Trophy Trout fishing is Now Dont let the high fast water keep you away

[power drifter]

in TN every year the tailwaters rise as the generators are turned on and the need to discharge water is vital and most everyone in Tn stops fishing for trout, im not complaining since having the river to myself is great, but this is when the big boys are hitting hard and we as fishermen/women gain the advantage since the faster water creates a faster reaction from the fish. Go big from 3" - 6" suspending jerks, swimbaits, big spinners, spoons and throw some rattling lipless bass lures ( these often match the size of juvenile shad that are wounded with the fast water, and they will nail them) since the hatches are over and bait fish is the order of the day. even the small fish will hit big lures now till march ps; now most of the tailwater temps are above that of the reservoirs and rivers and numerous species will push up river... if your lucky enough to be there on the day a ball of shad gets sent through ( river chum) you can sore lip a boat full.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Trophy Trout fishing is Now Dont let the high fast water keep you away

How are the Walleye doing now?... do you get some of those too?

 

[lncoop]

Re: Trophy Trout fishing is Now Dont let the high fast water keep you away

Sounds like you're describing a shad kill. That's a legendary occurrence on the White River tailwaters that I have yet to catch unfortunately. It's one of those things you just have to be ready to do at a moment's notice. If I ever catch it I'll throw big streamers with my seven weight.

 

[power drifter]

Re: Trophy Trout fishing is Now Dont let the high fast water keep you away

well get some walleye and sauger also but usually as bi catch since we dont target them. Crappie, LM bass, SM bass and some striped bass. finding the sauger in the creek mouths along with the slow water fish and walleye staged up on structure just outside the water seams and some in the slower water with rocky bottoms, jigging spoons and crankbaits.

 

[power drifter]

Re: Trophy Trout fishing is Now Dont let the high fast water keep you away

sometimes it is a shad kill other times it the resident shad that are below the dam and in the wrong place when the water starts to discharge. when the shad are in the water mirrodines and aruka shad lures will wear them out. but aruka shad work well in slow water right now. i go big even without the shad in the water. its a bad trip if i dont catch 2 or more over 20" with some in the high 20's". when they are sending 11000 cfs of water down the river.