Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – December 2010

Blue Ridge: Level: 61.8 feet below full pool. Boating access limited to the low-water ramp, located a quarter-mile off the point at Blue Ridge Marina. Boating travel limited from dam to Marker 6. Temp: 57 to 60 degrees. Clarity: Stained.

Bass: Slow. Bob Borgwat, of Reel Angling Adventures, reports, “The low water seems to have the smallmouth and spotted bass concentrated on sharp shoreline drop-offs to 30 feet. Work drop-shot rigs and Carolina-rigged plastic worms down the face of the drop-offs, especially those with scattered stumps. Top colors include pumpkinseed and oxblood. Hard jerkbaits take fish along the steep rocky walls of the river channel. Largemouths are scattered on large stumps from the shoreline to 15 feet deep. Top baits are Texas-rigged plastic worms and slow-rolled spinnerbaits in patterns that mimic blueback herring.” Eric Welch, of Reel Job Fishing, reports, “We are catching fish paralleling the banks with Shad Raps in silver and perch colors. You can catch some spotted bass on drop shot using Roboworms in Aaron’s magic. There are a few fish breaking around; I would keep a Pop-R or a Chug Bug tied on. There is no structure and no good rocky banks to target, and most of the pockets up the river are dry land. So if it’s a windy day, parallel a War Eagle spinnerbait in chart/white. When the water temp gets in the low 50s, the fish should start hitting the float-n-fly. TVA announced last week that the pen-stock repair will begin now that the lake is down at the 70-foot mark, and the only releases will be small amounts to keep the lake at the 70-foot mark. Maybe this will let the lake stabilize for good winter fishing.”

Crappie: Bob reports, “An unusual bonus bite was found on white crappie, taken in 10 to 15 feet of water on green-and-orange marabou jigs near stumps and logs laid down along steep riverside walls. Several walleye anglers have been on the water, too.”