By Aaron Kephart
As of this writing (October 12), we are currently experiencing our first cool snap of the year, and it feels awesome. Even though the weather has been abnormally warm for early fall, the fishing has been spectacular. It should remain so for the next few months. With that in mind, I would like to look at what you can expect in the months of November and December on our Murphy area lakes.
Current water temperatures on Hiwassee are running in the upper 70s, while Apalachia is low 60s to mid 70s, and Chatuge is also in the mid 70s. The water temps will drop dramatically in the next few weeks, as will the lake level on Hiwassee. The bait and fish will make some monumental moves in response to those temperature drops, which dictates mobility on the angler’s part as well. Basically, if you aren’t catching fish, don’t be afraid to move around, and always be on the lookout for the presence of baitfish in the area. Pretty much all of the main predator fish (stripers, spots, largemouth, and smallmouth) are currently staging at the mouths of pockets and main creeks. They will continue to follow the bait further back into the creeks and deep coves as the water temperatures drop, and there should be a noticeable increase in surface activity. This pattern should continue until the surface temperatures drop below 60 degrees or so.
I really start to get excited when the water temperatures hit the mid 50s. This is when the fish will stop scattering and start congregating in huge numbers on channel points, creek basins, deep flats, and creek channels. Some of our biggest numbers of the year (well over 40 fish) often occur when this migration happens. These fish are grouping and eating in preparation for winter, and the good news is that once you find these concentrations, they often stay put for weeks or even months at a time, as long as the weather is somewhat stable.
In terms of species to catch and baits to throw, late fall and early winter offer a lot of options. The species available will be striped bass, hybrid bass, spotted bass, brown trout, walleye, and largemouth bass. However, the star of the show in the cooler months, at least for me, is the smallmouth bass. I will often throw walking topwater baits or wake baits to start off the day until the fish completely turn off of them (usually when water temps hit the 50s). Other artificials that see considerable use are swimbaits (both hard body and soft), Alabama rigs, crankbaits (lipped and lipless) and hair jigs (I tie my own). The fish are really keyed in on bait this time of year, so I make sure that whatever I throw imitates the predominant baitfish in the body of water I am fishing (primarily blueback herring and gizzard shad). With that said, I provide a tank full of live bluebacks for all of my guide trips in addition to providing all of the artificials as well, and I also provide gizzard shad and live rainbow trout depending upon what the fish want at the time.
Late Fall and Early winter might be better known for changing leaves, deer season, and college football than they are for fishing, but there is no need to put the rods up just yet. This timeframe often offers some of the most fun and productive fishing of the year. At this time, I currently have a couple of November and a few December dates left. I am also offering gift certificates for the angler on your Christmas list. Give me a call at 865-466-1345 to get in on the Murphy area’s best action.
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.