2022 04 17 Chickamauga

[coldfront]

cool day.  started in the 50s all the way up to 65°F when I got off water at 5:00 PM.  Partly cloudy to cloudy.  some intermittent light rain droplets.  not enough to get anything even moist.
lake continues lower than I'd like it to be 'right now'.  still off of full summer pool by 1.5 - 2 feet.  couple years back TVA changed 'full pool' date from April 15 to May 15.  supposed to be 'all about flood water management'.  I wasn't  asked, nor have I seen the data... but in 9 years the months the river floods?  that's typically February and early March.  Most of the preferred backwater spawning sloughs are still low.  it's all about putting your trolling motor as elevated as you can and still 'trailing mud'.

with weather, water temps continue to fluctuation.  Main river is now up to about 60°F and backwaters today were at 63°F.  So while main river has warmed... the areas that last week were pushing 68°F have cooled some.  that all changes later this week.

Fish are on the beds, but these waves will continue for a while yet, particulary with the lake on  a very slow rise - seems about 0.5 - 1.0 foot/week.

This week current generation increased from where it had been (around 9000cfs) to 30,000 cfs yesterday.

still dragging soft plastics around.  had a couple nips on a chatterbait, but couldn't get a commit until I went back in with the plastic.