The Angler Magazine | October 2023 | Greater Atlanta Edition

Watauga River

Home of world class fishing on the beautiful Watauga Lake, rugged Doe River and designated trophy trout stream, Watauga River PLAN

Watauga Lake

Doe River

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By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

AN

GAME PLAN FOR

ARTIFICIALS INSHORE

October is one of my favorite months to fish, and the dwindling traffic on the bays is just a small reason why. September may have been a record hot month for a lot of us, but the transition of the seasons is more than just the temperature for wildlife. The length of the days play a big part in the fish transitions for the season. Although October opens several new opportunities for anglers, I am going to give you an insight as to how I plan to catch them.

The marsh should be full of life and hold an

abundant amount of the big three: trout, redfish and flounder. It will not be uncommon to find all three in the same location gorging themselves on last spring’s hatch of shrimp and finfish. I will predominantly throw smaller soft plastics in the 3.25-inch size. I like a durable lure because the action can be fast and furious, and I don’t want to waste time changing out lures after one or two fish and miss my opportunity for more. I lean toward paddletails because I can work them faster, cover more water, and the added

vibration will draw strikes since these fish will be aggressive. The cover type and water depth will determine if I rig them weedless or on a jig head. Either method is acceptable, just adapt to the structure.

I prefer to fish outgoing tides in these areas. Generally, an outgoing tide produces a better bite and concentrates fish in smaller areas where I can target them. These pinch points can be mouths of drains, bayous, pinch points within a bayou or a bend. Those are the more obvious ones, but don’t overlook points extending into a bay or cuts through a reef. The points of islands or reefs can also increase the flow of current congregating the fish in an area.

Here are some retrieves I like to use for each of these three species in October. Keep in mind none of the fish read this article, so you will catch others on these retrieves. In general, reds will hit a lure on a steady retrieve, trout like the erratic twitch-twitch, and flounder react well to my lure darting along the bottom. When darting my lure along the bottom, I hold my rod tip down or sideways to the water and give it firm twitches. I make sure to keep my lure on the bottom and not bouncing it up and down like I would for trout. I want to disturb the bottom to get their attention.

As we all know, all fish will eat any retrieve, but if you are not catching the species you want, try a different action before you change the lure. Enjoy the cooler weather and take a kid fishing, I know I will do both!

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

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Jetty Fishing:

TIPS ON BECOMING A ROCK JOCKEY

The presence of life was obvious long before we reached the jetty. On an outgoing tide, dingy water rushed through the channel cut from the bay to the ocean. It flushed with a brown plume that carried the detritus of marsh decay.

Diving birds were the first sign we were in the right place at the right time. As we got closer, other anglers came into view. There were a couple of boats jockeying for position off the end of the jetty, another trolled the rip farther offshore, and the beach brigade was set up fishing that corner pocket where current flowing down the shore piled up against the rocks.

Pods of pogies flickered and darted, harassed by gulls from above and by redfish, trout, small sharks and who knows what else from below. Blue crabs skittered around doing cleanup duty just outside a light surf.

With all this life, catching fish shouldn’t be a problem, right? Well, if you talk to any veteran of

By Nick Carter

the rocks, they’ll tell you putting in the time to learn a particular jetty is the key to success. Every jetty has its own peculiarities, its best times and tides, its hidden holes and mixing currents.

Here are a few tips to help flatten the learning curve at a new jetty.

1) Start in the Rocks: The food chain of a jetty is created by the stuff pushed against the rocks. The rocks also create current breaks and hidey holes where predators lay in ambush for baitfish, shrimp and crabs that feed on the buildup of organic matter. Start your search close to the rocks. Work quickly but meticulously to pick a jetty apart. You can’t see everything that’s going on under the surface, but with experience, the sweet spots will become evident.

2) Make Friends with the Old Guy: In the scenario above, it was our first time to this jetty, and we went straight in with a cast net to scoop up pogies. It seemed obvious to match the hatch, and we caught some fish… mostly stingrays

and catfish. As we clambered all over the jetty in search of the magic combination of factors to produce a more exciting catch, an old man posted up in a beach chair came tight with an enormous bull red. After helping him land the fish and jawing with him a while, he gave up a secret. He’d been fishing the jetty for years, and big reds and tarpon at this spot are suckers for half a fresh blue crab fished on the bottom. Because jetties draw anglers as well as fish, being friendly or just watching can lead to solid local knowledge.

3) Find the Current Seams: Fish where fast and slack current meet. Predators hang in the slack and wait as a conveyer belt of food is swept past them. Conversely, baitfish also seek refuge and stack up where there is current shade. Either situation makes these areas high probability targets for anglers.

For more fishing tips, go to coastalanglermag.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: WAYNE CROSS

PHOTO CREDIT: DON SHETTERLY

PHOTO CREDIT: SHANE TROTTIER

GAR CAUGHT ON 6-LB. TEST!

A283-pound alligator gar caught at Sam Rayburn Lake in Texas is set to break a 72-year-old IGFA alltackle world record. Here’s the kicker: It was landed with 6-pound-test line!

Kentucky angler Art Weston teamed up with Texas Capt. Kirk Kirkland on Sept. 2, in search of lineclass records. Weston is an IGFA record breaker who already has numerous lineclass records for alligator gar and other species. It was the first day of a week-long booking aboard Capt. Kirkland’s The Garfish Enterprise, and they hooked and landed what Kirkland called “the Holy Grail of the fishing world.”

Sam Rayburn Lake is the largest reservoir in Texas at 114,000 acres. It’s an impoundment of the Angelina River near the Louisiana border north of Jasper, Texas. According to a report on FoxWeather.com, Kirkland told Weston of an area on the lake with a sandy, snag-free bottom that would suit light line tactics well. The guide also told Weston there might not be many fish in the area, but they were obviously going for quality over quantity.

Before the pending world record showed up on the scene, the pair caught two other monster alligator gar, including a 169-pounder. When they came tight with the

largest alligator gar caught in nearly three-quarters of a century, it took about three hours, remarkable skill and more than a little bit of luck to land the fish on such light line.

“Lots of blood, sweat and tears (and broken line) went into this achievement,” Kirkland wrote on Facebook. “Angler and world record Chaser Art Weston and I did what no other alligator gar angler has been able to accomplish in 72 years.... catch a fish bigger than the all-tackle world record set so many years ago on the bank of the Rio Grande River.”

The existing all-tackle world record weighed 279 pounds. It was caught by Bill Valverde from the Rio Grande in 1951.

“We both had a look of shock when the scale just kept going higher and higher,” Kirkland said. The gar weighed 283 pounds on camera. It measured 100 inches long, with a 48-inch girth. After taking measurements, the giant fish was released alive.

To read the entire FoxWeather report, go to https://www.foxweather.com/lifestyle/world-recordalligator-gar-texas-sam-rayburn-lake

CHATTOOGA RIVER

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

864-638-2806

Cool whisps of northern air brushes down the mountain sides, with colorations of pastels to bright orange, red, and yellows paint the mountains to the foothills. It is Fall fishing season in the Southeast, and the outlook is looking great! Through midSeptember Summer time has had a strong hold upon us here. Higher than average temperatures, and no rain to speak of has kept the water temperatures above normal. The bass and panfish on the rivers have been great to fish for, as the trout have been for the most part on the bottoms of the rivers, seeking thermal refuge. The outlook for the weather forecast is for much cooler temperatures, and much needed rain, we are all praying for both of those!! As the cooler

air temperatures start to arrive, the water temperatures will start to cool down, and the trout fishing will just keep getting better.

