Clinch River/Watts Bar 12/26

[Bprice]

My grandfather and I fished the Clinch on Watts Bar today. We put in around 9:00 a.m. and started trying for some bass around the Bluffs just North of Lads Landing in Kingston. We fished the area hard until about 1130, with no luck but one bite on a jig n pig. We then motored up into the Emory River and fished above the Seap Dam that flows to the Steam Plant. My sonar was absolutely COVERED with fish, but couldn't coax a bite. I was jigging for sauger, while my grandfather jigged for crappie. We did not catch a single fish... very strange and tough.

We went in for lunch and to warm up a bit, and put in at Kingston City Park. Talked to a nice fella at the ramp who had taken a limit of slabs that morning around treetops. We boated north around the bend and fished the boat docks and tree tops just south of the Steam Plant. We used panfish assassins/minnow jigs, and landed two crappie, 5 bluegill, two largemouth and one Yellow Bass. The action was pretty slow, but fun to be with my grandpa none the less.

We are going to try for crappie first thing in the morning around some other treetops we found. I'll post a report again, and when i get home, mark up some maps where we fished.

I believe, "Jon the Fisherman" gave me some tips on parts of the Emory. Jon have you fished that "seap dam" before??? This is my first time fishing the area since i was 14 (10 years ago) and i am not too familiar with it. Any tips on that area would be appreciated and i hope I can return the favor one day on some Alabama lakes.

Thanks guys, have a safe and VERY happy New Year. Hopefully tommorow I'll have a banner post.

BrandonemoToast

 

[DHaun]

Thanks for the report Brpice and good luck with your next trip! I might try to go tommorow myself.

 

[JerDog]

Do you think the fish you were marking were big schools of threadfin shad? I fished the outflow of the steam plant a few years ago with a guide...we fished with a bobber and a shad about 6 feet down...Caught bunches of Hybrid stripers as big as 10lbs...no stop action...it was Dec. 23..so this time of year they may be in there thick...what was the water temp? Do you have a castnet to try for some threadfins? Could be the ticket for some nice fish.

 

[RangerRob]

Thanks for the memories Bprice. My grandfather taught me to fish and was the one who really fostered my passion for it. This was my first Christmas without him since he passed away in August. Little-known to the family, he'd passed along some gifts to my father back in the spring to be given out at Christmas. I wept when I received mine. He was a great man and I'd give up anything to have just one more day on the boat with him.

It sounds like your day spent with yours was memorable. I hope things are going well for you guys out there today. Cheers to ya bro ... and Merry Christmas.

RR