In this week's edition of dock talk, I am going to start of with the fishing report and then we will discuss game planning.
Douglas Report 4/14:
Time: 6:30am - 7:30pm
Weather Conditions: 48 degrees at launch with overcast skies. Cloud cover dissipated around noon and then cloud back up around four in the afternoon. The high temperature for the day was 75 degrees. Wind was 5-10 out of the the NE.
Water Conditions: Water temp at launch was 60.5 degrees and by the end of the day the water temperature was up to 65 degrees. The water temp was about two degrees cooler from Indian Creek on up the river. On the main lake and in most pockets the water clarity was 2-3'. Trash is heavy on main lake and small pockets from Dandridge to Swan's.
Day Breakdown: Over the course of the day (keep in mind 13 hour day) we caught 27 bass with 25 being keepers. Average bass was 2.5 - 3 lbs. We caught bass on ten different baits, but 3/4 of our fish came on soft plastics that were Carolina Rigged or Texas Rigged. Green Pumpkin and Watermelon Red Flake were our go to colors. We caught an even amount of fish in the backs of creeks as we did near the main lake. We focused on river rock in creeks and pockets and limestone out on the main lake. The depth range was 0 - 8'. We are using about a 10 - 12" leader on the C-Rig.
"TNCBA Dock Talk - Douglas"
Alright, here...we...go! It is finally that time of year where you launch the boat and have 20 different rod and reel combos strung across the the deck of the boat and on any cast there is the chance of that big girl that just moved up tightening your line. The shallows are alive with buck bass and the big girls aren't far behind.
We learned two important things yesterday...first of all...tree vs. fiberglass, tree always wins...second...crappie fisherman are the most cut-throat and diehard fisherman for about one month out of the year. Don't worry about a bass tournament holding you up at the ramp this Saturday, the first Crappie fisherman will arrive long before any tournament angler even wakes up.
When we look at the reports we see the A-Rig catching them two weeks ago...the main lake playing a role last weekend...but in my opinion the spawn is getting ready to explode in the mid lake area. We saw several bass cruising and even pairing up in the shallows on Thursday. While fishing main lake areas will be productive this Saturday, I am going to keep my mind towards those spawning areas. The big girls are just sitting out a little deeper, waiting to commit.
We have had three very consistent days of sun and warm temperatures...the barometric pressure is high right now but stable.
I expect the bite to be good from about 7am - 12pm and then slack off as the pressure peaks from 12pm - 2:30pm.
Over the last couple years of spending more time on the water and paying more attention to tournament results, I have changed my mindset to understand that our lake are loaded with thousands of fish. If you catch a couple moving through an area, I promise you those are not the only two there...there are probably dozens of them there...especially this time of year.
And remember...just because there wasn't anybody home on that spawning area when you last fished it...five may have moved up in the last hour...re-check areas that you have confidence in over the course of the day.
When we launch in the morning...I will have two carolina rigged lizzards in different colors...a texas rigged worm...a wacky rigged dinger...a chatter bait...and a rattle trap on the deck of the boat. I will fish areas very thoroughly and multiple times throughout the day.
Get your mind right before this one...there is going to be trash...there are going to be lots of other boats...but ultimately, there are going to be fish caught...
AND FISH CATCHING IS FUN...I LIKE IT ALOT!!!!
