Tough 2 days of kayaking.

[Alphahawk]

Spent yesterday trying to find Bluegill beds at Pickwick. Paddled my rear off but did not find the fish. Did find the beds though. Hopefully the fish will move up to the beds next week on the full moon. One location I found has to have over 200 beds in it. If just half that many fish move up it will be a field day...LOL. Spent today at Normandy. Started out at the lake hoping to pull some Smallies out of the rip rap along the dam. Fishing the Trout Magnet it was hard to keep stunted Bluegill off the jig. Found a place that was stacked up with Black Nose Crappie...all the same size as in the pic. They were all legal size at the 10 inch mark. But I was not keeping any fish today so back they went. Loaded up the kayak and just drove down the hill and put in below the dam. Caught some small Spots...decent Bluegill....juvenile Crappie....a few Trout. Had a great time with the boat...still learning kayak skills....but the fishing was not much to speak of. It was neat however watching the juvenile Crappie come up and inhale the Trout Magnet. Water was very clear below the dam today. If the storms get through might head out to Nickajack tomorrow. Fishing out of a kayak involves a little work...loading...unloading....but it is very rewarding.

Regards

[BigDfromTennessee]

Kayak fishing is very rewarding indeed. It does take a little more preparation but it is worth it for me. Thanks for the report.

D

[Maxxpro]

Wish I was closer to some better water. Took my kayak out this past weekend and caught a couple small largemouths and that was it. There was a ton of guys out in there super duper shiny fast bass boats and they didnt seem to care much about little me out there and cruised by at spitting distance.

I need to get my boat down here!

Nice job on the fish. Im gonna have to try a new location this coming weekend. Maybe ill have some better luck.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by Maxxpro

Wish I was closer to some better water. Took my kayak out this past weekend and caught a couple small largemouths and that was it. There was a ton of guys out in there super duper shiny fast bass boats and they didnt seem to care much about little me out there and cruised by at spitting distance.

I need to get my boat down here!

Nice job on the fish. Im gonna have to try a new location this coming weekend. Maybe ill have some better luck.

I hear you. I have owned 2 Crappie boats...and 3 Bass boats. I was always very aware of small craft.....canoes...small john boats...kayaks.....and gave them a wide berth. I worry about getting run into. Not because they can't see me but too many boaters today seemed to have lost all common sense. Taking the kayak to Nickajack tomorrow...weather permitting.


Regards

[agelesssone]

Maxxpro, it doesn't seem to be much better on JPP if you are fishing from a bass boat and casting a ledge. I've had lots of very large pleasure boats run by at 30+ MPH, within 30 yds , BETWEEN me and the shore, when the deeper (safer) water was 100 yds behind me.

They seem to not care if they rock you off your boat or throw a wave over the side of your boat. The weekend belongs to THEM and you are just a nuisance.

Probably why I don't fish much on the weekends in the summer.

Being retired, I have the luxury of picking my days to fish.

[jad2t]

There's still trout in the Normandy tailwater? That's surprising. I figured they'd all be dead by now. Do they usually hang around into June?

[white95v6]

Originally Posted by jad2t

There's still trout in the Normandy tailwater? That's surprising. I figured they'd all be dead by now. Do they usually hang around into June?

i have caught them well into july. and if i remember right into august also.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by white95v6

i have caught them well into july. and if i remember right into august also.

The water at Normandy is still cool. The trout fought good and had no problems on release. But how many will be there until July is anyones guess. Cannot get a specific number but they did not not stock even close to the normal 25 thousand or so fish that are usually stocked each year.


Regards

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

Cannot get a specific number but they did not not stock even close to the normal 25 thousand or so fish that are usually stocked each year.

Regards

Everywhere was shorted some stockings of rainbow's due to the problem they had at Dale's Hatchery.

[blr3a]

Back to the careless boaters... I have to share this story.

