Woods looked like chocolate milk today.

[aero320]

Was on my way to fish below Nickajack today on I24 today and felt a vibration coming from the boat trailer. Could see something was wrong with rear trailer tire on the driver's side. Pulled in at the weigh station just south of Manchester and changed trailer tire. Decided to head back home since I no longer had a spare, but made a quick detour by Woods to check water condition. Was very high and looked like chocolate milk. Headed home.

[Fishmanjoe]

Bummer, I have been wanting to get out for weeks, but the storms seem to come on my days off. Maybe Tues or Wed.

[jaycee]

Aero, What do you fish for below Nickajack. I am asking because I fish there often. Last year we fished Nick Lake because the water around here was so messed up I live in M'boro

[aero320]

I normally fish with live shad that are caught with a cast net. On a typical trip you catch rockfish, hybrids, catfish, and drum. Have also been catching a lot of fish on 4" sassy shads in the Glow color (got them at Academy). The gates are open and the generators are running so you have to be very careful. I normally start just below the gates and drop the shad tonhe bottom. It does not take long to hookup. Using a 7 1/2' flipping stick with a low geared line counter reel, 30 lb. Big Game line, three-way swivel, 30 lb. Flourocarbon leaded and a 2oz. weight on a 10" drop from three-way. With that setup you can really "lean into" the fish. I have a similar setup with 50 lb. line but it is too hard to break if you get hung.

[jaycee]

Sounds like fun. Do you get your shad there in the river?

I also have spent many a day below that dam and my setup is almost the same as yours.When they have that much water coming out of the dam I use up to a 6oz sinker.You drift so fast that a 2 wont keep it deep enough but if the fish are higher in the water you should pull it through them.I was thinking of going with jackson on sat.What has the fishing been like sofar.Its time for the big cats to be stacked up below the dam.If the water is rough below the dam I have caught just as good fish a mile or so down river.Sat will be my first trip this year if we make it.You can buy sinkers of all size at r and r bait shop cheap.Its at the 4way stop on 41 hwy just of the exit.

[bd-]

How do you keep from being hung all the time with the 6 oz. weight? Every time I drift fish below the dam, I stay hung constantly if I use anything heavy enough to get anywhere near the bottom. I know some snagging is inevitable but I'm talking a hangup on every pass. I must not be doing something right.

bd

[aero320]

I constantly keep tension on the line and "walk" the weight along the bottom. Also, use lighter line to attach sinker to the three-way swivel so that it breaks rather than your main line.

That pretty much says it all.Some areas that I know will hang me up I will drop it to the bottom then give it 5 or 6 cranks to get it off the bottom.Below Nickajack dam the bottom is smooth but has humps and holes so I just pull it along and let it bounce.With the current that comes out of that dam any trees or logs would be washed down river.Like has been said I use 50 pound braid for my main line and 30 pound mono for hook line and 20 pound mono for my sinker line.If it gets hung its usually the sinker and that breaks and it saves the rest.Then I just tie another sinker on.I make my hook line twice as long as the sinker line and that helps with twisting.With more current you should fish shorter leaders.In fast water my leaders may be 1 1/2ft and 1ft.