Chickamauga 10-1

[RangerRob]

Due to the festivities of our thorough thrashing of the Gators the previous night, I didn't get on the water until 9:30AM. The water temp was 76 at Grasshopper. After backing the boat in the water and hitting the ignition, my memory was instantly jogged ... S--T!!! My low oil alarm was going off. I knew I was forgetting something when I left the house. I'd meant to do it earlier in the week, but forgotten.

Oh well, not wanting to risk a run anywhere, I put the trolling motor down and just started fishing there in Grasshopper. When I put the boat on the trailer at 2PM, I'd caught about 20. The shad are there now gang. If any of you have a favorite shallow haunt for fall bass, they should be there. I got on a rather large school of shad - once I found them - and just stayed with them. I ended up spending most of the afternoon working over a stretch of bank that was about 60 yds long and caught them on traps, Bandit 100s, a homemade topwater popper, and even one on a T-rigged worm. None were very big - the largest was right at 15" and probably would have weighed an even lb. They haven't gotten their pot bellies yet, so the fall feed is definately just getting into high gear. Gar were everywhere too. I also had the driver of a ski boat whip their tow around so close to my boat that he probably missed by 20 feet. Remember those DD22s I'd mothballed? I just about pulled one out to wait for the second pass!! emoEnforce

By the way ... I'm off work this Thurs - the 6th - and I'm going out with room in the back of the boat (I'll put oil in it so we can actually go somewhere). If anybody has the afternoon and would like to wet a line, let me know.

RR

 

[Jmax]

Hello there RangerRobemoSmile ,
Glad to see your post. Sounds like you and I are on the same kind of fish. Not too much size but a lot of fun. When you say afternoon what time are you talking about? I set my own hours so if you are talking late in the afternoon I may want to hook up with you sometimes. Always looking to wet a hook with someone new and in a new area. Jmax

 

[RangerRob]

Hey Jmax. If I'm understanding your posts right, it sounds like you are on main lake fish ... right?

Anyway - if you are asking about Thursday ... I actually meant all day. I'll probably launch at first light and fish up until 2 or 3 or ???. You're welcome to come along, just let me know. If there is any other time you wanna go I usually fish on Sundays unless the Tide plays late and then I might fish some on Sat mornings.

 

[RangerRob]

OOOPPS. I just realized I dated the post wrong. This was for yesterday, 10-2.

 

[Jmax]

Sounds good to hook up on a Sunday but during the week I usually have clients I contact or have to meet with. I thought you meant afternoon afternoon so I had better pass on this Thursday. If my wife does not want to go to church on Sunday you will usually find me on the lake that day as well. let's play it by ear and we can see about hooking up later. Thanks for the invite and yes I am catching those fish on the main lake.emoSmile

 

[RangerRob]

Yeah - we'll definately do it some other time! Maybe we can grab some of these other folks and drag them out with us

 

[jason]

RangerRob, the water was just a couple of degrees cooler upriver on the Hiwassee. Same thing...schools of aggressive "barely legals" with an occasional hog. I downgraded to a Zara Puppy to catch a ton of spots and picked up two in the 4lb range on a white Booyah jig.

 

[RangerRob]

Where were you up there Jason? I didn't have any spots in my school - come to think of it, I haven't caught as many spots this year as last. My topwater bite lasted until about 10 - 10:15 and then the sun just got too high. That's when I started throwing the cranks.

 

[jason]

The big flat on the inside curve of the Hiwassee where it meets the Tennessee held several schools of feeding spots. We also found schools in that giant slough just upriver on the right...it has a spring and a creek running into it but I can't recall the name without a map.