03-19-2004, 08:27 AM
[font "Arial"][#000000][size 2][font "Arial"][size 2]WATER CONDITIONS
Surface temperatures were in the lower 50's this week.. The lake has a good greenish color to it on the Watauga side with some clear water n the Holston side. There were heavy amounts of trash floating on the Watauga side Wednesday afternoon. The lake level at the dam as of 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning was 1,365.42 feet above sea level. The lake has dropped about 2.5 feet from this time last week. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 2]SUMMARY
Bass fishing continues to be good. The Silver Buddy and a jigging spoon have been catching the majority of the fish. The spoons have really been producing on the Watauga side from Pickens Bridge upstream to the island at Sonny's Marina. The most successful fishermen have been vertical jigging the spoons in about 17-20 feet of water around some form of brush or rocky structure they have located. The Silver Buddies seem to be working better anywhere on the Holston side from Point 2 upstream to Point 10. Some fish have been found moving up into shallower water however this week. With the water warming up the last couple of days the smallmouth seem to be coming up and feeding in 5-10 feet of water. The largemouth action is still a little slow though. Anglers Wednesday afternoon were taking a few bronzebacks on Fat Free Shads and Bandit crankbaits where 51-52 degree water can be located around rocky structure. Most of this action was on the Watauga side. Small plastic tubes and grubs have also showed some success this week on both sides of the lake. If the weather stays consistently warm as it has been this week look for the bass to continue to come up into shallower water until a front moves through. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 2]Striped bass and hybrid action is starting to show signs of picking up. Anglers have found some success for the hybrids using chicken livers early in the up to midday. Most of these fish have been caught from Jays Boat Dock upstream to about the Winged Deer Boat Ramp on the Watauga end or around the Sportsmen 's Dock area on the Holston end. Most of the stripers seem to be still in the upper end of each arm of the lake, especially on the Holston side from Davis Dock upstream towards Bluff City. Very few fish have been seen breaking and large schools of shad are hard to find this time of year. Also watch for the Gulls feeding on shad at the waters surface to be an indicator of where the bigger stripers may be. Late evening fishing seems to be the best right now. The majority of the fish caught have been taken in about 15-25 feet of water. Shad, Zara Spooks, or white buck hair jigs seem to be the best baits for the Striped bass. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 2]Crappie fishing has gotten a little better with the warmer water temperatures. Most anglers are using chartreuse or blue/white jigs or flies tipped with a minnow in about 6-10 feet of water. Bass Assassins and small crankbaits trolled have also started to produce a few fish. Try to find submerged brush rather than just fallen trees. The Watauga arm seems to have the better crappie fishing right now. The long cove at point 19 on the Watauga side put out some decent crappie this week. [/size][/font][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Hatches:[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Patterns[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Fish Species[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul] [li]Largemouth Bass [li]Smallmouth Bass [li]Crappie[/li][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font]
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Surface temperatures were in the lower 50's this week.. The lake has a good greenish color to it on the Watauga side with some clear water n the Holston side. There were heavy amounts of trash floating on the Watauga side Wednesday afternoon. The lake level at the dam as of 5:00 a.m. Thursday morning was 1,365.42 feet above sea level. The lake has dropped about 2.5 feet from this time last week. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 2]SUMMARY
Bass fishing continues to be good. The Silver Buddy and a jigging spoon have been catching the majority of the fish. The spoons have really been producing on the Watauga side from Pickens Bridge upstream to the island at Sonny's Marina. The most successful fishermen have been vertical jigging the spoons in about 17-20 feet of water around some form of brush or rocky structure they have located. The Silver Buddies seem to be working better anywhere on the Holston side from Point 2 upstream to Point 10. Some fish have been found moving up into shallower water however this week. With the water warming up the last couple of days the smallmouth seem to be coming up and feeding in 5-10 feet of water. The largemouth action is still a little slow though. Anglers Wednesday afternoon were taking a few bronzebacks on Fat Free Shads and Bandit crankbaits where 51-52 degree water can be located around rocky structure. Most of this action was on the Watauga side. Small plastic tubes and grubs have also showed some success this week on both sides of the lake. If the weather stays consistently warm as it has been this week look for the bass to continue to come up into shallower water until a front moves through. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 2]Striped bass and hybrid action is starting to show signs of picking up. Anglers have found some success for the hybrids using chicken livers early in the up to midday. Most of these fish have been caught from Jays Boat Dock upstream to about the Winged Deer Boat Ramp on the Watauga end or around the Sportsmen 's Dock area on the Holston end. Most of the stripers seem to be still in the upper end of each arm of the lake, especially on the Holston side from Davis Dock upstream towards Bluff City. Very few fish have been seen breaking and large schools of shad are hard to find this time of year. Also watch for the Gulls feeding on shad at the waters surface to be an indicator of where the bigger stripers may be. Late evening fishing seems to be the best right now. The majority of the fish caught have been taken in about 15-25 feet of water. Shad, Zara Spooks, or white buck hair jigs seem to be the best baits for the Striped bass. [/size][/font]
[font "Arial"][size 2]Crappie fishing has gotten a little better with the warmer water temperatures. Most anglers are using chartreuse or blue/white jigs or flies tipped with a minnow in about 6-10 feet of water. Bass Assassins and small crankbaits trolled have also started to produce a few fish. Try to find submerged brush rather than just fallen trees. The Watauga arm seems to have the better crappie fishing right now. The long cove at point 19 on the Watauga side put out some decent crappie this week. [/size][/font][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Hatches:[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Patterns[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font] [font "Arial"][#c4ac82][size 2]Fish Species[/size][/#c4ac82][/font] [font "Arial"][#000000][size 1] [ul] [li]Largemouth Bass [li]Smallmouth Bass [li]Crappie[/li][/ul][/size][/#000000][/font]
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