Old Hickory Lake TN advice

[TNDiver]

In a couple of weeks I will be moving real close to the south west side of Old Hickory Lake (in town of Old Hickory).  I have never fished it.  I know from scuba diving it is a muddy/murky lake, but wondered if anyone here has any advice or places to try.   I will start out shore fishing at first (or some out of a canoe), but hope to get a boat within the year. 

Any advice would be appreciated!

[mifon]

Hell TNDiver,

I live in Old Hickory. I wish I could give you great news about fishing Old Hickory. But, honestly, Old Hickory is one of the toughest lakes I have ever fished. The bass are very hard to pattern. They seem not to be in the "normal" places given the time of year and water temps. The best way to describe Old Hickory would be to classify it as a "Junk Fishing" lake. You put your trolling motor down and fish 3 feet or less with baits that you can cover water with! There is usually no consistency as to where or how you will catch the fish. If this fails, they will hit a shaky head fished very slowly in the same places.

If you are a diver, you might appreciate the fact that, even though there are many ledges on the river channels, heavy current at times has all but eliminated any cover for the fish to hold to. The bass have a tendency to suspend over deep water under schools of shad that are constantly moving and are very hard to catch!

Let me know if I can help you more.
Welcome to Old Hickory!!

Mike

[TNDiver]

I have heard that it is very hard to fish.  Hmmm, maybe I will be heading to Piercy Priest lake more LOL.  THanks for the info.

[mifon]

Yep, we are very blessed to have so many GOOD lakes so very near to us. I was on Preist last night until about 10 PM. We did well with biggest slightly over 5lbs.

Mike

[Down4ttown]

I have not fished Old Hickory yet. I tend to stay on Priest, Normandy, or Woods. A guy I work with goes to Old Hickory every weekend. He averages about 20+ fish a trip (I wish I was that lucky every time). He showed me a 7lber on a buzz bait he caught two weeks ago. I will have to ask him where he puts in.

[bassindude]

This time of year I would work the edges of the main lake channel.  If you pull out of Flippers cove turn right on the main lake, under the bridge keep going til you see the little island on the right. Between that island and the channel i did very well.  There is also some grass in some of the coves if they havnt killed it all.  Lipless on the edges is great there if you can find some.  Look for the boat docks that extend closest to the channel.  They are always the best.  Jim