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WELCOME
By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon
Tuna Town TO
I
had only been fishing a few years when I wound up taking a job in Venice, Louisiana. I had gotten the lead on a first mate position through a mutual friend of a captain who I had never met before. When I called the captain, I asked when he needed me. He told me, “yesterday.” So I went to the tackle shop, bought my first pair of slickers, and hit the road. The only thing I knew about Venice was that there was no cell phone service and no women. As I drove down the road south of New Orleans, I began to notice ships on both sides of the road simultaneously. I realized I had better call someone to let them know I was heading to a deadzone in the middle of nowhere, filled with lonely, salty men. I arrived at night and located my captain’s houseboat, where I would be staying. I made the jump across to the boat and opened the door without knocking—as I was instructed to do. A dozen men, drinking beer, went silent as they stared at me. I looked around the room at the welcoming party, and the walls that were lined with shelves of alcohol bottles and a deer head decorated with Mardi Gras beads and bras. They offered me a beer and I declined. After the 14-hour drive, I most definitely wanted a beer, however, this did not seem like the time and place to let my guard down. The captain showed me the boat docked out back, my bunk where I would be staying, and told me what time to set my alarm for the charter the following morning. I had no idea what to expect or what I had gotten myself into, but I quickly fell in love with the fishery and a week-long trip turned into a year and a half. The fishermen there were nothing but respectful and treated me like one of the guys. I had only been fishing for two years at the time and had a lot to learn. I spent evenings teaching myself how to tie snell knots and throw a cast net. When the locals would go out fun fishing and bring back coolers with hundreds of trout, they were more than happy to teach me how to fillet fish. The fishermen didn’t cut me any slack for being a woman, which I was grateful for. I worked just as hard as they did, earned respect, and learned everything I needed to become a competent fisherman. I was openly doubted every step of the way, until I was able to learn and prove myself, which I did. But I was told that if I made it to the fall, there was no way that a woman could handle shrimp-boat season. Shrimp-boat season involves pulling behind shrimp boats and then boarding them by jumping from the bow of your boat onto the tires that hang from the stern of the shrimp boat. Then you promptly scurry up before your bow has a chance to crush your feet. You then shovel bycatch into a bag or basket, get it back to your boat, and hopefully get yourself back on the boat before your crew hooks up to a big tuna and abandons you there for the fight. The goal is to not die, break your ankles or get murdered by the shrimp-boat crew in the process. I did make it to the fall, and I did survive shrimp-boat season, and it was some of my favorite fishing I’ve done, to this day. It wasn’t until I left that the ball-busting ceased and I received positive feedback, when a captain called to tell me I did a really great job and that I’d earned a place and should come back for the following season. I am so grateful Tuna Town was a stop on my journey to where I am now. I am indebted to the fishermen there who helped teach me things the right way, without mercy. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon, with Sweet e’nuf charters out of Marathon, Florida Keys, can be reached at (504) 920-6342. See CaptainQuinlyn.com and @captainquinlyn.
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THROW UMBRELLA RIGS FOR WINTER BASS
When the bass are feeding up on baitfish in the winter, the natural bait ball presentation with multiple baits swimming together drives these bass absolutely crazy. It can make for a very fun day on the water. Setting up your “rig” is not complicated. Depending on how deep you are looking to fish, use 1/8-ounce jig heads for shallow water (10 feet or less) and ¼-ounce jig heads for anything deeper than 10 feet. Pick TYLER WOOLCOTT out some small 3- to 4-inch natural shad colored boot-tail swimbaits to attach to your jig heads and that’s all there is to it. inter can be a tricky time of year to go fishing, The winter months is typically the time when bass to feed up before but I want to tell you about a bait that might help you put some more fish in the boat. In fact, this lure is so good that they spawn. Whether you see it going on or not, they are eating a lot of bait somewhere on your some tournaments don’t allow body of water. You can throw anglers to use them anymore. this rig basically anywhere, I’m talking about the Alabama and if there are fish around, rig, which some people call they will bite it! I throw it the umbrella rig. around grass, rocks, docks, This device made its debut open water, points and on the bass fishing scene in ditches. 2011 and absolutely dominated the tournament fishing scene Gear for a few years before it was When throwing an A-rig, eventually outlawed by most it can get pretty heavy once professional fishing series for you add all the jig heads and basically being an unfair way swimbaits onto it. You’ll want to catch fish. The rig consists to use a big heavy rod with of a baitfish-style head where some strong line. A 13 Fishing you tie your line with multiple Muse Black 7’6” rod paired metal-wire arms that extend with a Concept A 6:8:1 reel is out where you attach jig heads a good fit. Spool this up with with a swimbaits. Most come 20-pound Seaguar Abraz-X standard with five metal arms line and you are good to go! and five jig heads. Good luck out there! Even though the Alabama rig is outlawed by most pro fishing leagues, that doesn’t mean you can’t use it when you are out fun Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. fishing or even fishing smaller tournaments. It is a fish-catching machine! Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.
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JANUARY 2024
NATIONAL 7
A GREAT LAKES FORMULA FOR
By Nick Carter
JUST ONE FISH
C
obi Pellerito’s goal in a day is just one fish, and with the surge in Great Lakes smallmouth fisheries, there’s a good chance he’ll find what he’s looking for: one giant smallie. “Big smallmouth is my jam,” he said. “It’s not like tournament fishing, where you’re looking for a limit. I’m out there looking for one big fish.” Pellerito theorized that three invasive species are responsible for Great Lakes smallmouth achieving grotesque proportions with weights in the 7- to 8-pound range. European round gobies and rusty crayfish from the Ohio River Basin have become important prey species since their invasion. European Zebra mussels are forage for another smallmouth favorite: perch, and these filter-feeders also create clear water, which is great for visual hunters like bass.
8 NATIONAL
JANUARY 2024
Pellerito bemoaned the destruction these invasives wreak but figures we might as well take advantage. THE FORMULA: The size of the Great Lakes system is incredible. From a home base in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, Pellerito has explored parts of it from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, downstream through lakes Michigan, St. Clair, Huron, Erie and over to the St. Lawrence River. Over this vast expanse, state fisheries reports tell him where the largest smallmouth are. “Once you’ve picked a fishery, there’s no substitute for time on the water,” he said. “Find the most desirable structure in the lake or in the part of the lake you’re fishing.” Smallmouth can be patterned seasonally. From there, Pellerito fishes long days to eliminate water. He looks for big points and transitions in bottom composition. He seeks out subtle structure like boulders or logs on barren flats. Bait presence is important, whether its gobies or crayfish in the rocks, perch in the grass or balls of suspended baitfish. THE FISHING: When he finds an area he likes, Pellerito covers water quickly with a crankbait. He likes a Megabass Deep-X 300, which dives 12 to 15 feet. “Covering water until you find where the fish are is important, then you slow down,” he said. “The biggest fish tend to be a step off from where the rest of them are.” Big smallmouth hold in “wolf packs” of two or three fish, and this can sometimes lead to days of more than “just one fish.” Recently, Pellerito boated an incredible 35-pound, 9-ounce five fish limit. Find one big fish, and it pays to pick that area apart. For this, Pellerito switches to classic drop shots or tubes. A standard tube crawls through the rocks like a goby or a crayfish. With the drop shot, Pellerito fishes a Megabass 3-inch Hazedong, which looks like a goby. It takes light line to draw strikes in clear water. Pellerito uses 15-foot leaders of 5- to 7-pound fluorocarbon with a main line of 8- to 10-pound braid. He’s experienced tremendous success with these tactics. This season, he boated 39 fish heavier than 6 pounds, 19 heavier than 7 pounds and two heavier than 8 pounds. To see more of Cobi Pellerito’s giant fish, see his Instagram @cobi.pellerito.
