2/1/2012

                                                    1/20/12

If you have lived in Tennessee for any length of time you have most likely seen a snake. There are 32 native species of snakes in Tennessee four of which are venomous. The venomous species are the copperhead, the timber rattler, the western pygmy rattlesnake and the cotton mouth.
Snake bites are not common in Tennessee, but do occur.
In Tennessee the most common venomous snake is the copperhead and this is the one that people are most often bitten by. It is also the least venomous of the four species that habitat our state.
Most people think that snake bites can only occur in the summer. Snakes do hibernate in the winter and it is unusual to have an encounter especially during the coldest months. That is exactly what happened to me.
I was moving a large mound of rocks that had been created by some excavation on my land. It was February and the air temperature was around 40 degrees dropping into the twenties. I was moving the rocks by hand with a wheel barrel.
I had moved several wheel barrels full and was getting a little tired. I could see the bottom of the pile and decided to finish before taking a break. I bent down to grab a large rock that was lying on the ground and as I lifted it I felt something strange brush strongly against my hand. What was that?
I moved closer to the pile bending over to lift another rock when I saw what it was. There on the ground, where I had just lifted the rock, was a rather stout looking copperhead.
Copperheads are the most unrecognized snakes around. Many times I have had people tell me that they killed a copperhead in there yard only to find it was a common brown snake of some type. If you have ever seen a wild pit viper in Tennessee there is no doubt when you see another.
The copperhead is not a large snake in length. It commonly only reaches a length of 24 to 36 inches. They have a large head that appears over sized for there body with large bulging eyes. The name copperhead comes from the snakes copper colored head while the rest of the body is more of a tan and brown.
The snake had been sleeping under that rock and as I lifted the rock it had struck at me. Luckily it was very slow due to the cold weather. Snakes are cold blooded and the colder the air the lower their body temperature. This snake was in slow motion for a pit viper which is usually a very quick and accurate animal. The snake had attempted to bite me and simply missed as I moved my hand.
I stared at the snake for a moment in disbelief. It is the middle of February. Snakes are not out this time of year. After striking, the snake started to crawl away from the intrusion I had created. After all, how would you like it if some big ugly creature jerked the covers off of you while you were sleeping?
I almost let it go but thought better. I had a small son at the time that played in the woods next to my house. Big snakes make small snakes and we really don’t want to raise venomous snakes that close to our house. I did something I would rarely do and killed the snake.
Snakes are very essential part of nature. Many farmers will catch black snakes and turn them loose in their out building to help control the mouse population. Everything in nature has a job but in this case this snake’s job was done.
                                                   1/15/2012

Imagine this- you are deer hunting your favorite woods in Tennessee. You’ve been tracking a big buck for weeks. You see the notorious buck come down the trail and put his head down to drink from the pond located forty yards away. Your pulse quickens and you carefully raise your rifle to take the shot when suddenly the buck jerks back from the water and leaps into the woods. Maybe he saw you, but if he had he would have probably looked up from the water. You watch the pond momentarily. Suddenly, a fifteen foot snake makes its way out of the pond and stops just on the edge of the bank. You can’t make your way past him, as he would probably strike and maybe even kill you. Needless to say, you aren’t going to get your shot at that big buck today. Giant constrictors have been ravaging the south in recent years. Photos have been taken of pythons with alligators and small deer their bellies as large as seven feet or as heavy as ninety pounds and it’s no surprise that these animals have been destroying the natural habitat of native species. Wildlife agencies in Florida have their hands full in trying to find ways to remove the animals. They destroy ecosystems and ultimately causing native snake populations to die out. Maybe this doesn’t sound like a concern, after all Florida is a long way from Tennessee, but without a balanced ecosystem, that big buck you were tracking might not even exist. Everything works in a circle in the wild. One animal eats another which is eaten by another and so on. If giant snakes eat the natural predators and the prey, where does that leave the outdoorsman - in a minivan on his way to the mall to look at prom dresses with his seventeen year old? No thanks. Large constrictors aren’t the only problem, as wildlife officials have captured cobras, mambas, and bushmasters. The biggest issue here is that these animals have learned how to endure cold temperatures and have been found hibernating during the cold spells Florida sometimes endures. With this in mind, wildlife officials and biologists have predicted that these giant constrictors could populate areas as far north as southern Kentucky in the next ten to twenty years. Imagine sitting in your bass boat and casting out as a twelve foot python swims by. It would send chills up your back wouldn’t it? These animals aren’t in Tennessee yet or even Georgia, but if herpetologists in Florida don’t get this problem under control now, we might be shooting at snakes instead of white tail ten years down the road. Invasive species are a problem regardless of where they exist. It might be snake head fish in the north east, nutrias in Louisiana or wild Russian boar in Tennessee. The balance of nature is fragile and mankind must respect its boundaries. Wild Russian Boar have over populated parts of the Cumberland Plateau to the point the Wildlife officials have passed new open laws to allow land owners to protect their property from the animals with use of unconventional means. Some boar hunters strongly oppose this measure but the problem started from an animal that was introduced by well meaning individuals where it was not evolved to exist. Hopefully we will learn from these and other mistakes that have occurred by short sighted ignorance. The old saying that it is not nice to mess with Mother Nature never had more meaning.

                                                         12/26/2012

The year is rapidly drawing to an end and many of use are making resolutions or plans for the coming year. I would like to challenge each of my readers to do just a few small
things to enhance their outdoor pleasure and safety on our local waters.
Today in America there are an estimated 50 million people taking to the water for some type fishing related recreation. These figures show that fishing has become more popular than Golf and Tennis combined. The population of fishermen in this country continues to grow annually.
While the number of fishermen is greater and the acceptance of the sport is higher the numbers of waterways to fish are not increasing. In Tennessee we have long enjoyed wide deep open lakes with relatively light fishing pressure. These great waterways are a jewel in our midst that have been taken for granted for three generations.
The number of people moving into Tennessee is greater than at any other time in its history. This is also a time when we are experiencing great numbers of out of state fishermen on our local lakes. The increase in fishing pressure and local navigational traffic is obvious in the number of boating related fatalities on our local lakes annually.
I would like to ask each of you to take a long look at your habits while on the water and honestly evaluate what or where you can change or improve anything that will make our lakes safer or cleaner. Most of us try to practice good safety, courtesy and conservation but there may be one area that you could improve on.
It does not matter what that area is. The point is to police your own actions in order to make ourselves safer and more courteous. It may be better handling of the fish before they are released or making sure everyone wears a life jacket when the boat is under power. Regardless of what it is lets all look for room to improve some aspect of our fishing habits.
Some small habits that I see even the otherwise most conscientious outdoorsmen do are as simple as throwing discarded fishing line into the lake, forgetting to hook their kill switch to there life jacket or running to fast near another boat that is setting still in the water.
Let us all make a resolution to make 2012 a safe, clean and Happy New Year on the water.

 

 

 

                                                                12/20/11

My son Josh Caldwell is home from college. He is studying herpetology as his minor at LMU. Here are some facts that he put down on paper for all of us as food for thought.  

 

Imagine this- you are deer hunting your favorite woods in Tennessee .  You’ve been tracking a big buck for weeks. You see the notorious buck come down the trail and put his head down to drink from the pond located forty yards away. Your pulse quickens and you carefully raise your rifle to take the shot when suddenly the buck jerks back from the water and leaps into the woods.  Maybe he saw you, but if he had he would have probably looked up from the water.  You watch the pond momentarily. Suddenly, a fifteen foot snake makes its way out of the pond and stops just on the edge of the bank.  You can’t make your way past him, as he would probably strike and maybe even kill you.  Needless to say, you aren’t going to get your shot at that big buck today.  

Giant constrictors have been ravaging the south in recent years.  Photos have been taken of pythons with alligators and small deer their bellies as large as seven feet or as heavy as ninety pounds and it’s no surprise that these animals have been destroying the natural habitat of native species.  Wildlife agencies in Florida have their hands full in trying to find ways to remove the animals.  They destroy ecosystems and ultimately causing native snake populations to die out.  Maybe this doesn’t sound like a concern, after all Florida is a long way from Tennessee , but without a balanced ecosystem, that big buck you were tracking might not even exist.  Everything works in a circle in the wild.  One animal eats another which is eaten by another and so on.  If giant snakes eat the natural predators and the prey, where does that leave the outdoorsman - in a minivan on his way to the mall to look at prom dresses with his seventeen year old?  No thanks.  

Large constrictors aren’t the only problem, as wildlife officials have captured cobras, mambas, and bushmasters.  The biggest issue here is that these animals have learned how to endure cold temperatures and have been found hibernating during the cold spells Florida sometimes endures.  With this in mind, wildlife officials and biologists have predicted that these giant constrictors could populate areas as far north as southern Kentucky in the next ten to twenty years.  Imagine sitting in your bass boat and casting out as a twelve foot python swims by.  It would send chills up your back wouldn’t it?  

These animals aren’t in Tennessee yet or even Georgia , but if herpetologists in Florida don’t get this problem under control now, we might be shooting at snakes instead of white tail ten years down the road.

Invasive species are a problem regardless of where they exist. It might be snake head fish in the north east, nutrias in Louisiana or wild Russian boar in Tennessee . The balance of nature is fragile and mankind must respect its boundaries.  

Wild Russian Boar have over populated parts of the Cumberland Plateau to the point the Wildlife officials have passed new open laws to allow land owners to protect their property from the animals with use of unconventional means. Some boar hunters strongly oppose this measure but the problem started from an animal that was introduced by well meaning individuals where it was not evolved to exist.

Hopefully we will learn from these and other mistakes that have occurred by short sighted ignorance. The old saying that it is not nice to mess with Mother Nature never had more meaning.  

 

                                                                  12/14/11

 

Recently a friend and frequent fishing companion, Brad Testerman contacted me about fishing Norris. Brad lives in Southern Ohio but his first love is the smallmouth rich waters of Tennessee. Brad was coming to Tennessee for a few days and asked if I could fit a trip in with him.
I picked Brad up near Hickory Star about 7:30 AM. Soon after we started fishing Brad began to see spots before his eyes. No, not the medical type that are caused by some rare tropical disease but the swimming kind that are so common to the deep clear waters at Norris
Brad and I began casting finesse worms mainly the Zoom 4 inch variety in a watermelon color to ledges along a steep shaded bank. The fish quickly showed us that they were hungry and active. The spotted bass were hitting the little finesse worms like a 10 year old fat kid at a chocolate feast.
The spotted bass has long been caught at Norris in great numbers but if you have not fished for them recently you may be in for a big surprise. Those pesky little 8 and 10 inch spots that would attack your bait like a shark have started to grow up. In the last few years they have increasingly become 12 to 16 inch fish with a real attitude. In fact I know of one night tournament last August where there were 3over 3 pounds weighed in. It is true that there has been some hybridization between the largemouth and spotted bass at Norris but common wisdom states that if it has a tooth patch on its tongue it is considered a spotted bass.
We caught 9 by noon that were in the 14 inch ranges and numerous others in the 10 to 12 size class. The largest was an 18 inch football shaped spot that hit at a depth of 15 feet and broke the surface like Orca at Sea World.
I have another fishing companion that describes a smallmouth as a fish that gets up in the morning mad and its attitude gets worse as the day goes on. I have to say that is true but the big spotted bass at Norris are what makes them mad.
I dearly love to catch the big smallmouth that Norris provides but can be quite happy with a day like this any time. Smallmouth can be ill tempered and are very strong but spotted bass have an attitude all there own. These little balls of fury think they are the meanest fish that swims.
Brad and I ended up with a good number of spots along with some largemouth and smallmouth thrown in for good measure. The day ended like many with me making notes in my diary about the day’s results. This day said note to self. Don’t forget how good the spotted bass fishing is in November and December.
Just a little trip down memory lane and guess wat that was in the paper this week. 

                                                                   11/25/11

 If you have fished the Clinch River side of Norris Lake for many years you have probably heard the name Archie Wilson. Archie who is a Union County native has fished Norris for many years and has been considered one of the more successful and knowledgeable black bass fishermen in that area. Last week end after church Archie and a friend decided to get some time in throwing Zara Spooks for bass out of Hickory Star, Here in Archie’s own words is what happened,“Hillman and myself are fishing Top Water plugs for bass (Zara Spook) we both have caught 1 nice LM each and are anticipating our first SM blow up on the Top Waters. Its about 4:30ish when Norris Lake explodes. What was that Hillman exclaims as he wipes the water from his eyes. A huge Rock-fish, has short lined my spook, right at the boat, I have my hands full, so a wet face is of little concern. The Leviathan does a figure eight on the surface, right beside the boat so I know its a good-UN. Mind you now my rod is a brand new 6' short handle Dixie Customs Top Water Rod designed for Bass, not Striper. My reel is a Shimano Chronarch, that maybe holds 100 yards of line, I'm not even sure it holds that much?

I've caught my share of big Rock-fish, including one bigger then this mama, a few of them have also been on a spook, but on all those I was using Ambassador Reels, which hold considerable more line. Because of that I knew what was about to happen, so I kick my 101 lb thrust trolling motor to WOT and sure enough its off to the races. I look at my Chronarch reels spool, and I can see the holes in the spool. I don't even tie a knot on these type spools, as the holes grab the line making a spool tie knot unnecessary. So I'm thinking well at least I won't have to watch the knot pop I can just watch the line whip through the rod guides like that dog in the old Walt Disney cartoon sucking up a spaghetti noodle.

After coming back too my senses I begin frantically screaming, for Hillman to start the BIG motor. Hillman is a good fishing partner to have at your side and just in time we are after speedy with the big motor. We catch up with the beast and true to forum for a big Rock-fish she lays down on the bottom. Now one thing I forgot to mention is I'm supposed to be at Church by 6:30, so I begin to think if this thing takes as long to land as my biggest fish I'll miss Church. I don't like to miss Church , most of you guys may be good enough to stay on the straight and narrow even missing a few services, but I ain't. So I begin to say please Lord let me land this monster fish, in time to get to evening service. As quick as that, she comes unglued from the bottom and rises to the surface, trusty Hillman slips his hands under the gill plate, grunts and lifts her into the boat.”

The big striper was around 40 lbs. That is a real catch on a 6 foot bass rod and light line. It just goes to show that with the lords help anything is possible. Enough Said.

 

                                                               11/21/11

During the late fall and early winter fishing in East Tennessee is arguably the best of the year. The really strange thing about it is how few anglers fish in the fall. Once the hunting seasons get into full swing the lakes become deserted.

 During the last two weeks I have spent five days fishing Norris on the low end of the lake. On week days there have been almost no boats on the water and on week ends next to none. The strange part is that while few are fishing the daily catch  rate goes way up.

Many anglers call Norris the Dead Sea . During the summer when most folks want to be out only the most dedicated and savvy Norris anglers actually experience good success. This all changes when the water temperature starts to drop. During the late fall catch rates can often be as good as 20 bass per day per angler or limits of big crappie per angler. Last week end in a small tournament out of Loyston Point the winning weight was 19 lbs in 5 fish, yes I said 19 lbs and yes I am talking about Norris.

During the fall as daylight hours decrease and water temperature starts to cool the fish begin to show up much shallower than during the summer. This is keyed by a die off in the plankton and the migration of the shad which feed on that plankton. The first thing that happens is that the shad start to migrate to the shallower bays and creeks where the afternoon sun warms the water much faster. This gives way to a migration back to the main channel as the water temperature continue to drop. The fish simply follow the food source.

This migration is much like the movements of the bass during the pre-spawn. The big difference is that in the fall the water has drawn down concentrating the fish and the activity level of the bass is much higher. Bass will stay active and feed aggressively until the water temperature falls into the mid 40”s and remains at that temperature range for a prolonged period.

I once heard Hank Parker say that if you want to catch lots of fish it is better to learn how to find bait than to learn how to catch fish. This is one of the most accurate statements I have ever heard in the fishing community. Its real simple, find the food and you will find fish. Catching the fish is easy locating concentration of fish is the key to successful catches.

The fall in East Tennessee is one of the most beautiful times of the year to be on our area lakes and one of the most rewarding if you are a fisherman. Don’t put that fishing gear away just yet. The catch of the year may be waiting of you on your local area lake.

 

 

 

 

                                                              11/20/2011

I was bitten by the fishing bug at a very early age. Fishing for black bass became a passion for me in the early 1960’s. In those days the amount of scientific knowledge available to anglers was very limited and much of what was known or believed was handed down from the previous generation.

Beginning in the 1970’s many fishing biologist began to study black bass and compile volumes of information about the habits and movements of these fish. I have read numerous studies, attended numerous seminars and watched numerous television shows on this subject. I have also spent thousands of man hours on the water in pursuit of these fish. It is my opinion that all this knowledge proves that there is only one absolute fact about the habits and movements of black bass. That absolute is that there is no absolute .

 One much studied factor is water temperature and its seasonal effect on the feeding frequency and location of the bass. The fish are cold blooded and the water temperature regulates their body temperature and activity rate. The colder the water the slower the fish become and the less often they need to feed. The question is how fast do the bass react to changes in water temperature and how much does cold water really effect thier energy level.

In of winter 1976 I in was living in Memphis Tennessee. It was February and the water temperatures in the local area had been holding around 45 degrees for many weeks. Common knowledge and scientific studies would say that the fish were very lethargic feeding only once or twice in several days. The only way to lure a bass into hitting a lure was with a slow presentation.

On this particular week in February there was a weather pattern that came in bringing lots of rain. I am talking frog strangling rain with temperatures in the mid to upper 50 degree range. On about the third day of this weather a friend called me and invited me to go to Moon Lake which was an Ox Bow off the Mississippi River. He said the bass were really hitting and that he had caught numerous big fish that afternoon.

I met him at the ramp the next morning. He was all rigged up and ready to go. The first thing I noticed was he had buzz baits tied on two separate rods. Buzz baits in February I thought.

We proceeded to motor to an area where water was running into the lake from a wet weather spring. He picked up the buzz bait and wham almost instantly had a scrappy 4 pound largemouth. He explained that this was how he had caught all his fish the day before.

It was February, the water was cold and had been cold yet these fish were chasing down a fast moving top water bait. The fish had reacted to this warmer water running into the lake both from the ground water and the slightly warmer rain. The fish had followed the flow to the area the warmer water was originating. Everything in the text books disproved that this was happening, but here was the truth. These fish were in high gear when they should have been slow and lethargic.

 This is one reason why I say that the only absolute in bass fishing is that there is no absolute. The fish have a say and they do not read text books. They just do as they please.  

 

 

    

                                                                         11/09/11

If you ever see a flock of Sand Hill Cranes in the wild you will have witnessed one of the most magnificent wild birds Tennessee has to offer. These majestic birds which were held sacred by the ancient Native Americans in East Tennessee will make a definite impression that will last all your days.

I witnessed this several years ago in the late fall while fishing near Big Ridge State Park. I saw a dozen of these birds first from a distance along a lake bank. The shear size of these birds appeared to be a group of adults busy doing some task along the shore. On further investigation I saw these huge water birds standing 4 to 5 feet tall with a huge wing span. I watched in amazement for a while and then the birds rose up to a great altitude and formed a giant V flying off in formation in a southerly direction. The lead bird made a noise to the others like nothing I have ever heard from a wild bird before as to signal there departure. Soon another flock was seen joining these birds as they reached a distance where they could no longer be viewed.

Each year these birds migrate to their winter nesting grounds at the confluence of the Hiwassee and the Tennessee Rivers near Birchwood Tennessee. There is an annual festival for the general population to view these birds. This year that celebration is January 14, 15.

While the cranes are present from November through February each year and viewing is always open to the public at the TN Wildlife Resources Hiwassee Refuge, the festival offers activities for the entire family. There will be speakers, films, and children’s activities centered on the cranes; Tennessee’s other wildlife, and the rich Native American history of the area.  
The Special Guest at this year’s festival will be the great artist John James Audubon, as depicted by Brian “Fox” Ellis. Brian is an engaging and entertaining storyteller.

Festival activities will be held at the Birchwood Elementary School, the Hiwassee Refuge, the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park, and the Rhea County Welcome Center. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Tennessee Ornithological Society are co-hosts of this event. If you have never seen one of these birds I encourage you to take advantage of this festival.

Melinda Welton, Co Chairman of this year’s festival had this to say “Our objective is to share the spectacle of these majestic birds and provide a potentially life-changing wildlife experience for visitors. We also want to build awareness for the need to provide adequate habitat and management for the thousands of Sandhill Cranes that winter and migrate through Tennessee, as well as for the Endangered Whooping Cranes that regularly accompany them”

 

                                                           

 

                                                            

                                                                         9/ 21/2011

Hunting season will get into full swing on Saturday. The archery only deer season opens in all units and will remain open until October 28. It will re-open October 31 and close on November 4. The bag limit for anterless deer is 3. You can harvest in Unit A 4antlerless deer. In Unit B 2 antlerless deer and in Unit L 3 The limit for antlered deer is three total for the entire y

ear.

 

In addition to deer, archers may harvest one wild turkey of either sex during the archery-only deer seasons in counties that have a fall turkey gun-hunt. While hunting during the archery-only deer seasons, archers may take only one wild turkey no matter how many counties they hunt. Check for a list of counties on page 40 of the 2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide.

 

Hunters are reminded that they must possess the appropriate licenses and permits. Hunters born on or after January 1, 1969 must also have, in their possession, proof they have successfully completed a hunter education course.

 

Tennessee’s archery-only hunting season for black bears opens Sept. 24 and runs through Oct. 21, according to the TWRA. Counties open to this archery-only season are Blount, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Jefferson (east of Hwy. 411), Johnson, Monroe, Polk (east of Hwy. 411 and north of Hwy. 64), Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington. In addition, archery-only bear hunting is open on the North Cherokee WMA from Oct. 14 – 21. Foothills WMA in Blount County is open Sept. 24 – Oct. 21.

 

The TWRA urges all archery hunters to pick up a 2011 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide to review and become familiar with the counties and bag limits for each of the different deer management units.

 

The TWRA is also seeking public input for its sport fishing regulation changes. This is an opportunity for sportsman to share ideas and concerns with the TWRA staff. 

Public comments will be considered by fisheries managers and may be presented as proposals for regulation changes. Comments may be submitted by mail to: Sport Fish Comments, TWRA, Fisheries Management Division, P.O. 40747, Nashville, TN 37204 or emailed to TWRA.Comment@tn.gov. Please include “Sport Fish Comments” or “Fishing Guide License Comments” on the subject line of emailed submissions. The comment period will be open until Friday, Oct. 7, 2011.

 

                                                                          9/13/2011

                         The cooler weather that we are currently experiencing should mark the beginning of a transition to fall patterns for bass. The cooler nights and shorter days should make the shad and other minnows start to school tighter and begin moving into the creeks. This baitfish movement will trigger the bass to move into the creeks also.
        
                         Finding concentrations of shad is very important in defining where the bass are located in the fall. Often bass will simply follow the schools of migrating shad gorging themselves whenever the urge hits them. As the bait and bass adjust to the weather changes they are drawn towards the creeks using the channels as migration routes.

                         The first areas that will hold the fish are the mouths of the creeks where points drop into the creek channels. As the season progresses the fish will move to the secondary points inside the creeks. Finally the bait and bass will position in the back of the creeks. The bait will dictate where and when the bass will move.

                        Once the fall pattern is fully established points, humps, roadbeds or any other edge that the fish can hold on may attract entire schools of bass. The key is to locate these areas in the creeks along the migration route of the shad. Cover is not always necessary. There are times especially in stained water when the bass will feed on barren mud flats.

                      Artificial baits that will work during the fall are somewhat like spring baits. Early in the morning Zara Spooks or buzz baits can pay big dividends. Later in the morning crankbaits like the Shad Rap or Flat Max can be deadly along with spinnerbaits. Jigs tipped with your favorite trailer or 4 inch grubs can also be productive any time of the day.  

                 A bait that has produced quality largemouth for me in the fall is the Chatter Bait. This is basically a swimming jig with a blade on the front that makes it vibrate and flash. I like to use a fluke as a trailer in order to increase the profile of the bait and give it a slightly different action when hesitated.

               Fall is the beginning of one of the best times of the year to catch big bass. The bass will be much shallower than during the heat of the summer and will be more active for longer periods of time.  From now until early winter you may catch the bass of a life time.

                                                                            9/7/2011

East Tennessee needed rain and rain we have had. The flooding we could do without but for the fisherman there is a silver lining. The cooler temperatures and drop in water temperature could user in an early fall fishing season.

Water temperatures on the upper Knoxville area lakes have dropped in the last few days with the cooler rain. There has also been a sudden rise in water levels which always tends to relocate the fish. Once the weather settles down you may find the fish in much shallower locations and more aggressive than they have been. Here is what has been happening on some of our area lakes.

 

Norris               The lake is rising and is stained in most location. The surface temperature ranges from 79 to 82. Bass fishing has been good. Largemouth are hitting jigs, spinnerbaits or buzzbaits around brush located on steeper rock banks in the creeks. Look for the fish to be 3 to 10 feet deep. Smallmouths have started to move from the humps to the steep main channel points that have limestone structure and get current when TVA is generating. The smallmouth are hitting shaky head rigs, drop shot rigs or small 1.4 oz jigs. The smallmouths are hitting 25 to 30 feet deep. Crappie fishing is fair and improving on the upper end of both rivers. The crappie are hitting in brush located in the major creeks 15 to 20 feet deep during the day and as shallow as 5 feet at daylight and dusk. Stripers were hitting live shad 25 to 35 feet deep ahead of this front. There is no new information about the stripers. Walleye fishing is fair to slow. Trolling 25 feet deep has been producing a few. The best baits have been spinners tipped with night crawlers.

 

Cherokee                The lake is temporarily rising but should fall back to previous levels in a short period of time. The surface temperature ranges from 77 to 81. The lake is stained with some very dark areas in the creeks. Largemouth are hitting well above the German Creek gap. Early there has been a good crankbait spinnerbait bite on rocky points in the major creeks. Later in the day the fish have dropped back to the 10 foot contour. The red colors especially tomato red have been hot with lizards or big worms rigged Texas style. Smallmouth fishing has been spotty. The smallmouths that have been caught have come from main lake points near deep water. Crappie fishing is fair. Crappies have been hitting at the 20 foot depth zone but have moved a little shallower during the last few days. Look for the crappie in brush or lay downs along steeper banks. Stripers or hybrids have been hitting best on the lower end. Trolling has been the best method. The fish have been 28 to 35 feet deep.

 

Douglas                  The lake is 82 degrees and temporarily rising. The main channel is clear with stained water in the creeks. Bass fishing is best early in the morning. Bass are hitting Texas rigged plastics cast to brush or wood cover. The best color has been cherry seed. The bass may become a little more active with the clouds and rain. Crappie fishing is fair to good. The crappies are hitting 10 to 15 feet deep. Look for the fish either by trolling small crankbaits or drifting minnows in the creek bays. Yellow has been a good color for crappie. White bass fishing has slowed.   

                                                       8/31/2011

 

The Labor Day week-end is here. This is the one of the biggest holidays of the year for outdoor recreation. There will be heavier than normal traffic on the lakes and at the access areas. Hunting season for squirrel, geese and dove will be open so some will be in the fields and woods.

Please use caution and be courteous to others. Make this a safe and fatality free holiday.

 

Norris                  The lake is falling and is clear in the channel with some stain water in the creeks. The surface temperature ranges from 84 at daylight to 88 in the afternoon. Bass fishing has improved in the last week. Bass are hitting best early in the morning or just before dark and into the early evening. Largemouth are hitting near the mouth of the main creeks or over deep water around humps and long points. Largemouth are chasing shad on the surface very early in the mornings until the sun get on the water Smallmouth are hitting best off shore . At daylight the smallmouth may hit as shallow as 15 feet but as the morning progresses expect them to be as deep as 30 feet. Crappie fishing remains fair at night under the lights. The best areas are on the upper ends. The crappie are hitting 20 to 25 feet deep. Catfish are hitting in the coves 15 to 20 feet deep. The best baits have been shrimp or shad. Walleye fishing is slow. A few are hitting around the 30 foot mark for anglers trolling slowly with spinner worm rigs. Stripers are hitting best at daylight. The fish have been 30 to 35 feet deep. The lower end of the lake has been the best area.

 

Melton Hill                        The lake is steady with some fluctuation daily as Norris draws down.  Fishing in general is good. Largemouth are hitting along main lake points on the lower end. Jigs, Texas and shaky head rigs have been best. Some fish are hitting topwater very early. Smallmouth are hitting small plastics or small jigs on humps or on the vertical banks. The best bass fishing is when TVA is generating causing current in the lake. White bass are hitting very early in the mornings or on over cast days. The fish are surface feeding on the abundant shad that are on the surface early in the day. The best baits have been small spinners or spoons. Crappie fishing has been slow. A few Musky have been hitting over the lake but over all the musky bite is slow.

