Lake Chatuge Fishing Report – September 2006

Chatuge: Level: 4.1 feet below full pool. Temp: Low 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good for numbers of spotted bass, but poor for size, said John Hembree. “We caught 17 keepers Saturday night (Aug. 26), but the best five only weighed 7 1/2 pounds,” he said. “We have been catching 15 or 20 bass every time we go, but we rarely catch one that weighs more than two pounds.” He has been catching fish on deep brush on worms, drop-shot rigs and jigging spoons. “We had seven bass in the boat the other day within 17 minutes of blasting off, and they all hit a spoon. When we are fishing worms, we will watch for schools of fish, and if we see them we drop a spoon down to that depth.” John likes a white Flex-it with silver tape in the 6/10-oz. size and a red hook, although he says any spoon will likely work. John also uses a plastic minnow imitation on a drop-shot rig to catch bass holding around the brushpiles. “Bass Pro Shop has a blue-herring colored minnow with an eye painted on it. It’s about three inches long, and it works well on a drop-shot. You just hook it through the nose and fish it around the brush.” The largemouth bass bite has been stronger than usual all summer, he said. Most of the better largemouths have come from back in the creek runs around wood cover. The fish are hitting spinnerbaits. Topwater, which usually accounts for the bigger fish, hasn’t begun yet, but John says it isn’t far off. “As soon as we start getting cooler, foggy mornings we will start seeing some topwater,” he said.