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In December I was doing really well fishing Tellico, but January has not been kind. I am begging for help from those of you who are catching daily limits.
1. Are you fishing creeks, coves, or the main channel?
2. Do you fish marabou flies, plastic jigs, or minnows?
3. Do you use a slip float?
Any and all advice would be appreciated. I fished several hours today with only 3 keepers and about 6 shorties.
I'm fishing coves and creeks with mud flats. I find any structure or depth contour difference and fish it. When I'm searching for fish I slowly pull (.5 mph on the terrova) 4 rods with 2, 1/16 hair jig flies tipped with a minnow under a float. Each float is set at a different depth in order to cover a wide range in the water column. Once I locate fish I start casting to them and slowly work the float back to me. Some days they like a slow steady retrieve, some days they want a twitch on the retrieve and other days they want the float to remain dead still.
The best advise that I can give anyone is to keep a journal of each trip. It lets you see what has and has not worked.
Thank you Fishorhunt. I know you have told me this before, but I didn't completely understand. How do you determine what is a mud flat? Does that simply mean a muddy bottom? What does that look line on depth finder? I know these are stupid questions, but I had stopped fishing for about 30 years and am trying to learn and relearn a lot. The journal is an excellent idea, and I will certainly put that into practice!
Mud flat- the best way i can tell is by gentle to no-slope mud bank. Now is the time you can best see this because the water level is down in most E. Tn reservoirs.. Et is right, even a slight bump, hole or stickup will hold fish. fish are not as noticeable lying close to bottom and that bump might be a school of fish depending on the quality of your graph. when the depth on your graph goes \ or / fish that area on the flat. bottom and depth changes on flats are like intersections on highways, always crowded. 3 keepers and 6 shorts are better than 9 hours behind my desk!!!! :biggrin
Thank you rcp! Yes, in fact I did enjoy it much more than being behind my desk! However, my phone must be with me when I "sneak" off on weekdays! So I understand, you are saying look at the terrain above water to get an idea of what's underwater? My depthfinder is decent, but with a smaller screen. My problem seems to be I watch it closely and then don't believe what it is telling me! I am still learning how to use it. However, the practice is fun!!!
If you were catching them in December, just keep trying and you will find them again. They have had me lost all year and then last week I struck it and smoked them when few others were. Slow down and trust your electronics. They are showing you what is there.
Thank you lets go again! I took 30 years off after primarily trout fishing, and now I have a deep addiction! Plus, because I didn't start back until mid June, I haven't even got to experience Spring yet!!