Skipjacks below Chick. dam 4-6 and 4-8

[Guest]

We got 13 skipjacks on friday and 43 on sun. All were brought home and bagged in groups of 4-6 and frozen. Any color as long as it was white, yellow, red or pink worked good. 1/8 oz. black leadheads also. Plastics, and deerhair both worked good. If anybody needs cat bait they are still running real good down there. The biggest was 1 3/4 lb.

 

[Fish Hunter]

Dang, I can already imagine the big cat photos you will be posting soon!

 

[bowl300]

can you catch skipjacks in the lake or do you have to be below the damn to catch them?

Thanks

 

[HarrisBasser]

Are the cats bitting good right now?I like to take my son when cats are bitting.

 

[foodsaver]

they are much much easier to catch (at least for me) below the dams

 

[Guest]

I agree with foodsaver. I have caught skipjacks in the lake up at the nuke plant but it is a hit and miss deal. It is almost a guarantee that they can be caught below the Chic. dam as long as the water is moving. I mainly get my LARGE skipjack in April and freeze them. They can be caught all summer long but tend to run a little smaller in july and august at the chic dam. As far as the cats biting now, I fish mainly for crappie and stripers till june so I haven't been after them yet. From the postings on here it seemes that some VERY large cats have been caught recently. The 2-10+ lbers can be caught at the discharge of the nuke now on a variety of smaller baits.

 

[Fishin' Junkie]

Yeah, below the dam! I took my younger bro down there Sunday evening and we were catching them almost every cast. We just caught them for fun, throwing back all except the few we gave to the guys fishing for big cats or drum or whatever those guys fish for. How long do ya'll think they will be in there that thick?

 

[HarrisBasser]

Iam not a big cat fisherman,but in the last few years Ive started to acutally angle for them several times in a year.Whats the big deal with the skip jack?Is this the ultimate bait for the cats.I may sound dumb about it ,but Ive just not investigated about cat fishing that much.

 

[Liveliner]

bowl300 - 4/10/2007 7:45 PM

can you catch skipjacks in the lake or do you have to be below the damn to catch them?

Thanks

Welcome to CFF Newbie.

Skipjack can be caught anywhere. The problem is finding them in the lake, I caught one the other day from under a dock in Wolftever Creek. There is no real set pattern to target them in the lake therefore hard to find. However in the tailwaters, they congregate to feed on bait fish. They are most always there for the food. I think the amount of aeration of the water plays a roll in keeping them there in the hot summers. They really pack in there in July and August. At certain times you can catch some huge Skipjack herring right above the dam from the bank where the water is moving toward the generator intakes. I fish right on the rip-rap point next to where all the debris collects against the dam. Above the Dam you cast long, across the river and deep.

 

[Liveliner]

Fishin' Junkie - 4/11/2007 5:14 PM

Yeah, below the dam! I took my younger bro down there Sunday evening and we were catching them almost every cast. We just caught them for fun, throwing back all except the few we gave to the guys fishing for big cats or drum or whatever those guys fish for. How long do ya'll think they will be in there that thick?

All Summer and into the Fall untill the bait leaves. Then they are in and out throughout the rest of the year. They are just getting started, You have Seven to Eight more months to catch them.
"Tennessee Tarpon - AKA - Skipjack Herring"

 

[DoubleB]

I stopped off at the dam on my way home last night And just walked out on the fishing pier. There is a rock just above the water between the pier and the bank. THere was a school of 'em, most probably 5 to 6 " long. There had to be thousands that just kept rollin through there. a man with a cast net coulda had his bait for the rest of the year of one throw.. It was an awesome site to be sure..

 

[Liveliner]

DoubleB - 4/12/2007 10:01 AM

I stopped off at the dam on my way home last night And just walked out on the fishing pier. There is a rock just above the water between the pier and the bank. THere was a school of 'em, most probably 5 to 6 " long. There had to be thousands that just kept rollin through there. a man with a cast net coulda had his bait for the rest of the year of one throw.. It was an awesome site to be sure..

Sorry, but that was different fish. Those were Thredfin Shad. Thje Skippies were just of to the side of the fish you saw. Skipjacy down there are generally longer than 12" up to about 2'-o". The most common size that feed there is 14" - 16". Take your rod the next time. They are a blast to catch.

 

[DoubleB]

LOL.... I have called skipjacks shad all my life and Shad skipjacks.... Learn something new every day...