Pickwick Report (Updated) 2024

bryand82487 reply :

Anyone have a fishing report for Pickwick?

FIAB reply :

bryand82487,

Went last Thursday, had a pretty good day. The picture below was the first cast of the day.....so you know it went downhill from there. Caught the one below and about eight more in Yellow Creek on the South end of Upper Island. 2 of the eight were smallies the rest were green (with about 4 drum thrown in just to tick ya off). Caught most on jigs (Black and Blue). Caught a few (mostly Drum) on PLine jigging spoon in pearl. Caught the rest in that area on Sworming Hornet with LFT Magic Shad (thanks RoadWarrior).

After the fog burned off we spent a little time on the ledges and did not really find any fish. Really spent more time looking for new spots than fishing.

Spent the rest of the day fishing creek channels 15 to 18 ft deep. Throwing a Strike King Sexy Spoon. Find the bait ball and cast into it. They would not bite it vertical jigging.....we had to cast them out, let them flutter down, rip em up, and let them flutter down again.....all bites on the fall. Caught about 15 (all large mouth about 14 - 16 inches long....no dinks and no more drum). No more smallies either.

Water temp started at about 59 and ended up at about 64. Water is starting to clear up, still dropping, and not very crowded out there. I really love deer season...I just wish they would let it run till April or May.

bryand82487 reply :

Thanks Bonhead! I normally fish on the river side and am not to familiar with Yellowcreek. I've only been on the lake side for recreational purposes. I'm familar with Tom Bigbee, Panther creek, the waterfall, and Grand Harbor. I'm planning on putting in at the state park. Are any of these places close to yellow creek?

bryand82487 reply :

Okay from looking at a map it looks like Yellowcreek is the mouth before you go into Tom Bigbee? If I put in in Tennessee do I need a Mississippi or Alabama license?

FIAB reply :

With a Tennessee Lic. you can fish to the mouth of Bear Creek in Alabama and everything above (North of) Hwy 25 bridge in Mississippi and you will be good.

bryand82487 reply :

Thanks I'll be there Wednesday and Thursday I'll let you know how we do!

Memphisballer reply :

If you keep heading down 25 to the Shell station you would be putting in at Yellow Creek.

We went last Wednesday and I landed this 4 pounder on a crankbait.

We caught several 2 to 3 pounders. Caught them on cranks and jigs.

MFBAB reply :

Quote
Thanks Bonhead! I normally fish on the river side and am not to familiar with Yellowcreek. I've only been on the lake side for recreational purposes. I'm familar with Tom Bigbee, Panther creek, the waterfall, and Grand Harbor. I'm planning on putting in at the state park. Are any of these places close to yellow creek?

Grand Harbor is at the mouth of Yellow Creek (actually in Yellow Creek), that whole area b/w Grand Harbor and Tom Bigbee is Yellow Creek

roadwarrior reply :

Topwater is red hot early, but dies shortly after sun-up.

Boated one out of five strikes Saturday. One of the fish

that missed was a monster!

8-)

bryand82487 reply :

Quote
Topwater is red hot early, but dies shortly after sun-up.
Boated one out of five strikes Saturday. One of the fish

that missed was a monster!

8-)

Were you throwing a Cavitron or a Pop R?

00 mod reply :

RW was throwing a popper

bryand82487 reply :

Quote
RW was throwing a popper

Thanks I'll let you guys know how we do

Travis reply :

Thought I would send a quick post out and see if there is anyone knowledgeable about Pickwick...I just got in town (Decatur) and plan on fishing/scouting Wheeler for a few days and then hit up Pickwick. I am scouting for the elite series next year...this will be my rookie season. Never been on these bodys of water and any guidance would be great. I plan on marking a lot of areas and exploring but we could fit in a cast or two for sure! If you are interested in heading out with me on either one of these lake you can send me an email at tspeedm@yahoo.com

Thanks

Travis

Tin reply :

lol...I have the same Alcatraz hoodie

1inStripes reply :

Quote
One of the fish
that missed was a monster!