Delayed Harvest season starts here on the South Carolina rivers, November 1 and continues through May 14. October is a great time to get out on the rivers to stretch your line with some fish and enjoy the fall colors in the mountains. We’re looking forward to seeing trout as they move out of the depths of the rivers. Along with the falling water temperatures, the emergence of the Fall hatches, bless us again. Swinging nymphs and soft-hackles, on a dead-drift is essential to a great day on the rivers. An upstream cast, a mend or two of your line, and letting these fine bugs drift freely, with no drag, all the way down stream, will produce fish.

Streamer fishing will be great this Fall season as well. There are a tremendous number of shiners, minnows, and sculpins throughout the

watersheds. Targeting fish in the seam lines, just off the big runs of the rivers, will be beneficial. Cast the streamers up stream, “dead-drift and twitch” through the drift, and then a strip and pause retrieve, will be rewarding. For a full line of bugs and streamers stop by and see us, and check out the new arrivals, to fulfill your Fall fly fishing.

As the Delayed Harvest season arrives, now is a great time to see the Walhalla Fish Hatchery in full swing. If you have never been to the hatchery, you will be able to see the thousands of fish in many sizes, getting ready for their journey to the rivers. From fingerlings, to show fish, one will be amazed at the variety of sizes of the Brook, Brown, and

NEW MOON

OCTOBER 14, 2023

FULL MOON

OCTOBER 28, 2023

Rainbow trout which the great folks at the hatchery have raised for us to enjoy out on the rivers. Bring along a couple of quarters when you visit, to enjoy feeding the large show fish which the hatchery has on display. After visiting the hatchery, try your hand at fishing the East Fork, a great small water fishery here in South Carolina.

As we travel from one water system to another, let’s remember to give our equipment a good cleaning to avoid any transfer of invasive species. Also, as we are enjoying the scenery and rivers we are fishing on, please “Leave No Trace”. Just a couple of ways to help take care of the things we love. We hope to see everyone out on the rivers!!

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

Stages of fly casting; I want to learn...

Did you think there was another stage? Not in my mind. No matter what skill level you are, there’s more to learn if you want to get better. The good thing is you don’t have to push anything-it is a sport that keeps building. Sometimes you hit a wall. You want to get better but life gets in the way, or you just don’t get the coaching. Here are a few thoughts on ways to improve.

At a recent Fly Fishers International event, co-hosted by Georgia Women Fly Fishers. We had a mix of casters and skill levels. At the end of the session, one of the casters brought up a good point. She said, ‘I was told what to do, but I never knew why I should do it. What was I trying to correct?’ That was a great learning moment for us as instructors. We knew what the casting

problem was, tried to fix it with simple instructions, but never told her what it was going to fix. She wasn’t going to learn how to correct a casting error in the future if she didn’t recognize what the error was. I’m gonna get better..... There are all kinds of books and videos on fly casting. Trying to achieve a skill, for example hauling, creating loop shapes or correcting an error like a tailing loop, is next to impossible if you can’t identify the thing that needs to be done or fixed. Not being able to identify the problem or not knowing what mechanics are needed to achieve the desired result may leave you watching videos. Anyone can make a video, but if you want the internationally recognized fly-fishing video content, go to the Fly Fishers International’s site. Real time

coaching is the best way to learn. A set of educated eyes can pinpoint the casting error and give real time input on how to identify and correct it. But that alone is not going to fix a casting error, we have to practice with the new knowledge. I’m gonna get better....

I know how to hold a golf club, swing a club and then get my golf ball out of the lake or woods. I don’t need a coach to do that. But if I want to drive the ball down the center, I will need someone that can identify why the ball hooks left or spooks rodents on the ground as it goes out- real time. Then I need to practice. I’m not going to go spend a bunch of money to play golf, lose a bunch of balls and get frustrated. I will go to the range, get a pro and get coaching. I feel better knowing the, ‘what, why and how’, and then doing the practice drills.

I can get better....

My point is that fly fishing is a neverending journey. From the casting to the fishing and even to the coaching. A wise person once said; ‘There has never been a perfect cast.’ Trying to achieve a consistent good cast is a good goal. And it can be done. It’s a building process. Just like anything else, it starts with, I’m gonna get better.

Someone wrote to me this week and asked if I would give his wife some casting lessons. She wasn’t going to let him do it. That marriage is gonna last.

Georgia has several casting instructors, fly fishing schools and clubs. Fly Fishers International is a great start. If you want to get better, make a commitment, make a call and go with an open mind. Don’t take a class to show the instructor how much you know.

THE HATCHES OF FALL

Contributed by David Hulsey

International Federation of Fly FishersMaster Certified Casting Instructor

http://www.hulseyflyfishing.com

770-639-4001

Most fly fishers view the leaf change and cool winds of October as the beginning of the trout fishing season. The pink tube hatch is long gone and you can go to the river and not sweat your brains out! Quiet rules, with only the sound of rippling water and leaves falling. Not too many hatches occur at this time beyond a few October Caddis, Midges, and Blue Winged Olives if there is a cool misty rain falling. October Caddis are sometimes surprisingly large pumpkin orange critters that can be up to size 10 in the Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina mountains. Dirty orange Elk Hair Caddis will usually work for fish looking on the surface for a big easy meal on the warmer days of Autumn. By far the most effective presentation to take trout on October Caddis imitation is by swinging various soft hackles in the riffle areas or other likely feeding lanes. Caddis don’t spend a lot of time on the surface sometimes blasting through the film in a second and taking flight. Trout will look for the ascending emergence of caddisflies as an easier way to fill a belly. Single hand rods or two hand trout Spey rods can accomplish this tactic very well with proper lines and leader set ups. Floating single hand fly lines or Scandi floating lines with a fluorocarbon leader attached as a tip will get your big orange soft hackle a few inches below the surface and aid the proper swing weight and cadence of the bug. Skating an October Caddis pattern can be loads of fun also! Changing that fluorocarbon leader out to a monofilament leader will get a skater on top and skittering across the current in a trout enticing action.

Midges usually hatch out on sunny days and can be the key to catching a fish or two or none at all. Highly pressured fish sometimes view these tiny insects as safe foods

and will eat hundreds in a day’s time. Very few fly fishers consistently use midges simply because they are hard to tie on and virtually invisible on the water. Using midge threaders will help to get the little devils tied on. There are fly boxes with these built into the box that I use regularly to speed up fly changes. Seeing microscopic flies on the water is beyond my old eyes now so using an indicator fly ahead of the intended target fly is essential for my success on the stream. Large Elk Hair Caddis make great indicator flies for midges. They float well and instantly twitch or dive at the slightest tug on the target dry fly or sunken emerger. Swinging little Starling and Herl soft hackles can also produce strikes when the hatch is on.

Blue Winged Olives must taste like candy to trout for when they are hatching trout will do nutty things to eat them. I’ve seen trout rise under my fly rod tip many times during a blanket hatch. Blue Wings are pretty much the color of water and also can be very difficult to see on the stream. Parachute BWO patterns are my favorite and most consistent producers for me during these hatches. Mayflies spend a little time on top of the water to shake out of their shucks before taking flight and a Parachute BWO imitates this life stage very well. Trout will literally hang just under the surface an inch or two looking for them. The little parachute lets me see the fly good enough to get it into a sometimes very narrow feeding lane. Soft Hackle BWO’s swung around risers can also be effective for larger than average fish. Big fish sometimes are reluctant to stick their noses out of the water or may have been caught and released many times keying in on the rising emerger for a safe item to eat. We look forward to seeing you on the water this fall!

