8 May 2008
WATER CONDITIONS
The water elevation is
1016.3-feet, which is 8.4-inches
higher than it was last week.
The water level is expected to
rise a little over an inch over
the next two days. But, rainfall
is predicted for tomorrow and
the weekend.
Sunny, warm days have caused the
water surface temperature to
rise dramatically since last
week. In the afternoon at
Loyston Sea, the surface was 74
degrees; at the Dam, it was 72
degrees on the same day. The
shallow water in the rear of the
hollows are in the mid to high
70’s on sunny afternoons.
Because of the water’s rise
setting every piece of wood
which hit the shoreline over the
winter afloat, hitting floating
objects is possible almost
anywhere on the lake at this
time of year. This is especially
true in the restricted channels
on the upper half of the
reservoir.
In protected areas, anglers may
find a plankton bloom which is
giving the water a dark streaked
appearance.
SUMMARY
Fishing responded well to the
water temperature rise and the
relatively stable water level.
Except for Sunday, which was a
day immediately following the
passage of a weather front, the
past week has seen good fishing
success on most species.
WALLEYE are hitting at dusk and
after dark, close to the
shoreline brush on ShadRaps,
Thundersticks, Husky Jerks, Red
Fins and similar plugs. Snagged
shad or alewife are starting to
bring in some under the lights
in the Loyston area and from
Point 9 to Point 5.
SMALLMOUTH BASS, LARGEMOUTH and
SPOTTED BASS were hitting
Carolina and Texas-rigged
plastic worms and lizards at the
15 foot depth.
CRAPPIE continue to hit small
minnows or tiny jigs in large
creek and main channel brush
piles or sunken trees on steep
banks. STRIPED BASS continue
hitting from the Island F
vicinity to Bear Hole Bend, and
in Cove Creek in the early
mornings. Powell arm anglers are
catching some near Points 11 and
12. BLUEGILL and REDEAR (SHELLCRACKER)
are hitting in the brush and
shallows.
*****
LARGEMOUTH & SPOTTED BASS
Good (best at dawn and dusk,
but good catches were made even
in mid-day)
15 feet
Plastic worms/lizards in pumpkin
or watermelon shades with green
or red colored flakes, Carolina
or Texas rigged on points,
especially.
Shallow in the hollows near
brush on spinners or jerk baits.
Best early in the morning in the
back of coves and creek hollows.
Some as shallow as 3 feet in the
back of the coves near wood.
Spinnerbaits, small crankbaits,
small plastic jerk baits. Some
on buzzbaits and topwater plugs
in early morning in the coves.
Very close to the large
broken-rock banks on brightly
colored Bandits or large pig'n
jigs. In the hollows, ½ ounce
spinners have taken some nice
fish. Tip hair or rubber skirted
jigs/doll flies with small (101
size or close) pork chunk
trailers and cast to the rocky
banks and points. Super Flukes
cast to the rocks and wood in
early morning and on cloudy days
when fish are shallow. Night
fishing has seen some caught on
plastic lizards or worms,
Carolina or Texas rigged near
broken rock banks.
SMALLMOUTH
BASS
Good
15 feet on larger broken rock,
but are also as shallow as 2
feet where large, broken rock is
in the shallows. At dusk or
dawn, also near the bottom on
long, sloping gravel/sandy clay
points at about 4 to 8 feet, but
large broken rock is producing
more fish. Night fishing is good
on plastic worms or pig’n jigs.
On cloudy/rainy days or at dawn:
4-inch salty tube jigs, Super
Flukes in shad or dark green.
Pop’Rs and similar, smaller
topwater plugs cast to broken
rock banks. On clear days with
high air pressure, smallmouth
may suspend. On those days,
smallmouth may hit topwater
lures retrieved far from the
bank. Bandit crankbaits in shad
or crawfish patterns on
windswept rocky banks. Fish as
close to the rock as possible at
about 8 feet deep.
3/8 to 1/2 ounce brown or black
pig'n jigs with hair or rubber
skirts, or 1/4 ounce, dark green
doll flies tipped with small
shiners or tuffy minnows have
worked very well. On high
air-pressure days, try soft
plastic jerk baits, 3-inch smoke
or crawfish color pattern
plastic grubs on leadhead jigs
fished steadily on steep, clay
banks where there are deeper
shelves for structure.
Large shiners fished on the
bottom on gravel/clay points at
5 to 10 feet deep are catching
good smallmouths.
WALLEYE
Moderate at dusk and night
5 to 10 feet deep.
Lower end walleye are on the red
clay/gravel points and main
channel banks near brush and
rock outcroppings. Shad Raps,
Rogues, Husky Jerks, or
Thunderstick -type plugs cast to
the red clay/gravel banks near
wood structure-button bushes and
sycamore trees - at dusk and
after dark. Night fishing under
the lights with snagged shad or
alewife is improving, but
casting plugs to the bank after
dark is the more productive way
to go at this time.
STRIPED BASS
Moderate
Surface to 25 feet.
On the Powell river arm: Point
11 to Point 14 and some to Blue
Springs Marina.
On the Clinch river arm: Island
F to the islands near Hickory
Star and to Lost Creek and the
mouth of Big Ridge Hollow. Some
reported caught from the mouth
of Davis Creek (Point 12) to
Point 11. ½ ounce leadhead jigs
tipped with 3-inch Twister grubs
in white/chartreuse, trolled on
planer board rigs, shallow but
far behind the boat in clear
water areas. Umbrella rigs or
trolled 1/2 ounce doll flies, 3
or 4 inch shad colored Bass
Assassins or Flukes cast to the
points, or live shad/alewife
driftlined or trolled.
Trollers or driftline anglers
may encounter a lot of floating
debris on calm mornings.
CRAPPIE
Good
The pattern and location remain
the same:
In brush, 10 to 15 feet deep, as
deep as 20 feet on some days, in
brush near the bottom. In the
larger creek hollows (Sycamore,
Vasper Hollow, Davis, Lost
Creek) anglers may find spawning
crappie near flooded timber and
brush, shallow. Davis Creek has
been the best place to find
large crappie. Fish brush on the
steep banks and on the bottom
from the Well Springs access
down the main creek channel a
mile or more below Powell Valley
Marina.
Troll small doll flies or
leadhead jigs with twisters, on
the bottom at 20-feet deep in
Sycamore Creek, or in Davis
Creek where some stringers
averaged 1 lb per fish this
week. The Powell River above
Union County Dock is good, but
you’ll have to search to find
brush holding crappie in any
numbers. Use medium tuffy
minnows or 1-inch tube jigs or
1/32 oz or 1/64 oz popeye flies
tightlined into the main channel
brush/tree tops channel and
hollows. Or tightline into deep
brush with the same rigs or with
tuffy minnows.
Stained water sections of the
main channels, and the head of
larger creeks where the water is
stained are best.
BLUEGILL/REDEAR SUNFISH (SHELLCRACKER)
Moderate
5 to 15 feet deep
Some large shellcrackers have
hit small minnows, red worms and
wax worms fished under floats
near brush in the hollows.
Bluegill are hitting crickets
and waxworms at 15 feet, for the
larger ones. The 2008 Fishing
Regulation booklet has an
illustration of redear sunfish.