Stripers below the dams

[DSW]

I am planning a trip down to the Lenoir City area in the middle of October and I am curious if the stripers are still active below Fort Loudoun Dam and Melton Hill Dam this time of year. Any help is greatly appreciated.

[charlie1]

You can catch some 40" plus fish below Melton Hill this time of year trolling LARGE blue and chrome deep runners. Motor up to the dam spillway, turn downstream, throw out your lure behind the boat with your motor in drive at idle speed and troll the lure downstream along the line formed by the current coming from the turbines and the eddys on the spillway side. Be careful not to let out too much line because it is only 15 or 16 feet deep through there. I have tried to use a bait that runs shallower but strikes are 10-1 better using a deep runner that gets down at the top of the rocks. Of course you can always use live bait, but it seems I catch much larger fish on the plugs (but not quantity). I have consistently caught 40" plus fish (three over 40" in one trip last year) using this technique. I occasionally pick up large walleye or sauger as I approach the end of the lock wingwall if I am using a deep Redfin. I would not recommend this technique below Ft. Loudon because it is much shallower and more dangerous. At Ft. Loudon I use cast and retrieve or live bait only. Good luck.

[BRS]

After reading your post I think I might want to try fishing for these stripers sometime. Could you let me know what dock you put in to fish at Melton Hill?

Thanks

[DSW]

BRS,

There is a ramp about 1 mile down stream from the dam. You can't miss it. It is right where 95 crosses over the Clinch River just below the dam.

[charlie1]

You can catch some 40" plus fish below Melton Hill this time of year trolling LARGE blue and chrome deep runners. Motor up to the dam spillway, turn downstream, throw out your lure behind the boat with your motor in drive at idle speed and troll the lure downstream along the line formed by the current coming from the turbines and the eddys on the spillway side. Be careful not to let out too much line because it is only 15 or 16 feet deep through there. I have tried to use a bait that runs shallower but strikes are 10-1 better using a deep runner that gets down at the top of the rocks. Of course you can always use live bait, but it seems I catch much larger fish on the plugs (but not quantity). I have consistently caught 40" plus fish (three over 40" in one trip last year) using this technique. I occasionally pick up large walleye or sauger as I approach the end of the lock wingwall if I am using a deep Redfin. I would not recommend this technique below Ft. Loudon because it is much shallower and more dangerous. At Ft. Loudon I use cast and retrieve or live bait only. Good luck.

[DSW]

Thanks for the input. I know both dams well and have fished them many times. I just wasn't sure with the cooling waters if the fish were still there or if they have scattered by now. Your technique sounds good. I'll have to try it. Again, thanks for the information and good luck!