“TO CATCH OR RELEASE,” THAT IS THE QUESTION IN 2023 ON THE HOOCH?

Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service

The Chattahoochee River

Tailwater below Buford Dam has been managed as a “Put and Take” stocked trout fishery for nearly 60 years. This is a 36-mile stretch of river between Buford and Morgan Falls dams where a 15-mile section from Ga HWY20 Bridge to Medlock Bridge has special fishing regulations called “artificial ONLY” lures or flies where no baits, scents and organic materials are allowed. This progressive “artificial ONLY” game law makes it more challenging for anglers and helps the newly stocked and wild fish to establish and distribute fishing pressure throughout. This reach of the river was originally stocked with browns, rainbows, and brook trout over the years. DNR quit stocking brooks about 25years ago then continue stocking browns and rainbows but then in 1999 DNR documented significant natural propagation of brown trout which are Fall spawners. DNR continued to monitor this robust breeding brown trout population for 5years and determined it was self-sustainable with viable spawning habitat from Bowmans Island to Island Ford with expansive gravel bars ideal for brown trout eggs to incubate in the Fall and Winter seasons. In 2005 DNR discontinued the brown trout

stocking but has continued stocking 180K catchable sized rainbow trout annually. As Atlanta’s greater metro population has exploded from 1million to almost 7million in the past 60years the fishing pressure on all trout water in north GA has increased at least 10-fold. This increase in fishing pressure prompted another big change in GA trout fishing regulations to help spread the impact on the Hooch when in 1995 GA DNR did away with a closed trout season on the Hooch. Another innovation by DNR to help adapt to an evergrowing human population on our statewide cold-water fisheries and to help save confusion with law abiding anglers they did away with a closed trout season statewide with the exception of a few special reg streams in 2016. I have very fond memories of the anticipation of opening day. It was the ceremonial kick off to the GA trout fishing

season in mid-March and always ended on October 31st, but this is another example of how GA DNR helps to balance the human impact on our natural resources and also helping the public to connect with a successful fishing experience. Most of us prefer to practice “catch and release” but we have the some who like to harvest fish. Our message to our clientele is that we can take enough newly stocked rainbow trout for a meal within the GA creel limit but we release all the browns and holdover rain-

bows. The rationale is that DNR has NOT stocked browns since 2005 and they are too valuable to catch just once!

GEORGIA’S AMAZING WILD TROUT

By Jeff Durniak Unicoi Outfitters

How many of y’all enjoy hiking up high in pursuit of our headwater bows, browns, and specks? I sure do. Do you know how hard a life they live? I’m amazed that they hang on so well! With almost four decades of researching and fishing them, I’ll tell you why you might be amazed, too. These little critters basically reside in a) distilled water, b) over bedrock, c) on the steep side of our highest mountains, where water temperatures stay under 70 degrees. That’s a hard way to make a living, but they manage.

Our wild trout’s first challenge is distilled water. Most of Georgia’s mountains have a geologic base of granite. That granite produces water hardness of about 4 parts per million (ppm) of calcium. Compare that to limestone streams with 100200 ppm, where aquatic insects are plentiful and larger due to more productive water chemistry. Little food here means that our wild trout remain small (adults < 9 inches) mature, spawn early and die before their third or fourth birthday. Think of growing your tomatoes in Miracle Grow potting mix versus sand.

Some exceptions do exist. Big pools provide flood refuges and more efficient foraging sites (think of those back eddies), but wild bows and specks over 9 inches are still a tiny portion of a Southeastern stream’s trout population. A few larger streams with more depth and cover will hold some bigger wild trout. A good example is the Smokies, where larger public water exists at higher elevation, stays cold through summers, and holds more of those 9–11-inch bows. Two more exceptions are cheaters and pellet eaters. Cheaters are brown trout that, at 7-8 inches, start eating fish to supplement their puny bug diet. In private, supplementally fed streams, Purina pellets vacate that limiting factor of natural food, resulting in bigger, longer living residents.

Our wild trout’s second obstacle is bedrock. Did you ever notice how much bedrock lines our mountain streams? It’s hard finding a hiding place in that slick, fast stuff. Much better homes are found in deep, sandy pools, boulder fields, and logjams. As GAWRD biolo-

gist Anthony Rabern says, wood is good!

The last major challenge is steep slopes. If you think you have a hard time hiking uphill, just try wading up that steep, bedrocklined stream channel. Sure, it’s easier going if you’re behind a rock or log during normal flows. But what about that gully-washer following a three-inch rain? Biologists’ sampling data from Georgia and its neighbors (SC, NC, TN, Smokies) show that freestone stream trout populations here are controlled by floods. Population size can yoyo annually by a factor of 2 or 3. Rainbows fare better since they’re spring spawners, while the fall romantics (specks and browns) can have their eggs and fry washed out by winter floods, too.

So, celebrate those 6–8-inch bows and specks and throw a party when you beat 9 inches. They have managed to survive and thrive in distilled water, over bedrock, on the steep side of the mountaintop. Their resilience amazes me and might amaze you, too. I hope this info helps you to enjoy headwater trouting on public lands supporting our wild trout resource.

IT FINALLY GOT COOL ENOUGH TO GET BACK ON THE BIG WATER

Contributed By: Tim Dangar

It finally got cool enough to get back on the big water again. On September 8th, I got on the water around 8:00am. Fish were back on the trees around 15 feet deep. I found them with minnows and then started throwing gigs. Ended up with a limit of good eating size crappie. If it stays dry and the Corp. keeps pulling the lake, the month of

September may be all that’s left for fishing the honey holes. It’s a beautiful time of year to be on the lake. I got off the water by noon and it was still in the 70s. Hope y’all can catch a day sometime this month and wet a line. For me it’s time to hit the woods with bow in hand. I’ll catch y’all next March. Until then, stay calm and hunt and fish on!

LANIER STRIPERS

Summer is fading fast here on Lanier. The lake has dropped a couple feet and another couple feet looks likely. The water is clear, and the water temperature is beginning to drop. The topwater bite has started early again this year. The topwater bite is not widespread yet but as the water temperature drops look for the topwater bite to become solid. Concerning live bait, herring will continue to be the primary bait in October. Rig the herring on a free line which is basically a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook, a section of 10-pound Trilene Big Game 100% Flourocarbon and a Spro 120 pd Power Swivel. The Spro Power Swivel is important. Do not buy the cheap swivels on the market. Use this setup on the same Shakespeare Striper Rod used for downlining, paired with a Penn Fathom II 15 Linecounter spooled with fifteenpound Trilene Big Game. Pull the herring on the freelines as you cast to the schooling fish.

Be prepared for the surface action with a wide selection of topwater baits. Spool up an Abu Garcia medium action rod with 10-pound Trilene Big Game and a Berkley

Magic Swimmer as the lure. The Magic Swimmer has caught tons of stripers over the past decade here on Lake Lanier. The Magic Swimmer comes in several sizes, and they all work but the 125 is most popular on Lanier. Be prepared with several colors like the Halo Greenie, Chrome, and White Liner. These baits have been hard to find at times so plan ahead. Other key topwater baits include the Berkley J-Walker 120, Berkley Surge Shad, and the Berkley Driftwalker. On the soft side, keep a Berkley Jerk shad, in white, also rigged up on a spinning rod. Each one has a different action, and each day can be a different choice, based on weather conditions. Also keep the trebles in tip top shape. If they are bent replace them with Gamakatsu Magic Eye trebles. The stripers are good at destroying lures. So far this Fall the Magic Swimmer has been the best bait. Look for schooling fish and cast right in the middle of them. Some of these schools can be massive. This is usually the most exciting month of the year on Lanier. Do not miss it!

