Advise for walleye or sauger on Old Hickory

[Brian37075]

Ready to try some thing new. I know they are out there just not sure where to start. I believe minnows are a must . Not sure though. Do you just drift the main channel bumping the bottom ?

[jmsjordan]

Starting in November till spring they can be caught below the Dam. Mostly sauger, and most use white curly tail on a jig head. Just look for the line of people and do what they do. They are at the bottom of the steps at the 2nd parking area on left.

Other than than, only hear of a fish being caught here and there on the lake. most ppl probably dont want any area's getting out.

James

[TNBronzeback]

I have been, and still on occasion been one of the guys in that group at the bottom of the steps and i can say its really not worth your time to go down there depending on your limits of personal space. if you have 4ft of shoulder/casting space between you and the next guy, sure enough one of the "local" guys will edge his way in there and start casting...Lines are crossed, and dont let them see you catch a fish, they will be up your rear end wanting to know EVERYTHING about what your using, size jig, jig color, where ya bought it from, what kind of hook on that jig, what tail your using, tail color, how deep, how far, how fast. Some of the guys usual guys that fish down there are OK, but the majority of them are not "fisherman", they are just crowd followers that fish. There are other places in that stretch from the dam to the steps that produce fish but nobody wants to walk to them.
But like i said, if you dont mind a crowd, there are fish that can be caught there. But get there as early as you can. get there a few hours before dark once the fishing gets good to stake out your place.

[Halli]

Since you say drift it sounds as you will be in a boat.

In the past when not targeting that kind of fish have found them on the drops/ledges of the channel on the bottom using a plastic worm as I was bass fishing.

Get the bucktail jig as talked about above and tip it with a minnow and bounce that dude down stream and you will find the Sauger.

[Travis C.]

I have always heard you could catch walleye around the old flooded locks in the lake but there is nothing on my end of proof to show you. Just hear say. The various main channel sand bars would probably produce too. All the creek mouths that directly meet the river channel probably wouldn't be a bad place to hop a minnow tipped jig either.

Walleye and Sauger are in the lake from end to end it's just a matter of finding them.

Just speculation on my part. Never really chased those fish but have caught both accidentally.

This is what has been put in there just this year ( species/amount/length in inches/date )

OLD HICKORY RESERVOIR
Sauger 28,000 1.75 5/15/2013
Sauger 97,876 1.75 5/22/2013
Sauger 40,725 1.75 5/17/2013
Walleye 103,260 1.50 5/21/2013
Sauger 16,582 1.75 5/23/2013

[Brian37075]

Travis are those the numbers of fish TWRA has put in the lake? I spend most of time trying for bass, but it seems like they get harder and harder to find with all the pressure. My spots are the same fishing holes I share with 100 other bass fisherman. So I thought I'd look for a different species. I sure appreciate everyone's input.

[Travis C.]

Yes those are TWRA stockings up to date this year as of 9/19 I believe. They also stocked a bunch of striper as well.

Old Hickory has not been reaching its potential bass fishery that it could be. The TWRA is finally getting the wheels moving on how to fix it. May take some time though. Too bad the lake sits too far north for them to stock FL bass based on their temp averages study.

[TNBronzeback]

Yes those are TWRA stockings up to date this year as of 9/19 I believe. They also stocked a bunch of striper as well.

Old Hickory has not been reaching its potential bass fishery that it could be. The TWRA is finally getting the wheels moving on how to fix it. May take some time though. Too bad the lake sits too far north for them to stock FL bass based on their temp averages study.

I thought the guys from Fishin Affliction had a meeting at Flippers recently to make a case for the TWRA about putting florida strain in old hickory. If i understood it correctly, that is why chicamagua is so hot now....but i could be wrong.

[bfish]

... that is why chicamagua is so hot now....but i could be wrong.
Chick is hot right now because of flow. Flows during the spring several years back were conducive for good spawns and good first year growth of the fry. Similar to the good flows that caused the good population in the early 80's. Almost no FL bass genes have been found outside of the three embayments where they have been stocked.

http://www.tn.gov/twra/fish/Reservoir/Research/LMB_Recruit.pdf

[gboyce]

Been long time since I have been on here and fishing as I have had a screwed up back but... for walleye and sauger one the weather turns colder the steam plant can be great area. Only issue with it the traffic in the channel. Also around the 231 bridge up lake can be very productive.