 

Cherokee                                  The lake is drawing down and has a slight stain in many locations. The surface temperature is 86 on the lower end and 83 on the upper end. Bass fishing is fair. The best areas have been the creeks on the upper end. Early in the morning look for the largemouth to be shallow along rock points. Later in the morning the largemouth are dropping back to the 10 to 15 foot depth area. Smallmouths are hitting 10 to 15 feet at daylight and are dropping to the 25 foot areas once the sun gets bright. Stripers are hitting early or late in the day on the lower end below Wani Village . The stripers have been 20 to 25 feet deep. Crappie fishing is slow.  

                     

                                                          8/22/2011

                            Now that the summer doldrums have set in the best fishing for bass is at night. Many angler faced with fishing at night are a bit confused about how the bass will respond to certain lures and what type presentations they will react too. In order to understand how the fish feed at night we humans need to stop judging everything according to our own sensory ability.
                              Bass have excellent night vision.  Nature has equipped the bass with the correct light gathering rods to enable them to see much better at night than humans. In fact the ability to see well at night would suggest that nature intends for the fish to feed at night.
                              There are some given facts that will help any angler choose the correct lure color to fish at night. On very dark nights a darker lure should be selected. During low light times the rods in the fish’s eyes adjust in a way that retards color reception.  The light gathering capabilities of the fish are increased while its color-sensing capabilities are reduced. On a very dark night when there is no moon present solid black will stand out better than any other color. On a night that is very bright with a full moon and very clear water, colors such as red, purple or dark blue may be more effective.
                              Learn to perceive how things appear from the same perspective as the bass and your night fishing will improve. Nature has evolved the bass to survive by a total different standard than what humans live by.

 

Norris                  The surface temperature is 82 to 84 at daylight warming to 88 in the afternoon. The water is clear on the channel with some creeks having a slight green stain. The lake is falling which is creating a good bit of current in the river channels. Bass fishing is good. Smallmouth are hitting off shore 25 to 35 feet deep. Look for the fish along humps or long points. Smallmouth are hitting spinnerbaits up stream near Lone Mountain . Largemouth are hitting in creeks on the lower end. The largemouth are hitting 10 to 20 feet deep around wood cover. Crappie fishing is fair at night under the lantern light. The best bite is coming after 2 am around 20 to 25 feet deep. Walleye fishing slowed since last week but a few are still hitting spinner worm rigs trolled at 30 feet. Striper fishing is best from Anderson County Park down to the dam. Bluegills are hitting crickets or worms 15 to 25 feet deep.  

Loudon Tellico                     The lake is fluctuating daily, The water temperature in the afternoon is as high as 90. Loudon has a slight stain while Tellico is clear in most locations. The best fishing is at night. Bass at Tellico are hitting spinnerbaits slow rolled along main channel points while Loudon bass are hitting Texas rigs or jigs. The hot night color has been purple and black. Crappie fishing is slow. Some crappie are hitting on the upper end of Tellico in the timber suspended around 20 feet. Walleye fishing has been slow. Striper fishing is good in the upper end of Tellico and below the dam.  

Melton Hill                   The lake is clear and steady. The water temperature is 82 in the morning warming to 86 in the afternoon. The hot story here continues to be the white bass. The fish are hitting over much of the lake in the jumps each morning and some afternoons. Some of the breaking fish have been largemouth. Casting Rooster Tails, Little Cleo’s or white jigs to the breaking fish is a sure way to catch them. Bass fishing is fair. The best fishing is in the afternoons when TVA is generating power. Bass are hitting along main channel points or humps 10 to 20 feet deep. Crappie fishing is slow. A few musky have started to show up below the reactor. There was one report of a 50 inch musky that was caught and released. A few yellow Perch are hitting in the creek bays. Look for the perch to be on the bottom at 20 feet.    

                                                              8/16/2011

                                                        Hunting and Fishing

 

 

 

 Dove season opens in Tennessee September 1 and the first segment last until September 15. There is not any news from the TWRA fields at this time. Please remember that you must have a $2.00 migratory bird stamp in order to harvest doves in Tennessee ,

Squirrel season opens August 27. The limit is once again 10 per day.        

  Norris                  The lake is falling .The water is clear in the channel with some creeks have stained water. Surface temperatures range from 85 degrees in the morning to as warm as 90 in the late afternoons. Bass fishing is fair. Largemouth and spotted bass are hitting early in the mornings in the creeks. Look for the fish around rock out cropping or wood cover. Finesse worms rigged shaky head style or rigged on a small jig are best. Smallmouths are hitting Late at night or very early after daylight. Look for the smallies to be 25 to 35 feet deep on current swept points or the down side of humps. Crappie fishing is good at night on the upper end of both rivers. The crappie are hitting best after midnight around 25 feet deep. Walleye fishing has been fair. The best method has been trolling spinner and worm rigs 25 to 30 feet deep. Striper fishing has been spotty. The best areas have been below Anderson County Park to the Dam. Bluegills are hitting on gravel banks.

Melton Hill.                              The water level is stable with a slight green stain. The surface temperature is 83 degrees. The best action here is for white bass. Look for the white bass to be in the jumps near the reactor or near the dam. The fish are breaking early in the mornings until the sun gets bright on the water. Bass fishing for both largemouth and smallmouth is fair. Bass are hitting drop shot rigs or shaky head worms. Look for the fish on main channel points 8 to 15 feet deep. When TVA is pulling water try a crankbait on off shore humps.  Crappie fishing is slow. The few fish that are showing up are coming from off shore brush 20 to 25 feet deep. Musky fishing is slow.  

Loudon Tellico                        The lake level is steady wit6h surface temperatures raging form 87 at daylight to as high as 92 in the late afternoon. The lake has a green stain over most all areas. The best bass fishing on both lakes has been at night or just after daylight. Bass are hitting Texas rigged power worms or pig and jigs at night. Look for the bass to be 10 to 20 feet deep. At daylight some fish are pulling up and hitting buzz baits or PopRs. Crappie fishing is very slow. A few are showing up in the 20 to 25 foot depth range. Walleye fishing has been slow. Below the dam Striper fishing has been good when water is discharged.

                                                                   8/07/2011

 

                                           

 

 

Last week I decided to take my son, Josh and fish Melton Hill Lake . He and I fished Melton Hill a good bit in years past but more recently have spent our time at Norris chasing smallmouth.

Melton Hill is a small river run lake located between Knoxville and Oak Ridge . It gets very little fishing pressure which amazes me. It has always proved to be a very productive lake for me, especially in the late summer, fall and winter.

We launched at Clark Center around 6:30 AM. The water was 83 degrees, clear and the sky was overcast. The plan was to fish for largemouth along main lake points on the lower end of the lake. Melton Hill can be extremely productive when they are discharging water. The fish in the lake seem to just wait for the current created by the discharge and then start to feed.

We motored down near the area known as the Reactor Bend. My son wanted to cast top water lures to shoreline brush so I went along with his plan. This proved to be non-productive but put us in a position to do something totally new to my son. The white bass were surface feeding in open water and we were in great position to catch a few.

Josh looked in astonishment and asks what is that. I was already pulling Rooster Tails from the bait well, “here grab a spinning rod and tie this on” I said as the excitement grew. We caught a good number of the white bass releasing most and keeping a few for supper. Later that day Josh asked why they came to the surface and acted the way they did. To capture their prey and feed I replied.

White bass which were known as stripes before the rockfish arrived in East Tennessee were very abundant in all our area lakes for many years . In recent years they seem to have disappeared in some lakes but are very abundant in others. Melton Hill, Douglas and Loudon seem to be the lakes with the biggest number of white bass. These fish are very aggressive and most easily caught in the mid to late summer when they surface feed on shad.

Later as we went home my son asked me to explain more about white bass and how I knew what they were and what to do. I explained that as a young boy growing up on Cherokee Lake that the white bass would feed like that almost every morning and every evening all summer long. I had learned how to locate the white bass and what to do to catch them from my father. I told him about a time when we caught over 100 white bass in one morning casting hammered spoons. We spent countless hours scanning the surface area of the lake each morning and each evening waiting for the surface schooling stripes to appear. The stripes would find the schools of shad and chase them to the surface. Once they had them cornered they would explode on the shad eating as many as they could in a feeding frenzy.

We drove along quietly for a while and I could see the wheels of his mind turning. “
Will they do that again tomorrow” Josh asked “more than likely” I replied and we made plans to return the next morning.

                                                                               

                                                                             

                                                           7/24/11

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has started a new walleye stocking program at Watts Barr. Recently 220,000 walleye fingerlings were released into Watts Barr.  This program was started after much biological fore thought and consideration according to Mike Jolly of the TWRA fisheries management division. The TWRA currently stocks several reservoirs’ with walleye.  

The TWRA decided to stock Walleye instead of Sauger due to the low spawning recruitment of Sauger. Walleye and Sauger have similar characteristics and are closely related. The Walleye tend to grow faster and larger. Both species are most active at night and migrate up stream to spawn.  

Watts Bar already has a population of walleye. It is known more for its winter Sauger fishing. In recent years the Sauger population has declined prompting this move by the TWRA . Walleye on average offer more opportunity for success in a stocking program. The Walleye live longer and grow larger than the Sauger. The brood fish are less challenging to obtain and require less man hours.

Fishing for the two species is very similar. One difference I have found over the years is that Sauger are most usually bottom feeders while Walleye will feed 2 or 3 feet off the bottom. Both species like bright colors and are easiest to located during the late winter when the make there spawning run. The Walleye is prized for its table fare.  

The TWRA will continue to closely monitor the program. This will be accomplished by gill netting creel surveys and electro fishing. The TWRA will be compiling records on the over-all health of the species, the projected numbers of Walleye in the lake and for evidence of successful spawning.

 The state record Walleye is 25 pounds. This big Walleye was caught in 1960 at Old Hickory Lake by Mabry Harper. The state record Sauger is 7 lbs 6 oz caught at Kentucky Lake by Rayford Voss in 1973. There is a natural occurring hybrid called a Saugeye which was discovered some years ago in the Tennessee River . The state record Saugeye is 10lbs 12 oz caught at Melton Hill Lake in 1998 by Chris Vittitoe. 

                                                                      7/17/2011

 

 

          The No Fishing Zone at Cherokee will continue on July 15 and remain in effect until September 15. Recent studies have shown that the off limits area is still need to protect the Striped Bass at Cherokee.          

The TWRA enacted the No Fishing Zone several years ago in order to protect the Stripers that congregate just above the dam during the summer of 2001. The area encompasses 1100 surface acres just above the dam outflow.       

   The TVA started using an oxygen diffuser system in the mid 1990’s in order to improve the dissolved oxygen below the dam during the summer. This serves as a huge attractant to the stripers. By 200 enough anglers had discovered the area that fisherman were catch and releasing huge numbers of the stocked ocean species of fish. Many would die after release; the law was enacted to protect the fish.  

         I often hear many angers that say the TWRA does not enforce the laws we have. This may seem to be true but may not be the facts. The TWRA has very limited resources. The agency does a remarkable job with the number of employees and the amount of dollars it operates with.

        During the July 4th holiday the TWRA made 31 BUI arrest and issued 16 reckless operation citations. There were no reported boating fatalities state wide during the holiday. In 2010 there was one boating related fatality during the same holiday period which is measure from July 1^st until July 4^th. So far during the 2011 year there have been 13 boating related fatalities, with 31 serious injuries.  TWRA officers have made 81 BUI arrests this year.

 

          Night fishing is in full swing now that summer temperatures and boating traffic are at peak season levels. The bass in all of the area lakes are a little deep than at most other times. The smallmouths at Norris are hitting off shore as deep at 40 feet while 20 feet seems to be the magic depth for largemouth. Cherokee has had some fish hitting very shallow while the Douglas bass are 15 to 20 feet deep during the day. Crappie fishing is good under the lights at Cherokee and Douglas. The crappies are hitting after midnight 25 or so feet deep on river channel drops. Catfish are hitting on all our local lakes and the striper bite below Loudon has started to heat up when TVA is generating power.

          Summer can still be a great time to catch a few fish if you adjust your depth and locations. Look for the bigger fish or all species to be a little deeper and closer to even deeper water.

                                                                         7/10/ 2011

t is amazing how resilient wildlife can be. Recently a black bear survived three weeks of what had to be pure torment with a food container securely lodged over its head.

On June 28^th wildlife officers were notified that the bear was sighted near a water plant by Newport Utilities employees. Witnesses had concluded that the bear had gotten the food container over its head while attempting to raid a garbage container.

Officer Shelly Hammonds responded to the call. The bear had left the area by the time she arrived at the location it was sighted. This scenario was repeated for several weeks with reports coming in from a wide area. Over 50 people called in and reported seeing the bear and about its dilemma.

Finally on July 16^th the bear was sighted at Carson Springs. This meant the bear had crossed over English Mountain or had gone completely around it. The bear had now survived three weeks with no food or water and traveled as far as 50 miles.

The next day the bear was once again sighted near Newport . Officer Hammonds once again headed out to try to track the bear down. She was determined to save this bear that had so miraculously survived under such stressful conditions. On her way to the sighting the bear crossed the road in front of her truck.  Hammonds was able to successfully dart the bear that had eluded several attempts at capturing it.

The bear eventually laid down in a parking lot in Newport . Hammonds who is also a registered nurse sprang into action. Fearful that the bear might in its dehydrated state could die from the tranquilizer.  Hammonds and another nurse that happened to be at that location administered intravenous drugs at the sight.

The bear had not eaten for three weeks, was breathing its own breath and the only way it could have possible drank was by lowering its head under water to catch water in the jug. It was truly amazing that the bear had survived such an ordeal. 

The bear did survive and after a period of recovery was released into the Cherokee National Forest .

The TWRA expresses that it is not just the garbage that kills bears but the habits of the landowners. Pet Food and Garbage must be contained indoors and birds do not need feeders during the summer when other natural foods are available. Wildlife officers believe that part of last years drop in the bear harvest was due to bears moving into other areas in search of food.

Tennessee residents should be prepared to see bears in areas where they are not normally found as the animals learn to co-exist with humans. The TWRA also urges residents to recycle or destroy containers such as the one that this bear was stuck

                                                                   6/1/2010

 

The week of June 6^th there will be a lot of outdoor activities for everyone in Tennessee . Free fishing week for kids starts on the 6^th and will continue until the 12^th. On June 12 it is free fishing day for everyone.

Also during the week the TWRA will host seminars in Crossville for the Becoming and Outdoor Women program. The dates are June 11,12th and June 13th. The program and registration start at 1:00 on Friday. The programs are at 7:30 on Saturday until 5:00 and Sunday 7:30 until 12:00.

Instructional classes will be offered in various levels of fishing, hunting, firearms use, ATV use and camping. There is a fee of $175.00 for the three day event. You can download a registration form on the TWRA website.

On the 12^th there are lots of free activities for the kids statewide. Locally there are many groups that are sponsoring free fishing rodeos.

In Alcoa there will be the DUCK POND FISHING DERBY. It will be held from 8:00 AM until 11:00 AM at the Alcoa duck pond. The event is sponsored by the Alcoa Parks and Recreation. This event is for children age 2 to 12. The children must be accompanied by an adult.

For Clinton residents there will a fishing event at the Eagle Bend Fish Hatchery in Clinton on highway 61.This is on June 12^th between the hours of 8:00AM and 1:00PM. It is sponsored by the TWRA. The age group is 3 to 15 and the child must be accompanied by an adult. The TWRA ask that you bring your own fishing tackle but a limited amount of loaner tackle will be available.

Kids in Lenoir City are invited to attend the Kids Fishing Rodeo at the Lenoir City Park between the hours of 9:00AM and 1:00PM.

Norris will host a kids fishing event at the Miller Island access point. This event which is sponsored by the Clinch River Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM for age groups 2 to 17. Again the child must be accompanied by an adult.

 

Norris                    The lake is clear and the surface temperature is approaching 80 degrees. Bass fishing is good. Smallmouth are hitting Zara Spooks or Pop R’s early in the morning along main channel gradual sloping rock banks. After the sun gets bright they are moving to deeper water on the drops or humps 15 to 20 feet deep. Small jigs or drop shots rigs are catching them from deeper water. Largemouths are still spawning and are hitting in the creeks. Look for the largemouth 10 to 15 feet deep. Largemouth are hitting Texas rigged worms or jigs. Striped Bass are hitting early in the morning from Hickory Star to Loyston. Walleye fishing is good at night. Some anglers are catching them under the lights and other cranking Red Fins. Th3 best areas have been from Lost Creek to Crooked Creek on the Clinch or from Point 9 to Point 11 on the Powell.

 

Cherokee                The lake is slowly rising and 82 degrees. Bass fishing is good both day and night. Bass are hitting 10 to 20 feet deep during the day but at night and very early in the morning they bit is very close to the shore line. Early in the day cats flukes or prop baits to the main channel points later in the morning try a Carolina rig or Texas rig. The night bit has been good on spinnerbaits . Crappie fishing has slowed. Hybrids are hitting below German Creek gap all the way down to the dam. Look for the fish at the surface early morning dropping back to 20 feet by mid morning.

 

 

Douglas               No report

 

Loudon Tellico                      The lake is stained at Loudon and the upper end of Tellico is clear. The surface temperature is 82. Bass fishing remains good both day and night but is edging towards night fishing. Bass are hitting crankbaits and spinnerbaits during the day. Cast the baits shallow across the points. The night bite is best for the bigger bass. Cranking jerk baits or spinner baits down the sides of the main lake points is best. Crappie fishing has slowed. Crappie are hitting in submerged brush 10 to 15 feet deep at Tellico. Walleye fishing is good at Tellico at night. The best area is above the bridge. Trolling or casting at night has been productive.  

 

Melton Hill                    The lake is clear and 80 degrees. Bass fishing is good early in the morning and at night. Bass are hitting spinerbaits and crankbaits better than plastic baits during the day. The night bit is hot on spinnerbaits. Crappie fishing is slow. Some Stripers are still hitting near the Steam Plant. Musky fishing is slow.

 

 

 

                                                                          

                                                                     

 

 

 

                                                                                 5/11/2010

         

               If you examine the habits and movements of bass you soon find that a bass in New York is the same animal as a bass in Florida   Bass will exhibit the same instinctive traits regardless of their geographic location,  

                I was reminded of this recently. The weather of two weeks ago caused a very rapid rise in the lake levels in our area. There were many areas flooded that had grown up with vegetation of all types. Grass and weeds are not something that the bass in our area see much of but as soon as the opportunity presents itself the bass will go to the weed beds like they were used to seeing that type cover every day.  

                Norris is a good example. Bass at Norris only see grass when the lake is very high. Sunday afternoon my son and I decided to try the late afternoon bite at Norris. The weather had been cool and the water temperature had dropped. We started out on a bluff bank in a creek and after fishing 100 yards of bank we had not caught anything. It was starting to look like the cold front had put them down.  

                I started analyzing the situation trying to decide where to try. I remembered a field that flooded way back off the usual bank when the water was so high. Bass will most always follow the rising water and they love weeds. So I motored to the location.  

                 I started out with a willow leaf spinnerbait and my son with a No 7 original Rapala minnow. We had not gone far or made many cast when I heard him set the hook. In just a moment and spunky largemouth was in the boat. A few cast later he repeated with another fat largemouth. He was slow cranking the floating minnow just enough to make it tick the tops or the weeds.    

              I changed lures and started to replicate his retrieve. In a short period I also was catching nice black bass. We fished until right before dark catching numerous largemouths plus one very big crappie and a smallmouth. All the fish hit in the weeds where the water was three or four feet deep. Those bass just like their counterparts in the weed rich lakes of the deep south had instinctively gone straight to the weeds.  

        

 

Norris                            The lake is at full pool and ranges from very clear to stained. The surface temp in Loyston is 68 degrees in the late afternoon. Early in the morning and on overcast days the smallmouth are hitting topwater baits cast to the rocky gradual sloping points. Once the sun gets hard on the water this bite is over for the day. Largemouth are hitting in the grass lines or flooded areas where the weeds are 3 to 5 feet deep. Small crankbaits , topwater baits or Senkos are all working. Walleye fishing is good. During the day troll in 15 to 20 feet of water just off the trees that are in the water. The night bite is good with deep diving Rogues or thundersticks. A slow continuous retrieve has been the key at night. Crappie are hitting around willow trees 5 to 10 feet deep depending on the water color and time of day. Stripers are hitting near Loyston 20 to 25 feet deep.

Cherokee                          The lake is full and stained to muddy in most locations. The surface temperature in the mornings has been as low as 64. Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting floating worms rigged wacky style along with spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and crankbaits. Wind swept points have been great locations The best bite seems to be below Cave Springs. Crappie fishing is air to good. Crappie are hitting around trees and bushes near deep water. Hybrids are hitting below Wani Village to the Dam.

 

Douglas                                    The lake is full and falling. The water is muddy to stained in most locations. The surface temperature is 69 degrees. The bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting floating jerkbaits like the Rapala or Rebel along weed lined banks 1 to 3 feet deep. Pop Rs are also working. The night bite has started to come on and bass are hitting a short armed spinnerbait at night. Crappie fishing is fair to good. The rising water seems to have displaced the fish a little but trolling small crankbaits is still produceing.White bass fishing has slowed.

 

Loudon Tellico                           The creeks at Loudon are muddy and the lake is stained. Tellico is stained also. Both lakes are very high. The surface temp is 70 degrees. Bass fishing is good on Loudon. Bass are hitting plastics fished in 8 to 10 feet of water. Crappie fishing is good at Tellico. Crappie are hitting jigs around brush. The best fishing is below The bridge. Look for the crappie with black sparkle tubes or white jigs tipped with a minnow.

 

Melton Hill                           The lake is at Full pool and muddy on the upper end with the lake clearing as you god down stream. Bass fishing is fair . Bass are hitting Texas rigged lizards or Craws fished around the ends of lay down trees.  Crappie fishing has been slow. Some crappie are hitting green flies tipped with a minnow around tree tops. Striper fishing is slow. Yellow Perch are hitting minnows fished on the bottom 15 feet deep.

                                                                     5/4/2010

 

Last year the TWRA proposed a PLR or slot limit for smallmouth bass at Norris. The TWRC voted in the PLR which had been recommended by both the states biologist and the Norris Lake Advisory Commission.

This would seem like a simple law change. The idea is to create a world class trophy smallmouth fishery on a lake that was already full of very big smallmouth.

I believe this bold move by the commissions will insure the health and welfare of Norris Lake for years to come. Not all fishermen agreed.

Local anglers that fish and live around Norris Lake were pulled into a controversial debate about the slot limit. One group steadfastly for the PLR, the other staunchly against the PLR. Most of the fishermen against the slot were tournament fishermen who had been faring well catching limits of big smallmouth at Norris. This group argued that the PLR would ruin the local economy, and that the TWRA was anti tournament fishing. The TWRC stood strong in their decision as the law went into effect.

This last week I took the time to talk with several local tournament fishermen from both Union and Campbell Counties about how the slot had changed their sport. What they now had to say about the slot will surprise many.

 The common consensus is that he PLR has indeed changed the whole complexion of tournament fishing at Norris in a good way. The tournaments at Norris had become dominated by a few very good smallmouth fishermen who had discovered the secret to consistently catching really big smallmouth from very deep water. These small groups of anglers were winning the majority of the tournaments and the majority of the money in those tournaments. This is the group that was and is against the slot.

Suddenly it has come to surface that the slot not only protects the resource but has created a more level playing field for the tournament crowd. One angler from Jacksboro said” The slot has totally changed the way everyone fishes tournaments. Now those few that have dominated are having to fish for the largemouth and anyone has a chance to win”

 The winning weight for the Union County Rescue Squad tournament last week end was over 19 lbs. No it was not a five fish bag of giant smallmouth. It was a giant bag of largemouth with an average weight of over four pounds.

 So exactly how has the slot on smallmouth ruined Norris lake tournament fishing? I can find no negative aspect to the slot. Those that want to tournament fish are still doing so and the smallmouth are still getting bigger.    

Norris                           The lake is 68 degrees and stained in most locations. Last week ends rain has brought the lake up very fast. Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting a variety of baits. Early in the day a Zara Spook or a spinnerbait has been very productive. One tip is if you find muddy water try a red crankbait or spinnerbait. Crappie fishing is fair to good in Lost Creek and Davis creek. The stained water has brought the fish a little shallower. Crappie are hitting 5 to 10 feet deep. Green or blue jigs tipped with a minnow have been best. Walleye fishing is starting to get good at night. Deep diving rogues or thunder sticks cranked slowly on clay banks have been good.  Striper fishing has slowed.  

Cherokee                The lake is rising and stained in all locations. The surface temp is 69 at daylight warming to 73 by mid afternoon. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting topwater baits early. Once the sun gets up change top a spinnerbait or senko .Crappie fishing is fair to good. The rising water seems to have scattered the fish but they should regroup and start hitting well soon. The best baits have been plain minnow’s fish around brush or trees. Hybrids are hitting from Wani Village to the dam. Most of the fish are hitting large crankbaits trolled at 20 feet.  

 

Douglas                                         The lake is rising and stained to muddy in many locations. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits or rattle traps in the creeks. This may be the best Douglas bass fishing in two years. Look for the bass to be half way back in the pockets around some type wood cover. Crappie fishing is good. Crappie are hitting small crankbaits or fly’s trolled in the main part of the bigger creeks. White bass fishing has slowed. Sauger fishing is slow.  

 

Loudon Tellico                              The lake is over full and muddy to stained. The surface temp is 71 at daylight warming to 75. Bass fishing is fair. Bass are hitting topwater early. After the sun gets up try a crankbaits or throw Texas rigged bait on the docks. The sudden rise in water seems to have put the fish off there bite but they will usually follow the rising water. Crappie fishing is fair. Both Turkey Creek and Sinking Creek have been good areas. Look for the crappie 3 to 5 feet deep around wood cover. White bass fishing has slowed.

 

Melton Hill                  No Report                                                                        

                                                        

                                                            

 

                                                                  8/4/2009

 

When Jerry Uhrine of Thompson Station Tenn. drove down to Chattanooga for a day of fishing with Richard Simms of Scenic City Fishing Charters he expected to have good day fishing. What he didn’t expect was to catch a line class world record Blue Cat.

Jerry was fishing with outdoor writer and guide Richard Simms and pals Ted Boozer and Gary Hatchcock below the dam at Chickamauga. The trio had caught several nice catfish that day. When the giant catfish hit Jerry had no idea it was so large. They were fishing a shallow section of the river and Jerry was using a light rod with 10 pound test line baited with a piece of chicken breast.

Initially he thought he had another 10 lbder but when the fish started to run and just kept on running he knew he had the real deal. The fish put up quit a battle which took all the skill at both rod handling and boat maneuvering that the group could muster. Jerry is an experienced finesse fisherman so he knew exactly when and how much pressure to put on the fish. It took between 45 minuets and 1 hour to land the fish.

The catfish was 52 inches long and weighed 75 pounds on a digital scale. The group released the fish alive after all the proper documentation and witnesses. It was a couple of days later when someone suggested checking for a line class record on this fish. Not only was it big enough but exceeded the previous record by a great deal and was only 5 inches short of the all time record which is 57 inches long.

Simms who does not carry a net in his boat said he has had numerous clients catch 30. 40 and 50 pound catfish on 8 or 10 pound test but this fish was a real surprise. When the fish surfaced and the group saw how large it was Simms was afraid that the battle would end in a broken line and broken heart. Uhrine played the fish perfectly.

 

 

 

Norris                   The surface temp is 84 and the lake is clear in most locations. Bass fishing has become an early morning or night pass time. Bass are hitting deep early in the night and moving shallow as the night progresses. Largemouth are hitting 10 inch power worms 15 to 20 feet deep smallmouth are hitting jigs or spinnerbaits 25 to 30 feet deep around 4 in the morning the fish are starting to move shallow on the points from then until the sun gets on the water look for the largemouth with buzz baits. The smallmouth are staying in open water and chasing shad on the surface after daylight. Stripers are hitting best on the lower end. Look for the stripers from 25 to 30 feet deep. The best bite is early in the morning. Crappie fishing has been slow during the day and no one is fishing for them at night. Walleye fishing is slow.

 

Cherokee                  The lake is 82 degrees. There has been little information coming from Cherokee. The main word has been that the bass bite is slow. Bass fishing has been real hit or miss both day and night. The better fish seem to have moved deep and have been hard to locate. Look for bass along main channel points in the outside bends of the river channel. Stripers are hitting form 30 to 40 feet deep. The best bite has been on the lower end near the no fish zone. Straight lining with real big shad has been good but the size has been running around 5 pounds. Crappie fish is slow. The bite below the dam for trout and smallmouth has been good when TVA is making water.

Douglas           Bass fishing is fair to good. The good is at night. Bass are hitting in the creeks along secondary points 15 to 20 feet deep. The best bait has been the typical Douglas Texas rigs in red colors. Crappie fishing is fair to good at night. The fish seem to be hitting best late in the night around 30 feet deep. Plain minnows have been best. White Bass fishing is slow.

