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J. PERCY PRIEST LAKE
Because of its Nashville location and modest size, J. Percy Priest Lake probably gets about as much fishing pressure per acre as any lake in Tennessee. Highly productive, though, this lake continues to yield fine fishing for several species, including channel catfish. And the truth is that most anglers visit Priest with other species in mind. The cats get relatively light pressure for the number of anglers that use the lake.

"Priest is known more for bass, stripers, hybrids and crappie than for cats," said Doug Markham, Region III public information officer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. "That's too bad because the cats are in very good shape in this urban lake."

Markham noted that Priest supports flatheads, channels and blues, giving Nashville-area anglers a gamut of catfishing options. As a tributary impoundment, Priest isn't quite as daunting as major impoundments along the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, which also contain all three big-cat species.

The open main body of Percy Priest contains an abundance of humps, points and ridges, many of which rise close to the Stones River channel. Cats relate heavily to these structures, holding deep during the day and moving shallow at night. At night, they'll also feed on flats that border the river channel. Current (or lack thereof) also has a big impact on how the cats position themselves and how they will feed.

Anglers should spend time searching for baitfish and for catfish with their electronics. Time spent looking at several structures to see where the fish are concentrated and how they are relating to the cover is a good investment. If an angler finds a concentration of what appears to be cats, the most efficient way to target those fish is to set up within casting range and lay several baits on the bottom with simple Carolina rigs.

Good baits include cut shad or bluegills and chicken livers. However, anglers who lay out chicken livers at Percy Priest during the summer should be prepared to catch more than cats. Hybrids, which abound in this lake, seem to be somewhat partial to chicken livers.

Anglers who specifically want flatheads should head for Priest's upper reaches and fish bends in the Stone River channel. Flatheads will be both along the channel drop and on the outside edge of the channel, almost always in some type of woody cover. Flathead fishermen put live bluegills or gizzard shad as close as possible to treetops, stumps or other cover and wait for the big cats to latch on. When the fish bite, anglers need to be prepared to set the hook and start cranking hard, with heavy gear and tight drags, to keep the flatheads from getting buried in the cover.

For channel catfish up the river, manufactured stink bait also works well. Anglers use "catfish worms," which are designed to dip in the gooey mess, and lay them out on the bottom upstream of likely holding areas. Current carries particles of the bait downstream, causing the bait to serve the double function of chum and bait

Beyond rod-and-reel techniques, jug-fishing is exceptionally popular on Percy Priest. Anglers go into coves, usually at night, and put out a spread of jugs, which they often bait with cut shad. They spend the night chasing dancing jugs and often enjoy very good catches.

More than 20 boat ramps provide good access to all parts of Percy Priest.