Tennessee Fishing Reports
04-16-2008
11-10-2007
Lower Cumberland River-Trout & Other
Trout Fishing is excellent. Excellent numbers and most are over 17 inches long.
Water temps have dropped to 57 degrees at Burkesville and to 47 at Whetstone. Plenty of oxygen in the water and the fish seem to be in good shape.
Walleye are also very good. River is a bit higher than it has been.
If you head down to the River check in with Chuck at Strange Bait and Tackle about the baits that are working currently. You can call at the number below.
Smallmoth and Crappie are hitting good on Dale Hollow on live bait.
Center Hill
Report Updated October 20, 2007
Color over all good Smallmouth-Largemouth fair to Good Spots Good Night bite on Spinnerbaits-and Carolina rigs-Day Bite on Worms-Spinner Baits Points and Brush
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS------18 FEET DOWN OR MORE
Call Rick at 615-765-7303 for more information.
Dale Hollow Lake 10/27/2007
Dale Hollow Lake
Water 70 and lower
Early and late surface baits are producing some nice fish
Punsiher Jigs on 45 degree banks with stumps are producing in 25 feet of water later in the day. Black and Blue, Green and Orange seem to work good right now, other colors will produce.
Live shiners trolled slow along steep rock cliffs and near drops and over weeds in 30 feet of water
Several ramps not usable as lake is below winter pool
Lake is at 636 now expecting to go to 631 which is 7 feet below winter pool
Lake dropping daily call prior to going for ramp access at your ramps. Horse Creek Dock assures me that their ramp will be in shape for the Float and Fly Weekend and for the December Smallmouth Tournament that they have the week before.
East Tennesse:
The South Holston wade fishes well with terrestrials and pheasant tails in the morning before the generation starts. Once the generation starts we begin using sulhur emerger nymphs until the true hatch starts around 2:30pm. We then switch to sulphur comparaduns, it is cool to watch those gorgeous browns sipping the sulphurs from the surface. The browns are moving around and feeding getting ready for their upcoming spawning season.
The Watauga has been good all summer. Even with the low water drought conditions we have been catching nice rainbows, browns, and brookies. We have seen many grand slams caught by our clients this summer. We are currently seeing a small tan caddis and cranefly's hatching each day. When there is no hatch it is small beadhead pheasant tail and midge nymphs.
The smallmouth fishing on the Holston and Nolichucky is really great. We are having a topwater popper bite all day. We fish the middle of the river early in the day, move to the shady banks during the high
sun and then back to the middle as the sun gets low in the sky. We are seeing smallmouth in the 15 to 22 inch range during these trips.
Randy Ratliff
Troutfishers Guide Service
Kingsport, Tennessee
423-360-1468
November 1, 2007
Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Ky Dam- 356.55 Surface Temperature - 63
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 356.75 Surface Temperature - 63
Both lakes are 2.5 ft above winter pool and on a slow drawdown. The big cold front that came through the lakes area late last week finally moved our water temperatures down into the range for the good fall fishing to get started. Overall this past week was good for bass fishing with a couple of excellent bite days and a couple of days that were slow to fair. This is normally how it is in the fall, some days are really good and some can be slow or just fair depending on the number of cold fronts transversing the area. The topwater bite has definitely improved and should only get better as the water cools more. Largemouth are still being taken on the main lake points and the secondary points in the bays but more and more good fish are showing up shallow. We had a number of really nice fish this past week in as little as one to two feet of water chasing baitfish.
Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on the main lake primary points and the secondary points in the creeks and bays on crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Largemouth are being taken on the flats in the creeks and bays on topwater lures, spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits and soft jerkbaits fished near wood cover (Barkley) and over grass (Kentucky).
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth Bass are being taken on main lake points and the first secondary points in the creeks and bays on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and finesse jigs, especially early and late in the day. Some Smallmouth are being taken on the flats in the creeks and bays on the same pattern as the shallow Largemouth.
Normandy Lake
Report Updated October 12, 2007
EXTREMELY DANGEROUS------18 FEET DOWN OR MORE
Some of the productive lures this week were: Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Strike King lipped and lipless crankbaits in sexy shad, Bandit crankbaits in rootbeer and rootbeer chartreuse, Lewis Rattletraps in blue/chrome, Hook Some Bass spinnerbaits in blue glimmer and Zoom super flukes in pearl white.
Crappie: Crappie are being taken in the creeks and bays over brush piles in 8-15 ft of water by vertically jigging small jigs and by spider rigging with small minnows and small jigs. Some good Crappie are showing up at the fish cleaning stations.
White Bass: White Bass are being taken in the creeks and bays as they are feeding on schools of baitfish. I have seen a number of jumps this past week. You can take these schooling fish by casting inline spinners and small crankbaits into the feeding schools.
Rockfish/Hybrids: Some schools of Rockfish and Hybrids are showing up on the shallow flats in the creeks and bays as well as a number of single fish. I only had one day this week that we did not catch some Rockfish or Hybrids while fishing the flats for Largemouth with spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits.
Catfish: Catfish are still being taken on the river ledges on bottom bouncing rigs baited with yellowtail. Some Catfish are now cruising the flats in the bays feeding on the schools of baitfish. We caught some this week on spinnerbaits while fishing for bass. I have seen a number of the commercial fishermen working the bays this week for catfish.
November is the best month of the fall for bass fishing. If you need a bass guide for some fun bass fishing, tournament preparation, lake familiarization or technique instruction, don't hesitate to give me a call. I only guide for bass but I would be happy to refer you to some of our other great guides here on the lakes for Crappie and other species. I have dates open in November for the fall bass fishing.
A gift certificate for a guided bass fishing trip makes a great Christmas or other special occasion gift for your favorite bass angler. Gift certificates bought now are good for one year and are being sold at this year's rate which will save you some money if you purchase the gift certificate before the end of the year.
I am taking bookings for next year so if you are planning a spring trip you should make your reservation as soon as you know the date(s) you would like to book.
Captain Dave Stewart
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
270-354-5039
"Fish With a Professional"