need advice on smallies

[jag69]

hey guys i fish with my dad almost always and we catch quite a few largemouth but smallmouth are a rarity for us.. im sure that you guys catch them around bluff banks, but are you guys fishing the river channel or what.. shaky heads, grubs, drop shotting.. would like to fish for these with my dad.. i just dont know where abouts to start.. the chick is my home lake.. ive been fishing there since i was about 5 now im 38 so i know my way around.. just never fish for smallies and thought you fellas could point me in the right direction... thanks

 

[Bprice]

Jag, I don't fish chick much, but I do catch a good bit of smallies on Wheeler.  Mostly the upper river section.  I try and focus on upstream points of islands.  I let the current carry me and naturally swim a senko... Burger and I have caught a lot of smallies on that method.  I know its not Chick, but maybe you can apply that to a similar situation on Chick.

 

[flip1up]

Theres probably alot of different opinions on this one. If I was going to target ONLY Smallmouths, I would throw a 3.5" tube, smoke black pepper with about 1/2" spiked in char. on a 1/8 oz. weedless tube head. Spinning reel, 7 foot medium rod and 8 pound test line. I would also have a Bandit medium diver in a craw. pattern tied on a like rod/reel. I would fish main lake points with rock and a pretty good slope.

 

[DHaun]

All the nice smallmouth I have ever caught have been below Chickamauga Dam on the river.

 

[Fat Albert]

DHaun - 1/8/2008 8:35 PM All the nice smallmouth I have ever caught have been below Chickamauga Dam on the river. </p>



<font color="#ff0033">I agree with David.....below the dam.  leadhead and 3" grub or black or brown hair jig with trailer...light line on a spinning reel...then hang on....FA

</font></p>

 

[blazer]

most of the smallmouth i catch come from below nick-a-jack dam.my best lures have allways been 3" greenpumpkin or pumpkinseed grubs(some days just swimming the grub other days working it slow on bottom),brown hair jig or a bandit or norman craw colored crankbait.almost all the smallmouth ive caught have come on rocky banks and if you have current the better the bite will be.

 

[jag69]

guys, thank you very much.. i will try these things.. very much appreciated...emoWorthy emoWorthy

 

[rsimms]

Yes, higher percentage of smallies in tailwaters, but flip gave good advice for catching some in lake. I think about everybody who has seriously crappie fished the bluffs in the last month or so has tagged a solid smallmouth or two on crappie jigs.

 

[ashtrey]

well the way its starting to pan out just about anywhere on the nick. with small plastics or jigs. just have to fish them to figure colors they change about every day.

 

[Fuzzy]

I am not a chick or nick guy, but all ,my best watts bar smallies come from a crystal shad 1/4oz TA Hot Lip juhr jensen.

Fuzz

 

[polo-dog]

I can't say that I know much about fishing for smallies but here's what I do know. If you plan to catch smallies on the lower end of Chickamauga I would fish main lake points and or drops that are directly associated with the channel. I would fish with shiners or threadfins as bait or use a hair jig/pig, small worm or tube jig. The best place however to catch a big smallie or smallies in general is the riverine part of the reservoirs whether it be the tailwaters of Chickamauga, Nickajack or Guntersville. I would use the same baits as above but I would target drops next to the main flow or the upper and lower ends of deep holes that are found in or next to the main flow. I have caught smallies on the main lake at Chickamauga up to 4.5lbs and 1-2lbers in riverine part of Nickajack, below Chickamauga dam but really haven't targeted them. I think that the live bait is the best way to catch a bunch and the biggest but most of that info I have gleaned from reading the posts here on the forum and looking at the pics. Maybe one day I'll have a chance to fish for them more. Let us know how you do.