rstewart, Hiwassee, LM and White Bass, 03/16/18, Birdman

[rstewart]

Launched out of B&B around 0900. Water temp in river 48.7. Headed to our first honey hole and picked up 3 quick LM on a suspending jerkbait and a whitebass on a grub. Then headed upriver to see if we could find the White Bass. Nothing at Chatta(Shady) Creek but there was already a boat up in the creek. Did a short drift from Chatta Creek to the Cleveland Utilities thing out in the water. Picked up 2-3 on grubs.
Ran upriver further to the Rock Pile. Two boats fishing the rock pile. We drifted the Bradley County side of river a few times picking up Whites here and there. Again there was a lot of current. drift speed about 1.9 MPH.

Headed back down river to our "honey hole' again. Water temp this AM was 48.7, water temp @ 1645 was 61.8! For the next 1.5 hrs we spanked them. Caught about 25-30 in that hour and a half timespan. Nothing to brag about, biggest LM was 17", no weight was taken. Biggest White Bass was about 2 lbs. All total we caught about 50. A pretty even mix between LM and Whites. At one point we were casting to the same spot, Birdman with a lipless crankbait and me with a swimbait. He was catching LM and I was catching White bass. And I mean literally to the same stump in the water. He would get hit and then I would get hit. His would be a LM and mine a White Bass.

All in all a GREAT day. Wish I was going back today!!!!

 

[th31385]

Sounds like a fun trip

 

[jaygivens70]

Congratulations on your success ! We live in NE Cleveland and want to try to find a way to get at 'em....maybe hand-launch a boat upriver and drift down to the Charleston ramp, using two cars. The put-in places I know about on the McMinn county side aren't real great, might need to find others...any suggestions ?

 

[rstewart]

Jay,
I didn't see any pulbic access areas . However I am not an expert on the area. I mainly fish Parksville, except in the early spring and late fall when I can catch bass on the Hiwassee. I can't catch a cold during the hot weather months on Hiwassee so I go to Parksville. It is so much more beautiful and I know my way around there much better than at the Hiwassee.

 

[jaygivens70]

Hello Rstewart - Thanks for the reply. There seems to be an information void when it comes to Parksville. It has a reputation as a tough lake to catch fish in during the summer. I'm surprised that you are not over there, now, in the spring. Do you fish at night ? I've caught perch, brim and bass, mostly off the bank, but am considering launching at Kings Slough or Parksville east. Greasy creek was clear the last time I was over there, when the rest of the lake was muddy. I caught a few perch off the riprap in early March, and returned a few days later, ready to wear 'em out, and proceeded to get skunked ! Is there a preferred depth range for the spotted bass and perch in the main lake ? As far as the Hiwassee, there are some access points on the Meigs county side where the road is close to the water. (Above Calhoun but below Chatta creek). How deep is the river up through there, and is there any risk of running up on any underwater obstacles ?

 

[rstewart]

Jay,

the river is 8-12' deep and i did not see any obstacles which I feel would be a hindrance. In a previous post someone, more familiar with that part of the Hiwassee, said there are some shoals upriver from the 2nd island which would be difficult to go thru in a normal bass boat. I assume he was referring to a glass boat.

Many years ago my dad found a spot on the Hiwassee where a man can catch a lot of good bass during this time of the year. It still holds true today. That is why i am fishing the Hiwassee. lol. Parksville is much closer to my house and having fished it for 40 years i am comfortable up there. It can be tough but I can usually pick up a few here and there. If not, the beauty of the lake makes it worthwhile even if I get skunked. I am a bank beater so I am not sure what the preferred depth is. I know I have caught some MONSTER Yellow Perch in Indian Creek.
I prefer Kings Slough over the East Ramp and I fish on the lower end more than the upper end. The East Ramp BLOWS, especially at night when that damn light shines right in ones eyes while trying to back down. It doesnt help that it is not a straight shot either. Pretty Typical for the the Forest Service, spend a $hitload of $ and still not have a good ramp. Very good at regulations but do a piss poor job of managing the resource.

 

[jaygivens70]

Hey Jstewart - I know about the Forest Service - they travel to the beat of a different drummer !
If you have been on Parksville for 40 years you must possess a treasure trove of information. I'm sure you had a ringside seat as witness to all of the mining issues, pollution, EPA intervention and changes in fish species/populations. There were probably a lot of smallmouth in there back in the day...T or F ? Nowadays, do you catch those Alabama bass or mainly largemouth ? Latest news from the TWRA is that they are stocking Musky in there !

 

[rstewart]

When I was a kid, early 70s, we used to go to Parksville swimming. It had an odd smell. As a kid I never thought anything about it. It was just the lake. Now I know it was due to all the $hit they were putting in the water in Copperhill. Back then Copperhill looked like the moon. It was barren, red mud. Very few if any trees grew. Maybe a few scraggly pines but mostly it was just bare, red dirt. It was like that for years and years.
We didn't do much bass fishing at Parksville back then. Bream fishing mainly. in the early 80s we caught the hell outta giant crappies in Greasy Creek. Back then there was a boat ramp in Greasy Creek but the Forest Service with all of their wisdom closed that down. The old ramp was about impossible to use when the water was down and that left Kings Slough.
I have never caught a smallmouth out of Parksville. I have seen some nice ones caught there but I personally have never caught one. It has always been a difficult lake to fish due to the water clarity. I know the TWRA and probably most people on this forum will disagree but whoever put the first Spotted Bass in Parksville should be given a medal! And no it was not me. lol

I mostly catch spotted bass there but i typicall fish the lower part of the lake. Sylco area is where you will find Largemouths. Although a few years ago on a cold and windy Febuary day I caught a 6+ lb largemouth in Haskins Creek. I missed a giant, hooked jaw, brown trout in Haskins a few years ago too.

 

[Dirtroadhound]

Thanks for the info

 

[jaygivens70]

It's too bad that there seems to be less access, rather than more, as time goes on. Was the old ramp in the campground on Greasy creek ? That campground is closed now (for the winter season). Also, I don't think it would put excessive strain on the federal budget to resurface the road going back in to Ocoee #3, maybe oncet every 20 or 30 years ! That road keeps out all but the most dedicated (or foolhardy). But there are plenty of largemouth bass around those laydowns, plus yellow perch and sunfish, to be had. Also, not much in the way of crowds to contend with !