# Reelfoot



## stanimals2

Anyone been this year ? Reports ? heading down last week of the month


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## Saugeye Tom

Killen the crappie ..talked to a friend that lives there...buck basin


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## miked913

I can't figure out why anyone would go to that barren waste land. That mud hole is a huge has been


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## Saugeye Tom

The waste land is loaded with crappie, bluegill, bass...etc


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## miked913

At current count I have fished in 23 different states and 3 other countries and I don't have to think twice which lake ranks at the bottom.


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## Saugeye Tom

miked913 said:


> At current count I have fished in 23 different states and 3 other countries and I don't have to think twice which lake ranks at the bottom.


Nice to know but I've fished in other countries along with other states ...it May not be the top spot but it's up there. Spent 13 years in the spring there...had one bad spring due to weather. Only took 300 fish that year...


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## PromiseKeeper

Tom, whats it like in May and June?


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## Saugeye Tom

June is a tad warm and the fish are in 6 to 7 foot of water..went the first week one time only...1st and second week of may is great for gills and lmb hold over crappies too. always tried to go the second week in may ...... better weather too


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## Popspastime

stanimals2 said:


> Anyone been this year ? Reports ? heading down last week of the month


The whole south has been flooded and all the TVA lakes are at flood stage yet with debris and muddy water. I've never visited the "Foot" yet so I don't know what shape it's in right now. They are doing fish to the South East better right now due to better weather. You just might want to check the status of the lake right now and see. My depart time might also be set back due to the same thing, being retired gives me more options for time.


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## stanimals2

All the reports I am reading are all saying and its on fire, and hell with the weather we have had in the east coast what lakes are not muddy as hell or at flood stage ? Not going to ruin my trip, its what you make of it and who you go with that define a good time. We WILL have a GREAT time


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## Saugeye Tom

GO GET EM still catching!!!


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## Saugeye Tom

stanimals2 said:


> All the reports I am reading are all saying and its on fire, and hell with the weather we have had in the east coast what lakes are not muddy as hell or at flood stage ? Not going to ruin my trip, its what you make of it and who you go with that define a good time. We WILL have a GREAT time


Please post pics and reports!


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## BMustang

Have a happy one and done!!!


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## Saugeye Tom

BMustang said:


> Have a happy one and done!!!


Lol. Wondered where you were!


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## BMustang

Saugeye Tom said:


> The waste land is loaded with crappie, bluegill, bass...etc


You left out stumps, muddy water, high winds, drum, weeds and bugs.

IF you have to go, Go with someone who has been there before, and knows their way around.
But you will rarely find anyone going back who has been there before.

S.T. is a gluten for punishment. He also likes St. Clair. (Insert symbol for "Shoot me" here)


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## Saugeye Tom

BMustang said:


> You left out stumps, muddy water, high winds, drum, weeds and bugs.
> 
> IF you have to go, Go with someone who has been there before, and knows their way around.
> But you will rarely find anyone going back who has been there before.
> 
> S.T. is a gluten for punishment. He also likes St. Clair. (Insert symbol for "Shoot me" here)


MAN. BM. we have got to fish together sometime!!


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## crappiedude

stanimals2 said:


> its what you make of it and who you go with that define a good time.


How true that statement really is. We used to travel with a group of 8 and now we're down to just me and a friend. If you have the right group you'll have fun no matter what. I've traveled with a few guys that as soon as I got to the lake I regretted it. I looked for adult day care to leave them at but they wouldn't take them. Just be sure if you hook up with one of the cry babies you drive...I had one guy who I rode to Erie with wanted to leave and come home on the 2nd day of a 4 day trip. It was my boat and his truck, I had no choice but to leave. It's been 4 years and I haven't talked to him since. He did leave one tackle box in my boat so I took out all the stuff I wanted and threw the rest in the trash.


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## ress

Ya you need to weed those dudes out.lol


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## stanimals2

BMustang said:


> You left out stumps, muddy water, high winds, drum, weeds and bugs.
> 
> IF you have to go, Go with someone who has been there before, and knows their way around.
> But you will rarely find anyone going back who has been there before.
> 
> S.T. is a gluten for punishment. He also likes St. Clair. (Insert symbol for "Shoot me" here)


I am going with one guy who lived there for years and goes back every year, Funny we decided to go there instead of st. claire this year LOL


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## Saugeye Tom

stanimals2 said:


> I am going with one guy who lived there for years and goes back every year, Funny we decided to go there instead of st. claire this year LOL


Lord do BOTH


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## Saugeye Tom

stanimals2 said:


> I am going with one guy who lived there for years and goes back every year, Funny we decided to go there instead of st. claire this year LOL


Do both im gonna do st Clair and Erie this year


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## stanimals2

Saugeye Tom said:


> Do both im gonna do st Clair and Erie this year


Yea havent had much luck there the last 3 years, Id rather take a week or so and limit out on crappie around here than get the **** beat out of me on st claire for a lack luster year up there on smallies.


