The Angler Magazine | May 2023 | Greater Atlanta Area Edition

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RED SPRING USHERS IN

pring is one of my favorite seasons for shing. Fish are warming up and feeding aggressively, especially red sh. Red sh eagerly consume an array of baits this time of year, but there is one arti cial that sets itself apart from the others. Have you guessed it?

If you said, “gold spoon,” you were correct. When you look at the spoon it seems unimpressive, to be honest. However, that is the beauty of it all; we, as anglers, overcomplicate shing. Sometimes all you need is an awkward piece of gold metal to shake the skunk.

WHAT

It combines pro le, color and vibration, which play on the three signi cant senses most game sh use when feeding. e shape might resemble a crab, a small sh or a wounded shrimp, and the unique wobble lets sh know it’s an easy target. Gold spoons are great for beginners and avid anglers alike, they can be rigged weedless, and they are easy to cast. One of my go-to spoons for red sh is the FishLab Bio-Spoon.

RIGGING A SPOON

Rigging is simple; attach a 20- to 30-pound uorocarbon or mono lament leader directly to the spoon. I attach a snap swivel directly to the spoon to prevent line twists. A 1/4-ounce spoon is usually an excellent choice, especially when the bait is smaller. Remember to match the hatch in

terms of size. Pair the spoon with a 7 or 7 1/2-foot medium fast spinning rod and 15-pound braid. My preferred setup is the Okuma ITX 4000 paired with an Okuma SRT spinning rod.

Spoons can produce sh in various conditions, but there are situations when it shines. Along weed lines, mangroves or similar structures should be your rst targets, as this is where red sh congregate. Remember, reds travel in groups, so work an area thoroughly for consistent action. Repeated casts to the exact location or the same retrieval path will o en produce multiple sh.

Gold spoons are best suited for stained or dark water. In cleaner water, the same techniques can be used with a silver spoon. e shape of the spoon and hook guard combine to allow the lure to bounce o obstructions like weeds, mangroves, oyster beds or rocks where other lures might be lost.

Erratic action is the key to the spoon’s success. Many anglers cast and pause, allowing the spoon to utter. If you do not get a hit right o the bat, you have two options for the retrieve. A steady retrieve, varying speed based on conditions, will o en draw sh out and even right to the boat. Others prefer to add a twitch to their retrieve, feeling it increases the motion. Try each or mix it up based on what the sh respond to. Be bold, and try new techniques. Be sure to pick up a Salty Scales Performance shing shirt, stay protected, and remain comfortable on the water.

Capt. Joshua Taylor is a Tampa guide and founder of Salty Scales Performance Fishing Gear. Check them out at www.saltyscales.com.

MAKES THE GOLD SPOON UNIQUE?

HOW TO FISH A SPOON

By Capt. Joshua Taylor

FINALLY, BACK TO GROUPER FISHING

There was a time in my life that we took certain things for granted. For example, No limits and/or seasons on speckled trout, drum, ounder and especially GROUPER! I never thought I would say the two words “grouper” and “season” in the same sentence. Never mind, I’m just venting because I prefer bottom shing and light lining above all other styles of o shore shing.

I went through this last year about this time, but I’ll do it again for those folks who might have missed it. is is the way I start every location we anchor on, or post up with the Rhodan.

NOTE: We take two boxes of quid on every trip, and we typically have live pin sh from the marina also.

I typically have three or four folks with me every trip. We start by ring down whole squid on the jig. Meanwhile, I’m on the sabiki jigging up whatever is on the bottom below us. I don’t care what is coming up on the whole squid, as this is not the main focus. e real objective is to set a nice ‘chum slick” on the bottom to attract the sh you’re really shing for. A er 4 or 5 rounds of the whole frozen squid, we will re down live pin sh or whatever I’ve jigged up on the sabiki. e other advantage of shing a live pin sh, grass grunt, sailors’ choice or whatever you can jig up, is it eliminates the trash bites. In addition to eliminating the trash bites from small snapper, seabass and other “undesirables,” it’s like physcological warfare, as the gags, scamps and reds cannot digest all that is going on here. To them it appears like the pin sh, grass grunts etc, think the live baits were running around picking up squid pieces, and the squid or crab jigs have caught them and the live bait is struggling to get away. BAM!!! e bite happens. is, my friends, is the di erence between “bottom shing” and GROUPER shing.

Another bait that’s a dead ringer for a grouper bite is a butter ied

bait. e butter ied bait on the bottom basically does the same thing as the squid. e small snapper and other smaller sh will hammer the lets until the grouper have had enough of it. You will feel the small sh biting it constantly, but then all of a sudden the small “pecking” bites will stop. Get ready, and don’t move it… the grouper has moved in and everyone else has to leave, because it’s time for the real bite!

Enough about the bottom. I will occasionally troll for a LITTLE WHILE, but this would be to accomplish two things at once. Catch a sh or two, but also to locate the best part of any given ledge with lots of bait and sh on the bottom. As soon as we locate the bait, reel in the troll baits and get to work! Everything you catch trolling, you can catch on the light line while you’re grouper shing. Tuna, dolphin and wahoo are idiots for a big fat (live) greenie, sardine, cigar minnow or goggle eye out back behind the boat in the current.

All the best shing,

Check out more from Tim Barefoot at barefootcatsandtackle.com

Tim Barefoot

Are Saying

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Well, what I found was a whole lot of trouble. As in 8 feet and 800-pounds of trouble in the form of a grizzly bear. Seems this grumpy fella was out looking for some adventure too. Mr. Grizzly saw me, stood up to his entire 8 feet of ferocity and let out a roar that made my blood turn to ice and my hair stand up. Unsnapping my leather sheath, I felt for my hefty, trusty knife and felt emboldened. I then showed the massive grizzly over 6 inches of 420 surgical grade stainless steel, raised my hands and yelled, “Whoa bear! Whoa bear!” I must have made my point, as he gave me an almost admiring grunt before turning tail and heading back into the woods.

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By TAM Sta

Where Southern Stripers run

WhereSouthern Stripers run WhereSouthern Stripers run WhereSouthern Stripers run

species that crosses their path.

It is a good time to be a river angler. Here are three excellent destinations for river-run striped bass in the South.

• Saluda River: Columbia, South Carolina

In spring and summer, scads of striped bass make the 60-mile run up the Congaree River from the Santee-Cooper Lakes southeast of Columbia, S.C. By late summer, most of those sh pile into the Saluda River, which is a short, 10-mile-long tributary that’s fed with cold water from the dam at Lake Murray. August is the heart of the Saluda season, when 100- sh days of 2- to 5-pound stripers are possible. Fish heavier than 20 pounds are a possibility, but this shery sees a lot of pressure and the water is normally very clear. e big ones spook easily and become nicky late in the season.

• Etowah River: Cartersville, Georgia

On Georgia’s Etowah River, the sh are spread out over about 50 miles of river, so covering water is the name of the game. Anglers should expect to do a lot of casting to each shoal and piece of wood cover where stripers might lie in ambush.

Starting in April, they run some 75 miles upriver from Alabama’s Lake Weiss to a lowhead dam downstream of Georgia’s Lake Allatoona. e sh are constantly on the move and the idea is to intercept them. Anglers might hook up with sh from 4 pounds on up to 20 pounds and larger.

• Hiwassee River: Reliance, Tennessee

e Hiwassee is more of a quality than quantity shery. Anglers are called on to sh hard for just a few bites, but those bites come from sh that o en weigh 20, 30, even 40 pounds or more.

In the South, the striped bass runs of spring and summer bring some of the most exciting shing of the year for those who prefer to sh rivers. Landlocked striped bass are as large and powerful as any sh in freshwater, and for most of the year they are only available to big-lake anglers who troll or downline live baits.

at all changes in spring. e rst groups of striper migrate into the rivers on spawning runs. In many locations, this spring run is followed by a larger summertime push, when pods of striped bass move up into cooler, more oxygenated waters. Sometimes they pile up below dams, and sometimes they patrol surprisingly skinny waters in wolf packs, gobbling up any prey

Most years, the wide, shoal-broken river around Reliance loads up with striped bass from July into September. ese are big-river sh that run some 50-miles upstream from the Tennessee River at Lake Chickamauga. ey revel in cold, oxygenated water that ows down the mountains from Apalachia Lake on the North Carolina/Tennessee border.

ey hold in the same holes and shoals every year to feed heavily on skipjack herring, gizzard shad and the stocked trout Tennessee puts in the river for anglers.

For more information, go to coastalanglermagazine.com.

