Middle TN Stream Fishing

[creeksmallie]

Wow did the patten change. The Water came down muddy and to fast to safely wade today. The bluebird sky made the bass fishing slow. This time of year one of my favorite haunts gives up trophy bass and not very many numbers wise. I fished today with Austin Bounds and Logan Smith. These two men are great young men and great young outdoorsmen. The bite today was slow for us. We bank fished and took the boat out for a while with one fiish caught,we headed back to the bank for the last half of the day. We threw creekminnows,crappie baits and 1/32 ounce trout magnets. Catching rock bass and crappie mostly on artificial. We spent most of the day throwing the creekminnows and it did pay off. I lost two heavy fish and Logan caught the beast of the day. This fish is 23 to 24 inches long and estimate 7 to 8 pounds. Logan did a great job pulling this fish out of class 2 rapids with 6 pound mono. If you have never battled bass in current then you are missing out. This trophy spring run should last a few weeks and maybe longer.Looking forward to another trip later in the year with these two.

[MNfisher]

Such a hog!! Well done!

[Jim]

Sweet bass! I am seeing the fish heading up the creeks around here also. I love the spring time creek fishing.

Jim

[jad2t]

Awesome bass!! It's been a few years since I caught one that big.

I still haven't hit those creeks I found just north of Cookeville yet but I will very soon. I've been told they're full of largemouth and smallmouth. I'm new to creek fishing and although I catch an occasional smallmouth here and there, I don't target them often but I want that to change. I was planning to hit the creek with roostertails, pearl mini flukes, and crappie magnets. What else may be a good idea to catch a nice smallmouth?

[j19bill]

I need to get with you creeksmallie on a guided trip.

Sent from my Droid Bionic complete with typos and sarcasm.

[nofish]

Originally Posted by jad2t

Awesome bass!! It's been a few years since I caught one that big.

I still haven't hit those creeks I found just north of Cookeville yet but I will very soon. I've been told they're full of largemouth and smallmouth. I'm new to creek fishing and although I catch an occasional smallmouth here and there, I don't target them often but I want that to change. I was planning to hit the creek with roostertails, pearl mini flukes, and crappie magnets. What else may be a good idea to catch a nice smallmouth?

There's a bandit lure that's yellow with some random orange short stripes on it that me and a friend have used on the duck river with great success for smallies. He turned me onto them and he says that's all he ever uses on the duck. I'm not sure if they were 100, 200, or 300 series. I think we were using 200, but they should have that color in every series. On priest all of the smallies I've caught have been on a 1/16oz - 1/8 pinkish red and white jig head with a black and chartreuse tube body fished around Rocky banks.

[creeksmallie]

I like plastics in the creeks.The small cranks like mentioned bandit 100 are good. ( I do not use them much because some clients spend a lot of time squirrel fishing and I do to. Costly ) Soft plastcs for me are the main artificial. I fish up to a 6 inch Jacks worm,flukes, Slider 3 inch grub awesome junebug,motor oil with orange tail,black and chartreuse, watermelon Red colors. The Zoom tiny brush hogs are great.Case Hellgramites are good. The main thing fish something you are comfortable fishing with. I am sure I could take alphahawk wading and throw a 6 inch worm beside his trout magnet
and both of us would catch. Nothing beats live bait and it is fun to catch bait as you go.

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by creeksmallie

Nothing beats live bait and it is fun to catch bait as you go.

Do you carry a small seine? I have a big one but it's been years since it was used.

I have always loved to use live craws and helgrammites. Never fishing with creek minnows much may have to give it a try this summer for a trip.

My favorite creek artificial was always a slider head on a 4" zoom pumpkin lizard with its tail dipped in purple.

[creeksmallie]

Travis I carry a small dip net maybe 8 inches wide. I have a seine for crawfish I do not carry it wading. (catch enough to get started and then catch as we go) I do carry a throw net 4 ft (opens to 8ft) for the creekminnows. Two people can seine plenty of minnows but I generally catch plenty with throw net and we trap them when it gets real cold.
Mike

[blink]

Creek fishing is my favorite type of fishing.
I have scoped out a few spots in the Nashville area, but havent tried any yet.
I am hoping to catch my first smallie soon!
I wonder how they will compare to shoal bass as far as fight goes.

[volandsmalliefan]

Originally Posted by blink

Creek fishing is my favorite type of fishing.
I have scoped out a few spots in the Nashville area, but havent tried any yet.
I am hoping to catch my first smallie soon!
I wonder how they will compare to shoal bass as far as fight goes.

i used to love wading and catching them shoal bass while i lived down in ga. they are a lot of fun to catch but man these creek smallies around here are hard to beat.