Duck river at hopkins bridge road

[SAMBOLIE]

My wife and I took a side trip on the way back from Lewisburg today. Hopkins Bridge Road is just past Duck River Speedway and we ended up taking a loop that follows the Duck. There is a campground and river access at the bridge over the Duck. The river looked so inviting. Rock bluffs, etc. Has anyone fished there or on the Duck near Halls Mill?

BTW. It was $5 per car to fish and $2 to launch (canoe or kayak). The area was manicured and looked nice.

[Transplanted Sportsman]

I have been meaning to check this place out for some time now, I think I need to carve out some time to check this place out, I have not heard of any good fishing here other than blue gill some red eye bass and the ocassional kentucky and LM, water warms up too much for small mouth on this section of the river I was told, but sure is a pretty place!

[SAMBOLIE]

I have been meaning to check this place out for some time now, I think I need to carve out some time to check this place out, I have not heard of any good fishing here other than blue gill some red eye bass and the ocassional kentucky and LM, water warms up too much for small mouth on this section of the river I was told, but sure is a pretty place!

TS, what part of Bedford do you live in.
You definitely need to check this spot out. If I caught 2 limits of anything no one would believe it.

[Alphahawk]

I need to check that out. There is decent fishing at Henry Horton so should be pretty good Smallie action there in spring.



Regards

[TerryD]

No smallmouth? Bad info there! The Duck is an awesome smallmouth fishery and also holds some good walleye.
TerryD

[bfish]

Hopkin's bridge road is Riverview Primitive Camp. Ms Marie Cooper is a super nice lady and runs the place. (931) 294-5633 is her home phone number (and business number).

A couple years back there was an outfitter running trips from Halls Mill to Ms. Cooper's place, which is an all day fishing trip. Fishing is usually better the further you get from the access sites. Downstream float to Henry Horton is much shorter.

Duck is about 60% spot, 30% smallmouth, 10% largemouth.

[TroutFiend]

Thanks for the info on this area. I just got landowner permission to access the river at Halls Mill. Is this a good river for a 15' Jon boat?



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[Alphahawk]

I know the Duck is known as a Smallie fishery. But I'm with bfish on those numbers breakdown in that area. I have fished the Duck a lot the first few miles below Normandy and it has been very rare for me to get into Smallies. I have gotten into the Spots big time. Yet over towards Centerville the Smallie fishing is really good.


Regards

[SAMBOLIE]

Thia ia a satellite view.

https://maps.google.com/maps?expflags=enable_star_based_justifications:tru e&ie=UTF8&cid=3413850401170652097&q=Riverview+Primitive+Camp&iwloc=A&gl=US&hl=en

[Hammy]

Thats seems to be a long way from the Duck River, or am I missing something?


Hammy

[Hammy]

Zoom out on that map. Where is the launch point?

Hammy

[SAMBOLIE]

Thats seems to be a long way from the Duck River, or am I missing something?


Hammy
You are missing something.:)

Zoom out on that map. Where is the launch point?

Hammy
I only saw it from the bridge/road. Not sure you could launch more than a canoe or yak. If you call the phone listed above please let us know about a ramp.

[Transplanted Sportsman]

TS, what part of Bedford do you live in.
You definitely need to check this spot out. If I caught 2 limits of anything no one would believe it.

Sambolie, I live in Shelbyville, not far at all from this place!

[Reel Tune]

On the map that you linked Ms. Coopers is west of there where Hopkins Bridge Road crosses the river. She owns the land along the river and where North Fork Creek joins in. You can access the with a kayak or canoe north or south of the Hopkins Road Bridge, you can access a small boat just south of the bridge. Summer water levels it would be tough to go up river in a boat, but down river would be ok.

I've accessed from the Duck River Raceway and fished from there to Ms. Coopers, and from Halls Mill to Ms. Coopers (a long day in a kayak).