8-)

All of them that miss are monsters.

lynyrdsky1 reply :

Hey since most of you guys are in the Memphis area, any of you guys going to the Road Trip on Kentucky Lake? I'm going but I can only go for 2 days and was just wondering if any of you guys are wanting to go because I can drive you up there just couldn't drive you back.

bryand82487 reply :

Just got back from Pickwick late this afternoon after fishing for 2 days. THe water temperature was 57-58 degrees. On Wednesday my buddy and I put in right past the Shell station at yellow creek. It was tough at first because you couldn't see 10ft in front of your from all the fog and I'd never fished there so I didn't know where I was going. We didn't do so well there, we fished coves and points. I boated 2 on a Pop R that went about 2lbs each. It seemed like since the water was so low that it was deep most everywhere. Around lunch we loaded up and decided to go put in on the river side. After we loaded up I noticed a bright yellow truck and trailer across the parking lot. I could tell it was someone sponsored so we drove over there to check it out and it was Boyd Duckett's truck and trailer so I guess he was out on Pickwick somewhere. This might be a common thing I don't know though, I never fish the lake side? On the river side my buddy caught 2 smallies fishing a 200 series bandit translucent red craw crankbait that went about 2 1/2 lbs. I through some miscellaneous and caught a couple small largemouth. Towards the end of the day I put another 2 lber in the boat on a Pop R. Today the top water bite on the river side was on fire till around 11 am! I think it lasted so long because of the overcast. I boated 8 or 9 with a Jackall Tennessee shad pop r. My best 5 went about 11 lbs. My buddy caught a couple more smallies on the same crankbait as well and missed a monster. One thing I thought was strange is he had a cheaper silver and blue pop r and the fish wouldn't touch it. I really didn't think the appearance of a pop r would matter that much. I though it was mainly the action that caused the strike. Below are two pics of our nicer 2 fish.

Mr. Swabby(aka westtennessee1) reply :

Nice fish and great informational post. Appreciate it as I am planning a trip out to Pickwick next Friday/Saturday. Hope they are pulling water! :

bryand82487 reply :

The current on the river side was great, much better than I've seen in the past month or so. The water also looked like it was up a couple of feet from the last times I had gone.

roadwarrior reply :

Great post!

8-)

Memphisballer reply :

Just got off the lake. Two keepers all day. I tried crank, jigs, topwater, etc. Caught the keepers on shakey head in the shallows. If anyone knows what they are doing let me know. Going in the morning. Plan on staying on the lake side.

bryand82487 reply :

Quote
Just got off the lake. Two keepers all day. I tried crank, jigs, topwater, etc. Caught the keepers on shakey head in the shallows. If anyone knows what they are doing let me know. Going in the morning. Plan on staying on the lake side.

You probably won't see this before you leave but if you put in at the Shell gas station and go past aqua yacht harbor and follow the bank to the right you'll run into a cove that has a white boat shed in it. The water is very low there and there's a lot of mud, but the water starts off really shallow and goes deeper in the back center of the cove. I caught two nice ones with a pop r right there where it drops off. I haven't fished Pickwick but once and I'm sure during the spring and right after summer it's probably more active than the river, but when times are tough I think you'll always have a better chance working the mouths and points of coves on the river side.

Memphisballer reply :

Quote

Quote
Just got off the lake. Two keepers all day. I tried crank, jigs, topwater, etc. Caught the keepers on shakey head in the shallows. If anyone knows what they are doing let me know. Going in the morning. Plan on staying on the lake side.

You probably won't see this before you leave but if you put in at the Shell gas station and go past aqua yacht harbor and follow the bank to the right you'll run into a cove that has a white boat shed in it. The water is very low there and there's a lot of mud, but the water starts off really shallow and goes deeper in the back center of the cove. I caught two nice ones with a pop r right there where it drops off. I haven't fished Pickwick but once and I'm sure during the spring and right after summer it's probably more active than the river, but when times are tough I think you'll always have a better chance working the mouths and points of coves on the river side.

Didn't see your post. Yeah it was a tough tough day today. Should have put in on the river. Oh well. That's why they call it fishing and not catching. ;D

roadwarrior reply :

Are you guys fishing this coming Saturday? My buddy cancelled

on me at the last minute so I didn't fish. If you're going and have

an open seat, let me know!

-Kent

bryand82487 reply :

Quote
Are you guys fishing this coming Saturday? My buddy cancelled
on me at the last minute so I didn't fish. If you're going and have

an open seat, let me know!

-Kent

Unfortunately I'll be working :'(. Hopefully we can get together soon though Kent before it gets to cold. Even then maybe we can just bear it and go ;D

Memphisballer reply :

Quote
Are you guys fishing this coming Saturday? My buddy cancelled
on me at the last minute so I didn't fish. If you're going and have

an open seat, let me know!

-Kent

I may be able to go. i will let you know by tomorrow.

00 mod reply :

Quote

Quote
Are you guys fishing this coming Saturday? My buddy cancelled
on me at the last minute so I didn't fish. If you're going and have

an open seat, let me know!

-Kent

I may be able to go. i will let you know by tomorrow.

