Looking to come out and fish for a week or so in May 4-11th or so...wanting to catch numbers of 3lb smallies. Lived in the west and use to catch a lot of them but now live in TX and needing some smallmouth action. Looking for a lake where we can catch numbers and rent a decent cabin closeby and find a boat to rent. If have to, I can hire a guide, if can not locate a boat to rent. Greatly appreciate your help as have not fished TN before.
THANK YOU
Where are the BIG ones? When are we going?
LOOKING for a Great deal on a Slightly used 20-21' Boat.
Dale Hollow would be my only suggestion, but I think first of May is way too late for your expectations.
May for specifically larger smallmouth could be tough. Renting a boat may be even tougher.
If you want to target specifically smallmouth Dale or Cherokee would probably be your best bet. But like printman said you're a little late for the numbers of 3lb smallies. That's usually a December to February deal with damiki rigs.
With the weather we're having you'll most likely miss the stellar top water bite and be after fish heading back out and they'll be skinny.
Most of the TN River lakes have good populations of smallmouth and any cast could be one. KY lake seems to have become more of a smallmouth lake as of late but I believe fishing is still just so so.
Pickwick has a really good population of big smallmouth. A bunch of the winning bags from there have a couple of 5-6lb smallies in them.
Watts bar is another one that has a really good population of smallmouth and is largely overlooked due to being right at Chickamauga and because alot of the big tournaments are in the absolute worst time of year so it's not as crowded.
Usually in May if you fish up lake between I-40 and I-75 there's a 50/50 chance the bite you get will be a smallie.
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