Striped Bass Fishing Forums Forum banner

THE PICKWICK DAM TACKLE BOX

14K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  tnpete 
#1 ·
TENNESEE
THE PICKWICK DAM TACKLE BOX

Here's a list of lures that will definitely work at certain times for striped bass below Pickwick Dam. Remember, there are many more good lures that aren't on this list:

Surface lures
These lures are best when fish are visibly feeding along the water's surface, usually during the late-evening hours.

Zara Spook
Devil's Horse
Strike King Spit-n-King
Arbogast 3 1/2-inch Jointed Jitterbug
Arbogast G1805 Sputterbuzz
Cotton Cordell Crazy Shad
Cotton Cordell C67 Pencil Popper
Rebel T20 Jumpin' Minnow
Rebel 7-inch Super Knuckle Head
Yo-Zuri Surface Cruiser

Low- and moderate-generation lures
During low or moderate generation, sometimes it's best to go with a subtle approach. Here's a valuable hint: Single-hook lures are much easier to remove from the mouth of an angry striper than those with treble hooks.

Mann's 6-inch Hardnose Jerkbait
Zoom Super Fluke
Cotton Cordell C10 Red Fin (chrome w/ blue back)
Cotton Cordell C.C. Spoon (2- and 3-ounce models)
Strike Premiere Plus Spinnerbait (white Shad w/ Tandom silver/gold blades)
Mann's 7-inch George-n-Shad
Ledgebuster 1 1/2-ounce Spinnerbait (clear silver)
Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow

Heavy generation

Avoid the urge to look at these baits and immediately think they're far too big:
Fin-S 10-inch shad-imitation lure
M.S. Slammer Original (9- and 12-inch models)
Ledgebuster 2 1/2-ounce Gorilla Spinnerbait

GENERATION SCHEDULE
For the tentative generation schedule from Pickwick Dam, visit www.lakeinfo.tva.gov.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Sounds like you may have fished here at Pickwick dam a time or 2.
I had good luck back in the spring. Everyone else were using small shad. And I was using 12" + Shad and catching a 10+ fish every drift..

Also did well using a big 3" wide 4" tall float(Made in Ar) and big baits. Did not hang up and caught fish when others were not catching any.
Pete
Pickwick Dam Tn

PS First post and trying to learn where the striper's are going to in the winter time.
 
#4 ·
Thanks Jeff I was looking at those baits a few minutes ago.
Look good.
I look forward to next spring. And the fish turning on again.
Also plan on running some planner boards for them next year.
Pete
 
#5 ·
Sounds great.
I think Smack is planning a trip to Cumberland lake weekend after Thanksgiving, we'll be deep fishing day light, and plugging Gizz4's along the bank at night.
I've never experienced the night plugging, but understand it to be great, when a cow smack's your plug in the dark and starts running! :) Oh the sweet sweet sound of singing reels at midnight! :)
I"ll leave a report afterwards
God Bless,
Jeff
 
#9 ·
I have never fished the Pickwick dam, but I am fishing the tailwaters of the Old Hickory Lake dam on the Cumberland river and I have been doing pretty good jigging with small zoom baits like tiny flukes and super fluke juniors on three way rigs with a 2 or 3 ounce sinker.

I fished every night from Wednesday before Thanksgiving until Sunday night, and I caught 2 stripers and one Wiper. The wiper was 9 lbs and was caught on Thanksgiving night. I caught a 23 lb striper on Friday night and wrangled another one in the 10 to 15 lb range to the bank on Sunday. Unfortunately, when a fellow fisherman tried to help me get the fish, the hook popped free, the fish was able to flip over and swim back into the river. This same fisherman hooked an 18 lb striper about 5 minutes later and he was able to land it.

All of these fish came late at night, between 11 PM and 2 AM. I am curious as to why the smaller baits, 2 and 3 inches are successful at this dam, but everyone keeps telling me that big stripers like big bait. At other dams large skipjack are used to catch the big ones. We catch a lot of skipjack when we are fishing this dam, but I have never been successful trying to live line one out for a big striper. Anyone have any suggestions/tips/explanation for this?
 
#10 ·
All of these fish came late at night, between 11 PM and 2 AM. I am curious as to why the smaller baits, 2 and 3 inches are successful at this dam, but everyone keeps telling me that big stripers like big bait. At other dams large skipjack are used to catch the big ones. We catch a lot of skipjack when we are fishing this dam, but I have never been successful trying to live line one out for a big striper. Anyone have any suggestions/tips/explanation for this?
Here's my guess: you're matching the hatch with the 2-3 inchers for that stretch of water.
We were plugging below Ft. Loudon dam, using the Gizz4, catching Striper, but most of the shad in the water would be better suited for a Gizz2.5, which is more imagination than even prototype at this point.
We think we could have boated more stripers with the 2.5. Especially at night, right when they turned the turbines off, the little shad were jumping all over, and the predators were right behind them.
We night plugged at Cumberland this weekend, I posted in the Striper Room under "The season is NOT over yet", we caught quite a few fish from 7PM to 2AM, just as you posted.
Lot's of fun, and didn't lose any to poor netting or helpful fishing buddies :)
The hooks on these Gizz are Mustad ultra triple grips, kind of like an octopus treble, holds fish REAL good! Do a number on your finger too, cuts like a razor blade.
LMJeff
 
#11 ·
Anyone know where the fish go in cold weather?
I know here at Pickwick dam. Most times they leave the dam when the water temps hit 50 degrees or so.
Wondering of there deeper? Or just out running bait down?
Pete
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top