Full day of fishing

[Reel Tune]

I've been working 6 days a week for months now, and only have Friday's off, and a few 7 day a weeks. I was exhausted from the work week and just wanted one morning where I didn't have to wake up at 4:15am to go to work. We'll Friday morning the alarm goes off at 4:00am for my wife and I just lay there, she got ready and left for work around 4:45, and immediately I sprung from the bed, made my coffee, lunch, and fixed some breakfast sandwiches. I played on the phone trying to decide where I would fish "Williamsport, Natchez Trace, Guntersville, or the Cumberland River. We'll Thursday I received a call from Michael King of Paddle Adventures Unlimited wanting me to paddle with them on Sycamore Creek at 2pm on Friday, so I decided I'd fish the Cumberland until 1pm, and then go hang with the Paddle Adventure Unlimited Crew. The boat and gear was already loaded, and by 7am I was on the road. So much for sleeping in.

It started out slow, and then I started seeing a lot of surface activity, small fish so I downsized. I picked up the Shimano Aldebaran BFX XG Limited spooled with 4# mono matched with a Majorcraft Volkey BFS 6'9" UL rod. I tied on a 1/16 oz Keitech Super Round jig head with a Zoom Super Fluke Jr. It was game on from the 1st cast. The first fish was an 18.75" Drum, and boy that was fun. Then came the White Bass. I stayed on them for a good hour with loosing them once and then picking them up again. Most of the White Bass were in the 12-14" range. Then I swapped sides and got into a few more schools of white bass. Then I picked up The Daiwa TW 1016, with 7'11" All Pro Crankin' Blaster and Strike King 2.5 in Sexy Shad. BAM 1st cast after about 4 cranks it gets slammed. It's digging deep and then I get it close to the surface 2' and see the flash and I think Striper, so I think I have a 20-25" Striper and it's still digging hard, the entire time Chris Bryant txnative is on the phone with me, he's getting good commentary. I'm working it up slowly as it's right below me, and I finally see it again, and immediately I know this is my personal best Smallmouth. I'm finally able to get it boatside and get the Lucid Grips around the bottom lip and bring it into the kayak. It measures between 21" and 20.75", and guessing the weight was close to 4lbs, as I didn't look at the sales and just slipped her back into the murky water of the Cumberland. I had about another hour and a have to fish, so I made my way back to the ramp and picked up 2 more 14" smallmouth, and 3 more 14" Spotted Bass.

I got back to the truck and headed to meet the Paddle Adventures Crew on Sycamore Creek. I was the 1st one there, so I went ahead and unloaded, and made a few casts from the bank until everyone else started showing up. I helped everyone get their boats and gear to the water, and the Tennessee Wildside Crew shows up to film us. There were about 12 of us doing a 2+ mile float on Sycamore Creek. We had a good float on some beautiful water, and Tennessee Wildside wanted to do a creek side interview with me. We finished up the float around 5pm, and hung out chatting and catching up for another hour and a half.

It was almost 8:30 by time I got home, and it was a great day.

River water Temps 62/63, clarity 18" - 20"
Creek Water Temps 59, clarity 4'

Sorry, I'll have to add pictures later.

[Halli]

Wow what a Friday that's what all Fridays should sound like.

Hope to see you on the wildside.

[Shoe man]

Originally Posted by MidTNKayakAngler

I've been working 6 days a week for months now, and only have Friday's off, and a few 7 day a weeks. I was exhausted from the work week and just wanted one morning where I didn't have to wake up at 4:15am to go to work. We'll Friday morning the alarm goes off at 4:00am for my wife and I just lay there, she got ready and left for work around 4:45, and immediately I sprung from the bed, made my coffee, lunch, and fixed some breakfast sandwiches. I played on the phone trying to decide where I would fish "Williamsport, Natchez Trace, Guntersville, or the Cumberland River. We'll Thursday I received a call from Michael King of Paddle Adventures Unlimited wanting me to paddle with them on Sycamore Creek at 2pm on Friday, so I decided I'd fish the Cumberland until 1pm, and then go hang with the Paddle Adventure Unlimited Crew. The boat and gear was already loaded, and by 7am I was on the road. So much for sleeping in.

It started out slow, and then I started seeing a lot of surface activity, small fish so I downsized. I picked up the Shimano Aldebaran BFX XG Limited spooled with 4# mono matched with a Majorcraft Volkey BFS 6'9" UL rod. I tied on a 1/16 oz Keitech Super Round jig head with a Zoom Super Fluke Jr. It was game on from the 1st cast. The first fish was an 18.75" Drum, and boy that was fun. Then came the White Bass. I stayed on them for a good hour with loosing them once and then picking them up again. Most of the White Bass were in the 12-14" range. Then I swapped sides and got into a few more schools of white bass. Then I picked up The Daiwa TW 1016, with 7'11" All Pro Crankin' Blaster and Strike King 2.5 in Sexy Shad. BAM 1st cast after about 4 cranks it gets slammed. It's digging deep and then I get it close to the surface 2' and see the flash and I think Striper, so I think I have a 20-25" Striper and it's still digging hard, the entire time Chris Bryant txnative is on the phone with me, he's getting good commentary. I'm working it up slowly as it's right below me, and I finally see it again, and immediately I know this is my personal best Smallmouth. I'm finally able to get it boatside and get the Lucid Grips around the bottom lip and bring it into the kayak. It measures between 21" and 20.75", and guessing the weight was close to 4lbs, as I didn't look at the sales and just slipped her back into the murky water of the Cumberland. I had about another hour and a have to fish, so I made my way back to the ramp and picked up 2 more 14" smallmouth, and 3 more 14" Spotted Bass.

I got back to the truck and headed to meet the Paddle Adventures Crew on Sycamore Creek. I was the 1st one there, so I went ahead and unloaded, and made a few casts from the bank until everyone else started showing up. I helped everyone get their boats and gear to the water, and the Tennessee Wildside Crew shows up to film us. There were about 12 of us doing a 2+ mile float on Sycamore Creek. We had a good float on some beautiful water, and Tennessee Wildside wanted to do a creek side interview with me. We finished up the float around 5pm, and hung out chatting and catching up for another hour and a half.

It was almost 8:30 by time I got home, and it was a great day.

River water Temps 62/63, clarity 18" - 20"
Creek Water Temps 59, clarity 4'

Sorry, I'll have to add pictures later.

Where on the Cumberland did you put in to fish? I fished from the bank down by the dam on the Cheatham county side Monday and saw lots of surface activity in the mouth of Johnson creek. I caught lots of fish Alpha style with #2lb test and a bison TM. Nothing big but tons of fun.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Reel Tune]

All fish were caught within 2 miles up and down river on the main river of the Sycamore Creek Cumberland River confluence. I was going to go to the dam, and I know of some good largemouth being caught above the dam, but just decided to launch out of Sycamore Creek.

[Reel Tune]

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[jad2t]

Congrats again on the personal best Smallie. Breaking that 20" mark isn't easy. I've caught several in the 17-19" range and don't ever actually target them, I just catch them in Priest on the same stuff I catch LM bass on. One of these days I'll get my 20 incher and it's going to be a day to remember!

[Reel Tune]

Thanks Jimmy. Yeah I was chasing Stripers and could never catch up to them, so settled for White Bass, and Drum which were a blast, and then started to head back on the opposite bank and got into Spots and Smallmouth.

[TnCreekMaster]

I second the notion that breaking the 20" mark on smallies isnt easy ive lived and fished here in middle tn for 4 years now and caught a lot in the 17-19" range, I even caught one I swear was 19 3/4" but no 20's congrats man!