Watts Bar above the dam stripers 11-22-06

[jon the fisherman]

Well I got off work around 4 and met a friend of mine at the ramp in Rockwood. We went bass fishing but ended up catching some nice stripers on spinnerbaits. They were schooling on a point near thief neck and we could throw a SB in two feet of water and reel fast and they would slam it. I have never seen big fish like that school up so heavy. In the two hours we caught 6 with my friend and I boating two over 36" and all the fish were over 24". Water temp was 53-54 and there was lots of current. Fish were extremely fat and pooped all over the deck of his boat. He got some pics and I will post them when he emails them

 

[fisherpal2k]

Sounds awsome JTF! get any pics of those bruisers?

 

[jon the fisherman]

Yeah we got pics, but I have to wait for my buddy to email tbem to me. This was his first big striper and he said he is going tomorrow to try and get another day of catching them.

 

[fisherpal2k]

Don't blame you or him for that one! What size SB are you throwing? I have only seen them do that up there one time before myself. I was just above the cut and they were bashing the shad off the rocks. We got a few but they were the smaller ones. It was right at dark and we was wanting to come home but had to stay for just a little while..emoLaugh

 

[jon the fisherman]

We were using 1/2 white spinnerbaits with silver willow leafs. I have to say it was pretty amazing. We saw what looked to be about 15 fish or more chasing shad in two feet of water. We stayed on that one point and caught them up untill dark. We also had a few that got off when they would swim towards the boat faster than we could reel.

 

[DHaun]

That sounds awesome JTF! I caught my first big striper on Watts Bar lake but they were all 25 ft deep and have heard how exciting it is to see them crashing bait! I have seen a few in the jumps below Nickajack in the boils but never in shallow water like that - Can't wait to see the pics! emoThumbsup

 

[drumking]

Great report, Jon. I know that you were excited to find those stripers in shallow water and slamming SB like that. We are looking forward to the pics when you get them. I have only caught stripers in Watts Bar lake 1 time and I was bass fishing in Town Creek and they slammed a rattling rapala that day. What a shock and pleasant surprise it is when that happens.