For every one person I know that has a boat, I know three who do not. Unfortunately, some of those who don’t have boats enjoy fishing just as much, if not more, than those who do have boats. Without a boat, you are limited to where you can fish, but do not let that stop you or your passion for reeling in the big ones. In this column, I am going to list a few locations on Percy Priest Lake that are great places to fish from the bank.
The first area is called Stewart Creek Boat Ramp located on Weakly Lane in Smyrna. This is a public ramp in a pocket of the lake that boaters use to launch their boats. In addition to the ramp, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) has spent many hours building this cove into a bank fisherman’s paradise. There is a bike/walking path that follows the shoreline and every 20-50 yards there is a dock that you can fish off of.
But wait, it gets even better. Off each dock (within casting distance) there are stake beds, sunken trees, a big drainage tube, etc. This allows you to fish good structure every cast, and if one area does not work, you can head to another. This is also a great place to take kids to fish because of the bluegills that hang around the bank.
Another great area is Anderson Road Recreation Area, off Anderson Road. This is another public boat ramp, but it also has great areas to fish. The main area people fish from is on top of a 50-yard seawall. There are picnic tables for sitting and watching your line and plenty of trees for shade. I personally like this area for bass fishing. There is a steep drop-off against the seawall where plastic worms and jigs work well. Catfishing is also great here; they like to hang around this drop-off as well!
Even if you do not have a boat, you do not have to hang up your rods. There are many great places to fish from the bank such as these two areas. I recommend trying one of these two places next time you want to head to the lake.
If you have any questions or comments regarding location or lure choice, feel free to call or e-mail me.
God Bless.