Willamsport 8/3/2014

[JDH8504]

Had a good afternoon on Shellcracker Lake today. Caught this big girl but I don't have a scale. Anybody care to guess how much she might weigh?

Also hooked into another big one like this but I got too excited and tried to pull her over the side of the boat by the line. Note to all: don't do that. She laid stunned there for a split second and I nearly dumped me and my girlfriend into the lake trying to scoop her up before she swam off.

Tight lines!

[Alphahawk]

Nice catch.

Regards

[MNfisher]

Huge fish!

[Travis C.]

Thats a big ole bass.

It is hard to guess looking at a photo but my first thought was around 8-9.

[jad2t]

That's a pig! I love those lakes and I like that they still don't get much fishing pressure despite the chances of catching bigger fish in there. I plan to head there on Saturday.

[Pinwheeled]

Dang that's a pig. Congrats!

[JDH8504]

Thanks to everybody for checking this out. Yesterday, Shellcracker had one other boat on it when we launched. Usually there is quite a few more out there but since it is no gas motors, it's still manageable to fish.

This lake is loaded with fish like this. The fact that I hooked into two this size in one afternoon tells you that! It sure isn't my superb angling prowess :D

[jad2t]

Several of us in here take our kayaks to those lakes and have caught 20+ inch bass and it's not a surprise. Sure, it's exciting, but not a surprise. I make the hour drive out there for a reason. Few boats, lots of big fish!

I would leave Shellcracker alone and drive on down to Blue Cat. Even fewer boats in that lake.

[Alphahawk]

Thanks to everybody for checking this out. Yesterday, Shellcracker had one other boat on it when we launched. Usually there is quite a few more out there but since it is no gas motors, it's still manageable to fish.

This lake is loaded with fish like this. The fact that I hooked into two this size in one afternoon tells you that! It sure isn't my superb angling prowess :D

Yes it has plenty of those in there...as of now. Far too many are taken out. I fish those lakes a lot...though I am after different specie than you but I see lots of catches when fishing there....and on quite a few occasions one of those pigs like you caught tries to take a Gill from me....LOL. It is quite the commotion.


Regards

[JDH8504]

Several of us in here take our kayaks to those lakes and have caught 20+ inch bass and it's not a surprise. Sure, it's exciting, but not a surprise. I make the hour drive out there for a reason. Few boats, lots of big fish!

I would leave Shellcracker alone and drive on down to Blue Cat. Even fewer boats in that lake.

I don't post much, but I have been around the forums here for a couple of years. I have met a couple of guys from this forum at the launch at Shellcracker and seen some guys in 'yaks I recognize from pics I see here. We should all start wearing FishingTN.com T-Shirts so we can spot our own!

I have fished Bluecat a few times but have only caught a handful of small fish there. Any tips on fishing that lake?

[JDH8504]

Yes it has plenty of those in there...as of now. Far too many are taken out. I fish those lakes a lot...though I am after different specie than you but I see lots of catches when fishing there....and on quite a few occasions one of those pigs like you caught tries to take a Gill from me....LOL. It is quite the commotion.


Regards

That is a shame that people want to take big fish like this home for whatever reason. Don't get me wrong, this is the biggest Largemouth I have ever landed and the thought crossed my mind to mount it. But in reality I know that I have a chance to get another one like her in this lake and I would rather another fisherman get a chance to catch her some day.

I can't imagine the thoughts running through your head when a big bass takes a run at a gill you've hooked. You gotta be thinking "oh no no no" and "how awesome is that" at the same time! Gets the adrenaline flowing that's for sure!

[agelesssone]

Nice bass! My guess on the weight would be 6-7 lbs. But that is just a wild guess. A length would give us some direction.

[JDH8504]

Nice bass! My guess on the weight would be 6-7 lbs. But that is just a wild guess. A length would give us some direction.

I did measure her length and she went a little over 23 inches. I didn't have a very good surface to lay her down and didn't want to hurt her slime coating so I measured with a tape.

