I was fishing up Philpott and marked fish at 100+ feet. Can cats go that deep? And if not, anyone have any idea what they might be?

Absolutely on the cat question. Then the second
question is whether there's any oxygen at all in that 100ft water in Philpott reservoir this deep into the summer. I would have thought a thermocline would have set in. If this thought is right, then I'd have to wonder if your finder is playing tricks and the fish really are hanging in the thermocline but showing like they're on the bottom? How firm is the thermocline showing on your finder? jfo

Don't think that is a problem, followed the bottom from 3 to 100 feet in less than 100 yards. Details were sharp all the way to the bottom. Didn't start to show fish until the very middle of the channel.

I believe that most freshwater fish can go that deep

How much current goes thru Philpott, enough to mix it at 100ft? thx

They generate power on the lake daily so there should be a mix along with the fact the water does not get as hot as other lakes due to the fact the run off into it is from mountain streams and springs,colder water will hold more oxygen anyway.

The water I was in was within 1/4 mile of dam and they do generate every weekday so I don't think mixing would be a problem there.

I have always read that stripers, especially will seek a comfort zone before a feeding area. I was watching a show not long ago that was taped in Georgia. I believe they were catching stripers around 70 to 80 foot deep. The deepest I have caught them was between 55 and 60 foot deep on Lake Gaston.
I have also caught blues at that depth. If the lake is manmade there could be old underground springs feeding the lake. To find those would be like finding gold. Fish for them awhile and just see. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Good luck.

Bo

Don't know about you but I have wasted alot of time fishing for those 100 ft fish. Different people say they are different species. My suggestion is don't waste your time fishing for these fish. I always thought they were trout but haven't seen a trout caught from there in quite some time. They did stock some Mcaughay strain rainbows about 10 or so years ago. I don't belive the walleyes are that deep. Who knows? If you catch one let me know!!

They have stocked trout and a long time ago if I am not mistaken they tried som kind of salmon or lake trout,those fish you marking deep could be walleyes

Ned Kehde has an article in "Infisherman" mag, feb. of '07 an another in jan. '05 that tells how a couple different fisherman catch cats 100 ft deep...some very large ones at that!

If they had stocked lake trout in the past could have been them. Those suckers will go super deep. Used to fish a NJ reservoir that got down to around 200' deep. We'd catch lakers down to around 135'.

If the fish you are marking are in somewhat of a school or group they are a member of the perch family either walleye or yellow perch. If the fish are sporadic and very close to the bottom then they are probably be lakers or cats.

I just found the stocking info from Philpott. It looks like the McCaughney Rainbow was last stocked in 2001, not as long ago as I thought. There has got to be some of these guys left in the lake, but I haven't seen them. If anyone would like the stocking info from 1977 to 2006 let me know and I will send it to you, just leave your e-mail.

Fish Doc I also read the latest article on 100ft cats a good one. The fisherman won a big tournament with the technique. They were fishing a lake during the heat of the summer if I recall right Phil King was one of the anglers. Bill Dance also did a show fishing cats 80ft deep summer time also in a lake big fish. Did you read the article in the April/May issue on top water trolling for cats it was also a good one. In-Fisherman has had a lot of good articles on trolling, fly fishing, deep, shallow, etc for cats over the years. As the old saying go's there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Quint, been readin 'InFisherman" since it started...1975. read most of'em 3 or 2 times or more!

Fishdoc is a fishing savant. If there was a fishing game show he could make a living doing that. I'll take Walleye for 800.00 Alex

I have never personally met the man but I can tell you this. he is very generous with his knowledge and has given info out that has turned my fishing trips around. If he had a show I would have to get my Tivo set to record every episode!

Lively1,
I saw the same thing a while back at Philpott. I asked the biologist who said they were either Catfish, Walleye or Trout. He said probably not Trout if they were in large numbers considering they haven't been stocked for several years.
I fish Philpott year 'round and catch Walleye 40-60 feet deep during the day in the dead of Winter, some as deep as 75'. Could probably catch them deeper, just haven't looked.

Fishdoc is correct.Catfish are the most LIKELY target on the fishfinder,but,musky are not out of the question.Those marks are BIG.In-Fisherman is the best source of science based angling info-they make the others try to imitate them-and have improved fishing info from the other sources because of it.THOSE Philpott fish are not lake trout-My cousin has caught big rainbows in that area within the past ten years,but cats are the denizens of the deep in this case.Precise baiting to their noses a la In-Fisherman is what will prove this to us all.Please report your success when you pull it off.THis is a Victory awaiting the right angler for the job.MAKE IT HAPPEN!

i know JD an a couple other anglers have caught big blue cats here so that would be my guess, prolly 60-80 pound blues feedin on 4-5 pound walleye!!!

Fish Doc the Blue I caught(on a worm harness) weighed 44.5 pounds. I sure hope they're not eating Walleyes! If they are I might as well quit Walleye fishing because you don't leave many and if the cats take up where you left off there won't be any left!

THe fish at the Philpott dam 100 feet deep were probably a few of the lake trout that remain in Philpott. They have quit stocking them , deciding instead to make it the best Walleye fishery of the southeast, whether or not they succeed at this is still uncertain but the walleye fishing is much better than it used to be. I've seen a man a few years ago trolling the trench in front of the dam and he told me he has caught them down to around 120 feet deep. It's amazing how many fish used to be there at that depth.