Gooch WMA Questions

[_wayne]

Appreciate the patience with someone new to hunting the area...

If drawn for a late season blind in either unit A or E of the Gooch WMA, what are some general regulations I should know before. I have read the TWRA hunting guide and its not particularly clear on a few items:

1. If not everyone in the party can make it, can people take their place? My understanding after reading is that just 1 person that has the draw has to be there

2. In Unit E do you have to stay right on the GPS coordinates, or can you be in the "general area" of the stake?

3. based on current and historical water levels, what will the late season look like as far as depth? I want to be sure our decoy anchors are the correct length

again, thanks for the help and any info to make a good hunt this year. Good luck to everyone!

 

[RUGER]

1. As far as I know as long as one person with a card is there anybody can hunt with them.
I don't know that for a fact though as the rules change as the wind blows or a buddy wants a favor.
2. You have to be VERY close to the post or tree with the number on it. Like pretty much tied to it.
3. E is gonna be SHALLOW and A, from what I have heard is pretty shallow as well. 5' would probably do fine at either place this year.

 

[_wayne]

3. E is gonna be SHALLOW and A, from what I have heard is pretty shallow as well. 5' would probably do fine at either place this year.

10-4. seems deep enough to run a traditional outboard motor, though

 

[West_Tn]

You are supposed to be very very close to the market. There are however people who just set up wherever they want to in the general area. Will you get a ticket for it? Probably just depends on who you are.

 

[younggun308]

You are supposed to be very very close to the market. There are however people who just set up wherever they want to in the general area. Will you get a ticket for it? Probably just depends on who you are.

Guess the warden roams around the blind sites in his boat during hunting hours to check people?

 

[West_Tn]

Guess the warden roams around the blind sites in his boat during hunting hours to check people?

Sometimes.

 

[Stlbaseball1]

I see you asked specifically about late season. A lot can change between now and then. Backwater can affect both of these places making it impossible to know water depth for a given time period. It could be anywhere from 2ft to 10 plus feet…
Additionally if there is backwater at Unit A, navigation can be difficult and can be very dangerous. Please be safe.

 

[_wayne]

I see you asked specifically about late season. A lot can change between now and then. Backwater can affect both of these places making it impossible to know water depth for a given time period. It could be anywhere from 2ft to 10 plus feet…
Additionally if there is backwater at Unit A, navigation can be difficult and can be very dangerous. Please be safe.

I did read that there is a bridge there that can get flooded up on a whim and to be careful where to park

Hopefully will get Unit E as I put those above Unit A - we will see

 

[RUGER]

I did read that there is a bridge there that can get flooded up on a whim and to be careful where to park

Sorry I had to laugh at that one.
I posted this last year and thought it might shed a little light on what you can expect.

Anyway, with normal water conditions Gooch is as easy to navigate as anywhere I have ever hunted.
The definition of normal is the Obion River does not get out and we don't have Noah type floods during the Winter.
You can drive your truck to B dock, launch your boat and be on your merry way.
You can get to the tier 2 blinds with relative ease. Once you get there you can wade the hole, work your decoys and just pretty much have it easy.
NORMAL has happened ONE time since I started hunting there. (8 years ago) Spoiled me big time.

Every year since that first year I have never been able to wade the holes except for MAYBE opening weekend.
When the water gets up you can't drive to the ramp.
You have to do one of 4 things.
1) Launch in the front parking lot, go under the trestle, go around, jump the levee and then get to your hole.
2) Launch across the road, run about 1/2 of a mile through the woods, go under a different trestle, come back down 1/2 of a mile, go around, jump the levee and then get to your hole.
3) Launch across the road, run just over a mile through the woods, get into the actual Obion River (which will be above flood stage, which means a LOT of water, trash, debris logs etc.) go up river, get back into Gooch, come back down just over a mile, go around, jump the levee and then get to your hole. This is just ASKING for trouble and possibly worse.
4) Come in from the East or South side of Gooch, launch on private land and then go anywhere from a mile to 3 1/2 miles to get to Gooch and then go through the woods, jump the levee and then find your hole.
I have never and will never do option 4. It just ain't worth it.

I am not trying to be dramatic but I had a VERY good friend literally almost die under the trestle one day. He was an experienced hunter and hunted at Gooch a BUNCH.
He just got caught in a bad situation, made a bad decision and followed a boat that had JUST went under the trestle and got jammed up because his boat was floating a few inches higher than the previous boat due to their heavy load.
Just by the Grace of God he lived and his other 4 friends didn't have to stand there and watch him die.

 

[_wayne]

One more question here. When do we usually find out if we drew a spot successfully for the late season?

 

[younggun308]

One more question here. When do we usually find out if we drew a spot successfully for the late season?

My money is on either next Monday or Tuesday, based on the early and middle segment draws.

 

[_wayne]

Was not successful in the draw. A little surprising that our party was not chosen for a single one of the many applied for...

I guess you can throw 30 darts at a dartboard and still not get a bullseye...

 

[SinningSaint33]

We ended up with E3 January 13th-15th

 

[drake799]

Was not successful in the draw. A little surprising that our party was not chosen for a single one of the many applied for...

I guess you can throw 30 darts at a dartboard and still not get a bullseye...

There's no telling how many people were applied for these spots. Lol

 

[TN22]

We ended up with E3 January 13th-15th

Does anyone know if you can run an outboard to E3?

 

[Dodge Man]

Does anyone know if you can run an outboard to E3?

You can get close to it with an outboard fallowing the ditch channel in but I imagine you would have to push the boat or walk to the marker at the moment. If the river gets out you can drive to it no problem.

 

[SinningSaint33]

Anybody here hunted E3 the past few days??

 

[Levee Jumper]

I haven't. You may try hunting 60 yards South-SouthEast of the stake, (where it should be) you may kill a few and have a good time.

Good luck!