1st Time Nickajack CATS 2/11/2007

[WLG]

Went out today with shsimons. This my my first time ever fishing on nickajack and Sam's too. We were just out there cruising around trying out some new water and enjoying the nice weather today. Did more riding than fishing I think, but we had a good time. Water was barely moving and water temp was 42-44 degrees. We did manage a couple dinks and a couple promising pull offs. Its so nice to have this forum to meet new people and learn new techniques.

 

[shsimons]

RE: 1st Time Nickajack CATS

WLG,

Thanks a lot for taking me out. This forum has been a great blessing for me as in July I moved down here and left all my friends and family. So it's nice to make fishing friends and I always learn something new.

Today was one of those days where I did not care one bit if I caught anything. It was a perfect winter day with two fisherman getting away from the world for a few hours. I'm just glad this forum has such nice guys to take people out fishing who don't have a boat like me.

Thanks to those guys who have let me tag along in a boat. I hope to repay you someday when I eventually get my own boat.

WLG, I think you found some nice holes for the cold cat classic coming up in march.

Shsimons

 

[DHaun]

RE: 1st Time Nickajack CATS

Great Report guys - You all picked a beautiful place to fish today! Its amazing how the scenery changes as you go further downstream. I think Raccoon Mtn is a great spot for the weigh-in in March!

 

[rsimms]

I'm proud to see somebody stayin' after the cats. If we leave 'em alone too long they start getting lazy! emoThumbsup

 

[WLG]

RE: 1st Time Nickajack CATS

DHaun - 2/11/2007 7:54 PM

Great Report guys - You all picked a beautiful place to fish today! Its amazing how the scenery changes as you go further downstream. I think Raccoon Mtn is a great spot for the weigh-in in March!

it is very nice down there. I think i may have seen 2 other boats yesterday....and one thing about that area ...ITS DEEP !!!!! I found one place thats 145 feet. Man I cant wait to pull a 100 lb cat outta thereemoBigsmile . I hope to get back down there and try out a few different places in the next few weeks.

 

[CRAZYHORSE]

Looks like you are getting a good head start on us!! emoCool 145 feet, WOW!! You might pull one of those me kong catfish out of that hole emoPoke Congratulations on the fish, and good luck!

The Crazyhorse has to work nowemoBawl

 

[rsimms]

RE: 1st Time Nickajack CATS

WLG - 2/12/2007 10:12 AM

DHaun - 2/11/2007 7:54 PM

Great Report guys - You all picked a beautiful place to fish today! Its amazing how the scenery changes as you go further downstream. I think Raccoon Mtn is a great spot for the weigh-in in March!

it is very nice down there. I think i may have seen 2 other boats yesterday....and one thing about that area ...ITS DEEP !!!!! I found one place thats 145 feet. Man I cant wait to pull a 100 lb cat outta thereemoBigsmile . I hope to get back down there and try out a few different places in the next few weeks.

Tell me where you found 145? I've found 120, but never 145. To be honest, it is my opinion that cats wouldn't really like water that deep. Less light, less oxygen, less food, etc. HOWEVER, that's simply an opinion and not at all based on experience. I have fished 110 foot water one time... didn't like it. Mainly just because I don't have confidence in it and therefore didn't stick with it very long. I'm also of the opinion that it's not necessarily water depth, but bottom contour/structure. HOWEVER AGAIN, I'd love for somebody to prove me wrong. Every 100-pounder in the river might be ganged up in that 145 hole.

 

[CRAZYHORSE]

Richard, just for arguments sake, and you dont have to say where of course, but what is the deepest hole on chick? anyone else can chime in too. the deepest i've foun on chickamauga is just over 80 on my depthfinder, so give or take a few feet. By the way I have never caught anything from that hole, but that doesen't mean they are'nt there. Read in in-fisherman mag that the guys that placed second in the Cabela's King Kat were fishing a hump that dropped into 110 feet of water.

crazyhorse

 

[minner]

Were you guys drifting or anchored? The reason I ask is because I haven't been doing much good anchored lately. Thanks.

 

[WLG]

RE: 1st Time Nickajack CATS

rsimms - 2/12/2007 12:11 PM

WLG - 2/12/2007 10:12 AM

DHaun - 2/11/2007 7:54 PM

Great Report guys - You all picked a beautiful place to fish today! Its amazing how the scenery changes as you go further downstream. I think Raccoon Mtn is a great spot for the weigh-in in March!

it is very nice down there. I think i may have seen 2 other boats yesterday....and one thing about that area ...ITS DEEP !!!!! I found one place thats 145 feet. Man I cant wait to pull a 100 lb cat outta thereemoBigsmile . I hope to get back down there and try out a few different places in the next few weeks.

Tell me where you found 145? I've found 120, but never 145. To be honest, it is my opinion that cats wouldn't really like water that deep. Less light, less oxygen, less food, etc. HOWEVER, that's simply an opinion and not at all based on experience. I have fished 110 foot water one time... didn't like it. Mainly just because I don't have confidence in it and therefore didn't stick with it very long. I'm also of the opinion that it's not necessarily water depth, but bottom contour/structure. HOWEVER AGAIN, I'd love for somebody to prove me wrong. Every 100-pounder in the river might be ganged up in that 145 hole.

I was probably about two miles up river from racoon mountain....there is a day marker on the left side ... i thought my depth finder was messed up at first but it drops from about 50 feet off into 100-110 feet but then there is kinda of a hole within a hole there that goes to 145 foot. I didnt mark any fish but my fishfinder is not the best in the world ( which i hope to change this week) and i usually catch fish even when im not marking any fish......Minner I was drifting and anchored at different times.

 

[rsimms]

CRAZYHORSE - 2/12/2007 12:24 PM

Richard, just for arguments sake, and you dont have to say where of course, but what is the deepest hole on chick? anyone else can chime in too. the deepest i've foun on chickamauga is just over 80 on my depthfinder, so give or take a few feet. By the way I have never caught anything from that hole, but that doesen't mean they are'nt there. Read in in-fisherman mag that the guys that placed second in the Cabela's King Kat were fishing a hump that dropped into 110 feet of water.
crazyhorse

The deepest I've seen on Chickamauga Lake is 75 feet, during summer levels (generally 6 feet higher than winter) ... maybe got to 78 at one point??? but not sure. And yes, I've caught fish there... but there is good structure.

 

[shsimons]

Minner,

We caught 2 anchored and 1 drifting. However, I think if we kept drifting, we would have caught more. We both had to get going home. We both had a couple of nice hits drifting, think around 50-60 ft of water. It was like we found just that right depth in the channel fish were holding in.

We were just drifting with the wind, which was really slight, so our baits were just inching along.

I can't wait to go back down to nickajack for the cold cat classic, it will be awesome to see if anybody pulls out a big one down there. Everything looks so good down there. WLG and I found some great looking spawning territory all over the place.