If yall are staying till sunday, or fishing sunday as well......I hate to be a beggar but.....

lazeebum reply :

Heading out to fish the upper part of Pickwick Sunday a.m. Maybe I will have a tale to tell.

bryand82487 reply :

Quote

Quote
Are you guys fishing this coming Saturday? My buddy cancelled
on me at the last minute so I didn't fish. If you're going and have

an open seat, let me know!

-Kent

I may be able to go. i will let you know by tomorrow.

You guys hit Pickwick Saturday?

Memphisballer reply :

Not I. With all the rain we got I ended up hitting the duck blind. Probably would have done better on the lake. Ducks seemed to moved out with the front.

lazeebum reply :

I went, but only managed one keeper in 4 hours. Going again in the morning for awhile. The drum were on a tear today. I may try below the dam and see what happens. I will not get too close, there have been three close calls lately.

bryand82487 reply :

I'd fish below. There's about 4 to 5 small coves on the side across from the ramp within a little under a mile. Try working those points with a crawfish colored crankbait or pop r if you get there early in the morning. Last time I went I could pretty much throw that pop r any where I saw a bass hit the top of the water and catch it. There's one cove that has 2 metal poles inside the mouth of it on the right side. I beleive it also has a reflective red sign on a tree near for barges. If you find it troll into it out of the current, throw a couple of top waters back in it then fish a crank bait towards the mouth of it into the channel. We pulled several nice smallmouth out of there. It has a good ledge at the mouth. In the smallie picture above were in that cove looking out into the river. Good luck! Not sure how the bite is since the cold front.

roadwarrior reply :

Caught a few, but TVA cut the water back at noon.

We left around 1:00. Not pictured is a 15 lb drum

caught by westtennessee1.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1290995635/3#3

lazeebum reply :

Did a little better today, three keepers and a few stripe or white bass. It was still fun. Oh well back to the salt mine till Saturday.

bryand82487 reply :

Here's several really good articles on catching smallmouth on Pickwick you guys might be intersted in.

http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00384/1.php

lazeebum reply :

This weather has given me the fishin' bug for sure. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are lookin' real good for hitting the water. Water temp was almost 60 degerees this past Sunday and Monday. Maybe it will hold steady till Saturday.

sbrown reply :

I fished the 22nd & 23rd during that last warm spell and managed some topwater, chatterbait and jerkbait action, but I'd say that has changed with the falling temps.

I'm curious if anyones been lately and what's working.

Mr. Swabby(aka westtennessee1) reply :

Roadwarrior and Memphisballer hit it this past weekend, below the dam. Lots of water and Memphisballer tagged his PB smallmouth at 5lbs.

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1291597012

bryand82487 reply :

Yea he caught a nice one. I'm curious as to how they did for the day? I hope to get back down there soon. Are you guys interested in keeping this thread updated after every trip to Pickwick? I never mind sharing how I did and love to read about others trips as well.

lazeebum reply :

:-/Yeah, I can always tell you what didn't work. lol All kidding aside, unless it gets really cold and muddy, something always bites on the Tennessee River.

Memphisballer reply :

Quote
Yea he caught a nice one. I'm curious as to how they did for the day? I hope to get back down there soon. Are you guys interested in keeping this thread updated after every trip to Pickwick? I never mind sharing how I did and love to read about others trips as well.

We did pretty decent for the day. We didn't catch a ton below the dam and the wind really picked up so we hopped on the lake side to try to get out of the wind a bit.

We did pretty well with jerk bait on the lake side. Caught some smallies and some green fish.

bryand82487 reply :

Anyone know the water temp at Pickwick right now?

roadwarrior reply :

No, but in 57-59* two weeks a ago. I suspect it's colder now,

but the jerkbait bite should still be red hot!

-Kent

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Mr. Swabby(aka westtennessee1) reply :

Took my son to Pickwick yesterday, below the dam. Water was steady 44*, solid bite but mostly junk fish. Lot's a moving water and windy too. Caught five green fish, no brownies. Attached is a photo of the biggest LM.

bryand82487 reply :

Nice fish! Glad to see there still biting. I hope the shad kill isn't as bad as last years though.

FIAB reply :

Nice fish.......44*.....sounds like time to start looking for those toothy critters. Hope to try it out Thurs.

soopd reply :

I was on the water at Mcfarland in Florence Monday and the water temp was around 42. I left around 2 P.M. Did not manage a bite but I was mostly idling around trying to learn how to use my side imaging unit. I also stayed away from the dam.

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Pickwick Report (Updated) 2024

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