LAKE ALLATOONA

By: Joseph Martinelli 404-919-4918

Welcome to your Lake Allatoona fishing forecast for October. As the anticipated drop in lake levels have begun, we are noting the movement of bait to be piling up in the mouths of the major creek arms, and even out over the middle of the main river channel. Reservoir temps are dropping, and the cooler weather is upon us, indeed. Leaves are changing colors, crisp mornings are here, and it is time for the best of Fall fishing to begin.

Down-lining live threadfin shad and herring will continue to be a top producer on the live-bait end of success for the Linesides (striped bass, hybrid striped bass and white bass). Common setups include MLMedium live bait rods, paired with a line counter with a good drag and spooled with a 12-20lb test monofilament. A 5–6-foot leader of lighter fluorocarbon (8-12 lb. test) trailed behind a 1-2 oz. egg or swivel sinker and terminated with a size 4-1 octopus or mosquito hook, depending on actual bait size, is typically ideal. Currently, ideal target depths are in the 20-30’ range and above your current thermocline range.

Presentation is everything, par-

ticularly when these fish are finicky. It does not behoove you to drown a 3” threadfin shad with a size 1 octopus hook on 15lb test. If you are doing this and watching the other boat next to you catching all the fish, maybe recall this reference. It is never too late to make corrections, but the sooner the better.

It is almost always recommended to keep a freeline or two out with a frisky threadfin or small gizzard shad. Sometimes, this is the best technique and is proven to be effective nearly year-round. This is exercised easily in conjunction with fishing live bait on the downlines. Another notable application here of a freeline shad working exceptionally well has been after sunset in the ‘flats’. There has been a great bite extending well after dark and when these fish have settled to the bottom in 5-12’ of water, they are often actively feeding and a freeline shad can outproduce almost anything else here. There have been a few evenings that we noted a small BB or 3/0 split shot on a lighter line presentation with a threadfin has been the ideal approach, both moving the boat at .1 mph and especially slow reeling the threadfin shad back to the boat and triggering hard strikes.

We have seen some limited topwater action of the linesides, particularly in the evening hours through September. With the continued change of patterns that

the prevalent herring forage base has created, the topwater bite for the linesides may be a little more sporadic, and maybe even more so as the young of year herring continue to grow and learn that their survival depends on diving versus being pushed to the surface. Through the past couple years, it has been noted that most topwater activity primarily occurs when the threadfin shad are being pushed to the surface. It is also noted that the young herring will tend to stay schooled up and often ripple the surface. In my own observations, it is noted that the adult sized herring will tend to dive first and make the fish chase them deeper. Nonetheless, having a topwater setup at the ready can be a setup for success if the boiling begins. New riser-style baits are working well, along with casting spoons and heavier, yet compact topwater baits that have a little reach should the activity be out 50 yards away and they will not really wait for you to get the boat to them.

The Umbrella and Alabama rig bite is always an effective method of locating and triggering bites from these white fish across points and humps and will often prove effective during these autumn months. When applied, we had the best success on rigs pulling a

mini-Mack about 100’ behind the boat. For us, this method is being applied primarily when scouting or when higher wind speeds decrease the effectiveness of the other proven and currently effective techniques. However, there will be days in October, that this technique can fish circles around any other bait or artificial presentation.

Now, let’s go fishing! We do hope that some information gleaned here will help you get onto the bite. If you are considering a full-service fishing adventure with as much instruction as we can provide during our adventure together, we would sure love to have you aboard our boats. We do, in fact, target all species and provide mainly live-bait excursions but a combination of live bait and artificial as well as artificial only trips are on the table. Please do not hesitate to call or message us at 404-919-4918, our FB or IG Channels or email us: heronoutdooradventures@gmail.com, any time. From first-time to advanced anglers, from kids to corporate trips, we truly feel we have something to offer everybody.

Most of all, we love making new friends. God bless you, happy autumn and tight lines, friends!

FALL ANGLING IS FINALLY HERE

LAKE SEMINOLE

Dr. Andrew Cox Forecast By: Jeff Hamm Lake Seminole Guide | 770-912-7936

In my estimation, with the exception of April, October is one of the best angling months of the year. The fish become more active with the cooling water. Most fish species found in our local waters can be found in shallower water or engaged in schooling activity, making them easier for the angler to target. Even cool water trout can be more readily caught over the course of this month.

The cooler air temperatures make it more comfortable for anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts spending time on the water. However, changes in your fishing techniques and approach may be required. Basic knowledge of weather and its impact upon water conditions is needed to be successful. Changes in wind patterns, the sun’s angle during daytime hours, lake water turnover, and the mini-cold fronts moving through our region can impact angler success or non-success.

During this time of year, our waterways are less busy with fewer anglers and other water enthusiasts. Pleasure boat and personal water craft users for the most part have ceased their lake and river rides for the year. Other outdoor users have shifted their focus to other activities or interests to include those engrossed in hunting, watching or attending college football and other sports activities on the weekends. Accordingly, there is less activity on those prime fishing spots.

A variety of baits continue to be effective during the Fall season. Shallow water baits such as spinnerbaits, in-line spinners, and shallow running lures seem to be effective over the course of this month. Soft plastic baits such as tubes, plastic worms and lizards continue to be effective in shallow and intermediate depth water off banks and points. Fish can be caught on topwater baits and flies on the flyrod at certain times of the day during this month. Using various size leadhead jigs are good choices for most species found in local waters.

A positive dilemma encountered during this season of the year involves whether to spend your valuable fishing time seeking

freshwater or saltwater fish species. October and November are also good months for inshore saltwater fishing on the Atlantic coasts of Georgia and Florida, as well as the Gulf Coast of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Redfish, speckled trout, and other saltwater fish species become more active with the cooler water. I attempt to schedule several freshwater fishing excursions and at least one inshore saltwater trip over the course of October and November.

October, November and the first part of December are my favorite months of the year for angling. Cooler air and water temperatures, less anglers and boat traffic, and more active fish make this a great time to spend outdoors.

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.

Lake Seminole Bass Fishing Report for September

The water temperature is holding steady in the mid to low 80s, and the bass are showing a preference for cooler areas. Early mornings and late evenings continue to be prime times for both quantity and size.

Keep an eye out for abundant bait balls in the Flint River, Spring Creek, and the Hooch. Follow the white cow birds and loons, as they’re experts at locating bait. Gar are active in the creek channel swings, preying on baitfish, so don’t get fooled, the bass are near too.

For successful catches, target grass lines at depths of 10 to 20 feet. Try using crankbaits, topwater lures, A-rigs, and chatter-baits. If the fish are elusive but visible on the LiveScope, switch to a slower approach with a Texas rig

speed-worm in watermelon red for sunny days and green pumpkin for overcast conditions. We’ve had success with drop shots and flutter spoons too. When employing a Carolina rig with a trick worm, opt for a light weight of 1/4 or less and a short 14lb test mono leader for easy navigation through the grass. Let it sink into the holes where the bass are likely hiding.

