Elevation- 1,381.78 Water Temp- 77* @ TVA Ramp
Water Clarity- 3-6’
Bass- Slow but picking up
Largemouth are near wood structure brush piles, docks, and very close to the shoreline. Flipping a green pumpkin or water melon finesse worm (whacky style) has been the best so far this week. White/chartreuse spinnerbaits and a tiny torpedo in baby bass have been good on retaining walls and points.
Smallmouth are on secondary points rock islands from 4-10’ deep. The bite has been slow during the day but some have been caught on 200 Series Bandits, 6XD’s, #5 Shad Raps, 1/2-ounce hair or live rubber skirted jigs in the rootbeer and green pumpkin colors. Fish spinnerbaits (chart/white) (shad colors) and topwater early in the mornings.
Striped Bass/Cherokee Bass
On the Holston side- pt.7 up to 11-E Bridge area early morning and late evening trolling alewife, gizzard shad or trout, 10-15’ deep. On watauga side- Watauga Flats area has shown some Hybrids, Stripers and Friday Hollow has been fair for stripers and hybrids on topwater, early morning and late evening.
Sunfish-
Bluff’s or around any brush piles in 3-’4’ of water caught on Brown Crickets, Night Crawlers