Gonna do RP by canoe--any suggestions?

[CanoeKing]

I've canoed a lot on small ponds, medium (few hundred acre) lakes, and Chickamauga creek--but never the big water. My brother and I plan to canoe from the CB Robinson bridge area down to the Ross's Landing area. Plan to put in around daylight Saturday morning and figure we can take out by lunchtime. Having never been on river or lake, I'm wondering whether we'll be swamped by barge or boat wakes. Any thoughts?

Now, as for fishing: I've fished ponds and small lakes a lot, mainly soft baits (Super Flukes, lizards, T-rigged worms, Toads), a little top water, and some spinnerbaits.

Any suggestions on where/what to look for or techniques to use from the canoe? The big thing I'm unsure about is all the rip-rap along that section of the river. I've never fished rocks before. Usually focus on grass beds/mats, docks, cattails/reeds, and overhanging trees.

Are there bass along the rip-rap? If so, do they hold close to the rock? How shallow or deep will bass go on rip-rap banks? What lures/presentations do you use for fishing rip-rap (if any)?

Sorry to ask so many questions. I can kill them left and right on my home turf, but I'm a total novice at fishing the river.

 

[JaSkynyrd]

I've fished parksville, chickamauga lake and the Tennessee River by canoe...the wakes are bad, but only as a nuisance, not as in you will tip over bad. I have had alot of success at the rip rap, 1-2 pound fish a few 3s, but that was September-October early November. Can't say that I've fished it in the heat of summer. Those rocks soak up the sun and heat the water up, but in a river situation that may not be a deal killer so definitely try them. We fished with a shad xrap and a willow blade chartruese spinner bait and did quite well. What you definitely need to do, and this will be on the downtown side of the river, is fish around the barges tied up at the Manker Patten tennis center, also it's the UTC rowing teams "staging-storage" area. They provide alot of shade and if you can cast parallel to any side of them real close you'll get some big boys come up and pop your bait. Good luck, hope you do well and give all the motorized boats a lot of room.

 

[Exodus]

First off, good luck with the canoe. I've been wanting to do that and i'm trying to save money to buy one. All I have to say is stay out of the high traffic areas because it being the weekend you will catch some big wakes thrown from the houseboats and cruisers which will most likely flip you if you aren't careful. Try fishing in 15-25ft. water with 10" worms....yes there is a ton of bass along the rip rap just becareful with jigs, spinners and crankbaits they will snag up alot. Bass will usually go up to 5ft. of water along the rip rap, look for the slow moving and fast moving water edges and fish the edge of that. They stack up along the rip rap at the point... when i'm fishing rip rap I like to use a weightless pumpkin seed worm on a 3/0 hook. I let it float to the bottom or if there is a current cast against the current and let it sweep your worm down river. I've gotten alot of hits as the worm is falling and as i'm dragging it across the bottom or jigging it up. If you go weightless get some pumpkin finesse worms. You can also use a small bullet sinker on a texas rig and use a 10" u-tale, they work great when dragging it along the rip rap...if your sinker gets hung up in the rocks let it sit for a minute and jig it up, it usually slides up the rock and out of snags. Try to hit some cover with your weightless worm and your guaranteed some nice bass.

 

[Guest]

I have canoe'd that section several times. Was in a Coleman 15' on one trip and 2 different Old Town canoes 15' & 16'. I had no trouble with getting swamped... was never a close call even.</p>

You will be at Ross Landing well before noon though if I recall correctly. From CB Robinson on down is fine for canoe. Yes you can catch fish along the rip rap area and on the north side of the river a little above the CBR bridge would possibly be a good way to start an early morning. Quietly casting some topwater lures might work.</p>

On the south side a little below the River park ramp you will see the mouth of South Chickamauga Creek HOWEVER I think there are currently warnings about making contact with the water in that creek - I would suggest staying out of the creek until I learned further about it. Maybe someone else on the forum here can offer some info on that subject.</p>

A drift trip I enjoyed more than that one was putting in at Ross Landing and and going around Moc Bend, Williams Island, and then taking out at Suck Creek ramp just below Williams Island. This will take most of a day to do. Down stream from there is called the Grand Canyon of the TN River and is very scenic and quiet and offers good fishing usually. Check river miles ... I have only done a canoe trip from Suck Creek ramp to Raccon Mtn Project once and that was using an electric trolling motor. Not sure how long it might take in a drift although all the trips I mentioned are down stream and the current is usually just right.</p>

All that said, BE CAREFUL !some of this river has some surprising currents and you know how tricky canoes can be. </p>

GOOD LUCK ! Hope you catch some nice fish </p>

Gene Turner</p>

 

[SpurHunter]

Top-water all along the rip-rap in the AM, you will kow when to give that up.. emoLaugh
Tubes are great all over the river, esp. arod laydowns. Good luck, and please post a report, good or bad trip. Thanks

 

[CanoeKing]

Thanks for all the suggestions! If anybody else has any thoughts, I'd love to hear them.

Also, does anyone know any place near the Dam or CB Robinson Bridge where we could put our canoe in on the WEST (Hixson) side of the river instead of the East (Amnicola/Downtown) side of the river?

 

[THutch]

There is a great ramp (for canoes - not boats) off Lupton Drive. From Hixson area, turn left on Lupton Drive from Hixson Pike. Go about a quarter mile and turn right. It is very well marked. Good luck and be careful.

 

[Punisher]

you can put in at rivermont back of the ball fields great boat ramp but i like the riverpark better good looking gals walking the walk path