It's Still Fall !

Boy, it's hard to believe November is almost here. We still some nice fall days to enjoy some good fishing before winter gets here. TVA has cut back the generating activities in the South Holston and Watauga river systems so we have plenty of wade fishing chances.

I got out in the South Holston this week and hit one of those days when the weather kept changing. No major hatches or anything. Caught one or two on a midge, changed to a sulfur caught a couple more and then went to a bead head nymphs for another. You just have to adapt to what the conditions offer. Had I gotten there a little earlier, I could have cashed in on a sulfur or midge hatch. Stable weather means stable fishing.

Fishing is still nice in the mountain streams that still have some hold over trout. Try Prince and hare's ear nymphs and stone fly imitations such as yellow or orange stimulators and tan elk hair caddis flies. The mountain lakes have really clear water this time of the year so the rapid weather changes really affect the daytime fishing.

The Bomber Long A bite has been pretty good on South Holston Lake on the cloudy days. They've been fishing the logs and stumps back in the hollows, but the fish should start moving out on the points as the lake level continues to drop. Night fishing is much better on spinner baits and jigs.

The same methods apply on our other mountain lake, Watauga. The top water bass bite is still good on the cloudy days and night fishing with spinner baits.

Boone Lake water conditions are similar with cloudy rainy days seeing top water fishing on the Bomber Long A. The fishing is still good at night on spinner baits. Stripers are still up in bait schools. Slow crank top water lures like the Thunder Stick and Red Fin lures to get hooked up. Boone Lake crappie fishing is still happening with the fly and minnow combination in the brush.

Cherokee Lake is producing crappie on the bobber and fly rig tipped with a minnow. Fish along the rocks in the upstream area. The same technique is working in Douglas Lake as well. Cherokee is seeing bass fishing in the shallows on Rattle Trap and Norman Deep Little N lures as well as a few fish on top water. Cherokee and Douglas also seeing a little bass action with flipping jigs on the points. The night fishing is better on plastic worms and spinner baits.

You can catch fish just about everywhere. Watch the weather and make your plans accordingly.