There is also some very good trout in there towards the dam at night. Good luck.

 

Sounds good, it is a long way out but definitively on my to do list. I guess summer gas prices could be one determining factor. See you @ Eno or Kerr Scott for sure.

Darrell

 

The river/bypass below the dam has smallies and trout. Only ever fished it once though.

 

ive fished santeelah quite a bit and and always had luck on 1/4 and1/8 oz brown hair jigs that i tie and put any comercial grub or crawfish trailer on it with a squirt of yum attractant,and a shad rap in bleeding olive pattern is good you can but them brown jigs at walmart their made by arkie, hope this is some help ,good luck,good fishing and good times forever!

 

If it is not too much trouble how about a picture or two of the brown hair jigs

Darrell

 

ok here the set up,.

ok here the set up,it took me forever im easily frustrated learnin new stuff like,lol that but now finally know how,lol. maybe i can finally post some pics fish

 

Nice job what kind of hair is that? Sorry to put you to the trouble of the pics, but now I am looking forward to seeing your fish pictures.

Darrell

 

i tied this with hair from the base of a set elk antlers i have somebody gave i thought the hair loook more reddish brown than a deeper darker brown , and them grubs and trailers i pinch a third or half the body so it fits more compact and snug to the jig,i found a website jann'snetcraft.com that carries a huge line of materials,ive really just started tying my own jigs i know nothing bought trout flies.i was gona order some grizzly hair that looks real good and try that stuff,and maybe some on shakey heads

 

Warning tying gets addictive in a hurry.

Darrell

 

great ive got plenty of time on my hands this time of year

 

id like to hear some info of different folks that they use on these top mountain waters around these parts?tubes are another great player same as flukes.

 

You all have got me to thinkin about making a visit to Santeetlah this spring. I have always went to Fontana every year, and am always looking for a good place to camp and wet a line. Is the wind as bad there as it is on Fontana? It is pretty much a constant thing to deal with at Fontana.

 

Calderwood can be really tough and really exciting depending on the generation schedule and time of year. This first time I went up there a few years ago in October and caught a boat full of fish while the water was beign released. My buddy and I caught largemouth, spots, a couple walleye, and a ton of smallies and trout, all between the first island and the water release. I lost a trophy size brown trout in the 8-10 lb range off a jerkbait, but landed many 2-3 lb rainbows.

I've heard of stories of people catching 20+lb browns out of the upper part in the fall and after seeing the rigs these guys are fishing with, I just about believe it. I've seen, on more than one occasion, a boat trolling live shiners or nightcrawlers behind a long leader covered with willowleaf blades. I saw them catch some smaller fish, but nothing to brag about.

My only other comment is if you take a large boat, use the boat ramps down the lake along the road. The last ramp before you hit the curves to Robbinsville is in bad shape and could tear up a trailer. Camp out at Abraham's Creek campground, that's what I do.

 

bronzeback is absolutely correct,theirs monster browns browns there,great advice to the public thumbs upp

 

thanks bronzeback! I'm excited about checking out the camping possiblilities up there. this time we are renting a sweeet cabin on cherokee trail. from google it looks like it's on the main part of the lake. I can't wait to explore. I've never spent any time on a mtn. lake such as this.
I'll be fishing out of my kayaks, can't afford to rent a boat unless I hit some numbers

 

Cheoah is great trout river if they are generating and is suited for kayak or larger boats. Have caught some good browns there and have had follows from some monster fish. New ramp just over the bridge and the water is COLD!!!!!

 

I am staying at Santeetlah the last two weeks of May. I've found this thread useful and will definitely try the "tightlining technique".

Anybody have other thoughts for fishing this time of year? I will have a bass buggy pontoon and standard tackle. No downriggers or anything.

Just wondering what type of lures work well this time of year, what kind of topo to fish, etc. I've never fished this part of the world before. I'm happy to catch any kind of fish -- even bluegill -- though I am mostly a bass guy, used to fishing rapalas, worms, etc around rocking points.

Any tips for catching any kind of fish this time of year? I'll take anything you got, and want to gear up if I get recommendations that aren't currently in my tackle box.

 

Looking forward to your report

Darrell

 

I thought I'd give a shot at reviving this thread since it's a little over a week before I head up there.
Anybody got any recent reports?

 

no but I am looking forward to yours. It is on my to-do list of Lakes

Good Luck
Darrell

 

leaving saturday morning for the week. I'm supposed to have wifi up there so I'll take the laptop.
if anybody in the area is interested in getting up next week, shoot me a pm.
I'll have kayaks with me and hope to get into a river float, but don't have much of a clue about the area.
something like a 5 mile smallie float with only class II's or below is what I'm looking for.
Of course, I'll be fishing the lake from my yak also.

 

The only smallmouth river float as you describe any where near Santeetlah will be above Fontanna Lake on either the Little T or the Tuckaseegee . Everything else in the area is either impoundment or wading only . I would recommend the Tuck above Bryson city in the vicinity of the hwy 19 bridge . You might take a look (on map) at the Little T around Needmore rd. also .

 

How did the trip go?

Darrell

 

I did more relaxing and exploring than fishing since it was my first time in that neck of the woods. Also, it was wierd for me to fish in such clear, deep water. I did catch some bass from the lake, but nothing to brag about. There were a couple of monsters that would cruise through our docks, but would not be caught
I never did get to do a river float as the tuck was muddy the day I had intended to float it. I did a bit of wading in the cheoah (you wouldnt want to float it as it's class IV+) and landed some decent smallies.
here's some pics:
view from the deck at the lake house

bridge below fontana dam (boy thats some cooold water)

santeelah lake smallie

if you look close you can see the nest of puppies that I saw on the bank monday morning

puppy that I rescued half drowned on tuesday morning

our lake house

Cheoah river smallie

Cheoah river

my brother on the cheoah

cheoah red-eye/ rock bass

I wouldnt want to run the cheoah on the tarpon

 

Nice gig there Mookie. Sorry you didn't do better on the lake but that clear water takes some cipherin'.

 

Thanks mookie I really want to get up that way sometime.

Darrell

 

It was one of the prettiest places i've been Darrell, you could spend months exploring that corner of the state and not see half of it.
Next time I go I need to be in a motor boat so I can explore more.