high as 73 degrees. The lake water is clear in almost all locations, the exception being the extreme upper reaches of the river arms. The September 1st summer water quality profile, giving temperature and dissolved oxygen data is available at the TWRA Region 4 Reservoir Data Collection web site: www.tnfish.org. This excellent web site is a good source of information on fish populations in east Tennessee reservoirs.
SUMMARY:
The series of weather fronts, coupled with a quick rise of several feet in the water elevation, followed by the resumed drawdown, have made fishing difficult. But, the cooler water has brought bass into shallower water, making them more accessible to anglers. LARGEMOUTH AND SPOTTED BASS are being caught in the shallows, close to shoreline cover. They’re hitting small crankbaits, jerkbaits and spinners, but the size of those shallow-water bass has been small. Cloudy days have helped anglers connect with some larger fish, but those have been slower to hit. SMALLMOUTH BASS are still on the points, moving in shallower with the arrival of cooler water. Some can also be seen hitting shallow schools of small forage fish, breaking the surface as they feed, far from the shoreline. STRIPED BASS fishing improved near Norris Dam and in the vicinity of Points 1 and 2. Night fishing saw many striped bass of 6 to 10 pounds caught, from very shallow at night to as deep as 40-feet during the day. WALLEYE have slowed further, with the rare catches coming as deep as 35 to 40-feet on alewife or shad, or jigged Mann O’Lures and Hopkins spoons. Catches of walleye were slow, but the quality of those caught continued to be very good. BLUEGILL were scattered from the shallow flats during the full moon to the steep, shady banks. Crickets and Beetle Spins, as well as tiny crankbaits were taking some nice bluegill. CATFISH catches slowed. CRAPPIE were slow except for the river section above Point 15 on the Powell arm and above Point 30 on the Clinch.
STRIPED BASS
Moderate.
Live shad, alewife or shiners. Six-inch rubber jerkbaits, 1-ounce doll flies with rubber trailers, trolled or tightlined to as deep as 40-feet. Very shallow at dawn; some seen in scattered surface breaks at dawn, on calm mornings. During the daylight, 35 to 50-feet in the channels except in surface concentrations of baitfish where surface breaks are occasionally seen in the mid to late afternoon hours. Live shad/alewife tight lined to 35 or 50-feet in schools of baitfish, or slowly trolled with downriggers. In the early morning breaks, use small jerkbaits, swim baits, or shiners. The vicinity of Points 1 and 2 were good last week, especially at night. Also some reported caught near Point 3.
LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Moderate, improving.
Very shallow next to the bank, and as deep as 15-feet, tight to brush in the hollows and near wood structure on the main channel rocky banks and in the creek hollows on shallower sloping rocks. 1/2 oz. spinners and small crawfish colored crankbaits were taking more fish than previously, when fished close to shoreline cover, along banks with large rocks. But, 6-inch plastic worms and lizards, Baby Brush Hogs, Otters, 3/8-ounce rubber skirted jigs, and Tiny Beavers are doing best when fished with a slow presentation. Green pumpkin, watermelon, red bug, and June bug colors continue to work well. 6-inch green-pumpkin and redbug plastic worms are taking some nice fish on Carolina rigs, or fished with small splitshot, from “right on the bank” and down to 15 to 20 feet, or on Texas rigs on steeper, main channel banks. Concentrate on the rear of the hollows near wood, and off rocky points.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Slow, improving as the water cools.
Mid-lake humps at 15 to 25-feet in late afternoon. 10 to 15-feet on points when the water is being drawn and there’s a cloudy sky, otherwise as deep as 25-feet on the points. Target main channel, clay-bank drop-offs near points at those depths, and where the current can be felt when the lake is being drawn. Mid-lake humps at 20 to 25 feet where baitfish can be seen, bottom-jigged with Pixie spoons or small Hopkins-type spoons, as well as ¼ ounce black-on-black hair jigs are producing some smallmouth. 3/8-1/2-ounce rubber skirted jigs with small rubber trailers, in watermelon or pumpkin shades. June bug, Red bug, green pumpkin or equivalent color slider worms (or equivalent in 4-inch size) on Shaky Head jigs, on the long points as deep as 25 feet. For live bait fishermen: Large shiners fished with a split shot, but no float, allowing the bait to drift deep along main channel rocks. Some days have seen smallmouth actively feeding on the surface, especially when it’s calm and tiny baitfish are schooling near the surface.
