Loudon Bluegill Help?

Anybody have any help for finding decent bluegill or shellcrackers on Loudon (are there even any crackers there)? I’ve been dying to get my two young boys on some, but I can’t seem to find anything of any size. Thanks in advance for any advice.


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I got nothing. Except for the pesky little brats that peck at my jig and bite the tail off!

Fort Loudon should have both Gills and Redear Sunfish doing there thing right about now. I have fished that lake for Bass but have no experience with the more fun and tasty Panfish.

First question...Do you have Side Imaging on your electronics? It is a great but not necessary help in locating beds. They will appear as small craters on the sandy and gravely bottom. You can peek over on the Panfish board or just google the images to see what to look for. I do not have SI on my electronics and catch plenty.

Next question ties into first.......are you familiar with the bottom structure of the lake, and know where to seek out the bedding areas. Here are several things I do, first look around in the winter months when the lake is not at full pool for potential bedding areas. I know Ft Loudon only drops about 5ft in the winter, but this can be a big clue as to keying in on places to fish. A helpful tool is Google Earth and Navionics. I use GE to look for gravel ramps and driveways that lead into protected and shallow coves. Navionics tells me the water depths of those places. Gills like shallower places to bed, not steep drops. This eliminates lots of river channel areas. Our lakes here are red mud, boulders, slate and a combination, so a gravely area will attract said spawners. Areas of sand and man made beaches with swimming holes are another good place to look, on GE and on the water. Watch one of Trout Magnet Mans latest video, he gets into some nice ones right in front of a public swimming hole, and I have done the same. Go to the bigger creeks, out of the current of the TN river, and start your search. Last, use live bait to find them, red wigglers and crickets should be on board. Take UL outfits, a 7in Gill on a light rod is fun. 4-6 inch fish may not be keepers but young kids love to catch anything, and if it feels like they have a fight on their hands, it will be more enjoyable. When I retire in a couple years I plan on traveling to some more of the lakes in ETN more and fish for these guys, Norris and Ft Loudon are on my list. Good luck and I hope this helps some.


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Originally Posted by StantheMan2567

Fort Loudon should have both Gills and Redear Sunfish doing there thing right about now. I have fished that lake for Bass but have no experience with the more fun and tasty Panfish.

First question...Do you have Side Imaging on your electronics? It is a great but not necessary help in locating beds. They will appear as small craters on the sandy and gravely bottom. You can peek over on the Panfish board or just google the images to see what to look for. I do not have SI on my electronics and catch plenty.

Next question ties into first.......are you familiar with the bottom structure of the lake, and know where to seek out the bedding areas. Here are several things I do, first look around in the winter months when the lake is not at full pool for potential bedding areas. I know Ft Loudon only drops about 5ft in the winter, but this can be a big clue as to keying in on places to fish. A helpful tool is Google Earth and Navionics. I use GE to look for gravel ramps and driveways that lead into protected and shallow coves. Navionics tells me the water depths of those places. Gills like shallower places to bed, not steep drops. This eliminates lots of river channel areas. Our lakes here are red mud, boulders, slate and a combination, so a gravely area will attract said spawners. Areas of sand and man made beaches with swimming holes are another good place to look, on GE and on the water. Watch one of Trout Magnet Mans latest video, he gets into some nice ones right in front of a public swimming hole, and I have done the same. Go to the bigger creeks, out of the current of the TN river, and start your search. Last, use live bait to find them, red wigglers and crickets should be on board. Take UL outfits, a 7in Gill on a light rod is fun. 4-6 inch fish may not be keepers but young kids love to catch anything, and if it feels like they have a fight on their hands, it will be more enjoyable. When I retire in a couple years I plan on traveling to some more of the lakes in ETN more and fish for these guys, Norris and Ft Loudon are on my list. Good luck and I hope this helps some.


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Thanks StantheMan! I do have SI and plenty of electronics. As to the bottom structure, I guess I am more familiar with contour/elevation structure (I.e. ledges, humps, etc) than I am with bottom composition. Thanks for the tips. Those will definitely be helpful. And I love fishing UL for them! That’s the way I grew up fishing them with my dad. He loved catching them with a “noodle rod” (as he always called his ultra- or micro- light rods). So much fun. Thanks again!


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