Old Hickory Lake Guide Service Fishing Report- 05/09/2015- 05/22/2015
I first want to start off by saying Old Hickory lost one of its true legends last week and a very dear friend to myself in Mike Erwin. Mike Erwin has been a familiar face to many of us that fish Old Hickory and specifically Spencer Creek as he sat on his signature orange bucket for many hrs catching anything that swims at the Riverview Ramp(the small ramp on the right as you run into Spencer). Mike and I spent many, many hours fishing together over the last several years and I can truly say Mike taught me more about fishing Old Hickory then most anyone else. Mike was the most genuine and good hearted friend a man could ever ask for and I thank the Lord that he blessed me by allowing me to meet and become friends with Mike. Mike we love you buddy and you will forever be missed.
Fishing on Old Hickory is changing by the day now and the fishing is good. The shallow water grass bite everyone has been looking for is in full swing and depending on the day the fish will hang around in the grass throughout the day. The weed bite should remain strong but may tapper off to just a good morning bite soon. Overall the fish are in the post spawn transition and headed off the bank towards the first drop and deeper water. Good numbers are starting to show up on creek drops now and when you are able to find them you can flat catch them. We had one day last week where we pulled up on a creek hump and caught over 50 in less then an hour! We are weeding through a lot of shorts to find the better fish and they are all mixed in together. With that being said there are still plenty of fish up shallow and people are catching them many different ways. Several of the 5+ lb fish we caught this week were bloody tailed and still full of eggs and we will have fish still spawning into June and July but I do believe the majority of the fish are beginning to push out and are showing up by the day on offshore structure. Some tournaments will still be won beating the banks and there’s always good fish up shallow on Old Hickory but beginning now and for the summer if you are fishing the bank you can bet the majority of the fish are behind you. With the exception of the last several days, water temperatures have maintained a steady climb into the mid and upper 70s, mid lake, low to mid 70’s towards the dam and water clarity has remained excellent.
Starting out in the mornings we have been fishing shallow in the weed beds as fish are roaming in and along the edges. Depending on conditions a wide array of baits have been productive from frogs, buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, Bass Kandi Swim Jigs and flipping baits. I believe when fishing offshore the hardest part it is finding the fish this time of year as all the drops are not yet inhabited. Once you locate the fish you then must get the school to fire and after several fish bite it can be game on! Without a doubt our best bait has been the Bass Kandi T-Craw fished on a 1/2oz Bass Kandi Swinghook Football Jig and a 5/8oz Bass Kandi Jig in Magic Craw. These jigs are bad to the bone and because of the way they designed the head you will not hang this jig often.
Here in several weeks many “bank beaters” will find that the bite has begun to slow and fewer and fewer quality fish as the majority of the fish begin pushing out towards their summer home. Being able to read and interoperate you electronics is of the upmost importance and if you are struggling let me help. I have spent literally hundreds of hours riding and looking without ever making a cast and have gained the knowledge necessary to teach you where to look, how to look and then how to fish offshore structure.
Here at OHGS we use brand new high end fishing equipment from Denali Rods, Lews reels, Sunline, Fish Terror Baits, Bass Kandi Baits, and other top of the line equipment. I am a United States Coast Guard licensed captain and 100% dedicated to making your trip the trip of a lifetime.
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