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Last time I went out the shad had left the lake, or at least the parts that I threw my cast net, so I left early. The plan was to see if I could catch bait, then call the wife. Bait catching was a breeze today, only about 1.5 hours, but I did get 4 big ones, a few mediums, and a bunch of small ones.
With all the small ones we decide to head to the Dam, hybrid tend to do better on these. We start off and wife gets bit quickly, balloon sinks, hook set, pole bent slack followed. The hook was bent and we were a little confused. We head on down the bank and miss about 4 more. The worrying was beginning and I thought why not throw out a big one. With all the sticks close to the bank, I can’t cast a tiny one close, so I put on a big shad.
Well sure enough I got nailed and the fight was on. This was a nice hybrid and apparently the fish are starting to hit. A great part of this trip was my wife netted her first fish. She had never done this before today, did this twice today. The second went much smoother, after she untangled the net, but the first was great. If you remember the first one you have netted, well, you can relate.
Wife gets a bit, she begins to haul in the hybrid and three other hybrid were swimming in with it. It was a cool little sight to see. As the sticks and stuff move out toward the middle of the lake, we get a little room to go down the bank. As we get close to my tree in the water, I flip a small shad in there. I get bit and see a monster bass. I set the hook and apparently this small one got to the bait first, that pic is on the gallery page. I quickly put on another shad and threw it back, and bam that big one hit. I have still neglected to put in my batteries, but this bass was big. I am not sure if the pic does the fish justice, but was nice.
We ended up catching about 5 fish, wife hooked 2 but they got off. We also missed more than 5 fish, they just would take it or we pulled too soon. We had a great time on the lake today, the fish are biting pretty good. If you get out and fish, email us a report with a pic or two, we can start a local angler page for that lake or river. Have a great weekend. Â 20 April 2012
  
 
  
 14 April 2012
This morning we went to watch the daughter play some basketball, by the way we were 1-1, and we got home by 2:30. Figured it would be a good day to head to South Holston River, so off to the Dam I go. I fished up around the bridge for about an hour or so, I missed countless fish. I did however hook one for a brief period. I continued to cast and notice that my fly looked different. I checked it and you will not believe this, but it is true. When I looked at the fly their were a fish lips on my hook. This was amazing and I had missed enough so I drove downstream.
I went to a place I hadn’t been before, but I will head back. I went a little upstream first. Plenty of fish were breaking and I tried multiple flies, but nothing. I put on an egg and stripper midge and tossed it in the swift water. I began walking toward the deeper water when my pole got nailed. I set the hook and this was a really nice one, then he got off. After about 5 more cast I checked my line and the rascal has broke off my midge. I don’t have another like it, but I soon will, so I put on some more and head downstream.
I get a hit on my gnat but missed it. I did bring in a real small one, but it got off as I was getting out my phone for a pic. I start thinking it is time to head to the house, but a sulfur hatch starts. I tie on my sulfur and it is go time. I get a lot of hits and above you can see what I caught.
The big brown was a great fight and I ended up getting about 5 and this was in about a 45 minute period. It was a blast, my sulfur was toast, and it was time to go home. I had a great day on the river, if you get a chance, email us some pics, we will post them for you: tfr@tnfishingreport.com. Also, if you need any sulfur flies, check out Orvis or Cabela’s through our banners, they will hook you up.
  