For a more aggressive approach, consider punching the grass with a Big Bights fighting frog, using a 1oz weight to penetrate the hydrilla on the edges of creek channels.

Lake Seminole Forecast for October

We’re eagerly anticipating the upcoming fall transition in October. Once we start experiencing consistent cooler nights in the 50-to-60-degree range, things will really pick up. Seagulls will arrive, chasing massive schools of bait, setting off a feeding frenzy with hybrids, stripers, and largemouth bass all bulking up for winter. During this time, nearly any lure you cast will yield results, and the action typically lasts well into the morning.

The attached image features my friend Ryan Higgins with two impressive catches using a Zara Spook.

If you’re interested in booking a memorable bass fishing trip on the stunning Lake Seminole, please feel free to get in touch. And, as always, remember to wear your life jacket for safety. “May all your lines be tight”!

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

Well as you can see in the pictures our trolling trips have overall been successful. The catch has fluctuated day to day but that is to be expected this time of year. The quality however has been really good healthy stripers.

Moving on to October, we will continue to be doing some trolling but will as always have live bait with us in case we have that opportunity. If things work out for us this year, as in the past few years, we should be catching a fair amount of schooling stripers on top. We call those trips run and gun. You just do a lot of site fishing and when they are busting on top, you just run to them, get in all the casting you can and when they go down, you just sit and wait

for them to resurface and repeat it again. This can go on all day long once they start this pattern.

By the end of October, there should be plenty of schools deeper that the live bait will attract.

Also, always remember that on our lake, October, is a transition month for stripers which means you are likely to find them almost anywhere and they will be moving around a lot. As the old saying goes leave no stone unturned and I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

The power company has announced that they will keep full pool levels until October 15th and then start the gradual pull down for winter. Winter pool this year should end up around 7 ft below full pool.

Don’t forget to start booking your fall and winter trips now. Never a deposit required, just text me at 256401-3089.

Tight Lines

Full Pool

Surface Temp 86-90

Clarity: Clear to very clear

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

Ahhhhctober, with hunting season, football season, youth sports, and school in session the lakes been pretty empty of boat traffic. Which is a nice change after the last few months. This is also when we get our first real cold fronts of the year. These fronts can really fire up the bite before and during a storm and shut it down on those beautiful blue bird days just after. With the falling water temps and working around the weather fronts, we like to fish vertically in fall and this month will start “jigging season” for walleye. The weapon of choice is Jigs, spoons, jig n minnow or plastic anything you can fish straight up and down and “in their face” is what we are doing. Having good sonar is key. Finding fish, getting the bait to them quickly, presenting it and moving on

BLUE RIDGE

if you don’t get bit or working the area if you do, is the plan. You will need to cover lots of water and move pretty quick. The fish will be in on the bottom anywhere from 20 to 50ft deep depending on where the sun is and where the bait are holding.

Humps, points, shoals, old grass flats, and rip rap structure will be holding walleye. Look for “bumps” on the bottom and try to hit them. We have been seeing some great quality fish all summer and can’t wait to see them fatten up for the fall. Be cautious as water levels continue to drop and there iss construction on the dam.

REEL TIME REEL FUN to land

Welcome Gai s 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.

OCONEE ON THE FLY

Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore - USCG Licensed

Lake Oconee is ours again!

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

target fishing individual fish with live scope will be doing great. They will be using jigs from Chop Stover’s Slab Snatchers Custom Baits, just look them up on Facebook.

Hybrids / Stripers – Finally! October is when I begin to use large bass minnows. This is a huge advantage because I no longer must get on the water before sunrise to throw a cast net for live shad. The setup for using them is easy, I just use a spinning rod with 12 lb monofilament a small swivel, a 20-inch leader of 10 or 12 lb fluorocarbon and a #4 circle hook. Just put a few lines out and troll slowly from 5/10th to 9/10th mph in water about 30 feet deep. I like the area from Great Waters to Flagpole Point.

Also, spoon fishing can be very good with a 7/8-ounce War Eagle Spoon. (I like the white or white

and chartreuse colors.)

Fly Fishing – When we first moved here in 2016, in October it was common for Georgia Power to pump water up from Lake Sinclair. This created a terrific topwater bite and opportunity for the fly fisherman. Since then, every year has been different, some years great, others not. We will just have to get out there and see.

I use intermediate line on an 8-weight rod with a 9-foot, and a 12-pound fluorocarbon leader. A Cowen’s Somethin Else fly is your best bet.

Fly fishing will pick up when you see gulls on the water.

Final Words

Fall and Winter fishing on Lake Oconee can be fabulous and there is very little recreational boat traffic.

Tight Lines, and God Bless.

Before I get started let me apologize for an error in last month’s article. The picture was of my good friend Mr. George Galphin. He’s a great fly fisherman and one of the of the casters on the lake. But he’s not Captain Doug Nelms, AKA “Yoda”, so I have Doug’s picture attached here.

It’s been a long hot summer, but after Labor Day the recreational boaters, wakeboarders, and jet skiers are largely gone, and Lake Oconee once again is an angler’s haven.

This summer, for the first time, we had what the guides here referred to as “the bubble bite”. Georgia Power has installed five supplemental oxygen lines on the bottom of the lake at the dam. They are about a mile long each and pump liquid oxygen stored at the dam to diffusers which in turn release bubbles of oxygen. I understand they come on when the oxygen levels drop below 4 parts per million.

You can easily see these bubble lines when they are on and if you have down-scan, you can see where

the fish are suspended in them. Guides are using spoons and trolling small umbrella rigs to target these fish. The most popular umbrella rig is the “Mini Mack” by Captain Mack Farr, you can get them at Sugar Creek Marina.

This bite might not continue in October as I am speculating oxygen levels will rise with the cooler temperatures.

However, I am excited to give you the October forecast below because October begins many months of excellent fishing here because water temperatures are more suitable for our quarry.

Forecast for October:

Crappie – I like to troll for crappie and usually by the third week in October the bite is good. Trolling double 1/16th ounce jigs or a 1/16th and a 1/32nd ounce jig at the mouths of coves or over submerged timber at about 9/10ths mph works.

I like the June bug color jiffy jigs on a pink or chartreuse “Litewire Hooks” jig head. Again, get them at Sugar Creek Marina.

The experts at structure fishing or

The Versatile Five Gallon Bucket

By Capt. Cefus McRae | Nuts & Bolts Fishing Series Hartwell, GA

the trash off the boat and returns to help with the cleaning chores. Whether you use bleach or boat soap, the bucket is the best thing to mix the solution. I’ll usually drop my Croc’s in the bucket too, and by the time I’ve finished cleaning the boat, my Croc’s are squeaky clean.

It’s amazing how something so simple and so inexpensive can be so versatile. But then again, fishing is supposed to be easy, right? So, get yourself a five gallon bucket and take one for a spin. You may find it becomes one of the best fishing accessories you’ve ever had.

Tight Lines and Calm Seas,

Besides all your tackle, electronics, bait, safety gear, ice, and snacks, one of the most useful items you can have on your boat is a five-gallon bucket. It’s something you can use at the start of your fishing day… during your fishing day…and at the end of your fishing day. You might say the lowly five-gallon bucket is one item you should never leave the dock without.

