Pickwick 08-08-2013

[Alphahawk]

Made trip to Pickwick Tuesday and today. On Tuesday had to fish in the rain after lightning had passed.....thus no pics of the stripers. The stripers were in the jumps. I fished for an hour and a half and caught one every cast...they were from the back of the generator outlets all the way down the river about 700 yards. I was using a 1/4 ounce dressed Kastmaster spoon....just skimming it on top. But it did not matter what you used they would kill it. They were in range from 6 to 10 pounds. I had a medium rod spooled with 14# test NanoFil. Today there was not a striper to be seen. The sun was shining there today and it was hot....95 degrees and yet when I came home and past through Summertown the temp there was 74 degrees....big swing. Started today fishing generator side for about an hour and a half and caught nothing at all. The only thing I saw caught there were some Gills off the catwalk. Moved over to the lock side and found large mouth in the jumps. Put on a Pop-R using 6# test fluorocarbon and medium light action rod.....and the fight was on. Caught about 30 bass in an hour and I was hot and called it a day. The fish were still jumping as I left....but that heat sent me packing. The bass were not that big....for some reason they all needed to put on some weight.....from the length they should have weighed more.....but still gave me a good fight. I had not planned on fishing Tuesday but have had a problem with my left hand and I had a doctor appointment yesterday and was afraid it would be something that would stop me from fishing for a while so I went. Found out I have De Quervain's Tendinitis. He asked if my job required repetitive motion....I told him my job was fishing and he laughed and said that would do it. He gave me a cortisone shot and told me that cured 90 percent of the people who have it. If it does not work he will do a 15 minute surgery and told me I would only lose two days fishing...not a bad deal. It was far better today but it is not cured and if it is not bad storms will fish again tomorrow. I would prefer it be cloudy down there tomorrow with no storms. There were plenty white bass in the generator outlets but I can't fight those folks on the catwalk....too many people there. Water was stained and 87 degrees.



Regards

[MNfisher]

Sounds like a great few days! I would have done anything to have been there when the striper were going!

[Alphahawk]

Sounds like a great few days! I would have done anything to have been there when the striper were going!

Mike I think they will be there now for a while. I had a big one blow up on my Pop-R over on the flat. Just too much sunshine there today.


Regards

[agelesssone]

Need to get jad2t down there!

He and I are going to try for stripers on JPP EARLY on Saturday morning. WELL, not as early as he and m
nfisher do it. 5 Am is early enough for me, since I'll be out dancing til midnight and then have a 3:30 am GETUP.

[Alphahawk]

Need to get jad2t down there!

He and I are going to try for stripers on JPP EARLY on Saturday morning. WELL, not as early as he and m
nfisher do it. 5 Am is early enough for me, since I'll be out dancing til midnight and then have a 3:30 am GETUP.

I tell you Merv I get tired just following your posts on facebook.....I don't know where you get the energy to fish....LOL. With all this rain I firmly believe that by Monday they will have to open some gates again at Pickwick......unheard of this time of year. If they do I should have some more of those 100 plus large mouth days again...I am chomping at the bit.



Regards

[agelesssone]

Lawdy Randy, you're tempting me soooooo bad to go down there!

STOP IT!!!!

[jad2t]

Man a bunch of 6-10 pound rockfish would make my day. I don't even care as much to catch a 40 pounder as much as I'd rather catch several smaller schoolies.

Merv you're right, it's tempting to make that long drive with all the fish he catches but with our luck we'd go there and catch a few skippies and that's it. Let's see if our luck changes Saturday morning with the striped fishys and then maybe I'll consider the long haul to Pickwick.

[todrut]

190 miles from me, think I'll learn alot more about fishing before making that trip. Would love to catch even one good sized.

[culprit7.5]

Great job. That sounds like a perfect day, until the heat got up there. With not much wind it can end a day real quick. Glad to hear the Doc is not worried about the hand. Thanks for the post and details, I like the technique with the spoon.

[MNfisher]

It's 130 miles for me to Pickwick, I have made the trip 4 times in 2 years, I have never had a "great" day, but always catch fish! I will continue to go back and hope someday to have a day like Alpha speaks of!

[jad2t]

It's 130 miles for me to Pickwick, I have made the trip 4 times in 2 years, I have never had a "great" day, but always catch fish! I will continue to go back and hope someday to have a day like Alpha speaks of!

Yea until someone else is present on those 100+ bass days we can say he's making it up right? haha

[Alphahawk]

190 miles from me, think I'll learn alot more about fishing before making that trip. Would love to catch even one good sized.

I wouldn't drive that far either....well maybe I would......LOL. Hope to be able to get together with you sometime in the next month and fish over by the lock below Cordell Hull....something is always biting there.



Regards

[Alphahawk]

Yea until someone else is present on those 100+ bass days we can say he's making it up right? haha

Anyone can go with me anytime I go....but only have two seats in my car. Years ago I read an article about when hiring a guide you should try to hire one for 3 days. It took me a while to figure out what they were trying to say but then it hit me it can be like hitting the lottery if you say you are going after a certain specie of fish on this one day and either get a trophy or get numbers.....thus you have much better odds with the 3 days. Today I struck out...unless you count catching big drum....and I don't count that....LOL. I had 2 great days out of 3 this week. But when I left this morning I just knew it would be a great day....the water was higher and a little stained. That is fishing. The best days are yet to come at Pickwick before this year is over. I noticed JPP must be letting water go....should be some good fishing below there. I am taking 3 or 4 days off and will hit it again probably on Tuesday....but no later than Wednesday. Will go to Bass Pro this weekend and pick up some tackle for the ideas Merv and jaycee gave me....and also some lures that Travis.....TNtransplant08....and txnative mentioned. Life is good!



Regards

[nomad60]

I would have done anything to have been there when the striper were going!

Me too!

Nice going Alpha...wish you could have taken some striper pics to remind me what they look like :)

[Transplanted Sportsman]

Great report Alpha! thanks for sharing!

[Alphahawk]

Me too!

Nice going Alpha...wish you could have taken some striper pics to remind me what they look like :)

Thanks....I am going to have some pics pretty soon. nomad have you ever tried fishing around the pier downtown where the river walk is in Clarksville? I used to catch hybrids there all the time....and whites too.


Regards

[nomad60]

Alpha,

I've tried that area a couple of times as the boat drifted downstream but have never had any luck; but then I didn't stop there for any length of time. I usually stay abut 10-15 feet from shore and let the current take me along as I cast towards the rocks. My friend just called me and told me the river is a mess from all the water coming down from Nashville so it'll unfortunately be next weekend before I try getting back out.

[todrut]

passed jpp dam today, they have all three gates open letting out water.

[Alphahawk]

passed jpp dam today, they have all three gates open letting out water.

That would be a good place to fish right now.

Regards

[MNfisher]

That would be a good place to fish right now.

Regards

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. ;)

[todrut]

wish I had a rod with me and time to stop...