The walleye thread

[jad2t]

That's exactly where I was! JUST as it started getting dark, I saw lightning and I split. Definitely not taking that chance. Very disappointing night, I lost one of my favorite crankbaits and only caught a crappie. A keeper size but I threw it back since I wasn't after them and it's not very common to catch crappie in the Caney. I saw action out of reach, I really hate not having a boat. I'm not giving up though, I'll try again one night and stay much later than I did tonight.

[txnative]

I showed up around 9 pm and caught 2 quickly. I used a 3 1/2" Excalibur ghost minnow in blue back/white/orange belly. I was in my kayak sitting a long cast off the bank in the same spot jad2t was fishing. Both fish were around 20-22 inches.


Chris

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by txnative

I showed up around 9 pm and caught 2 quickly. I used a 3 1/2" Excalibur ghost minnow in blue back/white/orange belly. I was in my kayak sitting a long cast off the bank in the same spot jad2t was fishing. Both fish were around 20-22 inches.


Chris

Dangit man, so they were there if I had stayed until dark. That lightning scared me away. I wasn't sure how bad it may get and I didn't want to take the chance

How were you retrieving that lure?

[txnative]

It was smart to duck out before the storm hit. It had brief, but heavy, rain and some serious wind.

I use a retrieve that keeps the lure just off the bottom. You kind of have to get a feel for it, but it is easy to figure out: start slow and speed up till you hit bottom a lot, then slow it back down a bit. I also give quick pulls...not a jerk...every few turns of the handle. The hit usually happens right after one of these pulls.


Chris

[agelesssone]

TX,

This question may have been covered before, but I gotta ask it again.

Can I launch a boat there and fish below the dam?

I don't know ANYTHING about the place, but really want to get up there for some walleyes plus I've got a friend coming down for Thanksgiving and I know he'd love to catch some.

[MNfisher]

Jad2t,

You can't expect to get them all the time:-). If you could, we would all be there every night!

Also about the crappies on the Caney...you would be surprised, I have had trips where I could have filled buckets full of nice crappie down there!

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by agelesssone

TX,

This question may have been covered before, but I gotta ask it again.

Can I launch a boat there and fish below the dam?

I don't know ANYTHING about the place, but really want to get up there for some walleyes plus I've got a friend coming down for Thanksgiving and I know he'd love to catch some.

There's a boat ramp less than a quarter mile from the dam that you can launch from. It's in the campgrounds

[jad2t]

Ok what I'm going to do is rent a canoe from Outdoor Experience here in Cookeville. They rent them for 35 dollars for a 24 hour period, MUCH better deal than Canoe the Caney, 50 bucks to use one for a few hours. I don't know when I'll have time to do this with school and all but when I do, I'm bringing it below the dam to night fish for walleye or anywhere else on the river I may want to fish for them...and big browns. When I do, I'll have room for one more if anyone is interested.

I need to just stop wasting my time bank fishing when it's not a good option, I waste too much time doing this and my free time is very limited because of school. Gotta make these trips count!

[StriperFan]

Originally Posted by jad2t

I've been to Rock Island to swim but never fished. I've heard about this "blue hole" but isn't that the hole where everyone cliff jumps? There are walleye in there? I'd love to fish for them at Rock Island but it's a long drive for me that may not be worth it if I don't know exactly where to go. At least I know this time of year there won't be anyone swimming so I should have plenty of fishing opportunities. For Saturday I still plan to fish right below Center Hill Dam but in the future I'd like to try Rock Island. I vaguely remember that place, I do recall some shallow streams and then two small but deep bodies of water where people swim and cliff jump. Where am I looking to fish?

I usually fished up there from late February on through spring and early summer. Blue hole you park in the park and have to walk a mile down many steps to get to, but yes you will catch walleye right off the bank there. Lots of Walleye are also caught where the boat ramp is, there is a bottleneck to the right where it is hard to pass with most boats. You will see boats lined up there mostly vertical jigging and drifting back, over and over, not a good place to fish from the bank but it will give you an idea of how many walleye are there. The other best place to fish from the bank there is to go back out of the park and take a left, then a left again to go over the dam, then back around to the left till you get to the upper access area, forget what it is really called, find it on a map first. Water comes accross from great falls lake there and it is shallow, and swift. Good numbers of Walleye, spots, and smallmouth inhabit those waters and no boats make it up that far.

[commdd]

hey guys, new to TN this year, posted here a few times... and one of the first places I went (in march) was the park at Rock Island and the park ramp was way out of the water...where they doing repairs at that time or is that normal...thanks!

[ojibwa]

The water at Rock Island has been low since they started the repairs on Center Hill dam. It fluctuates a lot depending on rainfall. Check the generation schedule for the water level. The best ramp to use is the Warren Co. ramp.

[StriperFan]

I haven't been there in a few years, but it was so regular then that I wouldn't even have thought things could have changed so much.

[robhal11]

Talked to a guide last Friday and said to come up in Feb, just off the boat ramp, run up jig float back, do it over and over. Hopefully will be able to this spring. I have being trying to get over there for several years at the right time and have always missed it. Floated a portion of the Collins last Friday only saw one Musky(in about 8 to 12 miles) tough day but great to be on the water.

[jad2t]

Originally Posted by StriperFan

I usually fished up there from late February on through spring and early summer. Blue hole you park in the park and have to walk a mile down many steps to get to, but yes you will catch walleye right off the bank there. Lots of Walleye are also caught where the boat ramp is, there is a bottleneck to the right where it is hard to pass with most boats. You will see boats lined up there mostly vertical jigging and drifting back, over and over, not a good place to fish from the bank but it will give you an idea of how many walleye are there. The other best place to fish from the bank there is to go back out of the park and take a left, then a left again to go over the dam, then back around to the left till you get to the upper access area, forget what it is really called, find it on a map first. Water comes accross from great falls lake there and it is shallow, and swift. Good numbers of Walleye, spots, and smallmouth inhabit those waters and no boats make it up that far.

Ok so you're telling me the Blue Hole isn't a winter hotspot for walleye, its more Spring to early summer. I'll definitely make a trip out there around that time. I guess for winter I either need to get in a boat with someone fishing for them in Center Hill or try my luck at the dam at night during no generation or during generation in the day. I'd rather not be out there at night alone so next long period of generation I'll try to get some time away from studying and give it a go. Thanks a bunch for the tips!

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by jad2t

Ok so you're telling me the Blue Hole isn't a winter hotspot for walleye, its more Spring to early summer. I'll definitely make a trip out there around that time. I guess for winter I either need to get in a boat with someone fishing for them in Center Hill or try my luck at the dam at night during no generation or during generation in the day. I'd rather not be out there at night alone so next long period of generation I'll try to get some time away from studying and give it a go. Thanks a bunch for the tips!

The Blue Hole has been a walleye producer for years but what hasn't been said yet Jimmy is there are special regs up there between January 1 - April 30th. Just be aware of it. I imagine they keep check on it since some refer to that place as the best walleye fishing in the entire state.

"On the Caney Fork River from Rock Island State Park Boat Ramp upstream to Great Falls Dam. Anglers are restricted to using 1 hook having a single point, or one lure having a single hook with a single point. No more than three rods and reels or poles per angler may be used."