Bfish was spot on about the species. One of the days I fished it I saw two guys in a bass buggy with a stringer full of smallmouth with some nice ones, but I haven't done to well myself.

[Transplanted Sportsman]

No smallmouth? Bad info there! The Duck is an awesome smallmouth fishery and also holds some good walleye.
TerryD

Terry, the info that got was second hand, this guy used to fish heavily trough Bedford county but has not done so in the last 10 years, I guess he is trying to keep me out of this place now that he knows I got into fishing lol!!!.
I have tried for 3 years now to find some Walleyes and have tried Normandy, tims, Center hill, even Dale Hollow, I asked several people, all have graciously given me info on the what, where and such and so far I have caught 2 Walleyes in three years, man have I been skunked!!! maybe you can also give me some pointers, pm me if you care, thank you!!

[Transplanted Sportsman]

Hopkin's bridge road is Riverview Primitive Camp. Ms Marie Cooper is a super nice lady and runs the place. (931) 294-5633 is her home phone number (and business number).

A couple years back there was an outfitter running trips from Halls Mill to Ms. Cooper's place, which is an all day fishing trip. Fishing is usually better the further you get from the access sites. Downstream float to Henry Horton is much shorter.

Duck is about 60% spot, 30% smallmouth, 10% largemouth.

Thanks for the info Bfish!!

[Transplanted Sportsman]

I know the Duck is known as a Smallie fishery. But I'm with bfish on those numbers breakdown in that area. I have fished the Duck a lot the first few miles below Normandy and it has been very rare for me to get into Smallies. I have gotten into the Spots big time. Yet over towards Centerville the Smallie fishing is really good.


Regards

Alpha, below the dam is the area of the river that fish, and you are right mainly spots here, red eye blue gill and black perch, and trout if they have been stocked but very seldom smallies, never fished the Duck past Shelbyville

[Alphahawk]

Alpha, below the dam is the area of the river that fish, and you are right mainly spots here, red eye blue gill and black perch, and trout if they have been stocked but very seldom smallies, never fished the Duck past Shelbyville

Normandy....the area a few miles below the dam is an area I fish a lot in spring...when I am not having surgery...LOL. I have been there on days that the Kentucky's were in there as thick as thieves and you would get nice ones on almost every cast. I mean I have seen them in there so thick a trout had no chance to get to the Magnet. I have never seen Smallies in there like that...or even close. Now I did talk to a guy who says it happens with the Smallies just like the Kentucky's. That whole deal...IMHO...is during the spring when fish are spawning. Whatever it is that makes them head upstream like that. But you have to be there that day or two that it happens. They don't seem to hang around there for long periods. Maybe this will be the year I can catch the Smallie run up there. Hope so.



Regards

[bfish]

access sites for the Duck:

http://www.tn.gov/twra/gis/DuckRiver.html

[SAMBOLIE]

What a forum this is. Ask a question and instantly get tons of useful info.
Thanks to all. Keep it up.

[Fishbus]

I was going to say the same. We kayaked the dam to the 269 takeout last month and had a great time. Looking forward to more Duck River expeditions, and greedily gobbling up the info here.

To keep up the sharing spirit:

Trip Report:
http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?2641

Comprehensive River Guide with Historic Waypoints:
http://www.antebellum.com/downloads/Blueways.pdf

This site has several maps, but the download process is screwy right now:
http://www.duckriveragency.org/rivermaps.htm

Billy







What a forum this is. Ask a question and instantly get tons of useful info.
Thanks to all. Keep it up.

[SAMBOLIE]

Fishbus, thanks for those great links. The Comprehensive river guide brought memories of places I fished when I lived in Lewisburg. Mill Town and Hardison Mill mainly.
In the late 1960's I worked with a guy who could catch strings of LM around Hardison Mill that would win a lot of tournaments today. He lived in the Verona / Caney area. I believe he was a relative of Mudcat Osteen the famous base ball player.