A quick Watts Bar trip

Labrador .... when have you seen spawning fish in the Spring ?? My last few trips down there in the Spring have been kinda poor, as far as productivity, and even when the trips have been productive ... they haven't been for fish close to the bank, in the wood cover. :Doh:

A couple of years there weren't any males on the spawning banks (I know of) and the egg laden females were roaming around out in 25-30fow ... in late April !! There weren't even any fish around the deep docks, like there used to be during pre-spawn/spawn periods of the past.

I don't know about you, but I've seen a decline in numbers, & spawning activity, since they changed the timing of the water level rise. ( TVA officials have few answers for Watts Bar Lake users' questions | Local News | rheaheraldnews.com )

Now, I haven't been down there in the Spring for the last several years, mainly because of the continued decline in my productivity since 2010 ... but, prior to that I always seemed to do pretty good in mid-late April & then again in mid-late Oct.

Good deal, i'll be down there on the 12th. Cant wait, ive never fished it in the fall. Oh i love being retired!

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Originally Posted by labrador

I have been seeing some short fish but not what I would like to see that is for sure. One thing about Watts Bar it does have some really good fish I have caught 3 Over 3lb. but those have come in the last few years.

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3 over 3 pounds is mighty good

Excellent report!

:ThumbsUp

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Labrador .... when have you seen spawning fish in the Spring ?? My last few trips down there in the Spring have been kinda poor, as far as productivity, and even when the trips have been productive ... they haven't been for fish close to the bank, in the wood cover. :Doh:

A couple of years there weren't any males on the spawning banks (I know of) and the egg laden females were roaming around out in 25-30fow ... in late April !! There weren't even any fish around the deep docks, like there used to be during pre-spawn/spawn periods of the past.

I don't know about you, but I've seen a decline in numbers, & spawning activity, since they changed the timing of the water level rise. ( TVA officials have few answers for Watts Bar Lake users' questions | Local News | rheaheraldnews.com )

Now, I haven't been down there in the Spring for the last several years, mainly because of the continued decline in my productivity since 2010 ... but, prior to that I always seemed to do pretty good in mid-late April & then again in mid-late Oct.

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I would hope those expensive biologist employed by TVA would have all that figured out

Good job.