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer
Casting to fish or fishing to cast....
There has never been a perfect cast. Thank goodness someone told me that early in my fly-casting journey or I would have given it up long ago. And I’m grateful that not many people watch me fly fish, it can be embarrassing. But there are times when I wish everyone in the world could have seen ‘that cast’. Do you ever feel that way? I think most of us do at one point or another. People take different approaches to fly fishing. What appeals most to you? My guess would be that it’s a blend of casting to a fish and making, ‘the cast’ to get that fish. If I have a day on the water and I’m going for sunfish, I’m generally just fishing. Make a cast in a
general direction, give it a moment and smile when I get a hit. Some days I just want to go out and cast for a fish here and there (those days are few). What I really like to do is work on my cast when fishing for any type of fish. Hit a target 4-inch square, shoot one under a tree or around a log. That’s ‘fishing to cast’. What variables need to be adjusted to make the next cast-stroke length, power, timing, trajectory...? Watching a cast hit a mark is very gratifying. It’s great to go out and catch fish, and you need to get the fly to the area in order to do that. At that point we are ‘casting to fish’. In fly fishing the next level is
fishing, so you can make THE cast. Making a good roll cast, side arm, water load, snap-T, off shoulder, snake roll, double spey or just the basic quality overhead cast is very rewarding even if you don’t catch a fish. That’s why casting to targets on land is fun for so many people. Getting the fly to the target involves accuracy. Practicing that is so important. It starts with really seeing the target and then observing what the fly line loops are doing before you deliver the fly. There was an event at Montaluce Winery in Dahlonega Ga. that drew folks that like to have fun and cast to targets. We had the Fly Fisher International SEC Distance and Accuracy
event last November (look for one in the spring) and we had all skill levels. It was supported by Veterans Fly Fishing, Alpharetta Outfitters, The Fish Hawk and Unicoi Outfitters. We had some fun team names; The Tiki Trio, The Tangles, Castaways and not to be left out, the Irritable Gimpy Casters. The winning team was The Unknowns with Jake Darling, Joseph Clark and Tom McCarthy. They had the highest team accuracy total and Joseph Clark made a 111ft cast for distance. Congratulations to them, and thanks to all that participated. If you can’t get out to fish, I hope you get out to cast soon.
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JANUARY 2024
ATLANTA 1
LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING CHATTOOGA RIVER Provided By: Karl Ekberg Chattooga River Fly Shop www.chattoogariverflyshop.com 864-638-2806 As the holiday season has now passed by for another year, there is still the hope that nature will bring us a white blanket of pristine snowfall. Fly fishing in a stream, snowflakes falling to the water’s surface, and big fish stretching the line makes for magical dreams. A four-wheel drive vehicle, all snowfall without the sleet or freezing rain, actually makes this scenario a reality, for those willing to make the trek. Slowly the rain has started to fall across the mountains of the Southeast, and the creeks, streams, and rivers are in full appreciation. Now that the presents have been unwrapped from the holidays, it is time to try them out on the river, and nowhere better than in the Delayed Harvest areas of the Chattooga or Chauga rivers. Full of fish from helicopter stocking in November, and then truck stocking on a regular basis from the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery, big fish are ready for a Winter meal. As the waters cool down from the winter strong hold, it is time to get deep. Not in philosophy, actually in the depths of the water column with flies being presented to the fish. Heavily weighted, sparsely dressed flies will aid in the ease of descending fly patterns to the bottom dwelling trout. The use of split shot, tungsten putty, or sink tip leaders may greatly add to the assistance of presenting such meals to lethargic fish. Hatches of bugs throughout the winter will be minimal, except for those wonderfully warmer Southeastern days we
all cherish. Bugs hatching this time of year tend to be much smaller, so smaller diameter tippet and or leaders are a necessity. With the colder wintery mix of weather keeping warm for the day is essential. First and foremost, wearing the proper clothing will be beneficial for a long day on the water, and first, no cotton. Wearing cotton apparel will keep moisture of sweat and condensation close to the body which, in turn cools, and then the body turns cold. The use of good wicking clothing in socks, with merino wool and synthetic material, good fleece wool pants, with at times a good base layer, when water temperatures are reaching the low thirties, will greatly improve insulating the body from the cold air and water temperatures. For the upper body, the same ideas as the lower body, no cotton shirts, or over-layers. Start with a base layer of wicking clothes followed by layers of wool/fleece. Beanies or wool caps are best to stop heat loss from the head, as the summertime hat needs to be put up for warmer weather days. Hypothermia can set in, causing bodily functions to start to slow, so getting out of the water for a small hike to get the blood circulating throughout the body is beneficial to keeping warm as well, and the fish are still going to be in that spot, they’re not moving much either. As we enjoy the greater outdoors on the rivers, streams, and trails hiking, let’s all remember to “Leave No Trace”, as we want many generations to come to enjoy what we have today! We hope to see everyone out on the rivers.
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Win the So chians metho to be s ting a net. morni tures c gler th pulling and tr sunny ature 3 or 4 to get take a strike a ping ficult t tom o on an will no little f or str easier. until noon, getting second tempe
LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING
NG FLY FISHING IN JANUARY
Contributed by David Hulsey International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor http://www.hulseyflyfishing.com 770-639-4001 Winter fly fishing in the Southern Appalachians requires a slow methodical approach to be successful at putting a few fish in the net. Twenty-degree morning temperatures can make an angler think twice about pulling on the frozen wading boots and trudging out to the river. On a sunny winter day, the water temperature in a river or stream may rise 3 or 4 degrees which is just enough to get the trout moving a little bit to take a few bites. In early morning the strike zone of a fish may be the size of a ping pong ball which is pretty difficult to hit six feet down in the bottom of a pool. As the morning goes on and the temperature rises, trout will normally respond by moving a little farther after a drifting nymph or streamer making presentation easier. This usually will not occur until late morning or sometimes noon, so be sure to take your time getting to the river by enjoying that second cup of coffee. The peak of the temperature rise is normally around
2 pm then quickly dropping off as soon as the sun leaves the water, putting those fish back into their overnight mood. Dead drifted nymphs or super slow deeply swung soft hackles or streamers seem to be the best producers. By getting those flies right in the face of the fish and making movement worth it for them is key. Heavy stonefly nymph patterns like a Pat’s Rubber Legs and Tungsten Stones work well. Tungsten Beaded Egg patterns, San Juan and Squirmy Worms are great for nymph fishing. Soft Hackle Pheasant Tails, Soft Hackle Hare’s Ear, and Trout Sized Intruder flies are killers if you are swinging flies. Wading in the winter requires an extra focus on safety. Avoid setting yourself up for an icy plunge by using a wading staff. It is also a good idea to bring along a fishing buddy. Float Trips in the winter help our clients avoid standing in icy water and cover more miles of fish producing areas. This is normally the best option for catching a few fish at this time of year. Georgia’s Delayed Harvest Streams are great option in the winter because of the monthly stocking of uneducated fish. By being less picky over fly patterns, these fish are great for teaching new fly fishers the ropes or trying new techniques. We focus on taking students to these waters in the colder months to increase their chances of seeing how trout respond to different flies and methods of presentations. Contact us for winter classes and guide trips.