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CHATTOOGA RIVER

Provided By: Karl Ekberg Chattooga River Fly Shop www.chattoogariverflyshop.com

864-638-2806

As far as Spring time here in the South Carolina Mountains goes, this has to rank close to the top of the charts. The fishing has been spectacular throughout April and the outlook for May is looking great. River levels have been excellent, with just enough rain coming through the region to keep the water levels up, and wading levels good all month. As the weather warms throughout the month of May, the wet wading season will begin and the waders can be hung up until the Fall.

The swing has been the best in the early part of the day, in using heavier lead flies with smaller soft-hackles trailing. Fishing the riffles will be very beneficial, and finding pockets with in them. This area of the river is where the majority of the bugs will start their emergence. Look for small areas of

calm water located behind larger rocks or boulders within the riffles. Fish will hold in these areas and feed on bugs which drift into their zones tumbling out of the faster moving waters. Watching the water prior to casting, fish can be observed in the small pockets at times rising to adult/ dry flies, of the caddis, mayflies, and stone flies. As the bugs have started their emergence to the top of the water to “hatch” watch the slick water below the riffles for dimples or rings on the water surface. Slowly moving toward the rising fish will be crucial, so not to startle them, for if you do, it will send the fish to the depths only to be seen at a later time. Casting, as well, must be planned and thought out. Cast well above feeding fish, with careful mends, and long drifts, with longer leaders will have greater results in landing fish.

Another large emergence is the Oak Worms. These fine little creatures are a tasty treat that even the largest of trout cannot pass up, as

they fall from the trees into the rivers. Casting imitations of these, into over-hanging bushes, and dead drifting them with a twitching technique will be very beneficial, to a large day on the river. Anywhere you find these worms dangling from their silk lines from the trees, do not hesitate to stop and watch the worm finally hit the water, and see what happens! The next process is to work your way into a good vantage point to make your cast to the fish which just ate the natural. Do not worry about a delicate cast, even splat the worm on the water, will be just as effective, as they also fall out of the trees from far above. As the late spring temperatures rise, fishing the shady areas of

the rivers will be essential, as the fish will move out of the high sun and warmer temperature waters.

Join us on Saturday, June 3, for the Kid’s Fishing Rodeo at Burrell’s Ford Campground, on the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River, sponsored by the Andrew Pickens Forest Office. Let’s all remember “leave no trace”. Packing out what you brought in with you is essential, and bringing something back out that someone else has left behind does not hurt either, to keep our beautiful streams and rivers how they should be. Keeping them clean now, means future generations will still be able to enjoy what we are enjoying now! Enjoy the greater outdoors and we hope to see you out on the rivers.

THE CASTING CORNER

Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer

The rain is pounding and there is lightning. I might as well tie a few flies. After tying a few flies, the rain stopped, the sky parted, and the sun came out. Wow, perfect I thought. Then the wind picked up a little and I pictured having to make a few ‘wind casts’ to get my fly to the fish from my little plastic boat in the neighborhood lake. I’m chasing sunfish, crappie, and bass so the cast doesn’t have to be long or very accurate. I can do this.

I’ll just position the boat so the wind is on my line hand side and let the wind push me down the bank. That way, the line is on the casting arm side, downwind, and everything will be good. If there is a situ-

ation where the wind comes around a little more to my back, I can use a ‘Belgian wind cast’. That will keep the line low to the water on the back cast and I can circle up and let the wind take the line almost like a kite to the target, over my line hand side.

The wind is picking up, so maybe, the boat handling will be putting me in a position of having the wind coming into the rod hand. Oh, the good old offside cast. All I need to do is tilt the rod tip over my other shoulder and let the wind carry the line on the downwind side of my body. That should work, but now the wind is blowing at about 15 mph.

What if I have to cast into the

wind? I guess I need to set reasonable expectations about how far I can cast. I must remember to aim my back cast up high and my forward cast down to the target like a wedge. Going to need a lot of line speed. Can’t forget to haul on that one. Wait, the wind is now 30 mph!

Just forget it, I’m going to go eat. To learn these wind casts and more, check out Fly Fishers International, or let’s set up a casting session. www.flyfishersinternational.org/ Learn/Learning-Center-Resources rjhesse@bellsouth.net

Jeff Hesse with a Toccoa River trout.

Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service

Now that the trout have had all of March and April to capitalize on Spring hatches, the fish have been conditioned to look to the surface for food. This will create some great opportunities to get some dry fly action, especially when the adult stages of caddis die and casting to rising fish gorging on “spent caddis” can be very productive. Dry fly action where you actually get to cast to rising fish is a rare window of opportunity, so enjoy it, when you’re at the right place at the right time. But now that we are at the end of the Spring hatches, I recommend trying dry flies even if you don’t see physical rises. Try fishing the usual stream features like foam lines, seams, tailouts and shallow riffle water with dries, even if you don’t see fish. You may be shocked

at how many dry fly bites you get blindly prospecting with dries in May!!!

GOLDFISH IN MY CREEK?

By Jeff Durniak Unicoi Outfitters

For decades, I have received springtime calls from anglers and property owners who suddenly saw “goldfish” schools in their streams and wondered where they came from. Have you seen them, too? As we approach the season for spotting “goldfish on pebble mounds” during our streamside hikes, let’s solve this puzzle with a fascinating lesson in creek ecology.

First, the supposed goldfish. In our part of the world, those bright yellow and orange critters are actually resident minnow species dressed in their seasonal spawning attire. Common species in north Georgia are yellowfin shiners and Tennessee shiners. They honeymoon each spring at some newly constructed hotels.

Next, those pebble mounds. Those pebble hotels are actually chub nests. Bluehead and river chub species grab small rocks in

their mouths and pile them up by the hundreds. You will be surprised at the size of a stream rock that a motivated chub can haul! Those pebble mounds create some excellent spawning substrate, not only for the builders but for several other species that take advantage of the vacancies. You see, fine particles like silt and sand smother fish eggs and block the emergence of newly hatched fry from stream gravels. That clean, shiny rock mound, with plenty of open spaces between polished stones, is egg incubation heaven! The mound is an effective method of overcoming fine sediments that cover stream bottoms. Check out a few websites for some fascinating videos of chubs building their nests and all the minnow species schooling around their springtime “hotels.” Simply google the term, “chub nest video” to catch slick underwater footage of this

nongame fish community in action. Also google “river chubs build nests and invite guests” to read Clemson Professor Brandon Peoples’ interesting article on this nest-sharing phenomenon. He’s got some great photos, too.

On your next stream trek, take time out to enjoy a front row seat to “aquatic ecology in action.” Stroll along the creek bank this spring and see if you can spot the cobble mounds built by native chubs. If the

time is right, you just might spot a few hundred colorful, spawning shiners, too. All critters have their niches - even our spring chub construction crews and their romantic “goldfish” tenants! Whether you’re toting a fishing rod or a camera, get outside and enjoy some of these Nat-Geo moments that Mother Nature has shared with us. Good luck and have fun watching some goldfish in your creek this spring!

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Forecast By: Shane Goebel | Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service

Springtime Striper Fishing in Blairsville, GA

It’s that time of year! Monster trophy stripers on Lake Nottely are firing up and it don’t get better than this! Yup, it’s May…. Our favorite time of year for the big-uns. I’m talking about those reel screaming, explosive hits that will make you wanna smack your granny, it’s so awesome. No offense to granny, but this is most definitely the best time of year for trophy fish. With May’s warmer weather and longer days get these stripers in the mood for some heavy post/pre spawn feeding. We’ll also start catching numbers as well. And, let me tell you about catching these beasts on some ultra-lite tackle too. Shew-wee talk about fun! There’s nothing more exhilarating than catching a striper on a crappie rod with lite line lol… So, if you’re looking for something to do or an avid fisherman looking for that record fish, give us holler and get your fish on with the area’s #1 guide service. We specialize in striper and hybrid fishing. Check out our Facebook and Instagram page Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service and give us a like.

Currently Lake Nottely is around 8 feet below full pool. Clarity is mostly clear and slightly stained in the rivers. Water temps have been in the low 60’s.

The striper bite has been wicked insane lately! We are starting to

catch some good numbers. It’s not uncommon for us to catch 15 to 30 stripers a morning. The majority of our stripers have been in the 15-to30-pound range. In the early part of the month, you’ll still find a lot of these fish in their spring spawning areas in the backs of creeks and in the river. As the month progresses, they’ll start working their way back to deeper water in the mouths of creeks and around shallow humps all over the lake. The early morning and late afternoon bite has been the best for catching these beasts. Pulling planer boards and free lines with live herring will be your best technique. As the sun comes up, it never hurts to throw out a couple of down lines. Try to pay attention to areas that are holding a lot of baitfish—the stripers will be close by. Also, watch for an awesome top-water bite to fire up. I always like to keep a Red Fin or a spook at the ready to work the banks as we troll around. Just keep an eye out for busting fish.

