The Spoonpluggers Forum

This is a picture of a feeder creek winding through a slough on Douglas lake above Knoxville Tn. Mr. Perry took hundreds of training photographs from Douglas. It is a large reservoir in the foothills of the smokies that gets drawn down each winter to the original river channel, Thought you might enjoy it.

Looks like a good choice for a Lake of the week!
Where would you all spend your time on this one?

Good pitcure, Kenny is that a bar in the shadow on the far right in the top third of the pitcure? Bob

Hey Bob, It has been several years since I took that photo, but to the best of my memory, I believe it is. That slough favors the picture on the front of the green book. There's all kinds of small washes that are not in the picture, and countless breaks, as well as small breaklines. I need to travel to Douglas in the winter just to spend a few days filming. In the winter, the only place that holds water in Douglas is the main channel and the feeder creeks. It's amazing to see all of the exposed bars with sharp breaks on one side and suttle breaks on the other side. The bars have breaks(stumps and brushpiles) scattered about. You can see the migration routes that go all the way, and the one's that Don't. Mr. perry use to love to walk for miles on Douglas that time of year.

I was talking to Kenny this morning and we both came to the conclusions that while this pic is a good teaching tool, we both would never fish in this area. I had asked my question to get some response, but no takers came forward. When Kenny called, and he asked me where I would begin to fish this area, I told him what Mr Perry had told me that we should never fish in this area of this lake. Turns out Mr Perry had told both of us this same thing at different times. In 1975 I was talking to Mr Perry on the phone for the first time and he had asked me what lake i fished. When I told him, he advised me then to NEVER fish a lake that gets an annual drawdown up past the lowest water winter drawdown area. He said that after a couple of good drawdowns, the fish totally eliminate these areas!
So while these pics are great for where to fish, we have to remember to use Mr Perry's other guidelines too.

Heck Steve, I missed your question. I actually would have said the same thing.

Steve,

Could you elaborate a bit more on the draw down situation?? Seems as if I missed that inforamtion over the years.

Thanks,

TN Dave

Hey My good friend Dave, Mr Perry stood on this causeway bridge several years ago and was asked the question, Where would you fish Mr. perry in this area, He turned and poiinted downstream and said, About 10 miles that way. He said that lakes like Douglas that pull all their water back down to the river channel and feeder creeks, That many of the fish would never return to this area, like the ones in the picture, It confused me, but I NEVER QUESTION THE MAN. Wayne remembers well when mr. Perry made this statement. I am sure Steve may ad something. I just think pictures during a big drawdown like Douglas are incredible to look at, makes you think. Most of our TVA lakes never drop their water down to such drastic levels, do you know any besides Douglas?

Dave,
I just took Mr Perry at face value when he told me that. What is interesting is that No tournament fishermen ever go above this draw down area to fish on my lake there in Indiana. I wonder why?!!!!!
I do know that Mr Perry also told me to fish an area just below that draw down area and i took my first 5 lb bass off that structure!
The man was incredible.
I am sure it is just a good hand rule he had, but i have always used it on a lake that had an annual draw down each year, and i always start my fishing(for Bass) below these areas.

Kenny and Steve,

Thanks for sharing the information. I never questioned Mr. Perry about his statements either, just listened, and did what he said.

Kenny, you are right, Douglas Lake is the only TVA lake that I know of that is drawn down that drastically. Other TVA lakes do have winter draw downs (flood control), but lake levels must be mainted at minimum depths to allow commercial boat traffic year round.


TN Dave