THE GUIDES ANGLE
Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service
The Chattahoochee below Buford Dam is literally the warmest place to go fly fishing for trout in the winter in the lower 48 states. I am writing this article during the first week of December and tonight will reach down into the 20’s, but if you view the USGS graphs below you will observe water temperatures actually spiking into the low 60’s in November and mid to high 50’s as we approach December during peak daily releases. In the fall and winter the days get shorter and air temperatures, especially at night, begin to get cooler. This autumn temperature “cool down” and less sunshine begins to cool the Lake Lanier surface temperatures, displacing the warmer layers, from this previous summer, pushing warm water towards the depths of the impoundment. Each time Buford Dam makes a release, the hydrostatic downward discharge withdrawals higher in the water
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column. Usually by mid to late December the lake will “turn over” or fully stratify becoming uniformly cold from the surface down to the lake floor. While the Hooch Tailwater was never designed for trout, it actually could not have been “custom ordered” better for trout. So, this Winter when you release a trout back into the river this should explain why it feels like “bath water”!
JANUARY 2024
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING REDUCE RESISTANCE! By Jeff Durniak | Unicoi Outfitters Winter is second only to spring as my favorite Southeastern trout season. The air and water are cool and clean. With a few rare exceptions of warm days, trout bunch up in their winter refuges of slow, deeper water. They’re often glued to the bottom and will move just inches for drifting nymphs. With the right techniques, we can still have banner days on the stream. To do that, we must cut through the current and bump them in the nose with our bugs. How? We reduce resistance to that current via long, thin tippets. I’d like to share three techniques that enhance my cold-water catch rates via reduced resistance. First, for headwater trout and occasional shallow, sunning river fish, try a dry/dropper technique. The dry is just a sensitive strike indicator, so pick a buoyant bug like a chubby Chernobyl or elk hair caddis. Your dropper is the key. Just lengthen and lighten that dropper line to get your nymph near the bottom. On headwaters, that might mean 18-24 inches of 6X tippet. On bigger streams, that might require three feet of 6X. And here’s my secret: if it isn’t a tungsten nymph, then add a size 6 tin shot about 4 inches above your favorite nymph to fish it deep. My favorites include tiny pheasant tails, hares’ ears, caddis larvae, and zebra midges. Second, for smaller pools and pocket water behind boulders, it’s hard to beat a Euro (tight line) setup. The pools are too short for good indicator drifts but allow you to creep close to your fishy targets for some hi-sticking. Try your long Euro rod and a tungsten nymph on 6X tippet. If you don’t have a Euro rod, don’t fret. Just use your longest, lightest rod and your shortest leader, like a 7.5 foot, 3X model. Knot to the leader’s end 2-3 feet of sighter line (multi-colored mono). To the sighter’s free end, add the water depth plus one foot of 6x tippet and a tungsten Euro nymph. A few slush eggs, mops, sexy Walts worms, and frenchies are all the Euro’s you need. For technique, watch the Orvis Learning Center’s video on Euronymphing.
Third, hit those honey holes, the long, deep pools, with a long, thin indicator rig. Discard your tapered leaders and use 8-12 feet of 3-4x tippet or 6lb test monofilament line from your spinning rig as your leader. Add a foot of 5X tippet to the end and pinch on enough split shot above that knot to bump the bottom. Tie on an egg or rubberleg stonefly as your first fly, and drop a small pheasant tail a foot off the hook bend of the first fly with 6x tippet. Add an Airlock indicator up the leader at 1.5 times the water depth and have at it. That thin leader will cut through the water column and get your bugs on fish! Give these three techniques a try this winter. Reduce resistance by cutting through the water column with thin tippet and delivering your bugs right to trout noses. Your cold-water success will warm your buns!
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JANUARY 2024
ATLANTA 5
JANUARY 11–14, 2024 GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER
FOUR DAYS. ONE INCREDIBLE SHOW. See what’s new for 2024! With more than 600 boats and 130 exhibitors, it’s Georgia’s biggest boat sale. • Shop leading brands & dealers all in one place • Take advantage of show pricing & once a year deals • Gear up with the latest boating accessories
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE NOTTELY Forecast By:Will Harkins- Getfishingguide.com | Williamharkins11@gmail.com
GEORGIA’S BOATING EVENT OF THE YEAR RETURNS JAN. 11-14, 2024 ATLANTA, Oct. 25, 2023 – Georgia’s biggest boating event of the year, the 2024 Discover Boating Atlanta Boat Show, in partnership with Progressive® Insurance, kicks off the new year Jan. 11-14 with a four-day boating extravaganza at the Georgia World Congress Center. Get the scoop and sign up for updates now at AtlantaBoatShow.com. The Discover Boating Atlanta Boat Show is the BEST place to browse and compare hundreds of new boats and take advantage of big sales. The annual boat show features everything needed for water adventures – from the latest in power boats and pontoons to personal watercraft, fishing gear, boating accessories, marine electronics and educational experiences. For these four days in January, the Georgia World Congress Center transforms into the state’s biggest boating marketplace, as well as a nautical oasis to start planning and thinking about warmer days on the water. WHEN: Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 11-14 Thursday-Friday 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. WHERE: Georgia World Congress Center, Hall C 285 Andrew Young International Blvd NW, Atlanta, GA 30313 TICKETS: Tickets are $17 for adults; children 12 and under are free. Buy tickets at AtlantaBoatShow.com.
