A LATE REPORT- Tellico lake 12/12/2006

[SNUFFY]

and kinda strung out too.....been trying to catch some crappie here on Tellico since its just 10 ninutes to the ramp and 3 major creeks are within a mile .....
after messing with a buddies crappie boat ,he wanted me to use, for about a week and a half ..I finally gave up and took it to the shop ....and got the Bullet out and went Nov 30 and managed to catch 3 keepers in a place in Bat Creek I had seen some guys fishing last winter. Didn`t keep them although they were all about 11 inches ...wasn`t enough really for a good mess....
Went back on saturday Dec 1 and tried the same area...no luck... started to pull up the anchor and heard one of the rods clattering around and reeled up a keeper...and about the time I got the anchor tied back off ,the other rod started bouncin` and reeled up another . well here we go I thought...within a minute or 2 caught another keeper...all right under the boat ....well sat there for another hour without a bite....I decide to clean them since one of them had got the hook down his thoat.
decided to go last Saturday after it got above freezing about noon... got in the water about 2 and went back to the same area and caught 10 ...nine of them keepers..Went back out Sunday about 11 and decided to try Clear Creek after trolling thru one whole side of it ,I only caught one and went back to Bat Creek about 2:00 and headed back to my spot but stopped about a mile before I got to it.
What I`m doing is setting up my 10 FT crappie pole with a bobber and minner about 14-15 deep and my Microlite 8 1/2 ft about 10-11 foot deep and setting them out about 60-70 ft behind boat....I let the x-70 on the trolling motor run on auto and the 332c on the back of the set the sensitvity down quite bit and ease around the creek channel edges looking for bait fish and brush piles... there is so much clutter when you get into the bait it`s hard to tell which is bait and brush much less pick out the fish....so when I see it on the front then it passes under the 332 in the back with less sensitivity ...you can tell better whats what. if it looks good I just stop the trolling motor and coast till the minners get to the spot. I caught one in one of these spots and decide to throw a buoy out since it was so far off shore and hard to line up with anything....went back around and caught another one. moved on back into my honey hole and worked it for about an hour and never got a bite.... all the fish I`ve caught in this 3 acre hole have been in differnt areas and different depths each time in 3 trips...trolled back out to my buoy and was finding all kinds of baitfish and brush on the channel edges...but couldn`t get a bite...finally got back to my buoy about 30-40- minutes before dark... and made a cast up to my buoy and caught one ...and then a another and got bit again and then got in the brush pile that I didn`t know was there and broke off...must have spooked the fish cause I never got another bite .
I never really have tried to boat fish for crappie here on Tellico before and don`t have any holes to got to but I`m learning and finding some places that will have some sooner later....I think I`ll go try Fork Creek tomorrow...I may not even crank the big motor...it `s that close...
Altogether I`ve caught 22-23 and all but 2 have been keepers with the majority in the 11- 11 1/2 inch range with one 13,,a couple of 12s and 2-3 10 1/2s...

 

[tellico jim]

Thats some great info!!!!!!!!!! I have been crappie fishing tellico lake for about 18 years and it sounds like you know how to fish the lake !!!!! The bobber and float works great in the clear water, I catch alot of fish doing that!!!! It sounds like that you are having my luck!! I fished Notchy Creek last week and caught 60 non keepers and 6 keepers. I really don't understand why so many short fish - year after year. I have been catching alot more fish using a slip float. I think it is because you can just pull it and you can change depth you are fishing. This works great when they are hitting it on the fall. It seems like the fish are just cruising the creek channel and holding up on brush feeding. I think I am going to Corntassel creek today and try to get bit. Thanks for the info!!!!

 

[jbh3]

Hey, Snuff. Saw your trailer Sunday and figured you were in Bat. I stayed in Fork and caught quite a few LM on the shakey worm. Have been trying the dock shooting deal some, but have not had any sucess yet. No doubt, your way is the best way right now. There is a bunch of good deep brush in Fork. Will probably be back up there later in the week.

