Tyler Rivet’s early start — limit of 17-7 by 8 a.m. — bespoke a bankable truth that he and many anglers have noted this week: Heavy current concentrates fish.
Last week’s fierce storm system inundated the Tennessee River with a large volume of water; and, while the Tennessee Valley Authority has done a good job of working the influx through the system, the roaring cascades falling out of Wilson Dam have pushed formidable current through Pickwick.
Increased turbidity, lots of floating debris and challenging navigational conditions are the expected concerns; but the swift water has also created the potential for finding a wad of fish in a tight area. Typically, that’s some type of current break, or sheltered area where slower water allows fish to hold their position with less effort and pick off passing meals.
In such scenarios, you’ll often hear anglers talk about “one cast”, meaning they establish a particular presentation that delivers a bait precisely through a specific — often painstakingly narrow — strike zone. With a load of fish crowded into a tight area, feeding competition often yields intense flurries where it’s a bite every cast.
Yesterday, Rivet exemplified this point with a tale of serendipitous occurrence.
“I was running down the lake and had a log jam up between my lower unit and my jack plate, so I pulled over on the bank,” he said. “It just so happened that this was the same stuff I’d been fishing. On my first cast, I caught a 3-pounder and I caught my limit in, like, 5 minutes.
“Thank the good Lord that I hit that log. It’s His fault, so I appreciate that.”
Rivet said he left that spot at 9:30, and never got another bite. He probably could’ve caught more, but he wanted to save some of the potential for today. Good call.
Elsewhere:
Hank Cherry: For the reigning Bassmaster Classic champ, the highlight of Day 2 was a 7-11 largemouth that leads the Phoenix Boats Big Bass contest. On the quantity side, Cherry said that fish was the 40th bass he caught from the same spot.
“I had everything I had by 10,” Cherry said. “I timed it and when I started fishing, I had a limit in (approximately) 17 minutes. My spot had a lot of current and a lot of bait. Those fish were feeding on skipjacks, they’re feeding on threadfins and they’re feeding on gizzard shad.
“I caught them on a swimbait, a spinnerbait, a larger crankbait and a little flat-sided crankbait. My hands were cramping; it was unbelievable. I don’t remember ever having a day like that.”
Again, it was one cast: “If I go left or right, sometimes, I’d catch a white bass or a smallmouth, but when I hit the one rock, it’s a largemouth every time.”
Brandon Palaniuk: Fishing current seams in the Koger Island area, he caught all of his fish on a Rapala BX Brat. His bites were spread across a series of seams, but Palaniuk noted the requisite precision.
“You have to have it right in that seam; right where the fast and then slow water mixes,” he said. “You can be 10 feet off and not get a bite.”
Bill Lowen: Bassmaster LIVE saw the Indiana pro miss a good bite, but when he flipped his jig back to the exact spot, he connected with a keeper.
“The current sets those fish up so it’s like shooting fish in a barrel; you almost know where he’s going to be,” Lowen said. “Where you saw me catch that one (after missing the first), I caught a 4-pounder there on Day 1.
“When you find a spot that they set up on, it just keeps replenishing. Typically you can get a bite on the same spot day after day after day.”
Throughout today’s competition, anglers will be making countless casts, but those fortunate enough to dial in “the” cast will fare well.