New Volunteer

[SalmonDaze]

Hello gents,

I'm an avid hunter, fisherman, boater with the family. I am most often on TheHullTruth blog, but I think you guys will likely be able to give me the best insights to several questions.

We are accustomed to fishing big water, mostly Great Lakes, but also some in-shore and off-shore ocean. I also like to fly fish and cast; although, my gear is mostly for trolling, etc.

I have 3 general questions and hope I get lots of feedback.

1) My office is off I-65, south of I-440/Nashville. We'd like a small piece of property (~1 acre) and certainly don't have Brentwood money for that size. I've looked on-line as far south as Franklin and Spring Hill, even over to Chapel Hill. Any thoughts on this area, especially with respect to the below bullet points and schools for our 3rd grader (all others are in college or have their own families). We won't be relocating until well into summer, 2013.

2) What to do with the big boat. I have a 265 Albemarle sportfish express. I love my rig, but she's built for big water. Do I find a dock on OH or over to Barkley/Kentucky Lake? Is my little 13' squared transom canoe with 4hp gasser going to be too little for these same lakes? I'm sure the big boat is more than enough for striper/steelhead, but what about water . . . she draws 3 feet.

3) Gear: I have 4 electric downriggers, outriggers, the works. As I tell the admiral I'm going to need more rods, she's going to have a shopping list that will surely put me in the poor house. OK, so I'll die with the kids hating me . . . oh well. What do I need?

Many thanks folks! As lifelong Wolverines, Buckeyes, and Illini, we can't tell you how eager we are to abandon the Yankee territory and acquire the southern Graces.

'Daze

I think you will find loads of help here. Maybe even a couple guys to tag along with you. I fish mostly for crappie and bass with some sauger fishing in the winter. There have been many times on Barkley and Kentucky lakes that I wish my 20 foot bass boat was about 6 feet longer and about 3 feet taller. These lakes can get rough. I busted up a bass tracker in 1994 and had to have the hull sent in for warranty repairs. I am sure OH will get rough too. I was there and the big pleasure boats had a 3 foot chop on the water.
My advice for fishing is......if striper fishing is your game then I would stay on the Cumberland River system. For bass and crappie without a doubt Kentucky Lake for big fish. I can't speak for Barkley as I haven't been there in years. Tims Ford has a nice population of stripers and smallmouth too. Good Luck and Welcome

[SalmonDaze]

Thanks Alan,
I would love to get 2 or 3 tag-a-longs on a bunch of trips next summer/fall. Great thinking! I can tow my rig with my diesel, but I prefer to dock if further suggestions for location . . .

Will keep this thread updated as plans progress to see if anyone's interested.

[bluemarlin]

That is one fine rig. A thought, the Gulf is 8-9 hours away, great fishing and your boat would work great. Welcome to the great state of Tennessee.

[MNfisher]

Tims Ford is a decent size lake with great Striper/walleye/smallmouth fishing. Dale Hollow is a large deep clear lake with big trout, walleyes, smallies and muskie. Old Hickory is a great fishery also! I cannot speak for Kentucky Lake or Barkley as I have not been on them. But I have heard good things! Also Norris, Cherokee, Melton Hill, and others on the East side of the state have great striper fishing and Melton Hill has a great Muskie population! I will definitely be happy to tag along on a few trips

You will love TN fishing!! Although I do love getting to FL a few times a year to fish! Gotta love the fight and aggressiveness of salt water fish!!

[Travis C.]

Welcome to the site.

I'd shoot fishfindergeneral on here a message. Dave is a trolling guide on Dale Hollow and trolls out of a 26ft Lund. He'd probably know where a boat that size would have problems or be better suited.

IF they ever get the Dam fixed at Center Hill you''d have a great trout fishery 1-2 hrs from Nashville. It's pretty good now but if they'd leave it alone it can be great....again.

Lots of good bass fishing around here, striper, catfish, crappie among others. Tennessee is fortunate to have many different fishing experiences that are short enough for a weekend trip to take advantage of whether its big largemouth bass on Kentcky Lake, world class striped bass on the Cumberland, trophy muskie and smallies on Dale Hollow all the way to over 500 miles of trout streams within just the Great Smoky Mountain National Park boundry.

Those are to name a very few...the list is much longer.

[j19bill]

I don't have anything to add other than Welcome.

Sent from my Droid complete with typos.