Riverpark/Ross's Landing/Walnut St. Bridge

[Exodus]

Hey there fellas...is fishing allowed at the Riverpark and Walnut St. Bridge etc...I heard of this riverbend festival and so I think I shouldn't go down there until it's over but I was wondering. I looked on Google Earth and saw some nice shoreline right off walnut st. onto riverpark dr. I don't even want to attempt to fish at Coolidge Park, my wife says it's illegal and calls for jailtime. I'm trying to be careful here, I don't want any trouble from local authorities. emoPolice

 

[bigsack]

i don't think its illegal down there. try the peirs on amnicola.

 

[SpurHunter]

Man you got to get over this illegal thing. This is the South! If the water is there, fish it!

 You aint going to jail for fishing round here. </p>

 

[Guest]

The only place around here that I have heard being off limits to fishermen is behind the wall at the nuke. They don't enforce that either.

 

[TN444PSD]

You can not fish on the pier or off the concrete wall at the riverpark in front of the aquarium, there are signs saying no fishing there, as for the rest of the riverwalk you can fish and you can catch some real nice fish too, The small mouth love the riprap up through there.

 

[Guest]

I was referring to fishing from a boat. Didn't think about bank or dock fishing.emoDoh

 

[Exodus]

Thanks guys...I heard the chattanooga police down here were really off the wall and frankly i'm not used to it. Hell I have shot a 10pt buck from my kitchen window...not used to living in the big city! emoLaugh

 

[SpurHunter]

Exodus - 6/5/2008 2:46 PM Thanks guys...I heard the chattanooga police down here were really off the wall and frankly i'm not used to it.

</p>

 </p>

Where in the world did you hear that?? You must be getting info from some crack-pot. Chatt. cops seem fine to me in my dealings with them. </p>

 

[Exodus]

I have family down here, and one works for the Sgnl Mnt. Police and he said chatt cops are corrupt and enjoy hasslin' people. I actually applied to work for em and they just said i wasn't qualified lol.. my brother in law said that they are a close nit family of cops and it's impossible to get on there. I don't know, I just worry about it...never been in trouble in my life and when I got my fish license yesterday at walmart the checkout guy said it's a good thing I got one, and I asked what the penalty is and he said 5yr jail, 2500 dollar fine and told me that rangers are really strict about fishing. Like I said, i've never had run ins with the police, I only saw cop cars when I went to the local grocery stores up north. Down here they are everywhere. My family had enough land where we didn't have to have licenses to do anything, and we didn't even need a burn permit for fires. Just feeling out the local laws and stuff. I like this place and want to be un-noticed.

 

[Guest]

5 years in jail and a $2500 fine for no fishing license. Exodus you might want to take what you hear with a few grains of salt. Maybe a 50 pound bag of rocksalt.
I have lived and worked in this area for over 35 years and have not one time had a bad experience with Chattanooga or Hamilton County police.

 

[Exodus]

Thats good to know. I respect the property around here and sometimes it's hard when no fishing signs aren't posted right by the water. I would hate to disrupt a public park by being the only fisherman. The reason why I am so curious is out of respect. This is a new city to me and I don't want my hardcore hobby to get in the way and be a nuisance for anyone.

 

[fishmedic]

Not sure of the legality under the bridges but I would use caution. There used to be a healthy population of homeless that lived under all the bridges. It's been a while since I've been down there so not sure if thats still the case. I would do what has already been suggested and go to the river park, lots of good places there.

 

[Liveliner]

Just don't go down there wearing a cut-out <font color="#660000">Spiderman</font> mask

 and you will have no problems.  </p>

Keep in mind, as you have already mentioned, Riverbend will be there this weekend and all next week. </p>

 

[Guest]

LL you just won't do hahahahah. Exodus might have been talking to someone about fishing around the bridges during riverbend on the city side. I suppose they want to keep everyone away from that area, afraid they might miss out on a buck or so plus it might be hard to find a parking place to go fishing from.

 

[polo-dog]

Last time I fished down there at the Walnut St bridge there were tons of spots and rock bass right there near the bridge. There are people down there at Cooledge park fishing most every day. I have fished down there lots of times and have caught some good fish. I usually catch and release. I have never had a run in with the Police Dept. and all of the police that I met working at the hospital were great guys and didn't seem to be out to hassle anyone. Maybe they would change their tune if they saw me fishing but I doubt it. The ones that I met were fishermen too. It sounds like your wife is maybe getting the idea that you are fishing too much already and she's trying to slow you down. If that's it you ought to slow down, or just take her with you.

 

[Exodus]

Nah, my wife makes me get out of the house lol. She doesn't want me to go to jail thats all. We have a 2 year old and she is afraid of me going to jail. She's also from the north (Ohio) and hasn't been in Chatt. long either...so neither of us know how to handle the massive crowds and lots of police/rangers. Chattanooga to us is like NY to some of you all. To put it a different way, when I was living up north I saw maybe 1 or 2 cars a month drive down our dirt road other than that I didn't have human contact LOL..only at the grocery or something.

Oh and P.S. i've been getting some PM's and i've tried to respond but for some reason they aren't sending but for all of you looking for a fishing buddy that doesn't know how to fish the TN river very well yet then please stop me if you see me. I usually wear camo shorts, a white michigan hat, sunglasses and I have a orange rod/reel. Oh and I have a tattoo that stretches from my shoulder to my arm that you can't miss. emoRolleyes

Cheers! emoToast

 

[Nickajack Angler]

Exodus, you are right and these guys from here will never understand.... it is like a "police state" here in the Southeastern US, but if you watch the news you'll understand why in a HURRY! But the police are just regular guys like us and are doing their jobs. Also, in the south, when you come in talking all funny like you do and supposedly like I do (can't understand that one) you are going to get your leg pulled a bit. The only thing the cops are going to ask is if you are catching anything, and the wildlife officers (DNR) are only going to ask if you are following the law. Read the book they gave you with your license, if you didn't get one, find one where they sell licenses and fish! No worries man. People down here fish from ANYWHERE! And you should do the same. Just use common sense and have fun. And by all means, practice catch and release except for what you are going to eat. Anywhere below the Chickamauga Dam is considered some of the best fishing in the region. For many species.

 

[hcso2445]

RE: Chatt Police off the wall

They're not off the wall, we just don't want to die, are jobs are unlike any other. Sure there are some people that shouldn.t be officers but dont judge us all by a few. I don't work for Chattanooga but I work for another agency. Please don't make comments without really looking into something.

 

[Guest]

I can defenantly make comments about them damn signal mtn officers.I have been harrassed multiple times,not to mention all the rediculous, and uncalled for crap!!!!!!!! "N' ol' boy like me dont want to cause no trouble feller"back to the main subject, like they say son this is the south fishin' aint nuttn' but a thing.emoLaugh

 

[Guest]

I can defenantly make comments about them damn signal mtn officers.I have been harrassed multiple times,not to mention all the rediculous, and uncalled for crap you here about!!!!!!!! "N' ol' boy like me dont want to cause no trouble feller"back to the main subject, like they say son this is the south fishin' aint nuttn' but a thing.emoLaugh