 

 

Loudon Tellico                                    The surface temperature is 84 degrees and stained at Loudon clear on the upper end of Tellico. The bass fishing at Loudon is good. Bass are hitting buzzbaits or small topwater baits early in the morning. The night bite is best with bass hitting spinnerbaits or jigs 20 to 30 feet deep until the early morning. Bass fishing at Tellico is a littlie harder during the daylight. The night bit is great when TVA is pulling current. Look for the bass along main channel points. Bass are hitting red and purple spinnerbaits with pork no 11 uncle josh attached. Crappie fishing is good at night and at daylight. During the night the crappie are hitting as shallow as 6 feet but as the sun gets up are moving as deep as 25. Crappie are hitting plain minnows or 2 inch grubs. Whiter bass fishing is good.  At Loudon. White bass are best from Salt Peter Bluff to Poland Creek. The white bass have been chasing shad in shallow water. Stripers are hitting below the dam early in the morning when water is discharged.

 

Melton Hill                               No report.

 

                                                              7/14/2009

 

 

                Summer weather is now upon us. Hot temperatures and rising water temperatures not only have an effect on us but also on the fish we catch. Summer water temperatures delete oxygen from the water and add to the stress suffered by fish that you may catch and place in your live well.

                   Studies have taught us that during the summer up to 50 percent of the fish we release perish within three days after being set free. If you do not have a reason to place the fish in the live well, release the fish as soon as you catch it. Keeping the fish out of the water the least amount of time possible will greatly increase its survival.

                   If you must place the fish in a live well with the intention of later releasing them take time and pay close attention to their care. Follow these easy steps and do your part to preserve the species.

            1) Make sure that your live well is well ventilated and that your aerator is working properly.
            2) Close off your live well when moving from place to place so the water remains in the live well.
            3) Make use of products such as catch and release or add ice to reduce the water temperature in the live well.
             4) Avoid touching the fishes body. When handled the protective slim the fish is coated with, is removed. During the summer infections are more likely to attack the fish and this coating is a natural guard against infection. Try to always handle the fish in the mouth area
           .5) Never present a fish for weighing in a tournament without placing it in a weigh in bag full of water, a fish cannot hold its breath out of the water any longer than you can under water.
          . 6) Return the fish to the lake as soon as possible. We must all do our part to preserve the resource.

 

            Delayed mortality is the unseen killer of many fish. Proper treatment and handling can reduce this mortality up to 90 percent. Taking the time to learn these rules will mean better fishing for all of us. Keeping a few for a fish fry is fine just take what you need and save the rest.

 

 

Norris                         The lake is falling and 85 degrees. Much of the lake is clear with the exception of mud lines where boat wakes have stirred the bank. Bass fishing is good. Smallmouth are hitting on humps or main channel points 25 to 35 feet deep. Jigging spoons, drop shot rigs or power jigs have all caught some quality smallmouth. Largemouth are hitting shallow in the early morning or at night and 10 to 15 feet during the day. Texas rigged plastic bats fished in brush have been the top producers. Early in the morning some topwater action has been available or casting spinnerbaits to weed lines has also been productive. Walleye fishing has improved both at night under the lights or during the day trolling. Most of the walleye have been 25 feet deep. Crappie fishing is fair for night fishermen under the lights. Stripers are hitting shad 20 to 25 feet deep.

 

 

Cherokee                    The lake is 84 degrees and steady. Some creeks have stained water. The night bite is good for largemouth. Largemouth are hitting Texas rigged plastic worms around main channel banks 10 to 15 feet at night. The best fishing seems to be after mid night. Early in the morning there has been a little action on top with Rico’s or Pop R’s. Crappie fishing is slow. Stripers are hitting above the bridge on the surface late in the evening.

 

Douglas                         The lake is 86 and falling. Bass fishing is good at night. The bite is best either before midnight or after 3:30 AM. Texas rigged worms have been the bait of choice. White bass are schooling above Swans. Crappie fishing has been slow. Some crappie are hitting under the lights at the 25 feet depth range. The best crappie bite seems to start around midnight.

 

 

Loudon Tellico                                         The lake is stained and 86 degrees. Bass fishing is fair at night slow during the day. Bass are hitting jigs or Texas rigs along main channel rock points. White bass are schooling over a wide area of the lake. Look for the surface action just after daylight or just before dark. Crappie fishing is good at daylight or at night under the lights. Small white grubs fished 6 to 8 feet deep along docks on the main channel have been good at daylight. During the night fishing under the lights has been good. Crappie fishing at Tellico has been good. Crappie are hitting at night 20 to 25 feet deep along the drops of the main river channel.

 

Melton Hill                       No Report

 

                                                              7/4/2009

 

Recently, I was watching an old tape of Tony Bean catching smallmouth at Center Hill. Many of you may recognize Toney’s name from the notoriety he has gained for being a smallmouth bass guru.

         Tony was fishing off shore and catching smallmouth from deep brush on a lure he promotes called a craw tube. He was trying to explain the difference between smallmouth bass fisherman and largemouth bass fisherman. He made what would sound like a joke that was really a profound statement. Tony said to a largemouth fisherman the bank was everything but to a smallmouth fisherman it was just something to keep the water from running out of the lake.

         I believe this statement holds more wisdom for all bass fishermen than many would believe. Once the bass have spawned they will leave the creeks for the most part until the mid to late fall. The bass will relocate along main channel humps, drops or points. They will also except for very short periods of time occupy deeper water. In most cases by deeper I mean 15 to 25 feet.

         During the summer you frequently see boats going down a bank casting to visible structure. Some days these fishermen catch some good fish but more often than not they catch small aggressive juvenile bass. This is because most of the fish are either under their boat or behind it in deeper water.

          In late spring or early summer when your shallow water bite begins to slack off try positioning your boat further off the shore. Cover more and deeper water with each cast. Pay close attention to how far off the bank the fish are when you get bit and adjust your fishing depth accordingly. Learn to use your electronics and believe what they show you. This may be hard to do at first. Old habits are hard to break, but you will be rewarded with more and bigger bass.  

 

                                                               6/16/2009   

 

 

      Last week while fishing at Melton Hill I had another fisherman act as rude and inconsiderate as I have ever seen. While fishing a point that I had been fishing for over an hour he motored his boat on plane so close to me that I could have underhand pitched a worm weight into his boat. He had seen me there the first time he passed and he came by me from a great distance with an unobstructed view. There was no reason for such behavior.

       The forth of July is just around the corner. That is always a very festive time on the area lakes and also a very dangerous time. Boat traffic is at a peak and so is alcohol consumption. Taking all this into consideration may mean it is time to take steps to ensure your safety on the water.

        During the past week there were two boating accidents in East Tennessee . Both involved alcohol. One man was killed on Boone Lake . On Norris a lady was air lifted with head injuries after the boat she was riding in was struck by another boat

        The truth is that alcohol and water do not mix. Things can happen much faster on the water than they do on dry ground. The best policy is don’t drink and operate a water craft of any kind.

          Make this Independence Day an accident free one. If you drink in the boat then have a designated driver .Wear proper floatation devises anytime the boat is under power. Protect yourself from other boaters. Observe all safety laws. They were made for a reason.  

Norris                          The lake is in the trees and rising. The surface temperatures are in the low 80’s in the afternoon. Bass fishing is fair to good. Largemouth are hitting from the surface to 15 feet. Early they may be as shallow as 3 or 4 feet but by mid day they will be between 10 and 15 feet deep. Smallmouth are hitting 15 to 25 feet deep. There has been a few busting minnows in open water. Carolina rigs, weighed flukes or drop shot rigs have all produced. Crappie fishing is fair at night under the lights. Look for the crappie to be 20 to 25 feet deep and hit best after 2 AM. Stripers are hitting in the 20 foot deep range. The best bite has been early in the day. Shad or shiners drifted in the schools of fish are best. Walleye fishing is slow. Some walleye are hitting at night under the lights. Shellcrakeres and bluegill are hitting in Loyston and Poor Land .

 

Cherokee                                  The lake is at full pool and rising. The lake has a slight stain. The best fishing is at night. Bass are hitting drop style spinnerbaits along main channel points 10 to 15 feet deep If you catch a good fish stay put. The fish are schooling up. During the day the same locations are producing but a little deeper. Look for the fish with a Carolina rig 15 to 20 feet deep. Crappie fishing has been slow. Stripers and Hybrids are hitting late in the afternoon 25 feet deep. The best sections have been on the lower end. Catfish are hitting along the steep rock banks

 

Douglas .                                 The bass fishing at Douglas is fair to good. The late afternoon bite and night bite has been best. Look for the bass with Texas rigged worms 15 to 20 feet deep. Red Shad or Tequila Sunrise power worms have been hot baits. Early in the morning there have been some white bass breaking near McGuire Creek. Crappie fishing has been very slow during the day. The night bite under the lanterns has been much better. Look for the crappie to be 20 to 30 feet deep.

 

Loudon Tellico                                    The lake has stained color at Loudon and is clear on the upper end of Tellico. Bass fishing is good in the river sections of both lakes. Bass are hitting Texas rigs or deep running crankbaits. The night bite is good on drop style spinnerbaits. The bigger fish have come from the main channel but big fish continue to be hard to find. Walleye fishing is good at night on the upper end of Tellico. Jigging spoons or shad have been good out side the lanterns.  Crappie fishing has been slow on Tellico and better on Loudon. Look for the crappie to be 6 to 8 feet deep in the crush at daylight and as deep as 15 feet at mid day.  

Melton Hill                        The lake is at full pool. The main channel has a green tint with 2 feet visibility. The backs of many of the creeks are stained. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits, crankbaits Carolina Rigs or drop shot rigs. The fish are from 2 to 15 feet deep. The bite is more active when there is current in the lake but the fish seem to be hitting in any case.                                                                      

 

                                                               5/26/2009                          

 

 

          Last week I was able to get out on my locally favorite lake. In case you didn’t know that is Norris. Norris has a great smallmouth population and I am a smallmouth addict.

          I suspected that the post spawn smallmouth top water bite was in high gear. My fishing diary indicated that it is usually about this time that the mama smallmouth go crazy with a shallow water bite and I could hardly wait.

          I started out with a Zara Super Spook Jr. After an hour of that with out a single strike I decided to slow down and re-evaluate the situation. I could see where the water had been very far back into the woods but was now out to normal summer pool.

          Norris had come up real fast causing the TVA to open the flood gates. This had created a rapid draw down dropping the lake about 4 feet in a few days. Bass will most usually follow the rising water and they do the same on the falling water. I decided that I was going to have to move off the bank to find the fish.

            I rigged a drop shot rig hoping to finesse some smallmouth into hitting. If you have never fished a drop shot you would be surprised how easy it is to use. Just tie your hook up the line 18 to 20 inches then place the weight at the bottom of the line. One note is to tie your hook with a palymar knot with the hook point up. Then run the tag end back through the hook. This make the hook stand out straight from the line.

          I placed a 4 inch Yamamoto Shad worm on the hook and cast into 10 feet of water. Almost instantly the fight was on with a feisty smallmouth. The fish jumped once and then ran under the boat. After a short fight I lifted the fish into the boat, looked at it and released it back into the clear water of Norris Lake .

           Remember bass will always follow the rising or falling water. When the lake drops fast they will usually move to the first drop next to deep water. If the lake drops slowly they will usually move to the deeper end of the structure they are using.

          The rest of the day was pleasant and went all to fast. I caught a good number of smallmouth and one confused walleye. I had other things to attend to in the afternoon so I left around 12:00. I can’t wait to get back.  

Norris         The lake is 73 degrees with stained water in the Loyston area and clear on the lower end. Bass fishing is good. Early a few fish are hitting buzz baits. The real location is 10 to 20 feet during the day and 10 feet at night. Bass are hitting small swim baits. Drop shot rigs, Carolina rigged Senko’s or grubs. The hot colors are smoke, green pumpkin or pumpkin brown. Walleye are hitting in the lake at night. The bite is very erratic with one night great and the next slow. Casting Red Fins or Shad Raps around sycamore trees has been good along with shad cast outside the lights. Crappie fishing is slow.  Stripers are hitting on the lower end early in the morning. Same are hitting shad tight lined and others are hitting lures trolled with down riggers.    

Cherokee                The lake is full and 75 degrees. The early morning g bass bite is hot. The bass are hitting Texas rigs early in the morning in the creeks. Look for secondary points with bait and the fish will be there. Later in the day the bite is good but the size is small. Crappie fishing is slow. Hybrids are hitting on the lower end and at Point 8 to 10. Trolling buck tails or sassy shad has been good early in the morning or just before dark.       

Douglas                  The lake is Full and stained in most locations. The bass bite is hot. Bass are hitting along the weed lines in 6 to 10 feet of water on secondary points. Plastic lizards, worm’s rigged Texas style, shaky style or Carolina style are all working. Most of the fish caught are running 12 to 14 inches with an occasional bigger fish. Crappie fishing is fair. Trolling small plugs or rooster tails ahs been best. Look for the crappie to be 15 to 20 feet deep. White bass are schooling on the lower end of the lake with some surface action early or late in the day. Sauger fishing is slow.    

Loudon Tellico                  The lake is full. Loudon and the low end of Tellico have some stain while the upper end of Tellico is clear. Bass fishing is good on both lakes but size continues top run small over all. A few good fish are showing up. Plastic have been the better baits. The hot colors are green pumpkin or watermelon. Crappie fishing remains good. Early in the morning crappie may be a shallow as 6 or 7 feet and by mid afternoon they may be as deep as 25 feet. Minnows or small grubs have been the best baits. White bass fishing has slowed. Below the dam the striper bite is good.    

Melton Hill                             The lake is at full pool and clear. Bass fishing is good. Look for bass around dead fall trees in 6 to 10 feet of water. The best baits have been plastic lizards or craws rigged Texas style. Some decent size largemouth were caught over the week end. Crappie fishing is fair. Crappie are hitting on the deep end of lay downs 5 to 20 feet deep. Chartreuse or white grubs have been the best baits. Musky fishing is fair to good between the mouth of Bull Run Creek and the Oak Ridge Marina. Striper fishing is slow.

 

                                                               5/5/2009            

                  The bass spawn is underway and soon waves of big post spawn females will start to revisit shallow locations. Once the females which are the bigger of the species spawn they go off into deeper water to rest and recuperate. This rest period is followed by a shallow water feeding period which may be one of the best times of the spring to catch numbers of big bass.

                  Soon after the bass spawn there is another spawn that takes place which may keep the big bass shallow a little longer. It is the shad spawn. Often the shad spawn very soon after the bass spawn. You know the shad are spawning when you start to see several shad follow your spinnerbait back to the boat. This primarily will happen very early in the morning.

                 Shad spawn primarily during low light periods. Much of their spawning activity occurs at night but usually last until the sun gets on the water. With the abundance of shad in shallow water the bass hang around to take advantage of the easy meal the shad provide. 

                  During the shad spawn lures that can be very effective are willow leaf spinnerbaits, top water lures such as the Zara Spook, Pop-R or Rapala Floating Minnow, Shad Rap crankbaits or silver spoons. Try to observe the size of the shad. Often the match the hatch method may help increase your odds in luring a big bass to strike. Many times when casting a spinnerbait I will try to match the blade size to the forage size the bass are feeding on.

                 Paying close attention to the locations the shad are spawning at will also pay off. Remember the shad spawn at night and very early in the morning. Recognizing the locations that are holding the shad and then maximizing your fishing times in those areas can be key to your over all success. 

 

Norris                 The lake is very close to full and clear in most locations. The surface temperature at Loyston is 71. Bass fishing is good for largemouth fair for smallmouth and slow for spotted bass. Bass are hitting around white rock secondary points. Crankbaits have been the hot lure with spinnerbaits close behind. Early there has been some topwater action. Crappie fishing has been good at night for those setting lanterns. Crappie have been as shallow as 10 feet and as deep as 30. Walleye are starting to show up in the lake at night. Shad Raps have been the hot bait along with live shad. Stripers are hitting in the upper river sections.  

 

Cherokee                        The lake is still down 15 feet and is expected to raise a couple of feet over the next few days. The lake is stained to muddy depending on your location. The surface temperature is 75. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting crankbaits, topwater baits or Carolina rigged lizards. Shad colors are best for crankbaits but the plastic color is watermelon with a chartreuse tail. The fish are hitting along secondary rock points. Crappie fishing is fair to good, Crappie have moved into the creeks and are hitting from 4 to 15 feet deep. Early in the morning or on rainy days you will find the best shallow bite. Crappie seem to be keying in on plain minnows best. Hybrids are hitting topwater lure s on the lower end.  

Douglas                             The lake is near full pool and has some slight stain. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting Rattle traps, Buzz baits or spinnerbaits. The single hottest method for bass has been the Carolina rigged lizards in Cherry Seed color. Crappie fishing is good in the major creeks. Crappie are hitting spinners or jigs trolled 15 to 20 feet deep. White bass are hitting over much of the lake.

 

Loudon Tellico                             The water temperature is in the mid 70 and Loudon is muddy while Tellico is stained on the lower end.                    Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting topwater baits, Jigs or crankbaits from the surface to 15 feet. Rocky gravel type points are best. Crappie fishing is good. Early in the day the crappie are as shallow as 6 feet and on bright days as deep as 25. Small grubs or minnows ha e been producing.

 

Melton Hill                          The lake is at full pool and clear. The surface temperature is 74. Bass fishing is the best of the year. Bass are hitting craw colored crankbaits, Green pumpkin lizards or watermelon colored Brush Hogs. Look for the bass along secondary points in less than 10 feet of water. Crappie fishing is good. Crappie are hitting around brush. Early in the morning the fish have been as shallow as 3 feet but by mid day as deep as 30. Plain minnows or green flies tipped with a minnow have been the best baits. Stripers are hitting rattle traps near the Reactor. Musky fishing is fair between the Steam Plant and Bull Run Creek.  

                                                                4/27/2009            

 

 

        Currently there is so much emphasis on the economy and the war in the Middle East that many Americans may not be aware of every thing that is on the congressional agenda. Have you ever heard of the Blair Holt Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009? This is a bill that is currently in congress that would make it illegal to own any rifle or pistol that carries a clip unless 1) you are fingerprinted 2) you supply a current drivers license 3) you supply your Social Security number 4) you agree to submit to a physical and mental evaluation at any time of the governments choosing 5) if you sell the gun through either public or private methods you will be required to report the transaction and pay a $25.00 processing fee. Failure to comply with any of these laws would result in loss of your right to own a firearm and you could receive up to one year in jail.

         This bill titled HR45 also has a provision that states that the firearm must be locked at all times and not accessible to children under the age of 18. This provision goes on to state that the government would have the right to come to your home and inspect that you are keeping the gun inaccessible to children. If it is deemed that you have violated this provision you could be subject to up to five years in prison.

           So far this bill is not gathering a great deal of support and it is unlikely to pass as it is written. We all have learned how laws are negotiated by our legislators and have heard of how deals are made in congress. A bill that limits the right to own firearms is unacceptable and a threat to our Second Amendment Rights and to the rights of the sportsman.

            Check out the HR45 Blair Holt Licensing and Record of Sale Act. It is easy to do by simply going on line and searching HR45. If you are opposed to this law contact your representatives in Congress and let them know how you fell. If you are in favor let them know that also. It is time for Americans to get actively involved with their government and be aware of what is happening. We can be lambs lead to the slaughter by a Judas Goat or we can exercise our right to be free and heard.  

 

Norris                  The water temperature ranges from 59 to 65 and is clear in most locations. The upper sections of both rivers have a good amount of stain in the water. Bass fishing for largemouth is good. Largemouth and spotted bass are hitting flukes, spinnerbaits or crankbaits that white or shad color. Smallmouth fishing is slow. Many sections have reported smallmouth are currently spawning. This bite should turn around in the next week or so. Crappie fishing is slow in most locations. Some crappie are hitting in main channel brush. The upper river sections have been best for crappie. Walleye are hitting best at night. There have been several reports of walleye hitting Shad Raps. The best walleye fishing has been above Point 17 on the Powell but a few have been caught down lower in the lake. Striped Bass have been hitting best from Lost Creek to Island f. Drifting shad or puling a planer board ha been the best method for catching the stripers. The bite is good early in the morning and then becomes slow by mid morning.  

 

 

Cherokee           The lake is 65 degrees and clear. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting crankbaits, spinnerbaits; rattle traps jigs, Carolina rigs. This is the best Cherokee has been in a long time. Look for the bass in the creeks around any wood cover located on gravel or clay bottom areas. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting around willow trees located in creeks. Stripers and hybrids are hitting shad or jigs trolled on the lower end of the lake.  

 

Douglas                                           The water temperature is 68 and the lake is stained in most locations. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting rattle traps. spinnerbaits and Carolina rigged lizards. The fish are in the pockets around gravel banks. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting pink, purple or white jigs tipped with a minnow. The fish are from 2 to 15 feet depending on the time of day, wind or light conditions. Sauger fishing has begun to slow. White bass are still hitting above Leadville. The white bass are hitting white jigs, spoons or small spinners.  

 

 

Loudon Tellico                            The surface temperature is in the mid to upper 60. The lake is stained on the lower end of both lakes and clears as you head up stream. Largemouth fishing has been hot but the size has been slow. Bass have been hitting white or white and chartreuse spinnerbaits with willow leaf blades or Carolina rigged lizards. The bass are hitting best in the creeks on gravel areas or wood cover. Crappie fishing has been hot. Crappie are hitting grubs, tubes or plain minnows. Several reports have come in from bass fisherman about catching crappie on small crankbaits. Most of the crappie have been less than 10 feet deep. White bass fishing is slow.  

 

Melton Hill                                 The lake is 65 degrees and clear. The lake is back at full pool. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting around lay down trees in the creeks. Early in the day you can catch the bass with a spinnerbait or small bandit but the hot bait is a Texas rigged lizard. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting green jigs tipped with a minnow. Look for the crappie ion creeks around some type wood or brush 5 to 10 feet deep. Musky fishing has slowed. The fish seem to be leaving the steam plant area and moving down stream. Striper fishing is slow.

 

                                                                 4/22/2009

 

  If you fish the lakes in East Tennessee your fishing success may be partly due to the efforts of the TWRA and countless volunteers who have placed habitat in our lakes. The most common evidence of the habitat replacement projects may be brush that has been laboriously placed in strategic locations or the benches that have been built at Norris to provide a better spawning habitat for the smallmouth bass. These areas of cover not only concentrate the fish for you they have for several decades provided a suitable home for all species.

         The lakes that we all have enjoyed for years are ageing. The natural cover that existed in abundance in the early years of the lake has eroded or rotted away. This is true in all our lakes but is especially visible in the upper lakes that have massive draw downs exposing the lake banks.

           Most fishermen are aware of the fish attractors that were first built in the 1970’s. You may have heard them referred to as “Crappie Beds by the old timers. The chances are that if you target bass, crappie or bream you have fished over or around these locations at some point. They have given us many successful fishing days over the years by providing a better habitat for the survival of various aquatic species.   

          Fishing is not just about taking and a good sportsman is more than someone that observes the proper creel limits. Sometimes you need to give back.

          The TWRA along with the Tennessee Bass Federation is about to complete it’s most current project. This is the building and placement of 3’x 3’ white oak cribs that are then placed in area lakes to provide habitat for all species. The current build out is for Chillhowee Lake located on highway 129.

           Volunteers are being sought for the construction of the cribs which is taking place at the Buffalo Springs Hatchery in Granger County and for workers to place the habitat in the lake itself. What a great way to learn about fish habitat and have the straight low down on where it is located.

           Volunteers for the build out are needed April 27 and 28 at the hatchery and the set out crew is needed April 29 and 30 at the lake. Volunteers are ask to bring certain battery powered tools if possible as well as gloves safety glasses and their lunch.  

             If you want to give back to the sport you love please contact Mr. Carl Guffey. He is easy to reach thru the e-mail process. His address is clguffey@comcast.net. Please supply your name, address, age and a contact number you can be reached at. Please also state the date you would be able to help.

 

 

 

 

Norris                                             The lake is in the upper 50 degree range and clear in the main channel with stained water in many of the creeks. Bass fishing is good. The smallmouth are starting to spawn and many are staging along areas with white gravel. Look for the smallmouth to be in less than 10 feet of water. Largemouth have moved into the creeks and are holding around wood cover. The fish have been hitting craw colored Bandits, chartreuse and white spinnerbaits with willow leaf blades or small jigs. Some walleye are starting to hit in the lake. Several reports have come in from fishermen fishing above PT 11 on the Powell River side. The fish have been hitting Shad Raps. Crappie fishing is slow. The recent rise in water level seems to have scattered the crappie. Stripers are hitting above 33 Bridge.

 

 

Cherokee                             The lake is 65 degrees and clear. Bass fishing is good. Bass have been caught along gravel or rocky banks in less than 10 feet of water. Flat side Bandits, spinnerbaits and Carolina rigs have been the most popular baits. There was one report of some fish hitting a Rico. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting in German and Rhea Creeks as well as Poor Valley. White jigs tipped with a minnow have been best. Stripers have been caught in the river while hybrids are hitting on the lower end.

 

Douglas                        The lake is 64 degrees and stained. Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting rattle traps, spinnerbaits and topwater baits along secondary points and flats. Crappie fishing is good. Crappie are hitting in the major creeks. Muddy,McGuire and Indian Creeks have been hot spots. White flies tipped with a live minnow have been best. The fish have been from 2 to 15 feet deep depending on the time of day and sky conditions.

 

 

Loudon Tellico              The lakes are about 1 foot from full pool and stained in the creeks clear in the channel. The surface temperature is 64 degrees. Bass fishing is hot but size has been a little tough. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits with gold willow leaf blades around lay down trees in the creeks or Carolina rigged lizards along gravel points. Some fish have also hit shaky head finesse worms. Crappie fishing is hot. Some real big crappie have been caught this last week also. Crappie are hitting black 2 inch grubs or plain minnows. Some big crappie have been caught by bass fishermen on small crankbaits or jerkbaits. Ish Creek has been a hot spot along with  Polan Creek. Crappie are hitting well below the dam also. One fisherman from Maryville reported catching 12 in about 2 hours Sunday morning that were as big as 2 lbs.  

 

 

Melton Hill                                  No report

 

                                                                  4/13/2009       

 

        If you have an idea, opinion or concern about the Tennessee fishing regulations now is your opportunity to voice what you think. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is soliciting public comments towards the 2010 sport fishing regulations.

         Public comments will be considered by the fisheries managers and may be proposed for a regulation change. The managers are interested in how they can better serve the public or the fisheries so now is the time to make your self heard.

         To make a suggestion or comment simply submit your suggestion by mail to Sport Fish Comments, TWRA, Fisheries Management Division, P.O.Bx 40747, Nashville,TN 37204. You may also submit comments by e-mail at TWRA.Comment@tn.gov. Comments and suggestions will be taken until May 5 ,2009.  Make the title line of all e-Mails say “Sport Fishing Comments”.

 

      The full moon in April came last week. This full moon usually triggers the smallmouth bass spawn. Last weeks cool down of the water temperatures may have delayed or slowed things down. The surface temperature in Loyston Sea was 53 Saturday and Sunday.

      Expect the smallmouth to be spawning a soon as the water temperatures stabilize. The smallmouth that I caught over the week end where located in places you would expect them to spawn. None of them showed any physical evidence that they had been building a bed.

 

Norris                       The lake is clear in the channel with stained water in most creeks. The surface temperatures range from 53 to 56 degrees. Bass fishing is good. Smallmouth are hitting 6 to 8 feet deep along white gravel banks near the mouths of the creeks. Banks with this type bottom content that had wind blowing the warmer water in on them had the most aggressive fish. The fish are hitting small pig and jigs, willow leaf spinnerbaits, 200 Bandits in craw or root beer colors. Or shaky head rigged finesse worms. Largemouth are hitting along rocky banks or around wood cover in the creeks. The largemouth are hitting a variety of crankbaits , spinnerbaits or finesse worms.  Crappie fishing has slowed this week due to the fast rise in the water level. Once the lake stabilizes the crappie fishing should improve. Walleye fishing has been very slow. This is due to the fast rise in the water and the stained water in the rivers. Stripers are hitting from Island F up to Straight Creek. The fish are moving up stream in both rivers.

Cherokee                           The lake is rising and clear on the lower end stained in most creeks. The surface temperature is 56 on the lower end.  Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting Rattle raps, Carolina rigs, spinnerbaits and jigs. Smallmouth are staging to spawn near the gravel banks. Largemouth are concentrating in the creeks. Several reports came in that had 20 to 30 fish per boat over the week end. Striper fishing is slow.  

