Bad news for Sequoyah catfishing

[drc]

I'm heartbroken.... TVA posted signs on the intake skimmerwall yesterday that says " no boats or watercraft within 50ft of wall". That was one of my favorite places to fish so I'm pretty annoyed to say the least. I'd bet $$$ the next step will be to extend the orange barrier down the entire lenth of the wallemoMad . Everyone better get those intake cats and bass while you can.

 

[SpurHunter]

What a bunch of party poopers.....

 

[drumking]

Considering the world that we live in today, I'm not surprised by it. After 9/11, TVA closed all fishing from the Rhea Co bank below the Watts Bar dam for security reasons. People still sneak in there at night by boat and fish from the bank. I know because one of the last times that I striper fished up there, there was a boat with 3 guys on the bank with lights that couldn't be seen from the observation deck and as it neared daylight and after I made the 2nd drift, they got the heck out of dodge without ever turning on their lights on the boat. Another time, I saw a security guard run one guy off who was fishing from the bank. He was probably a construction worker and should have known better. emoGeezer

 

[Guest]

We all kinda knew something like this would happen. We loved to fish that wall in the winter for crappie also. Several 1 1/2 lb crappie were caught there last winter.

 

[m17glock]

last time jr and i were out there we saw folks not just tied up to the wall but sitting and standing on it emoBang emoHoppingmad doesnt suprise me at all that tva did this

 

[volcharlie]

You are right, I have a buddy that works there and he told me a while back they were going to do this because of people getting on the wall. I wouldn't be suprised if they don't try to block the whole area ( the rock points on either side of the pumping station). emoBawl

 

[EricM]

Just like everything else, the folks that decide that "it's a stupid rule so I don't have to follow it" make the rest of us pay for it. Sure makes you want to knock their heads together!

 

[drc]

Yep, it's a shame, emoBawl !!! The wall is where most of my big fish have come from this year... guess I'll have to try some of my other fishing holes on the upper end of the lake, the discharge has not been nice to me lately. It'll be intresting to see how many people ignore the "new rule".

 

[EricM]

Actually, it shouldn't keep you from fishing the area if you anchor outside the 50 ft area and cast into it. It isn't that they are trying to keep people from fishing, it sounds like they are just wanting to keep them away from where TVA might be liable if something happened and to make sure security is maintained.

 

[SpurHunter]

My buddy claims to have looked Saturday morning, and said there were not any new signs there. I wonder if someone took them down? That would surely tick-off TVA.

 

[deadeye531]

I was out there Sat night and noticed the signs when I got all the way to the wall. Needless to say I didnt stay around. A friend of mine actually said he was out there and fished on the wall while tied up 2 different times after the signs were put up. The last time I was out there before they had them, there was a pontoon boat and anytime one guy would catch a fish the other 3 would jump up on the wall just to watch him fight the fish.

 

[SpurHunter]

The last time I fished it, I had boats on both sides of me at different times of the day with guys actually sitting on the wall for 5 minutes or more while fishing...I didnt know if it was my place to say anything, but maybe I should have? Who knows

 

[WLG]

I can see their point as far as getting up on the wall. Someone could fall and get hurt and after all that is property of TVA. I could even see them not wanting us to tie up there at the wall. But as far as putting up barracades to keep us out of the area altogether..I DO NOT agree with!!!! That river is public waterway and belongs to us ( fisherman and pleasure boaters) just as much as it belongs to TVA. Also that is in the main channel of the river right there. I will probably just anchor out away from the wall and just throw lines over to it from now on. But I really think it will be a shame if they barracade the whole thing off as I have caught alot of BIG fish there...as well as all kinds of other fish. Just my $.02 worth.

 

[SpurHunter]

Amen WLG, your right on the money!

 

[foodsaver]

dang that sucks!!!

 

[Guest]

Guys it is called emminent domain. If TVA deems it necessary they can close any part of the lake they want to.