Lake Chickamauga

[HydraYak]

Lake Chickamauga should be heating up for smallies soon. Anyone planning on fishing it this spring? Any tips?

 

I'm planning a weekend trip to hit the Chick!

[TnRiver46]

Right now I would fish right below watts bar dam in the current (just under 100,000 cfs)

[Ivey]

I'm with Hawg, fish near current, Smallmouth will move upriver this time of year and with all the rain they're probably stacked up just waiting for something to pass by.. 

[Jermination]

On 2/24/2020 at 3:09 PM, HydraYak said:

Lake Chickamauga should be heating up for smallies soon. Anyone planning on fishing it this spring? Any tips?

 

I'm planning a weekend trip to hit the Chick!

been hot for a while buddy, run up towards watts bar from sewee creek up & should run into a few. Hit the rip rap below the dam, put the nose of your boat in the current and parallel float backwards. should run into a few. I have to ask though, there are so many more, better smallmouth lakes around than chickamauga--why there? Its DD hunting time on chik right now

[Ivey]

Believe me if I'm going right now I'm going to Pickwick. Use the same technique on boat control but Pickwick is my go to for the big SM

[HydraYak]

On 2/26/2020 at 9:02 AM, Jermination said:

been hot for a while buddy, run up towards watts bar from sewee creek up & should run into a few. Hit the rip rap below the dam, put the nose of your boat in the current and parallel float backwards. should run into a few. I have to ask though, there are so many more, better smallmouth lakes around than chickamauga--why there? Its DD hunting time on chik right now

Heating up for pre-spawn.

I've only fished the Chick a handful of times (i live in Atlanta), but some of my best days on the Chick have been in February and March. 

[Jermination]

1 minute ago, HydraYak said:

Heating up for pre-spawn.

I've only fished the Chick a handful of times (i live in Atlanta), but some of my best days on the Chick have been in February and March. 

oh no doubt, great months to catch a monster. I was just saying going to chik to target smallmouth puts you in a really limited area. I'd say you can no doubt catch some but this is the time to be hunting the ever so elusive double digit

[Ivey]

4 hours ago, HydraYak said:

Heating up for pre-spawn.

I've only fished the Chick a handful of times (i live in Atlanta), but some of my best days on the Chick have been in February and March. 

Feb and Mar full moons can be the best time on Pickwick also. Ive caught more 66 pound SM in Feb. than any other month. 

[TnRiver46]

Just now, Ivey said:

Feb and Mar full moons can be the best time on Pickwick also. Ive caught more 66 pound SM in Feb. than any other month. 

Take me! Take me! 

[Ivey]

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

Take me! Take me! 

Any time I can help any one learn or just trade a trip I'd be more than happy to. I joined this site to share knowledge and hope I can pass all I know on to others before my time is up.

[TnRiver46]

Just now, Ivey said:

Any time I can help any one learn or just trade a trip I'd be more than happy to. I joined this site to share knowledge and hope I can pass all I know on to others before my time is up.

Yes I'm glad you joined! Very excellent posted info so far. I fished below Wilson before and struggled, everyone said the current wasn't strong enough (30k). My neighbors dad has a place above the dam in shoals Creek and has been wanting to take me up to wheeler dam from there

[Ivey]

13 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Yes I'm glad you joined! Very excellent posted info so far. I fished below Wilson before and struggled, everyone said the current wasn't strong enough (30k). My neighbors dad has a place above the dam in shoals Creek and has been wanting to take me up to wheeler dam from there

I fished below Wheeler for many years won many tournaments there bt my favorite in without a doubt below Wilson. 30k is low flow and can make things harder there, I like to fish in at around 120K up to 170k. after that it gets a little dicey. Summertime is a different story for me, many people will tell you they don't bite but I've had some of my best night fishing trips when the current is shut down. this allows you to really pick the place apart with a jig and that's my deal. most of the bigger fish I've caught there was after midnight and no current. I spent 40 years fishing there and I still get skunked but I've had some stellar nights there too. I remember one night without current a friend and I went around 1 rock pile, about 30 ft around, all night lone, we weighed a 23 pound stringer of SM that night and only started the motor twice, once to get there once to go back to the ramp. It can be an awesome place to fish, please if you get down this way give me a shout, I'd be happy to try and put you on some fish.

[Tennessee Boy]

I lived in Huntsville from 1986 till 1999 and fished all the Tennessee river lakes down there.  There was something about Wilson lake that I always liked.  Pickwick is also special.  I had the smallmouth of a lifetime break off one February morning right below Wilson dam.  That fish made me look like a like fool.  I've check my drag regularly with a scale ever since.  I probably got skunked half the times I fished Pickwick, but man when you get on um it's special.

[Ivey]

21 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I lived in Huntsville from 1986 till 1999 and fished all the Tennessee river lakes down there.  There was something about Wilson lake that I always liked.  Pickwick is also special.  I had the smallmouth of a lifetime break off one February morning right below Wilson dam.  That fish made me look like a like fool.  I've check my drag regularly with a scale ever since.  I probably got skunked half the times I fished Pickwick, but man when you get on um it's special.

I was born and raised in Huntsville, and worked on Redstone most of my career, all the lakes in north Al. are great but like you said Pickwick is special but Wilson can produce big fish. I read a study once that said the bass on Wilson lake grow larger faster than any other lake in the USA. I've spent many nights on Wilson and caught some really nice ones there. My son and I fished our first tournament together on wilson he was 9 and caught his first 5.3 pound LM, and I caught a 5.1 pound SM  we had enough weight to win his LM got big fish pot. 

[Tennessee Boy]

14 minutes ago, Ivey said:

I was born and raised in Huntsville, and worked on Redstone most of my career, all the lakes in north Al. are great but like you said Pickwick is special but Wilson can produce big fish. I read a study once that said the bass on Wilson lake grow larger faster than any other lake in the USA. I've spent many nights on Wilson and caught some really nice ones there. My son and I fished our first tournament together on wilson he was 9 and caught his first 5.3 pound LM, and I caught a 5.1 pound SM  we had enough weight to win his LM got big fish pot. 

I think Wilson had the smallmouth world record before it was broken on Dale Hollow.

[Ivey]

39 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I think Wilson had the smallmouth world record before it was broken on Dale Hollow.

You would be right, it was caught just below Wheeler dam in I think 1954, it weighed over 10 pounds.

[Ivey]

2 hours ago, Ivey said:

You would be right, it was caught just below Wheeler dam in I think 1954, it weighed over 10 pounds.

went back and checked 1950 wilson held the world record it's listed as, Wheeler tailrace which would be Wilson lake, 10pounds 8 ounces, and there's a lot of people who believe there's one bigger still, I'm one of those people.

[TLee]

Our club is having a tournament there in a couple weeks. We’ve never fished the Chick and I would love to know any good pointers to be able to catch some nice fish. Bonus would be able to win ?