When there is good current flow in the main river, sometimes that action, even during July and August, will be sensational in water less than 10 feet deep. Some intersections of the underwater cuts and ditches with the river will be found in conjunction with humps and ridges along the channel.

A 10- to 15-foot-deep ditch that intersects with a 40-foot-deep river channel that also has a hump rising to 6 to 8 feet of the lake's surface can be a dynamite spot even during the heat of the day if the current flow is adequate.

When there is less current flow, anglers can work the slightly deeper waters of the ditch and down into the river channel. The bottom structure is such that it will usually be a magnet for catfish. You may have to explore around the area a bit to find that productive spot, but somewhere in that complex of structure there will be catfish. There are plenty of places similar to this scenario in Old Hickory Lake.

I have experienced situations at Old Hickory when I was catching catfish in 20 feet of water with little or no current flow present. Then the current flow began when generation at the dam was increased. Many times, within 15 minutes, we'd start catching catfish in rapid-fire succession on top of the hump in 6 feet of water.

Thus, a key to catfishing success on Old Hickory is being able to quickly adapt to changing water conditions at this time of the year. A good topographic map is a great ally to help pre-determine potential catfish hotspots on Old Hickory Lake.

One favored way to fish on Old Hickory is to anchor and cast to the above-noted target areas. Typically, you can anchor on these structures in such a way you'll be able to fish multiple depths from one position, and doing so enables you to determine quickly which one is producing the best. If you don't get catfish bites within 15 to 20 minutes, move to another area. With the warmwater temperatures, if active catfish are in the area, they'll typically bite quickly.

Most anglers will use a 1/2- to 1-ounce slip-sinker above a swivel, with a 2-foot leader to the hook as the primary rig. Line test in the 10- to 20-pound range is typical.

Another method is to drift-fish, in a pattern similar to what Simms does on Chickamauga. That drift rig is universally productive when drifting for catfish. If the water depths you drift are somewhat less than Simms fishes on Chickamauga, you can reduce the weight on the end of the rigs.

The Old Hickory tailwaters area is also productive during the summer. However, most anglers would not rank it as productive as the Chickamauga tailwaters. For one thing, it is much smaller; however, there are plenty of good fishing hotspots for catfish from the dam down to the junction of the Stones River.

With these two lakes and the bonus tailwaters catfishing at each, anglers have great opportunities to hook up with Mr. Whiskers this summer. If you're looking for catfishing success, look no farther than these two areas.

But for consistent action, remember the three P's.

Find more about Tennessee fishing and hunting at: TennesseeSportsmanMag.com