Moving to Jackson, TN

[Nickajack Angler]

I am sad to write this report. Mary got promoted AGAIN and she has been transferred to Jackson, TN. She is to be congratulated for such a huge accomplishment and moving up so fast in the world of Lowe's in such a short time. My being "retired" means I am going along. I cannot properly express my feelings about moving from Chattanooga. The past year has been one of the toughest years, yet one of the best years of my life. I've caught the biggest catfish of my life with EricM. Some huge crappies with Bill Brown and Polo. I was taught the entire lower lake of Nick by Blazer, Pumpy, PaperGod, Jig, BigFishGuide and a few others. Flip called me one day out of the blue and took me on my first trip to Big G! FA fixed my rods, cooked the boys and I dinner and has been a great mentor and friend to lean on. John Faulkner had us over one day for lunch and had the most incredible time with the boys in his garage, while it rained outside, he taught them how to shoot jigs into a coffee can for about an hour! Nice... I could write more, but you get the picture.
In the last three months since moving to Chatt from Jasper I've caught my biggest Bass of my life!!!! I almost cried to leave such great fishing in MN last year, but was so easily swayed that I was in heaven about two weeks after I moved here. You guys took me fishing! And some took me and my son! Some of you took my Dad with and without me and/or Louie. Incredible experiences I've had this past year.
I never in a million years thought I'd be so attached to an online community of friends. And that's just what you all are to me. From people I've never met but read posts, talked to on the phone or PM's, met at Family Traditions Tx's, fished with, been to church with, eaten out with, and just enjoyed the great outdoor activities we have in SE Tenn. DHaun really made a special place that I will always come to and try as much as I can to be a part of wherever I go. Even though BigFishGuide and Mr Simms welched on their claims of "We'll get out fishing soon...." I understand! Finally, I understand. You just can't fish with everybody!!!!! LOL But I sure tried. So, I'm off tomorrow morning to go find yet another house to buy in Jackson. And our 3rd move in the past 14mos. I'll be back at least to visit and you bet to fish, so watch your inboxes and I'll surely find somewhere to fish up there. Only 37 mi from the TN river and KY Lake. Any info that any of you can pass on about that body of water or have some contacts that can "show me around", Louie and I would greatly appreciate it. See you around CFF. You are some of the best people in one of the greatest communities I've been to of the 25 states that I have traveled to thus far in my life.
I'm coming back on Monday night and will be here for about two to three more weeks. There are a TON of you that I want to fish with and many that we've missed opportunities to go due to rain, kids, work, life, etc.... Hit me up. Louie and I'd love to go. Any species, any tactic, anytime.
Tight lines CFF, I appreciate the warmth in which you all received me since I came here. I'll try to share it wherever I go.

 

[Exodus]

The first person i've fished with down here except for my wife...excellent guy you are Spence. Only met you for two days but seems like longer. You are one hell of a mentor and a great guy. I wish we had met earlier this year. I wish you and your family well and congrats to your wife on her promotion. I'll be missing you around the RP... emoRain

 

[kickinbass35]

We will miss you and louie and your reports and post on here congrats to your wife life throws us curves sometimes we have to go with flow remmember though even up there you are just a click away from your cff buddies

 

[craazyboutbass]

Good luck guys... We'll miss you. Maybe since you're in Jackson, we could meet at Pickwick one weekend and chase largemouth and stripers if I make my way to Memphis to see my dad. Anyways, keep us posted on how you guys are doing.

 

[SpurHunter]

It will be strange not seeing you on here Spence. Keep that boy fishing, and holler when you come this way. Spur.

 

[foodsaver]

Sorry to see you go. I didn't realize you were retired! I will try to get you out before you go even if its just one evening for a few hours.

 

[Fat Albert]

<font color="#ff3300" size="4">like you said......lots of wonderful folks here.....It was (is) my pleasure to have been a part of your life and the boys....God's Speed. We will keep in touch.....and you do have good fishing over there....and not too far away....BTW,,,,don't break any rods cause I don't make house calls....love ya man........FA</font>

 

[drumking]

Good luck to you, Spence. I enjoyed our day on the water, even if the best fishing was huge redbreasted sunfish.

 

[DHaun]

Good Luck Nickajack Angler and thanks for all your contributions to the forum - member 2000 of CFF!

 

[josh.schreiber]

well said old chap. you will be missed

 

[TritonCarl]

maybe now i'll have someone that will tag along with me to Pickwick!!!!!!!!!!!!! emoPoke emoPoke (its only 3.5 hours to guntersville!!!!!!!)

i work in jackson, so if you got any questions, let me know and i'll help out anyway i can. carl

 

[Pointer 78]

You're only a click away Spence. All of us expect you to log on regularly.

 

[cooperjd]

NA if you ask real nicely I bet TritonCarl might even take you and louie to see his pet fish at whiteville lake. Congrats on the promotion, and good luck in Jackon.

 

[jon the fisherman]

Take care out there NA, and as said before, you are only a click away.

Congrats to your wife for the promotion.

