~Might as well have a new thread anyway, seeing as we're starting a new season at the end of this month.

I found yet ANOTHER trout lake in south tipton county.

Valentine Park on the north side of Munford has a small lake that is also a TWRA managed place, and is stocked with trout, whether lake, rainbow, or what variety I don't know yet... It's suprisingly easy to get to. From the Atoka/Munford road, turn north on Beaver road (where Corner Discount Tobacco is) and keep an eye on the right. There will be about a four or five foot tall white sign at the entrance.

It's a kind of a small looking (almost large pond sized) place, and there is no boating allowed on it. On the flip side - it looks like a nice little place, and has good access down to the shore with trash cans and benches spotted at least at the entrance. Who'd have thought it? I didn't even know that it was there.

On stink bait for catfish: I've got an update for ya.
I can now certify that brussels sprouts smell disgusting... Even without adding cheese or anything else, they smell like a busted sewer line. That's kind of encouraging given that the object is to make a dough bait that even a dead catfish can smell!!!

Haven't tested it on the fish yet, but I recommend that anyone who plans to make this stuff do it outside on a grill or some such. Boil up about a dozen sprouts in three cups of water, save the broth and add some parmesan cheese to it. Then begin working in plain old flour until you get a good stiff dough that can be molded around a hook.

On the plus side, brussels sprouts are good eating. But I could have sworn my dog had made a mess in my house somewhere at one point.

PS: I am now officially looking for a used Jon Boat or a Canoe. My taxes worked out better than I expected, so in a few weeks I'm going to transition from shore fishing to the real deal!

 

Wolfie -- I don't know if policy has changed or Tipton county is different, but when the park ponds in the Bartlett area have been stocked with trout (usually Rainbow), they require both TN license and trout stamp. I don't think any other fishing in ponds require either. I think that is rediculous. These trout were farmed with agency funds, but I think they should use this jesture to attrack interest in trout fishing in the state's natural areas and tailwaters.

Maybe I'm wrong -- maybe that requirement has been eased. I'm not even sure they still stock the ponds in my area. I know they were in residential areas and were real gamey in the spring when they died out.

 

It only makes sense that a Trout stamp be required. Something has to pay for the trout to be stocked in the first place. I know that I intend to get a stamp, now that I know of a few places where they can be taken, it isn't really all that much extra.

I just wish there were more and cleaner streams at this end of the state - lake fishing is a lot different from "Ripple Reading" along a hikable creek.

I noticed a Brook Trout license tag on a truck the other day when I went into town and I have to say that they are a terrific LOOKING fish. Nothing else is as colorful...

Looking through the guide from 2010 the available trout waters begin in four counties: Stewart, Houston, Humphries, and Perry county - and then go east. So region one (west TN) has no option except small lakes or ponds for Trout.

The flip side of that is that there are more TWRA managed lakes at the western end of the state - with the majority of large reservoirs once again being from the east side of region one eastward to the smokey mountains with the exception of Reelfoot. Kentucky lake has got me seriously considering a road trip sometime this year...

Brook Trout have been successfully introduced to the Clinch and Caney Fork rivers, but so far it seems to be a struggle to keep them going, with most specimens being fingerling sized. It will be interesting to see what happens once they have a few seasons to acclimate to those habitats.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what's new in the 2011 guidebook and I keep the old ones in a binder these days. On the web the place to look is Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency for fishing and also hunting info that is up to date. I bet the new guides are already being printed so that they'll be in place when the new lisences and permits go on sale at the end of this month. If you go to the above link, you can download the 2010 Tennessee Fishing, Hunting and Trapping, Waterfowl, and Boating guides in PDF format

The Fishing Guide in particular has detailed maps of rivers, reservoirs, and managed lakes along with creel limits and an artical about the Brooky effort, as well as trout stocking schedules - but stocking is over for 2010. You can also see all of the lisences and permits that are available, and an overview of all of the regulations.

~I'm already drooling over some new fishing tackle that I want...
I'll give you a hint: I'm going to have to become an expert at tying what are called "Nail Knots"

PS: I'm jealous now of the folks in central and eastern Tn. According to the guide we have Walleye, Muskellunge, and other "PIKE" species in some of the waters east of here. I have never caught a Musky in my life but I've always fantasized about it...

 

Caney Fork is a tailwater of Center Hill Dam. I hear they are keeping the lake very low to do some work on the hills at the dam as they are seeping water out from the lake and they are worried it could fail. That wouldn't be good for Nashville and all points in between. While the lake level is down, I'm sure the water temps below the dam, if only in summer, won't be cool enough to support trout. I know its defection, but I've been to the Arkansas tailwaters and had some good fishing. Greers Ferry is the closest (Little Red River) and I think several miles closer than Caney Fork.

 

It might be worthwhile to scope out copies of the fishing guides from neighboring states as references. TN has "Reciprocal Agreements" with its neighbors so that we only need to be lisenced in TN to fish at places like Pickwick (for example).

