Strange on Watts Bar

[croppiedude]

I finally found some fish on Watts Bar, today. Fishing has been steady this fall and winter but the really big fish haven't shown up. I finally caught some today, though, but get this. Some of these fish were 14-16 inches long but were so skinny they didn't even have enough meat to make a good filet. I mean these fish looked very unhealthy. They looked like they had not eaten in weeks. I caught them out of 23 feet of water and when you would hook them they would barely even fight; just rolled belly-up. Has anyone else seen this?

[CrappiePappy]

check with Don York @ Eden, or Killer ......... they might have an idea of what's going on. Myself ... I've only seen LM Bass that looked that way, at WB. And that was many years ago, and just occasionally.
When I was there in late Oct, the Shad were still pretty small ... and they were hanging around the shallow brush & close to the fronts of docks. They seemed to be pretty plentiful, so I don't think it's for lack of food ... unless they had a mass die-off, or something.
I don't know if Don has been fishing any, lately ... but, Killer goes regularly, so he should be able to put you on some fish. ....... luck2ya ...cp

[jon the fisherman]

hey croppiedude, were you on the lower end or upper end of
Watts Bar? I have never seen that before with crappie, but I mainly fish the upper end.

[croppiedude]

I was at Caney Creek which is the mid portion of the lake. I've been catching quiet a few lately in the 10-12" range but the really huge fish just don't seem to be there. Maybe they'll show up this spring or maybe I'm just fishing in the wrong place. I had almost a limit on Monday but none of them were over 12" long. I caught a 3 pound 6 oz slab that was 17 and 1/4" along with numerous 15 and 16 inch crappie last year. It just seems like the ones that are that long this year are really skinny and unhealthy looking. I may just be reading too much into it and hopefully spring will releave my nervousness about the health of the crappie population on Watts Bar.

[CrappiePappy]

what'cha doin in MY creek?? :D

Seriously though ... I think the work being done on the "Park" there, has taken its toll on the fish. I would think the same fish, year to year, would come back to that area ... and maybe the removal of all the trees, & muddying up of the water (when they were working in there) has run the baitfish away. May have an effect on the use of the creek for spawning, too.

It would be a good creek to "plant" some condos in !! hint hint

I've noticed a steady decline in the fishing in Caney, over the last few years. Even the next creek down hasn't produced like it used to (the one with the big tree on the left point going in - next creek downstream from Caney, as you head towards the dam ... Bullet Branch, I think it's called). We used to catch some nice fish, in numbers, from the left bank of that creek ... submerged timber along that bank, plus the occasional blowdown. Haven't done worth a hoot there, in years, either. That's one of the main reasons I've moved my fishing to the "big part" of the lake (Whites Creek area).
I haven't caught any "poor" Crappie from there ... but, I only fish it in Spring (Apr/May) and Fall (Oct/Nov). Which reminds me -
When we were down there, this past Fall ...a lot of the Shad seemed to be kinda small (<3in) for that late in the year. Maybe the cold weather caused a bigger than normal "die off", and the fish don't have near as much to eat ?? I have experienced a trip there, once ... when we were expecting to fish the backs of coves, around the Shad schools -- and no Shad were to be found. Needless to say, we didn't fare too well on that trip. It was one more reason why we stopped going there for Bass, and started going for Crappie.

Don't want to give any "secrets" away (as if it "were" a big secret) ... but, have you done any good around the "concrete" in Caney, lately ? We used to be able to depend on it, for several nice fish ... even won a tourney on it. But, haven't caught much of anything on it in the last few years, Spring or Fall. Didn't even bother to check on it, this past Fall. Went straight to Eden Marina, and fished the Whites Creek & Fooshee areas. Keep me updated on how Caney fishing fares (+/-) ... when we come down this Spring, it'll be good to know the conditions of that area, beforehand. May be worth a stop, may not. May even be able to meet up with you, there. Where do you launch from, usually, when fishing Caney ? It usually depends on where we are staying ... we know how to get to the Caney Creek ramp - but, we normally use the WB Campground ramp (across the lake from Caney).

Take care .......... luck2ya ......cp

[croppiedude]

