Watts bar

[Wackyjig]

How's the grass doing in watts bar this year? I got out the other day for a few hours and there was none in 2 places on the main lake I found it in last year.
Wondering if it's down this year everywhere or just in main lake areas with current

[GABasscat19]

I saw some mid lake, but it’s not as full yet as it was last year.

[printman71]

I haven't been around any yet. I launch at Hornsby Hollow campground and typically fish from there, down to the dam.

[n2ratfishin]

Headed to Watts Bar with a small group of guys next week, maybe 10 boats? I've never fished the lake. We are staying in Harriman and launching somewhere about 15 mins away. Im not sure of the ramp, maybe Tom Fuller looking at a map? Any ideas of what to expect there this time of year is appreciated. I'll fish grass all day long if there it's there.

[n2ratfishin]

That lake was tougher than a two dollar steak for us the past two days. We managed a bunch of shorts, a big catfish on a spinner bait, and too many white bass. They were schooling on little bitty pop corn fart minnows that seem to be everywhere. The only grass we found was submerged a few feet under the surface.

[MattVT18]

I wish I would have came across this sooner n2ratfishin. I haven't found much grass at all anywhere. I fish from the Sam's Boat Dock area all the way up to the base of Melton Hill dam (Clinch River arm). Watts Bar in general has been tougher than usual this year, not nearly as many big bags on any of the tournaments I've fished and some of the local hammers have commented the same. I've been having a pretty good summer just running around hitting short pockets on the main channel and in the bigger creek arms. I typically look for shade (overhanging trees, docks, whatever) and skip frogs and jigs around. This "pattern" has been holding all summer and while I don't catch huge numbers they are better than average fish. My best 5 usually go 15 lbs or so but I might only get those 5 bites.

[DewRonInc]

Well I fished a bit one morning and got 4 bites close to dam

[DewRonInc]

Wanted to fish docks but did not

[Wackyjig]

I fished it pretty hard yesterday and managed 5 on 5 different baits on main lake swing banks. I looked hard for grass out on the main lake and what little I found was dead which doesn't make sense with the year we've had of low flow and bright sunny days.

There's a ton of shad in the creeks but they're 1" long at most and it seems all that was in them were sand stripe and 6-10" buck bass.

I found 2 big schools on ledges feeding with bigger shad around. Aside from a few short strikes I couldn't generate a bite before or after the current ramped up. Shell beds and brush piles were the same way. I could see the fish chasing bait on ffs, but they wouldn't bite a thing I had to offer.

Basically I had a typical August day on the TN river.

Side note, does anyone find it odd that there's a mayfly hatch going on right now?

[printman71]

I fished it pretty hard yesterday and managed 5 on 5 different baits on main lake swing banks. I looked hard for grass out on the main lake and what little I found was dead which doesn't make sense with the year we've had of low flow and bright sunny days.

There's a ton of shad in the creeks but they're 1" long at most and it seems all that was in them were sand stripe and 6-10" buck bass.

I found 2 big schools on ledges feeding with bigger shad around. Aside from a few short strikes I couldn't generate a bite before or after the current ramped up. Shell beds and brush piles were the same way. I could see the fish chasing bait on ffs, but they wouldn't bite a thing I had to offer.

Basically I had a typical August day on the TN river.

Side note, does anyone find it odd that there's a mayfly hatch going on right now?

I would find that incredibly late and odd.

[DewRonInc]

Was odd I saw them also

[muskyman73]

skipjack have been bustin lately out in front of Caney Creek on the shoals out there and on the east side of the lake out in front of the houses there. On a regular basis too. Past two weeks. Better quality fish one em too.

[DewRonInc]

Any other news, how is the lake in September? I have some baits I ordered, keitec swim baits, look forward to the return trip.....9th

[printman71]

Any other news, how is the lake in September? I have some baits I ordered, keitec swim baits, look forward to the return trip.....9th

Anywhere on the Tennessee River in September is Sucktember, but it beats working.

[DewRonInc]

Anywhere on the Tennessee River in September is Sucktember, but it beats working.

Lol, sounds fun, wife will be with, should be interesting

[Wackyjig]

Lol, sounds fun, wife will be with, should be interesting

You should be able to find them in the breaks early in the morning. The trick is getting them to bite something. Hopping a jig down 45ish degree and steeper rock banks should do some good around that time. Green pumpkin with some orange in it matches the color of the craws really well. You won't catch every fish in the lake but you should get bit and they're usually better quality.

[DewRonInc]

Was thinking of going way up close to telleco

[DewRonInc]

Jig head, swim bait, clear blue flek, or red flek or what is best and where? North?

[DewRonInc]

What about North or South in Lake