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## Saugeye Tom

last year was rough for the first week so we gill fished the second week was much better. we did fill a wash tub with gills out of our channel at st clair


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## Saugeye Tom

stanimals2 said:


> I am going with one guy who lived there for years and goes back every year, Funny we decided to go there instead of st. claire this year LOL


here is one of em


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## stanimals2

Saugeye Tom said:


> here is one of em
> View attachment 257363


You guys go to the canadian side or michigan


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## Saugeye Tom

stanimals2 said:


> You guys go to the canadian side or michigan


Michigan, swan view channel


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## Saugeye Tom




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## Saugeye Tom

Took a bit to find the pic


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## stanimals2

Saugeye Tom said:


> Took a bit to find the pic


Problem is the dont let you fish in most of the channels unless you own property on them


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## Saugeye Tom

stanimals2 said:


> Problem is the dont let you fish in most of the channels unless you own property on them


Huh...we fish a lot of em....when it's rough...never been questioned ...better check into that


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## fishonboard1

Been once, never go back. Use their boats (stumps)_ Pray for no wind. Went Fri Sat Sun, only got out for Friday.


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## Saugeye Tom

Bad weather is rough...took my 17.5 deep v with a 115 merc....trim it up go slow


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## Saugeye Tom

Stay in marked channels when running fast


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## Saugeye Tom

fishonboard1 said:


> Been once, never go back. Use their boats (stumps)_ Pray for no wind. Went Fri Sat Sun, only got out for Friday.


Welcome to ohio game fishing....


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## Flathead76

Saugeye Tom said:


> View attachment 257388


There's a thread going right now about guys like this who keep buckets of bluegills........


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## Saugeye Tom

Flathead76 said:


> There's a thread going right now about guys like this who keep buckets of bluegills........


where at? I keep em sometimes for fish fry"s


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## crappiedude

Saugeye Tom said:


> Bad weather is rough...took my 17.5 deep v with a 115 merc....trim it up go slow


I first want to say that I've never been to Reelfoot but know some guys who have gone and most didn't do too good. I think all these guys went in early March.
I think the biggest problem is people book their 1st trip to Reelfoot via area Sport Shows. They see those early bird reservation's and they jump on the discounted price. Next problem is they aren't fishing out of their own boats. 
I'd love to go down there one day but I would want to go sometime in April and I'd have to take either mine or my friends boat.


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## Popspastime

Only problem with Reelfoot is there's way to much good water all around it with very little pressure. A super lake for gills but only averages 5 and a half feet.


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## Flathead76

Saugeye Tom said:


> where at? I keep em sometimes for fish fry"s


Thread about panfish limits.


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## Saugeye Tom

lol yup i remember...


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## kycreek

I'd like to check out Reelfoot myself someday.


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## Saugeye Tom

talk to the locals...they sometimes will help I have a map i marked up for friends!


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## jrose

Just FYI- Got back Sunday from East Tennessee, Norris, Cherokee, and Douglas lakes water level looked good and has cleared up nice.


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## Saugeye Tom




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## Saugeye Tom

stanimals2 said:


> Anyone been this year ? Reports ? heading down last week of the month


Look above ol man


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## buzz94111

I took my familt to reelfoot 2 years in a row after reading Saugeye toms post about it. Being the only fisher in the family, we filled our freezer with big gills both years. Beautiful place, tons of water for bg fishing. Timing is everything, you have to find a bed that hasnt been disturbed for a day. If toms marks dont help, i can add a couple more places for gills, but its a long boat ride to get there. Cant wait to go back again! Oh wait, sry there really no fish there, dont go. Lol


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## stanimals2

This week has sucked !! No one is catching **** !! rain and 10-20 degrees below normal !! no more reel foot for me


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## Saugeye Tom

stanimals2 said:


> This week has sucked !! No one is catching **** !! rain and 10-20 degrees below normal !! no more reel foot for me


Went way too early....


