Lake Chatuge Fishing Report – February 2008

Chatuge: Level: 12 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 40s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Bass fishing has been slow in the depths of winter, but John Hembree is anticipating one of those February thaws to jump start the fishing season. “If we get three or four days of warm weather, the fish will start to stir. By the end of February they are going into that prespawn phase and on a pretty day you can catch some fish.” John recommended having a crankbait and a jerkbait ready. “A good bait in February is a crankbait that will run down about 6 or 8 feet. You want to bump it along any rocky bottom,” he said. “I like a rattling, suspending Shad Rap that you can crank down and then just let it sit there.” Another bait that works well on Chatuge in February, said John, is a suspending jerkbait like a Husky Jerk or a Rattlin’ Rogue. An X-Rap is another suspending jerkbait that’s a good choice for big spots at Chatuge. Work the jerkbaits over main-lake points or humps. “That works if the bass are up and active,” he said. “If they aren’t then you have to drop back to throwing jig-head worms in the brush.”