At the beginning of your trip, this bucket becomes a handy way to carry gear, ice, towels and any number of loose items down to the boat. I keep mine in the back of the truck with a couple of downrigger weights in it. This keeps it from blowing out of the bed, and I never forget my downrigger weights anymore. Depending on where I’m at and what I’m fishing for, the bucket will get loaded with everything from a box of frozen squid to chipped ice to go in the fish box. Once I’ve got all the gear on board the boat, the bucket magically reconfigures itself for duty on the deck.

Now it becomes a catch-all for the day. Trash such as used fishing line, soda cans, and rigs that need re-rigging all go in the bucket. In reality, I usually have two buckets… one stacked inside the other, and here’s why. When it’s time to move from point A to point B, I generally remove diving plugs and big trolling gear from my rods. And I always remove weights from the line. I don’t want hooks flying around to catch someone’s hat or ear, and lead weights bouncing against my

rod blanks are a big no-no. So, I’ll make the unused bucket a lure catch-all. Big trolling plugs like Stretch 30’s can hang right on the lip of the bucket. Weights go in the bottom. Nothing gets tangled, and it’s easy to re-rig when we arrive at the new fishing spot.

These buckets are great for sharing baits too. If one of us is fishing the bow and one is at the stern, the guy up front has to constantly walk back and forth to get a new live bait. Put a little water in the bottom and add a dozen shrimp, herring or even fiddler crabs to the bucket and pass it to your pal up front. If we are pitching baits to cruising fish, adding a few to the bucket makes it easier to grab one, rather than reaching in the live well. If you’ve ever had a live well full of mullet, you can relate. As soon as you open the lid to get one bait… four others will jump out, and land in the transom splash well.

Of course, the five-gallon bucket comes in very handy for another obvious reason too. When nature calls, the bucket gets called into action. Enough said.

At the end of the day, the cherished bucket serves to haul

ALASKA 2023 IS IN THE BOOKS!

By Gary Turner https://youtube.com/@FishingWithGary

“Tight Lines and Squealing Reels Put a Smile on My Face Every Time.”

We caught and released hundreds of fish every day! I actually stopped fishing several times just to film my friends wearing out the salmon! It’s hard to imagine how fun it is if you have never done it. How did I get here? I caught a non-stop flight from Atlanta to Anchorage, grabbed a bowl of Reindeer Chili before catching the Puddle Jumper over the Cook Inlet to Kenai. The chili was delicious, but what was I thinking? I get terribly nervous in those little planes, but that’s the easiest way to the Kenia Peninsula where you can head all over for fish! My friend Marc picked me up at the Kenai airport, and we went back to his house. My

friends Blake and Dewayne were coming up in six days. I came early to get the van and boat uncovered and checked out. The battery was DOA in the van, but everything on the boat looked good. I got the oil changed in the van and then helped Marc organize his new boat, a nice Glacier Bay Catamaran.

We got the Glacier Bay ready and ran it down to Homer to try it out and see if any halibut were biting. Our friend Mike came along with us. We headed out into Kachemak Bay, anchored up, and dropped baits. Mike got a good hit! He was reeling it up, and it kept fighting the whole way! We were fishing 140 feet deep. We never saw color, but I think the fish saw the boat. It dove hard and snapped the line. Mike then caught an Irish lord; we threw that guy back. Then, all of a sudden, my rod got a big hit, and I started reeling down on it trying to work it up. After a few minutes I could see color. It looked to be a good halibut. As it neared the top, I noticed something weird, it was pulling my weight and a red weight. Mike had a red weight on when it broke off! I finally got it up and sure enough, that was a hungry fish. It had taken both rigs. It was around a 40 pounder, which was great for no further than we had gone out. The wind was picking up, so we fished a little longer, catching two more halibut and several other species of cod and lords.

Later on, I visited with other friends and organized our fishing gear in preparation for Blake and Dewayne’s arrival. Their plane landed in Anchorage at 11:30 Sunday night. I had only been in the parking deck for a quick 10-minute nap when Blake messaged, they were on the ground. We got their luggage and decided we would fish Whittier first. I drove first and then handed the wheel to Dewayne 15 miles from the Whittier Tunnel. I fell asleep instantly. We parked in a parking lot and waited for the tunnel to open at 5:30 a.m. When we woke up, Dewayne said I handed him the wheel and a moose almost crashed into us soon as I fell asleep. You don’t want to hit a MOOSE!

The tunnel opened, and we headed through. Our first destination was Emerald Cove. We drove the unmaintained road slowly in our all-wheel drive Town and Country. It was all beautiful on a rainy morning, but the rain filled the holes in the road making it hard to choose a path. We arrived at Emerald Point and the pink salmon a/k/a humpbacks or humpies were thick. Now humpy years are even so 2024 will be a humpy year. I just can’t imagine how many there will be next year! Snagging with trebles is legal here in the salt water where they are pushing in to spawn. We each caught our limit and just stood amazed at all the fish that were packed in the river and the creek. I walked up the creek a little way and was just amazed at how far up they went and all the obstacles they had crossed to get there. I also saw some half-eaten ones on the banks. I eased back down and when some campers there emerged from their van, I asked if they had seen any bears. Oh yes, the lady from Denmark had seen three the evening before, almost bumping into one on the trail. We watched for a while but didn’t see any coming to fish yet. We drove on down the road to Shotgun Cove and had a look around. The gentleman emptying the trash cans said we had just missed two bears there. There is so much more about the trip and all the bears and moose we saw but for now this is all the room I have. Look for the rest of the story next issue.

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!

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

CARTERS LAKE

Forecast By: Eric Crowley

Lake & Stream Guide Service

(706) 669-4973 | lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

Ahhhhctober, with hunting season, football season, youth sports, and school in session the lakes been pretty empty of boat traffic. Which is a nice change after the last few months. This is also when we get our first real cold fronts of the year. These fronts can really fire up the bite before and during a storm and shut it down on those beautiful blue bird days just after. With the falling water temps and working around the weather fronts, we like to fish vertically in fall and this month will start “jigging season” for walleye. The weapon of choice is Jigs, spoons, jig n

minnow or plastic anything you can fish straight up and down and “in their face” is what we are doing. Having good sonar is key. Finding fish, getting the bait to them quickly, presenting it and moving

on if you don’t get bit or working the area if you do, is the plan. You will need to cover lots of water and move pretty quick. The fish will be in on the bottom anywhere from 20 to 80ft deep depending on where the sun is and where the bait are holding. Humps, points, shoals, old grass flats, and rip rap structure will be holding walleye. Look for “bumps” on the bottom and try to hit them. We have been seeing some great quality fish all summer and can’t wait to see them fatten up for the fall.

The striper bite has been really good this past month on live bait

and on artificials. We have seen the best bites on med size Alewives and we are still catching them on the Cast Prodigy 4.1. This month you’ll still have fish deep on the main lake, but you will also find fish cruising the points for easy meals early in the morning. There’s also fish upriver this time of year feeding on threadfins over the river channel. The trick as always is getting them to eat your bait in the clouds of natural bait. This is a good time to get the Parker Spoons Out and get the fish fired up.

Temp 78; Level full ; Clarity 4 ft

By Capt Sam Williams | Hawks Fishing Guide Service hawk184@earthlink.net | 334-355-5057

The water level continues to creep down, and the hot water is moving the fish to deeper water. The crappie and shellcrackers are acclimating to the deeper water to spawn as the normal shallow bedding areas are dry. They fan out a bed and then the water drops off them. These deeper bedding areas are ideal spots to concentrate on the feeding bass. Crank baits suited for these depths are a good choice. Jigs with a soft plastic trailer, Texas rigged worms and creature baits, or a Carolina rig are a good bet as well. If you find floating pads or vegetation, flukes, frogs in the cover or poppers around the cover will get a strike very early or just before dark. Shallow square bill cranks in threadfin patterns have

Two Great Locations:

been very productive around any rock structure. We have a new shad hatch happening and the pods are in the river close to the banks. Traps, jerk baits, and shallow cranks in a thread fin pattern are getting some action. Remember the bigger fish lay lower under these pods. Slow roll a trap under these areas to get the better bass.