My wife is 8 months pregnant and I can't get her out in the heat or let her take a beating on the boat, but last week she said she would go jugging with me since its cool at night and the ride would be easy. This may be common for some, but not my wife! I dropped everything and loaded the boat! After getting the jugs out at dusk I noticed a LARGE cruiser coming at me at full throttle at around 500 yards. Just to make sure I was noticed, I spot lighted all my jugs. At 300 yards I did it again. At 100 yards I shined him then my jugs. At 10 yards I was spot lighting his retinas out. I BARELY got the front of the boat turned into the waves before they hit. Luckily my wife was sitting in the driver seat so it wasn't too bad, but if I hadn't got the boat turned I really think it would have turned my little Aluminum boat over. He was so close I could have spit on him. Needless to say, she hasn't offered to go back with me! Tempers never help, but I swear if I would have been able to run him down I would have thrown him out of his own boat.

[browntrout]

Originally Posted by blr3a

Back to the careless boaters... I have to share this story.

My wife is 8 months pregnant and I can't get her out in the heat or let her take a beating on the boat, but last week she said she would go jugging with me since its cool at night and the ride would be easy. This may be common for some, but not my wife! I dropped everything and loaded the boat! After getting the jugs out at dusk I noticed a LARGE cruiser coming at me at full throttle at around 500 yards. Just to make sure I was noticed, I spot lighted all my jugs. At 300 yards I did it again. At 100 yards I shined him then my jugs. At 10 yards I was spot lighting his retinas out. I BARELY got the front of the boat turned into the waves before they hit. Luckily my wife was sitting in the driver seat so it wasn't too bad, but if I hadn't got the boat turned I really think it would have turned my little Aluminum boat over. He was so close I could have spit on him. Needless to say, she hasn't offered to go back with me! Tempers never help, but I swear if I would have been able to run him down I would have thrown him out of his own boat.

I have been thinking about caring my paintball gun when i go kayak fishing for that very reason. I would at least be able to identify the guy that turned me over. I can shoot about 150 balls per minute. I would make his boat very colorful and would hope he called the TWRA because he would have to explain why he was close enough to me for me to hit him with a paintball gun.

[agelesssone]

In situations like that, you want to put a few holes in his hull so he would think about it next time.

[blr3a]

He had little kids on the boat and everyone was leaning over the side. I guess he was "inspecting" what I was doing. I know if it would have been anyone but my pregnant wife with me those kids would have witnessed a lesson in boating etiquette. It was literally like he had no idea he was causing any harm. For those familiar with the area, I had my jugs out near the ramp on Saunders Ferry Rd by Creek Wood Marina in Drakes Creek. He ran his boat back towards Gallatin Road and was doing donuts and playing around. For those who don't know... the water is about 2ft deep and FULL of stumps and drift wood (once you get past the ramp). I was praying he hit something or beached his boat; he never came back out of there so maybe he did!

[BigDfromTennessee]

Originally Posted by blr3a

He had little kids on the boat and everyone was leaning over the side. I guess he was "inspecting" what I was doing. I know if it would have been anyone but my pregnant wife with me those kids would have witnessed a lesson in boating etiquette. It was literally like he had no idea he was causing any harm. For those familiar with the area, I had my jugs out near the ramp on Saunders Ferry Rd by Creek Wood Marina in Drakes Creek. He ran his boat back towards Gallatin Road and was doing donuts and playing around. For those who don't know... the water is about 2ft deep and FULL of stumps and drift wood (once you get past the ramp). I was praying he hit something or beached his boat; he never came back out of there so maybe he did!

I know exactly the area you are talking about and that is very shallow and tricky through there. Old Hickory is a tough lake for boat traffic so I am very selective about where I can fish from my kayak there.

D

D

[Reel Tune]

Sorry about your experiences. I always carry a good (waterproof) camera with me, and if I were put in that situation I would be taking pictures and getting hull numbers. I know this dosen't help at night though. I use the camera for when I see people taking illegal fish undersize, over the limit, or just reckless boating, and then call the TWRA.