Dock talk at the Tennessee River

Get ready for nasty. Post frontal conditions after a major winter ice and snow storm. Up to 3 inches of rain in the weekend forecast. Water temps in the 40s. Cold water. Dirty water. That’s the setup at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee River.
Get ready for nasty. Post frontal conditions after a major winter ice and snow storm. Up to 3 inches of rain in the weekend forecast. Water temps in the 40s. Cold water. Dirty water. That’s the setup at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Tennessee River.
Myself and Andy Crawford went on a mission to find out what all that means for the sport’s top anglers. We set up at Concord Park, a boat ramp centrally located on Fort Loudoun. The playing field also includes Tellico Lake. Which will it be? Here’s what they had to say. You get to decide which is truth or just dock talk.
Myself and Andy Crawford went on a mission to find out what all that means for the sport’s top anglers. We set up at Concord Park, a boat ramp centrally located on Fort Loudoun. The playing field also includes Tellico Lake. Which will it be? Here’s what they had to say. You get to decide which is truth or just dock talk.
Being from south Louisiana, Tyler Rivet opted to do what Cajuns do. He went sac-a-laits (aka crappie) fishing.
Being from south Louisiana, Tyler Rivet opted to do what Cajuns do. He went sac-a-laits (aka crappie) fishing.
“I pulled up on a dock, saw about 100 of them on my live scope and got out my sac-a-laits rig.” That’s a lightweight spinning rig with a bobber and tiny grub. “I caught a bunch and then decided I better go bass fishing.
“I pulled up on a dock, saw about 100 of them on my live scope and got out my sac-a-laits rig.” That’s a lightweight spinning rig with a bobber and tiny grub. “I caught a bunch and then decided I better go bass fishing.”
“On Monday I went to Tellico and caught about 15 pounds, which is unheard of here. I’m going to go back on Thursday and see if I can expand on what I found.”
“On Monday I went to Tellico and caught about 15 pounds, which is unheard of here. I’m going to go back on Thursday and see if I can expand on what I found.”
“I haven’t caught a limit in three days combined,” said Frank Talley.
“I haven’t caught a limit in three days combined,” said Frank Talley.
“We are here about two weeks too early. A steadier weather pattern with prolonged warm weather would help.”
“We are here about two weeks too early. A steadier weather pattern with prolonged warm weather would help.”
“Success here will be about just catching a limit of keeper-sized fish. I would be very happy to catch 10 pounds. You can catch them, but you go through them to make a limit.”
“Success here will be about just catching a limit of keeper-sized fish. I would be very happy to catch 10 pounds. You can catch them, but you go through them to make a limit.”
“Catching five keepers is my plan,
“Catching five keepers is my plan,” said Clark Wendlandt. “If I can just catch a daily limit then I’ll be feeling good about the weekend.”
“The hang up is the water temperature. The cold water also makes it difficult to cover a lot of water, because you’ve got to fish really slow. We’re all so accustomed to fishing fast that it will make it challenging for some guys to slow down. Covering water fast doesn’t do you any good.”
“The hang up is the water temperature. The cold water also makes it difficult to cover a lot of water, because you’ve got to fish really slow. We’re all so accustomed to fishing fast that it will make it challenging for some guys to slow down. Covering water fast doesn’t do you any good.”
“Everyone predicted the warmer weather we’ve had the past couple of days will help the bite,
“Everyone predicted the warmer weather we’ve had the past couple of days will help the bite,” said Kelley Jaye. “With nighttime lows in the 30s I don’t think it will.”
“And then we’ll lose the sun so there’s no telling what will happen come Friday and through the weekend.”
“And then we’ll lose the sun so there’s no telling what will happen come Friday and through the weekend.”
“I found a decent area yesterday that I’m going to start on tomorrow, and I might just stay there all day. Moving around a lot is not a good idea with these conditions. You have to fish really slow to thoroughly cover an area.”
“I found a decent area yesterday that I’m going to start on tomorrow, and I might just stay there all day. Moving around a lot is not a good idea with these conditions. You have to fish really slow to thoroughly cover an area.”
“I feel like in the morning that I’ll be able to go out and catch a limit,
“I feel like in the morning that I’ll be able to go out and catch a limit,” said Brock Mosley. “Today was post front, but I found something when I pre-fished here that I’m confident will work.”
“We haven’t had any cloud cover for most of practice. It’s been sunny, bluebird skies.
“We haven’t had any cloud cover for most of practice. It’s been sunny, bluebird skies.”
“I would expect the bite will improve with the weather changing on Friday and for the weekend. The fish will bite better during the tournament than they did in practice.”
“Tomorrow the temperature will be 10 degrees lower, but it doesn’t get better until later in the day after the sun’s had a chance to warm the water. So that’s good. I think Friday will be the game changer when we lose the sun,” said Jamie Hartman.
“Tomorrow the temperature will be 10 degrees lower, but it doesn’t get better until later in the day after the sun’s had a chance to warm the water. So that’s good. I think Friday will be the game changer when we lose the sun,” said Jamie Hartman.
“With the warm days and cold nights, it offsets any gains we see in a rising water temperature, which we really need.”
“With the warm days and cold nights, it offsets any gains we see in a rising water temperature, which we really need.”
“I’ve caught 12, 13 pounds in practice the past couple of days,
“I’ve caught 12, 13 pounds in practice the past couple of days,” said Ray Hanselman. “There is a pattern of randomness. If something looks good then you’d better throw at it.”
“You want to be where you think they are going to be coming. There are some fish that are ready to move shallow, some fish are on bait, and others on winter patterns like channel swings.”
“It’s going to be a matter of being at the right place, and at the right time.”
“It’s going to be a matter of being at the right place, and at the right time.”
“I hope I have something going on that’s good,
“I hope I have something going on that’s good,” said Brandon Lester. “The water temperature on the main river channel is in the upper 40s. They’d start moving and turning on if it could reach 50 degrees. It’s easier to get bit in the creeks, which is how I caught them last time (in the 2019 Classic), but we were here three weeks later.”
“You can find warmer water in backs of creeks, but if someone figures it out on the main river, that’s where the big ones live this time of the year on the Tennessee River.”
“You can find warmer water in backs of creeks, but if someone figures it out on the main river, that’s where the big ones live this time of the year on the Tennessee River.”
“I didn’t get on the right grade of fish; I shook off a few that I hope were decent size. It’s still wintertime fishing here,
“I didn’t get on the right grade of fish; I shook off a few that I hope were decent size. It’s still wintertime fishing here,” said Jay Yelas.
“I think the smallmouth will play with it being so cold, because the largemouth haven’t moved shallow.”
“I think the smallmouth will play with it being so cold, because the largemouth haven’t moved shallow.”
The fish don’t seem to be moving up. The water temperature is in the high 40s. It will probably stay in that range during the tournament.”
The fish don’t seem to be moving up. The water temperature is in the high 40s. It will probably stay in that range during the tournament.”
“The water is warming up and I’m fishing staging areas, so I could go back tomorrow and catch a big bag if they move up in the afternoon,” said Buddy Gross.
“The water is warming up and I’m fishing staging areas, so I could go back tomorrow and catch a big bag if they move up in the afternoon,” said Buddy Gross.
“A lot of what I find is the isolated structure in front of the isolated spawning pockets, and I’m going to try those, because it’ll be a good day if they show up.”
“A lot of what I find is the isolated structure in front of the isolated spawning pockets, and I’m going to try those, because it’ll be a good day if they show up.”