For smallmouth fishing, find your way below Chickamauga Dam on the East or Amnicola Hwy. side. Beneath the Dam you'll see a rusty railroad bridge. Beginning at the RR bridge, the is a gravel bar that goes about 150 yard (give or take).
That is the best shoreline smallmouth spot you'll find anywhere. Artificials work... but you can buy live shiners at Jack's Bait & Tackle nearby. They're pretty easy to keep alive when it's cold.
But generation schedules greatly affect fishing there... if they're generating too much, it's almost impossible to fish effectively from shore.