Douglas                            The lake is rising and 56 degrees. The water is slightly stained. Crappie fishing is still good. The crappie are in the creeks and schooling up around submerged brush. Look for the crappie to be 3 to 15 feet deep. Wind swept points are where the shallow fish will be. Crappie are hitting pink or purple jigs tipped with minnows. Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting Carolina rigged lizards, rattle traps.or Crankbaits. Look for the fish in the creeks along the secondary points. Sauger fishing has slowed in the river but some good catches are still coming in the area above the Nolichucky . White bass are still hitting near Leadville.   

Loudon Tellico                   The water temperature is 58 and clear at Tellico green tinted at Loudon. Crappie fishing has been hot. Prater Flats, Poland Creek , Turkey Creek and Georges Creek have all been hot spots. Crappie are hitting as shallow as 2 feet and as deep as 15 depending on the wind and the sky. The hottest bait has been a 2 inch black grub fished on 1/16 oz lead head.Bass fishing is fair and improving. The bigger females seem to be holding in brush in the deeper sections of the creeks. Jigs, finesse worms or crankbaits have been catching these fish. Smallmouth are hitting on gravel points near deep water.    

Melton Hill                       The lake is stable and 58 degrees. Bass fishing is fair to good. Bass are hitting jigs or Texas rigged lizards along rocky banks going into the creeks. The fish have been 6 to 10 feet deep. Crappie fishing has slowed. Crappie were hitting around deeper blow downs in the creeks but have backed off since last weeks cold spell. Musky fishing has been fair. Musky are hitting from the Solway Bridge up to the Marina . Striper fishing has been slow. 

                                                               4/6/2009                                                                             

 

   Last week a disturbing piece of news came across my desk. The news was that the bill to inhibit cross ridge mining in Tennessee had been placed on hold. This is the bill that Knoxville attorney Dawn Coppock has worked so diligently to get passed.

    Cross ridge mining is the practice of surface mining the tops of ridges or mountains cutting those ridges down until the minerals that are mined are gone. This could be one quarter, one half or the entire ridge. Once the area is mined in this manor the ridge is gone forever and the skyline that is so beautiful in much of Tennessee is destroyed forever.

      The idea is not to stand in the way of progress or the economy. It is not to put anyone out of work or cause hardship. The idea is to place some regulations in place that will keep the environment in Tennessee from being harmed due to irresponsible actions.

     Cross ridge mining is done by blowing off the top of ridges or mountains reducing them to slag piles. The slag piles then give off drainage water that is tainted or polluted. The result is the loss of wildlife habitat, a drastic change in the visual beauty of the mountain area and the pollution of the streams and other waters in the area.  

        House Bill 0899 is designed to limit or restrict where this type mining can be done, with respect to the environmental impact that may be caused. The new law would mandate 1) No new water permits to be issued by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for surface mining until a comprehensive environmental impact statement is completed by the Federal Office of Surface Mining 2) No permits for any surface coal operations within 100 feet of any surface water 3) No permit certification for any surface mining that alters or disturbs any ridgeline above 2000 feet in elevation.

       The mining company’s claim they are the only ones trying to restore the environment from mining. This is required by law. Those in favor of the new law say that the making of a mountain is an act of God….human beings can’t even get close in restoration.

        I am just a simple country boy. Simple country wisdom says that you don’t have to fix something that is not broken. If the law is passed it could keep some very irresponsible action from being taken and make sure of the consequences before action is taken. We cannot restore the natural beauty that God has given us

       If you are in favor of the regulation please contact your local representative and let them know.  

 

Norris                            Before this week’s cold front the surface temperature was 56 on the channel and 58 in the creeks. The lake was clear below Island F. The full moon in April usually starts the smallmouth spawn. It may be interesting to see the impact caused by this winter like cold front. Bass fishing is fair to good bass are hitting craw colored crankbaits, jerkbaits or jigs. Brush or some type wood cover located in the creeks has been best. Look for the fish in 3 to 12 feet of water. Crappie fishing is good. The best areas have been the creeks with stained water. Davis Creek on the Powell side has been good Lost creek and Sycamore creeks have been good. Striper fishing is fair above Highway 33 Bridge. Walleye fishing is starting to improve in both rivers.  

 

Douglas                                  The surface temperature is 59 degrees and the lake is stained to muddy. Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting jerk baits or and Carolina rigged lizards. Look for the bass along gravel or rock gravel mixed bans in the creeks. Crappie fishing is fair top good in the major creeks. Indian Creek, Muddy Creek or Nina Creek have all been hot areas. Minnows fished with a jig have been best. Purple, pink or green have been the hot colors. The fish are hitting from 2 to 15 feet deep depending on the wind and water color. White bass are hitting on the upper end of the lake near Leadville. The best baits have been white jigs or silver spoons.     

Loudon Tellico                                The lake is 58 degrees and stained at Loudon Clear at Tellico. Bass fishing is fair. Bass are hitting in the backs of the creeks. Small Square billed crankbaits or jerkbaits have been good at Loudon. Spinnerbaits or Carolina rigs have been good at Tellico. The main complaint has been size. Keepers have been hard to find. Crappie fishing is fair. The crappies have moved into the creeks and are hitting around brush from 2 to 290 feet deep. The crappies at Loudon have been shallower than at Tellico. Prater Flats and the Louisville Point area have been hot spots. Black grubs have been the hot bait. White bass fishing has slowed.  

 

Melton Hill                             The water temperatures are in the mid 50 degree range. The lake is clear in most locations the water level is down.  Bass fishing is fair and improving. Bass are moving into the creeks and hitting Texas rigged lizards, jigs or shaky rigs. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting around submerged wood cover 5 to 15 feet deep. Green jigs tipped with a minnow have been best. Striper fishing has been slow. Musky fishing is good above the Solway Bridge .  

Cherokee                                     The lake is 58 degrees and stained in most locations. Bass fishing is hot. Bass are hitting rattle traps. Carolina rigs, spinnerbaits and jigs in the backs of the pockets. There have been lots of big fish caught recently. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Look for the crappie to be 5 to 10 feet deep in the creeks near wood cover. Striper fishing is slow.

 

 

                                                               3/30/2009                         

This is the time of the year when boaters and boats return to our area waters in greater numbers. Each year there are more boats on the water and more boating accidents. Perhaps this may be a good time to police our own habits and equipment and make absolutely sure we are as safe on the water as is possible.

There are certain laws and regulations that tend to go unchecked and that we all tend to be complacent about as time goes by. One of these is wearing a functional kill switch while operating a boat. The kill switch was designed to cut the power to the motor if the operator is thrown overboard or away from the controls of the boat. If your throttle or hot foot is working properly once your foot or hand comes off the throttle the motor goes to an idle. This helps but a boat at idle travels in a circle and can run over a person in the water.

Wear a personal floatation device any time the boat is under power. Almost all boating fatalities involve drowning by victims that are not wearing a life preserver. I will take it one more step. If you stand up to fish invest in one of the new inflatable PFD’s. Many people drown every year simply because they fell out of the boat. If you don’t think you need one, take this test? If you cannot do two overhand pull ups the chances are that with wet cloths you can’t pull yourself back into the boat. Many fishermen are senior citizens. We lose balance and reflexes with age

The last thing I will mention is to follow all safety signs and observe your surroundings when on the water. We all know to idle in a congested launch area and to follow no wake rules yet I have already seen one man blast off from a ramp and weave thru boats waiting to load at full throttle. I have also seen a boat cut between another boat and a trailer while the boat was approaching to load. Slow down, Think and look.

I hope this year will yield the lowest number of boating accidents that Tennessee has seen in many years. Do your part. The life you save may be your own.  

Norris                the lakes is 52 degrees and clear on the lower end. Both rivers are stained to muddy. Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting pig and jigs, crankbaits or jerkbaits. Look for secondary points near the entrance to creeks that had broken rock mixed with gravel or red clay. Most of the fish are 3 to 8 feet deep. Crappie fishing is good in the major creeks especially the ones with stained water. Plain minnows fished around brush from 5 to 15 feet deep have been the best method.  Lost Creek, Davis Creek and Cove Creek have all be hot spots. Walleye have moved up stream into the rivers areas. Muddy water has slowed the bite but the action should begin to pick up as the water clears. Stripers are hitting near Straight Creek on the Clinch. Pulling shad 2 to 15 feet deep have been the best way to locate and catch the stripers.  

Cherokee                          No Report  

Douglas                   The lake is 56 degrees and stained. The water level is rising. Bass fishing is fair to good. Bass are hitting Rattle traps, spinnerbaits or Carolina rigged lizards. Rocky banks leading into the creeks have been the best area Crappie fishing is good on the upper end of the lake. Indian Creek and Nina Creek have been hot spots. Pink, white or purple flies tipped with a minnow have been best. Look for the crappie top be 3 to 12 feet deep. White bass are active around Leadville. Walleye and Sauger are hitting from Point 18 up to the Pigeon River . The hot baits are spinners trailing a worm.  

Loudon Tellico                           The lake is 55 degrees and rising. The water color at Loudon is stained and clear at Tellico. Bass fishing is slow on both lakes. Jigs or jerkbaits have produced some good catches for the few lucky people that are at the right place at the right time but the consistency has been poor.  Crappie fishing continues to be good. Crappies are hitting around docks or brush 3 to 20 feet deep. Small tube jigs have been the hot bait at Loudon. On Tellico a small fly tipped with a minnow has been best. Saugers are hitting below the dam but size is small for the most part. Jigs tipped with minnows have been best.  

Melton Hill                              The water temp is 60 and clear on the lower end stained on the upper end. The lake is temporarily low. Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting jigs, Texas rigged lizards or brush hogs, Look for the bass to be around deeper secondary points holding on the ends of blow down trees. Crappie fishing is fair and improving. Look for the crappie around brush or blow downs that are 5 to 10 feet deep. Musky fishing has really picked up above the Solway Bridge .

 

 

                                                                  3/16/2009

 

 

       March is the beginning of the fishing season for many anglers. It is the early pre-spawn for many species of fish and one of the best times of the year for an angler of any age to catch a real trophy fish. Many fishermen like me practice catch and release. I find it hard to kill a special fish that has survived countless obstacles to grow to trophy size. There is an affordable way to commemorate that special catch and allow that special fish to swim away for another day’s battle or to reproduce many offspring with the genetics to be trophy fish.

         The TWRA has a program that is called TARP. It is the Tennessee Angler recognition Program. This program allows anglers to have their trophy fish recognized by the TWRA and commemorated with a special certificate. The program is designed to recognize anglers for their outstanding sport fishing accomplishments and encourage catch and release.

           The TWRA has pre set minimum length guide lines for many species of fish in Tennessee. You can view the list on line at the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency web site. Once you have caught an eligible fish simply down load the entry form, follow the directions and submit the form along with a $5.00 fee to the TWRA. In about 60 days you will receive your certificate ready for framing.

           This is not the program that recognizes state record fish. It is a program that recognizes anglers that catch trophy size fish that are not state records. The program comes in four levels. After you have caught five trophy fish in any combination you will be eligible to receive a Master Angler 1 award which includes a patch and certificate at no charge. If you are lucky enough to catch five different species you will receive a Master Angler 11.  Once you have reached ten certified fish you can receive a Master Angler 111 award which also includes a tackle pack from the Bass Pro Shops in Sevierville.

          This program started in 2003. You may already have caught and photographed some fish that qualify. I encourage you to log on today and start participating in this great program this year.

 

 

 

Norris                 the lakes is raising and clear in the main channel. Many of the bigger creeks have stained water. The temperature on the main channel is 48 with many creeks in the lower 50 degree range.  Bass fishing is fair to good. Smallmouth are hitting best on wind swept main channel points shallow. The best days for this pattern have been overcast or very early in the morning. Later on bright days look for the smallmouth on the same points 10 to 15 feet deep. Largemouth and spotted bass are showing up in the major creeks more as the days go by. Look for largemouth in the creeks with deeper stained water. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting in the backs of the stained water creeks. Look for the crappie to be 5 to 15 feet deep in brush. Walleye fishing has been slow. The temperatures in the rivers are still to cool for good fishing. Stripers are hitting form the surface to 20 feet.

 

 

Cherokee            The lake is 55 degrees and ranges from stained to clear in different locations. Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting crankbaits over most of the lake. The bigger fish seem to be on the bluffs while the smaller fish are on the rocky points. Crappie fishing is fair top good. The crappie are hitting 5 to 15 feet deep along secondary points in the creeks. Many fishermen are catching crappie by drifting with a plain minnow.

 

 

Douglas                             The lake is rising and 51 degrees on the lower end. Most of the lake has a stained color. Bass fishing is finally starting to pick up. Bass are hitting pig and jigs and crankbaits along rocky wind swept points. Crappie are hitting over most of the lake but the best action has been above Dandridge. Crappie are hitting green, purple or orange jigs tipped with a minnow. Look for the crappie to be 5 to 20 feet deep depending on the sky conditions one day to the next. Sauger are hitting from Swans up to the forks of the river. Spinners tipped with a worm have been the best bait. White bass are hitting over much of the lake.

 

 

Loudon Tellico                          The surface temperature is 52 degrees in the mornings rising to 56 in the afternoons. The lake is clear in most locations. Bass are starting to become more active. Size seemed to be a problem for some over the week end but it took as much as 23 pounds to win one tournament. Bass are hitting jerkbaits or spinnerbaits along wind swept points leading into major creeks. Look for the bass between 5 and 15 feet of water. Some bass are still coming on jigs along rocky main channel points. Crappie fishing is good. Crappie are hitting around shallow brush in the creeks. The 3 to 10 feet range has been hot but with brighter sky’s the fish may locate a little deeper. Small tubes or grubs in black, white or green have been best. Below the dam the saugers have been active. The problem has been size. The catch to keep ratio has been about 2 in 10.Striper fishing is slow.

 

 

Melton Hill                          The lake is in the low to mid 50 in most locations and is clear. Bass fishing has really picked up. Many bass have been caught on jerkbaits along rocky main channel points. Bass are also hitting rattle traps or pig and jigs. Musky fishing is fair at the steam plant. There have been lots of people fishing for musky in this area which may be why the fish is slower than expected. Crappie are starting to hit well in the creeks. Look for the crappie to be shallow in tree tops or brush. Small white jigs tipped with a minnow have been best. Striper fishing has been slow.            

 

 

                                                                 3/10/2009

On February 16 Roy Hawk of Knoxville made a double double. No he was not playing basketball for Bruce Pearls Volunteers. He was fishing in the South Holston River .

 

The double double that Hawk accomplished was two state record fish in one day. The two fish were the new state record Black Redhorse and the new state record Northern Hogsucker . The Black Redhorse weighed 3 pounds 1 ounce and was 19 ¾ inches long. The Northern Hogsucker was 2 pounds 9 oz and was 18 ¼ inches long.

 

Hawk is not new to the state record book. He is one of a growing number of anglers that are seeking out breakable state records. These anglers are fishing for species that are normally un fished for and often over looked. In fact in some cases other anglers may have caught a record fish and not had the knowledge to identify that it was a record fish.

 

Last April Hawk set anew record for the Gizzard Shad only to have that record broken by Preston Taylor 111 in December.

Hawk reported that he caught both fish with a 6 ft 6 inch rod using Shimano reel and 6 pound test line.

 

Hawk is the only fisherman in Tennessee to have caught and certified three state record fish.

 

 

Norris                          The lake is rising and clear in most locations. The backs of some creeks have stained water. The surface temperature at Loyston is 46 with some creeks reaching 51. Bass fishing in general is slow. Smallmouth seem to be the most active. Smallmouth are hitting in the afternoon along he main channel points 5 to 10 feet deep. The best lures have been small craw colored pig and jigs or clown colored jerkbaits. Largemouth fishing has been very slow. Some largemouth are showing up in the creeks but the numbers have been few. Crappie fishing is fair to good in the creeks with stained water. Lost Creek, Sycamore Creek, Davis Creek and Cove Creek have all given up some good catches of crappie. Look for the crappie to be 5 to 10 feet deep. A plain minnow or blue jigs tipped with a minnow have been hot baits. The striped bass action was slow this past week. Striper were caught above the 33 bridge but rarely was on caught over the 36 inch minimum size limit. Walleye fishing has been slow. The water is just a little cold right now for the best action from walleye.

 

 

Cherokee            The lake is clear in most location with some stained water in the creeks. The surface temperature is 48 on the channel with some creeks reaching 55. Bass fishing is fair to good. Bass are hitting crank baits around rocky banks with scattered brush. Catches of 15 to 20 per day have been common with a 1 in 4 keeper ratio. Crappie fishing is good in the deeper sections of the major creeks. Drifting a minnow on a white jig has been the  best way to locate the fish.

 

 

 

 

Douglas                              The lake is rising and 45 degrees at the dam. Most of the lake is stained. Bass fishing has been very slow. The best bite has been for sauger or walleye. The sauger bite is best above Walters Bridge . Fish with big jigs tipped with a minnow or rooster tails with a night crawler trailer. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Most of the creeks on the lower end have some active crappie. Look for the crappie to be 5 to 20 feet deep around brush. Blue or green jigs tipped with a minnow have been best. Below the dam sauger are hitting when water is discharged. The catch to keep ration has been poor.

 

Loudon Tellico                          The lake is clear and 49 degrees. Crappie fishing seems to be the best thing going. Crappie are hitting in the creeks 5 to 20 feet deep. The best baits have been a white or yellow doll fly tipped with a minnow. Turkey Creek, Ish Creek, Georges Creek have all be hot spots at Loudon. The Island Creek Bat Creek have been hot spots at Tellico

Bass fishing remains slow. Bass are hitting crankbaits on the lower end of Tellico. The fish seem to be holding on main channel points.Sauger fishing is fair below the dam but the catch to keeper ratio is poor.

 

 

Melton Hill                                    The lake is 49 at the dam and 65 at the steam plant. The water is clear over the entire lake. Bass fishing has really picked up. Bass are hitting craw colored pig and jigs or watermelon Craws along rocky main channel points. The fish were hitting a shallow as 3 feet on overcast days and as deep as 15 on bright days. The best bass fishing was below the reactor. Musky fishing has really picked up. The area from the steam plant to the entrance top Bull Run Creek has been best. Several have been caught but most have been under the 44 inch minimum size limit.  Crappie fishing is fair to good. The crappie are suspending on the deep end of blow down trees. Many bigger crappie were caught this past week. 

                                                              12/29/2008

The total impact of the environmental disaster at Kingston on Watts Bar Lake may never be completely known. TVA will make restitution to the home owners who lost their homes and other possessions and will try to clean up the water shed as best they can. The question remains, how do you clean up an untold amount of a lake once it has been polluted?
The primary pollutant will be arsenic. This will continue to leech out from the sludge that drained itself into the lake. The long term effect this will have on the aquatic life in Watts Bar may take several years to know,
If you were an eye witness to the aftermath you will know that countless fish died in the mishap. Most died from suffocation when their gills became clogged with the ash. There is no way to know how many died that never floated or how much delayed mortality there may be from continued leeching of the ash,
Watts Bar has long been on the receiving end of up stream pollutants. The east fork of Popular Creek caries such advisories as” no consumption of fish avoid contact with the water”. The Emory River has advisory precautions that say “precautionary advisory for all fish”. Watts Bar proper has a consumption advisory due to PCB that includes “Catfish, striped bass, white bass, smallmouth buffalo, sauger, carp and largemouth bass”. The primary pollutants are PCB, Mercury, and now Arsenic.
The Federal Government, TVA, and the EPA can no longer ignore the problems that are created due to our outdated laws and use of outdated technologies. During he last election I heard the term “Clean Coal Technology” repeated over and over again. Exactly what does this mean? Does coal burning no longer pollute the air, cause acid rain or in this case arsenic in the water? How many Kingston/Watts bar catastrophes are acceptable before we decide to draw the line?
Development of new technology, that is safer and more efficient does have a price. It would and will cost all of us more in utility bills and taxes. Someone has to pay for the research and development. The flip side is who ultimately will pay the clean up cost of this disaster?

                                                             10/27/2008
       The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources in news release have revealed the details of how a bear was killed by two hunters near Harlan. Billy Koger and James Forrester both of Cumberland were hunting deer during the Kentucky muzzleloader season when two bear entered the area they were hunting. One of the bear a 250 pound male started to approach the ground blind that Koger was hunting from. Koger stated that once he realized that the bear was going to come straight to him he began to yell at the bear but this did not deter the animal He then shot the bear when it was about to enter his blind. Forrester shot the bear a second time when the initial shot did not kill the bear.
      The Kentucky wildlife agency has determined that the bear was killed in self defense. Blood was found 1 foot from the blind. The agency stated that bear rarely will approach a person unless they smell food. The investigation found that there was no food in the blind. The animal's remains were found 300 top 400 yards away.
       Steven Dobney of the agency said that perhaps the animal was just curious or that the animal had lost its fear of humans from frequent contact with people. There is a dumpster site with-in one mile of the location. Bear have been raiding the dumpster site all summer. Once bear start to feed where humans are dumping food they soon loose there fear of humans. Many people will feed the bears thinking it is good but this action will often mean a bad ending for the animal.
      People had been warned not to dump food at the site by the dumpster owners. It is against the law to feed bears in Kentucky. The agency stated that this is a case of where the actions of people in one area can cause a problem for the animals in another.
        In Tennessee this has been a problem in Sevier and Blount counties. Bear leave the park during times of low natural food supply and begin to raid the garbage in the restaurant areas. Once they find this abundant and easy food supply they rarely leave it unless something or someone causes there removal. In recent years bear have been found to travel as far from the park as Anderson County.

                                                           10/23/2008

                    

              The 2008 Tennessee Deer season is now three weeks into the first segment. The numbers of deer harvested is once again down from the previous year. The numbers as of Monday were down 5% from the numbers for the same time frame in 2007. The 2007 numbers were also down from the 2006 reports.
              The first segment archery season opened September 27. The season will remain open until Oct 24. The season will close to general hunting while a special youth hunt will is conducted on October 25 and 26, then the general archery season will resume on the 27th.until the 30th. Muzzleloader season will then open along with archery on November 1.
           The reason for the decline in the harvest is yet to be determined. In 2007 the state wide heard suffered loss of numbers from EHD. This could be a real reason but not all counties suffered the same amount of loss from the disease. The numbers could also reflect increased gas prices where hunters have spent less time in the woods.
           Tennessee's deer heard is still very good. The overall health of the animals is good according to the TWRA biologist. There will be more hunters in the woods once muzzle loading season starts and then we will get a better picture of what the 2008 harvest numbers will be like,
          The unseasonable weather may also be keeping a few hunters at home. Walking distances in the woods wearing camo and equipment can be a little uncomfortable. Once the weather cools down a little we may see harvest numbers go up.

          Warm weather and the full moon may be having a big effect on fishermen as well. Reports from fishermen that  are fishing during the daylight hours have been a little bleak while reports from fishermen still fishing at night is very good.


Norris                          The lake is 74 and very clear in most locations. The bass bite during the day has been very slow. There has been some bass hitting right at daylight or just before dark on Zara Spooks or Pop R topwater baits. Those fish have been either right on the bank or around brush off shore. The night bite has been real good. Bass are hitting short armed single spin spinnerbaits or craw type plastics along the points . Most of the fish at night have been between 5 and 10 feet deep. Striper fishing is fair. Stripers are hitting 30 to 50 feet deep on the lower end of the lake. Live shad have been the best bait. Crappie fishing is slow. Walleye fishing has been slow. Walleye are hitting spinner worm rigs trolled at 30 feet deep but the numbers have been low.


Cherokee                    The lake is 75 and falling. Bass are hitting jigs or Pop R.s at daylight. The best fishing has been along points that have a mixture of red clay and rock. The best bit has been at night before midnight. Bass are hitting jigs or spinnerbaits along secondary points 2 to 10 feet deep. Stripers fishing is fair. Stripers are hitting between points 4 and 8. The fish are holding at 30 feet and hitting straight lines shad or blue gill. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting live minnows fished in brush 12 to 15 feet deep.

Douglas                      The lake is falling and 72 degrees. Bass fishing is fair. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits along wind swept points. The night bite is much better. Bass are hitting jigs or spinnerbaits along secondary points. Crappie fishing is fair. Crappie are hitting small crankbaits trolled in 15 to 20 feet of water.        




Loudon Tellico                                   The lake is stable and 70 degrees in the mornings. Early in the morning there has been a lot of surface feeding action at Loudon. Bass and stripes are both surface schooling. The rattle trap has really produced numbers of schooling fish. Look for schooling bass on secondary points in creeks. Bass are also hitting top water baits around wood cover. Crappie fishing is improving. Crappie are hitting 5 to 12 feet deep around deeper docks or brush. Below the dam the stripers are hitting when water is discharged

Melton Hill                                     The lake is stable and clear in most locations. Fishing in general has picked up. Bass are hitting in schools on the surface. Jerk baits or shallow running crankbaits are catching these fish. Bass are also hitting jigs on the drops or around brush when current is present. Crappie fishing is slow. Catfish are hitting at the steam plant. Stripers are hitting in the river above Clinton.  

                                                           10/07/2008

                                                        Hunting and Fishing

 

This morning when I awoke and turned on the morning news I was greeted by a rather dismal head line. The news commentator said that scientist had announced that ½ of the worlds mammals were in jeopardy and that ¼ could become extinct in a short period of time.  Most of these animals were from far away places and animals that most of use will never see.

I gave the subject some thought and then it occurred to me that I had not heard any mention of hunting, fishing or native American animals from either of our two current presidential nominees. I decided to go to the web sites of each and here is what I found.  

McCain:               “Every year, more than 45 million Americans venture to our forests, marshes, mountains, lakes and streams to pursue the traditions of hunting and fishing. Our sportsmen are citizen stewards of these sensitive areas and play a vital role in maintaining the abundance of wildlife found on our public lands. Indeed the sportsmen community is perhaps our strongest advocate for programs that encourage habitat protection and wildlife conservation. A vibrant hunting and angler community is essential to supporting our state and federal game and fish agencies.

Additionally, we should promote collaborative public-private partnership initiatives such as the North America Waterfowl Management Plan, which build upon the common objectives of various stakeholder groups including hunters and conservation advocates. We must also reverse the declining access to quality hunting and angling opportunities vital to the sportsmen tradition. The long term success of wildlife and fisheries populations is dependant upon a knowledgeable society invested in the efforts to provide for wildlife access and habitat protection.”  

Obama:          “Barack Obama did not grow up hunting and fishing, but he recognizes the great conservation legacy of America 's hunters and anglers and has great respect for the passion that hunters and anglers have for their sport. Were it not for America 's hunters and anglers, including the great icons like Theodore Roosevelt and Aldo Leopold, our nation would not have the tradition of sound game management, a system of ethical, science-based game laws and an extensive public lands estate on which to pursue the sport. Barack Obama and Joe Biden recognize that we must forge a broad coalition if we are to address the great conservation challenges we face. America 's hunters and anglers are a key constituency that must take an active role and have a powerful voice in this coalition”  

It is evident that McCain is more in touch with the American sportsman and the importance of maintaining the valuable resource that it evolves. McCain has also worked for the Federal wetlands act and the agreements with other nations to limit and promote the protection and limits of migratory game birds.  

I do not see how a man that has never hunted or fished can understand the needs of the American sportsman or the importance of the 2^nd Amendment to hunters or fishermen.  

                                                                9/23/2008

                                                      Hunting and Fishing

 

 

 

          One exciting thing about bass fishing is that you never know when you might catch a fish of a life time. Allen Gunner experienced just that a couple of weeks ago while fishing at Tellico.

           It was late in the day and had started to rain. Allen was fishing with lure maker and tournament partner Josh Moore when the fish hit. The pair was fishing a drop in about 14 feet of water. Allen was rolling his bait about 4 inches under the surface when suddenly the big smallmouth exploded on his bait coming about 3 feet out of the water. The bait Allen was using was a Swimmo swim bait manufactured by Josh Moore’s HPP Plastics lure company. It was the 5 ½ inch model in the pearl color.

          Josh recanted the battle saying” once the fish jumped on the initial strike it went down and tried to stay there.” Allen was using 17 lb test fluorocarbon line and was trying to wear the fish down before he brought it to the net. Josh went on to say “the third time it circled the boat I was afraid it would pull off so as it came by the trolling motor I put the net down and it swam right into it”

         These two anglers catch a good number of lunker smallmouth, but when they saw this fish out of the water they knew it was a special fish. “The fish was 27 inches long and 20 ½ inches in girth” Josh said. The pair knew they needed to get the fish certified. Currently the official lake record for Tellico is 9 lbs even. There was a 9lb 6 oz smallmouth weighed in a few years ago in a tournament at the canal ramp but the fish was not certified nor weighed on official scales.

         They quickly made arrangements to fill out the paper work for an official fish. The official weight was 9 lbs 4 oz. That’s a smallmouth of a life time. Allen is awaiting the official results of the certification from the TWRA.

             The world record smallmouth was caught in 1955 at Dale Hollow. Kentucky and Tennessee both claim that fish as their state records. The International Game and Fish Association recognize that fish as the world record. That fish was certified at 11lbs 15 oz. Tennessee holds seven of the top ten largest smallmouth officially documented.