May is a fantastic month for catching a lot of trophy stripers on this North Georgia lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of Lake Nottely’s best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Murphy, NC’s and Blairsville Georgia’s

premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Hiwassee and Chatuge (in North Carolina), and Lake Apalachia for smallmouth and

trout. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

LAKE BURTON

Provided By: Tyler Clore

Bass: The bite has been really good and with water temps starting to rise, it will continue to improve. We have been catching most of our fish in the grass around the 10ft mark by using

a blue back colored Mcstick jerkbait and a Keitech 3.8 swim bait with a super fish swim bait head. With the temperatures warming, expect the fish to pull up in the shallows as they go on bed. When fish are on the bed, I prefer a Texas rigged green pumpkin seed Senko.

Trout: the trout bite has been slow. We have seen some schooling on the surface first thing in the morning. When you see them surface, cast your swim bait or jerk bait into the school. If the trout are smaller, use a Rapala countdown.

The lake level has been rising and will be at full pool by May 1st.

Clarity: clear Temp: 58 Depth: 4’ below full pool

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

LAKE LANIER IN MAY MEANS TOPWATER

Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com

Lake Lanier is arguably at its very best during the late spring and early summer due to the consistent availability of aggressive topwater and swimbait bite during this time. This is an excellent opportunity for anglers to catch spotted bass and watch the action as wolf-packs of monster spotted bass chase your topwater plugs! In this month’s installment, you will learn the necessary tackle, equipment, locations, and resources to catch topwater fish on Lanier.

Location

Now, at the end of April and heading into May under normal weather conditions, most of the spotted bass on Lake Lanier are finishing the spawn, and in doing so, will begin aggressively feeding to recover from the spawning process. After a short period of inactivity, the larger female spots will begin their migration from their spawning haunts (both in creeks as well as on the main lake) to key features at the mouths of the major creeks as well as main lake areas and can be found on or around: long-running points, rocky shoals, and underwater humps/islands throughout the lake. Locating these areas and the man-made cover that is often found on them which will often concentrate the fish will be important to your success. Trust your Humminbird units to find these brush piles around the features mentioned above. Focus in the 20–25foot depth range.

For topwater action, you should utilize either a medium or medium-heavy bait-casting or spin-casting outfit, rigged with 12-17 lbs. monofilament line. Monofilament fishing line floats, where as fluorocarbon line sinks, which makes either monofilament or braided line the best option for presenting topwater baits correctly. Also, Seaguar Smackdown braid, floats and is also a good option for topwater if you prefer. As far as choosing a rig for fishing these topwater baits, consider the weight of the bait as your deciding factor. Lighter poppers and smaller walking baits are often better presented on spinning gear which allows for easier casting of smaller baits. For swimbaits, I like to present the larger, heavier, mechanical-type swimbaits (Ex. Sweet Herring Swimbait) on a heavy action rod that is at least 7 feet long. My big swimbait rod is an IMX Pro from G-

Loomis and is a beef stick! It can handle the biggest swimbaits or A-Rigs. I appreciate the extra rod strength to cast these big baits and manage the big fish I catch on them. As far as the many other soft and hard swimbait options, you can scale back to a medium-heavy rod if you prefer, but I recommend keeping the length at 7 feet or more.

Lures and Presentation

Now that we have explored the location that the spots can be found in May as well as the tackle necessary to fish them, let’s examine some of the techniques and lures that can be used to catch these fish. Remember that even though we are discussing topwater and swimbait presentations in this article, when the females first come off the bed, they are lethargic, so the use of more subtle techniques such as a fluke or a GA Blade jig head and a Berkley Max Scent worm combo can be the ticket. As the post-spawn period progresses, the fish will become much more active and aggressive as eating becomes a major part of their recovery process from the spawn. The fish at times will feed voraciously, and it is at these times that you should focus on fishing fast-moving baits such as the topwater and swimbait presentations we have focused on through the course of this article.

1. Topwater - Nothing beats being able to watch a fish crush your topwater bait! There are many choices of baits here – poppers, walkers, waking baits, etc. The preference of the fish will change day to day, so make sure to experiment daily to identify the mood of the fish as well as their preference in presentation. Excellent topwater baits for Lake Lanier include a great line up of Berkley Baits: Surge Shad, J-Walker, Highjacker, Cane Walker, and of course, the Choppo. All these lures as well as all the G-Loomis rods and Shimano reels you will need to present them can be purchased at local tackle shops such as Hammond’s Fishing in Cumming, GA.

2. Swimbait – Swimbaits offer great versatility as they can, based on the model, be fished at any depth you wish. Once the post-spawn has advanced, this becomes a great bait to

throw around points and humps in both creeks and on the main lake. Popular hard and soft swimbaits are made by several different tackle vendors, to include many local options. As far as the mechanical type swimbaits, I am a HUGE fan of the Lanier Baits Magic Swimmers, as they are the perfect representation of a herring. In the soft bodied swimbaits, I prefer the Lanier Baits Swimmer and Keitech Swimbait offerings.

3. GA Blade Shad Spin – When the topwater/swimbait bite is tough, pick up your GA Blade Shad Spin and go to work. Fish the same areas you would normally present your topwater baits and experiment

with different depths of the water column. Also, work these lures over brush for big spots. Try a Lanier Baits Jerk Shad, a Lanier Baits Swimmer, or Keitech swimbait as a trailer.

I still have some dates available in June 2023 so call me to book a trip today and reserve your opportunity to come experience some of the best spotted bass topwater action in the country! See you on the water! Jimbo

Jimbo is a Full-Time, Year-Round Spotted Bass Guide on Lake Lanier. Contact him today to book a trip! Contact info, Logo, Picture, etc.

As you can see in below photos, from May of 2022, Lake Martin is very productive in May for great quality and good quantities of stripers. We will continue to pull planer boards as long as we can get hits on them but sometime this month pulling boards will be best at first day light and even up until about 9:30 or 10:00 am and then we must go looking for schools of stripers that we can drop bait down on. The down lining bite should be good the remainder of the day. May also is the month that you will need to start getting out on the water earlier; I personally like to be at my first spot as the sun is breaking. Something we also do in May is

make sure we have some top water plugs tied on for casting at surfacing stripers. Some of my favorites are Zara Spooks, Chug Bugs and Redfins. This type of fishing won’t last long in the mornings, but the first hour of daylight is really good. From my experience, you only have time to hit one good spot before they will quit hitting the artificial plugs on top, so I always try to go to the best place I know of on the lake first.

May also kicks off big time recreational boat traffic here on our lake. Saturdays can be very stressful fishing after lunch but as big as Lake Martin is you can usually find a quiet area to fish without too

many boats being on top of you. Monday through Friday is your best fishing in May with Sunday being your second best and Saturdays being your last choice. However, we catch plenty of stripers on Saturday it’s just that by mid-morning it gets pretty tuff on us.

Also, over the years, we get more and more requests for dockside pickup in May. So, we have adjusted to fishing areas all over Lake Martin and have been successful at many areas of the lake in May, so take a chance this month and try some areas you normally overlook. I think you will be glad you did .

May is a good time to start checking waters close to the dam, especially during the hot time of the day.

I hope this article helps you this month and gives you an idea of what you should be doing to increase your bites .

Until next time “Tight Lines”

Lake Level: 490.00

Surface Temp: 72 +

Clarity: Clean & Clear

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

FISHING OPPORTUNITIES AT CALLAWAY GARDENS AND RESORT

Dr. Andrew Cox

When you think of West Georgia’s Callaway Gardens at Pine Mountain, Georgia, you probably think of azaleas and native flora during the Spring or swimming at the beach at Robin Lake. Over the last several years, I have been fishing at Callaway Gardens and Resort on a more frequent basis. Though I usually fish here during the cool months of the year, it is certainly a year around fishery.

Callaway Gardens and Resort offers excellent warm water fishing for bass, bream and crappie. However, anglers may not be aware that trout fishing is also available during the late Fall, Winter, and early Spring

months. Some of the trout can reach trophy proportions as attested through some of the photographs associated with this article.

Although there are many lakes and streams within the Callaway Gardens grounds, only some are available for angling. The largest lake on the property, Mountain Creek Lake, can be fished without being accompanied by a fishing guide. This lake offers warm water fishing for bass, bream, and crappie that can be accessed through bank or boat fishing. The angler pays a fee to access this lake which includes use of a boat; the angler cannot use their own boat on this

lake. If you are looking for fishing on your own, this is a great fishing option.

