Normandy trout.

[Alphahawk]

Hit Normandy for a couple of hours with my son. While no big trout were caught they are fat already. There have been shad kills already and they are putting on the weight fast....all the fish I caught were regurgitating shad. The past 2 years below Normandy have not been the best. But I think this year come March and April one can really get a lot of 11-13 inch trout that will look like footballs. So for those who enjoy catching stockers and eating trout this looks like a great year below Normandy. Also have been told by a TWRA biologist that all of last year they only stocked 600 really big trout in all of Middle Tennessee......this year they will stock 6,000 of those trout.....and Normandy will get its share. So there will be some trophy fish there too.

Regards


https://youtu.be/WGeLfeUhhRI

[Ray4713]

Alphahawk, were you bank fishing below the dam? I have never fished below Normandy and it's been hit or miss for me so far this winter with trout. I have fished nices mill and an area in Murfreesboro but the high water levels have limited my fishing this winter. normandy sounds interesting. Probably less than an hour drive for me. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by Ray4713

Alphahawk, were you bank fishing below the dam? I have never fished below Normandy and it's been hit or miss for me so far this winter with trout. I have fished nices mill and an area in Murfreesboro but the high water levels have limited my fishing this winter. normandy sounds interesting. Probably less than an hour drive for me. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks

Yes....and the fishing has been good there so far. The water is a little high below Normandy....they were realeaseing around 500 CFS but it is going up tomorrow to 800 CFS. I will go when flow is around 500 and below. Two hundred and below makes for great fishing......when it is 50-100 CFS fishing is fantastic. Of course all I use is a Trout Magnet...but some have success with cranks...spinners.

Regards

Alphahawk, do walleye make a run below Normandy? I use to fish for saugeye below dams similar to Nowmandy Dam in Ohio. March was a good month to catch some good ones below the dams up there. Usually fished at night and early morning.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by ALANRAYG2

Alphahawk, do walleye make a run below Normandy? I use to fish for saugeye below dams similar to Nowmandy Dam in Ohio. March was a good month to catch some good ones below the dams up there. Usually fished at night and early morning.

Yes they do....you just have to be there when they do. The pic of fish on the tailgate were a few of the 2 limits my son and I caught one June. They were stacked in there so thick that we did not keep anything under 20 inches...caught walleye every cast. Keep in mind we were trout fishing....it was just plain luck...we are not walleye fisherman. The single fish I am holding weighed 8.5 pounds....it was caught in March. I had one on the same size the day before but just as I went to net it the hook pulled out. I told my friends about it but I dont think they believed me so I went back next day and cast to same spot and it was game on...dont know if it was same fish but it was in same location. The reason I was there in the first place was to catch KY bass. They make a huge run up there and it only last for about 3-4 days...then they are gone. But if you hit those days you can catch 100 spots a day easy...not to mention trout.

Regards

[XxthejuicexX]

Alpha, I've been chomping at the bit to get down there and fish but the water has just been to much. I like the 300 or so CFS. I stumbled into some walleye down there last year, caught two with one keeper back to back cast so I got all excited and then did not catch another one. Where do you get your heavier trout magnet jig heads?

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by XxthejuicexX

Alpha, I've been chomping at the bit to get down there and fish but the water has just been to much. I like the 300 or so CFS. I stumbled into some walleye down there last year, caught two with one keeper back to back cast so I got all excited and then did not catch another one. Where do you get your heavier trout magnet jig heads?

As of August all my jig heads come out of Japan. Yes they are expensive.....but I’ve been searching for a micro jig head with the perfect hook and I finally found it. It is a Daiwa Gekkabijin light game jig head. It comes in .5 gram......1 gram.....1.5 gram.....2 gram....2.5 gram, and a 3 gram. They have hooks in size 4....6.....8....10. They are as sharp as a needle and the fish hook themselves....they’ll hook you too...I’ve already found out. I find it very frustrating that bass anglers can get jig heads with the Owner.....Gamakatsu....Cultiva hooks on them and yet micro jig heads sold here seem to use just any hook. But for years I bought jigheads from a guy off of eBay who’s user name is TJcrenshaw. He has been selling micro jig heads for years in any size head and hook you want.....they are OK.......but nothing close to the Daiwa jig heads. Here is one of his item page. https://www.ebay.com/itm/50-1-24oz-B...Bu9za2AGTNbLnQ

Regards

[XxthejuicexX]

I don't mind spending money so if you have a favorite site for the Japanese imports please share. I have no clue on size of hook and gram weight when ordering so if you don't mind sharing what you recommend that would be helpful. I've just used the Trout magnet hooks all these years.

Thanks Alpha. I suspected they were down there. I guess I need to try it out. I fished mostly at night. I'll have to check it out during the day to locate the holes and shoals.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by XxthejuicexX

I don't mind spending money so if you have a favorite site for the Japanese imports please share. I have no clue on size of hook and gram weight when ordering so if you don't mind sharing what you recommend that would be helpful. I've just used the Trout magnet hooks all these years.

I would get the .5gram......1 gram......1.5 gram......2 gram....all with the #6 hook. I also prefer all my jig heads to have the black head. What I suggest is.....since I think you live near Murfreesboro.....is to come over to my place and you can see these jig heads before you make a purchase. I don’t want to steer anyone wrong. Below is link where I order from. The jigs come 4 to a pack. The price works out to about 93 cents per jig....lot of money...but to me worth every penny. I think in the last 5 months I’ve ordered probably 800 jig heads......many of those for my 2 nephews who saw them decided they needed them too.....LOL. If you want to look at the jigs before you order PM me.

Regards

https://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/...ighead-ss.html

[Headhunter]

I lost count of how many I caught at Nice Mill. A bead head fly is hard to beat. If the trout get picky, a couple salmon eggs, Pautzke balls of fire will catch them. Just an indicator float and a small hook, no weight and I use 4 lb fluorocarbon.

I am not sure why so many who fish there use large line, lots of weight and can't understand why they don't catch any trout. I saw many who never caught a fish and I hooked one or caught one most every cast.