About to get cooler
 

Well the weather is supposed to start cooling down again. I thought I would check and see if anyone has had any luck with the walleye and sauger yet this year? I have the weekend off thinking about getting out.

The Sauger are active at Pickwick. Caught several yesterday and it was not a great day for fishing. Will go back after front and see if bite picks up. Did not take my tape to measure......only had the ruler on my box....which is 11 inches....so was hard to measure past that with any accuracy.......but thought they were at legal length but did not want to chance it. So back they went.



Regards

Thanks for the info. Nothing better then those golden brown fillets, but not worth taking a chance on a short fish. I'm pretty new to suager and walleye fishing but sure due love to eat them.

Just checked Google Earth. Pickwick dam is about a three hour drive for me.

A little farther than I want to drive for a days fishing.

Alpha, were you fishing below the dam or in the lake?

I was fishing below the dam. I had been telling Mike how the area we were fishing held Sauger. I was getting some bites that I thought felt like Sauger. Then I caught a few. We did not fish that spot long. Looking back on it I should have just stayed at one of my spots down there and worked it over hard. We caught fish on each spot we went to except in the tail race.....caught nothing at all there. I certainly don't recommend anyone drive that far to fish. On many days there are tons of fish readily biting....then there are days it is void of any bites. It was funny.....yesterday I passed 3 gentleman sitting on a bench talking about how there are no more Sauger at Pickwick...,....yet the years I have been fishing for Crappie down there I see guys hauling out limits all the time.



Regards

I caught two sauger this week on OH. I wasn't even targeting them.

I was watching another forum earlier this year and one guy was KILLING the sauger at Pickwick. And then like you said, there were days when he couldn't buy a fish.

Me and a buddy were making plans to go there and fish for two days (to justify the cost of the trip) but the good reports stopped and we never pulled the trigger.

Doc,

Were you on the lake or river?

I'm gonna try to rid the river of some of those toothy critters tomorrow morning... I'll be fishing from the bank on the Hendersonville side..


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What type of lure would you suggest for sauger? I've never fished for them, but I'll be on OH in the morning if nothing else bites I may give the sauger a try?

I think most sauger/walleye caught in the "lake" part of Old Hickory were caught by accident... I've only fished for em on the river section(upper end) and below Old Hickory dam..


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Thanks for the info. I normally put in at Flippers go up river, how far up river do I need to go up past Barton's creek or maybe further. Up past 231 always looked pretty neat. Would you us just a lead jig with no feathers or rubber shirt. Just the minnow and jig? I appreciate the info.

Lots of different opinions on whether to use plastics, minnows, hair trailers. I'd say have a selection of each and try them all. As far as location, I can't steer you there. I usually fish below OH dam, but will be doing a guided trip on OH lake with Mark Adams after Thanksgiving, looking for sauger. I may have better insight then.

I appreciate all the info, I'll give it shoot. It's just fun being out there.

Agelessone,

I was on the lake. Believe it or not, I caught them both on the KVD shad crank. They put up a great fight.

It is not a lift ... <'TK><
 

Anyone get out ahead of this front to catch the pre-front action? I took a break from studying to work this small lake at Cane Creek Park here in Cookeville. I caught 5 LM bass in about 2 hours all on a firetiger crankbait, my favorite color. The last 4 came in the last 30 minutes which was right before the temperature dropped sharply. Before I knew it I was really cold and the fish stopped so I left. This is just in come crappy pond in Cookeville, I wonder if anyone found some aggressive fish in JPP or OH?

It got really cool late afternoon yesterday - tried fishing right below old hickory dam from right before dark till a couple hours thereafter.

Tried hair jigs and stick baits right up on the edge of the generator and didn't get bit.

Tried vertically jigging a blade bait on the current seam and didn't bet bit.

We caught one as well on OH, not as a target species. So I would say they are on the move.