EricM, Chick tailwaters, skipjack, 6-16-08

[EricM]

Being basically out of skipjack and with a minimum of gizzard shad and redhorse sucker in the freezer, I decided to make a trip below the Chick dam today to see what was happening. I threw a sabiki rig all over the area and never had a single hit. Threw the cast net a zillion times and ONCE came up with a netfull of giant threadfin and small gizzard shad, plenty to give a bunch to another boater trying for bait too. I also netted a flock of spotted bass and some bluegill! Floated around trying for cats, but Rsimms has them all spoiled on chicken breast and I only fooled one 8 lb blue cat with a shad. It must not have been a local fish! It got too hot to not catch fish, so I packed up the gizzard shad and called it a day. I would have called it a poor day, but I WAS fishing!!! I'm either going to have to stick with the nuke or else hire a good (chicken) guide to show me how to catch some of those, ummmm, dam catfish emoBigsmile

 

[NRG]

alrighty then I think its about time NRG went cat fishing again .. its been a long time since Ive purposely went for cats.. years even. maybe I need to cash in some favors at the chicken plant downtown lol .. used to catch cats by the 55gallon drum when I was stalking them .. but cat fishing alone no fun at night .. ya start to get stir crazy drifting hunks of meat down the channel .. waiting to get slimed

Eric maybe ya need to go to NRG's old stompin grounds .. have ya been to the gorge lately, Ive marked some huge arches down there in the past few weeks on the bottom in 60 feet of water .. what do ya think ?

 

[EricM]

NRG - I'm always up for an adventure (and some learning)! I have virtually no experience in the river gorge except a nice trip with Doc1. PM me!

 

[foodsaver]

sorry the skippies weren't cooperating. wonder whats going on with them this year I wonder?

 

[Punisher]

small mouth fishing was tough too this morning dad and i had only 15 sm today and we fished for six hours

 

[Guest]

poboy - 6/17/2008 12:08 AM small mouth fishing was tough too this morning dad and i had only 15 sm today and we fished for six hours

</p>

Where are the pictures Poboy? A fishing report without pics is a fish tale.</p>

 

[tailgate79]

Lol doc always leave it up to doc lol

 

[drumking]

EricM - 6/16/2008 9:51 PM

Being basically out of skipjack and with a minimum of gizzard shad and redhorse sucker in the freezer, I decided to make a trip below the Chick dam today to see what was happening. I threw a sabiki rig all over the area and never had a single hit. Threw the cast net a zillion times and ONCE came up with a netfull of giant threadfin and small gizzard shad, plenty to give a bunch to another boater trying for bait too. I also netted a flock of spotted bass and some bluegill! Floated around trying for cats, but Rsimms has them all spoiled on chicken breast and I only fooled one 8 lb blue cat with a shad. It must not have been a local fish! It got too hot to not catch fish, so I packed up the gizzard shad and called it a day. I would have called it a poor day, but I WAS fishing!!! I'm either going to have to stick with the nuke or else hire a good (chicken) guide to show me how to catch some of those, ummmm, dam catfish emoBigsmile

I was just thinking about going below the dam and fishing for skippies, but now I won't until someone posts a report and the fish are there. Tough days happen to even the best of the best and EricM, you are the best! I'm not but about 175 TARPs behind you. emoBigsmile emoGeezer

 

[tennfisher]

Eric,

The wife and I were eating lunch and watching the tailwaters and I told her that I was pretty sure that was you, and from the number of casts I saw you make with no results I was pretty sure you were baitfishing. We eat lunch there and watch the action (or lack thereof) on average about 4 days each week, and I haven't seen any skipjack activity to speak of in the last 6 weeks. I don't know if all the lock construction is altering conditions and affecting them or what, but I don't think they are there like last year emoScratch .

Tennfisher

 

[SpurHunter]

Has anyone checked lately below the Nick? Might be time to see if they are doing any better down there.