Crappie are holding on deeper cover and minnow tipped jigs are really doing well.

Shellcrackers are in deeper water and eating wigglers.

Bluegill continue to hold near blowdowns and cover on the creek banks. Crickets are your better choice here.

Catfish have moved deeper to

find cooler water. Lengthen your jugs and bait with cut bait or stir fry strips. Bottom fishermen can also try night crawlers.

This extreme heat is really rough on the fishermen in the direct sun right now. Be sure and drink plenty of water and use sunscreen. It is still a great time to spend family time on the river, making those precious

memories. God has provided us a beautiful playground, enjoy it. Pray for each other and all our folks and their families in uniform. God Bless & Good Fishn’

Water Level: 187.12 msl

Water Temp: 92 degrees

Water clarity: Clear to good stain

Acworth Location 4725 Highway 92 Acworth, GA 30101 (770) 974-0629

LAKE NOTTELY

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

October Fishing Report: Fall is here! Finally, the month of cool weather, beautiful scenery, and of course, awesome fishing! October is full of Halloween decor, pumpkin spice lattes, mountains full of color, and giant largemouth bass! It’s also the last full month of consistent largemouth fishing before the fish head out to their winter haunts. With the water being drawn down to the winter pool, many of these fish leave their shallow cover homes they have spent all of summer in and their primary focus is filling up before winter. Much like September, I will still target any available cover left in the water. This includes laydowns, docks, or anything else that may hold fish. Some of the biggest fish will be the last ones to move

offshore, therefore these shallow cover areas are a magnet for the last remaining fish on the banks. When targeting groups of fish, I will search the flatter sloping banks and points, as these fish are roaming around, following schools of baitfish. With winter on the horizon, break out the topwaters one last time! October can be the hottest month of the year for schooling fish. With the cooler temps, bass will tend to school all day, not just the mornings or evenings. When looking for these productive areas, I will start inside the creeks and keep an eye on my Lowrance down and side imaging, looking for schools of bait suspended. During the fall cooldown, many of the baitfish flood to the creeks and off the main lake. As the

adage goes, where the bait goes, so will the bass! The most productive creeks are between 10-30 feet deep and have fresh water coming in from a feeder stream. My top two baits are not much different from September. Perhaps the most killer bait is a white Mini-me spinnerbait. October is all about the shad, so matching the hatch will typically always yield the best bets! As hinted earlier, I will always have a topwater ready for the schooling bass. I like a Berkeley Cane Walker due to its ability to cast a mile to

reach those far-out breaking fish. As October wears on, a Keitech swimbait will also start to produce more bites. With the unbearable summer days in the rearview mirror, there is no better time to get out on the lake and enjoy the beauty all around, especially with friends and family! So, get out there and Get Fishing!

Lake Nottely: Lake Level: 5.5 feet below full pool. Temp: 73-75 degrees

Clarity: Clear, stained in creeks

LAKE SEMINOLE

By: Captain Paul Tyre | Tyrelakeseminolefishingadventures2gmail.com

The Bass have begun to start feeding up for the Fall. The October forecast looks promising! If coming to Lake Seminole in October make sure to bring top water, crank baits and Jerk-baits can be very productive especially if the shad are running. Spinnerbaits are very productive when the bass start chasing shad in the fall. One of my favorite spinnerbaits is a 1/2oz War Eagle double willow leaf in chartreuse and white fished over the grass flats on the main lake.

The striper and hybrid fishing is very good in October! Lake Seminole has a great striper/ hybrid fishing in Fall! When fishing for hybrid and striper, the correct rod paired with a 6:2-1 reel is critical. For the reel, I prefer the Lews LFS series. It has an awesome drag and can hold up to the demands of these hard fighting fish! For the rod, I prefer a Temple Fork Outfitter’s Rod in the Professional Series. TFO’s 7’6” heavy action rod with its fast tip and moderate action, paired with an Alabama rig, is my go-to for battling these tough fighting pelagics! On the business end of the A-rig, you can’t beat the Bass Assassin 4” or 5” Sea Shad rigged on a Bass Assassin jig head that features a needle-sharp Mustad wide gap hook. The hollow belly frog is also a must in the Fall on Lake Seminole!

The Crappie fishing on Lake Seminole is good all year long, but the Fall through the winter months is exceptional! My favorite lures for catching crappie are the wicked shad and baby shad baits made by ATX lures. They have an extensive line of panfish lures. These baits are offered in a variety of colors, but a couple of my favorite colors are Alewife and Chartreuse/white. I rig these on a 1/32 to 1/8oz jig head, depending on depth and wind conditions. I combine these with a size 10 open face spinning reel and 4-to-6-pound monofilament line. When fishing a light bait, the rod, reel, and line are

important to have the best results.

I prefer a Temple Fork Outfitters 6’ to 7’ light action rod from their Trout and Panfish line.

For an exciting Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure, email us @ lakeseminolefishingadventures@ gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @capt.paultyrefishing and Facebook @ capt.paultyrefishing

Give us a call at 850-264-7534 to check availability!

Forecast

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

Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports: Fishing has been good. We are still in our summer patterns, but there has been a little bit of top-water action going on. With that said, I’m still marking a lot of bait deep. The bait has not been staying up in the water column for a really good top-water bite to take off. I’ve been catching fish out in ditches and offshore structures while using my electronics, and Garmin Livescope. To catch these fish, I’m throwing a shaky head, drop shot, and a Yum sonar minnow on a 1/4 oz swimbait head. This coming month the bait

LAKE CHATUGE

fish should start moving up and feeding at night, so the top-water bite should start getting better. I always keep at least two top-water baits tied on and on the front deck so I can get to them quickly, Berkley Cane Walker, choppo, or a Strike King sexy dawg Jr. Now depending on the size of the bait fish, I will also have a Strike King sexy swimmer on a 1/4 oz jig head to cast where the fish have blown up and won’t hit a top-water bait. Now if you like fishing banks, lay-downs, and points, try throwing a shaky head, Texas rig, and drop shot will work. I also have been pitching a 3/8 oz jig around lay-downs and brush. Good Luck!

Chatuge: Level: 1.5’ Below Full pool. Temp: 82-84 degrees. Clarity:

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

SLAB HUNTING

By James K. Pressley jameskpressley@gmail.com

Now, let me introduce you folks to Chop Stover. He’s as big a guy as he is kind and funny. He loves crappie fishing and his kids. That meant that we were going to get along just fine. He also owns Slab Snatchers Custom Baits, which you can currently find on Facebook and over at Sugar Creek Marina. This was the first time I had ever seen his baits and his set-up, but it won’t be the last! Chop is filling a niche market right now that is well made, small baits that convince these crappie to eat. It’s an interesting bait that is molded very well with a tough plastic that will last through numerous fish. A big plus in today’s market.

