Good techniques for fishing for big fish at the Chickamauga dam

[Josh_Rigsby]

Hello forums I was wondering if there’s anybody who could tell me any good ways to go out on the pier at the damn and catch larger fish preferably bass
Thanks
Joshua Rigsby

 

[WaterChap]

I’ve never done this successfully, but I’ve went it done. Guys will take a surf rod and use a large white shad swimbait with a heavy jig. They cast into the boil and start reeling while walking to the left side of the pier. Sometimes up to three guys will do this in tandem. I’ve seen 20# stripers caught that way.

 

[churly]

Drift a big ole shiner

 

[Guest]

What Churly said.

 

[porthos33]

Freeline a big gizzard or go to jacks and get the biggest bait they have. You said big fish, not big bass, so I've seen giant catfish caught down there and netted one for a buddy last year that was 92lbs. He caught one a while back in the same area that was 98lbs. Cut bluegill and cut skipjack is the deal and caught both those fish. I would think thats about the biggest thing you will catch down there unless you hook a massive paddlefish or sturgeon, but I'm not sure if the sturgeon that were released are that big yet. Good luck.....and youtube helps too as it shows others catching big guns down there. Oh yeah and don't confine yourself to just the pier. There is a lot of opportunity down there!

 

[Tight_Lines]

Porthos,
how long ago were stergeon released below the dam? saw a guy hand catch one about 2.5 feet long a month ago right under pier

 

[porthos33]

There were 25 released the summer of 2011 from the aquarium and I think the fish were 6-7 years old when released. Lake sturgeon can get over 240lbs and can live up to 55 years. My buddy snagged one on a jig last year up near grasshopper. Here is a video of when they released the fish.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LQmCXEkUmY

 

[Tight_Lines]

Thanks for sharing! really cool video!!