Some of the other smaller lakes within Callaway Gardens and Resort are open to anglers fishing with one of the approved fishing guides. These include some lakes where the angler will catch primarily bass and bream, some being trophy quality fish. Two lakes are open for trout fishing to include a small and medium size lake. The lake that has the chapel on it is one of my favorite trout lakes. The trout lakes are fly fishing only; however, conventional tackle can be used on the other lakes for warm water fish species.

Callaway Gardens and Resort is a great location to combine fishing with other family activities. The angler can book a one-half or full day of fishing while also enjoying the various attractions within the resort. The resort is also a short drive to Columbus or LaGrange, Georgia. This allows ready access to the attractions in both cities to include Columbus’ museums, the Chattahoochee Riverwalk, Chattahoochee River whitewater rafting and LaGrange’s Great Wolf Lodge and historic Lafayette Square and downtown. Lodging is readily available both on the Callaway Gardens and Resort grounds or close by Pine Mountain, Georgia.

Information on Callaway Gardens and Resort fishing is located on their website (callawaygardens. com) under Boathouse: Fishing and Boating. One of my favorite

guides is Tim Frazier. He is a local resident who has extensive knowledge of the Callaway Gardens and Resort waters and techniques necessary to sample both the cold and warm water species found here. This area certainly offers some unique angling opportunities for anglers across Georgia and Alabama.

Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. His writing interests specialize in angling and travel, human interest, and general fishing technique oriented topics. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia, Alabama, and north Florida for over forty years. He has also fished the waters of most states within the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and several Caribbean islands. He enjoys fresh and saltwater fishing for bass, bream, crappie, trout, redfish, and speckled trout using fly, baitcasting, and spinning equipment. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Professor Emeritus at Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama. He may be contacted at andrewtrout@aol.com.

Forecast by: Capt. Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com

770-630-2673

Finally, we are getting some better weather here on Lanier. It feels like it has been raining for months. Despite all the rain, the water is fairly clear in most areas and the water temperature is surging past 60 degrees into the high 60s.

The stripers are finishing up spawning and topwater time is here. Most of the lake is clear and the fish are looking to eat. Nothing better than watching your Berkley Surge Shad wake across the surface and it vanish as a striper engulfs it. Spool up a seven-foot medium heavy Abu Garcia Veritas PLX spinning rod, paired with a Penn 3000 Conflict with twelve-pound Trilene Big Game line and you are ready for action. If you want a longer cast, spool up with a ten-pound line. Several

baits will be needed for casting to the stripers. You will need a wake bait, like the Berkley Surge Shad and a walking bait like the Berkley J-Walker. Look for the bone color and the chrome black back color and you have the two primary colors in the J-Walker and Surge Shad. Twitch the J-Walker so it zig zags across the surface. Once you catch one on a walking bait you will be hooked on topwater stripers for life. If the fish are wanting a subsurface lure, the Berkley Magic Swimmer is a great bait. The chrome Magic Swimmer is hard to beat. Cast these baits to points and humps across the lake and be prepared for some explosive action. If you need a more subtle presentation, rig up a 3/8 Berkley Fusion swimbait head tipped with a white paddle tail. Ev ery day is different in the Spring. Just because it worked yesterday does not mean it will work the next day.

Live herring on a freeline across these same points and humps will also be a great tactic. This is the old reliable technique. Spool up a Penn Fathom II Linecounter 15 series reel with 15-pound Trilene Big Game and a Shakespeare Striper Series rod and you are ready for live bait fishing. Be sure to pick up some Gamakatsu 2/0 Octopus hooks, some Trilene 100% Flourocarbon, and some Spro Power Swivels for your leaders and you are all set. Pull

these freelines across these areas at about 1 mph. As the water temperature increases do not be afraid to add a little weight to the freeline to get down a little deeper. As the water temperature increases, look for the fish to go deeper. May should be great weather and great fishing. It is a great month to be on the water before the summer heat. The fish are much bigger than last year. See you on the water.

Stay safe.

Heron Outdoor Adventures

CARTERS LAKE

Forecast By: Eric Crowley Lake & Stream Guide Service (706) 669-4973 | lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

Walleye fishing has been consistent all spring and we are seeing some really nice, quality fish. After the spawn, the fish have pulled back out to the main lake points and humps. They are holding offshore during the day in 35 to 55 feet of water and coming up in the evening to feed on baitfish in the shallower water. Daytime presentations can be anything from trolling crankbaits to jigging and fishing spoons or live bait fished on or near the bottom with light fluorocarbon leaders and small circle hooks. Use your electronics to locate small groups of fish holding on drop-offs.

At night, jerkbaits, crankbaits and live baits worked around shallow baitfish can produce some nice fish. Bright colors are best.

The mouth of the river and the area around the islands have been the most productive areas, as well as the dam and riprap in that area. Look for the full moon night bite, this month, to be really good.

The striper fishing has been better this spring than the last couple years. We are seeing some really nice size fish. As usual, it’s quality over quantity here. With the water still being relatively cool, the fish are still up shallow in the morning feeding on bait. This is planer board time. We run multiple lines with big baits spread out as far as we can and cover water at about .7 to .8 mph. I prefer the biggest bait I can catch.

After the sun is up over the trees, I prefer to troll artificials versus fishing downlines. These fish are

typically on the move after sunup and can be next to impossible to stay on top of with live bait. Capt. Mack’s umbrella rigs, bucktail jigs with trailers or bucktails tipped with fresh baitfish 35-45 feet deep can be a better option as you can cover more water. Typically, we troll these between 2 and 3 mph on 50-pound

braid. The night bite has been good as well, by throwing artificials and fishing live bait around the boat ramps.

Water temperature: 67 degrees Lake level: full Clarity: 3 feet

THE BENEFIT OF TOURNAMENTS

By James K. Pressley jameskpressley@gmail.com

I’ve been thinking lately about the pros and cons of tournament angling. No matter what we discuss there is a positive and negative side to it. For instance, chili dogs are AWESOME! But they give me heartburn. Carrot cake tastes amazing, yet I seem to gain 5lbs with one slice. See where I am going with this?

Tournaments are no different. However, it is time to discuss the positive sides of them. The SBA Striper Tournament will be on Lake Oconee this Saturday. Now, my fishing partner (Kevin Wahl of Wildside Fishing) and I will be fishing the event together. We fish most of our club tournaments together these days. It’s sure to be an enjoyable day full of cooking, fishing, and having fun on the water in any situation. But this tournament is bringing in a crew of anglers from Lanier, Hartwell, and other major striper fisheries around the state. Now how could that possibly be a good thing for Oconee and its anglers? Well, first and foremost, we will get to see other tactics and ideas at work here. I’ve said before one of the things an angler SHOULD do is to fish with or against a visiting angler on their home lake. It brings a new perspective. Someone may just show up and show out with a tactic none of us have thought to try.

Back in the dark ages before the internet, live scope, and even cell phones, BASS started and immediately changed the world of fishing. Or at least it seemed like it. We went from seeing coolers full of bass at every single marina booth at the Fisharama or the Atlanta Boat Show to everyone throwing fish back. Now don’t get me wrong, I love to eat fish, but the great thing about fishing, unlike hunting, is

All SizeS of GizzArd ShAd AvAilAble for SprinG

once I catch a fish, I can put it back. Once you pull the trigger the work begins. Whether it’s a deer, a rabbit, or a squirrel, you have work to do. Catch and release fishing changed our thought processes and changed the way we interact with the natural world. We owe a debt of gratitude to Ray Scott and those guys for paving the way.

Technology in our sport is driven by tournament angling. For instance, the Crappie guys were the first to really show off the new technology of livescope. Forward Facing sonar is now a staple. In fact, if you are not using it in a crappie tournament, you won’t even sniff the money and I almost don’t care how good an angler you are! It’s shown us fish behavior, fish movements, and reactions like we have never even imagined. Bass anglers are now embracing it in a huge way. Jerkbaits, swimbait heads, and even line is being made to make use of this technology. While recently fishing together Capt. Mack Farr and I discussed the applications for this with striper fishing. This will change the game for us striper guides and anglers too. We just haven’t embraced it fully yet and no one has broken the code and made it public! But it will guys… Trust me on that one. It’ll answer questions we never knew existed.

