TnRiver46

Cool looking plug. No props no nothing? What’s it do and what’s it called? Pencil bait ?

Gotcha. Harbor freight has voltmeters $5, I keep a couple laying around . Had one that quit working after about a year then magically started working again a year after that! Haha.

Nice fish! I keep a 3 amp battery maintainer in the boat for just such an occasion. They cost $20

southeatern US: the fishing pressure capital of the world! Every red blooded American man has a bass boat and a pick up truck Around here! Therefore the fish are smart. I like to take a diving mask and swim where I fish. There’s always a whole bunch of big fish that ingnore dozens of people lures everyday. I also guide for trout at a catch and release only private stream that is tiny and if you don’t believe in Fishing pressure you should try Fishing there one day........

Yellow has always been a favorite of mine for bluegill poppers, I’m guessing it applies to other fish too.

I have trolled through areas many times and caught smallmouth. Then I thought “well that’s a good area, I’ll go back and cast to those fish.” Guess what: I literally never catch them when I cast to them. Make another trolling pass and you guessed it: fish on! Trolling not only covers water and allows you to watch electronics, it is also the best way to get a bite from my experience. They can’t resist a crank slamming bottom at high speed, even when it’s snowing. Me and a buddy got a 21.5” and then a 20” trolling squarebills 3.11 mph on December 20th, water temp 50, air temp hovering around 32

Douglas and fort loudoun are both great for smallmouth but a long way from where you are staying. Fontana in NC would be a good option, along with nickajack (right below chickamaga dam). Chilhowee or tellico are two other great smallmouth fisheries. Then you have all the rivers! Are you dead set on lakes or would you fish rivers too?

Thanks fellas! The skill came from the artist not the photographer

I Got soaked by two different storms while fishing yesterday but I saw this inbetween

The black warrior river is a great place for spots and largemouth, although I have only fished it a handful of times. Shakey head seems to be a great way to get them

Moving out of your parents house and into the dorms will make all your picky eating habits disappear

Ive had a few melt plastic around corroded connections, a wire brush usually fixes it. Just hold your breath while brushing!

We have 3-4 lakes that Use a slot limit for smallmouth in summer, and also all flowing rivers in TN, with a couple exceptions, have a PLR (protected length range) or 13-17 inches for smallmouth, with only one fish in your creel allowed to be an “over.” Most folks don’t seem to keep smallmouth though so it really only effects the tournament anglers. They successfully lobbied to get the slot limit removed from the french broad river below Douglas dam and replaced with the standard 5 fish 18” minimum length limit

Congrats!

Smallmouth fight great but I have caught 3 different 8lb class largemouth that about sank the boat they were fighting so hard. Maybe one day I will feel how hard 8 Lb class smallmouth fights

@Sam, kudos to you for taking the time to type all that helpful info. Sounds like you might have spent a day or three fishing that area.......

Yes. But there’s only one way to find out for sure........

The hex is the big mayfly hatching all over the country right now. Hex is short for something like hexagenus, I fish the hatch in South alabama every year on the same week but it’s a little more unpredictable at home. Saw a woman lose her mind in a local gas station near the river this week because the bugs were all in the store.

The bass eat the bugs and the bream. And a crawfish and a shad and a watersnake if they get the opportunity. A bluegill imitation swimbait/crankbait/topwater can be very effective during mayfly hatch.

Interesting, I’ll check that out. Hopefully your waters are just experiencing an initial boom associated with range expansion of a species. Time and frequent fish fry(s) are your only management options

And sometimes a tool is driving the boat......

I still can’t believe the classic is here in Knoxville. I sore lipped every 7 inch smallie on the lake, so it will be tough for them! I’m also glad to see some western tournaments, fun to watch

Sounds like your local Fishing community is full of bologna to me, smallmouth eat rock bass. They have coexisted for eons, I don’t see any way rock bass could outcompete or displace smallmouth

Jerkbait crankbait or topwater

#1. Looks like 100 percent largemouth and 0 percent spotted bass