I started up lake at about 6am looking and poking here and there. There were hardly any scattered fish around R31 like there have been the past 3 weeks. I started trolling outside Indian Creel near R37 and was spotting some scattered fish. As I entered Indian Creek I saw the birds fluttering but some were diving and hitting the water. As I eased around I would see ONE fish bust on top and then go away. 5-10 minutes later another fish would bust up but 300 yards across the bay. Then 5-10 min later another ONE fish some where else. This kept up for over an hour. I stowed the trolling rods and started casting around the points. Nada. I switched out 7-8 different baits but got nothing. I had noticed an old timer casting across the way from the motel and as I passed him we chatted some. He said he got 6-7 fish just sitting there casting a bucktail. I came around and started casting around the area and the little cove there. Still, ONE fish would bust up every 10 min or so. Very frustrating. He got one smallish fish while I was there. Again I was switching out baits trying a bunch of different stuff.

After a few hours of this exercise, I started trolling again. It was windy. Boat control and speed control were tough. I trolled around outside Indian Creek seeing only a few scattered fish. Just past R37 and the boat dock I spotted a "pod" of 6 fish and after turning in their direction I got one to bite. A plump 22". I went around again but the pod was gone. I worked around the R35 bend and kept going to R34. Didn't see anything. I quit.

From all I've been hearing maybe I haven't been going up lake far enough. I do hesitate to run at speed in the dark and low light conditions. I fear hitting debris and damaging my pretty (almost) new boat. But I think I have to try something else. Later Joel

I headed out just before daylight and started hunting. Nothing was showing around the bridge and the creek mouths so I cruised up to R31 and found some scattered fish but much less than last week. So I headed up to my favorite Indian Creek. I started looking outside and was marking some scattered fish all up and down the water column. I made a quick pass inside but saw a lot less fish. A few birds were fluttering but there was no surface activity. So I trolled out of the creek and got the first fish off the "west side" point. An energetic 22". I was still marking scattered fish and a big group was 2 or 3.

So I headed back to around R35 and got the second fish, a little better 24". Still seeing scattered fish so another loop at R35 brought a 17" who thought he was bigger. Still seeing the fish another loop got a heavy hit and I wrestled in a big, fat 31". Zowie! That was it for that area so I kept moving down lake.

I finally got to around R31 when I boated another plump 22". Gees, my arm was getting tired from catching all these fish! I couldn't tempt another one there so I headed for Coast Guard point. On the first second pass I wrangled in a chubby 23". All morning I was finding the fish out over deeper water, 60-90ft. Only the first fish I caught was up shallow (25'). Just to note about side imaging sonar: three of the fish I caught I spotted on the side but not under the boat. Seeing them on the side while trolling I started a turn in that direction and got them. Another note about how far the fish will move to get a bait. Two times Tuesday I marked fish 40-45' while my lures were running 15-20' and got a hook-up. And finally two of the six fish came on the bigger Bomber lure, the others on the small ones. Gee, six fish in six hours, not bad for an old geezer by himself.

Later Joel

I started out just before dawn and slow cruised up lake stopping first at R31. I marked several decent schools of fish but could not entice a bite. It was still dark so may have been a little early. Then I made the rookie mistake and left fish to go find fish. Duh. I ran up to Indian Creek and motored around looking. A few scattered marks but nothing inviting. Only a few birds fluttering around. As I trolled out of Indian Creek I got a bite on the point and boated a nice 25". First fish for the family fish fry. I kept trolling the area but didn't see or catch anything else.

I went down to around R35 and marked enough scattered fish to make a few laps but caught nothing. So I kept going down lake seeing a few fish here and there up and down the water column. One or two at 25' then one or two at 30-40' then down near the bottom then up again. Just all over the place except on my hook. I got all the way to R31 when I got a scrappy 18". I was marking more fish around here so I kept trolling laps. At least 3 times I had fish on that then spit the hook and each felt big. And at least 3 times I had heavy strikes that didn't hook-up.

