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Okay, I am a newbie to the site and am learning a bunch from everyone! Any chance I might get a update or hint on what I should be looking for or doing on Tellico? My plan to to be on the water the day after Christmas and enjoy the weekend!
Thanks in advance for any guidance!
Two dog, you have a private message.
Thank you Fishorhunt!
I too am a newbie. I stopped fishing for 30 years and decided to start again this past summer. My chosen prey has been crappie, but both Tellico and Fort Loudon have me baffled! I certainly have never fished in the winter, but I am this year! I just can't find 'em where I think they should be. Have caught some short fish, but not found the big boys. I too would appreciate any help with these two lakes (especially Tellico) if it is not too much to ask. I certainly wouldn't expect to get the coordinates to someone's honey hole!
Tellico is my home lake since I live a mile from a boat ramp and there's hardly a cove from the 411 bridge to the head waters of the "little T" or the Tellico river that I've not fished at some point. After years of keeping a journal of every trip I can look back and find spots that produced fish with different conditions. This more than anything has helped me be successful at catching Crappie on Tellico.
I have found that the Crappie in Tellico like mud flats and that any structure or bottom contour differences in that mud flat will have crappie on it. So here's how I fish those flats to find the small scattered schools. I rig 4 rods (2, 10' and 2, 8') with 2 different color flies tied 12-18 inches apart on each rod. Here's a tip... put a swivel 18 inches to 2 feet above the flies and this will stop the line twist experienced from dragging a fish in. Then I put a float on each rod starting 2 feet from the average depth of the bottom and move each of the other floats just a little shallower. This way I'm fishing 4 different depths until I find where they are in the water column. I also tip each fly with a minnow.
I have played with different speeds at different water temps but .5 mph seems to produce no matter what the water temp. I pull these floats long line style until I find a school and then I turn around and cast to them to see how big the school is.
My favorite colors are blue and white but I also use black, purple, red, green, pink and different shades of each.
Don't be afraid to "fish outside the norm" because I've caught crappie in 18" of water with the water temp 35 degrees. From everything we hear and read they shouldn't have been there but I kept watching seagulls feeding there and I hadn't caught a fish so I ran the seagulls off and wore the Crappie out.
Very informative Fishorhunt! I certainly appreciate your very gracious response. Maybe I will see you on the lake someday, as I have stored the golf clubs and rekindled an old passion! Thanks again!
ET Fish. In addition to Fishorhunts suggestion I recommend buying a decent sonar and learning how to use it. finding fish holding structure (ledges, brushpiles etc) and being able to return to it is key. Don't be afraid to completely switch a technique if what you are doing isn't working because Crappie don't read the manual. Have fun, be blessed and Merry Christmas!
What a great site! I remember fishing years ago everyone was worried someone would see the jig, fly or even the color they were using. Now, to have this kind of sharing and help is great!
Thanks to all!
Thank you rcp! I have accomplished the "A" part (obtaining a decent sonar), but have a long way to go on "B" (learning how to use it)! All of you guys are great, and I really, really appreciate the help and advice! And finally to Two Dog, I am sorry I hijacked your post! I am guessing we are all in the same area, so maybe we will meet someday! If you see an old, crappy (not crappie) boat on Tellico, that will be me!
I have a 16 ft G3 with a 25, 4 stroke yamaha and a Crappie.com sticker on the back of the motor. Another way people recognize me is by my green and black Gortex bib overalls that I wear and my black rod holders made from the TV holders from a hospital.
Sounds like a plan! I am running around in a white Triton but only because I am to clumsy to fish out of a john boat anymore. ��
Wow, two days on Tellico with only one fish! Mud banks with stumps, tree tops in 18 to 24 foot of water, creek beds ... I don't get it! Even went to Sloans and got minnows this morning ... What's the deal? Fished trees, slip float at levels ranging from 6 to 14 feet and just no luck. Spoke to a buddy who fish high and had 13. How did you guys do this weekend?
I can't get my stupid phone to send the pictures here but, hopefully I can get them on here.
Yesterday was tough but, I scratched out 8 keepers. The water was muddy everywhere that I went but, I found some clearer water and then the fish just shut off.
Today I limited out and caught 22 keepers total. I went back to the clear water this morning but, just like yesterday they shut off so I started searching other spots and I caught 1 more keeper. I came back to the clear water but it was dead and I was about to leave but, before I left I wanted to see what this dog had treed way back in the cove. I almost got stuck it was so shallow but, I got back there and found the dog treeing a squirrel. I sat there watching him and my boat drifted into some water that was 5 feet deep so I set my float 18" deep and made a cast and holy crap were the crappie stacked in there. I sat there catching keeper after keeper as soon as the float would hit the water. Most were on a white fly and it didn't matter if it was tipped with a minnow or not. I fished until 4:30 and came home.
I'll try to get some pictures posted.
Here are some pictures.
fished Loudon yesterday and today. 30 yesterday and 21 today.
You guys are killing me! 25 years ago I was a pretty good crappie fisherman now I have busted water for a day and a half with one keeper. I guess I need to remember when something isn't working, quit and try something different! I fished some 8 foot water but never would have thought 18 inches in 5 foot ... I got a lot to relearn!!
I have found that in water shallower than 5' deep 18" seems to be a good depth to set a float. I've never caught a crappie with mud on it's belly (like bass will have) so I assume that they mostly stay at least 6" off the bottom so that would mean that they are 54" deep and since crappie feed up I half that and it comes to 27". With the float set 18-20" deep the fish that are suspended even 2 feet off the bottom can see the flies above them.
Got it, thanks. Glad to see you had a decent day and thanks for showing the color you are using.
blue with white head, chartreuse with orange head, black with red head have always been good on tellico & loudoun. I've also started using Bobby Garland Ghastly Minnow on dif weight heads depending on the depth.
Two Dog, did you launch from the ramp off Hwy 360 on Saturday? The reason I ask is that is where I launched, and talked to someone when I loaded around 5:00. I just wondered if that was you.
ET fish. Did you see the float plane landing infront of the fort?
Fishorhunt, no I didn't! I don't know how I missed it, I was on the water at first light, and stayed until it was almost dark. That would have been a sight to see! When I am fishing, I sorta zone out! With this light bite, I am really having to watch the line for the slightest twitch!
No Sir, I put in at Baker's Creek Saturday and down at Clear Creek Friday. I did see the Orange float plane come over the mouth of Baker's creek about 1:30 or so ...