Coulter Says Lots of Options in Play at Douglas

By Pete Robbins 

 

This year, for the first time the Big Bass Tour will hold a spring tournament on Tennessee’s legendary Douglas Lake, after many years of fall events. We’ll have one in early October as well, but the demand for this event, coupled with the lake’s continued excellence, necessitated a second derby. 

 

Knoxville Bass Pro Tour competitor Brandon Coulter says it’s about time for a spring event. The lake is always solid in the fall, with a fish between 5 and 6 pounds typically taking top honors in a closely-battled event, but he’d fully expect to see several over 6 next week, probably a 7, and possible even an 8. 

 

“It’s definitely pre-spawn right now,” he said. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about spawning fish. But the biggest thing is the weather. If you get some sun, even for just a couple of hours, those big girls are going to pull up to warm their eggs. Docks are not normally a big player on Douglas, but at this time of year you can do some serious damage under them.” 

 

His favorite tool, particularly for larger fish, is the Berkley Cull Shad prerigged soft swimbait. It skips like a dream, even for relative novices, and you can literally put it where those big fish lie in ambush. 

 

The problem? There simply aren’t that many docks to run and it’s a well-known deal, so getting on the best ones at the precise window of opportunity is critical. Too soon or too late and you’ll miss your chance. If the fish are just chasing the Cull Shad, consider a swim jig or a Berkley Maxscent General. If you’re a good caster or skipper, you can even go behind other anglers with those baits and mop up the leftovers. 

 

As fish stat to move toward backwater pockets, they’ll stage on bluff ends, so if it’s overcast and/or cool. Coulter likes an umbrella rig with any one of several Berkley soft minnow imitators. It’s a great way to catch an oversized largemouth, and the smallmouths will also eat it, too. That’s another point the Tennessee pro made – smallmouths are increasingly becoming a player on Douglas. He said that “it’s almost like a little Kentucky Lake.” While a brown bass might not take overall top honors, they’ll be good for multiple hourly checks. 

 

Both species can also be caught roaming offshore. A minnow imitator like the Powerbait Power Switch an be effective, but Coulter prefers the Stunna jerkbait. 

 

“It depends on how high in the water column they are,” he explained. “The fish here tend to stay pretty high, so that Stunna is a really good choice.” 

 

He said that angler who want to make a lot of casts might also be able to find big fish on lower lake flats with a lipless crankbait like a Warpig or Jack. 

 

Last fall Douglas experienced an historic flood, and it’s unclear what that’ll mean for the fish population long term, so Coulter would focus on the mid-section of the lake, around Dandridge. “It’s the most consistent,” he explained. “The lower end needs to be right, preferably overcast or drizzly. The river can be good, I just don’t know what the population is like now. That’s why I’d stay in the middle.” 

 

Still, that 7 or 8 pound bite could come from anywhere, and Coulter will be most surprised if that doesn’t happen. That’s why it’s critical to pay attention to the live leaderboard. There will likely be a bunch of 4- and 5-pound fish stacked up, and choosing the right hour to weigh each of them can mean a difference of hundreds of dollars. Wise competitors will play the long game and time their strikes strategically.