Fishing Report Lake Chatuge, Fontana Lake, Lake Glenville & Bear Creek Lake

Lake Chatuge
Water Temp: 57-62
Clarity: 4ft-6ft
Notes: Fish are in shallow water! The fish are moving up fast as the moon phase and water temperature getting right! I know the first day of spring brought a little snow but this past week was very warm and this upcoming week is calling for warm weather as well! That combination with the moon phase should have early spawners up roaming and big fish in their last prespawn stage! Swimbaits, crankbaits, jigs and search baits are playing for bigger bass! Spinnerbaits can catch the fire out of them around wood and shallow cover! If you catch a big one in a specific area SLOW DOWN and pick it apart! Big fish in the spawn move up in waves or pods, where there is one there is mostly like a bunch!

Fontana Lake
Water Temp: 49-55
Clarity: 5ft- 15ft
Notes: You can run down the bank with a worm and knock their lights out! You can fish shallow and knock their lights out! Spawning smallmouth and spots are in the backs of creeks and keep yours eyes peeled, their are some giant largemouth starting to lurk. They're spooky this time of the year, long casts, light line and I bet you can put a big fish or two in the box!

Lake Glenville
Water Temp: 50-53
Clarity: 5ft-10ft
Notes: Can't give away too many secrets for this lake but like MC Hammer once said, "IT"S HAMMER TIME!!"

Bear Creek Lake
Water Temp: 53-55
Clarity: 8ft
Notes: A lot of fish in their final staging periods! Stay shallow and cover a lot of water, the giants are cruising!

Freako Pigs on Neko Rigs

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I love a spinning rod! I love finesse fishing! I love fighting giant bass on light line! People can call it a fairy wand, pixie stick or whatever, but I will hold my allegiance in admitting I love finesse fishing! When the bite gets tough or you're like me and fish the clearest lakes in the world, a finesse light line presentation GETS IT DONE! We catch plenty of 5+ pound fish on light line and small baits year round. Truthfully I think you have to be a better angler to fish like that anyhow! 

Not sure if you have heard of this new finesse technique but it combines two of the most diabolic fish catching rigs into one! I grew up fishing ponds with a good ol' wacky worm, and to this day in clear water and tough conditions I'll throw the mess out of it and it will produce! I also grew up learning how to shaky head fish! Now combine the sinking presence and bottom presentation of a shaky head with the action of a wacky worm and you have the best finesse presentation ever created! THE NEKO RIG! Fishing a finesse worm, senko, cut tail, ribbon worm or any other plastic with this presentation can be lethal! Fishing it around docks, deep points, brush, suspended fish, schooling fish, bedding fish or shallow lethargic fish can produce in major ways. 

What do you need?

• 10lb. braid to 8lb. flurocarbon
• #4 Shiner hook or Drop Shot hook
• Finesse worm of some sort
• Eco Pro Nailem' Weight or Dream Catcher Screw Weight
• 6' 6" or 7' Medium action, sensitive rod
• MAKE IT RAIN

Fishing Report- Lake Chatuge, Lake Glenville, Fontana Lake, Bear Creek Lake

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Lake Chatuge
Water Temp: 49-53
Clarity: 2ft-5ft
Notes: Back to back weeks there has been an abundance of fish in shallow water! The fish are moving up fast with the beautiful weather. The high warm sun will concentrate fish on docks and wood. With wind pushing periodically look for pockets and points where the wind is blowing and crashing into it. Jerkbaits, swimbaits and crankbaits are playing look for spinnerbaits to start playing as well!

Fontana Lake
Water Temp: 49-55
Clarity: 1ft- 10ft
Notes: One word... VERSATILITY! The lake has warm areas, cold areas, clear areas and muddy areas and they're all holding fish! Fish your strengths! Jerkbaits, swimbaits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, finesse, jigs, and A-Rigs will play in this weekends Fontana Classic hosted by The Boy Scouts of America. around 15lbs a day should take home the first place prize.

Lake Glenville
Water Temp: 43-45
Clarity: 5ft-10ft
Notes: Lake Glenville is the highest lake in elevation east of the Mississippi River and as usual it is taking longer to warm. The fish are becoming more aggressive as the water is warming and they are chewing in shallow water! You can catch them on a jerkbait, shadwrap or flipping! You may not get many bites but the ones you get will be studs!

Bear Creek Lake
Water Temp: 46-49
Clarity: 8ft
Notes: Bear is deep and clear and the big ones love the sun! fish shallow and if you think you're too shallow fish a little shallower! I like flipping a craw and jig until my arms fall off! Fish are staging in 3ft getting warmed by the sun before returning to deep water. Wood and rocks are what you need to flip!

Prespawn Shallow Water Bass

The Bassmaster Classic is taking off as I'm writing this and if you are fan of professional bass fishing you know what that means! It's that time of the year! Get the boat out of storage, reline those rods and get ready for some jaw jacking! Whether you are fishing, Lake Chatuge, Lake Glenville, Bear Creek Lake or Fontana Lake the water temperature is rising rapidly and the fish are pushing shallow fast! The big fish are chewing and will continue to do so for the better part of a few months! There are some go to baits that will put those bigger bites in the boat this time of the year. I will break down the baits into two categories, flipping and casting.

Flipping rock, docks, trees and wood can catch some giant bass in the early spring in shallow water. Bass will stage on deeper cover and move up in the water column as the water warms and flipping the different depths of the cover can be very rewarding! Here are my favorite 3 flipping baits for prespawn shallow water bass!

#1 Powerbait Chigger Craw 3/8oz Eco Pro Tungsten Bullet Weight-

#2 3/8oz Eco Pro Tungsten Flipping Jig

#3 Strike King Rage Craw 3/8oz Eco Pro Tungsten Bullet Weight

Casting and reeling can be the most fun and most efficient way to catch above average size bass in the shallow water in the spring! You can wreck them with a few different baits that are fast moving baits. Here are my 3 favorite casting and retrieving baits for prespawn shallow water bass!

#1 Strike King KVD 1.5 Squarebill 

#2 Ware Eagle Screamin' Eagle Spinnerbait 

#3 Eco Pro Tungsten Swing Swim Jig