 

[SNUFFY]

I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE YOUR TRUCK IN THE LOT JOHN... WASN`T SURE THOUGH... TRIED CLEAR CREEK FIRST JUST TROLLING AND STOPPING WHEN I SAW SOMETHING INTERESTING ...CAUGHT ONE IN A TREE TOP...COULDN`T GET ANY MORE...WENT DOWN THE LEFT SIDE ALL THE WAY BACK...SAW SOME REALLY GOOD LOOKING STUFF ON THE OTHER SIDE BUT WAS ALREADY ROLLING OUT TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

WENT BACK INTO FORK CREEK TODAY TO EXPLORE AND DIDN`T DO ANY GOOD....I`LL HAVE TO LOOK SOME MORE ONE DAY. LOADED UP AND WENT BACK TO BAT CREEK AND GOT TO CATCHING THEM IN THE BRUSH ALONG THE CHANNEL EDGE WAY IN THE BACK...WAS KINDA TUFF FIGHTING THE WIND BUT WOUND UP CATCHING ABOUT 10 WITH 6 GOOD KEEPERS....2 HERE AND ONE THERE.

JIM WHAT KIND OF BOBBER STOPS ARE YOU USING... THE LITTLE PLASTIC THING WITH 2 HOLES OR THE TINY SPRING LOOKING THING.....DOES IT SNAG IN THE EYES WHEN YOU CAST ??. I CAN CAST MY RIG SET AT FIFTEEN FOOT DEEP WITH A REGULAR BOBBER ON MY 10 FOOT POLE AND ALMOST THAT MUCH WITH MY 8 1`/2... AND RIGHT NOW MOST OF WHAT I`M CATCHING IS ABOUT 10 FT DEEP IN 20 -23 FOOT OF WATER

I`M DONT HAVE A CLUE ABOUT WHAT I`M DOING REALLY ...I USUALLY DON`T BOAT FISH FOR CRAPPIE MUCH IN THE WINTER FOR SOME REASON....I WILL HIT BELOW THE DAMS AND WALK THE BANK SOME BUT THAT`S USUALLY ABOUT IT. I`VE DONE MORE BOAT FISHING THIS LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THAN I HAVE IN YEARS .

 

[flip1up]

One thing I learned about Snuffy while fishing the CFF Watts Bar tournament is that he studies lake structure carefully. I'm talking about structure not cover. He seems to read the lake well, especially the minor drops and ledges that I overlook. And hes great to fish with, very laid back and easy to get along with. We need to get together again before long.

 

[2jigs]

You mean he's actually gona fish with ya again. Hmmm. He must be a laid back guyemoLaugh. Ya know I'm kidding with ya Flip. I thought it was you that was laid back & a good guy to fish with. Speakin of witch, when we going again?emoThumbsup emoToast

 

[flip1up]

Yes, I'm ready to go again 2jigs, but you didnt have to call me a witch.emoPoke I'm out of Brandy, before I go again I'll have to make a trip to the "store".

 

[SNUFFY]

WE`LL DO IT AGAIN BRO... I HADN`T LAUGHED THAT MUCH IN A TX IN A LONG TIME.... I PROMISE I`LL GET MORE SERIOUS ABOUT WINNIN` NEXT TIME...... I WAS JUST HAVING TOO MUCH FUN GETTING TO KNOW YOU.

I`M GONNA GET TO THE LOWER END OF THE CHIC WHILE THE WATERS DOWN AND DO SOME STUDY FISHIN` YOU CAN TELL SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE LAKE WHEN YOU CAN SEE 4-5 FOOT OF THE BANK....HARDLY ANYBODY IN THE CLUB GOES TO THE LOWER END AND FROM WHAT I SAW THE ONE TIME I WENT I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO TRY IT AGAIN.
A BUDDY OF MINE CALLED TODAY WHILE I WAS BOBBER WATCHIN` AND ASKED "WHY AIN`T YOU BASS FISHIN ?"
WELL IT`S MY WAY OF GETTING UNWOUND SO I GO AFTER `EM AGAIN COME LATE FEBRUARY.

I`M TRYING TO CONJURE UP A METHOD OF PICTURES OF KEY SPOTS AND WAYPOINTS ON THE GPS AND WHAT NOT .....LEARN HOW TO USE MY ELECTRONICS BETTER AND DO SOME SERIOUS MAP STUDY DURING THE WINTER AND BOBBER WATCHIN` GIVES YOU SOME TIME TO DO THAT BEFORE TX SEASON STARTS....AND ALSO A GOOD WAY TO FIND BRUSHPILES TOO !

