07-06-2004, 12:50 AM
WATER CONDITIONS
Water surface temperatures continue to be in the upper 70's this week with some 80 degree temperatures noticed in the shallow water of backs of coves. The water clarity is clear. The lake level at the dam as of 1:00 p.m. Wednesday was 1,382.74 feet above sea level.
SUMMARY
Bass fishing has been better during the days this week than in weeks past, but a little slower at nights. The early mornings continue to best time during the day, the earlier the better. The fishing really seems to slow down by midday when the sun gets hot. Largemouth bass are what most anglers are catching early in the mornings while the smallmouth seem to be hitting better at night. You can find the early morning bass around any woody cover or up shallow on flats. The best method working right now is to fish top-water lures (especially a buzzbait), spinnerbaits, or small crankbaits from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. shallow, then by 10:00-3:00 fish jigs or spoons a little deeper in shady bluffs or drop offs. The Watauga side seems to be better in the mornings, especially for the largemouth, while the Holston side seems to be a better fishery at night. Plastic worms or lizards fished Carolina-rigged has also produced a few fish Wednesday during the day.
Both the striper and hybrid action was slow this week. You really need to locate some schools of shad or watch the gulls to find the bigger fish. The most success finding the big stripers continues to come from the Holston end with the Austin Springs Bridge area producing a couple on the Watauga end. Trolling shad, or using Red Fins and Zara Spooks is the most successful way to pick up the quality fish, with chicken livers catching decent numbers of hybrids. Bass fishermen also report taking a couple on Rattle-Traps off shallow flats the last couple of weeks.
Not much was reported on crappie fishing this week. Most of the crappie seem to have moved out deeper, suspended, chasing schools of shad right now. This makes trolling your most effective tool for catching good numbers of fish. A few have still been taken out of the brush, especially early in the mornings, but not like it was the last month or so. The Holston side at Beaver Dam Creek and Boones Creek on the Watauga end seems to be the only good spots right now. The ones caught out of the treetops were by small 1/16 oz. jig heads with chartreuse or green grubs, and sometimes tipping the jig with a minnow fished in about 8-10 feet of water. Trolling on either end of the lake with jigs or small crankbaits has been the most effective way for the suspended fish.
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Water surface temperatures continue to be in the upper 70's this week with some 80 degree temperatures noticed in the shallow water of backs of coves. The water clarity is clear. The lake level at the dam as of 1:00 p.m. Wednesday was 1,382.74 feet above sea level.
SUMMARY
Bass fishing has been better during the days this week than in weeks past, but a little slower at nights. The early mornings continue to best time during the day, the earlier the better. The fishing really seems to slow down by midday when the sun gets hot. Largemouth bass are what most anglers are catching early in the mornings while the smallmouth seem to be hitting better at night. You can find the early morning bass around any woody cover or up shallow on flats. The best method working right now is to fish top-water lures (especially a buzzbait), spinnerbaits, or small crankbaits from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. shallow, then by 10:00-3:00 fish jigs or spoons a little deeper in shady bluffs or drop offs. The Watauga side seems to be better in the mornings, especially for the largemouth, while the Holston side seems to be a better fishery at night. Plastic worms or lizards fished Carolina-rigged has also produced a few fish Wednesday during the day.
Both the striper and hybrid action was slow this week. You really need to locate some schools of shad or watch the gulls to find the bigger fish. The most success finding the big stripers continues to come from the Holston end with the Austin Springs Bridge area producing a couple on the Watauga end. Trolling shad, or using Red Fins and Zara Spooks is the most successful way to pick up the quality fish, with chicken livers catching decent numbers of hybrids. Bass fishermen also report taking a couple on Rattle-Traps off shallow flats the last couple of weeks.
Not much was reported on crappie fishing this week. Most of the crappie seem to have moved out deeper, suspended, chasing schools of shad right now. This makes trolling your most effective tool for catching good numbers of fish. A few have still been taken out of the brush, especially early in the mornings, but not like it was the last month or so. The Holston side at Beaver Dam Creek and Boones Creek on the Watauga end seems to be the only good spots right now. The ones caught out of the treetops were by small 1/16 oz. jig heads with chartreuse or green grubs, and sometimes tipping the jig with a minnow fished in about 8-10 feet of water. Trolling on either end of the lake with jigs or small crankbaits has been the most effective way for the suspended fish.
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