drumking, Watts Bar, Crappie, November 01, 2013, Sailfish1

[drumking]

Tim took me to Watts Bar today to fish for crappie on docks. Weather was nice, but wind did get just a little bit aggravating later in the afternoon. Fishing was tough. I'm gonna call WB "The Dead Sea #2". It is right behind Tims Ford.

We caught 7 keepers, all nice fish, but no throwback crappie. Where have all the little fish gone? They were caught on Bobby Garland slab slayers and baby shads in Devil's Grin and Lights Out for me and I think that Tim caught his on Bluegrass and another color.

I caught one fish on an 8 count with a 1/24 oz jig and the next one came on a 29 count and dead sticking, same jig in same spot. emoScratch Tim had a big crappie cut his line on a metal boat lift after he cast his jig over it. We saw the fish and it was a good one. If we were using Madbomber rules, it would have counted, but we weren't and we don't. emoBigsmile

We caught 4 black nose crappie, 1 white crappie and 2 black crappie. It would have made a good dinner for someone, but we released all fish. Someone needs to leave some seed for that lake.

Tim, thanks for taking the old Drumking fishing today. I got my crappie fix for the week and am gonna take it easy and watch college football tomorrow, and who knows about Sunday morning yet? emoBigsmile emoGeezer

I guess that it depends on the weather. emoBigsmile

 

[Daniel Tn]

Watts Bar sure ain't as plentyful on crappie as Chickamauga is...but it certainly ain't a dead sea The trip we made the other evening, put 5 keepers in the boat in about 15 minutes on one brush pile. They weren't in there thick yet, but all it takes is a few brushpiles like that one, and you've got a limit in fairly quick order. Fishing down on the Chick must be way different; I see a lot of reports from people that say they caught 30+ fish out of one brushpile or off one or two docks down there. On Watts Bar you can't camp out on one spot and do much good; must have multiple spots that you can catch 3 or 4 fish off of, then move on to something else and do the same. It seems like they get spooked bad on Watts Bar when you catch a few out of one brush pile or whatever....then you gotta leave that spot alone for a while before you start catching them again.

 

[Kingfish]

emoThumbsup emoToast

 

[sailfish1]

DK thanks again for going out with me today, we found fish under some docks pretty thick, but they didnt want to co operate very well, next time we will go down on the hiwassee , they are coming up in the creeks already pretty good

 

[Tenncrapie]

Good report. And looks like the leaves are in full bloom at The Bar. I still question those TVA shocking reports showing it having as many fish as The Chick!!!

 

[BassERT]

emoThumbsup emoGeezer emoToast

emoCool

 

[cuonthelake]

You got on some different docks, you fish with another fellow CFF'er, an you saw some wonderful autumn colors....I'd say that was a wonderful day! An oh yeah, you caught one of your pets away from home (did you relocate him emoPoke emoScratch) emoBigsmile

 

[Fishingron]

I fish the Bar all the time. Look at it like a personal challenge. If it was easy it wouldn't be any fun. emoSmile
Plus, no one fishes up here.

 

[drumking]

Fishingron - 11/2/2013 12:18 PM

I fish the Bar all the time. Look at it like a personal challenge. If it was easy it wouldn't be any fun. emoSmile
Plus, no one fishes up here.

I learned to fish on Watts Bar in the early 70's when I lived in Spring City. I know the lower end very well, but the area that we fished yesterday was sort of new to me. Believe me, I know WB lake. It can be feast or famine. It was 40 years ago and sounds like it hasn't changed except my mentor told me last night that the lake is poor right now.

dk

 

[tp44]

Sorry the day didn't go real well, but it was a great day to be alive. I will post in a little while about our trip today.

 

[Daniel Tn]

It's for sure not as plentyful on crappie as Chickamauga seems to be. But what it lacks in numbers...it makes up for quality.

 

[jjellison]

emoThumbsup emoThumbsup

 

[sailfish1]

those are some nice pigs there daniel

 

[drumking]

Great pics, Daniel. If your crappie checker is like mine and it looks like it is, then the end of that is 13", so those pigs were 15 or so, huh? Great report. emoBigsmile emoGeezer

 

[Daniel Tn]

Those two were big, but I can't remember what they weighed. One was just a bit bigger than the other one, and I think it was just at 2 lbs. I think I have a pic of them laying on the table in comparison to some of the normal 10-11 inch fish. We've caught some really good ones in the 2 lb range. My biggest and my dad's biggest came from there on the same day...fishing out of a summer time submerged tree in nearly 30 feet of water. I was around 4 yrs old; on our scales back then, my fish was just over 2 1/4 lbs and dad's was a little over 2 1/2 lbs. Of course we're like everybody else...in pursuit of that 3 pounder.