Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report – July 2018

Blue Ridge: Level: 1 foot above full. Temp: Mid 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports, “The fishing is starting to get back to normal. Over the Memorial weekend and week we received seven straight days of rain, putting the lake up in the woods. But as fast as the lake came up, TVA dropped it just as fast, which stunned the fish for a while. Along with all the rain, we had some really hot days for the month of June, pushing the water temps in the mid 80s. The topwater bite has not been any good since the lake levels changed. You will still see some fish jumping around, but the herring they are chasing are around 2.5 inches. The best bait I have found to throw around these jumping fish is a 2.75-inch Strike King Rage Swimmer on a 3/16- to 1/8-oz. jig head. I’m starting my mornings out on Point 1 coming out of Lakewood and staying on the main body until around noon and then working my way up the river. I’m targeting main-lake points and deep banks with a 3.5-inch smoke black flake tube, drop shotting a 6-inch Roboworm in morning dawn and a shaky head with a 6.5-inch Strike King finesse worm in green pumpkin. There has been some fish hanging around docks on the main lake. Try swimming a 1/4- to 3/8-oz. jig around the docks. With the water temps already this warm, your electronics play a big factor of how productive your fishing can be. When I start marking fish, I will drop my Rage Swimmer or drop shot down on them and slowly work it over the fish. I always tell my clients when fishing in the summer months, you fish it just like the winter months—slow. There is no such thing as fishing a drop shot or plastic worm too slow. It’s also best to drop your line sizes. On my drop-shot rods, I use Daiwa J-Braid in yellow in 10-lb., with an 8- to 10-foot leader of 5-lb. Gamma Touch fluorocarbon. When fishing a Texas rig, tube or shaky head, I use 7-lb. Gamma Touch fluorocarbon. On the deep banks going up the river and around brush, throw a shaky head and a Texas rig. These baits are all going to be good the next couple months. When night fishing, I’m going to throw a junebug color Texas-rigged worm, shaky head with a green-pumpkin worm, a 3/8-oz. black/blue jig and a 3.5-inch tube. If there is any wind, I’m throwing a 3/8-oz. black spinnerbait and a Norman DD22 crankbait.”