just for future reference 8/26/2006

[SNUFFY]

If you decide to go north to the beginning of the Tennesee River and decide to go to Douglas Lake ....go fish at night !! Douglas is notorious for tough daytime fishing in the hot part of the summer and it lived up to it reputation. Probably would have taken 20-25 # at nite
Had a club tourney today (14 boats)from 6:30 am to 2:30PM ...launched at Dandrige bridge.....10+ #s to win... about 7 1/2 was second and my partner and I came in 3rd (6-10) thanks to partners big fish of 4-7.....caught the big fish on a punkin jig/trailer in about 8 ft of water next to a pile of rubble that had been pushed in by a developer...almost like rip rap but really big rock.... Really slow most of the day ...a dink here and there...I caught my 2 keepers on a redbug ZOOM 6" lizard t-rigged...we went upriver 10-12 miles from Dandridge
Most everybody had some fish to weigh but most were just keepers (12") ...several 17-18" smallmouth were caught by others ....hard to get a 20 "

 

[polo-dog]

RE: just for future reference

SNUFFY, what kind of lake is Douglas? Is it stained/clear? What has the water temp. been running? Why do you think that it's so hard during the day there? Boat traffic?

 

[fisherpal2k]

RE: just for future reference

Good job Snuffy. Thanks for the info and the results. I want to go back up there one day. I went back about 3 yrs ago and fishwed at nite with one of the guys I worked with. He had me all over that lake and we caught fish every where we went. I loved it up there.

 

[saltwatts]

RE: just for future reference

Congrats on the third place finish Snuffy.

 

[SNUFFY]

RE: just for future reference

thanks 2k
P-D I can`t really say why it does better at nite . The water temp today was 83-84 even in skinny water as well as main channel...We went up to within 6-7 miles of the confluence of the Nolichicky and the French Broad , both rivers fed from the mountains. I would say it had some color to it...you could see a rootbeer crank 2-3 ft deep. It tops out at 996 and goes down to 946 or so during the winter. At that elevation it consists of mostly mud flat and old river and creek channel and very skinny water elsewhere...Probably is more softbottom of any lake around...there is a lot of bluff and channel drop type stuff too but I guess because so much virgin land was flooded when created it has erode the dirt down to the bottom .When you go to Norris and Cherokee and Fontanna(3 of the 4 tributaries of the Tn River)...your main impression when the water is down is rocks..you go to Douglas ( the 4 rth) you think of dirt or at least soft grade shale. Because of the topography of the flooded land ...especially the lower 2/3rds of the lake consists of thousands of points..which turn into deep humps where the erosion has softened the sharpness of the points into more flattened.than sharp edged. The water was down about 10-11 feet from full today and on the upper end there is still some deep water . but the majority is less than 20 FT.
I didn`t realize it till we went back to Dandridge for weigh -in but there wasn`t a jet ski or yachts or ski boat came by us all day. There were plenty at Dandridge and I`m sure on down the lake had plenty of traffic ....it doesn`t seem to have the big yachts in the numbers you find on the mainstreams though.
It`s had the reputation of being a nitetime lake in the summer ever since I`ve been fishing. Maybe the dirt bottom holds hotter water to a deeper level. I really don`t know why it`s that way....the fish may move a little bit shallower but most of the big fish are caught on the deep humps (20-30) at nite.....you`ve just got to find the right one and you can load the boat. Fish seem to be more schoolish too ...so when you find one you can usually catch a bunch in one spot.... A couple of summers ago it took 25-30 pounds to win the weekend wildcats.....it`s a good lake once you figure it out.

 

[jon the fisherman]

RE: just for future reference

Congrats on third Snuffy and good report. Douglas can be a wonderful lake at times and it is a unique fishery. I need to go up there more often.

 

[jbh3]

RE: just for future reference

Congrats on 3rd, big guy. Sounds like you and the gang had a good day on a tough lake. Reckon Dave will have to take today off to rest up after carrying your ole butt yesterday!! Have a good one!

 

[SNUFFY]

thanks john.....he and the family were having a short vacation weekend in Pigeon Forge so he is probably still carrying the wifey`s packages to the car....as usual I was guiding !!