 

[Bprice]

I know you won't be able to stay away from the site for long. We will miss you around here, and don't be a stranger.</p>

PM TritonCarl, he works in Jackson and I'm sure he'd love to take ya'll to Pickwick or Whiteville Lake. He's kind of a jerk, so be careful!!!!!!emoPoke </p>

 

[tyler ware]

NA Never got to meet you but I really enjoyed reading your post. Glad to here of the promotion, you know jobs that pay good for good work are getting harder to come by, the Lord has blessed you in that way, but sorry to here about moving again. I lived here my whole life, been a lot of places but love it here. Now Kentucky lake is really good fishing. A friend of mine lives in Nashville and has been up there some times and expressed it was a good lake, part of the TN river I believe. We will miss you post of Chick and Nick, but will enjoy your post of those lakes up there. Just remember Home is still to come.

 

[Triton4Bass]

Things happen for a reason, hopefully for the best. Seems like you have something special going on, you'll take some with you and leave some with all of us. I believe I can speak for everyone, your reports have been a joy to look over. Good luck to your family and congrats to your wife. Be safe and keep in touch! emoFish

 

[ole blue]

Wish you and the family all the luck in Jackson. I pray for Jace everyday all so.

 

[Nickajack Angler]

Just got home from my trip out there to find a new home for our family. Right now I've got a watermelon in my throat after reading such kind words from all of you. Thanks much.... not sure I can express it properly and besides, BBass would just rip me for being all squishy! We did something a bit out of the norm.... met some people in Jackson (as I often meet people!!!) that informed me of the HORRIBLE public schools and the INSANE crime rate. Great.... really glad our trip up there to "check out the place" was so successful. Honestly, when we went up there the weekend before last, we thought it looked amazing and like a wonderful place for our family, so we took the offer and accepted the move. And the houses are beautiful, as are the neighborhoods. You can buy a TON more house up there than you can here.... but the schools are in shambles, most take their kids to private at a cost of $5k-$6k/yr per kid! We have two! And if I'm going to send them to private school, I'd rather it be a college prep school for their high school years. I grew up without it, and I don't think it'll hurt them to go to public schools.
So, I hit the ground hard and drove about 1000 mi on Jace's truck looking high and low for a new home while Mary worked. We just knew that we had to NOT be in Madison County schools. So, we found a real gem. A young, single woman.... anyway, she's a surgeon and HAS to move to Detroit for a fellowship position. She has an incredible home on 17 acres. It's well over 4000 sq ft, a LARGE inground pool, a NCE pond, fruit trees. 5BR, 4BA and here's the kicker.... for those of you that recall when we moved to Chatt, I required that we had waterfront. Mary knew I would need to be near fishing, and good fishing to boot. So, we are RIGHT on Hwy 57 and Pickwick Dam is 19 mi from the end of my new driveway!!!! HOT DAMN!!!!! Sorry.... but needless to say, I'm PSYCHED! So is Louie. He's been mowing yards and saving for a four wheeler (he made enough in less than a month). We told him if we moved into a suburban neighborhood he wouldn't be able to get one. We had dinner at a restaurant and asked the entire family what they wanted to do. We all chose rural living and the big 'ol Victorian house, with a wrap around porch near the lake/river. It's only 10 min north of Miss. border and the boys will go to Corinth, Miss. schools which are the highest rated schools in Miss. So, you gotta put up with the Ole Miss crowd, yes.... I got more crap about my Tarheel magnet on the truck than I ever have here and my come back was that the only thing good out of Miss. was a little brother named Manning. Oh, and there is one really odd thing about the place, it has a metal building in the back about three times the size of my house now, with a hydrolic lift for vehicles, apparently the man who built it about 10 yrs ago built racecars. So, boat storage is no problem... And for those of you, my CFF brethren, there is plenty of room for you to come and stay so we can go fish Ky Headwaters or Pickwick Lake. I make a great pizza!
Know NOTHING about it, so CFF shoot me over some tips, coordinates, maps marked up and the like.... or people you know that I can connect up with. The good doctor introduced me to other people who live on the lake and I've been promised access.... we'll see. It's quite a haul for Mary, about 45 mi one way to work, but it's on Hwy 45 and not much traffic. It's TN! you can do 80 no problem! Also, it's just too great of a place to pass up as well as met our goal of getting the kids all edumacated. I'll post pics later when I can find the USB cord that I connect the camera/phone... have no idea where it is. Glad to be back. Will be here until the 30th and am wanting to fish each day we have left. Louie and I are wanting to go. Hit me up.... you know who.

 

[craazyboutbass]

Maybe we'll see you guys out on Pickwick one day. The stripe fishing at the dam is amazing during those hot blazing days of summer. Well, that's if they're letting the turbines run. I've caught my 2 best smallmouth there also. One was a 7lbs and the other was 4lbs.

Also, try fishing the Pickwick Landing marina. I've caught plenty of good largemouth there off the bank. I've seen some great big bass too, but they wouldn't fall for artificial. I guess you could try throwing a bream at them!

That's all I really know about the lake. I've never been on it by boat and don't plan too anytime soon. I'm about to head to Memphis and won't be back til July 2nd... So I don't believe I'll be seeing you for a while. Try my tips on Pickwick man! And good luck to your family.