CrappiePappy,

You've "mashed a button" with me about Caney Creek. I've lived in the area and fished Caney Creek for 13 years. In that time, I've seen a definite decline in the fishing in the Caney Creek area. I usually manage to do pretty good (better than most) but not anything like I used to. The decline in fishing has directly coincided with three things; the development of Caney Creek Marina back at the highway, the development of the park, and home construction in the very back of Caney Creek which has resulted in a huge influx of mud at the slightest rain.
Since the development of the marina, the boat traffic in Caney is unbelievable and unsafe. I actually pressured our local wildlife officer to put in a no-wake zone at the bridge and finally got it done. I almost got ran over twice, once at night and once in broad daylight, by yachts coming from the marina. These boats are too big for this lake and something should be done. These people have no courtesy whatsoever. The fish, especially in the spring, just don't like the enormous boat wake.
When the development at the park started, the first thing they did was to pull out all of the brush along the bank. This was a huge spawning area for the crappie and, of course, a great place to fish, as well. There was no public outcry and to be honest, it would have done no good, anyway. I hate to think how many crappie got their start in those brush piles. It makes me sick.
To make things worse, the next creek down you were talking about is now getting its own lakefront development and its just a matter of time until that place ends up like Caney Creek.
I've fished Whites Creek with quite a bit of success but here lately it is just too crowded. I live about five minutes from the big ramp in Rockwood and fish their alot with quite a bit of success. Now, the Rockwood City Council is pushing to develop that area, as well, and a deal is in the works with a developer from Atlanta. I saw a map of the proposal, and it involves a shopping center, condos, a marina for large boats, making the boat ramp private, etc. That ramp was built by fisherman through donations and is now the main place for tournaments on Watts Bar Lake- and we are about to lose it.
We are being forced out, gentleman. When a lowly little crappie comes up against the almighty dollar you know which one is going to win. TVA is swapping land right and left to make sure this happens and then all of us "pain in the butt" fisherman will be out of their hair once and for all.

[CrappiePappy]

I know what you mean by the decline of Caney. I had hoped that the dead trees (from the pine beetle infestation) would be used to make some new attractor sites ... but, once I learned that the park was extending, and the brush already in the water was being removed -- I gave up on the back end of the creek.
Glad you got the no wake area established at the bridge. Don't know WHY anyone would want a big cruiser type boat moored in that creek ... that bridge isn't all that high off the water. And once they're out on the "river" ... they still have a good haul to get to any appreciable open water. (I consider the "main lake" area to be from Thiefneck to the dam - and the rest of it as "river").

Never did much good "up in" Rockwood (King Creek) ... but have caught some nice Crappie in the "cut thru". Also caught some nice Bass off the "hump" at the mouth of King Creek. Now there's some brush on the right hand point, going into the creek (where the house/dock are in that pocket off to the right) ... hopefully it will stay there for a while (since it isn't a nav hazard). And they've built some docks out on the main lake bank ... just a little ways down from the mouth of King Creek. They may hold some fish on occasion, since they probably have some deep water under them.
What exactly are you fishing up in King Creek ... brushpiles, sand banks, docks, channel ledges ??? (PM me if you don't want to discuss any of this on an open forum)

As far as developing Bullet Branch (next creek down) ... they'd have to do it on the right hand bank (going in) - the left bank is a cliff And there are no roads going back in there (on that side, anyway). I think most of the submerged trees along that left bank, are pretty much gone, now. Sure would be a good place for some new cover to fall into the lake. .... cp

[croppiedude]

As far as King Creek (we call it Rockwood slough), I just fish brush like you would anywhere else. The difference, though, is this. Unlike other areas of Watts Bar, the croppie seem to move in and out of the creek depending on what the rock fish are doing. The stripers really seem to bother them in this area of the lake. In other words, it doesn't seem like the croppie live there; it appears they just use the area off and on. Kind of a feast or famine situation. I got sixteen there yesterday but they may be gone today. You said you caught some around Thief Neck. Did you catch them out of rocks or brush?

[CrappiePappy]

No, I think you may have misunderstood. When I was saying "cut thru", did you think I meant Thiefneck Island's "cut thru" ?? What I was talking about is the narrow neck as you enter King Creek from the main lake. On the left side going into the creek, there used to be some blowdown trees (until TVA cut them off) ... on the right side going in, there's nothing in particular to hold them. We were using minnows on jigheads for Smallmouth ... and ended up catching some nice Crappie (Fall, many years ago).
The only thing I've caught around Thiefneck Island itself, is Smallmouth.


If you fish brush in King Creek ... are they planted brush piles, or shoreline brush ? I've never really explored the creek, that much. Are there many docks worthy of shooting back in there ?

You said you've fished Whites Creek, but didn't like it because it was "too crowded". When ? Most times I've been there, I've never seen more than a few boats ... and many of them were Bass fishing the banks. Actually, I've never really fished much of (the actual) Whites Creek ... I've mostly fished Rector Branch & Phillips Branch (the two side creeks off of Whites). I've heard of the many boats gathering around the channel bouys area of Whites, in early Spring ... but, have never seen it. .......... cp

[croppiedude]

I fished the very back of Whites Creek and remember something else, I fish alot on weekends because of work. As far as Kings Creek goes, I fish blow downs and planted brush. At church this morning,I was told by a lake front property owner that many of the property owners on the lake were getting upset by people putting brush out. Seems some of them have been using cane (he said bamboo) and they have the idea that this stuff could start growing and take over the lake near their house. I tried to ease his fears but he didn't agree with me. If someone wants to put brush in the water they had better be careful because he said they were going to start turning people in. As far as docks, there aren't many in Kings Creek and the ones that are back there are usually too shallow. One of the reasons I don't fish Kings Creek as much is because of its inconsistancy; like I said, feast or famine. I have caught some nice smallmouth this year while crappie fishing in this area. That's been a nice bonus. I actually had a crappie jump like a smallmouth yesterday. Never seen one do that. It was funny looking to be honest.