Travel as far back into them as possible before you start fishing. It’s usually best to fish out of these creeks rather than into them.

Follow the channel, carefully fishing every stick, stump and laydown you encounter. Pay particular attention to those located near channel swings or drops, and especially to those with a little grass around them. This is about fishing thoroughly, not covering water. Miss a stump and you probably missed a fish.

February and March are the prime months on Tims Ford.

Region III
Deep, clear Dale Hollow is the place to fish in Region III if you’re looking for big, slab-sized crappie.

“I’ve got to say that spring is good here, but fall is better, a lot better,” said local guide Donnie Felton (www.donniesguideservice.com). “It seems like the big ones bite better when the water is cooling down, rather than when it’s warming up. I don’t know why, but that’s the way it is.”

By big crappie, this man means 15 inches or better. When he talks about cooling water, he means late October through early December -- 60 degrees or lower.

Felton recommends anglers fish isolated stickups and flooded bushes along the steep bluffs in water between 10 and 25 feet deep. “The clear water keeps them a little deeper here than in other lakes, so you have to get your minnow down at least 10 feet and let it swim around, right inside the bush. You’ll lose many of them (hooks, minnows, crappie) that way, but I don’t know any other way to make them bite.”

This is slow, place-by-place fishing. Big Dale Hollow crappie aren’t very sociable in the fall. They live one or two to a bush. If you catch the second one, it’s time to move on.

Other lakes in this region that deserve a close look include Chickamauga, Cordell Hull and Watts Bar. Any of the three are capable of producing a fine stringer, but one in particular, Cordell Hull, deserves special mention.

According to both Gentry and Felton, it’s a better fishery than it’s given credit for. “You can catch a ton of crappie from Cordell Hull if you know what you’re doing. I’m not criticizing anyone, but you’ve got to fish this lake right to catch them. They aren’t easy, that’s for sure, but they’re there,” Gentry said.

When asked what fishing right means, Gentry replied, “Begin at Defeated Creek. It’s near Carthage. There’s heavy brush near the bridge that always holds a few good fish. Early in the year, Defeated Creek warms up quicker than some of the other areas. That sparks quick weed growth that attracts them like a magnet.”

He goes on to opine that there’s really no reason to ever leave this creek. It flows for several miles and has a steep-sided, deep channel. There are weeds and brush everywhere. Most of it holds fish.

Gentry’s second choice on Cordell Hull is Grandville Marina. Not too far from it, there’s a group of brushpiles. You can find them with your electronics if the water’s up, or see them from a boat if it’s down. A short minnow, under a bobber, will catch a stringer full if they’re there.

Cordell Hull’s dam is another spot worth your time. There’s a lock there that collects drift and other debris. To keep the lock clear, the drift is pushed away onto a riprap bank less than a mile from the lock. Dunk weightless minnows into the holes in the drift. If it’s too heavy, make your own hole in it and then come back in an hour or so to fish them.

Regardless of which of these areas you fish, keep in mind that Cordell Hull is a Cumberland River impoundment. The water’s cold. That affects the fish. You should always look for the warmest water around.

Mike Jolley, TWRA Region III reservoir fisheries biologist, suggests anglers consider Center Hill, Watts Bar and Chickamauga as well. “They aren’t as good as some of the others, but they aren’t bad either. Mostly there are plenty of crappie in them, but size can be a problem. They aren’t as big as we’d like,” he said.