The fishing dynamics have changed on OldHickory Lake

[10-Ring]

As I've mentioned in some other posts I've recently gotten a boat and started fishing OldHickory lake again.  Last time that I actively fished the lake on a regular basis was around 2002 or 2003.  I'll fish for anything, I'm eventually wanting to get after some rockfish but I need some bigger gear first.  For now I'm fishing for bluegill, catfish, bass, and I troll for stripe when the family is out with me because they just want to ride around and don't like it when I stop and fish.  So, I've made the following observations now as opposed to 12-13 years ago.

1)  I'm catching more bass and they are bigger!  I credit this to the 15" minimum limit and the 5 fish creel limit put into place several years ago.  It looks as if it has finally had enough time to make a difference.  I haven't gotten to do as much bass fishing as I would like but I'd say my average bass is around a pound while 12 years ago the average was maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound. 

2) I'm catching more catfish.  Not necessarily bigger catfish but more smaller ones and that's fine because I prefer to eat the ones under about 3 pounds the most. 

3)  This one puzzles me but in the panfish arena I'm only catching very small fish for the most part.  It's rare that I catch one that is big enough to clean.  Years ago I separated them as I caught them by cleaning size and catfish bait size.  There were always plenty that were big enough to clean but not anymore.  I caught about 60 Friday evening and 3 or 4 were big enough to clean.  Maybe that's why the bass are bigger and there are more of them?  If that's so why are the smaller panfish plentiful? 

4)  The number of gar has drastically increased.  It used to be rare to see one now I can't hardly fish a bank without seeing one.

5)  I see a lot of really big fish jumping in the middle of the lake, I haven't figured out what they are but I'm talking at the very least 20 pound plus fish.  I haven't tied into any of these while trolling, I've also thrown Rapalas out in the early mornings but have yet to hook into one of these huge fish. 

6)  I've caught several large skipjacks while trolling like 2+ feet long and probably 4-5 pounds.  Never really remember catching them before on that body of water. 

 

I never thought about the lake being any different to fish than it used to be but there certainly are some changes.

[whiskey]

Well I don't fish Old Hickory, but I woud bet that the big fish jumping in the middle of the lake are rockfish. I grew up on Tims Ford and it is full of them. They chase the shad schools and we would catch them on large white jigs. 

 

Also, I would bet the larger panfish are deeper than you are fishing if you are only catching small ones. Just a hunch. 

[10-Ring]

I'd really like to get into those rockfish, I kind of thought that's what they were.  I trolled one morning using some white jigs after I saw several jumping but didn't have any luck.  I may try a whole bluegill and see how that works.

[felinesNfreedom]

Big shad are usually the trick. I know a guy who has been killing it on OH this summer. He' fishing 30-40' about 20' down with big live shad. I got into the Hybrids Sunday morning on JPP, caught a few small striper too. Fun morning in the yak. 

[gregintenn]

What are largemouth bass hitting this time of year? I've been able to find some catfish, but I can't have any luck at all with the bass.

[felinesNfreedom]

What are largemouth bass hitting this time of year? I've been able to find some catfish, but I can't have any luck at all with the bass.

 

 

Should still be deeper on the ledges/points. You might find some up in the creeks chasing bait.

[10-Ring]

I've done well with top water baits in the creeks.  The Rapala popper is my favorite, but I'm partial to top water.  I will say the bigger bass may be deeper I'm not catching much that is over a pound and a half or so.

Edited September 10, 2015 by 10-Ring

[bersaguy]

If you really want to tie into the bigger Rock Fish just wait till about mid to late October / early November when water temps drop. Then since you like top water tie on a Zara Spook in shad color and go up and fish the mouth of steam plant discharge early in the morning. You better have some really tough gear and 60lb Braid line. If you don't have any luck there go down the the discharge of the sewer plant on the right side of the main channel about midway between 109 bridge and Station Camp creek. Just watch for the birds to tell you if the shad are working there. If the birds are there the Rock Fish are also. Move out on that flat and use that Zara Spook or a Pencil Popper. Water temps will have to be in lower 60's upper 50's before this feeding will start in earnest but you need to keep watch for when it happens.

 

Right now the catfish are being caught on Shrimp really well up on the ledges of the main channel below 109 bridge on right side going down. Once you get past Peach valley move over onto the top of the ledge in about 12 foot of water and put a shrimp on below a float about 18 inches and no weight. Just let it drift around and watch the float. Shouldn't take long to have a few cats in the boat.

 

 The gar are the reason your not seeing as many bigger Blue Gills and Pan fish as that is the gars main source of food. The more the gars the less the pan fish.

 

As for the Bass, they are in beginning of Fall transition and are now following the shad so what ever the shad are doing the Bass are also doing. This is a tough time of the year to try and pattern Bass.

 

I hope I get my vision corrected early enough to be able to do some Fall fishing on Old Hickory this year. I love that lake...... :up: :up:

[10-Ring]

Thanks for the tips Bersa.  The steam plant isn't unfeasible but it's 10 miles down river from where I keep my boat and that boat just don't go anywhere fast.  If I can manage to get my butt out of the deer woods on an October day I just may have to do that.  I'm going to go out tomorrow evening and see if I can get into some catfish and/or rockfish.  I had planned to hunt archery this year but I just haven't had the time to get the bow practice in and I'm going to have to restring the bow before I use it.  I have really been wanting to get that done so I can put my fishing equipment on it and shoot some gar.  We're rich with carp too and I'm pretty sure I've seen some asian carp.  I kind of hate to kill stuff and not do anything with it but both species seem to be invasive. 