[chaseasl]

great catch

[jad2t]

Over 23 inches is definitely in the 7-8 pound range for an average sized fish. Your fish is chunky, I'd say 8# easily.

[jad2t]

What Williamsport NEEDS to do is have a slot limit. People get pissed when someone takes a 20" fish out of there but that's all they allow. Some people feel if they make that long drive, pay 5 bucks every time they go, that they're entitled to take a meal home every once in a while. I agree that if they want to continue to manage the place for trophies that they should be left in there. The issue is that there are too many small bass taking the place over. They should allow the 12-15" bass to be taken out for harvest to thin them out and that would really let the big girls thrive.

I'm considering doing this in a local pond I fish in Franklin if the residents of the neighborhood won't mind. It's a great secret place where you won't slay them every other cast but I always can manage 6+ fish in a couple hours in the yak and I've caught them anywhere from 10" up to 21.25" in there. Plenty 17 and up fish but lots and lots of dinks. They need to be thinned out.

[JDH8504]

What Williamsport NEEDS to do is have a slot limit.

I think they allow you to take only one fish above 20 inches. Maybe I am mistaken? Either way, I agree that they need to modify the limits there. maybe bump that one fish limit up to 24 inches for the truly exceptional trophy fish and allow you to keep "eaters" 18 inches and under.

I like to catch a stringer full of crappie now and then to have a mess of fish for dinner but lately everything you catch in Shellcracker is 8 or 9 inches. Alpha has mentioned it numerous times. They need to have a summer where anything goes for crappie and just allow us to thin the herd. That's a lot of fish competing for food in there and eventually it's got to reach a tipping point.

[jad2t]

I think they allow you to take only one fish above 20 inches. Maybe I am mistaken? Either way, I agree that they need to modify the limits there. maybe bump that one fish limit up to 24 inches for the truly exceptional trophy fish and allow you to keep "eaters" 18 inches and under.

I like to catch a stringer full of crappie now and then to have a mess of fish for dinner but lately everything you catch in Shellcracker is 8 or 9 inches. Alpha has mentioned it numerous times. They need to have a summer where anything goes for crappie and just allow us to thin the herd. That's a lot of fish competing for food in there and eventually it's got to reach a tipping point.

Yes and that's exactly what is happening with the bass. Smaller bass are faster and more aggressive than the larger girls. I'd like to see a slot limit of 12-16 inches and maybe 5 a day. Having a limit like that for a few years will really let the larger fish grow and then those lake will really be a trophy fishery. I guess allowing one 24" fish per angler per year would be nice. Yea we'd be relying on honestly to "register" your one trophy per year if you want to mount it. I'm not gonna lie, my first 10 pound bass is going on the wall, no question about it. So we wouldn't want to deny someone to mount the bass of a lifetime if he/she wants to. This is America, after all.

I'm all for keeping and eating whatever you want but if this place is going to be advertised as a trophy fishery, and it's really getting there, I think allowing anglers to thin out some of the smaller bass population will really improve things.

[JDH8504]

I'm all for keeping and eating whatever you want but if this place is going to be advertised as a trophy fishery, and it's really getting there, I think allowing anglers to thin out some of the smaller bass population will really improve things.

Check out this article. (http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/catch_and_release_bass.html) It's some food for thought.

I think that the C&R mantra has really embedded itself with bass anglers and maybe to our detriment. I grew up bass fishing and we really never ate bass except for a few times. Not only do we need to have the right limits, we need to get people to abide by it in the truest sense. Make people understand how important it is to keep and eat the smaller fish (or give them away to someone that will).

I do disagree with the author about taking the "lure educated" big mamas out of there just for the sake of keeping fish catchable. Like you said, if I get one over 10 pounds it is going on my wall for sure. But I ain't about to keep every 7, 8, or 9 pounder because I'm afraid it's gonna teach its offspring to not eat my spinnerbait.

[jad2t]

Great article. It's funny that I've heard over and over, and seen it mentioned on this forum - "People that like to eat fish also like to complain that the fishing sucks as of recently and they wonder why. You can't have both."

That's not a verbatim quote but you know what I mean.

Practicing strict catch and release is doing the same amount of harm to fishing that having too loose size or creel limits would have. I've said this for years. That's why I think the 15+" limit on Priest and Old Hick is absolutely retarded. All that does is result in not a very good fishery and lots of people pissed when they see someone keep 3+ pound fish. Let us keep 12-16" fish, throw the bigger girls back and watch how that fishery improves over the next 5 years. I recently did decide to start releasing bass in Priest only because I fish tournaments in there and thought it was counterproductive to catch fish that would win money for me and then eat them. I don't care to ever fish Priest again anyway other than the occasional tournament or in mid Spring when the Hybrids are going nuts and yes, they're strictly sought after for food.

Edit - Yes I know the heavy fishing pressure also adds to Priest sometimes being tough but look at Williamsport. Much lighter pressure but still plenty of great anglers go out there and have days where you only catch a couple fish and they're small fish. It could be a lot better.

[nomad60]

Wow, nice bass!

[Travis C.]

They could copy Brown's Creek Lake's regs and it would be fine.



Brown’s Creek Lake

Black Bass: 5 per day, 18–24 inch PLR. Only one (1) fish longer than 24 inches may be harvested.


There are other TWRA lakes that have a similiar slots. They could also do like down at Lake Fork in TX. Each year the slot moves up an inch then drops back down continuing that way. It would be for example 14-20", 15-21",16-22", 17-23", 18-24", 14-20" to get an idea of what I mean.

[jad2t]

They could copy Brown's Creek Lake's regs and it would be fine.



Brown’s Creek Lake

Black Bass: 5 per day, 18–24 inch PLR. Only one (1) fish longer than 24 inches may be harvested.


There are other TWRA lakes that have a similiar slots. They could also do like down at Lake Fork in TX. Each year the slot moves up an inch then drops back down continuing that way. It would be for example 14-20", 15-21",16-22", 17-23", 18-24", 14-20" to get an idea of what I mean.

I like that idea and Browns Creek Lake is on my list of lakes to visit. I've read good things about it. Quite a drive but seems like it's well worthwhile.

[JDH8504]

We went down there once this summer. It was a nice lake. Very little traffic, and the fishing was pretty good that day. It has no attendant to take your money, it's all done on the honor system. So bring cash if you go.

[Alphahawk]

I used to fish it quite a bit when I had a place over that way. Hardly any traffic and a state record crappie came out of there. Used to be a great bass lake.


Regards

[jad2t]

I used to fish it quite a bit when I had a place over that way. Hardly any traffic and a state record crappie came out of there. Used to be a great bass lake.


Regards

Is the bass fishing not any good recently? There are three other lakes near it. I'd imagine none of them get a lot of traffic.

[Transplanted Sportsman]

I used to fish it quite a bit when I had a place over that way. Hardly any traffic and a state record crappie came out of there. Used to be a great bass lake.


Regards

Mr Randy, TWRA shocked a 17 pound bass there about 3 years ago, I think someone on here posted a link to the story with pic and all,
JDH, great fish man, congrats!!

[Alphahawk]

Is the bass fishing not any good recently? There are three other lakes near it. I'd imagine none of them get a lot of traffic.

See my post today Jimmy....not much to report but a nice enjoyable day.


Regards

[JDH8504]

Mr Randy, TWRA shocked a 17 pound bass there about 3 years ago, I think someone on here posted a link to the story with pic and all,
JDH, great fish man, congrats!!

Much appreciated!

[yak10asee]

Mr Randy, TWRA shocked a 17 pound bass there about 3 years ago, I think someone on here posted a link to the story with pic and all,
JDH, great fish man, congrats!!

anybody know where this link is?

[agelesssone]

Big BASS...............http://www.crappie.com/crappie/tennessee/131657-massive-17-pound-largemouth-bass-tennessee/