  07 April 2012
We are on our way back from Gatlinburg yesterday and my son wanted to go fishing, so batteries charged last night and we are off to fish today. Now I gotta do a little back tracking. The work outs that I have been doing with the son caused a great deal of pain the other day. Let me just say getting old is not physically rewarding, my chest is hurting very bad. I don’t know if I pulled a muscle, but you can bet I want wrestle for a while.
Anyway, we head out for a fishing trip and begin looking for shad immediately. I throw that net, gritting my teeth with each cast. We hit about 4 or 5 different areas and I was getting to the point that I could not throw it any longer. It is time to put on a crankbait and head to the Dam.
We get there and I bait up the Christmas gift from my son and he begins to use the Cane pole. As we are going down the bank I see a small break on the water, I cast and boom, there is my first Boone Lake rainbow trout. We toss it back into the water and in a few, the son gets a bite on the cane pole, he misses it.
We decided to head to some boat docks and give the pole a shot. The son decides to give me a shot with the pole and to do the trolling motor driving. I get a couple of hits, then finally one takes it, get a little bluegill. The pic above includes the schnauzer, the pole, and the fish.
We decide to call it a day and the boy does a good job of backing the trailer into the water, first time to ever back a trailer at all. Next step, put boat on trailer. The wind was blowing and laughter does hurt the chest, this took us 5-10 minutes but there was no line, so it was good. We wrapped it up, headed home and I can say this was one of the best days of fishing I have had. We didn’t wear out the fish by any stretch, but I did get to spend some great times with my son. Hope you have a great Easter, God bless.
 06 April 2012
I know this is a fishing journal, and I know that those are not fish, however, a couple of buddies of mine went turkey hunting today and I wanted to put them somewhere on the site. Take a look at these rascals, we went to Cades Cove this morning and saw about as many as my buddies did back home, only they have come home with a pair. Next entry will be fishing, I hope, but these two needed to be seen.
  
  
 04 April 2012
There is suppose to be a storm coming, but wife got her license yesterday and we are planning on going to Gatlinburg tomorrow so off we go. Have not had any problems catching shad this year, at least not until today. We launched the boat at the Dam and there was only one other boat launching, amazing. Anyway, we launch and go after the shad, can’t find a single one in the cove.
We head out search three more coves and nothing, finally we get to the last one. We ended up catching about 12 that were one day older than being a head pincher. Now if you don’t know what a head pincher is, those are the ones that are so small that their heads get caught in the casting net, tiny. Â Included with the shad was a whopper of a shad, it went from one extreme to the other.
The dark clouds were looming, so we headed toward the Dam. I put the big shad on a down line about 15′, wished I would have had a bigger hook. I then put a balloon out back for the wife and headed to the other rod. I got the shad on and boom, wife gets one. She pulls in a hybrid, wished I would have put in some more batteries in the scales, and she was excited.
We head on down the way and gets another, it is a bigger one, this one becomes a wrestling match. In the end, wife wins, but it was a battle, this one may have gone about 12 pounds, but since the scales aren’t working, I should have guessed a lot higher. We get one more hit on a flat line, but didn’t get a hook set quick enough and lost it.
Went on down the bank and the sky was getting darker, decided to flip the remaining shad. When we got to a fallen tree, the shad never stood a chance. Caught a smallmouth and a largemouth. Now these fish were the size of the schnauzer, and she had no fear. As a matter of fact, she seems to be pretty fond of sushi as she kissed the little bass.
It was a good day of fishing, but when the thunder rolled, so did we. I hope ya’ll have a great week. And as we approach Easter week, remember we are celebrating the death, burial, and Resurrection of the Lord. Have a great week and God bless.
  
 02 April 2012
Last month was the latest opportunity I have had to go fish, however, it was only a couple of days ago. I just know how all 3 readers are chomping at the bit to have another journal entry. With rain this morning, decided that I would head to the South Holston River.
The other day I had some time and tied up a few Griffth’s Gnats and #22 black midge, this is all that I used. Now you can find either of these flies through our Cabela’s or Orvis banners. This is once again a shameless plug, but these flies worked today.
I got a lot of hits, a whole lot of misses and bother were with gnat and midge. I caught a total of 5, missed more than I can count and I tried by taking off my shoes.
I used the gnat with the midge trailing, I love doing this until IÂ have to net one. This causes some issues at least it did today. After releasing one of the trout, one hook was in net and by the time I found it, the line was wrapped around my rod and my head and between my legs. I would love to have watched this as opposed to living it, I am certain I looked like a pro.
The fishing was good, it is now late and I am going to get ready for the bed. Let us know how you do, have a good week and God bless.
