Harpeth River kayak float

[jad2t]

I think Saturday early in the morning I'm gonna head there with the yak and target smallies. Lately I've explored it and found a couple areas to fish and found some smallies but they're all small and that water isn't deep enough to hold larger fish nor deep enough to kayak, just wade. How far out West do I have to go to find what I want? Also is the Harpeth a fast flowing river where it's deeper? I want to put in somewhere and paddle upstream a mile or so, fishing as I do this, and then float back. Is this going to me a major hassle? I know I can paddle and stop along the way in many spots, park the yak and wade to fish a hole I come up to.

I know there are 20+" smallies in this river and if I caught one, well that would be awesome but really I'd just like to get into some 12+" inchers since I'll be strictly flyfishing and trout magnet/crappie magnet fishing with 2lb test. Should make for a fun battle!


PS - If anyone here hasn't used trout/crappie mags yet, please try them. They're just incredible once you get the hang of it. I never use a float, only twitching. Last night I waded into a skinny part of the Harpeth using only bison trout magnets and caught 50+ fish in just over an hour. Mostly panfish with 2 smallies and a LM bass thrown in. No size to speak of but that's only because that water had nothing but small fish. They do catch larger fish, many of us have done it.

[creeksmallie]

Jimmy,
I have fished the trout magnets since they came to Tennessee and they are awesome. Something to think about when looking for a 20 inch smallie (in streams like the Harpeth) this time of year, (typically lower water levels and heat) is that they want to eat well/big and not often. I have found when the days are in th 90's and the water levels get low the fish conserve energy and it takes something bigger than the trout magnet to get them to come out of that cover during the non feeding time. Now I have caught some very nice fish with the trout magnet in the creeks but it has not been June thru September. I will say I have not fished the TM June thru Sept on the streams in many years and with the 2lb test (alphahawk method) you may be able to get that good one to bite.
Go big for the big bite in the heat and small for the numbers.
Mike

[jad2t]

Thanks for that info! I'm really looking for numbers more so than a trophy for now. Something I really wanted to pursue once I finished college was Smallie fishing so now it's gametime! Like I mentioned below, I did some wading of very shallow creeks and caught a few on the trout mag but they were very small. Probably 6-8 inches. If you happen to know of a good stretch of river for kayaking and the occasional parking the kayak to wade and fish I would greatly appreciate it! I don't want to drive too far out West to where the river is only deep and I can't get out and wade. Nor do I want to not drive far enough and not have water deep enough for the kayak.

PS - I might also bring some small crawdad cranks to entice a larger Smallie.

[wordty]

I have used TMs for years, but not much with the twitching method...before twitching / retrieving it do you let it sink until it is near the bottom, or what? I just don't know how deep to fish it / keep it when on a river or lake...it obviously depends on where the fish are, but how have you been doing it on a river?

[creekcrappie]

Trout magnets work better than any other lure for bluegill, trout, and other sunfish!

[Alphahawk]

I catch lots of Smallies on the TM....but I don't fish the streams.....should though. It is a killer in spring....fall......winter. I have not had much Smallie action on it in summer. Mike knows the streams. The two biggest Smallies I ever caught were with a 6 inch Storm Wild-Eye while striper fishing below Pickwick Dam.


regards

[tkwalker]

I think Saturday early in the morning I'm gonna head there with the yak and target smallies. Lately I've explored it and found a couple areas to fish and found some smallies but they're all small and that water isn't deep enough to hold larger fish nor deep enough to kayak, just wade. How far out West do I have to go to find what I want? Also is the Harpeth a fast flowing river where it's deeper? I want to put in somewhere and paddle upstream a mile or so, fishing as I do this, and then float back. Is this going to me a major hassle? I know I can paddle and stop along the way in many spots, park the yak and wade to fish a hole I come up to.

I know there are 20+" smallies in this river and if I caught one, well that would be awesome but really I'd just like to get into some 12+" inchers since I'll be strictly flyfishing and trout magnet/crappie magnet fishing with 2lb test. Should make for a fun battle!


PS - If anyone here hasn't used trout/crappie mags yet, please try them. They're just incredible once you get the hang of it. I never use a float, only twitching. Last night I waded into a skinny part of the Harpeth using only bison trout magnets and caught 50+ fish in just over an hour. Mostly panfish with 2 smallies and a LM bass thrown in. No size to speak of but that's only because that water had nothing but small fish. They do catch larger fish, many of us have done it.


Jimmy ... You are going to make the Gathering aren't you ??? <;TK>< :)

[jad2t]

Jimmy ... You are going to make the Gathering aren't you ??? <;TK>< :)

Wish I could but I'm talking very early in the morning for a couple hours in the kayak then headed to my parents house.

I was hoping someone on here had fished the Harpeth and could help me. I'm gonna give TWRA a call and I'm sure they'll point me in the right direction.

[CRobinson1985]

I have used TMs for years, but not much with the twitching method...before twitching / retrieving it do you let it sink until it is near the bottom, or what? I just don't know how deep to fish it / keep it when on a river or lake...it obviously depends on where the fish are, but how have you been doing it on a river?


Let it sink near the bottom then "twitch/pop" it a few times and begin slow reeling or pausing to "twitch/pop" it again. You may need to try different depths (let it sink longer/shorter) to find out where the fish are feeding in the water column and to determine what types of structure are in the area.

When in a new area one of the first things I personally do is let it sink all the way to the bottom then "bump" it up the water column until I get bites. This allows me to gather the depth/structure/bottom composition fairly quickly.

[jaysouth]

I have caught smallmouth on the Harpeth. My best spot is one mile upstream and one mile downstream from the 70 bridge at Shacklett.

Call one of the canoe liveries out there. You might work out a deal where they will carry your yak with the rest of the rental canoes and bring you back at the end of the day.

Tippacanoe comes to mind.

On that stretch of the Harpeth, I have caught decent smallies on 3 1/2 pumpkin tubes on 1/8 oz tube jigs and 6 inch plastic worms fished weightless. Current is your friend/enemy. It is strong here in this stretch and the rocks are all round and slippery. It is exhausting to wade very far.

Tuesday to Thursday is best. It is insanity on Weekends with rental canoes.

[jad2t]

Yea I need to find out what stretches of that river are NOT covered with rental canoes because I definitely don't want to deal with that nonsense. I don't have the patience. From my experience with them at the Caney, that crowd tends to be very inconsiderate of fishermen. Cruising in front of them and making all sorts of noise around us.

GOOKFISHIN - Turn on your PM's if you read this. I tried to reply to what you sent me but it says I can't because you've set your account not to receive them!

[jaysouth]

If you are going Saturday and want to avoid canoe rentals, stay upstream from 249, that's where the livery services start to put in. From there downstream to the Cumberland river is yuppie madness on the weekend.

You could put in at Newsome's mill and paddle upstream to the interstate for Largemouth and maybe a smallmouth.

http://www.tn.gov/environment/parks/HarpethRiver/docs/parkmap_gis.pdf

[jad2t]

Thanks a lot. I'm actually going to print this out and mark off all sections of the river that the canoe rental places float so I know where to avoid.

[GO-OKFISHIN]

Try and send again. I think I figured it out