Lake Chatuge Fishing Report – July 2019

Chatuge: Level: Full pool. Temp: 79-81 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports, “I’m starting the morning out throwing a Strike King Sexy Dawg, a Cane Walker and a Whopper Plopper around flats, humps and off main-lake points. After this topwater bite slows up, I will start fishing a swimbait and shaky head around docks for a couple of hours. By midday, I will be fishing a drop shot with a 6-inch Roboworm or a shaky head with a Strike King 6.5-inch finesse worm off long, deep points and bluff banks. I will also be throwing a Texas rig and a Senko around laydowns and brush. For the nighttime bite, I’m throwing Texas rigs, a black spinnerbait, a 3/8-oz. jig and a deep-diving crankbait. Good luck.”

Linesides: Guide Jeremy Seabolt reports, “The hybrids are schooled up in some big schools. We have been finding most of the fish holding out in 30-plus feet of water. You may have to put a little time into finding the schools, but when you do, you better be ready for lots of action. Most fish have been holding up from Bell Creek to the dam. Going into July, it’s only going to get better as the fish will start showing up in big schools. We will be downlining and looking for fish in 30 to 60 feet water. It is a must to have a good fish finder when the fish get deep and school up.” For a feature article with Jeremy on catching Chatuge hybrids, click here.