Eleven weeks from now, I'll be on my way to Pickwick.  If the itinerary holds, I'll be somewhere in TN, hopefully the Knoxville area, or further west, before stopping for the night.  Get under way early enough to arrive around daybreak.

 

We escaped the cold and snow of home this past Wednesday, and are now in Daytona for the races.  When we get home, I'll be two, maybe three weeks closer to Pickwick.  The weeks to go will be in single digits either 8 or 9, and the worst of winter will be history.  A few days of fishing will help to pass the time during those last few weeks.

 

 

I live near Knoxville. Do not fish Cherokee Lake.

Yeah Tom, four or five hours to go on that second leg and you're there... Or was that eight or nine hours to go?

Eight or nine hours from Bristol.  Been there. Done that, though not by design.  I'm looking at stopping in the Crossville area, west of  Knoxville.  That will leave me four to five hours.

 

I'm considering leaving a day earlier, and making two stops rather than one.  It depends on how rested I am that week.  The alternative is to leave a few hours earlier, and grab a catnap every three or four hours, as needed.

Eight or nine hours from Bristol.  Been there. Done that, though not by design.  I'm looking at stopping in the Crossville area, west of  Knoxville.  That will leave me four to five hours.

 

I'm considering leaving a day earlier, and making two stops rather than one.  It depends on how rested I am that week.  The alternative is to leave a few hours earlier, and grab a catnap every three or four hours, as needed.

 

Skip Crossville and drive another 30 minutes to Cookeville.  There will be more options for hotels and 10x as many places to eat dinner.  

Eight or nine hours from Bristol.  Been there. Done that, though not by design.  I'm looking at stopping in the Crossville area, west of  Knoxville.  That will leave me four to five hours.

 

I'm considering leaving a day earlier, and making two stops rather than one.  It depends on how rested I am that week.  The alternative is to leave a few hours earlier, and grab a catnap every three or four hours, as needed.

Yeah, I remembered the story. That's why I was poking a little fun at ya! I know you won't make that mistake again!

I live near Knoxville. Do not fish Cherokee Lake.

Curious, why? Got an uncle in Morristown was gonna go check it out one day..

Curious, why? Got an uncle in Morristown was gonna go check it out one day..

 

Oh, there nothing wrong with the lake itself. I've been living here for a long time, my parents' house is 2 miles at most to the nearest boat ramp. It just, this lake is wildly inconsistent in terms of quality of bass you can catch on a regular basis. I'm originally from Alabama, I spent two weeks down there fishing every single day. Every single day for two weeks I caught a limit of bass weighing around 10 pounds at least and up to 18 pounds at most. I cannot do that here on Cherokee. It a reservoir filled with rocks and fluctuating water on a regular basis. The TVA is constantly changing the water level if mother nature isn't doing it. Don't get me wrong, I've caught 5 pounders, my dad won a tournament with 15 pounds sack before, but I just can't do it consistently. The bass I do catch consistently are not even keepers, except spotted bass. (Spotted bass here do not grow like they do on the Coosa River in Alabama.)

 

I just hate this lake, it got the best of me. My dad sold the boat and has not bought another one. Maybe if we had a better sonar we could locate off-shore structures better and could have had more consistent success. If you ever make it down here just shoot me a PM and I'll tell you the ins and outs of Morristown... I'm trying to meet my cousin in March at Guntersville, and if I do this will be the first bass fishing I've done in some time. I've been roaming the streams for trouts in the Smokies.

 

Edit: I think one reason why this lake is so difficult, is because the TVA made this lake over Indian graves.... Ghost of Indians haunting it? Ha.

Thanks Root, such a beautiful area than here in West Tn..