So, in short, as much as I have to say about tournaments doing something wrong, it is a key factor in our sport. Without the competition, without the drive of the tournament pros, without the money spent, we wouldn’t have a lot of what we have now. Let’s just focus on the positive side of this and continue to change our world for the better.

Magic in May: Spring Topwater Tactics

By Capt. Cefus McRae Nuts & Bolts

Fishing Series

Hartwell, GA

May is a magic month for us anglers in the southeast. Most of the spawning cycles are over and fish are ready to fill their bellies again. This is happening up and down both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts as Spanish and King mackerel, and cobia, migrate northward. It’s happening on our inland impoundments and rivers with bass, stripers and hybrids. And on local ponds, the shellcrackers and bluegills are close to the bank and on bed during the full moon. It’s a truly magic time of year.

For me, May means topwater. And there’s nothing quite as exciting as seeing the underwater explosion as a fish crashes on a topwater lure…whether it’s a 50-pound cobia or a half-pound bluegill.

For the topwater bite to get underway, we’ve got to have a few environmental changes take place. I think the key is the water temperature. When surface temps touch the 70-degree mark, that’s my cue to break out the top gear. In the

spring, I have two go-to topwater plugs…the MirrOlure Top Dog and the Cordell Redfin. The Top Dog is a walk-the-dog plug. Cast as far as you can, then let it sit for at least a “three-count”, then start the rhythmic, twitch-wind-twitch retrieve that makes the plug ‘walk’ back and forth on the way in. If a fish hits the plug, but doesn’t connect, continue working the plug. Nine times out of ten the fish will still be following the plug and will attack again. I’ve actually removed the treble hooks from my Top Dogs and replaced them with 2/0 circle hooks. The front hook faces forward, and the rear hook faces up. I haven’t seen a noticeable decline in hook ups, and I no longer have to deal with trebles hanging up in the net or finding one of my fingers.

The Redfin is simply a cast and retrieve lure, and it is deadly on stripers and spotted bass. Because of its large profile, it is especially effective

on shallow humps next to deep water. Gamefish can be staged just off the hump waiting to ambush bait and this beefy plug has a large silhouette that will draw strikes from yards away. Make your cast beyond the shallow feature… it could be a shoal marker, a shallow bar, or even structure that rises from the bottom…and then retrieve just fast enough for the plug to ‘waggle’ on the way in. You don’t really have to impart any action with your rod. The small lip on the front gives it lots of movement and leaves a distinct wake behind the bait.

I mentioned water temperature as

an indicator for topwater action. I believe there are a couple other contributors as well… cloudy or overcast days will keep the fish in the upper water column. And a slight chop on the water will help disguise the fact you’re throwing something that’s man-made. When the bite materializes, it can last a couple days, or it can last all month. A few days of sunshine and hot weather can turn the bite off. Similarly, a cold snap can shut things down as well. But when the magic happens, it can be some of the best and most exciting fishing of the year. Tight lines and calm seas.

A new Lake Lanier Record was achieved the weekend (April 9th) for a Blue Catfish.

Matthew Haynes (Guide/owner of Lake Lanier striper snipers) officially weighed-in his Blue Catfish at Sherry’s Bait & BBQ at 15 lbs., 8.8 ounces; 32.5 inches. The fish was safely released back into Lake Lanier after being recorded for the record books!!! Congratulations Matthew!!!!

LAKE LANIER

Forecast By: Captain Josh Thornton 770-530-6493 www.crappieonlanier.com

| www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org

Crappie Fishing

Call Captain Josh Thornton to book a trip 770-530-6493. The water temperature is in the low 60s. Crappie are still shallow. Look to side coves off major creek channels they have started moving back to docks and are suspended 5-10 feet deep. Trolling is good right now, look in large shallow bays or coves near a main channel, check blow downs in shallow water. The majority of this week’s catch came from jigs black with a chartreuse tail. Minnows are getting a few also. Crappie love the shade so cast into the shadows or

shaded areas of dock. When dock shooting the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. I use ATX lure companies jigs on a lip thrashin lure jig head. I use 5-pound test high visibility yellow k9 braid for my line unless I am using a bobber then it’s the k9 6-pound high vis line and a Acc crappie stix. I use Garmin Live Scope and a Power Pole.

If you haven’t yet check out https://4heroutdoor.com/ Find me on the web or Facebook and like my pages.

LAKE ALLATOONA

By Ken Sturdivant kensturdivant@att.net

Bass fishing is good. Fish are active and can be caught with just about any technique. Use the fluke style baits, Ned rigs and popper style top water baits and cover water. The bite is good most of the day, but the best time is before 9 am. The pockets and secondary point around Red Top and Stamps Creek seem to be best right now. Have a second rod rigged and ready as the spotted bass are chasing small baits mid-day. An all-white 3/8-ounce Rooster Tail will catch almost anything. The

Texas rigged worm and a 1/4-ounce weight with a Zoom finesse worm in a black emerald color cased on or around the bed will also catch these fish. The Texas rig worm on a Weedless Wonder head should be fished in the speed worming method by simply casting the bait to the bed and when it hits the bottom you begin to reel it in with a steady retrieve like it was a small crank bait.

Lake Allatoona is down 1.3 feet 60s.

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OCONEE ON THE FLYWEATHER FRONTS

Contributed By Capt.

Wayne Moore - USCG

Licensed www.oconeeonthefly.com

So far, in 2023, we have seen more changing weather fronts than any of us guides here on Lake Oconee can remember. Today (April 7, 2023) is a good example, the high temperature at 1:00 PM is 78 degrees and winds out of the southwest at 2 MPH. The cold front comes in tonight and by tomorrow the high will be 50 degrees and winds east northeast at 20 mph.

These rapidly changing fronts really affected the crappie fishing this season and even the guys that are pros at LiveScope have had some tough days.

The good news is that as we move into May, we expect to see more stable conditions and opportunities for good hybrid bass and striped bass fishing. The trolling bite for crappie will pick up and by the end of May, brush pile fishing for crappie will begin.

Forecast for May:

Crappie – May is a transitional month for crappie here on Lake Oconee. And crappie fishing can be a little challenging. The spawn is over, but the trolling bite will begin to pick up. Also, as the water warms up, the fish will begin to orient themselves to submerged timber (the brush pile bite).

LiveScope has really changed

things. We have a number of excellent crappie guides here on Lake Oconee and some specialize in using the LiveScope. They are able to find and target single fish pretty much anytime. This technology is awesome, but there is a learning curve.

Whether you want to learn how to use LiveScope, troll, or fish brush piles; hiring a guide is well worth the money.

Hybrids / Stripers – May can present some great opportunities for the hybrid / striper fisherman. Be prepared to get on the water at first light. Last May, we had a good topwater bite, mid-lake, near River Bend. Trolling MiniMacs was very productive and I expect it will be again. However, the fish might be at the dam. Casting spoons and ¼ ounce bucktail jigs will produce as will the popping cork with a Betts Pop N’ Stripe Popper Fly. After the sun comes up, switch over to down lining live shad.

Fly Fishing - The opportunities for fly fishing in May will be at first light, (particularly if they are pumping water up from Lake Sinclair) and fishing humps late in the morning or late afternoon.

For the early morning bite use intermediate line on an 8-weight

rod with a 9-foot, 12-pound fluorocarbon leader. A Cowen’s Somethin Else fly is your best bet; but if the fish are rising, try a wiggle minnow. Sometimes, I fish the wiggle minnow and use a Somethin Else as a dropper.

If you see fish suspended at 10 to 15 feet on a hump over a 30-foot bottom use an 8-weight rod with sink tip line, a 5-foot section of 15lb fluorocarbon for the leader, and a

white and chartreuse clouser tied on a #2 hook. This can be more productive than the topwater bite and the fight is an absolute blast!

Final Words

It is prime time now for hybrid and striper fishing. Contact me at wmoore1700@outlook.com or call 404-317-9556 to lock in your dates well ahead of time.

Tight Lines, and God Bless.

WEST POINT LAKE

Forecast By: Capt. Keith Hudson Keith Hudson

Guide Service

hudsonprobass@gmail.com | www.LakeWestPointFishing.com 706-844-1483

Bass: Good. Largemouth are being caught on several different patterns. Top water baits such as Pop R’s, Zara Spooks and Buzz Baits can be extremely effective for shallow and aggressive fish, especially around bream beds. The second pattern that works well is to look for spawning shad. Try

fishing rip rap around bridges with spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, and Zoom Super Flukes- Additionally, some big tournament sacks of largemouth are still being weighed in by guys who sight fish, targeting fish that are locked on bed. This can be an aggravating way to fish but can pay off

in a tournament win. Lots of spotted bass are caught by casting Spot Remover heads loaded with Shakey Tail worms or just dragging a Carolinarigged Zoom finesse worm or mini lizard around sloping gravel banks. These tactics normally works very well for numbers.