It might make for an excellent G2G to get a bunch of us fishers on a road trip to some places like this later in the year, as the season develops and we get good intell on what's happenning and where! Scottzj and I already met up at Glenn Springs, and it turned out we missed another chapter member by just one day

Unca Sam is going to hand me back enough of my tax money so that I can get a boat finally. Whether it turns out to be a canoe or what I am still debating. I like the idea of a canoe - but want something wide enough to cast from standing up. The advantage of a canoe being that it can get to places that a "BASS BARGE" can't...

 

I always worry about how easy it would be for a cotton mouth to get into the boat with me!! Plus I learned from my last boat deal -- a boat is a device you set in the water and pour your money into. But they make for much better fishing.

The only reciprical lake I know of around here is Dacus lake on the AR side of the Mississippi River just north of the Hernado DeSoto bridge. Only you can't get to it from that bridge, just the old bridge. And I don't remember just how to get there any more. They had some good bream over there. Usually after the river had been in it for at least a few days then gone down. Due to its close proximity, it has a lot of fishing pressure.

 

I hear you plainly on the cotton mouth thing!

Near Drummonds there is a place called Ballard Slough that is flooded when the big river rises, and when the river goes back down it strands some seriously big catfish in it that are easy pickin's...

It's just south of the mouth of the Hatchie

There's just two problems:
ONE is that you don't want to go there without a pistol loaded with snake shot.
The other problem is that the fish are not safe to eat anyway, so unless you're after an anglers trophy it's totally pointless...

 

Water temps at Glenn Springs are up to 46 degrees, some bass and crappie are being caught - the bass are at a depth of 15 to 20 foot.

Once it gets up to 50 degrees I think we're going to see some real action again.

 

We are heading to Glenn Springs in a few minutes. Hope this trip is productive..

 

I bet I only missed you by a few hours...

I measured the water temp with the same aquarium thermo that I used at the end of november when the lake shop closed, and confirmed that the waters are only 4 degrees colder than they were back then.

*Depth of twenty feet, off of the "T" pier in front of the store. That way I could be sure it was the same.

Spawning season is right around the corner, and I'm not sure when they stock the lake - but that oughtta be soon also. So far it's slow, but the fish are bound to be lethargic after a very cold winter in these parts.

Saturday some folks with boats did well on bass, a catfish was caught from the "T" pier (BAIT: Dead Minnow).

Someone commented today that they thought nothing but minnows would work at this time of the year, I don't know how true that may be.

I'm seeing signs of a warning trend that should continue. No obvious bug activety around the shoreline (clouds of gnats, or other flies).

But I'm convinced we do not have springtime here - it goes dead into summer heat at the drop of a hat.

I spent from noon to 3 O'clock at the lake, and the weather was windy as it gets. But the air temperature was near 80, and the sun was great while it was out (Had some clouds bring on a few chills)

I expect we ought to appreciate the cool while we've got it

 

We came up empty handed again. We were fishing deep with jigs and worms. HAd a few bites. I hooked on in the middle of the lake where everyone fishes, but it got off.Still haven't figured out the bass's patterns, but did see some moving up into shallower water.

We were out there until almost 5pm. The warmest waters we saw were in a cove back towards the levee. It hit 51* in about 9ft. The overall avg tho seemed to be about 47.

I cannot wait until spawning starts. We had a blast up there in late fall. We found some more bassy areas we are going to try when it warms up.

 

Cain't be more'n a few days or weeks now - if your reading was right, that warm water will spread out of the shallows to the rest of the lake fairly quick or so I hope. There was quite a crowd out there today, but little results for all of that.

I plan to focus mainly on catfish this year, but also work the coves for bass. One thing I wanted to do more than any other style of fishing is fly fishing, but I think we both know that it's an art that takes a good deal of practice.

 

I am hoping we don't miss the spawn. We can only get up there on weekends. Also hoping to break into the 10lb club this year. I definitely see the potential in that lake.

 

So do I, and it's also reasonably "CLEAN" water.

By the way - it's still 70 degrees outside right now, at just after 4:30 PM

If the warming trend isn't interrupted, and I doubt it will be in spite of what the Farmers Almanac may say, I think fishing will pick up sharply and very soon. I know I have my own fingers crossed....

If nothing else, talking to the folks out at the lake is a purely interesting education in the art of putting scaly critters on the table for dinner

 

I don't know if you folks have heard about this, but here it is.

Erwin Hatchery closing could have a huge economic impact

This link is from my local news channel, so they only mention the local hatchery. Dale Hollow is also on the list to be closed. 64% of trout stocked in TN come from Dale Hollow that includes Brown and Lake trout. The Erwin hatchery produces eggs and brood stock. Also, in addition to closing 9 hatcheries. The US Fish and Wildlife are asking for an additional 48 million dollars. So, this isn't just a budget cut...

I am going to contact my representatives in Congress and the Senate to let them know that I strongly disagree with this budget proposal. I hope that you folks will do the same.