Tailwaters

[jaygivens70]

Does anyone have any reports from below Nickajack, Chickamauga or Watts Bar ? Thanks.

 

[VolsFan24]

I went below Watts Bar dam on Saturday. Stripers are definately there. Caught a few decent ones and a nice walleye. 1 smallmouth (was hoping for more). Chucking an a-rig around.

 

[jaygivens70]

Thanks for the reply, VolsFan. What area of the tailwater are you fishing in ? I am not trying to horn in on your spot...I am a "ground pounder" fishing from shore. If you see a guy along the walkway in a big orange shirt and hat that might be me. I am simply curious about any fishing info I can get. I'm especially interested in the sauger (or lack of). I guess they are a thing of the past.

 

[M GO BLUE]

Sauger are gone, unfortunately. Focus is on Walleyes now. I've heard of several guys catching them off the rip-rap at all of the tailwaters, especially at night. Wear gloves. LOL.

 

[Spinnerbait165]

"Wear gloves" is good advice.

I caught one at night and thought it was a skinny smallmouth until I grabbed it by the lip ........... ?#!$%?!

 

[jaygivens70]

I have not had the opportunity to lip hook a walleye...if so, I would politely decline. Nor have I hooked one at all, lately. I usually fish until it is totally dark, but leave shortly thereafter. The panfish bite can be non-stop but drops off the later it gets. Do the walleye bite at all times during the night, or only at certain times ? I am disappointed that the TWRA cannot find some creative way to restore the sauger population, After all, they are a native fish of our rivers and nobody seems to care that they have become locally extinct. Walleye are the substitute since they live longer, grow bigger and are easier to raise in the hatcheries. I have researched the subject a lot and know that the sauger populations are declining throughout North America but some areas still have a healthy fishery.

 

[M GO BLUE]

Sauger are very fragile, and highly dependent on certain river currents for adequate spawning success. Was about a ten year period in the late 90's/early 2000's(if memory serves) where currents were not adequate and it took a mortal toll on Sauger populations. I haven't caught a keeper Sauger in many, many years. Used to come home with NICE limits regularly from WB and Hiwassee. Now, if I were to catch a keeper, I'd release it.

Walleyes have reached sustainable, fish-able levels, reach much greater size, and are still being stocked every year. I still have not got an educated-answer whether or not they are successfully spawning in the tailwaters every year, but have had many successful trips in the last 5yrs. Would post some pics, but hate fighting with that on this site.

I think Walleyes are here to stay, and I'm just fine with that.

*EDIT: think of walleyes like mature adult buck whitetails - You can on rare occasions catch them during the daylight, but they are by nature a nocturnal creature. Night time will most always be better for harvest than day time*

 

[Spinnerbait165]

M GO BLUE - 12/16/2020 8:21 PM

I haven't caught a keeper Sauger in many, many years.

Last one I caught was an accident on the main lake at Watts Bar on a hair jig ... at night. That was in the mid-80s.

I remember years ago when they pulled the lake almost dry at Blue Ridge to do major work on the dam and they opened up the entire fishery to "no limits" trying to prevent a major fish kill. Lots of the Cleveland guys caught many, many walleye out of that lake. This was mainly during the day and in the winter. We had to back down the bank 150 yards or so to get the boats in the water.

 

[jaygivens70]

You can read a GA fishing blog online. They do a good job with it...I highly recommend it. Latest report on Blue Ridge is that their walleye stocking program has produced a lot of catchable fish and they are sampling increased numbers of crappie as well

 

[Spinnerbait165]

Glad to hear that. Blue Ridge suffered after that period.