Keepin up with Fall

[BrianCarper]

Last week I fished Tuesday, Thursday, Satuday and Sunday. In the begging of the week it was very tough. The bite was slow and the fish were small. As the cold weather approach (with the exception of the first night when it got down to 27 degrees) the bigger fish began eating. Saturday I caught a 6 pounder on a jig. This fish's mouth was as big as my head with a football belly. He had a shad in his throat the sive of my hand. I figured out what was going on and caught a short fish and then shook off two or three and told myself Io was going to enter the local tournament on Sunday. The next day started off with the same momentum, 5 pounder in the first 30min. Throughout the next three and a half hours I caught 8 more, half being 14 1/2 inches and one keeper spot. All and all, good week figured out what was going on with the rapid tempurature change, caught fish and learned more. The next few weeks should be really good if the nights stay cool. Great time to book a trip! If anyone needs anything just write or call. Until then,
fish hard and study even harder.
BrianCarper.com

 

[ranman]

Where were you fishing?

 

[BrianCarper]

I was fishing up-lake on Percy Priest!

 

[polo-dog]

Brian, the study part is some of the most fun for me right now. Do you ever target the smallies on P. Priest? I've heard that there is a good population there. It sounds like you've been more on the LM and Spots, I would expect back in the sloughs off the main lake or in the creeks. Do the smallies tend to be more of a main lake species there? I think that right now on my home lake of Chickamauga that the shad are just getting ready to make a big move to the creeks and main lake sloughs. The bass in the creek have been mostly under 15 inches but some of the main lake fish have been bigger. I wish that we had a good grassy area on the main lake to fish but the Chick gets drawn down about 5-6 feet by November and any grass that was there is high and dry. Does Priest get drawn down for the winter? Does it have a stable grass population? I've never fished it, does it have much color? Sorry for all the questions but I'm just curious. Have a great one.

 

[BrianCarper]

Smallies

The smalljaws are mid and down lake. I love fishing for them and have some really good spots. I like to target them in the early spring, the rest of the year I spend mostly uplake. Being raised on the Potomac River I feel more comfortale in the colored water uplake fishing for largemouths. They do draw the lake about 6-8 ft. Right now it down about 4 to 4 1/2 ft. Grass? there is grass, not an abundance like Gunersville or Old Hickory but there is enough to hold a lot of bass. You should come check it out some time!

Brian Carper