07-06-2004, 12:49 AM
WATER CONDITIONS
The lake elevation is 1,021.5-feet, about 8-inches higher than it was a week ago. The water elevation is predicted to drop a couple of inches over the next two days. Norris Dam will be sluicing water until 10 p.m., Friday, July 2nd. The lake is clear, except in the head of some creeks where rainstorms have stained the water. Surface temperatures are in the high-70's in early morning, rising to the mid-80's by afternoon.
SUMMARY
There is not much change since last week, with the exception of walleye, which have dropped into deeper water. Night, dusk and dawn are the best times to fish, with few exceptions. BLUEGILL continue to hit well on popping bugs or crickets, with filet-sized specimens being caught. WALLEYE have been hitting on the steeper, main channel banks as deep as 30-feet. SMALLMOUTH are hitting pig'n jigs or shiners at night, or at the break of day. Mid-day fishing for smallmouth is slow. The best times for smallmouth, as well as LARGEMOUTH and SPOTTED BASS is at the break of day. CRAPPIE hit mainly near the docks, and in the main channel brush upriver. Night catches were fair. Some WHITE BASS have been caught at night on the Clinch, above Point 30. STRIPED BASS are hitting in Loyston Sea in the early morning hours, but they are small fish.
BLUEGILL
Excellent. Surface to 25-feet. Crickets, fished with no float, but tightlined or cast to steeper banks near the base of flooded timber, or along the bluffs at depths to 25-feet. For larger fish, go deep. Using a flyrod with popping bugs is bringing a lot of action, but the bluegill caught will be smaller during mid-day. Larger fish are being caught on popping bugs for those out at dawn, before the larger fish go deep. Nightcrawlers are not catching nearly as many fish as are crickets or popping bugs.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Moderate at night or dawn; slow during daylight hours. 3-feet to 10-feet at night and dawn; to 25-feet in daylight. Use small pig'n jigs, Bass Assassins or Flukes when shallow. Cast plastic jerkbaits, un-weighted, to steep rock banks where baitfish can be found. Small pig'n jigs cast to broken-rock banks and dropped to as deep as 25-feet. Submerged humps which are 15 to 20 feet deep. Shiners, fished deep on dropoffs and large-rock banks on the main channels. Carolina-rigged small plastic lizards, "Do-nothing worms," Slider worms, 1/4-oz. (or smaller) pig'n jigs.
LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Fair. Best before 8 a.m. or at dusk. 3 to 10-feet in the back of hollows, especially if there is a small branch or creek running in. Plastic worms or lizards, Carolina-rigged, on the gravel banks next to wood or boulders. Cast plastic worms or plastic jerkbaits into flooded timber and flooded tree tops. Smaller-sized worms or lizards (4 to 6-inch, maximum) are best. A few were caught on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits at dawn and dusk, in flooded timber.
STRIPED BASS
Fair. 10 to 35-feet deep off main channel points and in the larger creeks. Use large shiners or shad near the bottom, off clay/gravel points. Alewife, gizzard shad near the surface on drift lines, or downrigged as deep as 30-feet. Lost Creek, Crooked Creek and Loyston Sea produced stripers at dawn, but they were small fish.
WALLEYE
Slow. Walleye dropped to 30-feet On sunny days: to 30-feet, on the bottom, or suspended at that depth if in schools of baitfish. Chrome bladed spinner/worm rigs were best on sunny days; brass blades on cloudy days or in muddied water. Spinner/nightcrawler rigs have, with some exceptions, produced better than trolled plug/nightcrawlers. Steeper banks, very close to flooded timber and brush, have been the best places to catch walleye. Shallow at dusk and after sunset: cast Rebels, Rogues, Shad Raps, Spooks, and willow-leaf spinners near flooded, standing sycamore trees and rocky banks. Troll Jet Lures or spinner/worm rigs along the bottom. At night, under lantern light on shad or alewife.
CRAPPIE
Fair. 5 to 25-feet, in the brush along creek embayments. Shallower in early morning. Once the sun hits the brush, it's mostly over for the day, unless brush in deep shade is fished, or the lure is fished much deeper. Trolling slowly along creek bottoms with tube jigs bounced along the bottom has worked on the sunnier days, but early morning, or night fishing is better. Fish small tube jigs, popeye flies, or minnows in the brush.
