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  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Charleston, WV
    Posts
    41

    South Holsten Late March/Early April

    Good Morning,

    Looking to get away for a long weekend in late March/early April, I need to be close to shopping (hence Bristol) as I will have my wife and 2 girls with me. How does the lake fish during this time? Is the lake smallmouth dominant? My girls also love to go on boat rides and catch bluegill. Is there a good population of gills for kids?

  2. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    East Tennessee
    Posts
    521
    #2
    South Holston is 80% smallmouth and 20% largemouth according to TWRA. That being said, there are some monster greenfish in there. Late February, March and April are your best shot. Are you bringing your boat? Observation Knob is the safest place to launch in the campground. Think they went from$2 to$5 this year for parking, but they patrol it fairly well. There's a fishing pier there next to the ramp. Weather is anyone's guess. Could be hot and it may snow. Maybe in the same day. Be prepared for it.

  3. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Location
    Charleston, WV
    Posts
    41
    #3
    Thank You. Yes, I will be bringing my boat. That said, after a days fishing by myself is there any opportunity to get the kids on some bluegill or crappie. I know the smallmouth lakes we have in WV don't hold a lot of either.

    What are your thoughts on Boone or Watauoa Lake? My annual trip to the Chic in Mid March is cancelled so I scrambling.

  4. Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    East Tennessee
    Posts
    521
    #4
    I have only fished bass tournaments on it and have never targeted sunfish. I'm sure they are in there. The lake straddles Tennessee and Virginia. For residents of either state, you can purchase a supplemental license to fish the other state's water as part of the agreement both wildlife agencies have. Not sure how it works for nonresidents. Watagua is another one of the top of the mountain lakes. Boone is a smaller lake that has been undergoing dam repairs for several years due to a sinkhole that appeared next to the earthen part of the dam. This is the first year in several that they plan on bringing it back up. There is most likely going to be a lot of logs, trash and debris. They have an aggressive plan for cutting a lot of the vegetation that grew while it was pulled down. No way they get it all cut and cleared before they bring it up. If you are staying in Kingsport area, you are also close to Douglas and Cherokee. I live on Cherokee but love to fish both South Holston and Watagua in the spring.
    .

  5. Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    Elizabethton, TN
    Posts
    451
    #5
    Watauga or SOHO are both great in the spring. The SM usually bed on SOHO in mid April and Late April on Watauga. I have seen them bed much earlier on Watauga but depends on weather. Either way there is some giant SM and LM in Watauga. SOHO has some big LM but I mostly catch SM.
    2004 Stratos 285 Pro XL 150 Johnson

  6. Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Carson
    Posts
    27
    #6
    I have a bass tournament on S. Holston April 17. Have never fished there before. Are there any areas that I should stay away from? (dangerous boating, rocks, shallow, etc) What is a good bait for the small mouth? Are they up in the shallows or out deep? Sorry for all the questions, any help would be greatly appreciated. We are launching out of Washington Park.

  7. Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    31
    #7
    Little green worm bite should be good and a 2.8 kietec.