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John's Journal... Entry 167, Day 4

SECRETS OF THE TAILRACE WITH JERRY CROOK

Catfish In The Tailrace

EDITOR'S NOTE: Jerry Crook, of Gardendale, Alabama, a veteran Tennessee River angler, has more than 22 years of fishing experience. Crook operates Tailrace Guide Service, which focuses on live-bait fishing and provides anglers with the opportunity to catch several species of fish in a days outing. Wheeler, Wilson and Pickwick lakes on the Tennessee River in northwest Alabama has the furthermost range of smallmouth bass in Alabama. Wheeler Dam tailrace is one of the most well-known smallmouth areas in the nation with the Alabama state record for smallmouth caught here weighing 10 pounds, 8 ounces. This week, Crook will tell us his secrets for fishing the tailrace that will work in tailraces across the nation for a wide variety of fish.

QUESTION: Jerry, what is the secret to finding and catching catfish in a tailrace?
ANSWER: If I'm not specifically targeting catfish, and I'm drifting shad, during the course of the day I'll catch 12 to 15 fish. You'll catch a mixed bag in the tailrace, which is another plus for fishing below these dams. You never know what you'll hook. In the course of a day, you may take 11 species of fish. If I were targeting catfish in late summer, I'd fish the base of the dam. As the fall progressed, I'd get below the island, which is right below Wheeler Dam, maybe 300 yards from the dam. I'd drift with the current below that island. A lot of blue cats tend to congregate down there. Starting the end of September, flatheads will congregate in that area.

QUESTION: When the current runs, how do you rig and fish for those cats?
ANSWER: Mostly I just drift a minnow rig. That seems to work as well as anything does. Of course, you can anchor and fish structure with cut-up skipjacks, cut bait, shad guts or even chicken and rooster livers.

QUESTION: In the current, what kind of areas are you targeting for those cats? What are you looking for? If I came up and said I want to specifically catch catfish, what kind of places do you fish?
ANSWER: I'll look for big rock piles. If you watch the way the current is breaking, you'll see where it breaks on a big rock pile, and you'll see that the water will be rough on the topside of it. On the backside of it, you'll see slick, calm water. The fish will get in behind those rocks into a neutral position and feed on the shad as they swim by. They just dart out and feed and go back into their neutral spot.

QUESTION: When the water is not running, how do you fish that tailrace for cats?
ANSWER: I'll fish the very base of the dam right where the holes are in front of the turbines. If you're fishing the Tennessee River tailraces, you need to be aware of what TVA says it is going to do with the water schedule. There is a phone number that you can call that will give you the water schedule for the day. Anytime the water is not on, you still have the possibility of TVA cutting one on under you, which is not a good place to be. Have a little experience under your belt before you get up under that dam.

QUESTION: When is the best time to catch catfish in a tailrace?
ANSWER: There is a spring run, a summer run and an early fall run. All of those are great times to fish. You'll work real hard for them in the dead of winter to catch your limit of cats.

QUESTION: And on a good day in the spring, summer or early fall, how many pounds of cats will you put in a boat in the day?
ANSWER: Here on the Tennessee River tailraces, it is not hard to catch a minimum of 25 fish. You may catch as many as 100 fish. You can catch 125 pounds of fish or more on a good day.

For more information on fishing the tailrace, contact Jerry Crook at 1128 Meadow Drive, Gardendale, Alabama 35071 or call him at (home) 205-608-0933 or (cell) 205-243-6198. You can visit his website at www.alabamaoutdoors.net.

TOMORROW: LARGEMOUTH AND SAUGER IN A TAILRACE

 

 

Check back each day this week for more SECRETS OF THE TAILRACE WITH JERRY CROOK ...

Day 1 - Smallmouth in the Tailrace
Day 2 - Secrets To Catching Hybrids And Saltwater Stripes
Day 3 - Catching White Bass In The Tailrace
Day 4 - Catfish In The Tailrace
Day 5 - Largemouth And Sauger In A Tailrace


John's Journal