I finally stuck another one and boated a nice plump 27". All through this time I kept switching out lures big for little but all the fish bit the small Bombers. Interestingly enough, during the tournament last Saturday I caught 5 fish and 2 were on the bigger Bomber. Hmmmm. No more bites so after a while I ran down to Hales Ford Bridge to try Coast Guard point. I started near Bridgewter and just before Coast Guard I boated a good 23". Fish fry complete! I made several passes over CG and across the lake but no more bites. I did mark a few fish around but couldn't tempt them. But hey, it was a real nice day. Later Joel

 I headed out in the dark and started checking the area around Hales Ford Bridge and in the creeks. Didn't see anything. I slowly cruised up to Indian Creek in the dark. Slowly because there's a lot of debris floating around and a lot of it is big stuff. I started trolling near R37 and went into Indian Creek all the way to the back. Nothing but some bait and that was less than last time. The birds weren't even up and fluttering.

As I got back to the main lake I started marking more fish but nothing was biting.Trolled around there and half way to Grimes but still nothing. And then the wind blew up. Wow, what a difference. I headed back toward R35 still marking scattered fish. I made a loop there and then kept going down lake. The first fish came at 9:30 half way between R35 and R34. Just a plump 23" but the first fish of the year. Ha-lay-lu-la. I looped around that area a couple times because I was marking fish in small loose groups. I did get a big hit but it pulled off near the boat after I cleared my lines. All I got were two scales on a hook. A couple more loops got no more. So I kept going and on the second loop at R33 got the second fish. A nicer 25.5". Nothing else happened so I kept going to R31. There I met Bob R. I think he was following me. He too had marked fish but no bites. He did mention he marked fish at Coast Guard point so I kept that in mind. I started heading down lake checking a few spots here and there. I set my lines again at Bridgewater and trolled to Coast Guard. As Bob said I started marking fish. I saw a group of about 6 fish on the side imaging and steered that way. Bango. Third fish was a very nice 25". I was finally feeling good.

I took a break at Captains Quarters and said hello to Dewayne. He showed me some nice pix from his time on the Bay. I got to do that some time soon. He confirmed for me that fish should still be up the creek near/around Campers so after the break I headed that way. I started casting at the first big right turn and working the bank with a Storm Kickin' Minnow 6" in gizzard shad color. Half way to the no wake buoys I got bumped. I thought I snagged something and then was shocked when the snag started swimming away! Wow, I actually got one casting the banks. Just a 22" but also nice. I had just taken the temps at the bridge and back here the water was 50 degrees. I didn't want to quit since the weather was so great but I did. I'm ready for Saturday.
Later Joel

I finally headed out just as it was getting light. At 27 degrees, it was cold.
Just past the bridge I again saw many, many birds fluttering around so I decided to troll the area looking. I did see all the bait the birds were seeing but there were no fish chasing the bait. I trolled the mouth of Hales Ford creek and across on the other side and all the way up to R30, following the birds all the way. I maybe marked a stray fish here and there. Pooh.

So I ran up to Indian and decided to troll while I hunted for the fish. I did see a few scattered fish and even a few pairs but nothing bit. I went all the way up to the condos and still didn't see anything. Trolling on the way back out, short of the marina, I got a big, solid hit. There were big head shakes and a lot of weight there. I had just cleared the other line when the line went slack. Gone. I checked the lure and one tine on the rear hook was straightened. And these are the 2x replacements I put on all my little lures. Dang.

