these cooler temps are geting me ready to make a trip to pickwick dam to drift some live bait for some smallmouths! anybody been lately?

No,  but last year on October 6th I had one of my best days ever and more importantly, this was the first time in 19 years that artificial out-fished live bait.  The Rage Tail Menace rules!

 

sounds like i need to be going soon then Roadwarrior!!!!

also i hear of the fishing being better when they are "pulling" water what do i look for on the tva app to see if they are pulling water? discharge? upstream elevation? downstream elevation? or Generators running?

Fishing should improve dramatically next week with the cool down. 

Regarding water release: On any river system current trumps everything else. On the Tennessee River below Pickwick Dam, stay home if the TVA is not running water. If it starts at 10:00, you don't need to be there any earlier. Another point you will notice over time is that the bite stops when the water drops. If it stabilizes, the fishing will pick back up in an hour or so.

 

I understand its better when they are running water but what do I look for on the app to see when they are pulling water? what indicates that they are pulling water

https://www.tva.gov/Environment/Lake-Levels/Pickwick

Average hourly discharge

Jeff

thanks jeff....its looking like im gonna get a day to go this tuesday the 11th...finally a day off work

looking like we may have some good fishing soon with some cooler nights and cooler mornings weve had lately

I went up there below the dam yesterday to catch some skipjack for a upcoming event, and they didn't turn on until about 30 minutes before dark.  The white/stripe bass were pretty active then as well.  they were running 3 generators.  I just fished from the bank.  Not sure what the smallies were doing though.