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Feb 21
What a day! It is amazing the changes Percy Priest Lake has gone through in just 12 hours. The last few weeks it has been cold and clear…..now, after a few days in the 60’s and 1 hour of pouring rain last night, the upper end of the lake is 57 degrees, chocolate milk, and rising!
I knew starting the day there would be muddy water pouring into the lake, but I had no idea the amount there would be.
As soon as we approached Spring and Fall Creek you could see a sharp mud line…I thought “well, whats plan B?” I turned left to the big flat between Spring and Fall Creek, the muddy water had not worked up there yet. We started casting Rat 2.75 Red Shad rattle traps and Minnow 2.5 Thread Fin crankbaits to the rocks in 1ft-5ft. We only had one bite, but it was a big one. She worked herself up to the surface, made her presence know and released the bait.
Next we motored to the back of Spring Creek(knowing it was muddy). I wanted to go past where the Spring feeder creek is to the very back. My thoughts were that it would be a little clearer there. As we arrived I could see the change in the water after feeder creek….it was clearer! We started casting Rat 2.75 Red Shads and spook 4.0….nothing. I picked up a Minnow 2.5 Tread Fin and started casting on the last “S” curve before the bridge and picked up a short bass. *****It was 55 back there***
Next we headed into Stewart Creek, but not the back. I was looking for side pockets off the creek channel where the mud had not filled up yet. Halfway back Stewart, there is a ski boat track I call ski boat cove. The water was 56 there and stained. Casting the same baits, we caught another short bass on a SquareB Chart/Shad and had another fish whack it.
Next was Sister Cove. The other week the water temp was 46 there and I caught some giant bass, so I thought it would be a good idea to give it a try. Casting Thread Fins down the entire right bank…..nadda.
I decided to try mid lake, so I headed to the bank between Four Corners Marina and Hobson Pike bridge. The first observation I made was that it was 45 degrees. I fished 300 yards of bank with no bites and felt like I needed to go back up lake, but not before I fished the back of Fate Sanders Marina. Tons of bait, 56 degrees and feeling optimistic. We had 2 bites back there, one missed strike and another on a Minnow 2.5 TF….2.5lbs.
After lunch I headed back to Spring Creek and fished the largest cove on the right about 500 yards in on the right. The water was clearer as I hoped, 57 degrees and more bait. There we had 3 bites! One short bass, a 3lb largemouth and another missed strike on a Rat 2.75 Red Shad!
Our last spot was Lamar Hill. We fished the flat on the right when heading to the back(before the boat ramp). The water was clearer, but still stained. A lot of bait on the graph and the wind was blowing right into the bank. In 200 yards we had two bites on the Rat 2.75 Red Shad. One about ripped the hand out of my clients hand and the other was a 5lb hog!
All and all, it was a good day. We were very limited where we could fish with the muddy water, but I felt like we figured out a pattern(trying to fish the stained water that was not completely muddy where the water was in the mid 50’s with bait). With the warm water temperature, now we just need this chocolate milk water to move on out. The upper end of the lake will take a week or so, the creeks will take a few days.
*****If you would like to purchase the lures used on this trip, check out Brian’s Tackle Shop here:
http://briancarper.com/store/index.php? *****
This weekend I’ll be at the 104.5 The Zone Sports Fest at the Music City Center. Come by and get your discounted trip! Members can use their $25 off and $50 of discount if they buy at the show!
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14 Replies
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I had planned on going to east fork but when I drove over east fork on 840 I realized I needed a new plan. I had no clue tht we got that much rain over night. I ended up putting in at Jefferson springs the water looked a little stained and had current. Crappie fished for a while by the ramp caught a lot of small bass and crappie. Ran down to where spring and fall creek came in and saw the same mud wall you did Brian. I was having trouble with the wind trolling motor was strong enough so I went back towards Jefferson springs and fished some stump on a flat next to the channel drop. Started catching some small fish but current was picking up, jig kept getting snagged, and some dill hole in a newer model tracker decided he wanted to stop and fish there also pretty much casting all around my boat. That stuff makes my blood boil but since the man had what looked like his son with him I decided not to educate him on ethics and just head back towards the ramp. When I rounded the corner at the pump house I could tell the chocolate milk had made it from the forks and had lots of trash and trees in the channel. So packed it in for the day. Fished 2 hours and didn’t get skunked. The best part of my day was meeting a man at the ramp who was also taking his boat out. He was a Vietnam vet who absolutely loves to fish and talk about fishing. That old man was funny and gave me lots of advise about fishing back in the river and up above Walter hill. Very nice man hope to run into him on the water again.
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I think I missed you launching at fate sanders by 3 minutes. I was crappie fishing with someone and when I got there I saw you idling out.
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I was afraid East Fork would be to fast to fish today after reading Philips report. I decided to try it Sunday instead of Sat. I live by one of the feeder creeks to Walter Hill and the water has slowed down significantly since last night. Starting to clear also. Maybe the forks will be better tomorrow. Dally
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East and west fork were ROCKIN yesterday the even the current in Jefferson was swift enough to lay over the fish attractor poles and create boils behind deep trees. Hey Brian what are the odds of the crappie going into an early spring pattern since water temps are up and people are catching fish full of eggs already? Monday morning when I get off work I plan on goin back to Jefferson springs hitting a few spots then heading back to fall creek.
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Brian what was the water temp at Lamar Hill?
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I think the crappie are now committed to shallow water(the ones that have moved up already). It should be an year spring for crappie.
The water at Lamar Hill was 56
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Only one fish caught off my boat today, but it was a beauty. 6lb, 6oz Largemouth caught by my partner Padro on a white spinnerbait with paddle tail grub attached:
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Beautiful fish!!!
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That’s what I’m talking about!!!!
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Thats a hog!
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Great catch, at least we know someone is catchem.
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Ah yeah that will get the heart pumping better than a stop at the gym.
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As we say in the Carolina’s, if that don’t light your fire, your wood is wet!
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quote Seaweed:As we say in the Carolina’s, if that don’t light your fire, your wood is wet!😆 True!
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