Cool Weather Equals Hot Fishing !

The weather has a bit of a bite to it with the winds and cooler temperatures. We will be winter fishing before too long so take advantage of this fall fishing while it lasts. Check out young Joshua Gregg of Blountville and his big Largemouth bass. Joshua and his father Sam were fishing Boone Lake last month when he caught this seven pound, twenty inch long largemouth on a pig and jig. Joshua attends Blountville Middle School. His Mother Betsy sent us the picture. If you're shore bound, you are disappointed when TVA generates the tailwaters. Not so for those with boats. Here's Margaret Baines of Bristol, Tennessee with this seventeen and a half inch long Brown trout. The were generating the South Holston when she caught this one just downstream from the grates at the weir dam. It was one of several trout she and her friends caught on a float trip last weekend. The boat fishermen are having a good time this week. TVA is running a lot of water out of South Holston Lake after all the rain last week. The are spilling water at Wilbur Dam until further notice so the Watauga is running high too. You can fly fish from the boats, but you will have much better luck with spinning rods and lures. Ms Baines said her group boated several trout on her trip. Some of the mountain streams are still producing some trout, but you have use a bit of stealth to sneak up on them. Lake water temperatures are still in the mid and upper 50s so winter fishing hasn't started yet. Having said that some folks are already out with Silver Buddies and tight lining those Berkley Gulp Minnows especially when the bass have go deep on bright sunny days. The Bone Long A and Bandit crank baits are still the big producers on South Holston, Watauga and Boone Lakes. Try a flipping jig around the logs, stumps and brush on Boone. Cherokee bass fishing has perked up some on Rattle Traps, Shad Rap and Bandit crank baits. The rapid water level rise last week really clobbered the bass fishing in Douglas. It may take a while for Douglas Lake to get back to normal.