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## miked913

Sorry to hear

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


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## BMustang

stanimals2 said:


> All the reports I am reading are all saying and its on fire, and hell with the weather we have had in the east coast what lakes are not muddy as hell or at flood stage ? *Not going to ruin my trip, its what you make of it and who you go with that define a good time. We WILL have a GREAT time*





stanimals2 said:


> This week has sucked !! No one is catching **** !! rain and 10-20 degrees below normal !! no more reel foot for me


I warned you. I said, "Happy one and done!!!"

There are waaayyyy too many decent places to fish to go to Reelfoot.

Saugeye Tom is the president and marketing director of the Reelfoot Chamber of Commerce. 
*My advise to anyone considering Reelfoot - Don't Go!!!*


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## fished-out

BMustang said:


> I warned you. I said, "Happy one and done!!!"
> 
> There are waaayyyy too many decent places to fish to go to Reelfoot.
> 
> Saugeye Tom is the president and marketing director of the Reelfoot Chamber of Commerce.
> *My advise to anyone considering Reelfoot - Don't Go!!!*


+1, leave it for Tom.


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## Saugeye Tom

Well guys i never had a bad trip there....dont go anymore because my dad and the friend i went with passed on....i always stayed 9 days to get 4 good days in. its fishing not catching i wont go back either as you have all talked me out of it....


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## stanimals2

To give reel foot a fair shake the weather was jacked and unusual for that time of year. I dont mind the rain but 10-20 mph winds was a killer. The fish that were caught were quality fish but everyone *except* the guides were only picking up 1 or 2 here and there. It would have been a tough week fishing any lake in those conditions just sucks when its your first trip to a new lake and doesn't make a good impression. I have always wanted to fish Barkley and Kentucky lakes too and now I know they are only 6 hours away I think that will be next years trip.


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## BMustang

stanimals2 said:


> To give reel foot a fair shake *the weather was jacked and unusual *for that time of year. I dont mind the rain but 10-20 mph winds was a killer. The fish that were caught were quality fish but everyone *except* the guides were only picking up 1 or 2 here and there. It would have been a tough week fishing any lake in those conditions just sucks when its your first trip to a new lake and doesn't make a good impression. I have always wanted to fish Barkley and Kentucky lakes too and now I know they are only 6 hours away I think that will be next years trip.


NO, That is actually the norm. What is unusual is to get a stable stretch of weather.
See Post #15 

The stumps don't go away, then if it calm, which it rarely is in the spring, the bugs move in.
Even I can live with those conditions for quality fish. Bluegill and crappie don't excite me, so Reelfoot is IX-Nay on my list of places to go.

Simply not a very pleasant place. Kentucky and Barkley are a step in the right direction.
Reelfoot is a fishing abberation. IF these guys didn't show up every winter at sports shows with a cooler full of freshly *NETTED* crappie, they'd have no repeat business to speak of.


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## fastwater

BMustang said:


> I warned you. I said, "Happy one and done!!!"
> 
> There are waaayyyy too many decent places to fish to go to Reelfoot.
> 
> Saugeye Tom is the president and marketing director of the Reelfoot Chamber of Commerce.
> *My advise to anyone considering Reelfoot - Don't Go!!!*





fished-out said:


> +1, leave it for Tom.


Lol!
I get a kick out of those who make one trip to a 'noted' lake and don't do any good then come back and throw rocks at that lake. Especially if that person goes at the wrong time or runs into inclimate weather while at the lake and they don't do well.

Heck, I've been fishing down south in Okeechobee, Kissimmee, Orange etc and had bad days. Remember a couple years going to Kissimmee that it was so cold when reeling in you had to tap the rod on the edge of the boat to knock the ice out of the eyelits.
Didn't do very good those years...but had enough experience on the lake to know that that wasn't the norm.

Had a trip just last year to Lake St Clair that was my first there that we experienced weather conditions that the locals said they had not seen since 1989.
Though I had a blast, to those that have fished LSC for years, they said it was the worse year they could remember. Fish count was surely down!
Don't think I'll base my first and only trip as something of the norm on that lake. 
Matters of fact, can't wait to get back there this year!


