Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Reports – November 2020

Blue Ridge: Level: 11 feet below full. Temp: 67 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports, “Fishing has been a little tough. We had the two hurricanes last month that dumped about 5 inches of rain each time. This brought the lakes up, and TVA pulled them back down fast, trying to get the lake to winter pool. Then we had the first cold spell of the year that helped drop the water temps some. So needless to say, the fish don’t know what is going on, but we have been seeing some fish breaking in the mornings. If you just want to catch fish on topwater, just drop the trolling motor and work long points, pockets and spawning areas. If we ever start getting some cold weather that will stick around, once the sun gets up, they will move to rocky banks and points. Try throwing a Rebel Pop-R, Whopper Plooper and a Ima Simmer. There have been fish holding on brush and laydowns on the main body and up the river. Try throwing a Texas-rigged finesse worm, Z-man Ned rig and a 4.5-inch Roboworm on a drop shot. The bite will start getting better once we start getting some cold weather. This way the fish will bunch up and feed. If you’re looking at throwing a crankbait, try a No. 5 Shad Rap and a Strike King 3X. Good luck.”

Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “The topwater bass bite can be great on any given morning this month, so I always have a Zara Spook or a Spook Jr. tied on a spinning rod with 10-lb. braid and a mono leader ready to launch at anything on the surface. The areas around the marina over to Point 2 have had the best action in the last few weeks. For colors, I like anything yellow or yellow and white. I’m not sure why, but the spots in this lake tend to be attracted to yellows.”

Walleye: Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “The walleye have moved from their deep summer homes in cooler water to the main river channels and creek channels in 35 to 45 feet of water. Crankbaits and spoons are still the go-to right now. You will have to spend some time locating them. They have a slightly flatter mark on the sonar versus other fish, like a bass. If you’re catching bass, you’re in the wrong spot but not necessarily in the wrong area. After you find them, you can drop big minnows or even medium herring to them. Try not to sit right on top of them, as it can shut them off at times.”

Yellow Perch: Capt. Eric Crowley reports, “Yellow perch are schooling, and we are seeing good numbers coming in the boat early mornings. Live minnows, small jigs, small spoons and even worms will get their attention, with the bigger fish coming on spoons. We let all the small ones go and keep only the larger fish. Look for areas with grass that transition to a rocky bottom or shoreline. My target depth is 25 to 35 feet.”