Fall Hangs In There

Fall is still here and so is some good fall fishing. If you can catch a cloudy day, you can catch some fish. The leaves are off the trees and finally out of the streams in the mountains so trout fishing is a little easier.

Drift a Prince or a Hare's Ear nymph very slowly as you work your way downstream. Would you believe sulfurs are still hatching in the tailwaters. TVA shuts off the South Holston generators in the early afternoons so you can enjoy a little wade fishing. Don't forget that two runs of the South Holston are restricted to all fishing until February to protect the brown trout spawn. Those areas are well marked

Watauga is still running high and more difficult to fish as TVA is sluicing water at the Wilbur Dam until further notice. The bright sunny weather is slowing down the top water bite for bass on most of the lakes, but who cares, this weather is wonderful

The Bomber Long A bite has been spotty on South Holston and Watauga Lakes. Some are using the Buckeye Wake Up in the Bone color. It's similar to the Long A. It's heavier and casts further and a little easier keep it up on the water surface. When the top water bite is off, try Root Beer on Clear Bandit crank baits. Night fishing is much better on spinner baits and jigs

In Boone Lake, they are using the Long A Bomber and Zara Spooks on the cloudy top water days and Red Bellied Crawfish Color Bandit Crank baits when it's clear. Night fishing is still good on Boone with with spinner baits and jigs. Stripers are still up in bait schools in Boone and Cherokee so you can still use top water lures.

Cherokee Lake is seeing bass caught fishing Rattle Trap and Norman Deep Little N lures as well as a few fish on top water with buzz baits and Zara Spooks

Douglas Lake bass fishing has gotten slow. They are using top water and crank baits

Catch the right weather and you can still catch some fish around the region.