Douglas Lake

[Reel Tune]

Sarah and I will be fishing a tournament on Douglas Lake this weekend. We have never fished Douglas, we figure it will be low due to winter pool, cold due to it's early spring and we had a cold winter coupled with snow run-off feeding it, and muddy due to the rain last night and will probably get more tonight or tomorrow.

We will be fishing the lower end.

Here's the plan find wood, or any structure, fish parallel to depth changes, fish slow, with dark baits.

DT14 Blue or Red Craw, Pig N' Jig, Snow Spin Tail Spinner jig, Dark spinner baits or chartreuse with big gold Colorado blade and rattle slow rolled, 3/4oz red eye shad bounced off the bottom.

Should I look for a feeder creek, or stick to depth changes?

We are fishing out of kayaks so 3-4 miles is all we can travel and get back in time for check-in and still get to fish. This is the biggest challenge, what ever we decide we are stuck with.

PM's are welcome.

Thank You,

[Travis C.]

It's deep Jeremy. Last time, I was up there it was 40ft low in winter pool and still seemed about at least 70ft in some of the channel.

You launching out of the marina by the dam?

If you have fished Dale then fish it the same and you'll be in good shape. When the water is dropped that low the fish have a tendency to push out of the creeks towards the main lake points. Fish the ones that are really sharp like a V that's squeezed together.

I'd hit as many of those sharp main lake points as I could and throw big shad raps (9) or 6XD's. Start tight to the bank the work out.

[Travis C.]

In case this may help:

http://www.bassmaster.com/tournaments/douglas-lake-challenge

[Reel Tune]

Thanks Travis,

My initial plan was the find a feeder creek, but it seems like the only one with water right now by looking at aerial maps is about a 5 mile paddle. I'll be up for almost 24hrs by time the tournament starts so I'll be tired and that would put me paddling at least 12-14 miles and trying to fish. So I squashed that ideal early this week, and figured I would just head up river and fish the points, and humps to the river left. Thanks for the link, and tips this will be interesting.

[Travis C.]

No, problem.

Good luck you two.

[Reel Tune]

Didn't catch anything besides 1 crappie. I did have the best BBQ my taste buds have ever sensed.

But today we fished the South Holston and absolutely destroyed the smallmouth and rainbow trout.

[Travis C.]

Didn't catch anything besides 1 crappie. I did have the best BBQ my taste buds have ever sensed.

But today we fished the South Holston and absolutely destroyed the smallmouth and rainbow trout.

Where was the BBQ from?

Stinks you didn't have any better luck on the lake. Was it still way down?

I bet the french broad/little pigeon smallies below the dam are going crazy too.