 I made two more passes in that area but saw nothing and got no bites. I trolled out of Indian Creek and up to Grimes and actually saw more scattered fish than in the creek. Mostly sorta deep. The water was a little off color so I started back down lake. Nothing at R35. I trolled the stretch from R34-R32-R31 with no results. I ran back to the bridge and trolled from there up past Coast Guard point, over to Yacht ClubC creek mouth, back up that side, and over across past CG point again. The water was clearer there and seemed to change around the bridge but I didn't see any difference in fish density, and also saw a lot less bait. For the heck of it I ran up Hales to Campers and cast around the banks for a bit but had no takers. Times are tough so I think I'll just try again. Later Joel

Brrrrrr, just a bit chilly today but not unusual, just a couple degrees cooler than last year. Actually I was out yesterday (Wed) for a short ride. I joined Mike Ward for a tutoring session on the fine points of gizzard acquisition. We cruised back in around Campers and Mike got all the bait he wanted. There seemed to be a lot there. It was a nice enough day so we pulled some of the gizzards on the boards. The baits got excited often, we got hit 3 or 4 times and boated one in the low 30in range. Quite educational for me. Thanx again, Mike.

So today, Thursday Feb 20th. I launched out at dawn with no problem. There were LOTS of birds fluttering around Webster's but no surface activity. I marked the bait but saw no fish. I ran up to Indian Creek which has always been good this time of year. But not today. Lots of birds fluttering again but only marked single fish here and there. No biters. I trolled outside Indian Creek and up to Grimes and saw a few very scattered fish but still no bites. After checking that area I ran back into Campers since I know there were fish there yesterday. I cast along the banks with several different baits but got no bites. Darn. Hey, at least I was out there.

Later Joel

Since this is about the shortest day of the year, I sort'a slept in and didn't get on the water til after 6am!!! Wow, lazy me. I ran up to Indian Creek since that has been good to me in past Dec and Jan. I eased all the way through to the back marking only a few fish, mostly deep. There were a couple boats working back there but I saw no fish. So I started trolling back out and near the mouth saw a big bunch of gulls circling above the water. No surface activity but the gulls were interested or watching something. I saw one guy boat one fish right near the point but I didn't even see what it was. I was marking small groups/schools near the bottom or 40-50 ft down. So I cast around and dropped a jig-fluke on the fish. I know I was on the fish because I knocked a few fish on the head with the jig but they still wouldn't open up and bite.No takers.

When the birds left I started trolling again inside and outside the creek mouth. I didn't see any fish. So I ran up to Moorman's and started trolling and searching. I was marking very scattered fish and when I got to the very North end of the flats I finally got a big hit. It was strong and heavy. I got it boated and it was a very plump 28". Yippee!!!!! Long time, no fish. I kept trolling to the trestle and right at the bend I saw fish swirling. Not chasing bait, just swirling near the top. I frantically started casting and actually saw several fish swim right by the boat! Two other boats were right there near me casting and nobody got a bite.

I kept trolling up river but didn't mark anything past the trestle. So I started trolling back. Past Moorman's and part way back to the Tennis Courts. Only marked very few fish in small bunches and deep. So I pulled up lines and started back. I checked Beaver Dam and Grimes on the way back but found nothing. I trolled around the mouth of Indian Creek again but got nothing else.

At least the day did turn out very nice. If I don't see you before then have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Later Joel

I was out twice last week. Monday the 18th I played a hunch and launched at the Hardy ramp. There was so much debris, leaves and such on the water that trolling was out of the question. So I putted around looking for fish. There were several boats in the area from Hardy down to Moorman's but none were close together indicating fish. I saw no fish boated and no nets swinging. I moved around and when I saw at least two marks together I started jigging and casting. But nothing bit. All the marks I saw were hanging down near the bottom. I did see a few birds fluttering high above also looking for fish. No surface activity.

On Friday the 22nd I started at Hales Ford Bridge and ran up to Indian Creek. It was just before dawn. I cruised to the back looking but didn't see as much as I had recently. As I idled way back I saw a few fish and quickly cast a crank bait behind me. Wow. I got a 18". Then I didn't see any more fish. I cruised back out and even looked up Little Indian Creek but there was nothing there either.

