BentRod
Global Moderator
Posts: 2,252
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Post by BentRod on Apr 4, 2016 18:01:16 GMT -5
I like Tennessee rivers too. Bay can be awesome but a river is where my heart is. Tennessee is harder too and I think that makes it desirable to me. Any Joe blow can go drown eels at the bay and catch a 50 but if you catch a 50 in freshwater then you've done something special.
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Post by seajay on Apr 4, 2016 19:18:20 GMT -5
Wow! Looks like that was an incredible trip ! I absolutely must plan a trip there someday , lol.
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Post by drag4striper on Apr 4, 2016 19:27:27 GMT -5
What a trip! What a story! What stripers! What else can you say, but I want to go!  |
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Gator
New Member
Posts: 1,534
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Post by Gator on Apr 5, 2016 3:46:09 GMT -5
I was thinking weather could play a roll. Interested in Gator and Charlie thoughts as well. Not sure if you guys have been to the bay fishing. I read Mike's post about going down this past Dec. You guys looked to have a awesome time! I'm all in for Tennessee. It's an amazing fishery with huge fish. We managed to fish in gale force winds on Saturday and we could have never done that on the bay. |
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Post by mwardncsu on Apr 5, 2016 6:17:33 GMT -5
One thing about TN is the diversity of systems - there are lakes where you can catch numbers but smaller fish and then lakes or river systems where you fish all day for just a few bites - but ones you'll remember forever. And they are close enough you can do both in one day, or fish a numbers lake one day and a trophy lake the next while staying in the same area.
As to the trophy waters - it is far from a guaranteed thing to roll in there and catch a monster. We got VERY lucky on that first day to land three fish with 2 larger ones. Then we basically fished sun-up to sun-down the next three days on lake/river systems with a TON of water to cover for a total of 6 other bites and land 3 fish, two of which were of the size we could have caught home at SML.
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lund1
New Member
Posts: 284
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Post by lund1 on Apr 5, 2016 7:23:01 GMT -5
Wow....those are some big girls. Great report Mike. I've got a few questions;
- what kind of advance research did you do besides the usual ( lodging/access/guide)? Did you look at contours, etc? I've always wondered how to prep to fish unknown lakes.
- why were you getting strange looks underway?
- where the hell are the sardines in mustard sauce on that boat lunch pic??
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johnr
New Member
Posts: 1,295 
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Post by johnr on Apr 5, 2016 8:15:17 GMT -5
Wow....those are some big girls. Great report Mike. I've got a few questions; - what kind of advance research did you do besides the usual ( lodging/access/guide)? Did you look at contours, etc? I've always wondered how to prep to fish unknown lakes. - why were you getting strange looks underway? - where the hell are the sardines in mustard sauce on that boat lunch pic?? Re: research.. I use biologist reports, talk forums, guides' Facebooks and websites, local bait shops and past records of trophy fish catches that are usually available on fish department websites. This is known as cyberscouting. I utilize this for all trips, hunting and fishing, to unknown areas. This gets you close. From there I pore over any maps I can get my hands on, as well as historical weather data, water levels, inflows, outflows, etc. After that, it's all about in-person on-site scouting. Knowing how to read real time conditions and analyze them with your compiled data to make real time decisions and predictions is what seals the deal. I treat it like a big time exam. I pick up on every detail that I can beforehand, so when it's crunch time I can be cool. Often I have better results when I fish or hunt unknown areas, when compared to my home range, due to the preparation. |
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Post by mwardncsu on Apr 5, 2016 8:15:39 GMT -5
Well, as I said, Gator now has a degree in marine biology  He spent a bunch of time reading up on details of keeping skipjack and such.... of course then we go and catch some pigs on money-makers and then Charlie & Gator loose all interest in chasing the skipjack and dealing with trying to keep them alive long enough to get to where we want to fish and fish them  Seriously, we all also did some searching & reading up on the target water, and reached out to contacts that we trust and trust us to know we'd do right by the fishery from a few places that have experience with those waters for some pointers. Helped to narrow down a bit of the water. We fished two fairly different bodies of water - well, different but not different - one area fished a lot like SML in terms of hitting points & structure - though all our action came out of the middle and never on the banks - my big one came off a choke-point between a shoal and a point on the other side. The other area fished more like a river - and you have to fish that different ways at different times depending on the current conditions - but current breaks & flats/points were key - a striper is a striper - they are lazy and don't want to chase baits around so if they can drive them into an ambush point on shallower water it's easier for them to catch. Not sure - wasn't so much strange looks as "the stink eye" You'd wave and get nothing - well a couple did but most did not. Most everyone there were in aluminum hull type boats - not necessarily jon-boats but what I'd call "river boats" or older bass boats. Pretty sure it was a "y'all ain't from around here are ya" kind of thing.... you know, the look I get when I venture over to the Blackwater side of the lake to check on my stringer They came out on Wednesday with the guide... not sure why they didn't make an appearance the rest of the week - maybe because we actually something edible about the boat to eat |
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Post by mwardncsu on Apr 5, 2016 8:16:18 GMT -5
just saw JohnR's post - he's spot on!
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Post by Live Bait JunkEE on Apr 5, 2016 9:44:29 GMT -5
Awesome -- I love the little ladder for the OLD folks to get inot the boat. Great fun -- see you all in a couple of days.
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Post by mwardncsu on Apr 5, 2016 10:49:41 GMT -5
Awesome -- I love the little ladder for the OLD folks to get inot the boat. Great fun -- see you all in a couple of days. Junkee - it wasn't for the "old" folks - but rather Charlie was a bit concerned about the weight capacity of his trailer fenders with Gator and I there |
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Post by striperjohn on Apr 5, 2016 10:49:49 GMT -5
Hey thats my kin you guys are talking about. Big center console are like "the devils spore" down that way.;D
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2016 10:50:46 GMT -5
Success comes with hard work and dedication..... there are no shortcuts or secrets..... awesome job guys!!!!
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Post by fatdaddy on Apr 5, 2016 10:55:48 GMT -5
That arm looks like you being Noodling !! Great report as usual !! Glad yal had a great time !! Need to take some that fishing money & buy a few razor blades !! Ha !!! God Bless !! Always love your post !!!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2016 11:12:15 GMT -5
Success comes with hard work and dedication..... there are no shortcuts or secrets..... awesome job guys!!!! Guess I better add "and an open mind" before yam reads this and adds it. and mward, I was admiringly good while you were gone..... yam, on the other hand, turned a bait tank into a VaJayJay named Prudence.  |
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He spent a bunch of time reading up on details of keeping skipjack and such.... of course then we go and catch some pigs on money-makers and then Charlie & Gator loose all interest in chasing the skipjack and dealing with trying to keep them alive long enough to get to where we want to fish and fish them 
Seriously, we all also did some searching & reading up on the target water, and reached out to contacts that we trust and trust us to know we'd do right by the fishery from a few places that have experience with those waters for some pointers. Helped to narrow down a bit of the water. We fished two fairly different bodies of water - well, different but not different - one area fished a lot like SML in terms of hitting points & structure - though all our action came out of the middle and never on the banks - my big one came off a choke-point between a shoal and a point on the other side. The other area fished more like a river - and you have to fish that different ways at different times depending on the current conditions - but current breaks & flats/points were key - a striper is a striper - they are lazy and don't want to chase baits around so if they can drive them into an ambush point on shallower water it's easier for them to catch.
