Fishing report 9 Dec 2016 - chilly but the fish don't seem to care

Yes, it was chilly today. According to NWS the temperature was 27F when we launched at 530am and it was still 27F when we got off the water at 1230pm. But the fishing was good. Water temps were measuring around 51F and there was plenty of baitfish to feed hungry crappie - according to the fish finder.

We started catching fish around 630 am and stopped catching them around 1200, when TVA shut off the generators at Guntersville and water was flowing in from the river. It wasn't bang, bang..bang but it was a few now and then, a pause and then another few. All total we caught about 55 fish but kept 45, which were 10 inches and longer. We caught a couple approaching 2 pounds.

We were using red-headed jigs and BG mayfly bodies, again. I tried a couple of others - monkey milk, bluegrass and blue thunder, but the fish weren't having any of it. Today we vertical jigged and we'd also cast out and just let the bait swing back toward the boat, where we got most of our strikes around 12-16 feet deep.

The key is to find some structure, next to a deep channel, that provides some shade/cover - something they can hold to. Like I said, it wasn't fast and furious, just good and steady. So put on those old deer hunting insulated coveralls, fill the thermos with some hot coffee and enjoy some cold weather fishing. We had the bridge to ourselves today, no other fisherman till about noon - just duck hunters going and coming.Attachment 253940

Nice job...thanks for the report. Might help me decide to be brave and ease out to a nice spot on the bank and try for a few. A little too cold for me to take the kayak out and the boat is too deep in the shop.

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Originally Posted by flintcreek

Nice job...thanks for the report. Might help me decide to be brave and ease out to a nice spot on the bank and try for a few. A little too cold for me to take the kayak out and the boat is too deep in the shop.

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Yep, leave the kayak in the garage. The water temp isn't too bad but with a 27F air temp, a spill could be fatal.

Great report. Glad you had an excellent catch. Congrats.

Congrats!! Not sure what a BG mayfly body is, got any pics? Got plenty of Baby shad, though.

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Good report ! Glad you tuffed it out . Seams like you have their number with how ur catching .That color hasn't made it up our way yet that I know of I have looked at most the places up here can't find it. but it want take it long it will spread like wild fire .nice color too. Thanks for sharing

Good catch, good report. Hope you get out again soon a slay them.

Congrats on a great catch, thanks for the report.

Thanks for the pic!! Looks like monkey milk on top with crawdad on the bottom. Good looking bait, no wonder they gobbled it up!