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River smallies

3K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Xtremex1204 
#1 ·
Is it just me but ive noticed the north or southfork isnt fishing like it used too.Some blame it on the otters some blame it on pollution but I myself say its been way overfished for years .The numbers and sizes arent what they used too be
 
#4 ·
Ive never done well in the spring and fall, seems i do better in the middle of summer. I think it has alot to do with the water generation too, its more stable in the summer and they arent pushin so much water down stream. Just my opinion, but it seems to hold true for the last 4-5 years i have been floatin and fishin the river. Ive been down there sweat a rollin off of me, the boat so hot you cant hardly touch it, and just wearin them out on just about every other cast.

With everyone able to run up river in jets now a days, it defindately sees more pressure im sure, but i dont think its a factor, you can go down there anytime during the week and float all day long and never see another soul. The first year i got back into fishin i thought, wow im doing this good in the summer, (15-25 Fish a day), i cant wait till fall, i will killem! WRONG!!! lol, i was so disappointed that year fall fishin
 
#5 ·
The South Fork below Eastman is definitely over fished. If you read the fishing reports for the Upper Holston or drive along Netherland Inn road on the weekend, it's obvious that the majority of people that fish the Upper Holston are fishing the South Fork from the confluence of the NF and SF up to Eastman. The smallmouth tend to move up toward the warm water discharge and they bunch up in this section which make them easier to catch than they are in the rest of the river downstream from the confluence.
 
#10 ·
Yeah lotsa fish around the eastman fished there a few times.But dont have a jet so my fishing is limited.But I use too fish the point and catch numbers and quality but past few years numbers are down big time.On the north and southfork.Use too catch 5 pounders and up but havent seen many of them in a few years
 
#14 ·
The last 3 yrs the water has ended up very hi during the spawn as it is now and has been for weeks.You cant expect them to reproduce when the fry are washed out .I won't mention the i'm gonna put this one in my pond people I run into constantly....oops guess I did.Mother nature and fishing pressure are very unforgiving to the brownfish population through Kingsport.We can't control the rain and we can't shoot stupid people ...or at least don't get caught.
 
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