Tennessee

[BrianCarper]

Fishing report by Brian Carper
Percy Priest Lake and Old Hickory Lake- The last few weeks of rain has flooded both lakes
5-7 feet above summer pool. This has opened miles of flooded shoreline to bass, crappie
and many other species to a buffet of insects, oxygen, and cover. Ultimately, that is a
good thing for the fish, but for the fisherman that makes catching very hard, like trying
to find a needle in a haystack. The good news is that US Army Corps has been draining the water
day after day and the lake is close to summer pool again. What does this mean? This
means that the fishing will begin to pick up because now the fish do not have as many
places to hide. You can expect to catch both bass and crappie in shallow water near
wood, rock, and other forms of cover. If you are after those tasty crappie, try using a
1/16oz. jig with a chartreuse and white tube. I have found this color to be successful at
many lakes. As for the bass, texas-rig lizards, crankbaits and spinnerbaits are great
choices for shallow water. Most of the large female bass have finished spawning and
moved out to deeper water, but a lot of the males(buck bass) are still shallow protecting
their eggs. For more information on spring fishing or to book a guided fishing trip,
contact me, Brian Carper at www.briancarper.com or 615-278-6311.