I hate the tier system and I will continue to fight it.
With that being said, I have no hard feelings for anyone from anywhere and especially the guys from East TN, I get it, I really do.
I talked to one of my best friends the other day. He is as hard core a waterfowl hunter as they come. He grew up in East TN and opened my eyes a bit and made me understand the desire of the new system for guys that live there.
I know for a fact that there are alot of people from there that have forgotten more about duck hunting than I will ever know. In fact there are a BUNCH of people on this site that fit that description.
There are also just as many people on here that know more about Gooch than I do.
I have only been hunting there, on and off, for about 10 years.
I have only hunted the tier 2 blinds a handful of times but they are all really good spots. They are the top 5 spots on the entire WMA.
I have never been fortunate enough to hunt any of them for the entire year and now that chance is gone and yes that is stuck in my craw big time.
Hopefully it isn't gone forever though.
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. 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.
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.
I said all that to say this:
I don't know that much and alot less than others but if you get drawn and you are not familiar with the area give me a holler and I will tell you anything / everything I know about getting around down there.
If you come to scout beforehand if there is any way possible I will come down there and guide you around the actual course you will take.
I just don't want anyone to die due to something that could be avoided.
Good luck and let 'em work.
With that being said, I have no hard feelings for anyone from anywhere and especially the guys from East TN, I get it, I really do.
I talked to one of my best friends the other day. He is as hard core a waterfowl hunter as they come. He grew up in East TN and opened my eyes a bit and made me understand the desire of the new system for guys that live there.
I know for a fact that there are alot of people from there that have forgotten more about duck hunting than I will ever know. In fact there are a BUNCH of people on this site that fit that description.
There are also just as many people on here that know more about Gooch than I do.
I have only been hunting there, on and off, for about 10 years.
I have only hunted the tier 2 blinds a handful of times but they are all really good spots. They are the top 5 spots on the entire WMA.
I have never been fortunate enough to hunt any of them for the entire year and now that chance is gone and yes that is stuck in my craw big time.
Hopefully it isn't gone forever though.
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. 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.
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.
I said all that to say this:
I don't know that much and alot less than others but if you get drawn and you are not familiar with the area give me a holler and I will tell you anything / everything I know about getting around down there.
If you come to scout beforehand if there is any way possible I will come down there and guide you around the actual course you will take.
I just don't want anyone to die due to something that could be avoided.
Good luck and let 'em work.
