Southern Standard Fishing Report
CHICKAMAUGA ? The water surface temperatures are in excess of 90 degrees in a lot of creeks. Temperatures will vary depending on location and time of day. Bass anglers are catching a few bass on the deeper river structure. Points and humps fished with plastic worms will work as well as anything. Crankbaits, jigging spoons and topwater lures are also being used to catch a few fish. The main creek locations are also holding a few fish along the channel edge. Early and late is the better time to offer the topwater lures. Catfish fishing is very good during times of generation. All species can be caught more often when current is present, especially the river fish. Catfish are being caught on all the normal stuff. Cut bait is still the best choice. Bluegill can be caught on small jigs and jigging spoons. Small roostertails can be used also. Mid-channel locations in the major creeks, river breaks, and current breaks will be the target areas that fishermen should search for while fishing for bluegill. White bass are being caught near the tailwaters. The white bass activity is not as good as it normally is. Rockfish are being caught in the tailwaters on live bait, jigs, spoons and jerkbaits. Very early and late are the most productive times to fish.
WATTS BAR ? The water surface temperature of 90 degrees can be found, depending on the area of the lake and the time of day. Water below Melton Hill Dam can be as much as 15 degrees cooler. Rockfish anglers are catching a few fish on artificial bait as well as live bait. Jerk baits fished late in theevening will work about as well as anything else. Fishermen that are using live bait are catching more catfish than stripers. There doesn’t seem to be much difference in numbers or size between the tailwaters at Ft. Loudoun Dam and Melton Hill Dam. Current is crucial for any chance of a successful fishing trip. Catfish are being caught on most normal catfish baits ranging from ivory soap to wieners to chicken livers. Cut bait will always out fish anything else. Bass anglers that are efficient at their game can catch heavy stringers of fish on large plastic worms. Deep water is the key to success. Points and humps seem to be easier to find than bank irregularities. They all should be entered as waypoints on your GPS. Five fish limits that way in excess of seventeen pounds have been normal tournament catches. Although this amount of weight is common in a few tournaments, there are more fishing trips with a less desirable outcome than those with the 17 pound stringers. A few crappie can still be caught. Most successful trips are occurring at night under the lights while using minnows. White bass fishermen are finding the normal good fishing a bit disappointing. Only a few breaking fish are being caught. Bluegill can be caught around deep piers and river bluffs.
Normandy Reservior ? Black Bass have been exceptionally slow during the heat of the day. A few good size fish are being caught at night and in the early hours of the morning. Carolina rigs and tubes have been fairly productive. Very few smallmouth have been showing up lately.
Crappie have slowed quite a bit but some anglers are still catching them trolling crank baits in deep water. White Bass haven?t been seen lately. Some big catfish are still coming in on jugs and limblines.
Sunfish are on all the banks but are a bit slow due to the high temperatures.
(Information provided by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency; compiled by Dale Stubblefield.)