By Mark Caldwell

Monday evening when I got home I was met on the porch by my 18-year-old son. His first words were Dad can we go out fishing for a while after dinner. I try to never turn down an invitation to fish so we hastily ate dinner and then hooked the boat up.

We launched at our house about 8:30. I didn’t even crank the big motor, but just dropped the trolling motor and started casting. I had rigged a spinning rod with a 10 inch flip-tail grape worm rigged Texas style. On the third cast my son asks me to look at something he was doing. I allowed the lure to fall with the bail open on the spinning reel. When I turned back to the task at hand I noticed at once that the line was slowly spooling off the reel. I dropped the rod tip, engaged the reel and set the hook hard.

The rod came alive as a powerful fish that was moving in the other direction felt the resistance caused by what it thought was an easy meal. The strike had occurred in about 15 feet of water and this big girl did not want to see the sky. I slowly guided the fish towards the boat. Finally when it was almost at the boat the bass decided to show its self.

In just a moment I reached down and lipped a fat 20 inch largemouth. How big is it, I heard from the back of the boat? We weighed the fish on the digital hand held scales. The device showed 4 lbs. 7 oz. I thought it was bigger than that was the response from my son. No respect. It’s bigger than what you have caught I said.

What made that fish strike? Other than the fact that I knew there was fish attracting brush located in that general area, there were two very distinct factors. I had made very sure that the worm was rigged straight on the hook. When rigging a Texas rig that is a very important ingredient. The other was that the lure fell straight down to the bottom.

Most strikes on a Texas rigged plastic worm come as the bait is falling. Bass most usually feed up. The noise created when the lure hits the water will often get the fish’s attention. In order for the fish to locate the lure it is necessary for the lure to fall straight down. If you do not rig the lure straight or allow enough slack in the line the lure will fall away at an angle. 

Always make sure that your lure is rigged correctly and follow the basic rules demanded by the presentation type you are using. It will result in additional fish caught.

Norris:
The lake is 85 degrees and clear in most areas. Bass fishing is good early in the morning or at night. Bass are hitting short armed spinnerbaits in purple or big worms like the O Monster in cherry seed, purple or red shad colors. The fish are hitting from 2 to 15 feet deep either on main channel rock points or in deep brush. Crappie fishing is slow. Stripers are hitting at daylight near the mouth of Big Creek. Live shad drifted 20 to 25 feet deep has been best. The walleye bite is slowing down but some are showing up for fishermen who are trolling 25 to 30 feet deep.

Cherokee:
 The lake is stained and 88 degrees. Bass fishing for largemouth is good at night or very early in the morning. Bass are hitting spinnerbaits or pig and jig combos at night or buzzbaits very early in the morning. The fish have been 2 to 15 feet deep on limestone banks. Stripers are hitting from Point 2 up to Point 4 and up the lake near Point 15. Trolling jigs or Red Fins has been the common method of locating and catching the fish. Crappie fishing has slowed. Some crappie are still hitting under the light 25 feet deep. Plain minnows have been best. Catfish are hitting on the lower end.

Douglas:
The lake is 85 and clear. The best bite has been from just before dark until midnight. Bass are hitting Texas rigged worms in cherry seed or red shad. Look for the fish on steeper rock main channel points or on main channel humps. Crappie fishing is fair to good. Crappie are hitting black and white small Fat Raps trolled 15 to 20 feet deep along secondary points. A few white bass are schooling on the surface near the mouth of McGuire Creek early in the day.

Loudoun/Tellico:                                      
According to Chris at 1 Limit in Farragut the summer night bite at Loudoun is good. Bass are hitting big worms like the O Monster in plum, plum apple or june bug. Short arm spinnerbaits are also taking a number of fish. Black and purple or black and red are the hot colors for the blade baits. White bass mixed with largemouth are schooling on the surface early in the day and just before dark. Small spoons have been the hot bait. Crappie fishing is slow. The Tellico bite is good during the day, but slow at night. Carolina rigs, DD22 crankbaits or Texas rigged worms are catching some bass during the day. The hot colors are green pumpkin, watermelon or watermelon candy. Crappie fishing at Tellico is slow also.

Melton Hill:                   
No report.