                                                                 7/15/2008                                                 

 

 

Monday evening when I got home I was met on the porch by my 18 year old son. His first words were Dad can we go out fishing for a while after dinner. I try to never turn down an invitation to fish so we hastily ate dinner and then hooked the boat up.  

We launched at our house about 8:30. I didn’t even crank the big motor but just dropped the trolling motor and started casting. I had rigged a spinning rod with a 10 inch Flip Tail grape worm rigged Texas style. On the third cast my son asks me to look at something he was doing. I allowed the lure to fall with the bail open on the spinning reel. When I turned back to the task at hand I noticed at once that the line was slowly spooling off the reel. I dropped the rod tip, engaged the reel and set the hook hard.  

The rod came alive as a powerful fish that was moving in the other direction felt the resistance caused by what it thought was an easy meal. The strike had occurred in about 15 feet of water and this big girl did not want to see the sky. I slowly guided the fish towards the boat. Finally when it was almost at the boat the bass decided to show it’s self. In just a moment I reached down and lipped a fat 20 inch largemouth. How big is it, I heard from the back of the boat? We weighed the fish on the digital hand held scales. The device showed 4 lbs 7 oz. I thought it was bigger than that was the response from my son. No respect. It’s bigger than what you have caught I said.  

What made that fish strike? Other than the fact that I knew there was fish attracting brush located in that general area, there were two very distinct factors. I had made very sure that the worm was rigged straight on the hook. When rigging a Texas rig that is a very important ingredient. The other was that the lure fell straight down to the bottom.  

Most strikes on a Texas rigged plastic worm come as the bait is falling. Bass most usually feed up. The noise created when the lure hits the water will often get the fishes attention. In order for the fish to locate the lure it is necessary for the lure to fall straight down. If you do not rig the lure straight or allow enough slack in the line the lure will fall away at an angle.    

Always make sure that your lure is rigged correctly and follow the basic rules demanded by the presentation type you are using. It will result in additional fish caught.

                                                      

 

                                                                7/01/2008

Recently I was reading an article about all the innovations that have come about in bass fishing over the last 50 years. One of the most monumental developments was what was called at the time the rubber worm. It seems that no one knows for sure who developed the original plastic worm. The credit goes to Nick Crème who started building these innovative baits in Akron Ohio around 1956.

The first rubber worm that I fished with was around 1965. The worms in those days had a harness with three hooks and a little spinner on the front .We knew very little about these fake worms so we fished them by slowly reeling them along the bottom. The three exposed hooks were magnets to snags so this was short lived.

In about 1966 I was walking the bank at Cherokee looking for arrowheads when I found a plastic worm that had been lost. Instead of the harness rig it had a jig head in it. I picked the worm up looked at it and a light bulb went off in my head. I began to look for a source to purchase worms that could be rigged this way and by the next spring my worm fishing days began.

During the same time frame fishermen in Texas discover that lots of bass could be caught from the abundant brush that was in those lakes. No one knows who first discovered a way to fish these worms in that brush but it is an accepted fact that this is where the Texas rig was first discovered. Anglers were taking the plain worms placing a lead head jig in them and then putting the hook in side the worm making it wheedless. This rig was surly very much like the way we commonly rig a shaky head today. The demand for crème worms became so great in Texas that Nick Creme moved his young company to Texas and a new manufacturing industry was created.

Today we have dozens of colors, styles and sizes of plastic baits. The early models came only in black. It didn’t matter what the water or sky or weather was the fish hit black worms. A few years later someone who was creative gave Creme the idea for a purple worm soon followed by red. Injection molding made worm colors a reality and soon colors of all types were produced.

It is really strange to have lived through so many years of bass fishing evolution. The old adage that the more things change the more they stay the same really applies in this sport. Lately I have found myself rigging a straight tail worm on a lead head jig just like I did almost 50 years ago, and it still catches bass.  

 

                                                                

                                                                  6/24/2008

The FLW Loudon Tellico tournament is now in the history books. The tournament had a surprise ending. If you watched the weigh-in you know that it was won in a come from behind fashion by David Dudley from Lynchburg VA.

Dudley went into the last day 4 ½ pounds behind leader Art Ferguson. The leading pattern for both anglers was similar. Both were fishing off shore ledges in deep water. The difference was that Dudley adjusted his presentation on the last day and Ferguson did not.  

Dudley stated that earlier in the week he had blistered the fish with a crankbait in 10 to 12 feet of water. On the last day the crankbait would not produce so Dudley switched to a football head jig and a 10 inch Berkley Power worm to clinch the lead.  

Local angler Brandon Coulter rallied with a best day 17 pound bag of bass to finish in 4^th place.  Coulter had managed only 8 lbs 9ozs on day three. Coulter said he stayed with his milk run pattern from earlier in the week to advance to 4th place.  

Local pro Craig Powers of Rockwood finished in 6^th while local area pro Andy Morgan of Dayton , TN. finished 8^th. Morgan is leading in the Angler of the Year race with 926 points.  He has a 22 point advantage over Ocala FL. Pro Glenn Browne. There is only one more event in the 6 tournament trail. That leaves Morgan in the cat bird seat to win the prestigious title.  

Barry Isbell from Trussville AL. won the co-angler title with 9 lbs 9 oz. Jim Campbell of Maryville placed 3^rd with 6lbs 15 oz and Tennessee anglers Brian gage of Gray Tennessee placed 7^th and Kyle Lane of Clarkrange was 8^th.  

                                                                   5/28/2008

           If you are out on Loudon or Tellico Lake in the next few days and see a brightly colored bass boat all wrapped up in what looks like a floating billboard it's not your eyes playing tricks on you. It is one of the contestants in the FLW pro series tournament. The tournament will be held starting June the 19 and will go on until the 22nd. The blast off each day will start from the canal ramp at Lenoir City at start at 6:30 AM. The weigh in will be at 3:00 PM.
         The first 2 days the weigh in will be at the canal. Days 3 and 4 the weigh in will be at the Knoxville Convention Center on Henley Street .in Knoxville. If you have ever been to a FLW weigh in you know that there are lots of festivities that go along with the event.
           The FLW was founded by Forrest L Wood, founder of Ranger Bass Bats and is co sponsored by Wal-Mart. This tournament will pay the winner on the pro side $125,000 and the amateur co-angler $25,000. The tournament brings lots of tourism revenue to the area and is a very good method of promoting future tourism in the greater Knoxville area. 
                   I will not make a prediction about what or who will win the tournament. The fishing conditions on Loudon leading up to the event are good. The bass are up and active early and the lake has good color with a surface temperature of 86 degrees. The weather man is calling for cooling temperature which could have some affect on the bite early in the tournament,
                    If you see one of these boats on the water yield them a wide area. These guys are fishing for a living. Please show them the same courtesy that you would want when fishing and show them how hospitable East Tennesseans can be. The FLW makes a great effort to protect the fishery and release all fish back to the lake alive.                                                                     5/18/2008

 
         The full moon in May is considered by many to be the unofficial beginning of night fishing season. This is especially true of walleye fishermen.
        The walleye which is also locally called pike, glassy eye, or shiny eye is a very nocturnal fish in its movements and often best caught during low light periods. The walleye at times are so light sensitive that fish actively feeding in the pre-dawn hours are suddenly gone as soon as it is daylight enough to see across the area that they are located in.
     One of the best places to catch walleye locally is the cold clear water of Norris. Norris has two different strains of walleye. There is the strain that spawns in the river during Feb or early March and another strain that spawns in the lake a little later.
      The Clinch and Powell Rivers had walleye when the lake was backed up. Sometime later Erie strain walleye were introduced and for many years both thrived. Many anglers pursued the walleye during the early spring spawning run and later in the year would troll for the walleye in there deeper water hangouts during the day. Common baits for trolling are the June Bug spinner or the Jet lure both tipped with night crawlers. Night fish was limited to fishing in deep water with lanterns hung over the side of the boat and jigging spoons worked at depths of 25 to 30 feet.
        The traditional time honored methods that local anglers have used still work , however somewhere along the line it was discovered that walleye will make one or two trips per day to a more shallow area  to feed . This is usually at dusk or before daylight in the morning. That is not to say that you cannot occasionally catch a walleye shallow during the day but most frequently they move shallow during the lowest light periods.
        In May and June many anglers search the shallows during the night looking for that area that the walleye are using. The common lures that they may deploy are Shad Raps, Bomber Long A's or various other jerkbaits or crankbaits. They most frequently fish areas that have a bottom consistency of clay mixed with gravel or broken rock. These areas can be very hard to locate but once and area is located it will often produce for many nights.
        The walleye became very scarce at Norris around ten years ago. The numbers of the fish dwindled at an alarming rate. The TWRA knew of this happening in other areas across the nation. The exact reason was not determined. One suspect was the alewife. It is believed that these little bait fish were eating the walleye fry before they could gain any size. The TWRA began an aggressive stocking program with Walleye from Arkansas. The end result has been favorable.
         You may be asking yourself why so many would go to so much trouble to catch this one species of fish. The walleye is considered by most to be the best table fare swimming in fresh water. Its flaky white filets are prized all across the nation and there is only one way to get then in our area.

                                                                     5/12/2008

Many of you may remember the sensational story that broke several years ago regarding a huge bass that was caught and released in California. A bass that was reported to have been a 25 pound largemouth that had been caught while bed fishing. If certified a bass of this size would shatter the existing world record caught by George Perry in Georgia.

The story claimed that three young anglers had spent years pursuing this fish each spring. They had caught the fish once but it was just under Perry's record weight hitting the scale at 21lbs 11 oz. The next time the trio caught the big fish it was reported to be 25 pounds. The young man that landed the fish stated that it was hooked outside the mouth so he photographed the fish, took measurements and released it to fight again. This was the second time the fish was caught by the group.

When the story was released along with a photograph, instantly there was a huge reaction from the fishing community. Some folks screamed fraud while others embraced the story cheering the sportsman like conduct of the young angler that had released the fish. There was such a division regarding the authenticity of the fish and its photographs that no one was sure if the big bass really existed. That' is no one but the three young men that had spent years trying to catch her.

The proof and the final chapter in this story have finally been written. The giant bass which had been affectionately named Dottie was found floating dead in Dixon Lake California by one of the Park Rangers at the lake. The huge bass was spawned out and found on the north side of the lake. She had lived a normal life and had spawned for the last time on Mother's Day.

George Perry's 1932 record from Montgomery Lake in Georgia is safe. His 22 lb 11 oz bass will remain as the official world record. The one fish that has been found that could have beat that record has died without an official entry into the record book as the largest bass ever. She is listed as the forth largest in 2003 when she was caught and officially weighted at 21lbs 11 oz.

One of the young anglers who had pursued the bass had this to say." Now I wont wake up every morning worried that someone else is going to catch her" he went on to say " I think its great that she didn't end up in an aquarium or on someone's table or as a mount" " Its good to see that she lived out her life and came to visit us one last time."

Dottie was truly a special fish of giant proportions. The death of this fish puts us back to square one. Is there a giant bass big enough to beat George Perry's world record swimming somewhere in America?

                                                                     5/05/2008

          Last week I had one of the most enjoyable days fishing I have had in some time. Lonnie Thomas and I decided to stop talking about fishing Chilhowee Lake and set a day aside to do it. I love this lake.
          Chilhowee is the next lake on the Little T above Tellico. It is easily accessed from Highway 129 just below Maryville. Built in 1957 to make power for Alcoa Aluminum it has 1727 surface acres. It is a river run mountain lake with crystal clear water surrounded by majestic mountain landscapes that can only be found in East Tennessee.
          I met Lonnie early and we arrived at the lake just as it was getting day light. The lake was beautiful. There was a slight chop on the water from an early morning breeze. The air was crisp and cool. Just looking at the lake gave both of us a feeling of anticipation like 10 year olds on Christmas Eve. Neither of use knows much about this lake. The most recent creel surveys showed it to have a good population of black basses as well as trout, walleye, crappie and sunfish.
           We launched Lonnie's Triton Bass boat and headed across the lake to a cove that is one of the few on the lake. I started by casting a 9F Rapala floating minnow. It only took a few casts for use to see that the smallmouth were up and had an anger management problem.  The lure was laying motionless on the surface when a spunky 2 pound smallie exploded on the lure. A short fight later I hauled a beautiful smallmouth over the side. For the next two hours we continued to catch smallmouth on the Rapala.
            This lake is not really deep by East Tennessee standards but most of the banks are vertical drops. The lake is very clear. In fact seeing the bottom plainly in 10 feet of water was like looking out your picture window at home. The color of the smallmouth from the clear water was gorgeous. We saw many of the fish come up to take the lure and you could plainly see the fish fighting as you brought them in.
           The wind started the lake white capping at mid morning. This seemed to neutralize our early top water pattern. We switched to a Texas Rigged Zoom Lizard and the fun continued. Lonnie quickly hooked up on yet another smallie and I shortly followed his lead. We caught and released a good number of smallmouth that day. It was a relaxing almost dream like excursion. It is little wonder that the ancient Cherokee's called this valley their home.
           That afternoon as we drove back to Knoxville I had to thank God that we live in a country where there are still a few unspoiled beauties like Chilhowee. I will return,

                                                                     4/22/2008    

 

 

        Recently, I was watching an old tape of Tony Bean catching smallmouth at Center Hill. Many of you may recognize Toney’s name from the notoriety he has gained for being a smallmouth bass guru.

         Tony was fishing off shore and catching smallmouth from deep brush on a lure he promotes called a craw tube. He was trying to explain the difference between smallmouth bass fisherman and largemouth bass fisherman. He made what would sound like a joke that was really a profound statement. Tony said to a largemouth fisherman the bank was everything but to a smallmouth fisherman it was just something to keep the water from running out of the lake.

         I believe this statement holds more wisdom for all bass fishermen than many would believe. Once the bass have spawned they will leave the creeks for the most part until the mid to late fall. The bass will relocate along main channel humps, drops or points. They will also except for very short periods of time occupy deeper water. In most cases by deeper I mean 10 to 20 feet.

         During the summer you frequently see boats going down a bank casting to visible structure. Some days these fishermen catch some good fish but more often than not they catch small aggressive juvenile bass. This is because most of the fish are either under their boat or behind it in deeper water.

          In late May or June when your shallow water bite begins to slack off try positioning your boat further off the shore. Cover more and deeper water with each cast. Pay close attention to how far off the bank the fish are when you get bit and adjust your fishing depth accordingly. Learn to use your electronics and believe what they show you. This may be hard to do at first. Old habits are hard to break, but you will be rewarded with more and bigger bass.  

 

 

                                                                     4/1/2008                                                 

 

 

              If you love to catch big smallmouth, the next two weeks may well be two of the best of the year. April is typically the month that smallmouths spawn in East Tennessee and I don’t believe this year will be any different.

               In the very early spring as the days get longer and the water and air temperatures get warmer smallmouth bass in our area begin a slow movement to the shallow water sandy gravelly banks where they will spawn. This may take several weeks starting as early as February and usually reaching a peak just after the full moon in April.

              The smallmouth bass is a truly amazing fish. If Webster asked me for a definition of this fish I would say it was a bass that gets up every morning in a bad mood. From the time it gets up its mood goes down hill the rest of the day. I believe that pound for pound they are the meanest fish native to our local area. They truly are a special fish.

              Many years ago I met a man from Florida that had moved to East Tennessee . He was an avid angler and talked of the big Florida strain largemouth bass that are plentiful in Florida . One day I asked him if he had every caught a smallmouth. He said he didn’t even know what one looked like. I invited him to go smallmouth fishing with me the following week end.

               The day could not have been better. It was a beautiful October day. We began by cast pig and jigs on 45 degree sloping banks at Norris. That day we caught and released about 20 smallmouth one of which was a hearty 5 pound beauty that my guest caught. Later I asked him what he thought of our smallmouth his comment was “if you tied a 5 lb smallmouth tail to tail with a 10 lb Florida largemouth the smallmouth would pull the largemouth all over the lake”.  There you have it. Enjoy the next few weeks. The smallmouth fishing will be great.

 

 

 

                                                                   3/25/2008

     For many years one of the most productive spring season artificial baits has been the jerkbait. These are the long slender hard baits that have a small diving bill that submerged when pulled or cranked. Locally certain brand names such as the Original Rapala, Smithwick Rogue or Bomber Long A have become somewhat legendary.
   The first of these baits that I personally ever witnessed was the Original Rapala floater. This lured manufactured in Finland found its way to East Tennessee in the early 1960's. It was a totally new type lure design that resembled a wounded bait fish in appearance and action better than any we had ever seen.
    My father first learned of these lures at a bait store in Knoxville called Rays Rod and Reel. Rays was located at the corner of 17th and Western and was the in place for the new and modern sport of bass fishing. Ray convinced dad that these magic lures were worth the $1.25 price tag and home he came with a couple of black and white Rapala's and directions in their use.
     During the sixties my parents had a home on Cherokee Lake near the Gilmore Boat Dock. I was in my early teens and then like now one of my biggest passions was bass fishing.
      My father presented me with one of these prize lures with instructions to work it like a top water plug. That meant cast it out near some type cover, allow it to sit motionless until all the ripples were gone and then ever so slightly give it a twitch with the tip of my 7 ½ ft fiberglass spinning rod.
      Early the next morning I was on the water rigged and ready. My first stop was at the old Point 14 which was the first rock point upstream from Gilmore's. I cast the lure very close to a big limestone rock, waited, waited and then gave the lure a twitch. Suddenly the water erupted in such an explosive strike that I was startled like a small boy being spooked from behind. Once I gained my composure I realized that my Mitchell 300 was slipping drag. A few moments later a 2 pound largemouth glided into my landing net and at that moment my whole outlook on bass fishing changed.
      Those early Original Rapala's truly were magical in East Tennessee . The fish had never seen any lures like them and they resembled a wounded bait fish so well that for many years bass had no resistance to them. Over the years thing have changed Lures are more sophisticated, rods are more sensitive and our boats are bigger and faster. No matter how fancy we get I don't think I will n0ever again witness such a remarkable fishing innovation as the Original Rapala minnow.   

                                                                     3/16/2008

Last week I informed you about the introduction of HB2856. That is the movement to do away with the TWRA. Since that time I have become aware of another house bill that is as controversial as the last. It is House Bill HB4185. This bill which is supported by The Tennessee Road Builders Association, some home builders and representatives of the coal mining industry would remove significant water quality protections that currently exist.

The bill known as the Limited Resource Waters bill would remove current protections for human and wildlife health and safety, remove current protections that prevent pollution from running into streams and slow down the TDEC Aquatic Resource Alteration Permit process for business across the state.

According to the Tennessee Wildlife Federation it is the single largest threat to water quality and fish that the federation has seen in the last 15 years. Studies done by the wildlife federation show that the bill will create a scenario where streams, wetland and lakes will, over time, be impacted by sediment and toxins. This will damage aquatic life including fishable waters and fish populations, in addition to placing greater pressures upon all streams, rivers, wetlands, and lakes which will adversely impact the business community as well.

If you are against the pollution of our fishable waters please contact members of the House and Senate Conservation and Environment Committee and express your opposition to HB4185/SB4119

                                                                     3/04/2008

                            Fishing on most of the areas lakes is starting to improve. Water temperatures for the most part are still in the mid to upper 40's with many creeks starting to warm into the mid 50's. Bass are not active all over the lake and when you locate active fish staying with them can make a difference in the day's results.
                            Staying put is not something most bass anglers are good at. But the evidence in many tournaments as well experience of many guides, indicates that staying on one productive piece of water is usually the best way to turn a mediocre day into a good one. Leaving fish to find fish has been a common mistake of many tournament anglers for years. Staying put is not as easy as it may seem. Often the lure of other spots is far too tempting.
                             Most of us are inclined to use the trolling motor to hold the boat steady and in the zone of a productive area. This works but eventually the fish begin to make the connection between the sound of the motor and the presence of the lure. Studies have proven that Bass will take more notice of an intermittent sound than they will a continuous sound. The best way to work a spot or group of fish may be to anchor the boat rather than spook the fish with the trolling motor. If your motor is equipped with a continuous speed selecting a slow setting may be the best choice and then leaving it on. This is particularly true when the fish are holding in a close area.
                              One other little bit of information. There is increasing evidence that the signal that your LCR puts out may spook the fish. This is particularly true with the newer more powerful units that have been out for the last few years. There seems to be two ways to counter this. One is to use the unit to locate fish or structure and then simply turn it off. The other is to turn the power way down on the unit once fish are located.**************

                                                                     2/26/2008

               The latest Bassmasters Classic is now part of history. The tournament which was fished at Lake Hartwell near Greenville S.C. was won by Texas angler Alton Jones. Jones who climbed the leader board from 10th place on day one ended with a winning weight of 49.7 lbs.
               The number 2 spot went to Cliff Pace with 44.5lbs.  Pace is from Mississippi and was fishing his 2nd career classic. Third place went to Kevin Van Dam of Michigan. Van Dam had 43.8 lbs.
               The main baits that produced were jigs, crankbaits and jerkbaits. Many of the competitors choose a shallow water crankbait pattern but ultimately the contest was won with a combination of jigs fished to deep standing submerged timber and the jigging spoon. Jones caught his fish in 25 to 35 feet of water fishing the inside edge of submerged timber. On the final day he had just 5 bites all day. He was able to catch all 5 fish for a third day total of 13.7lbs.
              One angler that grabbed a lot of attention was Charley Hartley. Hartley was able to grab the lead the first day and hold on to second place the second day. On the third day his shallow water dock pattern just could not provide enough fish. He had only 2 bass on day three and fell to fifteenth place. Hartley was flipping docks with a jig.
             The lake was down about 10 feet from normal summer pool. The water color ranged from clear in the channel to stained in the creeks. The water temperature ranged from 47 to 50 degrees. Lake Hartwell lacks the rock cover that most of our local lakes in the Knoxville area have so abundantly. The primary cover the fish were holding on was some type wood or residential boat docks. The patterns that many of the anglers were using were very similar to those often found successful at Loudon in late February.  Hartwell is about 130 mile drive from Knoxville.

 

                                                                      2/18/2008

 

                                                                        2/05/2008

        I recently received a frantic call from a person that lives in Heinz Creek area stating that they had just seen a mountain lion. The person excitedly explained that a big cat had run in front of their car on Norris Freeway in the Raccoon Valley section. They stated that the cat was very big and that it nearly caused them to wreck.
         I questioned them about the validity of the sighting. Undoubtedly they had seen a dog or perhaps a very large house cat. The most far fetched imagination could say that maybe they had seen a Bobcat.
          I dismissed this as an overactive imagination but my mind kept going back to something that I along with a friend witnessed many years ago.
          It was a very dark night on Norris Lake. The moon had set early and the partly cloudy sky had diminished the star light. We were fishing the Dollar Island area and had decided to run up to Bear Creek before the early daylight bite. Those of you that know Norris will remember that there is a narrow strand of water at Island F above Crooked Creek that is navigational most of the summer. It is a real shortcut.
           We were approaching this narrow strand so I set the boat down and reached for my spot light to mark the bank on both sides. I shined the light first to the island side and then to the main land side. Suddenly, my light lit a pair of bright blue eyes. We focused in on what was behind the eyes and realized that we were looking at a pair of big black cats. According to the way they were headed we believed they had just crossed over from the island and were headed out the lake bank towards Crooked Creek. We watched with amazement as the two animals trotted away occasionally looking back at us with a guarded concern. The two big cats stayed in our site for approximately 100 yards of shore line before disappearing into the woods never to be seen again.
           My companion and I discussed what we had seen both agreeing that it appeared to be some type big cat. We decided that perhaps it had been two big ferrell cats or could it have been bobcats that appeared dark in the night?
            Witnessing a wild cat of any kind is a very rare site. I have seen a wild bobcat three times during the day light in my entire life. Once near Melton Hill Lake and twice in Arkansas. Wild cats are very nocturnal and very hard to detect in the wild. They frequently move around over a great area leaving very little if any sign.
              Federal Wildlife Officers believe that the eastern cougar is all but extinct. While they admit that the big cats are very hard to detect they can find no proof of there existence in the Appalachian area. Recently there have been and unusual number of reports from people in Virginias Shenandoah National Park and other areas of Cougar sightings. Volunteers will be placing infrared cameras over a 600 mile area of the Appalachian Trail in an attempt to prove that these magnificent animals are not extinct. This 600 miles area is only a portion of the 2100 miles of trail that makes up the Appalachian Trail but if any real evidence is found the area will be expanded 
               Now the question remains, was the sighting of the two black cats near Island F real or the imagination of two over caffeined night fishermen? We will never know but I also know two men that believe that is exactly what they saw.

N

                                                                 1/24/2008


             This year's political arena is as confusing as it has ever been. I cannot ever remember a time when collectively both the Republican and Democratic parties have offered such a diverse group of individuals for our scrutiny.
             I don't usually write about politics. I don't really like politics or politicians. I ran across this little tidbit of information that I thought many of you may find interesting. This is not the big headline news that you will hear on network television.
           Republican Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee has been presented as a grass root type guy with a strong religious background. That is not a bad thing, especially since this country was founded on and made great through our national religious convictions. It has recently been brought out that Huckabee is also and avid lifetime sportsman.
           Ray Scott who is considered by many to be the father of modern day bass fishing recently was quoted as saying this, "I am really pumped about Huckabee's candidacy," "I've never been a one-issue voter and I won't start now, but it's sure exciting to have an authentic angler and hunter as a candidate, not to mention a bona fide conservationist. I was thrilled to find out he's been a life member of BASS since l996.
"Even more important, I believe he truly understands middle America and I'm inspired by his message of hope and prosperity and strength. Like a friend of mine said, he's the 'real deal' and I think more and more people are seeing that".
            It is one thing to be endorsed by one of the biggest names in bass fishing but the story does not end there.  Huckabee was recently listed by Outdoor Life Magazine as one of the top 25 individuals who have had the greatest positive impact on hunting and fishing.
            Most of you that know me realize that I am basically just a country boy that has loved the outdoors all my life. Basic wisdom tells me that if he has a strong Christian conviction and he is an avid friend to the outdoorsmen perhaps we should give him a serious look.

                    Today in American it is estimated that 30 million people fish. That number represents a 4 million angler decline in the last six years. This reduction may initially sound like a good thing. Less crowding on the lake and less competition for the fish may sound good, but further examination proves it is not.
                     Fishermen through their sheer number pack considerable amount of political clout.  These numbers united have stood up to forces that would pollute our waters and against those that would deny us the right to hunt and fish. Fewer numbers weaken our position not only now but in the future.
                     The reduction we have experienced is most visible in the recruitment of young people. Most of us grew up in the outdoors. It has been a time honored tradition handed down from father to son for as many years as this country is old. During the last decade we are seeing fewer young people on the water with their fathers enjoying the time honored sport that has been part of mankind since our most primitive days.
                      In part, some of this may be caused by the misconception that the quality of fishing or hunting is not what it once was. The misconception is that there has been a big reduction in the number of fish available or the amount of game in the wild. I say this is a misconception because the fishing is the best it has been in the last 50- years and the amount of game available for harvest is the greatest it has been in the last 150 years.
                      It is important that all of you that grew up hunting or fishing pass this along to your children and grandchildren. It is only with this continued recruitment that our numbers remain strong It is also through these numbers that we can continue to preserve our wet lands, keep our streams from being overrun by pollution and retain our right to use public waters.

 

                                                                   1/3/2008

 

 

                                                                    12/04/2007

 

 

 

                                                                       11/25/2007

Late fall and early winter fishing is arguably the best fishing of the year in East Tennessee. I make this statement for numerous reasons, one of which is the shear number of fish that can be caught this time of the year. Disregard the great beauty that the area holds, the abundant wildlife that is visible around the area lakes and the wonderful fact that there is almost no one on the water. The numbers of fish that are aggressively biting is tremendous,
During the Thanksgiving week-end, I had the pleasure of fishing two days with Brad Testerman A dentist from Ohio and one day with Lonnie Thomas A retired National Guardsman from Knoxville. in spite of the cold and sometimes wet weather I will have to say it was some of the most enjoyable angling I have done in several weeks. During this three day period we caught and released alive over 70 largemouth and smallmouth bass. There were several smallmouth over 18 inches long and numerous largemouth over 14 inches with one touching the board at near 20 inches, all caught on the humblest of baits. The pig and jig.
No we were not on the largemouth rich waters of Guntersville or the smallmouth haven of Dale Hollow. We were fishing the clear clean waters of Norris aka "The dead sea". Was this a fluke week-end. Not according to my fishing diary. The period between November 15 and December 15 has for years been one of the most productive fishing times of the year on virtually every lake in the Knoxville area.
During this same week-endm,while at the ramp at Loyston Point I talked to two different men that had limits of crappie and another man that had a 7 lb smallmouth.
Next week-end if that tree stand starts to get a little cramped or the rabbits are just not kicking celebrate the Tennessee victory over LSU with a little fun fishing on your favorite Knoxville area lake. It may be the best trip of the year.


Norris                     The surface temperature is 59 and the lake is clear in most locations. Bass fishing is hot over most of the lake. Bass have moved to the main channel stair step rock points and are hitting in less than 10 feet of water. The best baits have been the 1/8 oz Bitsey Bug tipped with a Zoom Teeny chunk or a 4 inch smoke grub rigged on a 1/8 or 3/16 oz ball head. Banks with wind blowing directly in on them are best. Crappie fishing is good. Crappie are hitting small minnows rigged on a green or pink Popeye jig. The crappie are hitting in open water 15 to 20 feet deep in the deeper sections of the creeks. Drifting with the wind has been a good method of locating the fish. Walleye fishing is slow. Striper fishing is fair with the best fishing on the Clinch being above Island F. The stripers have made their fall run up river. Most of the stripers caught have been in the 8 to 10 lb range.


Cherokee                     The surface temperature is 56 and the lake has a slight stain in many locations. While the bass fishing has been a little on the slow side there have been some good reports. The two baits that have been mentioned the most have been the jig and the float and fly. Both are producing some good fish. The lower end of the lake seems to be better than the upper end at this time. Some smallmouth have been caught in the breaks right before dark. Crappie fishing is good. Crappie are hitting fly tipped with minnows along the main channel bluffs. Many reports of strong limits have come in. The crappie are 5 to 15 feet deep. Stripers are hitting shiners 15 to 20 feet deep along wind swept bluffs. The best bite is in the afternoon. Walleye fishing is slow.

Douglas                The surface temp is 53 and the lake is stained to muddy. Bass fishing is fair. Bass are hitting flat side crankbaits like the old Tennessee Homemade. Jerkbaits have also accounted for several undersize smallmouth. Muddy Creek has been a hot area. Crappie fishing is good, Crappie are s6till hitting in open water on the lower end of the lake. The crappie have been 15 to 20 feet deep. Some people are catching them trolling small crankbaits others are drifting minnows to locate the schools. A few sauger have started showing up along the main channel. The normal locations for the sauger are either high and dry or not accessible. This should be a learning year for the die hard sauger fisherman at Douglas.

Loudon Tellico                  Both lakes are stained and 55 degrees. The bass fishing has been fair to good. The guys casting small crankbaits like the deep Wee R or the 300 series bandits have been doing real well. The fish are still in the creeks and pockets along with the shad. Some fish have also been caught on a Carolina Rig on secondary points. Crappie fishing is slow at Loudon but good at Tellico. Crappie have been hitting 12 to 14 feet deep in the major creeks. Hick's creek and Island creek have been hot spots. Grubs or minnows have been best. Below the dam smallmouth fishing has been hot. Smallmouith are hitting jigs or fly's tipped with pork. Brown has been the hot color. Sauger fishing is slow.

Melton Hill                      The surface temp is 58 and the lake is clear. There has not been a lot of activity on Melton Hill in the last few days. Crappie are starting to hit over much of the lake. The crappie are hitting minnows 165 to 25 feet deep in brush. Most fishermen are just dropping the minnow straight to the brush piles. Bass fishing is fair on the lower end. Smallmouth are hitting jigs fished on the main channel points. The best bite has been in less than 10 feet of water. Largemouth are hitting blue and white spinnerbaits in the backs of the creeks. A few reports of Musky have been going around but I didn't find anyone that had actually caught one this week. The water temp should get them going.

 

 

                                                                           11/13/2007

                      

      The best thing about cold weather is the great effect it has on big bass. Every year when we get our first frost soon after the bigger female bass start to show up shallow in the creeks.
        I began to realize this several years ago when I was looking back over my fishing diary. It became very clear that the first frost was followed by a day of catching big bass in shallow water. 
        This year was no exception. Early last week we had our first sub freezing temperatures at night. A couple of days later I was fishing at Norris and found myself enjoying a great buzzbait bite that was rewarding me with 3 plus pound largemouth in numbers. The fish were in less than 3 feet of water and feeding very aggressively.
       I can't really explain this with scientific proven facts but can offer an explanation in good ole boy terms. The sudden lower air temperatures coupled with shorter daylight periods and lower water temperatures signals to the fish that winter is coming. This means it is time to fatten up while the abundant forage of summer is still available. Big ole mama bass takes this signal and decides it is time to move up out of the deeper haunts of summer and consume their prey more often and in greater amounts.
      There are two really good things about this. One is that it continues until the water temperatures drop to the high forties and stay there for several days. Locally this is usually sometime in late December or early November. The other good thing is that you may catch the biggest bass of the year during this time.

Norris                        The water temps are now in the lower 60's and the lake continues to fall. The water is very clear in almost all locations. Bass fishing is good for largemouth and the smallmouth bite is improving. The best baits have been buzzbaits or spinnerbaits with double willow blades. Look for the largemouth in the creeks along banks that have big rock mixed with white gravel. The fish may be very shallow but will be within a short distance of deeper water. The smallmouth are starting to show up in shallow water along the main channel  Look for wind swept banks with rocks and stumps that are along exposed islands. Stripers are hitting above Island F on the Clinch and above Davis Creek on the Powell. Most of the fish have been less than 10 pounds but an occasional bigger fish has been caught. Crappie fishing is fair to good in both rivers. The best bite is early in the morning but can continue all day. Small grubs or tubes have been good baits. Walleye fishing is slow.  

Cherokee                   The lake is clear in most locations. Some creeks on the upper end have stained water. The surface temp is 62 degrees. Bass fishing is fair to good. Bass are hitting suspended baits like the Rogue or Excalibur suspended crankbaits off main channel points. The best depth seems to be 10 to 15 feet. Some bass have hit Zara Spooks in the creeks. Look for this bite to improve. Striper fishing is good. Stripers are hitting shad drifted in open water 10 to 30 feet deep. The best bite has been above the bridge but some fish are hitting below Wani. Crappie fishing is good. Look for the crappie in brush 10 to 15 feet deep on steeper banks.

Douglas                           The lake is holding steady and stained in almost every area. The surface temperature is ranging from 58 on the upper end to 62 at Muddy Creek. Bass fishing is good with the best bite found between Dandridge and Indian Creek. Bass are hitting Shad Raps or Rattle Traps along rocky banks on the main channel. There has been a few bass caught on topwater but the best bite has been on crankbaits or jigs. There have been a good number of big smallmouth caught either on the upper end or at the dam, Crappie fishing is good. The best areas have been Muddy Creek, Indian Creek, or the points between Point 5 and 8. The fish are hitting 10 to 15 feet deep. The best bait has been green or a pink jig tipped with minnows.Sauger fishing is fair to slow. Minnows fished on the bottom in 15 feet of water have been the best bait.

Loudon Tellico                   The lake is steady and stained at Loudon Clear at Tellico. The water temps at Loudon are 62 and it is 65 at Tellico. The bass fishing has really come on. Bass are hitting 200 series bandits cranked under the schools of bait. The size of the bass has been every thing from slicks to 5 pounders and anywhere in between. It seems that there are more numbers coming from the upper end of Loudon but bigger fish coming from the lower end of either lake. Crappie fishing is good on both lakes. The crappie are still hitting around main channel docks at Loudon. The Clear Creek area of Tellico is been a hot spot.

Melton Hill                          The Lake is clear and in the lower 60's. Bass fishing is good over most of the lake. Bass are hitting double willow spinner baits fished in the backs of the creeks or on the back side of current swept points. Silver or white with blue spinner baits have been best. There are also still lots of breaking fish early in the morning. The cool weather has really increased the size of the bass caught. Crappie fishing is fair and improving in the creeks on the upper end. Crappie are hitting plain minnows fished in brush tops 5 to 10 feet deep. Stripers are hitting on the upper end of the lake above the steam plant.

                                                                       11/07/2007

        If you are one of the growing numbers of people that think hunting rabbits requires a pack of beagles and a major land lease you may need to travel back in time. November 10 marks the day that rabbit season opens. In days gone by that date was circled on the calendar just like Thanksgiving or Halloween. It was like the beginning of the real hunting season.
       During the 50's and 60's deer hunting was almost non existent in East Tennessee and wild turkey were very rare. The main source of hunting was small game. Rabbit season opened in November as it does now .Once rabbit season came we were all tired of stalking squirrels through the woods and the dove shooting was a distant memory.
      It was a very special time to many of us. We rarely got to hunt with dogs. Finding rabbits was done with experience of where and what to look for and with the energy of youth. We would walk great distances in a days hunting in order to jump a few rabbits. The hunts success was based on ones ability to shoot more than anything else. Once a rabbit was jumped if you were the one that missed it you were sure to get ridiculed
      The first time I ever hunted with beagles I was amazed that the rabbit would run in a big circle. Once the dogs jumped a rabbit I soon learned to find an opening near by that was a likely area for the rabbit to cross on its return. More often than not this gave you a chance at a shot that was unobstructed. The question was how far ahead of the dogs was the rabbit.
       The day after a snow storm was a great time to hunt. This was especially true if the night had been clear. The rabbits would hold up in very thick underbrush and once the weather changed would begin to move around. The movement created tracks in the snow that would alert you to their location. It was hard to get them to run when the snow was several inches deep. It took a sharp eye to spot them in the heavy cover.
       We didn't have a pack of dogs and our locations were often fence rows, railroad tracks or ditch lines. More often than not our shot guns were single shot and shells were a valuable commodity. It was our big game in that day and came complete with all the excitement of an African safari. 

                                                                        10/30/2007

        From October 18th until October 20th Fort Loudon/Tellico was the host to a prestigious bass fishing tournament that came and went with very little local attention. The Wal-Mart BFL regional championship came to Lenoir City. The tournament featured the 40 top anglers from the Bama, Music City and North Carolina divisions.
        The three day contest was won by Johnny Patterson of Grant Ala. His winning total of 13 bass weighing 22 lbs 13 oz was good for a fully rigged boat and truck.
         This win will advance Patterson to the Wal-Mart BFL All American Classic to be held on the Connecticut River next May. The winner of that event will receive 140,000 in cash. The All American is one of the most prestigious tournaments in bass fishing.
        Patterson had this to say about the tournament. "It was extremely tough to catch fish," Patterson said. "There was a lot of shad on the lake, which made it difficult, and I think the time of year. I just went searching for fish, and I couldn't figure it out. I started out in sixth place, so I really didn't think I had a chance."
       Patterson won the event with a green pumpkin finesse worm

      David Walker of Sevierville was recently named Angler of the Year in the eastern Division of the Wal-Mart FLW Tournament Series. Walker edges out David Fritts of North Carolina to win the title at Pickwick Lake in middle Tennessee. Walker had this to say about fishing the Wal-Mart FLW series. "Consistency is everything out here," said Walker, who has amassed more than half a million dollars in winnings and earned a record 33 top-10 finishes in his FLW Outdoors career. "It's just great to be able to do this against the caliber of anglers that fish the FLW Series. I'm proud to be a part of Team BP, and I couldn't do this without the support of my wife and daughter. They travel with me everywhere I go. It's great to have them along."

 Bandits or spinnerbaits fished in the backs of the hollows. Indian Creek and Muddy Creek have been hot sections. Crappie fishing is good on the lower end. Crappie are hitting 15 to 20 feet deep along the main channel. Trolling small crankbaits or drifting a jig and minnow has been best. Sauger and white bass fishing is slow.
 down trees. Minnows under a float have been the best bait. Striper fishing is starting to pick up. Look for the fish with live shad. Musky fishing is slow.      
          

                                                                        10/23/2007

                     One of the most common topics of conversation lately has been the water depths at many of our lakes. This year's drought and the demand for electricity have caused quite a stir. Rumors are circulating everywhere about how low Douglas is or how low Norris is going to be. 
                      The truth is that the lake levels we are experiencing are what the norm was a decade ago. It was very common for many of the upper reservoirs to experience a drawdown during the winter of 40 or more feet.
                       I launched at Loyston Point this week end. The parking lot for the low water ramp was starting to show. I have not seen that ramp in many years but remember that it was the normal ramp to use every winter in years gone by. If you are not aware of it there is another ramp to the left of the double ramp that we use in the summer at Loyston.
                     Lower lake levels are not necessarily a bad thing. The number of fish contained in the lake remains the same. This means a more dense concentration of the fish which can make it easier to locate numbers of fish. This may sound a little strange but look at all the bare banks that surround the lake. Those areas were capable of holding fish when the lake was full.
                      This is a great opportunity to learn a great deal about the lake. You can see areas that you may have looked at on the depth finder. This will help you relate bottom contours and show you structure that you may have never found without a visual reference. You may be amazed at the location of road beds, foundations and ditch lines.
                       TVA may not be able to fill these lakes to the full mark next summer. Many years in the past the water line was 10 or 15 feet from the tree line during the summer.  This may not be as pretty as a full lake but there are advantages. If the lakes remain at less than full pool next summer you will see all types of bushes, summer grasses, and young trees begin to grow around the edges of the lake. Once the lake is filled these newly grown forms of vegetation will provide cover for the fish and increase the survival rate of the years spawning hatch.
                         Every cloud has a silver lining and while this year's drought may not be the best thing that has ever happened to East Tennessee there is a positive side to the effects. 

                                                                        10/09/2007

Starting about four years ago, I began taking my family to South Carolina each October for a week of rest and relaxation.  It is a great time of the year to visit the coastal South Carolina area.  The crowds of tourists are gone, rates are down and best of all, the fishing is usually great.  I will tell you more about the fishing next week.  This week I want to share a handy fishing tip that all fishermen with poor eyesight can use.
If you are like many of us that have trouble seeing the new low diameter, low vis fishing lines this little devise is a God send.  The device is a simple needle threader.  These little devices commonly come in sewing kits or can be purchased separately in most fabric stores.  When you poke the end of the device through the eye of your hook, it gives you a much larger hole to thread your line through .Simply slip the line through the threader then pull it back through the hook. Now you are ready to tie the perfect palamar knot..

                                                                       10/02/2007

                         The cooler weather that we are currently experiencing should mark a rapid transition to fall patterns for bass. The cooler nights and shorter days should make the shad and other minnows start to school tighter and begin moving into the creeks. This baitfish movement will trigger the bass to move into the creeks also.
        
                         Finding concentrations of shad is very important in defining where the bass are located in the fall. Often bass will simply follow the schools of migrating shad gorging themselves whenever the urge hits them. As the bait and bass adjust to the weather changes they are drawn towards the creeks using the channels as migration routes.

                         The first areas that will hold the fish are the mouths of the creeks where points drop into the creek channels. As the season progresses the fish will move to the secondary points inside the creeks. Finally the bait and bass will position in the back of the creeks. The bait will dictate where and when the bass will move.

                        Once the fall pattern is fully established points, humps, roadbeds or any other edge that the fish can hold on may attract entire schools of bass. The key is to locate these areas in the creeks along the migration route of the shad. Cover is not always necessary. There are times especially in stained water when the bass will feed on barren mud flats.

                                                                       8/18/2007

Temperatures reaching into the upper 90's, trees full of foliage and woods so dry they are like a tender box. This sure does not sound like good hunting conditions .The TWRA has set August 25 as the opening day for the 2007 squirrel hunting season. This day has been established as a free hunting day in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
This special day offers a chance to introduce a youth or an adult to squirrel hunting, the species which most of us started out hunting. It is also a good opportunity for those folks who have not tried hunting in a while to get back into the woods.
On free hunting day, all hunters, residents and non-residents, are exempted from hunting licenses and WMA permits requirements. Not all WMA's are open to hunting on August 25th. Be sure to check the information for particular WMA's in the 2007 Tennessee Hunting and Trapping Guide. Hunters must have either a hunter education card or the new apprentice license (if they fall under the age requirements for mandatory hunter education) on the free hunting day.
In addition to squirrels, those species that have a year-round season will be open as well. The year-round species are: armadillo, beaver, coyote, English sparrow, groundhog, nutria, pigeon, starling, and striped skunk

Norris                 The lake is clear and dropping very fast. The current water levels are close to last years lows. The surface temps are 87 at daylight reaching the lower 90 degree range by mid afternoon. Bass fishing has been tough unless you know a secret location. Bass have been hitting Zoom trick worms rigged shaky head style, ½ oz short armed spinnerbaits or ¾ oz jigs and pigs. The best bite has been from just before dusk until about midnight. Most of the bass caught have been largemouth or spots. The depth has been from 10 to 30 feet. Walleye fishing has been slow. Some fishermen are still working jigging spoons and shad under the lights at night but with little results. The walleye that have been caught are between 30 and 35 feet deep. Stripers are hitting on the extreme lower end of the lake very early in the morning. The top water bite is gone but shad drifted at 25 to 30 feet will catch some under 15 pound stripers. Crappie fishing is slow.
Cherokee             The lake is dropping slowly and slightly stained. Bass fishing is tough at night and tougher during the day. Quality fish are hard to come by. Bass in the 10 to 12 inch size range seem to be every where. The few keepers that are showing up are hitting 20 feet deep at night. Look for the bass to be on main channel humps or drops at that depth. Texas rigged worms or Carolina rigged worms fished slowly have been the only thing working. Striper fishing is very slow. Crappie fishing is slow.
Douglas               The lake is holding steady and has some stain. The surface temps are reaching the lower 90's during the late evening. The only bass that have been caught has been at night. Texas rigged worms in the 10 to 12 inch length have been working. Look for the bass to be on humps or deep main channel points 15 to 25 feet deep. Crappie fishing is slow. Some crappies are hitting on the extreme lower end. Look for crappie 20 to 25 feet deep below Point 3 in the main channel. Trolling or drifting at that depth has been fair.
Loudon Tellico                    The lake is clear to slight stained. The water temps are 92 and the lake is holding steady. Bass fishing is slow. Bass are hitting along main channel structures at night. Texas rigs or jigs have been the best baits. Crappie fishing has slowed this last week with a few fish showing up at Tellico. Notchy creek continues to be the hot area. Walleye fishing at Tellico is slow. The striper bite below the dam is good when water is generating.
Melton Hill                     The lake is clear and holding steady. The surface temperatures range from 69 at Soloway to 75 below Carbide. Bass fishing is great. Bass are hitting along banks with wood cover or on humps in the main channel. Many of the fish are small but there are some quality fish mixed in. There has been a good jerkbait bite. Bass are hitting Texas rigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits or crankbaits. Crappie fishing is slow. A few white bass have been caught above the steam plant. Stripers are hitting at Eagle Bend.    

                                                                        8/07/2007

One thing that I started many years ago is to keep a fishing diary. Each time I am on the lake I record all the vital statistics including water temp, depth, weather, and so on. Over the years I have found that certain patterns or times of the year will produce the same each year,

Recently while reading back over the diary I realized that August is one of the most predictable months of the year for fishing. It is defiantly one of the best months for night fishing and the fish are very predictable as to location and lure presentation.

There are certain environmental factors that are prevalent during August. TVA is always dropping the lakes which creates current. The lakes have usually set up a definite thermo cline which often has a concentrating affect on the depth of fish. The water temperatures are at the highest of the year which affects oxygen content at different depths. 

Because of these factors I know by my diary that certain humps, drops or points will hold fish each year at this time. I also know how the fish will be positioned on the structure which tells me how the bait needs to be presented.

If you don't keep a fishing diary I recommend that you start now. It can improve your fishing as soon as next year.

Norris        Bass fishing is fair to good at night. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits in black or purple or Texas rigged worms in red shad or black. Many of the fish have been in less than 10 feet of water. Stripers are hitting on the lower end of the lake. There has been some surface action early in the morning. Look for the stripers to be holding between 25 and 30 feet deep. Live shad have been the best bait, Walleye fishing is slow. A few have been caught between 30 and 35 feet deep. Crappie fishing is slow.

Cherokee         No reliable report

Douglas         Bass fishing is fair to good at night. Look for the bass on humps or rocky points near deep water. The fish have been 5 to 20 feet deep. Plastic worms or lizards rigged both Texas and Carolina styles have been producing. Crappie fishing is good on the upper end. Live minnows fished directly into deeper brush have been the best method. Sauger fishing is slow.

Loudon Tellico      Bass fishing is good. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits or plastic worms. The best fishing remain at night with the early morning bite improving. The fish have been 5 to 20 feet deep. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting in the Notchy Creek section of Tellico. Grubs have been the best bait. Walleye fishing is fair to good at night on the upper end of the Little T. Look for the walleye to be 20 to 25 feet deep. Below the dam the Striper bite has been good.

Melton Hill                           Bass fishing is good all over the lake. The best bite has been at night but the early late bite has been good. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits. Jigs or worms 5 to 20 feet deep.  Crappie fishing is slow. Below the dam the striper bite has been good when the water is being generated.

                                                                        7/30/2007

                       During the summer many anglers prefer to fish a Texas rigged plastic bait. The types of bait offered are plastic worms, lizards or craws all designed to mimic natural food. When it comes to the preferred food of the bass, crawfish always seem to be a preference. This is why plastic craws are so effective at catching bass.
                        Plastic craws come in many sizes and colors. They are most frequently used with jigs for flipping however I learned many years ago that when Texas rigged they can become one of the best big fish baits you can offer. I prefer the Guido Bug type craw in the 4-inch length. There are several other brands or styles available. Some of the more popular are Big Claw, Hales Craw worm or the Berkley Power craw. One main feature the craw needs to be effective is flexible claws. When a crawfish goes into the defensive posture it raises its pinchers up. .
                       Rigging the bait is no different than rigging any Texas rig. Simply insert the hook about one quarter of an inch into the tail, rotate the hook pulling it through the bait. Re-insert the hook point into the body of the bait pushing it almost all the way through but not quite. I use weights from 1/4 oz up to 5/8 oz depending on the depth I am fishing. I prefer a wide gap hook that allows better penetration into the fish's mouth.
                        Working the craw correctly is somewhat different from working a plastic lizard or worm. The correct presentation is very important. Everyone who has every tried to catch live craws in a creek knows that they move extremely fast from one rock to another. Work the bait with sharp quick jerks of the rod moving the lure about 12 to 18 inches with each jerk. Allow the bait to set for short pause and repeat. This is a much faster presentation than what you would use with some other plastic baits.
                         Good areas to fish this bait are chunk rock banks of gravel rock mixed banks. Remember you are trying to imitate a real craw in its natural habitat.


Norris                The lake continues to drop and is very clear. Bass fishing is fair at night and early in the morning. The best bite during the day is from breaking fish. The night bite is from 10 to 25 feet deep along main channel points. Texas rigged plastics in red hues have been best. Early in the morning there has been some topwater action shallow around visible wood cover. Watch for breaking fish in open water. Crappie fishing is slow. Some crappie are hitting under lights at night in Davis Creek or Lost Creek. Striper fishing is good. The stripers are hitting on the surface early in the morning. The best areas have been Loyston, Between Point 19 and Point 9 and at Cove Creek. The breaking fish have been a cross between stripers and smallmouth. Walleye fishing is fair to slow. Trolling during the day at 30 feet or jigging at night between 25 and 30 feet has been best. The best night baits have been jigging spoons or live shad.

Cherokee               The report form Cherokee is rather brief. The night bite has been good. Bass are hitting DD22 crankbaits before dark and spinnerbaits or baby brush hogs after dark. Rock structures have been best.


Douglas                 The lake level is holding stable. Bass fishing is fair top good at night. Texas rigged plastics in red bug or red shad have been best. Look for the fish along main channel or secondary points. Early in the morning there have been a few fish hitting buzzbaits. Crappie fishing is fair. Trolling small crankbiats in the creeks has been best. The crappies have been 10 to 20 feet deep. Sauger are hitting up river near the mouth of the Pigeon.

Loudon Tellico                  There have been lots of breaking fish early in the morning or on overcast days on Loudon. Casting to the breaking fish has yielded bass or white bass. Small Rattle traps or jerk baits have been best. The night bite has been good on both lakes. Plastic baits in watermelon or pumpkin colors have been best. The fish have been 5 to 10 feet deep at night. Crappie fishing is fair to good at Tellico. The Notchy Creek area has been best. Small grubs have been the hot bait. Walleye fishing is good at Tellico. The best areas have been on the Little T near Toqua boat ramp. Below the dam striper fishing has been good when water is discharged.

Melton Hill                        Bass fishing is good during the day and better at night. Bass are hitting Texas rigs or spinnerbaits along main channel rock banks during the day. If there are some blow downs along the rock there is a fish on them. During the day the bass are from 5 to 20 feet deep. The night bit is a little shallower. Buzzbaits or spinnerbaits seem to be best at night. Look for the bass along points on the lower end. Crappie fishing is fair at Bull Run. Look for the crappie to be 5 to 15 feet deep around brush. Musky fishing is slow. Striper fishing is best in the Eagle Bend area. Below the dam the stripers are hitting

 

                                                              7/11/2007

            Chris Henderson the manager at One Limit Bait Shop in Farragut just returned from what many of us would consider the fishing trip of a life time. Chris was the quest of Shimano Tackle at El  Salto in Mexico.
             Shimano invited its best retailers from across the country to come to El Salto to test the new line of rods and reels that will soon be debuting at shops across the country. What better location to test the new tackle. El Salto is arguably the best bass lake in the world at this time
We are talking world class fishing where the throw backs weight 3 to 4 lbs.
             Chris traveled from Knoxville to Houston. Next was a short hop to Mazatlan Mexico. Finally he was greeted by staff from the Anglers Inn for the short 1 ½ hour drive into the mountains of Mexico to El Salto.
            Anglers Inn is great fishing lodges complete with tackle shop, restaurant, air conditioned rooms and cable TV. This would be home base for the next few days. The daily routine consisted of fishing from 5:30 AM until 12:30. From 12:30 until 3:30 was lunch and siesta. Then back on the lake until sundown.
           Chris reports that the number of 4 to 7 lb bass caught was incredible. The first two days he fished with a guide catching 100 bass per day. The average catch for the group was between 50 and 70 fish per day all in this industrial size class. The single biggest fish caught that week was a little over 12 lbs. El Salto has bass over 14. These were not bedding bass caught with shiners over grass beds. These fish were caught with conventional tackle. The best baits were magnum crankbait, Storm swimbaits, 10 inch worms and 8 inch lizards.
            The El Salto bass become big and mean feeding on a diet of Tilapias. These protein rich bait fish along with the extended growing season create a tremendous group of big bass. Chris mentioned that even with catching nearly 400 bass along with his partner catching close to the same none of the fish had old hook marks in their mouths. This lake has an incredible number of these big fish.
            On the final day Chris elected to tell his guide "Quiero sacar una lobina grande" translated it means, I want to fish for big fish only. On this day Chris caught around 40 to 50 bass but that 15 lb beauty eluded him. The single biggest bass Chris caught this week was 7 ½ lbs but the number of 5 and 6 lb bass he caught was unbelievable.



Norris                           The lake is falling and very clear. The only stained water is from boat wakes. The best fishing is at night. Bass are hitting plastic worm's craws or lizards at night. The depth seems to be 15 to 20 feet. Look for the bass along main channel points. During the day fishing is very slow. There is some surface action in open water. Stripers are hitting on the lower end of the lake. The Cove Creek area has been prime. Walleye are hitting 25 to 30 feet deep for trollers during the day and 20 to 25 feet deep at night. Walleye fishing is much better at night using shad caught from the lantern light. Crappie fishing is slow.


Cherokee                      The lake continues to fall and has some green stain. The best fishing is on the lower end or above Fall Creek at night. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits or jigs 10 to 20 feet deep along main channel rock drops or humps off shore. Stripers are hitting on the lower end. Look for the stripers early or late in the day 25 to 30 feet deep. Live shad is the best bait. Crappie fishing is slow.


Douglas                        The lake is low and falling. The water color is murky. Bass fishing is good at night or early morning. Bass are hitting plastic worms along main channel drops 15 to 25 feet deep. Look for the bass with the bigger worms in the 7 to 10 inch size range. Typical red hues are best. Crappie fishing is hit or miss. The best method is to troll small crankbaits 15 to 20 feet deep. Indian creek and Muddy creek have been the better areas.

Loudon Tellico                 The lake is steady and Loudon has a great amount of muddy color to the water. Bass fishing is good at night on both lakes. The best baits are Texas rigged Power worms fished 10 to 15 feet at night. The bite is much better when water is pulled through the lake by TVA. The early morning bite is good at Tellico. Deep diving crankbaits fished off shore to deep points or humps is producing some good fish. Crappie fishing is slow on both lakes. Walleye fishing is fair at Tellico. Look for the walleye at night 20 to 25 feet deep. Below the dam the stripers are hitting when water is discharged.

Melton Hill                          The lake is steady and clear. Bass fishing is good especially in the afternoons when TVA is pulling water. Look for the bass with a Texas rigged 5 inch watermelon colored lizard. The best areas are rocky main channel points or the ends of blow downs located on the inside bends of the river, Crappie fishing is slow. Below the dam stripers are hitting shad when the water is on.       