[bersaguy]

Thanks for the tips Bersa.  The steam plant isn't unfeasible but it's 10 miles down river from where I keep my boat and that boat just don't go anywhere fast.  If I can manage to get my butt out of the deer woods on an October day I just may have to do that.  I'm going to go out tomorrow evening and see if I can get into some catfish and/or rockfish.  I had planned to hunt archery this year but I just haven't had the time to get the bow practice in and I'm going to have to restring the bow before I use it.  I have really been wanting to get that done so I can put my fishing equipment on it and shoot some gar.  We're rich with carp too and I'm pretty sure I've seen some asian carp.  I kind of hate to kill stuff and not do anything with it but both species seem to be invasive. 

 

If you do see any Asian Carp or Silver Carp please kill them and if possible just throw them up on the bank and the Coons and opossums will make short work of them so they won't be going to waste. You can do the same with Gar and other breeds of carp.

 

I know what you mean when you say it's hard to get out of the woods in October to go fishing. I use to have that same problem but I found time to do both. If your 10 miles up river from Steam plant you must be close to the 231 Bridge area. Back when I was fishing Bass tournaments I would go under the 231 bridge and never slow down till I reached the mouth of the Caney River....lol. Other Anglers said I was crazy to make that run from Bulls Creek on Sunday Mornings until I began taking their money home with winning bags of fish.

 

I can't help you with much stuff in the area you fish. I seldom fished Rocky Creek or Little Cedar Creek up that way. Now if you know where Bently's Landing launch ramp is that is a great Pocket for bass fishing and if your going in there from the river mouth as you begin to travel down that right side after the first few boat docks on the right bank, if you look close you will see some steel cables running into the water. That is a deep bank and the folks that live in that pocket and own those boat docks have drilled holes in standing trees near the bank and then put in the cables. Attach the cab;e to a steel stake and then cut the tree below the cable dropping the tree into the water near their docks and created some wonderful Crappie brush piles and you will find Bass in them also. I use to go up there and limit in big Crappie about every time I went. Use Red & Chartreuse or Black & Chartreuse Crappie tubes. I figure since i am no longer able to use these locations I will share them with folks............. :up:  :up:  

[10-Ring]

I am right in Between the 109 bridge and the 231 bridge, Barton's Creek area. 

[10-Ring]

FYI, page 10 of the 2015 TWRA fishing regulations states that it is illegal to harvest gar in Tennessee and they must be returned to the water immediately.  There are plenty of things that the TWRA does that I don't care for but if I'm going to fish and hunt in Tennessee I feel that it is my responsibility to follow the rules. 

[felinesNfreedom]

FYI, page 10 of the 2015 TWRA fishing regulations states that it is illegal to harvest gar in Tennessee and they must be returned to the water immediately.  There are plenty of things that the TWRA does that I don't care for but if I'm going to fish and hunt in Tennessee I feel that it is my responsibility to follow the rules. 

 

 

Really... does it say all Gar or just alligator? 

[10-Ring]

Okay,  I just went back and looked, it does specify alligator gar, so I suppose short nosed gar are fine to take.

[felinesNfreedom]

Okay,  I just went back and looked, it does specify alligator gar, so I suppose short nosed gar are fine to take.

Makes more sense, Alligator gar are few and far between. Wish they were plentiful becuase they can grow to be monsters. I love catching long nose in a little river here in Murfreesboro. Hell of a fight and they jump as well as smallmouth, Smell like Ass and cat food though.

[bersaguy]

Ok, but you need to know that the alligator gar is the short nosed Gar and not the Needle Nose Gar. The Needle Nosed Gar has a long thin beak lined with teeth and is the most common. I  have seen Alligator Gar in the Tennessee River in Guntersville several times while bass fishing the lake. Was fishing a weed line just below the Comer Bridge one day and noticed something out of the corner of my eye and turned to look at it. I'm at the front of a 20 ft Bass Boat and right beside the boat were 2 Alligator Gars about 5 feet apart cruising beside the boat. As a joke I told my partner not to fall out or he would be lunch. He turned and saw them and he said a few words I can't say here. Both of them had their nose about even with the nose of the boat and their tails were back by drivers windshield and they were about as big around as a 6 inch stove pipe. I turned the boat towards them with the trolling motor and they didn't panic but just drifted out of site. Never saw them again................... :up: :up:

[felinesNfreedom]

Bersa, you actually have a short nose, long nose, Gator gar along with a spotted gar.  I used to partiipate on this site when I fished for gar all the time. I've only done it once in the last two years or so.  I caught a small Gator on a frog last summer on Guntersville, I was amazed.

 

http://www.garfishing.com/garhow.html

[bersaguy]

Bersa, you actually have a short nose, long nose, Gator gar along with a spotted gar.  I used to partiipate on this site when I fished for gar all the time. I've only done it once in the last two years or so.  I caught a small Gator on a frog last summer on Guntersville, I was amazed.

 

http://www.garfishing.com/garhow.html

When you refer to a small gator you are referring to a fish........Right? I Have caught several small Alligator Gars on Jigs tipped with a Crayfish trailer at Guntersville flipping buck bushes in pockets. Man when they begin that death roll it gets exciting. Thing is when they do that they sign their own death warrant. I use 60 and 80 lb braid to flip jigs and when they do the death roll they tie their own mouths shut and aii I do is cut the line when I get them next to my Skeeter Bass Boat and they swim off.

[bersaguy]

Bersa, you actually have a short nose, long nose, Gator gar along with a spotted gar.  I used to partiipate on this site when I fished for gar all the time. I've only done it once in the last two years or so.  I caught a small Gator on a frog last summer on Guntersville, I was amazed.

 

http://www.garfishing.com/garhow.html

Yea I knew there was several different species of them. I have never hunted them or fished for them and back years ago when I would catch one on a limb line while fishing for catfish I would just cut them loose and not kill them. They like Pond Perch on limb lines about as much as Flat Head catfish do............ :up: :up: