rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

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rsimms

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rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

We got the Holiday Blues... not the kind you might think. These blues were catfish, with a few channel cats thrown in for good measure.</p>

Saturday I fished with Michael Bowers and his sons, Chris and Austin. Michael and Austin live in Knoxville while Chris is in Atlanta, so the Scenic City was a good place to "meet in the middle." We fished hard, right through the heat. It was just solid, consistent fishing most of the day... drifting chicken breast through 10 to 25 feet of water. </p>

I actually kept an accurate count of fish today... I usually don't, but some reason I put the fish clicker into action. When we quit about 4 pm we had put 45 catfish in the boat, with several misses and a few lost fish. We never found that "kicker" fish on this day. The biggest fish were in the 8 or 9 lb. range. But check out the incredible fat belly on one of the little pig blues that Austin caught.</p>

<font size="4">A Short Video Clip</font></p>

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Sunday it was back out with Lyle and Juanita Boyd from Asheville, NC who came to Chattanooga for a Holiday getaway. TVA threw us a curve ball and didn't crank up any generators until 10 am. But we managed to find one or two sweet spots in the dead water and put several nice fish in the boat. After they cranked up generators, we started drifting and right off the bat Juanita reels in a big 20 lb. blue! It didn't happen in a hurry. On light tackle it took Juanita a while to get the brute boatside.</p>

We called it a day about 12:30 so the Boyd's could head back for Asheville with a great taste of Tennessee River catfishing. That means life is good and gettin' better every day.</p>

<font size="4">A Short Video Clip</font></p>

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Re: rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

You should have stayed at the dam and played whitewater rafting with me!

I have lots of respect for you, but you catching fish in the dead of the summer is quite the feat. That impresses me even more.
 
RE: rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

Nice weekend Richard, I think you have those kitties figured out. Good job as usual, thanks for the report.

Regards, Labman
 
Re: rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

Always on those fish......you da man!
 
RE: rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

Great fishing in the heat of summer, your clients were all smiles and the blues all look slick and smooth again after their spawn. With your numbers back up in that general area and the profile consistent with your tagged catfish, just wondering how many tags you have caught in your boat or maybe had calls come in for reporting of catches? The lake on the topside of the Dam is dark green in color, real fertile looking like a big springfed farmpond, best its looked in years,marking tons of baitfish most everywear, the fishing seems to be in a lull right now but I'm looking foward to it picking back up when all the willowflies hatching dries up...the maddog</p>
 
RE: rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

the maddog - 7/4/2011 12:12 PM
just wondering how many tags you have caught in your boat or maybe had calls come in for reporting of catches?   </p>

Since the last (4th re-capture) report: http://www.chattanoogafishingforum....&highlight=bolo&highlightmode=1&action=search

... I've had ZERO re-captures (or reports).

Somewhat disappointing... perhaps due to tag loss. Or perhaps due to the fact that there are SO MANY darn catfish in the river, that the 100 I tagged represent just a tiny, miniscule percentage... and that once they disperse in the summer, the odds of re-capture or like winning the lottery.

I suspect the latter is true.

I seriously intended to buy some more tags and continue tagging more fish... however I have learned that custom fish tags are VERY expensive.

500 Tags with my own name/phone, etc. would cost nearly $500. emoEek I had no idea they were so expensive. Now I know why it was tough for TWRA to provide the 100 they gave me.
 
Re: rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

Always enjoy your posts, nice to see people having a good time.
 
RE: rsimms, Nickajack (Riverpark), Catfish (w/video), July 2-3, 2011, The Bowers and The Boyds

rsimms, thanks so much for the info to that thread on the tagged cats, very interested to see how thatcalculates by next spring.I do imagine though that their spawning habits(getting into small cubbyholes with tree roots and whatnots)would dislodge tags from their soft skin.
 
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