 

[2jigs]

I got word of a buddy that got 6-7 keepers on the Nick today on our secret baits Ha Ha. Let me check in to it a little more & we'll plan a trip. PS dont forget your aiming fluid

 

[flip1up]

I thought we were serious, the fish werent though. I have thought several times as of late about fishing the places you showed me. They looked like perfect winter holes to me. I went below the dam a few weeks ago with the intentions of pulling out mid morning and going up on the lake to those places. It never panned out, I got lazy and just hung out in upper Chick, got a buzz and just zoned out, the weather was so nice that day.

 

[2jigs]

I heard it took 15-16 lbs to win & 13-14lbs for second over at chesterfrost last Sat. Man how are those guys getting 16Lbs. of fish & it's 16 deg. outside. All I can guess is they have found some deep fish in 20-35 ft of water & are jiging a silver buddy uo & down or a spoon. What'ch think?

 

[flip1up]

The T out of Meigs County ramp, below Watts Bar took 17+ to win Sat. From all that I have gathered, the fishing is pretty darn good way up river right now.

I think your right on 2jigs.

 

[2jigs]

We say Gary & Tom at the mouth of grasshopper creek Sat morn. So I know they at the least started there.

 

[tellico jim]

Hey Snuffy- I use the thill method with the string stop. It works pretty well for me. It still takes alot of practice to master- even more difficult in the wind!! I was catching small fish about two days ago, but not so many keepers. But Yesterday, I figured something out for the day that helped me snag 25 keepers. Most were 11" to 12" fish. I started out fishing a stable float at 10' to 12' deep, I like this during low light conditions. I caught 8 keepers on this and several throw backs. While I was catching the fish - I was documenting on my map were I was catching all of the fish. Soon I discovered majority of the fish were caught around intersections of ditches or roads, smallcreeks into the main creek. Each one had brush there from 10' to 20' deep. After the sun come up, I went to the slip float method. First I started about 10' to 12' , then work down deeper. I don't want the deeper fish to spook the school when you bring them up through the brush and the other fish. So I get the outside edges, then go inward as I fish. This method always works for me. On Tellico, from my experience, the fish seem to spook easy in the clear water. So I usually keep my trolling down to a minimum and cast floats over the areas to prevent spooking. It always helps me to mark the area I am fishing,with markers. Always use markers that are not so bright, not like the Flore. orange ones. Good luck!! Snuffy- have you tried a floating fly across the lake from bakers creek. The bluff right above Morganton Road Ferry Crossing is a great place to catch some smallmouth right now!!! I have caught some good ones there about 8' to 10' deep. Jigging spoon works good in the brush there too. Plenty of brush there!!! I really like that high speed bobber watching!!! SMALL MOUTH STYLE!!!!!!!!!! I guess I fish Tellico 2 times a week and then on saturday bass fish the chick. I know what you mean about finding structure and brushpiles- while bobber watching!!!!!! especially on tellico. There's alot of stuff in that lake!!! I love winter crappie fishin on that lake!!! I learn alot about fish movement and how they use the structure on that lake. Tellico can be a devil sometimes to figure out. You really have to love the challange it offers. It just makes you a better fisherman, for a fact. After fishing that lake all the time, you will be ready for any situation.

 

[polo-dog]

SNUFFY, I have tried most of the bobber stops out there and none of them work as well as rubber skirt material. You can buy it really cheap and if you need to you can just pull a couple of strands off of a spinnerbait or a jig. One strand works okay but two or three strands works a bit better, just wet it and tie an overhand knot around the line and you are in business. Every once in a while it loosens up and you just pull it tight again. It works especially well if you are fishing less deep than the length of your rod, in that if the bobberstop/skirt material has to go through the guides cast after cast it tends to loosen up faster. I tend to use a pitching type cast anyway most of the time so my bobberstop doesn't go through my guides much. A piece of skirt material about 1.5 to 2 inches in length is just about right. Hope that it works for you.

 

[SNUFFY]

THANKS POLO I`LL GIVE THAT A TRY.... I HAVE PLENTY OF SKIRT MATR`L.