Linesides: Excellent. Spawned out hybrids & stripes will show up down lake in May. Expect the down - line bite on live bait to be awesome! Some fish starting surface schooling on the main lake and can be caught on small crankbaits, topwaters, pop n cork rigs and Storm Swim Shad lures.

Crappie: Fair. Spawned out fish will typically move out and hold on deeper brush & structure or under docks for a while to recover. Night fishing should also improve in May.

Bream: Good. Don’t forget about our bream & shellcracker. Finding an active bed can take a little ef-

611 TWIN BRIDGES RD. EATONTON, GA 478-968-0713

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fort but when you do, you can have a ball! Bedding usually takes place on the full moon cycle in May. Look for shallow cover in the backs of pockets. Sandy flats & stump beds tend to draw the fish like a magnet. Use live pink worms, crickets, and small jigs for the best results.

Catfish: Good. Lots of channel catfish are being caught by the few anglers that target them. Live & cut baits (and worms of course) fished on bottom will catch cats all over the lake, if fairly deep water is nearby. -- Jug Fishing is also fun & productive. To target flatheads, go to a larger bait like a 4–5inch bream or large shiner and fish in the same areas. Be sure to increase the size of your rigs as fish in the 20-30-lb. range are common.

Water temps are mostly in the 70s & low 80s. The lake is mostly clear and right around full pool level of 635-.

LAKE BLUE RIDGE

Forecast By: Eric Crowley Lake & Stream Guide Service (706) 669-4973 | lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

The walleye bite has been really good the last few weeks. We have seen some nice upper 20” fish. The biggest was a 27” post spawn female. The spawning is over, and the fish are chasing bait on the main lake and feeding up for summer. We are catching fish several different ways from trolling to jigging depending on the day and weather. Look for fish to be more active during the day if it’s overcast, or raining. Bright sunny days make for a tough bite. The fish are scattered roughly 20 to 30 feet deep on rock piles and drop-offs in the daytime, with the best bit coming early in the morning and right after dark. After dark, they move up a little shallow-

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er, so if you’re catching them and then you’re not, you may need to adjust to a little shallower water. I’m mainly fishing the river mouth area, point 5, and the islands in that general area right now as that’s the best concentration of catchable fish, but there’s certainly fish all over the pond. The herring spawn and the full moon are both big events this month. Finding the big females after dark is what we will be focused on when both happen. This is a great time for big fish!

Water temperature: 65 degrees Lake level: full Clarity: 8 feet

LAKE EUFAULA

By Capt Sam Williams hawk184@earthlink.net 334-687-6266

The weather promises to stabilize as we begin the month April. The river is holding steady at 187 msl. This will allow the fish to settle into their normal spring patterns. The bedding bass will be in the shallows making the shallow bite exciting. It will take some patience to finesse a bite when the lady gets a stubborn streak. The frog bite and blade bait worked over the shallow cover will get very active. Remember to feel the tug on the frog before you set the hook, or you will take it away from them. Texas rigged soft baits are a great choice for the shallow bite. Black with chartreuse tail, watermelon candy and green pumpkin are all good colors. The deeper bass will be hitting crank baits in Tennessee shad and gray ghost colors. If your crank bait does not have a black dot behind the eye, use a magic marker and add one. This will make it resemble a thread fin shad. Carolina rigs worked through the deeper cover with the same colors mentioned above will get some attention, as well.

Crappie are still scattered, they should begin to school on the natural and man-made cover as the conditions stabilize. Jigs tipped with a minnow will get a few for the supper table.

Blue gills will be on the banks eating crickets and worms. Watch for the wading birds eating along the shoreline, as they will provide you a good tip on when and where to go.

Catfish are always eating cut bait on jugs. For the bottom fishermen, night crawlers are good but cut bait is a good bet as well. If you can find mullet, they are not native here and the different smell draws some better attention to stubborn catfish.

Remember to go to (http://www. alclassic.com) and sign up for our

newsletter. Keep up to date with our new goals. We have gone back to using Lee King’s name. We will now be known as the Lee King Memorial Alabama Classic Bass Tournament. We have always supported the research to find a cure for this tragic, terminal disease Niemann-Pick. Thanks to you loyal fishermen, we have raised over $272,000.00, over the past 23 years. Plan to fish our September 16th tournament.

Enjoy these beautiful spring days on Lake Eufaula with you kids and grandkids. Make those precious memories in Gods great outdoors. Your youngsters will talk about these memories for generations. Pray, for one another and all our folks in uniform.

God Bless & Good Fishing

Water Level: 187.55 msl

Water Temp: 59 degrees Water Clarity: Stained

Forecast By:Will Harkins- Getfishingguide.com | Williamharkins11@gmail.com

Warm mornings, topwater frenzy’s, big bass. This is what May on Nottely feels like. May can be such a fun time of year for bass. A lot of things are happening. Fish that were spawning in April are feeding back up after a few weeks of hatching and guarding their babies. The herring spawn is also kicking into action. These two things make a perfect storm for lots of awesome fish catches. Herring like to spawn on anything vertical they can attach their eggs to. This includes riprap, marina stalls, dock floats, and even some laydowns. One way to tell if they are spawning is by throwing a spinnerbait. Watch as your bait gets closer to the boat. Many times, there will be herring following and mingling with it. To catch the herring eaters, there’s a variety of baits you can throw. All the topwaters will absolutely catch fish. Buzzbait, Spook, Pop-R are all fantastic choices. If the fish are not committing to the top, try a spinnerbait or a 3-inch swimbait. Anything that will mimic herring. The trick this time of year is to get out there early and stay on the move. The best bite windows typically occur in the morning hours. For those chasing largemouth, these can still be found in the backs of creeks or pockets. They will not move very far after the spawn, so usually places

you caught them in April will hold them through May. Similar topwater baits will catch these fish, but I will also throw in a senko or floating worm for the extra bites. Look especially for shade lines as the day goes by. These bass will use shade to be out of the sun and for an ambush spot for the unsuspecting bait. As always take a moment to look at the mountain’s beauty and all the greenery that shines. Get out there, have fun, and Get Fishing!

#Godsgotthis

Lake Level _3 ft_ below full pool.

Temp: 67-70 degrees Clarity: Clear, slight stain in river with rain

THE FISH ARE BITING!

By Gary Turner

Spring has sprung big time with fish biting everywhere pre-spawn. I have some friends that had never been to Santee, South Carolina fishing before, Bailey Winkle and Hunter Jackson, so I called my friend and fishing guide Capt. Dewayne Profitt to see if he had any openings. He just so happened to have one, so we ran over to Santee and fished and had a big-time catching catfish on the north lake, Lake Marion.

Capt. Dewayne and some friends had scheduled a striper hybrid trip on Lake Hartwell a couple of months back, so when it rolled around, I went up there and fished with Dewayne, Mike, Dave, and Capt. Travis Long. We got into the spots and hybrids the first afternoon of fishing. The next morning, we got on the hybrids good, and caught a couple of spotted bass and a couple of flatheads that were feeding with the hybrids.

My friend Stacy Fleming and I went with Capt. Eric Crowley night walleye fishing, and I have never seen so many walleye in my life. They were spawning in the river, and they were thick. Unfortunately, they were not interested in feeding that night, they were too busy spawning. We didn’t catch many, but had a great time trying, and it was such a neat trip to go in the middle of the night up the river. April is the month to do this when the walleye are up in the river spawning. I am marking my calendar to do this again next year.

Right now, I’m on my way to Delray Beach to meet up with several friends from South Carolina to do some peacock bass and Everglades fishing. Benji and Amy brought down their boat and Dewayne, Blake and Tina brought theirs, so we are going to hit Lake Ida for a couple of days to fish for peacocks and clown knife fish. Then we’re going to fish for a day or two in the Everglades for oscars, peacock bass, jaguar, and cichlids.

When I get back from Florida, I’ll work a couple of days, and then I’ll be heading out with some friends to Panacea, Florida for trout and redfish. Looks like April will end up being a great month for fishing! You can get more information on fishing with Capt. Dewayne Profitt by calling him at 740-404-3900 or

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

LAKE SEMINOLE

Forecast By: Captain Paul Tyre Tyrelakeseminolefishingadventures2gmail.com

The bass fishing has been very good in the first quarter of 2023!

