Below the Chick. dam this evening...10/17/2006

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fishinvol

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
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Location
Ooltewah
Well I was all set to head to the map study tonight,when my dad called and told me he would be at least 45 minutes late to watch my daughter.So instead of going to the study( I hate to be late to anything) I headed below the dam(on the bank of course). Started throwing a big spook to see if the stripes were hitting. Nothing there so I headed down to the train bridge to try some bass. I was using a pop-r type lure and had some success(4 small spots). After awhile I put on a 7 inch bass pro shops jerk bait( green shad colored) second cast I made,I let the current take it a little and I was just reeling it in slow and it got nailed!! I thought it was probably a stripe,that is until it decides to go airborn. Turns out to be a monster smallmouth!!! I couldn't tell you how much in weighed but easily 5 pounds( I have never seen one that big in person) of course the second time it jumped he decided to spit my lure!! emoVomit I was sick over it for a little while. Well now it's getting dark so I head for the rocks to try the stripe on my jerkbait. Well it didn't take long and I was hooked up! I landed a 21.7 lber man was it fun!! Thankfully there were a couple of guys down on the rocks that had a set of scales. Well after finally getting my lure out of his mouth(he more or less inhaled it) I set him free. I walk back up to were I was fishing(I only use 14 lb test so I have to hop the rocks while the fish take off down river) It took a little while but I hooked up again. This one fought harder ,but was kinda foul hooked. He ended up being 11 lbs even,still a fun fish to catch! Ok so I head back to my spot again,and the very first cast I am hooked up for the 3rd time!! This one was another 20lber, I couldn't turn him for awhile but eventulally I got him right to the bank and was getting ready to lip him and my lure just popped out!!emoRolleyes OH well. After that the stripe just decided they were done for a little while,so I headed home. I tried to get pictures but my camera phone would do the trick( too dark). Man I just had a great trip to Dale Hollow( I will give a full 3 day fishing report when I get my pictures emailed to me) and I come home and catch some nice stripe and almost the smallie of my dreams!! Oh what could have been and what was!!! I do hate that I missed the map study!! I really want to learn to read maps. Maybe next time.emoThumbsup
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

50 pounds of striper from the bank! It will be hard for you to ever top that! Was this in the eddies just off the gravel bar below the bridge?
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

jason - 10/17/2006 8:13 PM

50 pounds of striper from the bank! It will be hard for you to ever top that! Was this in the eddies just off the gravel bar below the bridge?

It was above the train bridge,almost all the way back up to the pier. I look for where the water breaks away from the bank. They always seem to hold there this time of year. Last October I really got into them ( I would catch or at least hook one every other cast) for at least a few days straight. The best I did was around 80 lbs in one night.
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

Man sounds like a great trip. Do you get into them on the weekend too?
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

Sure,they are always there. I would imagine that if the water temp. drops about 5 more degrees,they will be feeding like crazy! Right now they seem to be spread out a little,but with cooling water they will school up a litle thicker. I prepher to catch them on top water but I'm not picky either.emoCool
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

Great report, FishinVol. Tempts me to make an evening trip in the boat to try for the stripers. You wouldn't mind the drumking trying to catch one or 2 would you?emoGeezer
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

Not at all,but that means you have to teach me some of your crappie tricks. emoBigsmile
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

Great report. Was that a hard or soft jerkbait? I'm gonna have to give that a try. Maybe the wife will even go.
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

Ditto on Davos question. How deep do you think the jerkbait was when they bit? I'm going to have to come down there and hang out with you again one evening.
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

Hard. It's more or less bass pro shops version of a rapala(7 inches long). You can always get them on a red fin also,when they get biting real good you can catch them on about anything that resembles a shad/skipjack. The lure itself is a suspending lure with a rattle. I was usualy just reeling it in slowly and letting the current take it down a little deeper and every once and awhile I would give it a twitch.
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

flip1up - 10/18/2006 6:32 AM

Ditto on Davos question. How deep do you think the jerkbait was when they bit? I'm going to have to come down there and hang out with you again one evening.
Just let me know and we can hit the bank. All though I think this 80 degree weather in the next couple days may mess up the stripe bite a little.
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

Very nice report FishinVol! It sounds like fun. If I weren't working Christmas windows ... I think you might have found me on the bank the next time you went down.

TT
 
RE: Below the Chick. dam this evening...

fishinvol - 10/18/2006 9:24 AM

Not at all,but that means you have to teach me some of your crappie tricks. emoBigsmile

That's not a problem! Let me know what your schedule looks like the next 2 or 3 weeks.emoGeezer
 
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