SWVA Posted January 29, 2023 Posted January 29, 2023 Anyone else fish our small rivers here in southwest VA and northeast TN? Curious as to what your go to baits are… Going through my stuff, I have a pile of about anything you can think of. 90% of the time, I’m throwing: 1/8oz jig, either black/blue or green pumpkin Finesse TRD type Ned rig X-Rap or similar jerk bait 4” or 5” Senko, T or wacky rigged weightless, Junebug or Babybass Runners up are 200 Series Bandit cranks in Rootbeer, Pearl White or Babybass flukes and occasionally a ~3” Swimbait on 1/8oz head. For numbers and/or size I haven’t found anything to match the above. Quote
heavyduty Posted January 29, 2023 Posted January 29, 2023 Check out 3B Outdoors TV on Youtube. They fish your area and share a lot of info on tackle they use. Quote
SWVA Posted January 29, 2023 Author Posted January 29, 2023 Oh yea, Ive known Barry all my life, good guy. Don’t know the rest but I watch their shows. Makes me want a jet boat. 2 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted January 30, 2023 Global Moderator Posted January 30, 2023 Sounds like you’ve got it covered! Quote
SWVA Posted January 30, 2023 Author Posted January 30, 2023 I’m hoping to try a little more top water this year. Haven’t done a ton in the past but it was fun when they were on! Quote
JDHoss Posted February 1, 2023 Posted February 1, 2023 Grew up fishing the Powell, Clinch and North Fork as a youngster and young adult from their headwaters to the TN line. A 2 inch Rapala, Rooster tail, Panther Martin, a "flat" lure like a Lazy Ike, and a couple of top water lures like a Tiny Torpedo and Crazy Crawler were pretty much what I carried in my small tackle box. In fact, I used that Heddon Crazy Crawler to catch a 3 1/2 lb smallmouth on the Powell River just below the 58 bridge in Dryden. I tossed it into an eddy created by a large fallen tree at the edge of some shoals, and as soon as it hit the water it was like a grenade went off. I'm an old retired man now, but I can still see that fish taking flight in those shoals and my dad watching with his jaw dropped and eyes wide. Those were the best of times. 7 Quote
SWVA Posted February 1, 2023 Author Posted February 1, 2023 I wish I could go back to those simpler times! No money and all the time in the world, oh to be young again. 3 Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted February 1, 2023 Global Moderator Posted February 1, 2023 50 minutes ago, JDHoss said: Grew up fishing the Powell, Clinch and North Fork as a youngster and young adult from their headwaters to the TN line. A 2 inch Rapala, Rooster tail, Panther Martin, a "flat" lure like a Lazy Ike, and a couple of top water lures like a Tiny Torpedo and Crazy Crawler were pretty much what I carried in my small tackle box. In fact, I used that Heddon Crazy Crawler to catch a 3 1/2 lb smallmouth on the Powell River just below the 58 bridge in Dryden. I tossed it into an eddy created by a large fallen tree at the edge of some shoals, and as soon as it hit the water it was like a grenade went off. I'm an old retired man now, but I can still see that fish taking flight in those shoals and my dad watching with his jaw dropped and eyes wide. Those were the best of times. That’s pretty country up that way 1 Quote
kingmotorboat Posted March 10, 2023 Posted March 10, 2023 On 1/29/2023 at 3:26 PM, SWVA said: Anyone else fish our small rivers here in southwest VA and northeast TN? Curious as to what your go to baits are… Going through my stuff, I have a pile of about anything you can think of. 90% of the time, I’m throwing: 1/8oz jig, either black/blue or green pumpkin Finesse TRD type Ned rig X-Rap or similar jerk bait 4” or 5” Senko, T or wacky rigged weightless, Junebug or Babybass Runners up are 200 Series Bandit cranks in Rootbeer, Pearl White or Babybass flukes and occasionally a ~3” Swimbait on 1/8oz head. For numbers and/or size I haven’t found anything to match the above. I live in jonesborough. Originally from south Louisiana. I can tell ya on Boone lake me and the guy I fish with on occasion got something figured out ? last trip we had about 40 before noon there. South holston and Watauga I struggle though. Trying to save up money to get a boat to where I can go fish more than every other weekend Quote
TheKurrent Posted March 11, 2023 Posted March 11, 2023 Not specific to your area, but have had good luck on the VA side of the New (below Claytor) on all your mentioned arsenal. Plus a few others: -Topwater: buzzbait, plopper and Rico popper are hard to beat -Finesse / Plastics: possibly an unpopular opinion, but I’ve had success on a short tagged drop shot with a fluke and various other baits. Don’t overlook a salted tube with a rattle head either. -Moving baits: Rapala balsa square bill (this is MONEY) 1 Quote