So I ran back up the lake and started looking again at Moorman's. I was marking some scattered fish and the water was clean so I started trolling around. And trolling. And trolling. Nothing was biting. Again there were several boats in the area but no catching. I kept looking all the way up to the flats but no dice. Again a few birds were fluttering around but no surface activity. I started trolling again and trolled the stretch all the way to the Tennis Courts. Nothing. Then I zipped down to Lynville and cruised all the way into the back. Nada. Lots of bait but no fish.

So I headed back down lake and trolled from Grimes to Indian Creek but only marked a few scattered fish. No takers. After looking around Indian Creek again I headed down to Hales Creek. I saw a few small marks at Campers and spent time casting and jigging but nothing bit. That ended it. But it was a real nice weather day and maybe the last nice weather for a long time. Since I'm almost a fair weather fisherman I won't be out this week. I also have a Thursday dinner engagement. Happy Thanksgiving to all! Later Joel

I headed off in the dark (it gets lighter earlier now) to Indian Creek. I cruised around the mouth and then into the back. I was marking fish so started casting, jigging and fluking. I never heard or saw anything on top and didn't get a bite.

Once it was light I ran up to Moorman's. I started looking around R74 and soon was marking fish so I started trolling. Near the middle of Moorman's I saw a fishin' buddy, Steve, so I eased over to say hello and chat. He was parked outside a small cove on the Franklin side. As I eased past him at barely an idle I marked a lot of fish and then had a big, smashing strike. I could feel that it was a good fish but as I was clearing the other lines he got off. When I got the lure in I noticed straightened hooks. Only big fish do that. So I looped around back to where Steve was and marked even more fish. So then I pulled in my lines and started casting and jigging. Then Steve said he heard a couple fish break behind him in the small cove. When I looked there the water was boiling. I clipped on a 4" Storm WSS and started casting. Boom!!!!!!!! Got a good one. Finally boated a nice 29". I quickly dumped it back and cast again. Boom!!!!!! Another one. This one was 31". I quickly dumped it back and cast some more. Boom!!!!!!!!! Third fish was a fat 30". All three of these fish were big around like a tuna. Then they were gone. Three fish in ten minutes. I was still marking them toward the bottom but couldn't jig a single one. Just like that they disappeared.

I trolled a few laps around Moorman's looking but couldn't find them again. I did mark some few fish but got no bites. So I headed up river still looking and got all the way to Hardy and a little beyond the bridge. I did see a few small groups of fish in the center channel but couldn't buy a bite. So since sundown now comes earlier I thought I'd try the "afternoon" bite. I cruised back down lake checking spots along the way and ended back in Indian Creek. Way back at the condo point I trolled up a 24" fish. I thought I might be onto something. So dutiful guy that I am, I ran back to Hales Ford Bridge to take the water temps and then ran back to Indian Creek to hit the afternoon bite. So I got back there and cast and jigged all kinds of stuff and got nothing even though I did mark occasional fish on the sonar. The sun was going down quick so I quit around 4:00. Probably should have stayed longer. Maybe next time.

Later, Joel

For the fishing reports I can combine three days into one short report. Tuesday 10/29, Thursday 10/31, and Saturday 11/2 (tournament). I started in the dark and ran up to Indian Creek. I headed to the back and drifted around. I was marking fish and bait back there but no surface action. I threw around crankbaits, jigs and jig/flukes with no takers. I even tried glow grubs while it was dark.

I would head out just after sun rise which last week was around 7:30, earlier now on EST. I ran up lake stopping to check a few spots but never saw anything promising. I started spotting some scattered fish near and in Moorman's but couldn't buy a bite. I checked all the way up to the Hardy bridge and heard comments about a real early bite.

One guy fishing between the trestles told me of a great evening/night bite in that area. I'll need to try that. On Saturday I did run way up Lynville Creek and some coves casting in shallow water but didn't get a bite.

I know they're there somewhere and I'll keep on looking.

Later Joel