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## Saugeye Tom

fastwater said:


> Lol!
> I get a kick out of those who make one trip to a 'noted' lake and don't do any good then come back and throw rocks at that lake. Especially if that person goes at the wrong time or runs into inclimate weather while at the lake and they don't do well.
> 
> Heck, I've been fishing down south in Okeechobee, Kissimmee, Orange etc and had bad days. Remember a couple years going to Kissimmee that it was so cold when reeling in you had to tap the rod on the edge of the boat to knock the ice out of the eyelits.
> Didn't do very good those years...but had enough experience on the lake to know that that wasn't the norm.
> 
> Had a trip just last year to Lake St Clair that was my first there that we experienced weather conditions that the locals said they had not seen since 1989.
> Though I had a blast, to those that have fished LSC for years, they said it was the worse year they could remember. Fish count was surely down!
> Don't think I'll base my first and only trip as something of the norm on that lake.
> Matters of fact, can't wait to get back there this year!


B Mustang ALWAYS HURTS MY FEELINGS


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## Popspastime

Being it's your first time on the lake and had everything going against you in weather what would you expect? I've been putting my trip south off because of it as well. I'm not locked into any specific time so it makes choices easier. I'm willing to travel anywhere right now to fish but the Reel would not even be in the playbook for prime time spent. This years been tuff so far and being pushed 2 to 4 weeks out. Now as soon as the rest of these guys.. cough.. cough.. figure out their passing up some of the best sm bass fishing in the world, and I mean the world, they might change direction some day..hehehe.


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## Saugeye Tom

Popspastime said:


> Being it's your first time on the lake and had everything going against you in weather what would you expect? I've been putting my trip south off because of it as well. I'm not locked into any specific time so it makes choices easier. I'm willing to travel anywhere right now to fish but the Reel would not even be in the playbook for prime time spent. This years been tuff so far and being pushed 2 to 4 weeks out. Now as soon as the rest of these guys.. cough.. cough.. figure out their passing up some of the best sm bass fishing in the world, and I mean the world, they might change direction some day..hehehe.


Lol I go both ways


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## BMustang

fastwater said:


> Lol!
> I get a kick out of those who make one trip to a 'noted' lake and don't do any good then come back and throw rocks at that lake. Especially if that person goes at the wrong time or runs into inclimate weather while at the lake and they don't do well.


Looks like my street cred hasn't been established yet with Fastwater.

Just the opposite. I am one of the most tolerant fishermen out there. I did Drummond Island, Mich for over ten years, tried St. Clair for a number of years, fished Kentucky Lake on occasion, have spent meaningful time on Cumberland and Norris, but have settled in on Pickwick, Tn (3 weeks annually) and the North Channel of Lake Huron (4 weeks annually), so I have a pretty good grasp on what sucks and what is worthwhile.

Saugeye Tom likes the results he achieves (or used to achieve) at Reelfoot, and understands that wind, rough conditions, and poor fishing are going to be the norm, BUT it's what he likes. If a bucket of gills excite you - Go for it!. It's no sin to have a death wish. Saint Clair has lousy fishing conditions, but good catching, so you weigh the positives vs the negatives and make the decision to make it a repeat destination or seek satisfaction elsewhere.

My objective is simply to share my personal experiences with newbies who read the brochures, fall into Sport Show traps and are heading into impending disappointment.

I know tough conditions.


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## fastwater

BMustang said:


> Looks like my street cred hasn't been established yet with Fastwater.
> 
> Just the opposite. I am one of the most tolerant fishermen out there. I did Drummond Island, Mich for over ten years, tried St. Clair for a number of years, fished Kentucky Lake on occasion, have spent meaningful time on Cumberland and Norris, but have settled in on Pickwick, Tn (3 weeks annually) and the North Channel of Lake Huron (4 weeks annually), so I have a pretty good grasp on what sucks and what is worthwhile.
> 
> Saugeye Tom likes the results he achieves (or used to achieve) at Reelfoot, and understands that wind, rough conditions, and poor fishing are going to be the norm, BUT it's what he likes. If a bucket of gills excite you - Go for it!. It's no sin to have a death wish. Saint Clair has lousy fishing conditions, but good catching, so you weigh the positives vs the negatives and make the decision to make it a repeat destination or seek satisfaction elsewhere.
> 
> My objective is simply to share my personal experiences with newbies who read the brochures, fall into Sport Show traps and are heading into impending disappointment.
> 
> I know tough conditions.
> 
> View attachment 258923


Please excuse me BM as it seems I have misjudged your repertoire.
Thank you for sharing your experiences.

In my short experiences with fishing, I have found that fishing preferences are likin to dating or picking a mate. Or as some would say "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder".
Some would even say when picking favorite lakes we like to fish...one mans 'trash' lake is another mans 'treasured' lake. Depending on their preferred fishing style and species they are seeking.


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