Cicadas
 

I was reading on Channel 2 News' website that the 13 year cicada is suppose to come out this May. I'm assuming thats a great thing for fishing. I was wondering what type of lures work during the hatch?

It was absolutely insane the last time they came. Anything that flopped on the water with a slash and fit the size was sucked in.

You'd see carp come up and turn mouth up to suck them down. Some of their mouths seemed the size of plungers.

And everything ate them it did not matter species.

Now for the BUT.....

They will drive you crazy and are drawn to vibrations. Mowing grass is difficult and after the first few nights of hearing them the "cool" sound with be chinese water torture.

At least for me... :D

All that said, if you have never experienced this brood it is quite amazing the sheer numbers it brings. As close to a plague of locust as I ever want to get.

They are coming
 

Check out cicadamania.com

So any surface lure resembling them in size and color...check! Looking forward to it!

Well, at least I am deaf. If the sound starts to be come chinese water torture, all I gotta do is take out my cochlear implant. :D You're right, I've never experienced the sheer numbers you're speaking of. So it should be interesting experience.

The entomologists are saying it's supposed to be especially true for middle TN specifically, compared to east or west TN. Didn't really read into why, but it had something to do with the geology. I heard that the topwater bite is normally real good when those crazy things are around. My wife is petrified of them. I sent her a big picture of one on her blackberry with its red eyes. Pretty funny.

If it holds true for this may, the topwater bite will be incredible this year! I caught the biggest smallmouth of my life the last time they came out. Believe it or not i was using an ultralight outfit catching bluegill with the cicadas, letting them vibrate on top of the water. All the sudden a huge smallie came completely out of the water after she hit it. I caught her on Priest and she weighed 6 1/2 pounds. Imagine the fight i had on ultralight gear!!!!!

If I am not mistaken the target temp for the ground to reach was around 50-55 degrees in order for them to emerge.

While I am excited about this it seems many of the predicted ones of past years have been quite disappointing. I think it has to do with the spraying for mosquitoes, Urban construction tearing the larvae out of the ground, and perhaps the May flood may killed many of them. I certainly want to be fishing it though.

Here is a website with info on "Brood XIX"

http://www.cicadamania.com/cicadas/category/brood-xix/

i love it when they come in!!!!!!!!!!! fishing always is better!

The last time they said the cicadas were going to come out they never did, although they did come out in east Tennessee! It seems like they were the 17 year cicada or something of the sort. The bite is getting a little better so far with most crappie I'm catching being tight to cover in stained water. Should be an exciting next month! We shall see!

They said the bigger emergence of the 17-yr was focused on Knoxville and east TN, but these 13-yr will be specific to middle TN. Happy hunting!

I guess i need to invest in a good helmet if they do end up coming out this year. A cicada in the face while your running down the lake would be NO GOOD lol