Happy New Year’s! Time to make those New Year resolutions we never keep! My wish for the year?....More time to fish! Unfortunately, Santa did not bring that, but there is always next Christmas! The new year brings new opportunities, new friends, new experiences, and more time to make memories with those we love. Most importantly, do not take a moment for granted this year! Make the most of every open door that comes your way! While the calendar may have flipped over, much of the fishing stays the same. The local bass are still holding to their winter haunts. Any stragglers that were shallow during December The 2024 Discover Boathave finally made it out deep for ing Atlanta Boat Show, in the foreseeable future. During the partnership with Progreswinter, many of the bass hunker sive® Insurance, docks at the down in 25-45 feet of water in Georgia World Congress river channels or deep rock banks. Center Jan. 11-14 for four The cold weather really groups the days of boating fun. Featurfish together. Therefore, one catch ing hundreds of new boats typically leads to multiple in the on sale, from Wakesport same area. I keep my winter tactics boats and pontoons to very simple. Most of the fish I will personal watercraft and catch will come on a ¼ oz shaky thousands of marine prodhead worm, with a smaller and ucts, plus boating activities and education, Georgia’s premier boating event bulkier profile bait like a senko. offers nautical fun for all ages and experience levels. Tickets are $17 for Bass are not apt to chase baits as far adults; children 12 and under are free. Buy tickets at AtlantaBoatShow.com with the cold weather slowing their and to learn more about the boating lifestyle and resources, visit Atlanmetabolism. As such, I will be using taBoatShow.com; Facebook and Instagram @AtlantaBoatShow #Atlanslightly larger baits at a slower pace, taBoatShow @DiscoverBoating such as a senko or jig, to make their
KICK OFF THE NEW YEAR AT DISCOVER BOATING ATLANTA BOAT SHOW, JAN 11-14
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energy spent to eat worthwhile. My go-to winter color is called green pumpkin magic. Over the years, the color has been responsible for many of the bigger fish caught in the winter. Like December, I will always have a swimbait and spoon on the deck as well. A 3.3-inch Keitech swimbait is a tried-and-true bait that fish will never get tired of. This swimbait is a great way to still cover water quicker to figure out where the fish are located before slowing down. The final technique included is the spoon. This is great for vertical jigging in river channels and deep points. In fact, my biggest largemouth bass I have caught on Nottely was a 7 pounder that came on a rocky point with a ½ ounce spoon in January! As always, remember to dress warmly and wear a life jacket! One bad step can lead to a very cold and dangerous swim. From experience, it does not feel good! As the New Year kicks off, make the most of each day and spend it with family and friends. 2024 will fly by quickly, so do not miss out! Get out there and Get Fishing! #Godsgotthis Lake Level: 9 feet below full pool. Lake Nottely: Lake Level: 16 feet below full pool. Temp: 46-49 degrees Clarity: Clear JANUARY 2024
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST THE ANGLER’S NEW YEARS’ RESOLUTIONS Dr. Andrew Cox
is exciting in anticipating such trips, but requires attention to details such as coordinating lodging, fishing guides, and travel connections. I also intend to learn to use and interpret the electronics in my boat more effectively. This involves reading, studying, and trial and error in mastering these technologies. Rather than letting those New Year resolutions fall by the wayside, do something each day or each week towards putting those angling dreams into action. Paying attention to fishing related activities on a daily, weekly, or frequent basis will increase the odds that the desired fishing activity will occur rather than going onto the back burner and becoming next year’s resolution. Good fishing and be safe.
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.
NEW MOON
fishing event such as camping, cooking out, or playing other sports as a break from fishing, particularly if the fishing is slow.
JANUARY 11, 2023
Many people make New Year resolutions during the holiday season. Research demonstrates that most people do not follow through with these commitments. Typically, we resolve to lose weight, exercise more, have a better diet, spend more time with our families, be more proactive in completing things or similar resolutions. Some of us pledge to increase the amount of time engaging in leisure activities and down time from the stressors of our daily lives. This may include resolutions involving fishing or other outdoor activities. Some resolutions to consider and follow through with this new year, could include the following: • Engage our own children in more fishing time or take a young person fishing. This will get them away from their electronic devices and spend time outdoors. Remember to be patient; young people will make mistakes, particularly if they do not fish that much. Reduced time spent on the water may be required as children and youth may become bored or distracted. We are developing the new generation of anglers and want to develop an interest in angling rather than turning it into something “boring” that they likely will not engage in again. • Related to the above, spend family time fishing. This promotes more time together as a family, where everyone focuses upon a mutually activity. Other things can be incorporated within the
As individuals we may resolve to spend more time fishing during the coming year. Some things you can do to promote this resolution include: • Plan and place fishing trips on your schedule. Plan ahead to have fishing become part of your routine, rather than simply occurring as a random or spontaneous activity. In this way, you will actually have more fishing time occur over the course of the year. • Do you have bucket list angling trips in mind? Is there a particular locale that you desire to fish, an out-of-state fishing destination, or fishing in another country? Now is the time to plan these adventures as travel, lodging, and financial planning are likely to be required. • Is there a new angling technique that you desire to master this year? This may require targeted practice, time spent on particular waters, or purchase of specialized equipment. Such requires planning and resolve to incorporate the practice of this new technique over the course of your fishing day or time spent on the water. Like many anglers, I have a list of angling related New Year resolutions. I am currently involved in planning an annual trout fishing trip to the western United States. The planning process
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JANUARY 2024
FULL MOON
JANUARY 25, 2023
REEL TIME REEL FUN l and
Welc e Gaines e’s Lake Lanier! Lake Lanier is 38,000 acres of prime fishing and home to some of the best spotted bass and striped bass in the world. There are dozens of hotels within minutes of the lake, professional fishing guides to increase your odds of catching the “big ones” and plenty of action in Gainesville, Georgia to keep the family entertained! Check us out at ExploreGainesville.org to find out more.
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ibuting ons and nterests human chnique r of the ciation. aters of Florida has also within United stralia, nds. He hing for sh, and casting, Dr. Cox abits as versity, may be ol.com.
LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE EUFAULA By Capt Sam Williams | Hawks Fishing Guide Service hawk184@earthlink.net | 334-355-5057
OCONEE ON THE FLY
Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore - USCG Licensed www.oconeeonthefly.com
The guides here all have varying opinions sometimes about how fishing will Catfish continue to eat cut bait and The river is creeping up a little with be in the year ahead. But the rain, but we are still low. The cooler stir fry strips on jugs. Bottom fisherone thing we all agree on is men continue to do well with crawlers it’s different every year. And water has the bait and the hungry fish on the creek drops. concentrating on the warmer rocky most of us really love winter The Lee King Memorial Alabama banks on the causeways and on fishing. Classic website is having issues. At this the main river. Stick baits and trick The recreational boat time, we do plan to hold our fundworms are doing best. The bass have traffic is gone, water temraising tournaments on March 2 and been liking the 850 bait companies peratures are better, the September 14, 2024. Save the dates and gulls are here to tell us Ole Mose color as well as Junebug, keep up with us on Fakebook. watermelon candy and blue/black. Jigs where the fish are. Whether Pray for all our folks in uniform tipped with creature baits and spoons you are fishing for crapand their families. Take a youngster worked vertically are aggravating a pie or hybrids and stripers, outdoors fishing or hunting. Share bite. Do not overlook any wood you winter is the best time to with them about Jesus and create the find near the rocky shoreline. Frogs book a trip. and weighted flukes in the pads are get- memories they will tell their grandkids Forecast for January: ting some attention when the sun is up. about. Crappie – Water temperature is God Bless & Good Fishn’ Crappie are holding mostly in 12 a key factor and the crappie have Lake level: 187.92 msl already started to move out from to 18 feet on natural and man-made Water temperature: 54 degrees being tightly oriented to underwastructure. Minnows and minnow Water Clarity: Stained ter structure. tipped jigs are the answer here. In January’s past, I found crappie (and the flotilla of boats that follow them) in the mouth of the cove that used to be where Jerry’s bait store was. Now there is a beautiful new facility there, Anchors Marina. If it has been warm for a couple of days, they will be in the cove, to the mouth of the cove. If it is cold, they will move out to deeper water at the mouths of coves. As we move into February and LIVE BAIT March there is usually a migration North, first to the mouth of Sugar WIDE VARIETY OF FISHING TACKLE Creek and eventually all the way FULL BBQ MENU – LUNCH/DINNER to the upper stretches of the lake above I-20 DINE-IN OR TAKE-OUT As I have mentioned before troll 8 to 10 rods with 6lb test and usually double 1/16th ounce jigs. Use your electronics to decide what depth the fish are at and adjust your presentation accordingly, for example moving to a single 1/16th. Hybrids / Stripers – I really CERTIFIED love fishing for hybrids and stripSCALE ers in the winter. As of this writing ON on December 5th, the spoon bite SITE is particularly good. This will continue through January. Try the area around Great Waters. Remember to bring a thumping stick (like a pool queue with a rubber cover on the bottom) tap at a moderate pace for about 10 minutes before dropping your spoons. Right now, spoons are 2807 DAWSONVILLE HIGHWAY, GAINESVILLE, GA 30506 more productive than bass min-
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nows. You can go out in the afternoon in January and fish till dark and do well in the afternoon and towards sunset. Down lining bass minnows is working well too, drop the bait straight to the bottom, put the rod in a rod holder and make three turns on the reel. A common mistake is to pick up the rod too soon. Wait until there is a good bend in the rod then turn the handle twice and pick up. If you use #4 circle hooks the fish will hook itself. Flatlining or trolling bass minnows will work on warmer days. Use a swivel and a 2-foot fluorocarbon leader (12lb test) to a #4 circle hook. Use a #4 sinker above the swivel and if are marking fish deeper than 20 feet, add a second spit shot. Fly Fishing - The “bird bite” should be in full swing in January. If you are lucky enough to be fishing on a prefrontal, overcast day you have good chances at getting hybrids and stripers on the fly. I usually bring two rods, one 8 weight rod rigged with intermediate line and a Cowen’s Somethin Else tied on to a 7 foot, 12 lb tapered leader. The second rod is rigged with sinking ling with a 5-foot leader of 12 lb to 15lb fluorocarbon and a size 2 Clouser in chartreuse and white. Final Words Contact me at wmoore1700@ outlook.com or call 404-317-9556 to book your trip. I do both morning and afternoon. Tight Lines, and God Bless. JANUARY 2024
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST Have a Blast at a Boat Show By Capt. Cefus McRae | Nuts & Bolts Fishing Series Hartwell, GA
It’s January. Spring seems so far away. Your fishing gear is nicely stored away for the winter, and you begin to feel like there’s nothing fun left to do until the weather warms up. Well, think again. It’s Boat Show Season! For me, the boat show that kicks off the year is the Discover Boating Atlanta Boat Show at the Georgia World Congress Center January 11 – 14th. Spend the day getting up close and personal with literally hundreds of boats, motors, accessories, and gear. Whether you’re in the market for a new boat, or you want to spruce up the boat you already have, this is the perfect way to put those wintertime blues on the backburner. Boat shows are the one place where you can compare models, features and prices...all under one roof. You can ask questions of manufacturers and dealers to help you make an informed decision about which boat is right for you. Boat shows are also the place where you’ll find excellent deals. Often, dealers will have a few ‘carry-overs’…previous year models with full warranties… and they need to sell them to make room for the new models. There’s usually extra special pricing on those too. You might also find other incentives like extended warranties, no-cost add-ons, and special package deals. Beyond the sparkle and shine of hundreds of new boats, you’ll discover a plethora of boating accessories, electronics, water toys, and all manner of gadgets, do-hickeys, and cool contraptions to enhance your fun on the water. 10 ATLANTA
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There are plenty of learning opportunities too. Fred’s Shed seminars offer valuable information related to engine maintenance, tracking down electrical gremlins and more…all in a hand’s-on, interactive environment. If fishing is your passion, you can step aboard the latest rigs from kayaks to bass boats to offshore center consoles. Don’t forget to visit the Let’s Go Fishing Center. Local guides and fishing experts will be on hand all day to answer questions about fresh and saltwater fishing. There are hourly Fishing Seminars offering insight on what’s biting, where to go, and how to catch ‘em. Be sure to stop by and say hi to the Nuts & Bolts of Fishing crew. We’ll have the Shearwater 270 on display and will be happy to give you a tour. Buck, the Wonder Dog may show up for a celebrity appearance as well. There’s no need to hibernate this winter. Come to the Georgia World Congress Center January 11 - 14 and find the boat of your dreams at the Discover Boating Atlanta Boat Show. There’s lots of other shows throughout the year, and you can find one near you by clicking the Boat Show Finder at DiscoverBoating.com. I’ll see you there! Tight lines and calm seas.
LAKE MARTIN Provided By: Capt David B Hare Alex City Guide Service | 256-401-3089 2036 Cherokee Rd., Suite 205 | Alexander City, Al. 35010 davidbhare@yahoo.com | www.alexcityguideservice.com Fbook/alexcityguideservice/LakeMartin Happy New Years everyone!!!! 2024 is here. Of course our lake is at winter pool 483.6 and the surface temp right now is ranging from 50-56 degrees. Clarity is good but it’s got just enough stain to make the bite very good. This time of year the stripers are on fire. On our lake, a good way to find bait and fish is to ride and look for diving sea gulls, coots ducking under the surface and the occasional bald Eagle diving into schools of fish. Once again, it’s the month that you can sleep in a little while, if you like sleeping late, because with the cooler water temps the fish tend to bite all day long. Both the north and south side of the lake will produce quantities of stripers with the better-quality stripers normally showing up toward the end of this month. There’s no one way to catch stripers in January, but a few of my favorites is downlining live bait, pulling boards with live bait, jigging down deep, and casting top water lures. Other ways
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include trolling artificial lures and yes, the occasional fly will catch stripers as well. If your hunting something fun to do that’s not on the water this month, check out two really good boat shows; one is The Atlanta Boat Show and then the next week is The Birmingham Boat Show, which is where you’ll find me hanging out at the Crevalle center consoles booth with Russell Marine. Come join us and let me show you our latest guide boats the Crevalle 26 HCO . Until next time tight lines!
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST FOCUS DEEP ON LANIER IN JANUARY Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com While the outside elements are not always favorable, January can offer some outstanding angling on Lake Lanier. Lanier offers some great winter fishing if you are willing to be outside in the elements and explore fishing outside of your comfort zone. Before we get into the fishing, please mark January 13th, 2024, on your calendar. This is the date of Jimbo’s Southern Fishing Expo! ONE DAY ONLY! Come and enjoy some incredible fishing tackle and service vendors for a great day of shopping, in addition to some awesome raffle prizes! The event will be held at the Forsyth County Conference Center at Lanier Tech, off Exit 13 on GA 400. Visit this web link for more info: https://jimboonlanier.com/southern-outdoor-expo/ Now, let’s explore some fishing tactics with which you can approach Lanier in January.
