Percy Priest Tailwaters

MattR · Jun 17, 2013

I went to the tailwaters over at Percy Saturday because I heard from a friend that they were catching skipjack there. Well, I get there and they were spilling pretty hard. I set up about 50 yards down from the dam and was throwing a white curly tail. on my 2nd cast I hooked into a nice bream, not what I was looking for, but it was a very good fight. Little did I know he would be the first bream out of probably 40-50. I guess they were getting let through the spill gate but they were in there thick! and they were good size too, I didn't keep them because I didn't feel like cleaning all of them, and becuase I was after the skipjack. I figured I would let you guys know because I have seen alot of people going for the bream here lately. They were nice size too, would of made for a nice mess of fish but it's ok I had alot of fun catchin em, I usualy don't care too much for catchin them using bobbers but catching them using curly tails was fun, ecspecially since that current was rollin, it made for an even funner fight.

trealtree · Jun 17, 2013

Thanks for the report.

Crosshairy · Jun 17, 2013

My dad and I had a similar experience 2 weeks ago below Pickwick Dam.

I was catching the occasional white bass and skipjack, and all of a sudden he started pulling in nice bull bream right in the rocks in a little eddy against the bank. We ended up getting half our stringer in big bream, which we weren't even fishing for.

I also learned one lesson - I won't be going back without a cast net or some live minnows, because I caught more fish in 2 minutes on a random minnow that I snagged and put below a slip cork than I did in 15 minutes throwing a lure.

It's good to have options!

Damfishing · Jun 17, 2013

Nice report!! Did you see any striper fisherman down there, were there catching anything.

MattR · Jun 18, 2013

I seen some people wading like right close to the wall, it didn't look like they were catching much, I really didn't pay too much attention to them though. I think if they were catching stripers I would of noticed. On the cumberland though, I went to a spot catfishing early in the morning Saturday and there was A LOT of striper action going on. If I would of been in a boat, I imagine I would of been able to catch a couple

MnHunter · Jun 18, 2013

I went there saturday afternoon, the skipjack were stacked in the current if you waded a little past knee deep towards the spillways. Caught several whitebass and skipjack on castmaster spoons up along the wall and in the current below the wall. Sorry i just saw this, since the doors are closed now.