2021 05 22 Chickamauga TN River

[coldfront]

back at it again.  Saturday morning.  early start.  59°F at 6AM with a very light breeze of 2mph out of North.  Nice that it laid down a lot from yesterday (gusts at 17mph).
View as I headed uplake - it's moments like these that I am so glad to be out there and not sleeping in.  Some things just should not be missed.
88°F at 2PM when I got the boat on the trailer.


got to my starting spot, a shallow backwater slough and started off tossing the weightless zoom lizard.  thought they'd be tight to the rushes.  they were a few feet off of them.  and bunched up with good stretches between pods.  went with darker color today since water remains stained.  Water temps were 76° when I checked them at 9AM.



bites were steady up until I called it a day around noon.  the big boats were out, tons of jetskiers and the wakes were just hammering.  nothing like a 3-4 foot wake from a few 30 foot cabin cruisers.  then you have to deal with all the 'trailing' wakes.  gettin' old and some days just don't have the patience for this stuff.

Lake was up today.  It's possible there were fish back deeper in the reeds.  I didn't check; didn't play that game today.Chickamauga dam was releasing at 13,000 cfs; Watts Bar (upstream) was at 10,000 cfs.  so while water was 'up' it was also dropping slowly.
story here, I'm told, is to go shallow when they're not pulling current (25,000 cfs or less) and out to the ledges when it's over 25,000 cfs.


Did see a few new beds as we're close to the next full moon.  might not be the 'peak spawn' but should be seeing another push in next few days.

ran across this flowering tree.  you can get a feel for water clarity from this photo.  for another reference:  I could see beds down to about 3 feet.

[Mike Cork]

Love a beautiful sunrise Unlike your day, sometimes the clear skies and north wind aren't the best for the fishing, just goes to show an angler needs to go when they can cause we really just don't know. 

Thanks for the report and photos,

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[coldfront]

sorry, it was not a bad day at all.  probably 10 or a few more in that 17-18 inch class of fish.
and of course, made a whole bunch of Vitamin D that day!

[Mike Cork]

I meant to say that while beautiful, mornings like that can make for tough fishing but you figured it out

[FishinBuck07]

Coldfront I have to say that is one of the most beautiful places I have ever fished.  My brother and I were just down there last week and fished Thursday and Friday with a guide.  The average size fish there is a monster compared to Ohio, so I was happy as a pig in slop.  Wish we could have got on more fish but that is fishing.  I will be back some day for sure and most likely move to the beautiful state of Tennessee one day, people are awesome down there also.  Hated to leave but had to get back to the real world!  haha

[coldfront]

Coldfront I have to say that is one of the most beautiful places I have ever fished.  My brother and I were just down there last week and fished Thursday and Friday with a guide.  The average size fish there is a monster compared to Ohio, so I was happy as a pig in slop.  Wish we could have got on more fish but that is fishing.  I will be back some day for sure and most likely move to the beautiful state of Tennessee one day, people are awesome down there also.  Hated to leave but had to get back to the real world!  haha

buck, you really need to get some time on Carters Lake (georgia) or Parksville (Cleveland, TN).  both high mountain lakes.  steep shores, deep clear water...
and then, for April, early may:  Tims Ford over by winchester

if you really want to see beautiful lakes...  haven't even coughed up Dale Hollow on that list.

[FishinBuck07]

Coldfront I have to say that is one of the most beautiful places I have ever fished.  My brother and I were just down there last week and fished Thursday and Friday with a guide.  The average size fish there is a monster compared to Ohio, so I was happy as a pig in slop.  Wish we could have got on more fish but that is fishing.  I will be back some day for sure and most likely move to the beautiful state of Tennessee one day, people are awesome down there also.  Hated to leave but had to get back to the real world!  haha

Well I will for sure put those on my list, and Dale Hollow was already on that list!  On the way home we drove up and checked out Cherokee and seen the Holston river I believe beautiful area that way also!  Thanks for the suggestions!  That was the first time both of us had fished South of the Ohio River, so it was an eye opener for both of us!
buck, you really need to get some time on Carters Lake (georgia) or Parksville (Cleveland, TN).  both high mountain lakes.  steep shores, deep clear water...
and then, for April, early may:  Tims Ford over by winchester

if you really want to see beautiful lakes...  haven't even coughed up Dale Hollow on that list.