Pickwick Is On Fire!

[lazeebum]

I havn't used the A rig yet, but I can tell you that the fishing is good below Wilson Dam right now. If you ain't fishing tailraces right now you are missing a good thang. I went today and caught five largemouths and one smallie and some rough fish. I don't think anyplace where the water is moving on the Tennessee river is a bad place to fish.

[roadwarrior]

No...The fishing below Pickwick Dam is hotter!

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/97913-fishing-below-pickwick-dam-saturday-2-25-12/

[jisrael83]

That is awesome!

Unfortunately, for me, it wasn't so good. I fished there (http://binged.it/ySInEK) with an A-Rig setup using 3 baits, two PowerBait swim baits and a Johnson silver minnow spoon and didn’t catch anything. I knew there had to be fish there. I also threw a black/blue Paca Craw, white spinner bait with whit grub trailer and still nothing. Just so I wouldn't get skunked, I switched to a white 200 series Bandit to try and pick up some white bass and landed small male. I fished both banks of the river (various spots) from Botel to Shilo and didn't catch any black bass.

I keep reading on the internet about anglers having record days at Pickwick both below and above the dam, but I just don't get it. I need some advice and am determined to learn how to successfully fish both the river and lake. Conditions permitting, I am going back to fish either or both next weekend. Anyone who claims to know how to fish this water is invited to fish with me.

I have a decent setup (for me at least): 1994 Javelin TE, 1989 Mariner 200 (newly rebuilt), Minn Kota PowerDrive 24v 65lb, Humminbird 500 Series 587ci HD Combo

I'll provide the boat if someone is willing to share some knowledge. If you are interested send me a message.

Jason (frustrated)

[bankerbasser]

Jason, I understand your frustration as I've just started fishing below the Pickwick dam in the last few months. I've fished above the dam for years and it can be a very tough lake at times. I believe all the success above the dam is due to several factors combining for a rare opportunity to catch big fish. We've had a mild winter with no shad kill, so there are lots of baitfish. We've had a lot of current due to above average precipitation and that has kept the fish active. Most of the better reports are from fishermen using the A Rig which is a new technique the fish have never seen and triggers their natural predatory instinct like nothing else we've seen. Roadwarrior and I were talking about this the other day and we think there are probably 30 or more fish over 10 lbs that have been caught at Pickwick in the last couple of months so there is definitely good conditions. But, you still have to know where to fish for the big ones and that is generally offshore on current breaks. As for below the dam, I think the recipe for success is very simple. Use live bait on a splitshot rig and your catch will increase tremendously. I am a tournament bass fisherman so I'm not a big fan of using live bait, but for fun fishing and trying to catch a truly big fish it is the only way to go.

[jisrael83]

Thanks banker...

I just need more hours on the water.

On the main lake, I've attempted to fish offshore humps and ledges, mainly during the summer months by running deep diving crank baits, heavy football jigs, c-rigged spoons and plastic without catching fish. The only success I've had has was in the spring after surface temps reach 55, running crank baits into the gravel bars on the river across from Coleman boat ramp and t-rigged plastics in the same area.

I've had some success below the dam fishing for stripe using top-water Spooks and salt water hair jigs during summer months.

Using live bait just isn't as sporting to me. After seeing what Roadwarriror was able to do below Wilson dam, I was hoping I could mimic some of that below Pickwick.

[bankerbasser]

There is no substitute for time on the water and I also need much more. I've tried the topwater striper fishing below the dam a couple of times with no luck. Our local bass club has at least one tournament a year on Pickwick, usually during the spring. The best luck I've had has been fishing jerkbaits on creek and main lake points as well as Redeye shads in the creek flats.

Are you fishing the Big Fish tournament out of JP Coleman on March 31 ? I fished it last year and it was a lot of fun. The format is pretty neat and there are multiple ways to win cash. I'm probably going this Saturday below the dam again, hoping for similar results or just one big fish ! My biggest smallmouth is 4 lbs 9 oz caught on a Spook in the fall of 2010. I caught 2 that were almost that big Saturday, but nothing bigger. Good luck on the water !

BTW would you happen to know Steve or Wes Hoggard ? They used to own the John Deere small implement dealership in Olive Branch. I went to college with Steve at UT Martin in the mid 80's.

[jisrael83]

My experience with the striper topwater bite has been a crap shoot, but when they are on, it can be awesome!

I thought about fishing the tourney, but it had for me to commit to something like fishing that far out. I have little ones at home.

I'm planning on going this weekend, but I may put in at JP Coleman instead of below the dam. Did you catch bait or buy it the last time when you did so well below the dam? I might wet myslef if I tied into a 5llb smallie. The largest one I've caught is in my profile pick. I didn't weigh it, but it measured 18". It looks smaller in that picture. That may have something to do the fact that I'm 6'6".

Hoggard sounds familiar. I'm a native Memphian, but have only been in OB for 2 1/2 years. Seeing your from Brownsville... I did play Junior Olympic Basketball against Tony Delk when I was in high school around '91. He was a rock star!

[bankerbasser]

The only striper Ive caught was one about 8 lbs one day last fall below the dam in a creek mouth on a jerkbait. I thought I had a world record smallmouth ! On that day I caught a 4 lb smallmouth, 2 lb spotted bass, 4 lb largemouth and that striper.

I bought bait at Roger Gants BP station. The first time I went back in January, one of my bass club buddies (my chief financial officer !) and I went. Roadwarrior told me to get 2 pounds of the largest minnows they had. Neither one of us had bought that many minnows before, but we followed instructions ! Since we were in my boat my buddy bought the bait and snacks. We met Roadwarrior at the ramp as he was fishing with someone else and got the scoop on what to do. We didn't have a good day due to weather, fish bite, not knowing what we were doing, etc. but we stuck with it. After a long spell of no fish I asked my buddy how much the bait cost. He said well, everything cost $54.23 ! Long story short, minnows are $14 per pound so you want to make them stretch a long way. We bought 2 lbs on Saturday and had 5 or 6 left when we quit around 3.

Tony was definitely a rock star ! Watching him play in high school was fun, but watching him win the National Championship at Kentucky and getting MVP of the tournament was really special. He has taken care of his family, especially his parents.

[roadwarrior]

Started out with The Rig which produced two largemouth (3-4 lbs)

and a small striper (13-14 lbs). My two partners were fishing similar

Rigs, three white bass and one largemouth just over 5 lbs.

We moved down river and I switched to a jerbait (Ito Vision 110),

my partners opted for Red Eye Shad. My second cast produced a 7 lb

green fish, my partner's big fish was 5 and change.

Around 2:00 the TVA reduced water release and the bite stopped completely.

We fished for two more hours without a strike.

[Pete-K]

Started out with The Rig which produced two largemouth (3-4 lbs)

and a small striper (13-14 lbs). My two partners were fishing similar

Rigs, three white bass and one largemouth just over 5 lbs.

We moved down river and I switched to a jerbait (Ito Vision 110),

my partners opted for Red Eye Shad. My second cast produced a 7 lb

green fish, my partner's big fish was 5 and change.

Around 2:00 the TVA reduced water release and the bite stopped completely.

We fished for two more hours without a strike.

Were you fishing Monday? See 3 other boats that day, I had a buddy from Middle Tn. We were catching catfish for a fishfry. Caught 6 blues that would weight around 65 lbs and took off back to fishing for browns. Only 3 smallmouth and they were around 3 lbs each.

Pete

[roadwarrior]

Fished Saturday, not Monday.