SWVA Posted March 11, 2023 Author Posted March 11, 2023 I need to hit the New River more this year. Usually when I have half a day + to fish we go to South Holston or Boone though. 40+ at Boone is an awesome day! I haven’t been in 3 weeks but had some luck on the A rig and jigs last time out. Stripers we’re busting but we couldn’t get on them that day. You guys ever throw the Nikki Hellgrammite? Was thinking about the younger days of fishing with live ones and how good they worked. The Nikkos look pretty good, might grab a few bags to try when the water is warm enough to wade. Still slow going. Struggling to catch 5 per day so far. Should heat up soon though. 2 best from the river this year: 3 Quote
kingmotorboat Posted May 19, 2023 Posted May 19, 2023 On 3/11/2023 at 11:41 AM, SWVA said: I need to hit the New River more this year. Usually when I have half a day + to fish we go to South Holston or Boone though. 40+ at Boone is an awesome day! I haven’t been in 3 weeks but had some luck on the A rig and jigs last time out. Stripers we’re busting but we couldn’t get on them that day. You guys ever throw the Nikki Hellgrammite? Was thinking about the younger days of fishing with live ones and how good they worked. The Nikkos look pretty good, might grab a few bags to try when the water is warm enough to wade. Still slow going. Struggling to catch 5 per day so far. Should heat up soon though. 2 best from the river this year: bite is heating on Boone now. And Patrick Henry. I still hate south holston and Watauga ? Quote
Global Moderator TnRiver46 Posted May 19, 2023 Global Moderator Posted May 19, 2023 39 minutes ago, kingmotorboat said: bite is heating on Boone now. And Patrick Henry. I still hate south holston and Watauga ? Soho and watauga will be on fire once winter comes Quote
JDHoss Posted May 23, 2023 Posted May 23, 2023 On 5/18/2023 at 10:40 PM, kingmotorboat said: bite is heating on Boone now. And Patrick Henry. I still hate south holston and Watauga ? Only been to Watauga once, with a couple of friends to walleye fish. We were going to night fish, but got out on the lake about an hour or so before sunset, so we did some bass fishing. I was fishing a blue & white spinnerbait, which they told me was useless on Watauga. I proceeded to catch 4 keeper size largemouth, including a 4.5 pounder, and a 3 lb smallmouth. When the sun set, we walleye fished up until around 2AM and one of my friends caught a nice 8 lb walleye, but it was the only fish we had, and d**n near froze to death. It was in the low 70 when we hit the lake, and in the upper 30s when we finished. Watauga is a nice lake, and very clean, but it's a good haul from Kingsport when Boone, Patrick Henry and Cherokee are much quicker to get to. Quote
kingmotorboat Posted May 23, 2023 Posted May 23, 2023 10 minutes ago, JDHoss said: Only been to Watauga once, with a couple of friends to walleye fish. We were going to night fish, but got out on the lake about an hour or so before sunset, so we did some bass fishing. I was fishing a blue & white spinnerbait, which they told me was useless on Watauga. I proceeded to catch 4 keeper size largemouth, including a 4.5 pounder, and a 3 lb smallmouth. When the sun set, we walleye fished up until around 2AM and one of my friends caught a nice 8 lb walleye, but it was the only fish we had, and d**n near froze to death. It was in the low 70 when we hit the lake, and in the upper 30s when we finished. Watauga is a nice lake, and very clean, but it's a good haul from Kingsport when Boone, Patrick Henry and Cherokee are much quicker to get to. Haven’t caught much on Watauga and still haven’t caught a fish on holston. Boone and Henry I’ve had some 13 pound bags on 1 Quote
JDHoss Posted May 25, 2023 Posted May 25, 2023 On 5/22/2023 at 8:50 PM, kingmotorboat said: Haven’t caught much on Watauga and still haven’t caught a fish on holston. Boone and Henry I’ve had some 13 pound bags on Never fished SoHo, and only Watauga that one time. Loved Cherokee and Douglas, although it was a pretty good haul to Douglas. Quote
kingmotorboat Posted May 26, 2023 Posted May 26, 2023 On 5/24/2023 at 9:20 PM, JDHoss said: Never fished SoHo, and only Watauga that one time. Loved Cherokee and Douglas, although it was a pretty good haul to Douglas. I’m fishing the strong tower tournament on Boone Saturday. Should be a good one 1 Quote
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