Lake Chatuge Fishing Report – October 2007

Chatuge: Level: 10.9 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 70s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Fair. John Hembree said the best bite seems to be out in open water. “A lot of the fish seem to have pulled off the banks and are out chasing bait over open water,” he said. John has been using either a Sammy or a weighted fluke to cast to breaking fish. “We were on the lake on Sept. 16 and saw some fish breaking over open water. By the time we got there, they had gone down, but we cast around with a fluke and a Sammy and caught some fish. I caught one spot that weighed about 4 pounds.” He uses a pearl-colored fluke on a 1/8-oz. jig head. The Sammy he throws is a blueback imitation with a dark back, white belly and silver sides. John uses the 100 or 110 size Sammy. For largemouths, John says to target any shallow cover you can find. Spinnerbaits are a good choice, and early or late a buzzbait will catch fish.