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Chickamauga

bds240

bds240

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2012
Messages
552
Location
Birchwood, Tn
How many of you guys are local and fish the chick? I bass fish and do some crappie fishing. I usually stay on the upper end of the lake.
 
Harrison Bay is a zoo! Yesterday morning 66 degrees and it only got up to around 85 degrees. Caught some shallow on a jig. Could not find any schools on ledges. I do on occasion put in at Grasshopper Creek in Birchwood. It is the peaceful side of the Chick. Just a long drive from Ooltewah.
 
I live up on the Hiwassee River end of Chickamauga. I use to fish the lower end but there are just too many pleasure boats, Yachts, Wake Boats, Jet Skis and Bass Boats. Almost scary at times.

On a week day, the Hiwassee is almost empty of boats. A lot of good fishing up here.
 
I live pretty close to the 58 ramp. I usually put in there and stay on the Hiwassee too. If I want to change it up I'll sometimes put in at Eldridge or Goodfield. Usually fish with my boy unless it's real hot real cold. Open to fish with some of you guys sometime.
 
bds240 said:
I live pretty close to the 58 ramp. I usually put in there and stay on the Hiwassee too. If I want to change it up I'll sometimes put in at Eldridge or Goodfield. Usually fish with my boy unless it's real hot real cold. Open to fish with some of you guys sometime.
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I went and looked at the 58 ramp. It is actually closer than driving to Grasshopper Creek. Long steep ramp. It looked like the dock sat up high out the water.
 
It's a good place to put in. The left side of the dock (hwy side) does get a little shallow at winter pool but the right side and end of the dock is fine. The ramp itself is plenty deep enough to launch. I've never had any issues there. The only down fall is the long walk up the ramp to the parking area lol.
 
I put in at 58 bridge on a Saturday back in June and about 10am the zoo opened. Almost impossible to fish anywhere on the Hiwassee. Tried to fish until about 5pm and felt like I had ridden a bull all day.
 
Just about anywhere in the state is hard fishing during the day on a summer weekend. You just about have to go before daylight and be gone by 10, or fish at night. It won't really start to slow down until the October time frame now because the temps stay warm until then. There's nowhere to really go to "get away" from boats on the Hiwassee on a weekend. But I assure you, the lakes are worse. I can be on the main part of the Chick in about 30 mins but don't go there because of the fishing pressure and number of fishermen. Watts Bar gets far less fishermen but is very hit or miss on fishing. Seems like on it, you either have an epic day or lousy, with no happy medium to it. I'm probably hitting the Hiwassee in the morning just for a change of scenery.
 
I live next to the lake on the lower end. I rarely fish above the nuclear plant, and I do fine. I have plenty of company but I am used to it. The lake has good fish from top to bottom. Thursday evening i was lucky enough to win the derby out of HBSP. I'll promise that the school of fish I was on had no less than 4 wake boats run over top of them and several jet skis in the time i was catching them. It blows my mind that it didnt shut em down. I guess they are used to it too
 
Same as you, I'm usually on the upper end of the lake or on the Hiwassee off 58. Been meaning to launch at Eldridge or Skull Island (across from Sequoyah) to check it out, just haven't gotten around to it.

I also really want to try Nickajack for the first time.
 
I put in at Harrison Bay yesterday morning. Only one truck and trailer in parking lot. Not a load of pleasure boaters out...still got to keep your head on a swivel. I watched a tug boat shoving a humungous barge and something else navigate the bend at Harrison Bluff. Boy did he know what he was doing.
 

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