The good Lord answered my prayers and for once, we had nice weather on a day I was off work. I had every intention of fishing the Cumberland but when I got down on Riverside Drive, I saw that the river was up about 15 feet, the color of chocolate, there were logs floating all over the place and the current was super strong (I found out later that the TVA is releasing tons of water from the dams to bring the lakes down to winter pool level). So, I ended up staying inside the lagoon at the Marina at Liberty Park along with a few other folks who were out fishing today.
A winter’s day; everything is brown but at least it was 50 degrees out today, and water temperature was 50 as well.
I started out by trolling the edges of the lagoon, casting my trusty 4” Senko (black, of course) to the rip rap along shore, looking for bass. I caught several dinks like the one below:
I got to one corner of the lagoon and cast towards some floating branches near shore and suddenly something grabbed my Senko and took off; I thought I had hooked into a freshwater drum but imagine my surprise when up came a big momma!
According to my scale, that bass weighed 5 pounds, 2 ounces but I’m not sure how accurate that scale is…either way, I’ll take it LOL.
Oh, and no post would be complete without a wildlife pic so here’s a bird:
Once I had made a round of the lagoon, looking for bass, I switched gears and started fishing for white bass, since I had been told that they start coming through this area during the winter months. I started out with a redeye shad rattle trap (sexy shad color) but I was missing a lot of fish so I switched to a Blue Fox inline spinner and started nailing them; I must have caught at least 50 white bass in about 2 hours, most of them were between 1 and 2 pounds.
These fish are a blast to catch as they put up a really good fight (I hear they are also good eating). I had promised my wife that I would be home before 3 since it is Christmas Eve and I had started a beef roast in the crock pot before I left so reluctantly, I called it a day around 2 and trust me, the way the white bass were biting, I was very reluctant 
. Today was the perfect Christmas present for yours truly; nice weather, and best of all, the fish were biting! Merry Christmas, all!
Ron knows I’m just messing with him. I saw...
Nice, Nomad. Again I wish I could be fishing with you again. Every thing here I’d frozen brother.
What a great Christmas present Frank!!! Congratulations, and Merry Christmas!!!
A Big Momma and 50 white bass. Man, what more could you ask for? 
Thanks guys!
Ty,
I wish you were here too, launching this boat is a lot easier than putting the SS Netcutter in the water LOL Hang in there, it’ll be spring before you know it.
Rob,
Slowly but surely! I can now cross white bass off my list; that leaves the hybrids, stripers and of course, those elusive crappie.
Nice going Nomad, glad you were able to get out there. It’s too dang cold over here now, and my boat is put away for the winter.
“and my boat is put away for the winter”
I may be in the same boat (no pun intended); we’re supposed to have a cold and snowy winter and even though I got myself that BP Pro Qualifier parka and pants, going out when my rod guides freeze over isn’t my idea of fun at all. If it’s 45 or more, and low wind, I’ll head out for sure, mainly because winter is when the stripers, white bass, sauger and walleye are running in the river. One good thing is, I keep my boat in the garage where it stay pretty warm so I keep the battery charger going and she’s ready to hit the water when I am.
Nomad,
Great Job! Man what a nice Bass. White bass are good eating. Had them many times growing up in Illinois. Taste as good as a crappie in my book. Maybe not but similar. Can’t wait for the weather to break. Doing alot of trout fishing here. Couldn’t catch anything on power bait but my friend killed them on cheese powerbait. I turned to my trusty fly rod and klled them on a orange hook. Yeap an orange hook. Red hook works well also. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Good Job again Frank.
Nice fish Nomad. I am envious. Those white bass and hybrid stripers are a blast and are perfect for kids as you can usually catch a heck load of them.
Ron, Are you serious about catching the trout on a plain orange hook. They must think its a salmon/trout egg. They do love eating the eggs of their own.
Ron,
Thanks, and next time I’m keeping some white bass (if I ever get into them again like that, that is LOL) How about some pics of the trout fishing?
Tex Mex,
I should have broken out the ultralight gear, I bet those things would have been a blast with 2-pound line
Tex Mex,
No I’m not kidding on the orange and red hooks. I here it mimmics a type of worm they eat. Don’t no for sure I usually put a 3in trout worm on it with my hook. My friend Jimmy turn me on to just using the hook by itself and it works just as good. You do have your days where a worm on does better and days they just want a orange or red hook. I hope to go this weekend and if so I will try to get some picks to post them Frank.
Frank,
I bet it would be a blast on an utra light rod(white bass). I know when we use powerbait on the UL its a blast for trout.