About Us
Over 50 Years of Service
Clarksville Tennessee has always been a community reliant on the Cumberland River. Transportation of crops, goods, and supplies were essential but where there is water, there are fishermen. After, the construction of Kentucky and Barkley dams in the 1940’s and 50’s, the lakes that they created became some of the best fisheries in the country. They provide anglers with ample opportunity to catch multiple species of game fish. This includes largemouth and smallmouth bass, crappie, and catfish just to name a few. With the demand for fishing supplies Selph’s bait shop was opened sometime during the 1960’s on Dover Road.
In 1974 the bait shop was purchased by Pete Boris and Ted Johnson and came to be known as B&J Bait Center. If you were fishing during this time, you know how much fun it was stopping by on the way to the lake and seeing everyone hanging out at the bait shop. Old timers would be sitting around sharing fishing and hunting stories and young kids would be listening to every word. Tens of thousands of pounds of minnows were sold out of this bait shop. Seeing the demand for a boat sales and repair facility in the Clarksville area, in 1987 B&J Marine was created. B&J Marine proudly served the Clarksville area until their buyout in 2012.
Tailwater Marine & Tackle took over operations in February of 2012. Owned by Jonathan and Mardi Pickett, both of Clarksville, they upgraded the property and facility upon the purchase. They also reintroduced fishing tackle as part of their inventory. In September of 2020 Tailwater Marine opened up a satellite location on Riverside Drive near the Clarksville Marina. This facility was opened in order to support the marina members as well as fishermen and boaters who utilize the nearby boat ramps. This location offers live bait and fishing tackle as well as new and used boats and kayaks.
History Behind the Name
During his time in the Coast Guard, Jonathan Pickett was first stationed on the buoy tender CGC Cimarron which patrolled both the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. This buoy tender is home ported at Paris Landing on Kentucky Lake and responsible for maintaining federal aids to navigation. This includes lighted aids as well as the red and green buoys used for navigation. When placing buoys in faster running waters, such as the tailwaters below a dam; the weights of the anchors are increased from one concrete block weighing 1,500 pounds to two blocks weighing 3,000 pounds. This was called “doubling up.” Upon the arrival at the Clarksville riverfront, the CO of the Cimarron would always announce over the ship’s intercom, “Now, double up for tailwater!” This would be one of the busiest times of the trip and all hands went to work. Jonathan always remembers hearing that phrase and the hard work involved when passing the Clarksville riverfront, and hopefully you will too! So that’s how the name Tailwater Marine & Tackle came to be.