Ditches
As we discussed in a recent installment, a ditch can be defined as a significant depression which offers a sharp depth change of 2 feet or more from the surrounding structure. Ditches can be naturally occurring or can be man-made. An example of a naturally occurring ditch would be a creek channel that feeds a pocket, cove, or creek arm. A man-made ditch could result from a trench that was dug during the construction near the lake. These features exist in many places on Lake Lanier, and they hold fish during the winter months. Ditches can be shallow or deep, and sometimes both depending on the length and location of the ditch. I shared a comprehensive article in December that focused completely on ditch fishing. If you missed it, take the opportunity to go back and review this information – it could continue to play a key role in January 2024. The lake is trending significantly below full pool as we end 2023. Typically, when the lake is below full pool, ditch fishing is more productive.
Your Search
Use your Humminbird/Garmin electronics to find creek arms or
pockets just off the main creek channels that offer a deep vein extending back into the arm or cove/pocket. The farther the deep water extends back into the creek arm, the better for wintertime fishing. When you enter these areas and are searching for productive water, search for the presence of bait fish in and around the timber which you will find in the deeper water portions of the ditch. If you do not find bait, you will not find fish. Leave and check other similar areas. Also, look for the ditches that do have timber at the mouth. The presence of timber represents the appropriate depth for a potentially productive ditch. Also, key in on special features within the ditch, such as a point or secondary ditch that may intersect with the main ditch.
fish as well. Obviously, the former is preferred, as the latter is normally more difficult to fish and potentially less efficient. So, if you can, find the more isolated cover when possible. The timber edges are often the most productive, so focus on those areas first. Cast and drag a Georgia Craw Bite Jig through the timber the same way as you would work shallower cover. Slow and methodical is the key - develop a keen sense of feel as the bites are often very light. If the jig is not productive, fish a shaky head tipped with a Berkley General worm in the same fashion. Another option is to jig a GA Blade spoon vertically over fish you see on your Garmin electronics. A drop shot can also be an effective presentation. Experiment daily as fish preferences change like the wind. Stay open in your ap-
Jimbo is a Full-Time, Year-Round Spotted Bass Guide on Lake Lanier. For more information or to book your Winter trip, contact Jimbo on Lanier! Mobile - 770-542-7764
LAKE CHATUGE
Technique
While our focus is on fishing deep, understand that a shallow bite often exists in these same ditches, even in the dead of winter. Often these shallow fish in the winter mornings are monsters. Try these areas with a GA Blade Shad Spin, Berkley Stunna jerkbait, or Berkley Moneybadger crankbait. Also, a Keitech swimbait on a ¼ oz swim head can be a good option. Your presentation speed with all the above should vary directly with the water temperature. The colder the water, the slower your presentation should be. Also, with the Shad Spin, crankbait, and Keitech, your bait should maintain contact with the bottom as much as possible. Begin your search, shallow, in the backs of the creek arm at daylight, this will be the warmest water in the lake and will often attract bait fish. Often the active fish will be in 15 feet of water or less right at daylight, so get out early and be ready for some action right away! After the early morning bite, switch your focus to the deep areas of the ditch, generally 35-55 feet. Start with the first area of naturally occurring timber you find, as you move from shallow to deep in the ditch. An isolated tree can be excellent, but thick timber can hold
proach and remain flexible. We guide year ‘round on Lanier and would enjoy the opportunity to help you with your winter fishing. We can focus deep or shallow and help you learn the techniques you need to stay on fish all year! Give us a call and let’s fish! Tight Lines and enjoy a great winter bite on Lake Lanier!
Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchguideservice.com 706-455-2323 Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports, “Fishing is good. The lake is down at the winter pool. There has been some top-water action starting off in the morning and it has been getting better throughout the day once the sun gets out. I would recommend always keeping a topwater on the front deck, I like throwing a Berkley Cane Walker, Strike King Sexy Dawg Jr., and a Lucky Craft Gunfish. With the lake being down, you can get way off some of the clay points on the main body of the lake and you will see fish stacked up 12 to 25 feet deep before it drops off to deeper water. I’ve been targeting these fish with a drop shot, using a 6-inch Roboworm or switching it up with a 3-inch minnow bait to try and match the herring that they’re feeding on. You can also catch some on a Ned rig, jig, and a shaky head. This time of year, is a good time to
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start using small swimbaits. I like throwing a Strike King 3.25-inch Rage Swimmer on a 1/4- to 5/16-oz. VMC swimbait hook. If you find a good school of fish off a point or in a ditch, try throwing a flex it spoon or a hair jig. Chatuge is full of herring bait fish, so fall and winter are great times to throw a jerk bait or a small crankbait. This is a great time of year to take a little time and work on your electronic skills. If you have any of the forwardviewing sonars, now is the time to check out your settings. If you set it up right, you will be able to watch a jerkbait or crankbait come right over the brush pile or school of fish. Once the water temps get down to 55 degrees, it’s a good time to drag the A-rig back out. It’s really fun to watch on the Garmin Livescope. You can watch the fish chase it, and you can also pause it and watch them run into it on the screen.” Good Luck Chatuge: Level: 6.5’ Below Full pool. Temp: 55-58 degrees. Clarity: Clear JANUARY 2024
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE SEMINOLE Forecast By: Jeff Hamm Lake Seminole Guide | 770-912-7936
December 2023 Forecast:
Water Temperatures: Consistently in the mid 60’s to upper 50s. Focus: Baitfish continue to be the primary target. Conditions: • Seagulls are making an appearance, but the expected feeding frenzy was delayed due to unseasonably warm air temperatures. • Bass are adjusting by moving shallower to pursue baitfish. • Grass lines along main lake ditches and creeks have been the hotspots, producing the majority of catches for December. • Successful lures include white and shad pattern baits, with spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, ARigs, crankbaits, and jerkbaits proving effective on active fish. • When activity slows down,
switch to plastic worms in natural colors for clearer water and darker colors in stained water. This can lead to success with less active fish in the same area.
January 2024 Forecast:
Anticipated Changes: • Colder temperatures are expected to bring about a strong feeding frenzy. Strategies for January: • Monitor diving seagulls for the location of substantial bait schools and active bass feeding. • Largemouth bass will likely be mixed in with hybrids and stripers.
Let’s Go Fishing!
• Use heavier-than-normal tackle, especially considering the potential for hooking giant stripers or hybrids. Angler Snapshot: • Featured in the picture are Jayden Chavers and Jax Neel on a recent December fishing trip. • Closing Message: Take a kid fishing to preserve the sport for future generations. “May All of Your Lines be Tight!”
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST WEST POINT LAKE Forecast By: Capt. Keith Hudson Keith Hudson Guide Service hudsonprobass@gmail.com | www.LakeWestPointFishing.com 706-844-1483 The lake is about 6-7 feet down already, & really clear in most areas. Surface temps have fallen to the low to mid 50’s in most areas. North of 219, upriver is dangerous so be careful! Happy New Year and a big THANK YOU to all my loyal customers for another great year in the books!! I start booking for the spring season in January, so look me up at (www. LakeWestPointFishing.com) or email me at HudsonsProBass@gmail.com to insure your trips for the 2024 season! BASS : FAIR. January is typically a slow month for bass fishing in general. The shallow bite for bass is only fair right now but could improve quickly in late January, especially with a warm rain and extended warming trend. Stained water, higher than normal lake levels and water temps in the low 60’s will turn things on quickly. Baits such as crawdad Shad Raps, Rat’l Traps and Chatterbaits will produce on these shallower fish.
in the 30’s and 40’s make it super tough. If the lake stays cold and clear, go deep! Big schools of spots mixed with hybrids, white bass and stripers can be caught on jigging spoons, dropshot rigs and shakey head rigs on humps and drop-offs. Target deeper offshore structures like brush piles and old roadbeds in 20-30 feet of water near the mouth of most major creeks for the best results.
