By Aaron Kephart
Fishing has been exceptional lately, and the good news is, it is only going to get better and better as the weather continues to cool off. The leaves are going to change early because of the cool weather we’ve been having, and this is one of my favorite times of year to be on the water. We have been catching multiple species, in large numbers, on a number of local bodies of water. With that in mind, here is what has been biting on local lakes.
Smallmouth
The smallmouth fishing is really picking up. We had two over 5 pounds and four more over 4 pounds, on a recent morning trip. We have been catching some big ones at daylight on topwater walking baits, and swimbaits, tubes, and other finesse presentations are starting to produce as well. On slower days live herring, as always, have been a key producer. The big smallmouth will only bite better as the water continues to cool.
Largemouth
I have been on the best big largemouth bite I have seen in years. Most are coming on topwater, swimbaits, and live bait. We had a 7 pounder, a 6 pounder, and five more over 5 pounds on a trip last Saturday, and then the next day we had a 9 pounder, along with multiple other nice fish. Yesterday we had multiple 4 to 7 pounders. I don’t know how long this bite is going to last, so call me as soon as possible if you want to get in on some of this incredible action.
Stripers and Hybrids
The striper bite on Hiwassee is still going strong, although cloudy/rainy days are best. There is some breaking activity early in the day. They are starting to stage at the mouths of the main creeks, and some are already working their way far back into the creeks. The hybrids on Chatuge are still going strong, with a good early morning breaking bite. Walking topwaters will catch both species when they are breaking, but live bluebacks are the key to success when that bite slows. We have been catching fish on downlines, free lines, and planer boards. Some days they require a bit of searching since they are moving a lot right now, but there are few things more fun to catch than a big fall lineside.
Crappie
The night fishing for crappie is still going strong, as long as you avoid the bright, full moon type nights. It is getting cool some nights, but it is not uncomfortable yet. These fish will keep biting until it gets too cold for it to be enjoyable at night, so if you are interested in some super tasty filets before it gets frigid, give me a call.
Trout and Walleye
Trout and walleye are both a bit scattered and hard to predict right now. However, when we run into a trout this time of year it is generally a monster. The two biggest I caught last year came in the fall. If you want to try for a true trophy brown (10 pounds plus), now is a pretty good time. The walleye are pretty tough right now. We had been picking up a couple on each trip while we were targeting other species, but they have slowed. They will improve as the water cools.
I have a couple of October dates left as of this writing, and I am booking a few November dates as well. If you are interested in an awesome fishing experience, and some incredible fall scenery, on Hiwassee, Apalachia, or Chatuge, please give me a call at 865-466-1345. I look forward to hearing from you!
Aaron Kephart is the Owner of Mountain Lakes Guide Service. To book a guided trip on one of the Murphy area mountain lakes, contact him by phone at 865-466-1345 or by email at mtnlakesguide@outlook.com. Check out his website at http://www.mtnlakesguideservice.com and catch him on facebook@mountainlakesguideservice.
