05-12-2004, 04:23 AM
[size 2]Water surface temperature has been in the mid 60’s this week. The water has a good greenish color to it right now on both ends of the lake. The lake level at the dam as of 1:00 a.m. Thursday morning was 1,381.27 feet above sea level. The lake has dropped about 0.4 of a foot from this time last week.
Bass fishing has been consistently good throughout this week. Jerkbaits, plastics Carolina rigged, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and crankbaits all continue to bring in good fish. The Fat Free Shad, Normans, and Bandit crankbaits are taking the majority of the fish caught right now though. Fire tiger, blue and chrome, Black and chrome, and Red have all been colors or crankbaits to try. Anglers seem to be having the best of luck with the crankbaits on the Watauga end on shallow rocky banks. The islands at Sonny’s are holding especially good smallmouth right now and seem to be hitting a variety of lures. Plastics, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits have been catching several of the largemouth that are feeding shallow early in the mornings. Topwater lures have been especially good late in the evenings and at first sunrise. Fish a plastic lizard or worm Carolina rigged around treetops and other brushy cover. Purple, watermelon, or pumpkinseed has been good colors for the plastics the last couple of weeks. The Watauga arm seems to be producing more largemouth right now, while the bronzebacks seem to be hitting better on the Holston arm. Point 10, point 2, and the rocky bank just adjacent to Sportsman’ s Dock have been holding several Smallmouth bass on the Holston side.
Striped bass and hybrid action continues to just get better. Night fishing is starting to pick up really well now as well as the early mornings. The dam is the best place to try at night with deer lick being good on the Watauga end and around point 10 or point 4 on the Hoston side. The majority of the fish caught have been taken in about 15-25 feet of water. The hybrids are especially active and are up shallow on the Watauga end off points under any schools of shad that can be found. Shad, Zara Spooks, or white buck hair jigs seem to be the best baits for the Striped bass while chicken livers work well for the hybrids.
Crappie fishing has picked up some this week. Most anglers are catching the majority of their crappie on a plain jig head tipped with a minnow or by using small plastic tube jigs on a 1/32 or 1/16th head in submerged brush or treetops in about 6-10 feet of water. Small Bass Assassins have also pro duced a few fish. The key to finding the crappie is to find submerged trees and brush as opposed to just fallen trees that are sticking out of the water. The Holston arm seems to be out producing the Watauga arm right now.[/size]
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Bass fishing has been consistently good throughout this week. Jerkbaits, plastics Carolina rigged, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and crankbaits all continue to bring in good fish. The Fat Free Shad, Normans, and Bandit crankbaits are taking the majority of the fish caught right now though. Fire tiger, blue and chrome, Black and chrome, and Red have all been colors or crankbaits to try. Anglers seem to be having the best of luck with the crankbaits on the Watauga end on shallow rocky banks. The islands at Sonny’s are holding especially good smallmouth right now and seem to be hitting a variety of lures. Plastics, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits have been catching several of the largemouth that are feeding shallow early in the mornings. Topwater lures have been especially good late in the evenings and at first sunrise. Fish a plastic lizard or worm Carolina rigged around treetops and other brushy cover. Purple, watermelon, or pumpkinseed has been good colors for the plastics the last couple of weeks. The Watauga arm seems to be producing more largemouth right now, while the bronzebacks seem to be hitting better on the Holston arm. Point 10, point 2, and the rocky bank just adjacent to Sportsman’ s Dock have been holding several Smallmouth bass on the Holston side.
Striped bass and hybrid action continues to just get better. Night fishing is starting to pick up really well now as well as the early mornings. The dam is the best place to try at night with deer lick being good on the Watauga end and around point 10 or point 4 on the Hoston side. The majority of the fish caught have been taken in about 15-25 feet of water. The hybrids are especially active and are up shallow on the Watauga end off points under any schools of shad that can be found. Shad, Zara Spooks, or white buck hair jigs seem to be the best baits for the Striped bass while chicken livers work well for the hybrids.
Crappie fishing has picked up some this week. Most anglers are catching the majority of their crappie on a plain jig head tipped with a minnow or by using small plastic tube jigs on a 1/32 or 1/16th head in submerged brush or treetops in about 6-10 feet of water. Small Bass Assassins have also pro duced a few fish. The key to finding the crappie is to find submerged trees and brush as opposed to just fallen trees that are sticking out of the water. The Holston arm seems to be out producing the Watauga arm right now.[/size]
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