The water temperature is in the low to mid 60’s to low 70’s. The Flint River arm of the lake is muddy due to recent heavy rains above us. The Chattahoochee River arm is also stained while Spring Creek and Fishpond Drain remain clear.

The May outlook is promising as we move into the post-spawn period. The shad have been and will continue to spawn along the grass

lines on the main lake. A variety of lures are productive, like lipless crank baits, spinnerbaits, and even plastic worms, fished along the grass lines.

The shellcracker and bream are bedding and can be found around the sandbars in three to five feet of water.

For a lake Seminole Fishing Adventure for bass and/or panfish, give me a call @ 850-264-7534 or email me at paultyrefishing@yahoo.com

803-478-6479. His website is TakinitEasyGuideService.com.

Capt. Travis Long’s guide service is Happy Hooker Guide Service, and his number is 864-483-4299.

Capt. Eric Crowley’s guide service is Lake and Stream Guide Service. His website is www. lakeandstreamguideservice.com, and you can email him at lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com. He can also be reached at (706) 6694973 when he is not fishing.

Get with some of your friends and take a fishing trip. Whether with a guide or just on your own, GO FISHING!

I’m not sure what next month’s article will be on but remember, if you have an empty seat on your boat that needs filling, shoot me an email and maybe it will be about fishing with you!

Please check out my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@ FishingWithGary.

You can reach me at gary@purgeright.com.

Please remember, if you are not going to eat it, don’t kill it.

“Tight Lines and Squealin’ Reels put a Smile on my face every time!”

LAKE ALTOONA CRAPPIE

Contributed

Tim Dangar

By:

Early spring is a great time to hit a small North Georgia lake for some fun and a wonderful meal of rainbow trout. Not too hot, not too cold and snakes are not out yet. All you need is a kayak, open face ultra-light spinning rod and reel, Rooster tail and/or Mepps spinners, and you are all set to hit the cold-water lakes scattered across North Georgia. On March 28th, I hit one of my favorite lakes and spent the day catching and releasing over 30 fish. I took a late lunch break and got back on the water around 3:00 in the afternoon and brought home a limit to filet and take to a friend who had a resent hip replacement. I used a variety of colors on this trip, but what seemed to work best was spinners with no

buck tail and some orange on the body. Hope everyone can get on the water soon and as always, stay calm and fish on!

Gary Hall and Wayne Warren from Nashville, Georgia while out on a Shellcracker trip with Capt. Paul Tyre

Joe Hingson with a Big Lake Seminole Bass while out with Capt. Paul Tyre

WHAT DO YOU SAY… BASS FISHING IN MAY

Contributed By: Jay Striker www.jaystriker.com

In my professional opinion, May offers three primary ways of targeting bass. Many fish are heading back out in areas close to deep water and trying to feed up from the work it takes to go through the spawning season. Mother nature does its job as the food supply chain is replenished with a shad spawn that is near, and the bass knows this. Also, part of this multi-faceted movement during this time of the year is when the mayflies start hatching. So let’s unpack why I like these situations and how I used them to catch bass in May.

Wrapping up the Spawn: May is usually when the signs of bass spawning are wrapping up. Note that all bass don’t spawn at the same time, nor stop at the same time. One tall tell sign, I look for in May, is the quality of fish I’m catching and how they are biting. Most fish being caught are smaller, guarding fry, and are often all likely around the same size. Sometimes you will run into a later spawning group of post-spawn fish and catch some bigger fish that are long and skinny, another sign that spawning is nearing its end or at post-spawn. Targeting bites in May is easier when you understand that the fish are moving from transition areas leading to and from shallow areas. Target those and hang on.

Shad are on the way: Shortly after the spawn, mother nature sends in a buffet to the fish as the shad spawn. When this starts, the bass feed to rebuild all that was a lost in the spawning process. The shad spawn is essential to the process, as it balances the food chain. Shad spawn on the move, usually on shallow banks, sea

LAKE CHATUGE

Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchguideservice.com 706-455-2323

walls, rocks, etc. No worries, you will know when you see the shad-spawn; it will look like a frenzy of shad rolling up the bank. For me, a weightless fluke, small topwater bait, and bladed bait will be my bait of choice to load the boat.

Shake the Bushes In May: When mayflies hatch, they hang in the overhanging bushes or trees near the water. When this happens, the brim are nearby, waiting for mayflies to fall Into the water. The bass will move in for the bream to get a bigger meal. The food chain of mother nature works this way each season, and its keys can make you successful on the water. I always try to shake the overhanging bushes to cause the mayflies to fall in the water, and then I fire a spinner bait right at the bank and have a good chance at loading the boat. I invite you to try it; you might catch a fish of a lifetime.

Let me say that taking the time to understand the seasons and how Mother Nature works will make you a better angler. During May, the spawn, shad, and mayflies automatically play a role in your fishing; why not use it to your advantage? I want to take the time to thank you all for following me on Instagram and Facebook under Jay Strker.52 and at jaystriker.com. I’ll see you on the water.

Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports: “Fishing has been good, There is still some fish trying to spawn around pebble rocky banks, points, and also in the back of pockets. Don’t be afraid to fish a little deeper in these areas, just in case there is still some fish waiting to move in. Try throwing a 3.75” Strike King rage swimmer, Ned rig, shaky head, and a 3.5” tube bait. Most fish have spawned and are guarding fry around brush and docks. Try throwing a Zoom trick worm or a fluke around these areas. If you never throw a glide bait, now is the time. Normally in May, there are a couple of weeks when fishing can be tough. It doesn’t matter what kind of electronics you have on your boat; the fish just won’t eat. But, once they start, they’re going to be chasing bait and start moving to the areas they will spend the summer around.

Good Luck!

Lake Chatuge: Level: 4’ Below Full pool. Temp: 60-62 degrees. Clarity: Clear

TOURNAMENT RESULTS

Georgia Bass Nation High School AOY Standings

Top 20 Teams

Wall of Fame

One will be given away each month for the best reader submitted photo!

Syncere Evans caught a 5 1/2 pound largemouth bass.

Kevin Wolfe caught this nice bass while fishing the lower Etowah River.

Dustin Klinker with a big slab from Fairfield Plantation

Mikey Willerson caught this big crappie,15-1/2” and weighed 2.2lbs, on Lake Allatoona. It was released to get bigger!!! Nice catch Mikey!

Sam Myles fishing on Lake Eufaula Alabama.

John Scalley proudly caught that snook on the fly rod in the Everglades with his sister Gracie!

YOUR KID COULD CATCH A WORLD RECORD

Would your kid be proud to set a new world record?

Of course they would, and right now is a great time for kids to catch a world record thanks to the International Game Fish Association’s new length-record category for young anglers. e category is intended to promote catch-and-release by making it possible to measure a sh for world-record consideration without killing it, and right now there 169 vacant species just waiting for anglers under 16 years old to set a new world record.

e new IGFA All-Tackle Length Junior category follows the same rules and regulations as the current All-Tackle Length record categories. e All-Tackle Length Junior category will have one record available for each eligible species, with no di erentiation made for the angler’s gender, which is consistent with current All-Tackle Length and All-Tackle Length Fly record categories. Vacancies exist for all eligible species of the All-Tackle Length record category and will follow the same minimum length requirements already established.

“By introducing the All-Tackle Length Junior category, we hope to inspire the next generation of anglers to get out and sh, while promoting ethical and sustainable shing practices,” said IGFA President Jason Schratwieser. “Fishing is a fantastic way to connect with the outdoors, and we believe that by engaging young people with this sport, we can inspire the next generation of stewards of our oceans, lakes, and rivers and help ensure the long-term health and vitality of our aquatic resources.”

With children and teenagers increasingly disconnected from the outdoors, the IGFA hopes to inspire a new wave of young anglers who are passionate about the sport and its role in connecting people to nature.

For more information, go to www.igfa.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IGFA.

Alexandra Hall caught this 63-pound blue cat sh from Virginia’s James River to set IGFA 20-pound line class and female junior world records for the species.

FROG FISHING FOR VERY HUNGRY BASS TIPS FROM A PRO

TYLER WOOLCOTT

Across the country, bass are either in their post spawn patterns right now or they will be soon. ere is a plethora of ways to catch these bass, but my all-time favorite for getting bit and drawing in a big one is a hollow body popping frog.

A popping frog can be used as an incredible search bait, and you can duplicate many di erent bait sh depending on where you throw it and what color you tie on. ere are many di erent options out there. I try to duplicate the bait sh forage in the particular lake I’m shing. Sometimes I use a frog to imitate a bluegill, and sometimes I throw a shad color pattern. 13 Fishing makes an incredible popping frog that comes with a stout hook and a wide variety of colors for any scenario.