CRAPPIE
Moderate in the main channel brush and submerged timber above Points 30 and 15. Best at night, under lights. Slow elsewhere. 10 to 20-feet deep in brush, but occasionally as deep as 15 to 20 feet at night on deep brush at night. In early morning or in stained water, as shallow as 2-feet; after the sun hits the brush, they’re dropping off deeper or tighter to cover. Some good crappie are being taken on steep, broken rock main channel banks near flooded trees, at night under lights with tuffy minnows as bait. Tightline or drift lures into deep, main channel brush on the bottom and into shoreline brush on steep banks. On high barometer days, slowly troll or drift tube jigs or hair jigs tipped with minnows along the bottom, near brush. Drop popeye flies or small tube jigs into the submerged tree tops or deep brush. Use medium tuffy minnows or 1-inch tube jigs or 1/32 oz or 1/64 oz popeye flies tightlined into the brush.
WALLEYE
Slow.
35 to 40-feet deep, on the bottom.
They’ve been slow to hit, but the quality has been excellent, with fish exceeding 20-inches being caught. Best bet: Night fishing with shad or Mann O’Lures jigged on the bottom at 35 to 39-feet. Trolling with spinner/nightcrawler rigs or plugs such as Thundersticks and 911 RedFins has produced some fish, but it has been slow. Trolling with nightcrawlers and spinners in bright orange or copper, #6 Hildebrandt blades with a line of orange beads are working in the clear water sections for those trolling during the daytime. The Loyston Sea section has seen the most walleye caught, but Poor Land, Rabbit Island and Cove Creek are about as good.
BLUEGILL
Good.
5 to 15-feet deep. But larger ones are hitting tightlined crickets as deep as 30-feet on main channel banks. Crickets, wax worms, BeetleSpins, Rooster Tail spinners, popping bugs, along steep, shady, rocky banks.
MELTON HILL RESERVOIR: 10/8/09
WATER CONDITIONS:
The predicted water level above the dam is right around 794 ft. above sea level and holding steady. The surface temperatures have started to fall back a little and are holding between 65 and 75 degrees. But, when TVA opens the dam at Norris Lake, you can watch the temperature drop on Melton Hill, and the farther upstream you go the colder it gets. Cooler nights will cause slightly cooler surface temperatures in the early morning. There does seem to be some debris floating around and the water is clear, with a slight stained color to it.
SUMMARY:
Everything is still pretty much the same as last week, except for the water surface temperatures dropping a few more degrees overall. 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.
LARGEMOUTH AND SPOTTED BASS
Moderating.
5 to 20 feet.
The bass seem to moving back up and concentrating close to the rocky banks especially the banks with some kind of trees or submerged timber near deeper water, especially if you can find a bank that has rocks and fallen trees close together. Watch for fish to be breaking the surface, and throw a minnow imitator into the area where the fish are breaking, and do a quick retrieve to catch some of the breaking fish chasing shad minnows. Submerged tree tops are producing some fair size bass around the mouths of the creeks, but structure seems to be the key. Rocky banks and points along with ledges that dropoff into deeper water seem to be holding some fair sized ones too. Green pumpkin brush hawgs and baby brush hawgs are always a good choice. Instead of rigging a brushhawg Texas style, try rigging it with a jig in the 3/8 to 1/2 ounce size. Spinnerbaits in white and chartreuse are working fairly well. Deep diving crankbaits and Carolina rigged lizards are good deep water baits.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Improving.
5 to 25 feet.
Smallmouth are still hitting those green pumpkin brushhawgs. These bass are mainly on the rocky banks and points over most of the lake. Don’t forget to try the shallow humps and the stump fields around Carbide Park and across from the mouth of Bull Run Creek. Crankbaits and chatterbaits are top choices along with small crawdad imitating jigs 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. Lizards are picking up few here and there, mostly around the boathouses.
CRAPPIE
Moderating.
4 to 10 feet.
There are still a few crappie being caught up in the Bull Run Creek area, but they seem to have moved on back out to deeper water and more toward the main channel. Any boat houses close to deeper water is a good place to start looking. Try chartreuse grubs tipped with a minnow. Try about 4-10 ft. deep with a float, but you may have to go as deep as 25ft.for the bigger fish.
STRIPED BASS
Improving.
7 to 20 feet.
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 before you get to the breaking fish. 10 to 12-inch skipjack herring is another good bait for huge stripers. These big fish are all over the lake, but sharp drop offs into deep pools is a good place to start looking for the bigger ones. Swim baits that imitate shad sometimes fool these big predators. Trolling live Skipjack Herring always seems to work the best.
MUSKY
Improving
3 to 10 feet.
The musky bite has begun! They are as far down as Reactor Bend back in the ski area and in Jackass Cove. Some monster fish have been spotted in both areas. There has also been a good number of juvenile fish spotted, which means the musky fishery seems to be doing well. A couple of good lures to try are the Jointed Believer, and the Shallow Invader, which are both proven Musky catchers, along with the Bulldawg and the Jointed Rapala. Pitch either of these lures up close to the bank and try a jerk and reel type retrieve. Remember, there is a 44-inch minimum limit on these fish. Which means that, a Musky has to be at least 44 inches to be harvested and anything less than 44 inches must be released unharmed.
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