Nick-A-Jack tail waters 4-7-2006

[BigFishGuide]

Fished below Nick-A-Jack dam Friday afternoon and drifted some live bait infront of the two turbines that TVA was running and did not get the first bite. Trolled around with the umbrella rigs and caught two small stripe and I decided the Rocks and Hybrids were not going to bite. Still alot of bait down below the dam. I cast the net one time and I could hardly pick the net up I actually thought that the net was hung on the bottom but it was just full of bait. So we went down river and caught some spots and smallmouths on live bait free lining caught about 20 fish total the biggest was a 3 1/2 or 4lb smallie. One of the smallmouth looked weird the fish had a large hump in its back like the fish had been hit or caught in a net. I will include a photo of the fish. Took my son fishing Saturday afternoon up on the lake with live bait free lining caught about 10 or 12 fish with a 5lb fish being the largest and it was cooooold. Crazy wind would blow out of the north then out of the east then out of the west then back out of the north. We had a good time with our five best fish weighing some where about 14 or 15lbs. I HEARD that a 9.95 largemouth was weighed in at a local tournament.

Just in from Brandon Ragland with the Tennessee Fisheries management program. The Bass that I caught back on February 26th. that I submitted for the Tennessee state record for a spotted bass was a hybritized spotted / largemouth. Two of the four chromosomes were largemouth and the other two were spotted bass. So no state record.......I'll just have to keep trying. Thank's to all for your encouraging post.

 

[xroadsbasser]

RE: Nick-A-Jack tail waters

BFG, I have caught several smallies below Nickajack in the past that have the "HUMP SYNDROME" and have wondered what causes it! Don't believe I have ever seen a largemouth or Kentucky deformed in that manner though.

 

[churly]

RE: Nick-A-Jack tail waters

I have seen several small jaws that had a weird back like that. I have also seen largemouth and spots with humped and crooked backs. i think it is the result of a past injury, when they were still fry. The fact that he hit your bait shows he is as healthy as could be. Sorry about that record fish. I was hoping to hear that it was the record, but oh well. That is the first i have heard of spots and largemouth hybridizing. I know the Smallies and the spots are hybridizing to make mean mouths.

 

[Jmax]

I wonder if that 9.95 LM was the one that CCSM and I posted on our trip up there. He had used a hand scale and told us he was not sure how acturate it was. That bass did look every bit of ten to me, that may have been his weight on the scales at the weigh in.emoCool Jmax

 

[rsimms]

I believe these fish are survivors of what's called Whirling disease." It's a parasite that attackes the nervous system, specifically the spine. Smallmouth, sauger and walleyes are apparently particularly susceptible. While some fish die as a results, many fish do survive and overcome the parasite, however it causes spinal deformaties... hence the "humpback."

 

[rsimms]

Also, sorry to hear that big "spot" ended up being a hybrid. Bummer! emoMad

 

[JerDog]

Looks like another decent day on the water! How did the free-lining go with the thread-fins? Did you use your electric trolling motor to just troll the bank? Did you let the fish take the bait once one hit or did you just sit back and wait for the hit?

I have done a little of that type of fishing with live bait and you can cover a lot of water and find some big fish. Especially this time of year when the fish are moving shallow. Just get some bait and put out some lines and troll down the bank with live threadfins. It really gets the big fish to come up and hit them.

 

[fisherpal2k]

Sorry to hear about the "spot" BFG. But hey it is an interesting trip and thanks for the report.emoThumbsup