Nickajack Dam Striper 5-23-2006

[DHaun]

Jerdog and I went below Nickajack Dam from about 5-10pm after work. We were determined and threw jigs, shad lures, jigged spoons, trolled some plugs, free-lined some skipjack, and finally hooked a couple striper on umbrella rigs in slack water quite some distance from the boils. We also caught a channel cat on a jigging spoon, along with a drum and smallmouth on a jig. We saw a couple other boats fishing the boils catching plenty of drum on threadfin and asked what they had caught. One boat said they had hooked all drum and one striper, the other just all drum. We also saw several huge explosions on the surface near dusk and threw spooks and redfins without success. These were not huge fish but I'm finally glad to see a few show up while I'm there emoBigsmile

 

[rsimms]

It's a fine feeling when persistence pays off! Way to go...

 

[slo-ride]

wtg, guys...pretty fish!

 

[fisherpal2k]

Good job Dhaun!. Looks like a couple of nice fish to play with. emoLaugh Glad ya'll had a good day.

 

[coondog]

that-a-way to hang in there

 

[flip1up]

Alright fellas, way to go. Its been a weird season for the Stripers there, hasnt it? I did a search on your posts from last year and you got some in May, although earlier in the month. I'm ready for a good top water bite.

 

[JerDog]

To say the striper season is weird is an understatement! I have had to work hard for them all year long. Not sure what is up but the bait is getting thinner in there and maybe they will start to heat up for us. Both the fish hit the umbrella rig only after I had slowed the trolling speed down a bit. My boat may be running too fast and so speed is very crucial when trolling. I have learned that "big time" this year.

Water temp was 70F (Getting Warmer)

 

[polo-dog]

Great looking fish guys! Tell me again what an umbrella rig is. Is it similar to a Sabaki rig?

 

[BigFishGuide]

I have found that some day's they are there and somedays they are not. I think it's due to TVA's generating schedule. TVA was not suppose to generate untill 9:00 am on Tuesday well I get down ther at 3:30am to get bait because I had two clients to take fishing, and guess what TVA was already generating. I think it's critical to be there when they first crank up the generators. Since the generators had been running most of the night the fish had fed up. Tuesday morning all I had was three fish and two more that maxed a drag out on a spinning reel while freelining some shad. The longer the generators run through the night the fish are less likely to bite in the morning. My experience. (JerDog and Dhaun Nice fish they have really been making me work for them to I noticed that yall said that you caught some down river I did to on Tuesday and no where near the turbins I caught two fish down by the old washed out boat ramp??)

 

[JerDog]

Mine was caught in that area, yes. DHauns was caught out in front of the flood gates. We marked fish there and I slowed down the trolling speed when the fish hit.

I think you may be right on getting there when they first kick on the generators. That is a good time and right at daybreak and sunset are also typical times I hook fish.