 

 

                                                            7/2/2007

   Summer weather is now upon us. Hot temperatures and rising water temperatures not only have an effect on us but also on the fish we catch. Summer water temperatures delete oxygen from the water and add to the stress suffered by fish that you may catch and place in your live well.

                   Studies have taught us that during the summer up to 50 percent of the fish we release perish within three days after being set free. If you do not have a reason to place the fish in the live well, release the fish as soon as you catch it. Keeping the fish out of the water the least amount of time possible greatly increase its survival.

                   If you must place the fish in a live well with the intention of later releasing them take time and pay close attention to their care. Follow these easy steps and do your part to preserve the species.

            1) Make sure that your live well is well ventilated and that your aerator is working properly.
            2) Close off your live well when moving from place to place so the water remains in the live well.
            3) Make use of products such as catch and release or add ice to reduce the water temperature in the live well.
             4) Avoid touching the fishes body. When handled the protective slim the fish is coated with, is removed. During the summer infections are more likely to attack the fish and this coating is a natural guard against infection. Try to always handle the fish in the mouth area
           .5) Never present a fish for weighing in a tournament without placing it in a weigh in bag full of water
          . 6) Return the fish to the lake as soon as possible. We must all do our part to preserve the resource.
            Don't kill your catch.


              Norris                  The lake is dropping and very clear. Bass fishing is fair to good at night or very early in the morning.  Bass are hitting plastic worms and spinner baits at night. Most strikes are coming from 12 to15 feet of water. Walleye continue to hit on the lower end at night. Most of the fish have been 25 to 30 feet deep. Live shad has been the best bait. Trolling spinner/worm rigs has been fair during the day at the same depth. Stripers are hitting between point 19 and the Boy Scout Camp in the early mornings. There has been some top water action.  Crappie fishing is slow.


              Cherokee               Bass fishing is fair. Bass are hitting around rocky points 10 to 15 feet deep. Carolina Riggs and crank baits have been the best baits and there has been some top water activity early in the morning. Rockfish are hitting from point 4 to point 19. Live shad have been the best bait but some are hitting deep diving crank baits. Crappie fishing is slow.

               Douglas                  Bass fishing is good; Bass are hitting Carolina rigged lizards during the day and Texas rigs at night. Some fish continue to hit top water around brush early in the morning. Most of the fish are hitting 8 to 12 feet deep but the biggest bass have been 20 to 25 feet deep. Big 10 inch Power Worms have been a best bait at night. Crappie fishing is fair. Crappie are being caught trolling plugs 15 to 20 feet deep. The best locations have been in the deeper sections of the creeks.

               Loudon/ Tellico           Bass are hitting good on both lakes. The fish are on the main channel points and hitting from the surface to 12 feet deep. Early in the day Flukes or slugos are catching good numbers of fish. During the heat of the day Texas rigged worms cast to deeper cover or docks are producing. The night bite has been best witrh jigs or Texas rigs. Crappie fishing is slow. Bluegills are hitting on gravel banks along the main channel. White Bass are in the jumps in the Concord area. Walleye are hitting well at night on Tellico. The fish are between 20 and 25 feet deep.


               Melton Hill                   Bass fishing is fair to good. There has been a big flow of water through the lake while TVA has been making power at Norris. The best fishing has been when current is present. Bass are hitting around wood cover on the main channel. Plastic worms or lizards rigged Texas style or on a lead head have been best. The night bite has been good, The best bait at night has been a black buzz bait or a spinnerbait. Crappie fishing has been very slow. White bass and Stripers have been in the jumps. 

                                                                    6/11/2007


                    Often I am asked where fish are located, what type lure or color the fish are hitting and even what depth the fish are at. The question that I seldom hear is what presentation do the fish want.
                     Presentation is simply the manner in which the lure is shown to the fish. Some days the fish may want a very fast retrieve and others a slow and irregular cadence may be called for. There are times when the presentation is more important than lure color or even location.
                      One day recently while fishing Norris I was once again reminded of how important the presentation can be. On several mornings prior to the day I had been catching fish on a particular bank on a Zara Spook. The fish had been chasing minnows and roaming an area that was fairly abundant in recently flooded cover. This particular morning as I approached the area in much the same way everything seemed to be the same. The same type cover. The depth was the same the difference was that the fish were not reacting to the same retrieve that I had been catching them on for several days.
                      The fish were not gone from the area. They had simply changed the way they were relating to the cover. In this case it was sycamore trees. The bass had moved much tighter to the cover and were far less willing to chase bait. On that morning the fish wanted the lure to brush against or hit the foliage on the trees. Once I understood the fish's mood I was able to adjust my presentation in a manner that allowed the bait to brush the leaves of the trees on every cast. The result was several very nice bass.
                     Each time you are on the water vary the retrieve that you use until you catch a fish. Once you catch a fish continue to use that same retrieve. If you continue to catch fish on that presentation you may have found the pattern for the day. If no additional fish are caught then proceed with the random retrieved in order to discover a more desirable presentation.
                    Over the years of fishing with many good anglers I have realized the more successful ones all varied their retrieves. Not only did they vary their retrieves they also were very good at remembering exactly what they were doing when the fish hit. Add this habit to your fishing routine and you will become a more successful angler.


Norris                            The Lake is clear and falling. Bass fishing is good after midnight or very early after daylight. Bass are hitting 4 inch finesse worms fished 8 to 15 feet deep on main channel points, short arm spinnerbaits slow rolled along the bottom or buzzbaits cast to trees off the bank. Look for the bass on rock gravel mixed main channel points or deeper secondary points. Over the week end the bite was much better after the moon came up. Striper fishing is fair to good. There is some top water action early in the morning in the Loyston area. Tight lining shad has been the best method once the sun gets on the water. Crappie fishing is very slow. Walleye fishing is fair to slow at night and terrible during the day. The best catches have been by snagging shad under the lights at night and casting them out side the light.


Cherokee             Bass fishing at night is good. Bass are hitting pig and jigs or Texas rigged worms. Look for the bass in submerged brush along rocky gravel banks. Most of the fish have been hitting in the 10 to 15 foot depth range at night. Hybrid striper fishing is slow but striper fishing is fair. There has been some occasional top water action on the lower end. The stripers are hitting late in the day or at night. Look for the fish to be 20 to 25 feet deep. Crappie fishing is slow.


Douglas                     Bass fishing is hot at night. Bass are hitting along the main channel points from 2 to 15 feet deep. The best bait has been the Texas rigged worm. The typical Douglas red hues are the popular baits. Bluegills are starting to really turn on. Look for the gills around roadbeds or gravel bottom areas. Crappie fishing is fair early in the morning. Trolling creek channel areas has been best.

Loudon Tellico             Bass fishing is great. The biggest problem has been size. It has been easy to catch 10 to 13 inch largemouth but keepers have been elusive. Look for the better bass off shore along drops or humps. Big DD22 crankbaits or Carolina rigged worms have been the best bait. The night bite has been some better. Spinnerbaits fished in the same locations have been good. Crappie fishing is slow. Crappies have moved to deeper water and have been a little hard to locate. Look for the crappie to be in brush 15 to 20 feet deep in the creeks. The upper creeks at Tellico have been the best areas. Walleye fishing has slowed at Tellico. Walleye are still hitting night crawler harness rigs trolled 20 to 30 feet deep along the main channel.

Melton Hill                     Bass fishing is fair to good. Bass are hitting along main channel rock points or primary points in the deeper creeks. Look for the fish to hit a Carolina rig or Texas rig in the watermelon type colors. If TVA is pulling water go the the inside cuts or humps. Crappie fishing is slow. Few people have been targeting crappie but those that are have reported slow results. Musky fishing is slow.

 

                                                                     5/29/2007

                                                  

              Gus Symons of Knoxville went to the French Broad River below Douglas Lake recently. His intention was to catch bait. The result was a new state record fish.
               Symons is an avid catfish fisherman. In fact he fishes tournaments for catfish around the Knoxville area on a regular basis. To date his biggest catfish caught on rod and reel is 45 lbs. This fish was caught from the Tennessee River below Loudon Dam.
               Symons had been trout fishing this day and decided to stop at the river and catch some bait for his next cat fishing trip. Using a fly rod he began casting the river for shad. Symons caught a Gizzard Shad that was 11 inches long and when weighed on official scales hit 7.4 oz's. In recounting the catch Symons stated "we usually catch the shad up to 8 or 9 inches long but this fish was much longer"
                Symons kept this shad separate from the rest of the shad and then checked on the possibility of it size being a record. What he found was that there had been no state record registered for a Gizzard Shad. Symons decided to register the fish with the state and according to Sheila Dalton with the TWRA has a new state record Gizzard Shad.
                A quick check of the State of Tennessee record book shows that there are seven other species that are listed as available in Tennessee waters but have never had an entry. These are the Silver Carp, River Sucker, Goldfish, Grass Pickerel, Shovel Nose Sturgeon, Quillback, and Striped Mullet.
                Symons is busy getting ready for his next catfish tournament at Norris in June. His state record Gizzard Shad is being mounted. Symons remarked "when I do catch a state record catfish I will have it mounted and I will have a state record shad for bait" 


Norris                     The lake is very clear. The water temperature is in the upper 70's. Bass fishing is good at night or very early in the morning. Bass are hitting short armed spinnerbaits at night along rocky banks with a deep water access. Slow rolling seems to be the better retrieve. Largemouth are hitting Pop R's or spooks after daylight on gradually sloping main channel rock banks. Crappie fishing is slow. Stripers are hitting in the breaks from Island F to Hickory Star early in the day. Walleye are hitting best at night. Shad caught from the lantern light and drifted 10 to 20 feet deep outside the light has been best.


Cherokee               The reports from Cherokee have been slow coming in. Here is what I have, bass fishing is good at night but slow during the day. Bass are hitting 8 to 12 feet deep along main channel banks. Short arm spinnerbaits or black crankbaits have been the hot baits. Striper fishing is good on the lower end of the lake. The stripers are hitting 20 to 25 feet deep. The best bite is late in the day.

Douglas                   The bass bite at Douglas has gone nocturnal. Bass are hitting Carolina Rigged lizards on main channel points at night. Early in the morning there has been some topwater activity. Crappie fishing is slow over all. There have been reports of good catches coming from main lake areas between Points 6 and 8.  Sauger and white bass are still hitting on the extreme upper end.

Loudon Tellico                        Bass fishing is good on both lakes. The bass are hitting finesse worms or c rigs during the day and spinnerbaits or Texas rigs at night. The fish have moved to main lake structure and are hitting along points drops or humps. Crappie fishing has slowed as the crappie are transitioning to deeper water. A few good cathes of keeper size crappie have come from Tellico. Trolling is the best method of locating the fish. Walleye are starting to hit at Tellico. Trolling nightcrawler harness rigs has been best. Most of the fish have been 12 to 20 feet deep.

Melton Hill;                   Bass fishing is hot,. Bass are hitting shakey head worms or Texas rigged lizards along secondary points. The hot color is watermelon. Cast to any shore line cover. Crappie fishing remains fair with crappie still coming from the major creeks. Musky fishing is slow. Stripers are starting to hit in the main river channel up stream from the steam plant.                   

 

 

                                                                        5/22/2007                                       


            This is the time of the year when the majority of my lake fishing turns nocturnal. Warm temperatures, clear water and aggravating boat traffic make me a night time angler.
             One daytime fishing pursuit that I always enjoy is floating the Clinch for trout. Last Friday I did just that.
             TVA had scheduled the discharge to start at 3:00 PM with one generator running until 10:00 PM. It takes a good hour for the water to get down as far as Miller Island so I arranged for my son and me to meet a friend at the River Road ramp at 4:00.
             The three of us started out by motoring up to the wear dam and floating with the current down stream. It didn't take long to see that this was going to be a great day. We had the river to ourselves and the weather could not have been better. This is one of East Tennessee's rare treasures. The beauty of this river is second to none. There were lots of wild roses blooming along the shore line along with a golden flower that I do not know the name of. The water here is as clear as fresh rain cold and clean.
               We had not floated more than 200 yards when my son hooked into a spunky brown on a 2 5/8 inch countdown. This set the stage for an afternoon of fast and furious action. We concentrated our fishing between the wear and the ramp. With only one generator running we were afraid to go below Miller Island for fear of shallow water.
                During the next three hours we easily caught and released our limits keeping only a few of the fattest for the grill. The trout seemed to be everywhere. We caught 3 or more on every float down the river.
               This was truly a relaxing afternoon spent in one of God's most beautiful settings. It seemed strange to think that people have probably been catching trout from this river for several thousand years. You only have to think and imagine a group of ancient Native Americans herding the fish into a fish trap in years that are all but forgotten.
             It just shows that the more things change the more they stay the same.

              Steve Symons of Knoxville has a new state record fish. Tune in next week to find out what and how he caught it, also we will see what happens about the wild black bear that has a Southerland Ave neighborhood watching what they do outside.

 

                                                                         5/07/2007

         It seems that rarely can a week go by without someone mentioning a method called the Shaky Head Worm. This method seems to be the latest and greatest method for catching fish under less than perfect conditions.
         The Shaky head is actually more a combinations of rigging and working than an actual lure type.  To rig the Shaky Head all one needs is some common lead head jigs and some straight tail finesse worms. Conventional wisdom shows to hook the worm on the lead head in a texposed type method. This is a great way to rig it if you are fishing heavy cover like bushes or weeds. This is accomplished by hooking the worm Texas style, only with the lead head. You can also rig the worm, grub style which may actually work better when fishing rock or gravel type surfaces. This rigging style leaves the hook exposed.
         The worm should be a basic do nothing style worm in the 4 to 6 inch length. There are several brands that are locally popular. Zoom Finesse worms are one of the more popular brands followed closely the Berkley Finesse worm which come in a power bait formula. The smaller length often works best when the fish are inactive.
           Lighter weights such as the 1/8oz lead head with a 2.0 or 3.0 hook are necessary for proper rigging but a 3/16 or 1/16 oz may be in order to match the mood of the fish or the depth you are fishing. In most case the 1/8 oz will work best.
            The commonly accepted method of working the worm is to cast it out and allow it to settle on the bottom. Once the lure has settled raise your rod tip allowing a little slack to remain in the line. Shake the end of your rod against the slack trying to make the lure quiver without actually moving it forward. This may take a little practice to get the feel for but is a fairly easy movement to master. The action is best imparted by using a 7 to 7 ½ foot medium action spinning rod and a very limber line of 6 to 8 lb test.
             You old timers will remember rigging this way back in the 1960.s before bullet head weights became common. It may also remind you of the old jig and eel method of rigging a Crème worm. It is a new way of working an old rig that is currently very effective in triggering strikes from inactive fish.

                                                       4/26/2007

    The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has recently released it latest list of waters and fish which may contain pollutants or bacteria, The list contains warning for expectant mothers ,nursing mothers ,children and adults, While there are some waters that contain total warnings against the consumption of any fish others contain less stringent warnings. It has been determined recently that the risk to children that consume fish that contains mercury is much higher than was previously believed.
       Once you read the report it becomes obvious that you cannot determine the risk by the appearance of the water. This is extremely true of both Norris and Tellico. There is virtually no water in our area that does not contain some type warning or restriction. The report does dispel some of the local legends about the pollution levels in many waters.
       The Emory River above Harriman and the entirety of Popular Creek contain the strongest warnings about the consumption of any fish. Both of these waters empty into Watts Bar. There are many other waters that contain warning due to mercury contamination or PCB. Norris is considered by many to be clean and pollution free. There are no major cities located on the lake or its tributaries. This year Norris contains a warning against the consumption of largemouth bass from the dam upstream covering the entirety of the Clinch River arm. The pollutant is mercury. Tellico is considered by many to be clean on the upper end. Tellico has warning about the consumption of catfish. The contaminant is both PCB's and Mercury. Loudon in its entirety is polluted by PCB's. Melton Hill which is considered a real problem child by the general public contains warnings against consuming Catfish due to PCB,s but is actually one of the better lakes in our area.. Cherokee has long had advisories against the consumption of catfish now has largemouth bass added to the list if caught above Poor Valley Creek. The chief pollutant is mercury.
        The two species mentioned time and again are catfish and largemouth bass. Species such as crappie, walleye, sauger or trout are not mentioned as containing significant amounts of any type contaminants. This however is not true of the Emory River or Popular creek which has the strongest warnings for all species of fish. 
         These warning are not new. They are just new to some bodies of water. The first warnings of this type came as early as the 1970's when it was discovered that fish at Cherokee contained high levels of mercury. The question is not will the fish be contaminated. The question is what can we do to change it?

                                                                     4/19/2007                                                            

Master Foods USA, The White Oak Longbeards NWTF, Wal-Mart and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will sponsor a fishing rodeo to be held in the Cleveland area.  The event is designed for any person who is disabled and enjoys fishing and the outdoors.
The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 5, at the Master Foods USA plant, located off of Paul Huff Parkway on Peerless.  Directions to the event are:  Peerless Road (1 mile from Paul Huff Parkway or .8 miles from 25th Street).  Turn at Gate 4 (Contractor's Gate); follow road to pond.  Master Foods USA, previously known as M & M Mars, is extremely happy to be working with TWRA to provide this fishing opportunity for the handicapped public of all ages.  Anyone who is disabled is encouraged to join us for a fun day of fishing, food, and prizes.
Food, drinks, and Mars candy will be provided by Master Foods USA, The White Oak Longbeards NWTF, TWRA and Wal-Mart are donating prizes for the free event. 
If you have additional questions, please contact: C. J. Jaynes at 423-336-1935.

                                                                             4/16/2007

The weather has been the wildest that I can ever remember. First it is cold them it is hot then it is raining or snowing. Who knows what is next. The strangest part is how little it has affected the fish and how much it has affected the fisherman.
Two weeks ago when the weather took a sudden turn for the cold most guys stayed by the fire, but I know some guys who were on Norris and experienced one of the best week-ends of the spring. This past Sunday with torrential downpours and dropping temperatures I know of one die hard that caught some real chunky bass on a Jig at Cherokee.
This proves one thing. The instinct to reproduce is stronger than the desire for comfort to a bass. In fact this time of the year when the bass has love on its mind it is hard for Mother Nature to distract the bass from there intended mission. The cold weather and a sudden drop in water temperature may put them off temporarily but as soon as a little warm weather returns they are right back at the task on hand.
Cold weather seems to affect the fisherman much more than it does the fish. When we are uncomfortable we tend to loose patience, fish faster and spend more time trying to find a bite rather than settling down and catching the fish. We run all over the lake instead of staying put where we know the fish should be. Staying put is not something most Bass anglers are good at. But the evidence in many tournaments as well experience of many guides, indicates that staying on one productive piece of water is usually the best way to turn a mediocre day into a good one.
Leaving fish to find fish has been a common mistake of many tournament anglers for years. When the weather gets tough don't run all over the lake. Slow down and fish the area that you know is holding fish thoroughly. 

                          

                                                              4/3/2007
.
             For many fishermen one of the toughest challenges in fishing is finding bass in unfamiliar waters. It does not matter if it is a lake you have never fished before or an area of a lake you are unfamiliar with, often fear of the unknown will cloud even the most experienced anglers thinking.

                       The key to finding bass quickly is locating and working thoroughly several obvious types of structure that bass regularly use. Structures you normally fish on your home water will most likely be productive on other waters. A number of options can be found if you will only be observant.
     
                        Start out by looking for familiar situations and patterns such as points. Riprap, roadbeds, blow downs or rocky areas. Pay close attention to positioning factors such as current, sun, shade, watercolor and wind. These are all parts of the puzzle that you are trying to put together.

                        Once you find one of these hot spots or a particular type of cover that is holding fish, more than likely the technique you have already mastered will work as will as they do on your home lake. One thing I have learned about bass over the years is that a bass in Mississippi is the same creature as a bass in Michigan and they will act the same regardless of where they are.

                          Many times the key factor in catching fish on unfamiliar water is simply to use the things that you do know to understand the things that you don't

 

 

                                                                   3/6/2007
            From the number of fishermen that have reported good catches on jerkbaits one would have to believe that the early pre-spawn has started. These reports have come in from Melton Hill, Douglas and Norris.
            The surface temperatures have been as high as 55 on the upper end of Cherokee, Norris and Loudon. The cold front that came through over the week end had a strong effect on the water temps. Some fisherman noted a drop of as much as 10 degrees on Saturday. The French Broad got a good dose of melted snow Sunday and Monday. The mountains between Newport TN and Canton NC had as much as 5 inches of accumulating snow.
             The biggest complaint on the weather has been the wind. Fishermen at Cherokee and Douglas found swells as high as 4 feet. Some said the waves were the biggest they had ever encountered Saturday when gust of up to 40 MPH were found.
             The weather will be what it will but there is one thing you can count on. Mama Bass will be moving up into shallow water soon with love on her mind. The next 6 to 8 weeks will be magic for the bass fisherman.
             Don't forget that your fishing license expired on the last day of February. The best day on the water can go sour with a greeting from the TWRA.

 

                                                                    2/27/2007

        Strange as it may seem the 2007 Bassmasters Classic has come on gone. It does seem strange for the classic to be at the begging of the season instead of the end. It is almost like playing the World Series before the first ball is thrown out to open the season in pro baseball.
               This years classic was won by first time qualifier Boyd Duckett of Demopolis, Ala. Duckett flipped his way to a third day five bass weigh-in of 17lb 13 oz to over come Kevin Van Dam's second day lead. Van Dam had charged from far back in the pack on day two with a 19lb 14oz weight to start day three in the lead.
               Duckett's total three day weight of 48-10 came in 6 ounces ahead of Skeet Reese to take home the $502,000 first place prize. Reese had a three day total of 48-4 for second while Van Dam fell to third with 45-4.
               Duckett set a new record in his first and only classic qualifier. He is the first angler to ever win the classic in his home state. Duckett qualified through the Bassmaster Southern Tour. He has lived in Ala. Since 1991 but had never even attended the classic as a spectator reserving that pleasure until he was able to compete in the prestigious event.
                 Duckett said his key was to "follow the fish" each day and not get hung up on what they'd been doing previously. He caught his limit with a Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap each day and then culled up with his flipping stick and a Berkley Powerbait Chigger Craw.  Duckett lead on day 1 gave up his lead on day 2 and then slammed the door on day three ahead of several more experienced powerful anglers. His catch also included an 8-2 on Day 1 and a 6-9 on day three. These were the two single biggest bass weighed in.

                                                                   2/19/2007

 
                        A few nights ago as I sat watching the snow fall in the flood lights on the back of my house I could not stop my thoughts from wandered to warm summer nights of days gone by . No matter how many good days or nights you spend on the water there are certain ones that stand out more than others. Set back and read this as I take you back to warm summer nights.
                         Darkness fell with a calm and peaceful quiet that can only be felt on a warm summer night. The early storm had cooled down the air and most of the boats had left the lake. Earlier there had been dozens of Jet Ski's and Cruisers churning the lake with a continuous volley of boat wakes.
                         As the stars began to show the lake was calm and peaceful. In a distant hollow you can hear the calling of an owl and shortly you hear another owl answer it from the ridge above. That same ridge is outlined by the glow of the moon starting to rise behind it. The sky turns a dark blue with streaks of white clouds as a moon as big as the world begins to show itself from behind the ridge. What beauty God has provided.
                          Suddenly, all is interrupted by the jerking feel of a bass crushing the Texas rig on the end of my line. I set the hook and watch as the smallmouth races towards the surface. The fish explodes into the air in a beautiful leap that is frozen against the moon lit water. Time stands still for just a brief moment in honor of the fish's majestic leap. Smallmouth is truly special fish.
                            The bite is good that night and many smallmouths repeat that scene as the night wears on. Afterwards one has to reflect and thank God that we are fortunate enough to be born in the land of the free where we can enjoy such simple pleasures. Never take the simple pleasures for granted. They are the best.
                           

                                                                   2/12/2007

The TWRA would like to remind everyone that February 28 marks the expiration of the 2006-2007 Tennessee Hunting and Fishing Licenses. The expiration of the licenses coincides with the time when most hunting seasons in the state end and the prime fishing begins. Your current license is good until the last day of February. The 2007-2008 year will go on sale beginning Sunday, February 18.

Resident licenses may be purchased by: persons who possess a valid Tennessee driver's license; persons who have lived in Tennessee for 90 consecutive days with the genuine intent of making Tennessee their permanent home. Military personnel on active duty in this state and their immediate families, who reside with them, are eligible for resident licenses as well as students who are enrolled in a Tennessee school, college, or university for at least six months. A Social Security number is required to purchase a Tennessee hunting or fishing license.

Licenses may also be purchased on-line on TWRA's website: www.tnwildlife.org and charged to a credit card. Licenses may also be ordered by telephone and charged to a credit card by calling 1-888-814-8972. All licenses purchased by credit card will be charged a $3.95 processing and handling fee.

The weather the last couple of weeks has not been fit for man nor beast. Most but the very hardy have been by the fire. Fishing has been slow for the most part. The exception has been the steam plant areas and a few people fishing for crappie in the lakes. Many bass fishermen are getting ready for their season opening tournaments with-in the next 4 weeks. This will put more anglers on the water as fisherman try to air out the kinks.



Norris                 The lake is 45 on the lower end and 36 in the rivers. Many of the hollows on the upper end of both lakes have been frozen over. There have been very few folks on the water. Bass fishing has been very tough. The only things working have been the float n fly, silver buddy's or a jig tipped with a minnow. The center sections of the hollows in lost creek have been good. Both largemouth and smallmouth have been either 25 to 30 feet deep or suspended at the ends of bluffs. Crappie fishing has been fair to good with the good being very early in the morning or on overcast days. Crappie are hitting around brush 5 to 10 feet deep. The major creeks have been the spots. Stripers have been found above 33 bridges in the main channel. The best baits have been shiners either drifted or trolled. Overall the striper bite has been slow. Walleye fishing is slow.


Cherokee             No report


Douglas                     The lake is 36 degrees and stained. There have been reports of ice above swans. Bass fishing has been slow for the few that have been out. Crappie fishing has been great in numbers but only about 1 in 4 has been keepers. Crappie are hitting small jigs tipped with minnows. Below the dam Sauger fishing has been good. Sauger are hitting chartreuse jigs tipped with minnows fished along the bottom.


Loudon Tellico                      The lake is 38 degrees and clear. Bass fishing has been very slow. Bass are hitting the float n fly or hair jigs along bluff banks. Crappie fishing is good on Tellico. The creeks on the upper end have been best. Pain minnows or jigs tipped with a minnow have been best. Walleye are hitting up the Little T. The best baits have been 1 oz jigs fished on the bottom. Some are tipping the jigs with a minnow other a worm. The best Walleye bite has been 15 to 20 feet deep along clay bottoms.


Melton Hill            The lake is 46 and clear the steam plant is 65. Bass fishing is fair on the lower end. Bass are hitting jigs and craws or a fly tipped with a minnow. The bass are hitting along main channel rock points 5 to 25 feet deep. Crappie fishing is hot. Crappie are hitting in the submerged brush in the creeks. Bull Run Creek has been a hot spot. Striper fishing is slow. Musky fishing has been good from the steam plant down to the bend in the river. Musky are hitting big jerk baits or spinnerbaits.
                                                                        2/6/2007

     The early season pre-spawn is just around the corner. One lure that is a local favorite during the pre-spawn is the spinnerbait. Many anglers use them to probe areas of heavy cover or to draw reaction strikes from bass that are feeding heavily during the pre-spawn. There are several tricks that you can use to enhance the lures ability to attract more and bigger bass.

     I always do a few modifications to a spinnerbait anytime I use a new one. The first thing is to open the hook by using a pair of needle nose pliers to widen the distance between the hook shank and the barb. This increases the hooking ability of the bait. The second thing is to widen the distance between the hook and the blade arm. This increases the strike area of the bait and increases the vibration the lure will give off. I will also add a trailer such as a split tail eel or a small plastic worm. This will add balance and fish attracting action to the bait.

        The next thing I do is to make sure the lure is tuned correctly. The bait should run straight up and down. If it does not tuning is in order.

  To tune a spinnerbait, hold the lure out in front of you and sight the R-bend up with the hook point.  Is the jig head perfectly split in half by the wire?  If not, bend the wire coming out of the jig head until it does. Now with the R-bend and hook point lined up, look at the blade wire. Is it also in line with the hook point?  If not, bend the blade wire coming out of the R-bend firmly and twist the top wire until the hook point, R-bend and blade bend all line up. This procedure will make the bait run true.

  Spinnerbaits are great for locating and catching big pre-spawn bass. I hope these tips help you increase you success this spring.

