Jig (Casting & Pitching) Fishing on Watts Bar Lake
Watts Bar Lake · Tennessee · Southeast
This extensive TVA reservoir spans over 39,000 acres, presenting a complex fishery characterized by a deep main river channel, numerous creek arms, and a significant amount of standing timber. Watts Bar supports strong populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass, with water clarity ranging from stained upriver to clearer in the lower sections.
A lead or tungsten head with a weed guard, skirt, and soft plastic trailer. Fished on the bottom by pitching, casting, or slow-rolling. The jig imitates crawfish and bottom-dwelling forage. More big bass have been caught on jigs than any other lure category — it's the lure that separates serious anglers.
Jig (Casting & Pitching) Setup for Watts Bar Lake
| Rod | 7'–7'3" medium-heavy casting rod, fast action |
| Reel | 7.1:1 baitcaster |
| Line | 15–20 lb fluorocarbon (cover) or 50 lb braid (heavy grass) |
| Weight | 3/8 oz standard; 1/2–3/4 oz in wind or deep; 1/4 oz finesse |
| Hook | Built-in, typically 4/0–5/0 |
Seasonal Tactics on Watts Bar Lake
Lake: Bass transition to shallow staging areas in creek arms and on points, with lipless crankbaits and jerkbaits proving effective before the spawn moves fish to docks and visible cover for flipping.
Jig (Casting & Pitching): Pre-spawn is prime season — pitch brown/green pumpkin jig to 45° bank transitions and rocky points.
Lake: Main lake ledges, humps, and deep points become the primary focus, where bass school up on offshore structure and are targeted with deep crankbaits, football jigs, and large worms.
Jig (Casting & Pitching): Football jig on offshore ledges 15–30 feet. Swimming jig around grass edges at dawn.
Lake: As water cools, bass follow migrating shad into creek arms, leading to widespread schooling activity that can be capitalized on with topwater baits, spinnerbaits, and squarebill crankbaits.
Jig (Casting & Pitching): Swim a jig around baitfish schools near points and flats. Shad trailer colors in fall.
Lake: Bass retreat to deep main lake structure, bluff walls, and channel swings, requiring slow, vertical presentations with dropshots, hair jigs, and blade baits to entice bites in cold water.
Jig (Casting & Pitching): Slowest presentation — drag a 3/8 oz football jig on deep hard bottom. Barely move it.
Best Conditions
All seasons, all depths, all cover types; most effective in 50–70°F water; excellent in pre-spawn and when fish are on hard bottom
Match trailer to conditions: craw trailer in cold water (slower fall, bigger profile), swimbait trailer when swimming, chunk trailer for flipping.
More Techniques for Watts Bar Lake
Ready to fish Watts Bar Lake?
Ask Hank about current conditions, water temp, and exactly what to throw today.
Ask Hank →