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Sept 30
The last 2 days I have been on the water collecting video for the Elite Videos. Both days were successful catching a 4+lb largemouth yesterday and a 4+lb smallmouth on Wednesday. Wednesday I actually caught 6 and all of them were smallmouth….first time I’ve ever done that!
Wednesday morning I started in Bryant’s Gove Cove on the left bank. Specifically, I started in the little cove on the left bank and then worked my way towards the back of the cove. The water temperature was 77 with 1.5ft clarity…finally! The wind was starting to blow out of the SW right into this bank. With the boat in 6ft I started casting my Strike King Royal Purple 1/2 rattle trap into 2ft and retrieving quickly with pauses. After 100 yards….BOOM!!!!! I was slammed by a giant fish! After 2 second a 4lb smallmouth jumped 2ft out of the water! I fought her around the entire boat and then around the trolling motor finally getting a hand on her. I was ecstatic and optimistic for the day. I continued towards the back of the cove without another bite. I clipped off my purple rattle trap and tied on a red craw strike king rattle trap. I went back down the same bank and this time caught in the same spot another smallmouth, but this one was only 1lb.
I motored under Hobson Pike bridge to the first cove on the right. The water clarity was now 1.5-2ft at 77 degrees. I tied on my purple rattle trap and started down the left bank where the wind was slamming against. I stayed between 6ft-12ft working towards the back of the cove. I fished a good 200 yards before I came to a little boulder rock point. After bringing my lure over the builders a fish started following my bait. Halfway towards the boat….BOOM! A pretty good smallmouth around 15 inches pounded my trap. I fought the fish to the boat while it jumped out of the water and then right at the boat it made a dive down and unbuttoned! Oh well…..still fun smallmouth action. I fished all the way to the back of the cove without another bite.
I cruised to the cove across the channel under the power lines. This is the first cove on the left pass Hobson Pike bridge. I motored all the way to the back near the PVC poles. Starting on the left point which is surrounded by boulders I started casting to the rocks while sitting in 5ft. Trying a H2O squarebill in shad pattern to all the points I caught 2 more short smallmouths! There is a channel about 5ft that runs through the back of the cove. The shad love to get back here and feed on the flats and points. I did see several smaller bass busting the surface, but never saw or caught any big fish.
Next, I tried near the Smith Spring boat ramp. I parked the boat on the big left point at the mouth of the No Wake Zone to the boat ramp. With the boat in 8ft I started back with my purple 1/2oz rattle trap casting towards the bank. I fished 50 yards and caught another short smallmouth before decided to try somewhere else.
My last spot was the cove at Long Hunter boat ramp. I was really wanting to fish this spot earlier, but there was another boat on the right bank where I wanted to start. Now, even more than this morning the wind was pounding against the bank. This is a great bank for smallmouth and largemouth during cooler months, but I felt like it had a lot of potential today with the wind. I fished the entire bank with my rattle trap without a bite!
All and all, good day! I was nice to see so many smallmouth! The water temperature is dropping and the fish seem to be biting better, especially in shallower depths! The fishing will only get better as is cools off. The next day I went out and caught almost all my fish on spooks and buzzbaits!
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5 Replies
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I spent all afternoon out today JD only managed 3 small largemouth on shad colored rattle,traps. The bite was not very good for me. Growing up fishing our smaller, ponds right after cold fronts the fishing was bad. Is that how it is on Priest too?
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It depends on what time of the year it is. The bass like the cold now because they’re ready for fall. Also, the smallmouth like the cold fronts. Today my guide crushed the bass….20lbs for 5 fish! Topwater lures all day. They water was in the mid 70’s with clouds and wind….perfect.
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I didn’t try much topwater, guess that was my mistake.
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Brian, how deep was the water they were catching them on topwater? I’ve never been very good at it, but want to learn. Do they just fish it around the grass on the edges or out away from the bank?
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After reading about your smallmouth in Bryant’s grove I decided to give it a try. I’m a transplant from Louisiana and have never caught a smallmouth in my life but really wanted to. So I put in at four corners and started to Bryant’s grove..however I went to the wrong spot! I went to the first cove on the right as soon as you go under Hobson Pike Brdge I fished the let bank first, and wouldn’t You know it, I caught 2 smallmouth along the bank and had a big one jump and throw my rattle trap all the way in the back of the cove. I just wanted to say thanks for this website. It has been such a big help for me. I grew up fishing in smaller private ponds, so Percy Priest size is overwhelming but this forum and your tips on location and baits has really been beneficial and helped me learn how to fish such a big place!
Also, I’m now hooked on smallmouth and want to catch more. Those things fight like crazy!
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