LINESIDES: GOOD. The down line bite with shad or bass shiners has improved as the water has cooled off and, in most years, stays pretty good all winter. A 3/8 or 1/2-oz. white Rooster Tail, a chrome C.C. Spoon and a number of other small shad imitators have Try to fish these baits in coves and also been producing, and the pockets with small feeder creeks or colder it gets the better the fishing around schools of baitfish. Keep a usually is (within reason of course). jig or Shakey head handy to pitch In cold water casting a bucktail jig around any wood cover. Fishing becomes very effective as well. The riprap can also yield good results mouths of most creeks anywhere this time of year. The rocks warm quickly and retain heat. The Yellow south of the Highland Marina Jacket and Whitewater creeks should area all the way to the dam and Maple Creek have been holding continue to produce. ON THE OTHER HAND, a snow or ice storm fish. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits and Flash Mob Jr. Rigs in January could shut the shallow bite down completely! Water temps also continues to produce some
linesides in these same areas. Most of the fish seem to be holding 20 to 30 feet deep when they are not schooling on the surface. Expect the topwater fishing to be sporadic at best. It’s usually best very early and very late, or on overcast or rainy days. Gulls and Loons are here now, which makes it easier to pinpoint schooling stripers and hybrids. Keep your eyes open! CRAPPIE: FAIR. Try tight line fishing with minnows or a 1/16-oz. or 1/8 jig around bridge pilings, brush piles, and blowdowns in 15 to 20 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting deep water docks with small tubes or feather jigs around or under the docks can still produce this time of year. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover. Yellow Jacket, Wehadkee & Whitewater creeks are still producing some crappie. Spider trolling usually works well and can be very effective in January. If January turns unusually warm and wet, the crappie can show back up surprisingly shallow very quickly!
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST CATCHING DINOSAURS
By Gary Turner Gary@purgeright.com https://youtube.com/@FishingWithGary “Tight Lines and Squealing Reels Put a Smile on My Face Every Time.”
My friend Steven and I decided to take a day and go to Lake Lanier in search of big bass. The day we picked turned out to be cold, with howling winds coming down the lake. Even with two coats and a neck cover on it was chilly. Sometimes you just got to take the days you can to go fishing, but it’s rough when it’s days like this - white caps on Lake Lanier is not a good thing. Steven did manage to catch three nice spotted bass and had two break off. I managed to catch a wind burn, and that was about it, but I’m trying to improve my bass fishing skills. We had a really good time and marked lots of places we want to fish in the spring. With Lake Lanier down so low right now, you can mark logs, rocks, brush piles and other structure that you don’t normally see. Marking structure when the lakes are down will improve your fishing results hugely when the water level comes back up. Then you will know where to go to catch lots of fish! Fishing around these structures will be great for catching bass, crappie and flathead catfish. If anyone knows some really good spots to catch blue catfish on Lake Lanier and you wouldn’t mind sharing it with me, shoot me an email. I would like to go up there and catch some blue cats this winter. Yesterday, I drove 910 miles to catch up with Ty of @TyPigPatrol to do a little fishing! This morning we then drove 104 miles to meet up with Henry of @CatchingDinosaurs to see if I could hook and land a
14 ATLANTA
JANUARY 2024
dark we had a hit on a smaller rod baited with mullet. As I was reeling it in, we thought it was a Catfish, but when we got it closer, we saw that it was a Redfish. Thirty-five miles inland, this Redfish was a little ways from home. It was quite an exciting day, and I really enjoyed meeting and fishing with Ty and Henry. We had a great time! Hopefully I’ll catch a few more fish before the year ends and I’ll tell you about them next time. Get with some of your friends and take a fishing trip. Whether
Prehistoric Monster! By the way these guys are both YouTube Stars so please check out their channels. About 20 minutes after we put the giant Penn Slammers out with big chunks of carp, a float started running. For these big Alligator Gar with their hard mouths, you want to let them eat it and turn sideways before you set the hook, like Orlando Wilson! Once you have hooked them, look out because they ain’t happy! I set the hook on this one and the water boiled! We knew it was a good fish because the tail was way back there. After fishing it for a bit, I pulled it in the shallows and Henry tried to rope it. It didn’t want anything to do with that rope and took off. After several more attempts, we got it roped. It was 75 inches long with a girth of 29 inches, and we estimated the weight at right around 90 pounds. Pretty good for my first big Alligator Gar! We tagged it and released it. About an hour later we hooked another one that was a little smaller. It was 63 inches long. Right before
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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! You can reach me at gary@purgeright.com. My YouTube has changed, I’m having growing pains. Go to @ takemefishinggary if you want to see some of the videos. Please remember, if you are not going to eat it, don’t kill it.
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Landon Glander with a fabulous largemouth bass!
Alec Chestnut with a couple of nice Lanier Crappie while fishing with Woody Malone.
Rachel Odom, 33in striper, Carters Lake
Above pictures of Jeff Wright, Stephan Baldwin, Greg Simmons, and Grant Peterson were taken in Trevelin, Argentina during a hosted trip with Alpharetta Outfitters.
Falcon’s linebacker Nate Landman with a dandy striper caught with Lake Lanier guru Henry Cowen.
