Joined
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138 Posts
I wish I was posting about a boatload of hawgz, but no such luck.
Two days ago, I talked a friend into joining me on the Cumberland at the Cheatham Dam. I've bankfished there plenty, but I recently accquired access to an old tri-hull w/ an 80hp Mercury, and looked forward to accessing all the spots that I only daydream about from the bank.
We arrived at the Lock A ramp around 10'ish, and drifted the boils for a bit. My buddy managed to land a skipjack and a small striper before leaving at noon to meet his parents for lunch. I wasn't even close to wanting to leave, so we parted ways, and I stayed on the water. I explored downstream of the dam for a while, and made it as far as a big wall on river left a few miles down (that's some prime looking catfish turf too, submerged logs and snags all over). I don't really know that water very well, so after catching only a drum, I decided to head back upstream to the dam.
I moored and anchored just outside of the last generator, in front of the first spillway, and put out three rods for cats and striper, while casting crappie jigs for skipjack. I managed to catch a 5lb and a 2lb channel, another drum, and hooked into something jumbo-normous! Unfortunately, my line was angled around the concrete, and whatever I had hooked ended up snapping my 65lb PowerPro!
Shortly after that, I looked over in the distance and saw all the bankfishermen running downstream on the rocks. I figured one of the laotians hooked into a monster striper, and didn't really give it much thought. A few minutes later, I heard sirens. I knew that wasn't a good sign. Then I saw the helicopters - an even worse sign. Suddenly, I noticed water spraying from the bottom (which I couldn't even see minutes earlier) of the spillway, which was a little unnerving itself. That's when I realized they had stopped generating completely, which explained the dropping water. When the generators stopped, so did the fishing, so I decided to bail. By this time, TWRA, Ashland City Fire Dept., Dickson Fire Dept., and a slew of other rescue boats were on the water. On my way back to the ramp, I talked to a fireman who confirmed my worst fear: someone had fallen in. Actually, TWO people. While loading my boat, I talked to another fisherman I had seen drifting with a buddy. He seemed pretty upset, and told me if they would've been there a second sooner, they could've saved one of them. He grabbed at a sinking head, but said the victim's hair was really short, so he lost him. That was the last time they were seen.
The next day, I went back to the dam at around 2. Rescue crews were still working, and a fireman told me they had just cut the generators on 45 minutes earlier and were still having no luck, but expected something within 36 hours according to water temperature. He also told me it was a father who had jumped in after his son. I was the only boat on the water that wasn't a rescue boat, the fishing was slow (1 two lb channel), and I finally packed it in when the downpour started.
Today, the bodies were recovered.
Now, I don't know how many of you have been to Cheatham Dam before, but it's dangerous water when the generators are going. There's a spot past the handrail, about an 8ft drop into the raging current, that the striper fishermen like to fish off of. About 75 ft further down, it drops to a flat rock that's almost the same level as the water - as such it gets slick. I regularly stand on this slick rock and castnet for shad, because they're often pretty thick through there. A couple weeks ago, I slipped there and busted my a$$ only a couple feet away from death. Like all the other bankfishermen, I wasn't wearing a lifejacket, and it really made me think. I know we all take a chance everytime we're on the water, and as adults, we can evaluate the risks and decide for ourselves. But all of this stuff really makes me think there should be a lifejacket requirement past the handrail, at LEAST for children. Maybe I'm way off base here - any thoughts?
Anyway, sorry for the long-winded post. Here are a couple of local news links:
http://www.dicksonherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050816/COUNTY03/508160338/1006/MTCN02
http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/13794.asp
Two days ago, I talked a friend into joining me on the Cumberland at the Cheatham Dam. I've bankfished there plenty, but I recently accquired access to an old tri-hull w/ an 80hp Mercury, and looked forward to accessing all the spots that I only daydream about from the bank.
We arrived at the Lock A ramp around 10'ish, and drifted the boils for a bit. My buddy managed to land a skipjack and a small striper before leaving at noon to meet his parents for lunch. I wasn't even close to wanting to leave, so we parted ways, and I stayed on the water. I explored downstream of the dam for a while, and made it as far as a big wall on river left a few miles down (that's some prime looking catfish turf too, submerged logs and snags all over). I don't really know that water very well, so after catching only a drum, I decided to head back upstream to the dam.
I moored and anchored just outside of the last generator, in front of the first spillway, and put out three rods for cats and striper, while casting crappie jigs for skipjack. I managed to catch a 5lb and a 2lb channel, another drum, and hooked into something jumbo-normous! Unfortunately, my line was angled around the concrete, and whatever I had hooked ended up snapping my 65lb PowerPro!
Shortly after that, I looked over in the distance and saw all the bankfishermen running downstream on the rocks. I figured one of the laotians hooked into a monster striper, and didn't really give it much thought. A few minutes later, I heard sirens. I knew that wasn't a good sign. Then I saw the helicopters - an even worse sign. Suddenly, I noticed water spraying from the bottom (which I couldn't even see minutes earlier) of the spillway, which was a little unnerving itself. That's when I realized they had stopped generating completely, which explained the dropping water. When the generators stopped, so did the fishing, so I decided to bail. By this time, TWRA, Ashland City Fire Dept., Dickson Fire Dept., and a slew of other rescue boats were on the water. On my way back to the ramp, I talked to a fireman who confirmed my worst fear: someone had fallen in. Actually, TWO people. While loading my boat, I talked to another fisherman I had seen drifting with a buddy. He seemed pretty upset, and told me if they would've been there a second sooner, they could've saved one of them. He grabbed at a sinking head, but said the victim's hair was really short, so he lost him. That was the last time they were seen.
The next day, I went back to the dam at around 2. Rescue crews were still working, and a fireman told me they had just cut the generators on 45 minutes earlier and were still having no luck, but expected something within 36 hours according to water temperature. He also told me it was a father who had jumped in after his son. I was the only boat on the water that wasn't a rescue boat, the fishing was slow (1 two lb channel), and I finally packed it in when the downpour started.
Today, the bodies were recovered.
Now, I don't know how many of you have been to Cheatham Dam before, but it's dangerous water when the generators are going. There's a spot past the handrail, about an 8ft drop into the raging current, that the striper fishermen like to fish off of. About 75 ft further down, it drops to a flat rock that's almost the same level as the water - as such it gets slick. I regularly stand on this slick rock and castnet for shad, because they're often pretty thick through there. A couple weeks ago, I slipped there and busted my a$$ only a couple feet away from death. Like all the other bankfishermen, I wasn't wearing a lifejacket, and it really made me think. I know we all take a chance everytime we're on the water, and as adults, we can evaluate the risks and decide for ourselves. But all of this stuff really makes me think there should be a lifejacket requirement past the handrail, at LEAST for children. Maybe I'm way off base here - any thoughts?
Anyway, sorry for the long-winded post. Here are a couple of local news links:
http://www.dicksonherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050816/COUNTY03/508160338/1006/MTCN02
http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/13794.asp
