For first-timers, hiring a guide for a float trip is probably the most sensible approach. After you have a “feel” for the water, you can go it alone by wading or renting a canoe or drift boat. One additional thing to keep in mind is that trout tend to be less wary when the water is “on.”

For bait-fishermen, there are plenty of options. Old standbys such as worms and night crawlers will certainly do the trick, and so will commercially prepared baits that are available on the market. You might also want to consider crickets, and though you won’t find them in bait stores, having enough gumption to catch a bunch of grasshoppers in summer can serve you wonderfully well. If bigger trout are of particular interest, you might also want to give some thought to two old-time favorites — “spring lizards” (actually salamanders) and crayfish. Another grand bait is what old-timers call “nests.” The larva of wasps, hornets and yellow jackets make an incredibly fine bait, one nothing available commercially can match (although wax worms aren’t a bad substitute).

For the guy with spinning gear, options are almost unlimited. Bigger trout will readily take minnow-imitating plugs of the sort more frequently associated with bass fishing, while a number of the “wee” lures made by companies like Cordell and Heddon can be quite productive. Then, too, there are those tried-and-true favorites of those who spin-fish for trout, Panther Martins and Mepps Aglias. One other type of spinner that has a long history of productivity is a local rig that uses a gold Colorado blade with a Yellarhammer fly tied on a long-shank hook as a trailer.

No matter what your favored approach, you need to be aware of the fact that whether the water is “on,” “off,” or is in between flows, Tennessee’s tailwaters have become immensely popular. This is true for Volunteer State anglers along with those from neighboring states. That means you won’t find soul-soothing solitude, and on weekends at certain times of the year, things can be so crowded that, in the words of one local angler, “you need to carry your own rock if you want one to stand on.” That’s the nature of tailwaters, but the flip side of the coin is that they are so productive, so filled with fish, that there are plenty of trout to go around.

By the same token, Tennessee’s tailwaters offer plenty of fast-growing trout and consistent hatches that take place throughout the year. For those who savor the special challenges and potential rewards of tailwaters, they can be a delightful destination.

Basically, you have one of several distinct choices when it comes to fishing tailwaters. The simplest, but also the least productive, is bank-fishing. A second option, and it works best for the flyfisherman, but is by no means his exclusive preserve, is wade-fishing when the water is off or when there is only minimal generation. Then there’s the option of floating to fish. There are many possibilities here: canoes, drift boats fitted with casting frames, miniature one-man pontoon boats made specifically for this type of situation, and the like. The advantages of watercraft when the upstream dam gates are open are obvious. They let you access places where wading is impossible and you can cover many river miles.