When I throw a frog as a search bait, I work it faster than most. Cover as much water as possible until you put a pattern together on what exactly the sh are focusing on. at’s the magic of a frog; you can literally throw it around everything! Docks, lay downs, grass and open water are just a few of the targets I look for. Once you locate a group of sh or put a pattern together, slow down and pick them o a little slower. I have noticed sometimes there isn’t a “too fast” while working a popping frog.

A couple things I look for this time of year are bass guarding fry and also sh roaming the banks feeding on bluegill. is is very predictable and an awesome way to catch big ones. Typically, if you know a few areas where the sh previously spawned, these patterns will occur in the same areas. I throw a bluegill pattern popping frog because bluegill chase bass fry, and that drives bass crazy.

Another pattern to watch for is a shad spawn. is occurs in the mornings and evenings and can lead to a bunch of sh in a hurry. Look

for birds feeding on banks while running down the lake. Find the birds and you nd the bait! A white popping frog or a bait sh color is typically my choice in this situation.

A popping frog can work all year long, but it really drives post spawn sh crazy. Who doesn’t like catching sh on a topwater with heavy line and a heavy rod?

Frog Fishing Gear

Heavy gear is needed for setting those big frog hooks and shing around heavy cover. I sh a 13 Fishing 7’4H Omen Black rod paired with a Concept A 8.3 reel spooled up with Seaguar 50-pound Smackdown braid. is setup allows you to get sh out of heavy cover and into the boat!

Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcott shing.com.

Coastal Angler and The Angler Magazine, Suzuki Marine and Sea Eagle have come together to offer readers a shot at this Sea Eagle FishSkiff 16 paired with a Suzuki DF4 outboard that’ll take you wherever the fsh are. The FishSkiff 16 is an infatable fshing boat that is lightweight, sturdy, stable and extremely packable. It rolls up small enough to ft in the trunk of a car and quickly infates into a fshing machine. Powered by Suzuki’s four-stroke DF4A, you’ll have to hold on to your hat as you scream over the fats. Designed for effciency and performance and portability, the DF4A provides all the speed and acceleration you can handle. It’s lightweight and can be attached or removed with ease.

40-POUND PIKE BREAKS IDAHO RECORD!

BLACK SEA BASS OPEN YEAR-ROUND IN SOUTH ATLANTIC

Black sea bass o en y under the radar for anglers o the coast of the Southeast. Perhaps it’s because their size and numbers are thickest in the middle of winter, when it’s not as pleasant to be on the water? Or maybe it’s because they don’t grow as a large as the other grouper species that inhabit our wrecks and reefs?

This 40.76-pound northern pike is a new Idaho state record. It beat the existing 13-year-old record by a little more than half a pound.

Avid pike sherman omas Francis landed the monster sh on March 21 from Hayden Lake in northern Idaho. e sh was more than 4 feet long, with an o cial length of 49 inches and an impressive girth of 26.5 inches.

Francis told Idaho Fish and Game he speci cally targets big pike almost every day. In late March, ice still ringed the banks at Hayden Lake, so Francis was casting his lure up to the edge of the ice.

“When my lure hit the water, I let it sink all the way to the bottom,” he said. “As soon as my lure hit the bottom, I felt her hit. I sh with 80-poundtest line, and she almost immediately started peeling drag, a lot of it.

“She pinned herself to the bottom and just kept going, peeling drag the whole time,” he continued. “I knew that wasn’t normal, and I could tell it was something special.”

e IGFA all-tackle world record northern pike was caught in Germany in 1986. It weighed 55 pounds, 1-ounce.

For more information, go to https://idfg.idaho.gov

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that black sea bass are some of the tastiest critters in the ocean, and anchoring over a wreck or reef teeming with them can ll a cooler in short order. Just ask the folks up in New England, where the species is a highly sought a er target of anglers.

NOAA recently announced that recreational harvest of black sea bass will again be open year-round for the 2023-2024 season in federal waters of the South Atlantic, south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. So, sharpen the hooks on your chicken rigs and go collect some meat.

NOAA Fisheries has projected that the 2023-2024 recreational catch limit of 366,510 pounds whole weight will not be met. e season in federal waters will run from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. Seasons in state waters vary, so be sure to check state regulations where you plan to sh. In federal waters of the Atlantic, south of 35 deg 15.0321’ N, there is a seven sh per person bag limit with a 13-inch minimum size limit.

A descending device is required on board all vessels shing for or possessing snapper and grouper species in federal waters of the South Atlantic. e descending device must be readily available for use and attached to at least 16 ounces of weight and at least 60 feet of line. For more information, go to coastalanglermag.com.

Flip Flip Hooray!

Here’s a memorable beach moment: You’re basking in the warm sun, toes in the sand, letting the gentle turn of the foam-capped waves lull you into a state of complete relaxation. As your eyes scan the endless horizon of blue on blue, you’re rewarded with a school of dolphins making their way across the sea. There’s no denying their signature shape as they leap from the water. If you don’t see anything else extraordinary the rest of the day, you can take solace knowing you’ve witnessed one of nature’s most playful and intelligent creatures in their natural habitat.

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STILL TIME FOR A TROPHY TROUT

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

If you are big trout enthusiast like me, you know there is still some time le if you haven’t had your ll over the past ve months. December through a portion of May is when I set my eyes on catching a personnel best speckled trout. With the full moon on May 3 this year, I feel the entire month will hold promise to land one full of eggs before the rst full moon in June. May is also a little more enjoyable, too, so sit back and let me tell you why.

Most anglers in Texas think about big trout mid-December through early April, and when the waders come o they change their focus. Fortunately, not all the big girls have dropped their eggs yet and will still hold them into May. It gives us the opportunity for a heavy trout to take a big smiling photo with.

Speaking of taking the waders o , wading in May is typically warm and enjoyable even if the sh don’t cooperate. e pleasant temperatures are more appealing than dreary, cold, winter days, and they also allow me to sh the way I prefer. At times in winter, we must slow down our presentation and this can become a little monotonous; however, targeting big trout in the warmth of May allows us to work the lure more aggressively.

ere is not much more exciting than a topwater explosion, and spring is one of my favorite times to utilize this tactic for trophy trout. May is also a great time to throw other lures. Traditional slow-sinking and suspending lures also work wonders this time of year.

As most of you know, I am a paddletail fanatic! is month, I’ll give several sizes a shot at getting inhaled by a huge yellow mouth. ese large predators will take 3-, 4- and 5-inch lures this time of year. As their bodies warm with the water, they become as aggressive as they will be all year, so adding some rattling sound to your tails can really get the sh active.

I seek out areas of grass ats in knee- to waist-deep water. Finding a at with a drain from a small lake or creek will work wonders for concentrating sh over adjacent shallow grass. A depression along such a at is another area you should target. When choosing a at with these criteria, areas of potholes are a plus over a solid grass- lled at.

I hope these tips help you get your PB trout on your last chance of the year to nd one lled with eggs. Take a kid shing. ey like big trout too. And be safe. May is the uno cial start of summer, and inexperienced boaters will be on the water.

Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

KAYAKER LANDS

102-POUND PADDLEFISH

An angler got a little more than he bargained for in early April while shing for walleye in the Upper White River in northwestern Arkansas. Fishing 12-pound-test line and a 3-inch-long crankbait, Robert Murphy accidentally snagged a 102-pound paddle sh and spent the next hour battling the sh from his kayak.

In April, the Upper White experiences spring runs of several species into the riverine sections of Beaver Lake, including white bass, walleye and paddle sh. Paddle sh, also known as spoonbill, are a large zooplankton eating species. ey won’t chase lures or live bait, so anglers typically “snag” them during Arkansas’ paddle sh snagging season. e daily limit is two sh per person.

Murphy might not have intended to snag a paddle sh, but that’s exactly what he did. According to Outdoor Life, Murphy was throwing a 3-inch Berkley Flicker Shad for walleye when he saw a big sh on his sonar. inking it was a big striped bass or a gar, he ran his 10- to 12-foot-diving plug through the area and hooked his river monster in the top of the tail.

Anyone who has ever foul-hoked a sh knows how hard they ght when you can’t turn their head. Well, Murphy spent the next hour battling the beast from his kayak as it pulled him up and down the river. A er he nally hauled it into his kayak and brought it to shore, he weighed and measured the sh. With a length of 71.5 inches, it was nearly 6 feet long, and at 102 pounds, it was shy of the 118-pound, 9-ounce state record that was caught from Beaver Lake in 2020.

For more information, see www.agfc.com.