 

                                                                   1/30/2007

     

           The new creel limits set by the TWRA will go into effect March 1.The biggest change will be the limit on Crappie. These changes reduce the daily creel limit on crappie from 30 to 15 fish on most of the East Tennessee reservoirs.
         I have talked anglers that have been for and against these creel limits. Some believe it is necessary for the health of the fisheries while others just can't see the value. Many have said that it is sad that the TWRA has to limit a species that in the old days was unlimited. This statement made me curious so I decided to do a little research about creel limits for crappie in Tennessee.
           In 1949 the state wide creel limit for crappie was 20; there was also a closed season on crappie from April 1st until May 29th. This regulation went unchanged until 1959 when the limit was raised to 30 per day.
          It was not until 1962 that the no creel limit regulation went into effect. These were the glory days for crappie in East Tennessee and maybe this is where the problem starts.
         During the time frame starting in the 1960's and continuing into the late 80's crappie fishing in East Tennessee was huge. The numbers of fish were great and so were the catches. It was common place to hear of someone that caught 100 per day and at Douglas catches of 500 per day were heard of. There was absolutely no size or numbers limit,
         In the late 80's the numbers of fish had dwindled down to the point that the TWRA once again enforced a creel limit of 30 per day and in 1997 put the current 10 inch size limit into force. Gone were the glory days of 100 to 500 fish per day.
        Anglers should learn from these numbers and realize that our lakes have limits to what they can produce. I believe that much of the problem today stems from the over harvest of the old days. Yes it is sad that the TWRA has to limit a species that once was unlimited, but then we didn't do a good job of limiting ourselves.
       In any event the new creel limits will take effect March 1. The exceptions will be Norris which will remain at 10 per day and David Crockett here in East Tennessee which will remain at 30.
        By conserving some fish each year, there will be more spawning adults. This will put more fish in the water and should help to keep these fisheries relatively consistent. With a reduced creel limit, the conserved crappie will be more equitably distributed amongst anglers. This should provide more anglers with more quality fishing experiences.
        The weather has changed completely since Saturday. No one has been on the water in the last couple of days. The report is based on the conditions before the cold front.

                                                                      1/.23/2007

      The more things change the more they stay the same. Recently I picked up a copy of a leading outdoor fishing publication. The head line on the cover mentioned several common winter bass fishing techniques. One dealt with fishing jigs by casting instead of flipping. The article stated that you could fish jigs the "old fashion way" by casting them, further it stated that casting jigs was a lost art.
       Lost art? Exactly where is it a lost art? Here in East Tennessee fisherman have been and continue to fish both hair and rubber jigs tipped with some type trailer for over 50 years. In fact I would consider it a staple of the bass fishing world. Long before rubber worms as they used to be called or before fancy plastic jerkbaits the jig rained supreme for most bass fishermen.
       This article shows me one very truthful fact in bass fishing. That truth is that the bass we caught 50 years ago is the same animal that we catch today and can be caught with the same methods that our grandfathers used. In fact there are certain lures that consistently catch bigger bass. The humble jig made with hair or plastic is near the top of all of them.
       The bass fishing world has learned volumes about the bass seasonal movements and environmental factors that cause certain behavior. With this information have come many new baits, and methods for the presentation of these baits that can be quite effective. Today we here lots of information about Carolina rigs or Texas rigs with all shapes and colors of plastic baits. The facts are these are an alternative or substitute for the jig.
     This all proves that the more things change the more they stay the same. It also shows that if jig fishing is a lost art, the average fisherman in East Tennessee is ahead of the rest of the nation. In fact many local anglers if asked what lure they would choose if they could only use one lure the rest of their days would choose the simple jig.

                                                                   1/ 11/2007

Last Thursday I stopped by 1 limit Bait Shop to get some information from Chris Henderson the stores manager. The information I was looking for was when Jimmy Houston would be appearing at the store. The information I received was about a really big bass that Chris had caught on New Years Eve.

I was standing at the counter in the store when I saw a picture of Chris holding a bass of mammoth proportions. A glance at the photo made it obvious that this was not A 5 or 6 pound bass that is common to our area.

Chris told me that he had caught the bass the Sunday before. He was fishing Center Hill which is one of his favorite fishing holes. The bass had hit while he was fishing a ledge 12 to 14 feet deep. I questioned Chris about the conditions and he told me that the water temperature was 48 to 50. The water was typical Center Hill clear and that the sky was over cast. He had made repeated cast to the ledge without a strike when the fish suddenly just stopped the bait. "It wasn't a bone jarring strike at all" Chris described "The fish just kind of swam up and mouthed the bait"

The bass was a few ounces over 8 lbs. This was a personal best for Chris who spends a good deal of time bass fishing. The fish was very healthy with big toad eyes and a full round belly. Chris landed the fish then after pictures were taken released it back into the water alive.

Chris caught the fish on bait that we have all heard about but is seldom seen in this area, it was 8 inch Castaic swim bait. This is the type swim bait that is frequently used to catch those huge bass from the deep clear waters in California. This just once again shows that a bass in California is the same animal in Tennessee or New York.

The original information that I stopped for is that Jimmy Houston will be at the store on March 30. He will be giving some demonstrations, answering questions and signing autographs. For more information call or stop by and see Chris and while you are there ask him about the picture.

                                                              1/04/2007

Here is a method of fishing a Carolina Rig that I learned a couple of years ago. It works great in the pre spawn and immediate post spawn. It does use 2 lures at the same time. It is illegal to use two rods at the same time in tournaments but there is no rule restricting the number of lures attached to one rod.

You can use this method with different lure types. Senko's or Flukes would work well but I prefer lizards. To make the rig work best I choose two separate types of lizards. One that has no salt added and one that has salt added. The lure with no salt will be very buoyant floating off the bottom while the salt added lizard will sink much faster and raise less.

Start your rigging like you always do. First slip a weight on to your line and then a bead. Next attach a three way swivel instead of the normal barrel swivel.

The next step is to attach two leaders to the barrel swivel. I use unequal lengths in order to fine tune how far off the bottom the non salt lizard will raise. Attach the hooks to the leaders and you are ready to attach your bait and start fishing. I like to use the thinnest wire hook I can get on the Carolina rig. It is much lighter and has less affect on the action the bait imparts normally. A forged hook adds weight to the lure and changes its natural action.

In early pre-spawn I may fish this bait from 10 to 20 feet deep depending on water clarity.
During the early pre-spawn you are fishing for staging bass that are just starting to make their way up towards shallow water to spawn. This is often in early to mid March when the water temperatures are in the 50 degree range.

Strikes will feel the same as they do with the one lure Carolina rig. You are just covering more water. The speed of the rig may vary. Allow the bass to show you how fast they want the bait retrieved.                                                         

\                                          

                                                                          12/27/2006

The year is rapidly drawing to an end and many of use are making resolutions or plans for the coming year. I would like to challenge each of my readers to do just a few small
things to enhance their outdoor pleasure and safety on our local waters.

Today in America there are an estimated 50 million people taking to the water for some type fishing related recreation. These figures show that fishing has become more popular than Golf and Tennis combined. The population of fishermen in this country continues to grow annually.

While the number of fishermen is greater and the acceptance of the sport is higher the numbers of waterways to fish are not increasing. In Tennessee we have long enjoyed wide deep open lakes with relatively light fishing pressure.  These great waterways are a jewel in our midst that have been taken for granted for three generations.

The number of people moving into Tennessee is greater than at any other time in its history. This is also a time when we are experiencing great numbers of out of state fishermen on our local lakes. The increase in fishing pressure and local navigational traffic is obvious in the number of boating related fatalities on our local lakes annually.

I would like to ask each of you to take a long look at you habits while on the water and honestly evaluate what or where you can change or improve anything that will make our lakes safer or cleaner. Most of us are try to practice good safety, courtesy and conservation but there may be one area that you could improve on.

It does not matter what that area is. The point is to police your own actions in order to make ourselves safer and more courteous. It may be better handling of the fish before they are released or making sure everyone wears a life jacket when the boat is under power. Regardless of what it is lets all look for room to improve some aspect of our fishing habits.

Some small habits that I see even the otherwise most conscientious outdoorsmen do are as simple as throwing discarded fishing line into the lake, forgetting to hook their kill switch to there life jacket or running to fast near another boat that is setting still in the water.         

Let us all make a resolution to make 2007 a safe, clean and Happy New Year on the water.


                                                                          12/12/2006

  Recently and friend and frequent fishing companion, Brad Testerman contacted me about fishing Norris. Brad lives in Southern Ohio but his first love is the smallmouth rich waters of Tennessee. Brad was coming to Tennessee for a few days and asked if I could fit a trip in with him.
              I picked Brad up near Hickory Star about 7:30 AM. Soon after we started fishing Brad began to see spots before his eye's, no not the medical type that are caused but some rare tropical disease but the swimming kind that are so common to the deep clear waters at Norris
            Brad and I began casting finesse worms mainly the Zoom 4 inch variety in a watermelon color to ledges along a steep shaded bank. The fish quickly showed us that they were hungry and active. The spotted bass were hitting the little finesse worms like a 10 year old fat kid at a chocolate feast.
             The spotted bass has long been caught at Norris in great numbers but if you have not fished for them recently you may be in for a big surprise. Those pesky little 8 and 10 inch spots that would attack your bait like a shark have started to grow up. In the last two years they have increasingly become 15 to 18 inch fish with a real attitude. In fact I know of one night tournament last August where there were 5 over 3 pounds weighed in.
              The morning was bright and while cool, very pleasant. We caught spotted bass, a couple of largemouth and smallmouth and a big crappie all on the small finesse worms. The total of big spots we caught hit 9 by noon that was over 15 inches. That is great spotted bass fishing anywhere in the country. The biggest that day was a 18 plus inch football shaped spot that hit at a depth of 15 feet and broke the surface like Orca at Sea World.
            I have another fishing companion that describes a smallmouth as a fish that gets up in the morning mad and its attitude gets worse as the day goes on. I have to say that is true but the big spotted bass at Norris are what makes them mad.  

                                                                          12/05/2006

       The second and longest segment, of waterfowl season will open December 2 across the state as duck and goose hunters head out for their favorite time of the year in hopes of falling temperatures and migrating ducks.
         If the weather cooperates and drives ducks down from the north, it could be a good season for Tennessee duck hunters between December 2 and January 28, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which has estimated that 36 million ducks of various species inhabit North America. Opening day which was last Saturday was a good day for many. The cold morning and bluebird sky's seemed to have the ducks flying. One report that I received from the Upper end of Loudon was very positive. That hunter had his limit before 9:00 Am. Sunday while out on the lower end of Loudon I saw lots of hunters but no ducks.
         Early scouting found good numbers of ducks at Norris with numerous mallards and gadwalls. Cherokee has had very few ducks of any kind. The French broad river below Douglas has had plenty of black ducks.  
           Hunters need to remember that they must have-in addition to their Tennessee hunting licenses and/or permits-the federal duck stamp signed and in their possession.
       They must also have their shotguns plugged so that no more than three shells can be loaded into their firearm at any time. And, they must be shooting steel or other non-toxic shot. Lead shot is illegal for waterfowl.
        Waterfowl hunting begins each day one half-hour before sunrise until sunset (check guides for closing days and times on TWRA Wildlife Management Areas).  Waterfowl guides that have rules and regulations can be obtained from businesses where hunting license are sold.
       The daily bag limit for the 2006-2007 season is six ducks.  These six cannot contain more than 4 mallards (no more than 1 may be female), 1 black duck, 2 wood ducks, 2 scaup, 2 redheads, 1 pintail and 1 canvasback.

                                                     11/28/2006

                 Several young Lewis County residents were arrested and charged with killing an albino deer while spot lighting the animal at night. Charged were Braden Pace, Justin and Woodrow Chapin and two underage men. The group was apprehended when they tried to recover the animal the following day.  
                 The group was charged with five misdemeanors, including possession of the albino deer, possession of drug paraphernalia, shooting from a road, shooting from a motor vehicle and shooting a deer in closed season. Braden Pace was charged with the actual shooting.
                  From the time of death evidence gathered by TWRA agents shows that Pace killed the deer about 1:30 in the morning. He attempted to recover the deer the following day. TWRA agents were watching the deer's remains and apprehended the group at the scene.
                  Pace has been in trouble for poaching previously. The TWRA confiscated a muzzleloader rifle from Mr. Pace and his vehicle. Pace, the Chapin's and the two juveniles are scheduled to appear in Lewis County General Sessions court December 5th.
                 The Tennessee General Assembly voted in 2001 to protect albino deer, an animal with solid white pelt and pink eyes.

      The 2006-2007 statewide duck season opened Saturday. The season will run from November 25 through November 26 and then reopen on December 2 and continue through January 28, 2007. The daily bag limit for the 2006-2007 season is six ducks.  These six cannot contain more than 4 mallards (no more than 1 may be female), 1 black duck, 2 wood ducks, 2 scaup, 2 redheads, 1 pintail and 1 canvasback.

                                                                       11/15/2007

If your Childs school is interested in making fishing or boating part of there curriculum there are funds available. The Future Fisherman Foundation has $200,000 available in grant funding for the physical education teachers at the schools to incorporate fishing and boating into their curricula. The schools can receive $5000 for the purchase of fishing or boating equipment, for use in field trips or for other resource material to help foster these water sports as leisure lifestyle activities.

Since 2003 the foundation has helped 152 schools in 39 states with more than $700,000 in grants. This program was developed through a partnership between the foundation, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation and the National Association for the Sport  
And Physical Education.

This money could be used to teach boating safety which is now a requirement in Tennessee in order to operate a vessel or to teach ethical attitudes about the outdoors.

If your school is interested in starting such a program applications for the grants must be received by March 2nd 2007. Grants will be awarded in mid-May and there will be a training workshop for the grant recipients in mid-July. To obtain grant application forms or to obtain additional information visit www.futurefisherman.org or contact PE Grants Coordinator Jesse Graytock at jgraytock@asafishing.org telephone 703-519-9691.

Rabbit and quail season opened November 11. The daily limit for rabbit is 5 and quail is 6. The population of rabbits seems to be on the increase in many parts of East Tennessee while the quail population continues to dwindle.

The upcoming duck season could be one of the best in recent years. Early cold weather in the northern sections of the USA has driven ducks south earlier than normal. If the number of ducks currently present on our area lakes is any indication, this year could be a bumper year.
 

                                                      11/7/2007   

The second segment of Tennessee's 2006 black bear hunting season begins on November 13, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA). In light of the current news this may not be soon enough. You may be aware that TWRA officials have killed 6 nuisance bears this year. The latest were the ones in Gatlinburg that attacked an elderly woman. This shows once again how wildlife is adapting to civilization. In the case of the bear they can be further up the food chain than man.

The bears which are a native species to Tennessee should be protected but at the same time we must find a better way to co-exist. The increase of bear attacks in recent years reflects our long term lack of responsible actions with regard to garbage and food disposal. Once the bears find the easy method of feeding themselves the garbage is like a drug. 

The season for Carter, Cocke (north of I-40), Greene, Johnson, Monroe, Polk (east of Hwy. 411 and north of Hwy. 64), Sullivan (east of I-81), Unicoi, and Washington counties, the season is 2 days, November 13-14. For Blount, Cocke (south of I-40), and Sevier counties, the season is 4 days, November 13-16. Dogs are permitted during this season.

During the early (Sept. 25 - Oct. 1) season, there were 23 bears harvested. Harvest by county was: Blount 2, Cocke (south of I-40) 2, and Sevier 19.

Then third segment of the season will start November 25 and run for 14 days in Blount and Cocke counties. The late season will be open for 9 days in Sevier.

Hunters should be aware of the following regulations when hunting black bears in Tennessee:
" The limit on bear for any person participating in statewide or WMA hunts or both shall not exceed one bear per calendar year.
" Cubs or female bears with cubs at side may not be taken at any time. A cub is defined as a bear weighing 75 pounds or less.
" Bears may be whole or field dressed but must weigh 75 pounds or greater when checked out.
" The reproductive (sex) organs must remain attached to each bear harvested until the bear has been officially checked out at an official TWRA checking station.
"
"

                                                  10/31/2007

   One species of bass that does not get the credit it is due is the spotted bass. The spotted bass is native to Tennessee. Most of our area lakes have a good population of these fish and this is particularly true at Norris Lake.
         Although the spotted bass looks very much like a largemouth there are certain distinct markings that make the fish easy to identify. Their colors are much more brilliant that those of a Largemouth. Often the spots will appear somewhat olive brown in and other times they will be a bright emerald green and white. The TWRA determines the fish by a gritty or sand paper like patch located on the fishes tongue. In fact they say that if it is not a Smallmouth and has the tongue patch it is considered a Spot. The fish also has a continuous dorsal fin like a Smallmouth and has a much smaller mouth than a Largemouth.
        Spotted Bass also called Kentucky Bass prefer much deeper water than other species of bass most of the year. One exception to this is in the late fall and early winter. During this time of year the spots are found shallow in creek areas often holding on gravel or rocky banks. They are a very aggressive fish and will attack most any brightly colored lure that is presented in their area. Generally they prefer smaller baits.
        The nature of the spotted bass is to be a hard fighting and aggressive fish. In fact pound for pound these may be the hardest fighting bass in East Tennessee. Often they are small in size. I have never personally caught one bigger than 4 lbs. They do however reach bigger weights. The record at Norris is 5 lbs 2 oz and the state record is 5 lbs 8 oz caught at Center Hill. Most of the spots caught at Norris are in the 10 to 13 inch size range.
        The TWRA has placed a 15 per day limit on Spots with no minimum size. This may give you an idea of how many of these fish there are in Norris. The intent is to encourage fishermen to catch these fish and keep what they catch. This seems like sacrilege with all the catch and release promotions that are attached to bass fishing. At Norris these fish are so abundant that they can be detrimental to the overall bass and crappie fishery.
         So you say why would you want to go to Norris and catch midget Bass?  They are aggressive fighters that are fun to catch and rival crappie at the dinner table. That's why

                       
                                                               10/17/2006
        This last week I just could not help myself. I must confess that I was playing hooky. My son had fall break from school so off we went to the coast in South Carolina.
         We started out the first day on a friends boat who took us to a sure fire spot. We drew a blank. The second day we went to the pier at Cherry Grove, The locals were catching Blue's one after another. One lady who must have either been mute or deaf was catching them two at a time. I managed to get a good enough look at her bait and rig to figure out what she was doing. The only problem was that there were so many people fishing that you could not find a place to stand let alone drop a line.
           The morning of the third day I was walking the beach considering my next course of action when I noticed and old man with a fishing cart setting well out of the way. This guy had the look of a seasoned low country salt water man. He was wearing chest waders, a rain coat and a military jungle issue style hat that was guaranteed to keep off the sun or rain. Here he was looking like he just stepped out of "The Old Man and the Sea" just setting there. Wow! He certainly could look the look but could he walk the walk.
            I struck up a conversation with the man like all good fishermen do. "Catchin any" I asked "Yup" he replied. Curiously I asked "why aren't you fishing then?"" baits too far out" he replied I spent about 3 hours just watching this obvious wealth of surf fishing wisdom. This guy knew his stuff. Later I found out he was retired and fished the surf six days a week 10 or 11 month out of the year.
            The next morning I was on the beach ready to fish. The first hour was slow and discouraging. Then came the first hit. I set the hook and came in with a respectable Whiting. The next 4 days I caught Blue's, Spots, Flounder, Whiting, and Pompano all by watching this old man. He was an unknowing teacher and I was a silent student. I was fishing about 200 feet down from him. If the bite slowed I would watch what he was doing and make my adjustments.
             Many of the fish I caught were very near the shore. In fact I was surprised at how shallow some of the better fish I caught were. It was a simple matter of presenting the bait where the fish were.
              I will offer one tip. Don't use the pyramid shaped weights that you commonly find at the beach. They tend to roll over when they are hit with a cross current twisting you line and leaders. There is another style weight that is round and flat. It lays flat on the bottom. These baits stay put better and don't twist your line.
               The week went way to fast and we had a great time. We caught far more fish than we should have all because of our good fortune of finding" The Old Man of the Sea",

                                                                      Hunting and Fishing 

      October is finally here. For the very hard core bass fisherman it is the beginning of what is arguably the best fishing of the year. During this month largemouth in great numbers begin to leave their deeper summertime haunts and return to the shallow structures and cover that they used during the pre-spawn.
                                 Fall fishing is just plain good for the soul. The weather is usually great. The scenery is beautiful and often there is an aggressive bite that can last all day long. Gone are the hoards of pleasure boaters that were such a nuisance all summer with the endless waves and noise. Gone are all but the most dedicated fishermen who share one of the best kept secrets in fishing.
                                 The water temperature is beginning to drop and with that drop shad and largemouth move back into the creeks. If Norris or Cherokee are your favorites you will find the topwater bite to be the best of the year. There may be some angry smallmouth in the mix, but the numbers will be in largemouth.
                                Lures such as the Zara Super Spook Jr. or the Sammy will produce great numbers of bass. In fact, if you luck up and get a rainy or overcast day you may find that the topwater bite can last from daylight until dark. On days when the sun illuminates the bountiful fall foliage the topwater bite may be limited to the low light times, but for those who fish all day, a well placed crankbait such as the Shad Rap or Bandit can keep that bite going well into the afternoon.

                                                                          9/13/2006

Archery season for Deer will open September 23 in Tennessee. The season in East Tennessee is from Sept. 23 to 27, October 30 to November 3 and November 11 to 17.
The TWRA urges hunters to use extra caution when hunting from tree stands. Tree stand accidents have been on the increase in recent year's partly due to increasing numbers of hunters and the growing popularity of hunting from a tree stand. Extreme caution should be used when entering a tree stand. Using the appropriate safety equipment can save your life.

The biggest cause of tree stand accidents is from falls. The stands safety harness should be used at all times. If you hunt from a permant built wooded stand that was built last year be sure and test the wood before using the stand. Accidents occur frequently with this type stand due to wood rot from exposure to the weather.

The TWRA urges all archery hunters to pick up a 2006 hunting guide to review and become familiar with the counties and bag limits for each of the different deer management units.

                                                                            9/4/2006
 
If you don't already know hunting season is officially open in Tennessee. Squirrel season opened August 26. This was quickly followed by Dove and Goose season which started on September 1. Wood Duck and Teal season will open September 9th.

A quick drive through Loyston Point Saturday morning indicated that there was a good turn out for squirrel. I also heard several shots while in the area. The wet conditions that we have enjoyed of late along with the upswing in the squirrel population should make for a very good early hunting season.

The only reports I had about dove were all from south of Knoxville. The word was that there were good numbers of birds. There was also a report of a 14 year old boy who accidentally shot himself in the foot while walking to a dove field...

Recently I read some interesting figures regarding dove hunting. The manufacturers of shot gun shells say that it takes an average of seven shells to kill one dove. That makes dove one of the most expensive meats that you can put on the table. If you consider that the cheapest shells cost about 20 cents per shell that adds up to $1.40 per bird. The average dove dressed is about one ounce. That would make dove cost about $22.00 per pound.

If you are one of those exceptional shots that kills a dove every three shells then the meat is a bargain.  You only paid about $7.00 per pound. I guess I gave up dove hunting because I just could not justify $30.00 per pound for dove.

In defense of all the bad wing shots in Tennessee. It is very hard to hit a bird that travels at 50 to 60 MPH and can change directions better than Jamal Lewis during on a Monday. Night football game. 

                                                                          8/25/2006

                                  

       The old adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks may be true, but a young dog can remind an old dog of a trick that he has forgotten.
        Last week my son Josh and I planned a fishing trip. He chose the lake and it was Melton Hill. Fishing during the day this time of year is not my favorite thing but none the less it was his choice.
         Launching early we began hitting main lake structures where the fish should be.  The fifth place we stopped with out a hit made me start to wonder. I checked the water temp and found the main channel was 63 degrees.
          I was not surprised. Years of experience told me that when the water temps drop at Melton Hill the bass often go into the creeks seeking warmer water and bait.
           We motored to a creek and started working visible cover. I was trying to teach Josh the correct way to work a blow down tree with a buzzbait. I started making repeated cast the length of the tree explaining how to dissect the cover. On the 7th or 8th cast a largemouth about 15 inches long exploded on the bait.
            Josh instantly picked up a rod with A buzzbait on it and began casting. We continued to work the buzz baits for about 30 minuets without another strike when Josh hooked another nice keeper largemouth. Once the fish was landed he made the statement that the fish had hit after he cast to the same spot 7 times.  That reminded me of a lesson that I leaned many year ago about bass. Sometimes they can be harassed into striking a lure.
            We slowed our fishing down and began to cast each piece of cover 10 or 12 times before moving on to the next blow down. The result was a good number of blow ups and a respectful number of keeper fish. Later that day as we headed home I told Josh how he had reminded me of something I knew and had forgotten. I asked how he learned such a good tip and he replied" it's on the Kevin Van Dam video that I watched the other day dad. "Well in any case he reminded this old dog of a trick forgotten.
                                                               


                                                                8/20/2006

One thing that I started many years ago is to keep a fishing diary. Each time I am on the lake I record all the vital statistics including water temp, depth, weather, and so on. Over the years I have found that certain patterns or times of the year will produce the same each year,

Recently while reading back over my diary I realized that August is one of the most predictable months of the year for fishing. It is defiantly one of the best months for night fishing and the fish are very predictable as to location and lure presentation.

There are certain environmental factors that are prevalent during August. TVA is always dropping the lakes which creates current. The lakes have usually set up a definite thermo cline which often has a concentrating affect on the depth of fish. The water temperatures are at the highest of the year which affects oxygen content at different depths. 

Because of these factors I know by my diary that certain humps, drops or points will hold fish each year at this time. I also know how the fish will be positioned on the structure which tells me how the bait needs to be presented.

If you don't keep a fishing diary I recommend that you start now. It can improve your fishing as soon as next year.

                                                                          8/15/2006

Tennessee's hunting season for gray, fox and red squirrels opens on Saturday, August 26, 2006 according to the TWRA. The season continues through February 28, 2007 with a daily bag limit of 10.
The hunting season for squirrels is one of the longest fall seasons and one of the most underutilized.  All that is needed to hunt squirrels is a $28.00 combination hunting license.  This is a small price to pay for months of enjoyment and relaxation. 
Squirrels are abundant in most areas where patches of woods are available. Excellent squirrel hunting can be found on many of TWRA's wildlife management areas. The population of squirrels in east Tennessee has been on the increase for several years. This is largely due to the mild winters and the low hunting pressure.
Squirrel hunting is one of the best ways to introduce a young hunter to the outdoors. Most of us started out hunting squirrels at an early age. It is a good way for a young hunter to learn gun safety, hunting stealth and to appreciate the wildlife of our area.
Please remember to obtain permission when hunting private land and to be mindful of the land owners property and live stock. Many property owners have had bad experiences with broken fences or gates left open for live stock to escape. Treating the land owner's property like you would your own can insure your welcome return for future hunts.



 

                                                         8/9/2006

 

                  Fishing at night can be a very pleasant and rewarding way to pass time. The onslaught of pleasure boaters are usually off the lake, the hot temperatures are usually lower and the fish can be much more agreeable.
                  This last Saturday night was just that, peaceful except for a bass pulling on the end of your line.
                   A friend of mine had asked me to fish with him Saturday night. It had been a while since we had been together so I was happy for the chance to spend a little time pursuing my favorite sport and renewing our friendship.
                   The night was warm and pleasantly bright from the half moon that was shining through the clouds. It was very peaceful with the pleasant sound of an occasional owl or the splashing of a fish off in the darkness.
                    The bass seemed to be active from the very first spot we stopped until the very last. We caught and released bass from numerous points. The fish started out hitting a Texas rigged worm and then during the night seemed to change over to a spinnerbait. The best fish we caught was a 3lb 4 oz Kentucky spotted bass that crushed a drop bait in 20 feet of water. The fish hit with a bone jarring thud and then raced for the surface leaping a good two feet out of the water. I thought it to surely be a smallmouth with such a leap and size but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a spot.
                   We fished late into the night talking of fishing trips gone by and debating the habits of the largemouth bass. Early the next morning when I arrived back home tired and sleepy from a long night on the water I had to be thankful that God had given me the chance to enjoy so much of the beauty that he has created.
                    How fortunate we are to have been born in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

                                                                   8/01/2006                             


This time of the year big tournaments with good payouts are hard to find. This week- end there will be a night tournament out of the free ramp at Anderson Country Park. The tournament hours will be from 7 PM until 3 AM. The tournament is to raise money for the Lafollette Little League.
The entry fee is $100.00 per boat with 1 or 2 persons per boat. The pay back will be $1000 for first place based on 50 boats. There will be three positions paid... The $100 also includes the lunker prize. All other proceeds will go to the Lafollette Little League program.
The tournament is being sponsored by Pro Angler of Lafollette, Rex Marine of Lafollette and Little Carroll Guide Service.
Anderson County Park was chosen for the launch site because it is centrally located and convenient to both the Powell and Clinch River sections of the lake.
Size limits will be lake regulations. Smallmouth must be 18 inches, largemouth 14 inches and there is no minimum size on the Kentucky spotted bass. The limit will be 5 fish per boat. Standard BASS rules apply.
The lake is heavily fished by anglers from Lafollette, Clinton and Maynardville. Night fishing is a way of life on this lake. It will be interesting to see which area brings in the winning sack in this contest.