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By Capt. Michael Okruhlik
A
common principle anglers abide by during winter months is to slow down their retrieve or presentation. Although this is a good default option, it may fail to entice strikes of those big, cold, winter trout. Let’s discuss. Some of my favorite lures for targeting trophy trout in the winter are those that suspend, slow sink, and have an erratic movement. When I
define a slow presentation, I am referencing the speed at which the lure moves toward the angler, the retrieve speed, not the motion. As a young angler, I was always told to slow down when it’s cold and then slow it down a little more. Although this has its place, it should not be set in stone, or ice if it’s really cold. OK, enough of the bad jokes. When trout are cold and may not be feeding
as aggressively as we would like, an extremely erratic motion can entice the strike. This erratic motion makes the lure dance in place with little to no forward movement. I use a rod with a whippy action for this. This allows me to point my rod tip at the lure and shake it up and down aggressively causing the lure to almost dance in place. I then let it pause, suspending or slow-sinking as I reel up the slack. I then repeat this practice, modifying according to the conditions. Fishing braided line is imperative for this method. The stretch in mono will not allow your slow-sinking lure to dance in place at the end of a long cast, but the zero stretch of braid makes it move like it is on a wire. I learned this the hard way 20 years ago. I was fishing with four friends, and I was the only one using mono and the only one not catching. I mimicked every move my buddy made to no avail. I then ask him to cast his lure and retrieve it near me. I watched it dance past with great action. I then cast my lure near him. Although I moved my rod more vigorously, he said my lure was moving in a straight line as if I was just reeling it in. I switched to braid on the next trip and never went back, and of course this dancing method started to produce fish! If you pay attention to the strike, this method will let you know if you should modify your retrieve. If they bite on the pause, you may want to slow it down a bit. If they bite on the shake, you may want to speed it up. I hope this helps you land more big trout this season. Good Luck! Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com
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t was a chilly winter morning, and my crew—a good friend Zach and his two sons—all knew it was going to be either a tough day or a great one. It was a typical morning for winter here in the Daytona, Fla. area, with overcast skies, highs in the low 60s and a dominant wind and swell headed from the northeast. The inshore bite is typically pretty good this time of year, with a variety of different species usually willing to cooperate. Red drum are a favorite backcountry target during the colder months. When they move up on the flats to feed, it can lead to good action on spoons and paddletails. On the end of the outgoing tide, we hoped to bag a few redfish before the switch, but the bite never happened. We kept busy with some small permit, pompano, mangrove snapper and even a flounder. By the time the tide switched mid-morning, the bite had slowed down with just a few small sheepshead taking our bait. Sheepshead are delicious, and around here the causeways of the Intracoastal along with barnacle- or oyster-encrusted docks, bridges and jetties are a pretty good bet for picking up a few for the cooler. They love sand fleas and fiddler crabs but will also eat shrimp on a jig head or Carolina rig. Something I like to do while targeting other species is to leave baits out for red or black drum. I had two dead stick bottom rods out the back soaking halved blue crabs in the hopes that a drum would be hungry enough to pick it up. With the action pretty slow, and while we still had some time left in the trip, I decided we should make a move. I told Zach’s younger son Gavin, who is an employee of mine at Yellow Dawg Bait & Tackle in Ormond Beach, to reel in the back rods that had been soaking. At first it looked like he had a snag as the rod bent when he picked it up, but then the drag took off. Big black drum are tanks! It’s almost like they have shoulders and they’ve been working out all week waiting for you. The big ugly that highlighted that trip was somewhere in the 50-plus-pound range, a trophy for sure! Gavin, who is the younger guy in the photo, will be in U.S. Coast Guard boot camp when this edition hits the racks. His dad, Zach, is a veteran, along with his other two sons Logan and Cameron. A big thanks to all the men and women out there who serve our country! Capt. Jamie Thrappas is Co-Publisher of Coastal Angler - Volusia County and owner of Yellow Dawg Fishing. Check out yellowdawgfishing.com. To win a free half-day inshore or offshore charter with Capt. Thrappas, enter the Fish with Coastal Angler drawing at coastalanglermag.com/contest.
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Delayed Harvest Trout By Nick Carter
A
AT FIRES CREEK, N.C.
delayed harvest trout stream is a better place than most to spend a winter afternoon, and if you can find a two- or three-day warming trend, there’s a good chance you’ll get into some pretty good fishing. North Carolina’s Fires Creek has a 2-mile stretch of delayed harvest water on U.S. Forest Service land off U.S. 64 between Murphy and Hayesville. Rainbow, brown and brook trout are stocked in the creek and protected under catch-and-release, single-hook, artificial only regulations during the October into June delayed
harvest season. It’s a small-stream setting with more and bigger trout than one would find in most creeks this size. The creek is gorgeous, with clear plunge pools and deep bend runs sliding into skinny pocket water that twists for miles through the bottom of a rhododendron-choked valley. Even the rounded river rocks are notable for their beauty, with striking dark gray and tan bands that’ll make you want to stash a few flat stones in your vest to take home. The fishing is about like any other delayed
harvest in terms of fish size and the density of stockings, but it is a small stream, so you’ll be tempted to—and you should—explore your way upstream instead of settling in on the big holes. Small streams are just more fun when you fish them that way. Around each bend lies a new challenge, another series of pools and runs. Tightlining nymphs is probably the most effective way to fool fish this time of year. They might fall for the standard “junk flies,” but a few months into the DH season, the fish might also be looking for something more natural. In winter, the aquatic insects will be small. Little black stoneflies, midges and blue-winged olives might hatch off on a warm afternoon and lead to some dry fly action, but unless you see bugs in the air, you’re better off fishing subsurface imitations of these insects. A double-nymph rig with a big attractor nymph below a smaller more natural looking nymph is always a good option. The foot bridge at the Fires Creek Picnic Area is the lower boundary of the DH water. Access above the foot bridge is easy on a streamside trail and also along Fires Creek Wildlife Road. This gravel track parallels the creek way up into its headwaters. The delayed harvest ends at the Forest Service 340A bridge. Upstream of this point, the trout population trends toward stream-born rainbows that top out at 10 or 11 inches. For GPS coordinates to access points and detailed maps of North Carolina and Georgia’s best trout water, check out “Flyfishers Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” It is available at fly shops, on Amazon, and signed copies are available from the author by e-mailing nsc8957@gmail.com.
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A FEW THOUGHTS ON
SHEEPSHEAD By CAM Staff
S
heepshead have become a wintertime staple when water temps drop and the regular cast of inshore characters become more difficult to target. If you’re a cold-weather inshore angler, you’re probably already familiar with sheepshead, so here are a few tips you might not have heard yet. Finding Fish: Convict fish travel and feed in packs. Once you locate them, the action can be fast, but you have to find them first. Obviously, they like structure like bridges, docks and jetties, where they can happily gnaw on barnacles. When considering structure, older, rambling docks with lots of pilings provide more surface area for established colonies of crustaceans. These can be honeyholes, but keep moving if you’re not catching fish. You might run a dozen different structures in a day and catch 90 percent of your fish on one. In the clear water of winter, sheepshead can often be sight fished, and they don’t really spook, so look for them before casting. If the water is too dingy to see them, you can sometimes hear them crunching shells if you listen quietly. Chum ’Em Up: This might sound silly, but sheepshead get excited about free food just like any other species of fish. Keep a shovel on the boat and scrape barnacles off the structure you’re fishing. This rings the dinner bell, and it’ll also help you spot them as they dart around to pick off the falling morsels. Looking for scraped pilings is also a good way to identify where other anglers have chummed sheepies before. Play the Tides: Pretty much every fish feeds best on a moving tide, but a ripping flow can be detrimental when fishing for such a structure oriented fish. Fast moving water tends to pin sheepshead right up against structure. This, and the tide itself, can make presenting baits more difficult. Find a moderate tide, and
sheepshead will spread out and move around a little more, which makes them easier to catch. Position yourself up-current and allow your baits to drift down into the fish. The Business End: Although they are not skittish, sheepshead can be selective. Whether you’re fishing fiddler crabs, shrimp tails, sand fleas, oysters or clams, use a small, short-shank hook and hide it inside your bait. Also, fish braided line. Braid has less stretch, so those little bumps when a sheepshead taps your bait translate better to the rod tip. Braid also has better abrasion resistance for when they pull you around a piling, but the increased sensitivity is key. With their black and white bars, convicts are notorious bait thieves. You need to know it the instant they suck in your bait.
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