FirstLight
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2008
- Messages
- 1,479
FirstLight, CFF Classic, 2nd Place, Nickajack & Chickamauga, Bass, 10/13 & 10/14, 2018, Nauticman
Day 1 out of Sullivans we did the 30 mile 1 way trip up to the Upper Nick again because we figured we could muster a 5 fish limit jumping around up there better than midlake and down. The plan worked out really good for us. Had a 4 pounder in the box on about the 10th cast at our first stop. The water seemed to be just right for the current breaks off the river so we used those to catch some nice fattys including a 5 pluser. Did make a run up to the dam to check on things and zero’d. Ran into Leonard and shot the bull for a minute. We noticed the water was falling pretty drastically late morning and we think that really made the bite tough there after. Ended up finding another good fatty around noon and a really nice spot downtown around 1 o’clock. We fished all our OLD Brownfish holes and didn’t catch a single one. We have been fishing the chick almost exclusively the last few years and do not have our finger on the pulse of the smallmouth down below the dam anymore - sucks. The water level drop might have been a factor too. We used slow movers, (jigs, senkos, and tubes primarily), in 10 to 15 FOW.
Day 2 out of CFP was a frustrating day to sum it up. Caught fish at every stop but only managed 3 small keepers. We tried shallow areas, mid-depth areas, and deep areas; and caught fish in all of them but never established a dependable pattern. Started out in the back of CFP just to check things out and Dad put our 1st keep in the boat right away on a SB; and then i caught a short on a lipless. Saw activity and bait, but those were the only 2 we caught back there. Made a move to a deep brush pile in 23 FOW and I got our 2nd keeper on a deep diving CB. I said get the net its a 5lber! Turned out to be a foul hooked 16incher lol. Caught 2 or 3 more shorts there and decided to make a move to a deep point where Dad caught a short brownie. Kept moving and didn’t get our 3rd keeper until about 12 on a deep bank that Dad caught on a jig. Never got another keeper after that one. I hooked a tank on a C-Rig that ran me under a submerged chair of all things. Never saw it but it had its way with my 7’ heavy rod and my drag torked down. Did have a keeper take a frog but slip and a nice blow up on a whopper plopper.
Thanks to Dad for fishing with me this year. Also to Calder and Frank. Thanks to the committee for all the hard work organizing everything. It’s a great trail. Congrats to the money winners and everyone that got a limit on Sunday on a pretty tough day.
Day 1 out of Sullivans we did the 30 mile 1 way trip up to the Upper Nick again because we figured we could muster a 5 fish limit jumping around up there better than midlake and down. The plan worked out really good for us. Had a 4 pounder in the box on about the 10th cast at our first stop. The water seemed to be just right for the current breaks off the river so we used those to catch some nice fattys including a 5 pluser. Did make a run up to the dam to check on things and zero’d. Ran into Leonard and shot the bull for a minute. We noticed the water was falling pretty drastically late morning and we think that really made the bite tough there after. Ended up finding another good fatty around noon and a really nice spot downtown around 1 o’clock. We fished all our OLD Brownfish holes and didn’t catch a single one. We have been fishing the chick almost exclusively the last few years and do not have our finger on the pulse of the smallmouth down below the dam anymore - sucks. The water level drop might have been a factor too. We used slow movers, (jigs, senkos, and tubes primarily), in 10 to 15 FOW.
Day 2 out of CFP was a frustrating day to sum it up. Caught fish at every stop but only managed 3 small keepers. We tried shallow areas, mid-depth areas, and deep areas; and caught fish in all of them but never established a dependable pattern. Started out in the back of CFP just to check things out and Dad put our 1st keep in the boat right away on a SB; and then i caught a short on a lipless. Saw activity and bait, but those were the only 2 we caught back there. Made a move to a deep brush pile in 23 FOW and I got our 2nd keeper on a deep diving CB. I said get the net its a 5lber! Turned out to be a foul hooked 16incher lol. Caught 2 or 3 more shorts there and decided to make a move to a deep point where Dad caught a short brownie. Kept moving and didn’t get our 3rd keeper until about 12 on a deep bank that Dad caught on a jig. Never got another keeper after that one. I hooked a tank on a C-Rig that ran me under a submerged chair of all things. Never saw it but it had its way with my 7’ heavy rod and my drag torked down. Did have a keeper take a frog but slip and a nice blow up on a whopper plopper.
Thanks to Dad for fishing with me this year. Also to Calder and Frank. Thanks to the committee for all the hard work organizing everything. It’s a great trail. Congrats to the money winners and everyone that got a limit on Sunday on a pretty tough day.