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The lake elevation is 1,021.5-feet, about 8-inches higher than it was a week ago. The water elevation is predicted to drop a couple of inches over the next two days. Norris Dam will be sluicing water until 10 p.m., Friday, July 2nd. The lake is clear, except in the head of some creeks where rainstorms have stained the water. Surface temperatures are in the high-70's in early morning, rising to the mid-80's by afternoon.
SUMMARY
There is not much change since last week, with the exception of walleye, which have dropped into deeper water. Night, dusk and dawn are the best times to fish, with few exceptions. BLUEGILL continue to hit well on popping bugs or crickets, with filet-sized specimens being caught. WALLEYE have been hitting on the steeper, main channel banks as deep as 30-feet. SMALLMOUTH are hitting pig'n jigs or shiners at night, or at the break of day. Mid-day fishing for smallmouth is slow. The best times for smallmouth, as well as LARGEMOUTH and SPOTTED BASS is at the break of day. CRAPPIE hit mainly near the docks, and in the main channel brush upriver. Night catches were fair. Some WHITE BASS have been caught at night on the Clinch, above Point 30. STRIPED BASS are hitting in Loyston Sea in the early morning hours, but they are small fish.
BLUEGILL
Excellent. Surface to 25-feet. Crickets, fished with no float, but tightlined or cast to steeper banks near the base of flooded timber, or along the bluffs at depths to 25-feet. For larger fish, go deep. Using a flyrod with popping bugs is bringing a lot of action, but the bluegill caught will be smaller during mid-day. Larger fish are being caught on popping bugs for those out at dawn, before the larger fish go deep. Nightcrawlers are not catching nearly as many fish as are crickets or popping bugs.
SMALLMOUTH BASS
Moderate at night or dawn; slow during daylight hours. 3-feet to 10-feet at night and dawn; to 25-feet in daylight. Use small pig'n jigs, Bass Assassins or Flukes when shallow. Cast plastic jerkbaits, un-weighted, to steep rock banks where baitfish can be found. Small pig'n jigs cast to broken-rock banks and dropped to as deep as 25-feet. Submerged humps which are 15 to 20 feet deep. Shiners, fished deep on dropoffs and large-rock banks on the main channels. Carolina-rigged small plastic lizards, "Do-nothing worms," Slider worms, 1/4-oz. (or smaller) pig'n jigs.
LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Fair. Best before 8 a.m. or at dusk. 3 to 10-feet in the back of hollows, especially if there is a small branch or creek running in. Plastic worms or lizards, Carolina-rigged, on the gravel banks next to wood or boulders. Cast plastic worms or plastic jerkbaits into flooded timber and flooded tree tops. Smaller-sized worms or lizards (4 to 6-inch, maximum) are best. A few were caught on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits at dawn and dusk, in flooded timber.
STRIPED BASS
Fair. 10 to 35-feet deep off main channel points and in the larger creeks. Use large shiners or shad near the bottom, off clay/gravel points. Alewife, gizzard shad near the surface on drift lines, or downrigged as deep as 30-feet. Lost Creek, Crooked Creek and Loyston Sea produced stripers at dawn, but they were small fish.
WALLEYE
Slow. Walleye dropped to 30-feet On sunny days: to 30-feet, on the bottom, or suspended at that depth if in schools of baitfish. Chrome bladed spinner/worm rigs were best on sunny days; brass blades on cloudy days or in muddied water. Spinner/nightcrawler rigs have, with some exceptions, produced better than trolled plug/nightcrawlers. Steeper banks, very close to flooded timber and brush, have been the best places to catch walleye. Shallow at dusk and after sunset: cast Rebels, Rogues, Shad Raps, Spooks, and willow-leaf spinners near flooded, standing sycamore trees and rocky banks. Troll Jet Lures or spinner/worm rigs along the bottom. At night, under lantern light on shad or alewife.
CRAPPIE
Fair. 5 to 25-feet, in the brush along creek embayments. Shallower in early morning. Once the sun hits the brush, it's mostly over for the day, unless brush in deep shade is fished, or the lure is fished much deeper. Trolling slowly along creek bottoms with tube jigs bounced along the bottom has worked on the sunnier days, but early morning, or night fishing is better. Fish small tube jigs, popeye flies, or minnows in the brush.
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