WEST POINT LAKE

Forecast By: Capt. Keith Hudson

Keith Hudson Guide Service

hudsonprobass@gmail.com | www.LakeWestPointFishing.com

706-844-1483

I’ll be honest. When I started writing, I didn’t crappie fish much and I truly didn’t have much interest in it. However, since then, I’ve spent a lot of time with guys like Richard Malcom, Maurice Van Hall, Chop Stover, and a few others that really helped me see the light. I mean right next to spotted bass crappie have become some of my favorite fish to catch! They’re tons of fun and they are awesome to eat on top of it all!

Recently, my buddy, Richard, texted me and asked if I wanted to join him and Chop for an evening of crappie fishing. Well, it was a cool streak and only going to be 96 that evening so I decided to grab a jacket and head out… Of course, when I showed up at Sugar Creek to meet them my first comment was why did Richard only invite me when it was extremely hot or extremely cold… He quickly explained I was one of the only ones who was dumb enough to say yes! So, Chop, Richard, and I took off in search of crappie in the heat. Now, that is not an easy thing to do. Unlike bass or a few other species, crappie seem to get lock jaw and get tough to catch when the water gets this hot in the later part of the summer.

Richard, being the crappie master that he is, set off and we caught fish at every spot we tried that evening. The water temp was 90 in most places. If we found an area with 87 or 88 the fish were easier to catch. We hit shallow brush piles, sticks, and structure that evening, and these guys taught me several things. First, was that crappie fishing has changed greatly (which I knew) through Livescope but it made it actually more accessible to most fishermen. You don’t need to troll, push, or rig 24 poles. You really only need a rod to shoot or accurately cast with (like a 7’3” St Croix panfish medium light) and a 14’-16’ rod to use when the fish get spooky and don’t like the trolling motor. Those longer poles allow you to keep the fish away from you and make them easier to catch. Yes, the cost is there, but let’s face it, this is the price of the master’s course. Livescope if, and when, it is used correctly does help you catch fish but more importantly it teaches you about fish.

Now here’s your assignment. Get a crappie outfit together and go buy a box full of Slab Snatchers Custom Baits (I really like the green with black flake) and go have some fun out there! Even the heat can’t beat a Slab Snatcher.

Tight lines and following seas y’all!

Bass: GOOD — Expect a big improvement in fishing in general as we move into October. As the days start to get a little shorter and the temps cool, expect a drastic improvement in bass fishing. As usual, a few largemouth bass and spots are still being caught on deeper brush piles, ledges, and roadbeds in the main lake area. Try deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged worms, and dropshotting can be effective in these areas. The best fishing will be around brush piles or other structure in these areas, if you can find them. Water generation always improves this bite. Downsize baits in these same areas & improve your chances for spotted bass. More fish will move shallow with cooler water temps and this pattern should improve as the water cools and we move into fall. Shallow water baits such as Flukes and Whopper Ploppers will become more effective for shallow fish, especially around grass and weed beds. Try targeting the mouths of feeder creeks north of the 219 bridge in the Chattahoochee as long as the lake remains pretty full. Also have a jig handy to pitch into wood cover in these same areas.

Spotted bass are still your best bet on the south end of the lake. Spots are being caught by casting Spot Remover heads loaded with Speed Craws or just dragging a Carolina-rigged Zoom finesse worm or mini lizard around shoal markers. Also try a small Texas rigged worm or a pig-n -jig around blow down trees. Actively schooling groups of fish will also hit the Flash Mob jr. rig, a personal favorite in the fall.

Linesides: GOOD — It has been a pretty good summer in general for schooling topwater action on the main lake. I expect surface schooling on the main lake to continue this fall. These fish can generally be caught on Roostertails, topwaters, pop n cork rigs and Storm Swim Shad lures. Start early or stay late for the best results. Expect the down-line bite on live bait to continue to improve as we move toward fall, with the best yet to come in late fall and early winter. Trolling with the Flash Mob jr. rig should also continue to be fairly effective. Try old faithful areas like the Railroad Trestle Hump and the humps out from Amity Park for good results.

Crappie: GOOD — The fish will typically move shallower and hold on mid depth brush & structure, or under docks, as the water temps drop into the 70s or below. Try dropshotting minnows or shooting docks in 5-15 feet of water for the best results. You can really do well if you find one of these schools. Try the cuts & coves in Yellow Jacket creek and from Highland Marina north to Wolf Creek in the Chattahoochee. Some fish will start to move a little shallower as the water slowly cools, especially by the end of the month. Minnows fished under a float will usually work when you find them. Any blowdown near deep water is a good starting point. Night fishing is still pretty good. Try under the bridges with lights.

The lake is still near full pool and surface temps in the mid to upper 80’s.

OCTOBER ON LANIER –MANAGE THE TRANSITION

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

October on Lake Lanier means transition. Often you can find fish shallow and in the mid-depth ranges. As well, some fish start to move deep. The lake traditionally begins its turnover/stratification process this month, which provides an additional challenge. The traditional weather patterns we have been experiencing in 2023 should bring us some more predictable fall fishing this year on Lanier. The fall topwater bite has already started at the time of writing this article, and hopefully will continue through October. Let’s dig in and examine how to approach catching spotted bass in this highly transitional month.

Location

As the water temperature cools, the bait, and therefore many of the fish, begin to move shallower in search of the warmer water that remains. As always, staying up with the location of the bait is key to consistently catching fish. To complicate matters, the lake traditionally begins its turnover process in September/October, which provides an unstable environment for the bait and the fish. The stratified layers of the lake mix at different times in different places. During this time, focus your efforts on the areas of the lake that have not yet or already have turned over or been stratified. Look for the clearer water, and avoid water that has a dark, cloudy, or coffee look to it. Often, you can find fish shallower in the creeks during this period. However,

some fish may also be deeper relating to the brush that had been holding fish through September. Some of the fish may go even deeper and begin relating to the timber edges in preparation for winter. Obviously, there are numerous factors to consider when searching for catchable fish in October. Examine your options, understand the status of the lake and the effect of recent weather changes, stay flexible in your search, and stay on the move until you find a viable, repeatable pattern during your fishing day. Now let’s examine some potential lure choices.

Lures and Presentation MID-DEPTH

1. Topwater/Swimbait – This bite in October can be outstanding. Large schools of fish can be found around humps and points near the creek or river channel, typically more near the mouths. Experiment with different baits and presentations to match the conditions. A Zara Spook, Chug Bug, and Gunfish are some of my favorite topwater baits. On the Swimbait side, make sure to try the Sweet Bait Company Swim Bait offerings as well as the Lanier Baits Hard Swimmers. Both are awesome baits!!

2. Georgia Jig – Great bait throughout the fall on Lake Lanier. Tip the jig with a twin tail trailer, and fish the bait around rocky/ clay points, on ledges, and timber edges. Take your time and work it slowly.

If you would like to place an ad, please contact us:

craig@theanglermagazine.com

SHALLOW

1. Shaky Head – A Georgia Blade Jighead with a Lanier Baits Finesse worm can be an awesome bait in October. Fish shallow around docks and secondary points with this bait for some hammers.

2. Senko – A great bait to fish shallow around docks as it can be skipped under and around objects with ease. Dead stick the bait and wait for the tick!

3. Crankbait – Tie on a Spro Little John DD and target shallower rock points toward the end of the month. This can be a particularly good approach at daylight.

4. Spinnerbait – A Georgia Blade spinnerbait can really get cracking for you in October once the water temperatures fall into the 60’s. I like the double white willow blade combination and the #9 skirt choice. Check out GA Blade online or pick up some of their super creations at Hammonds Fishing and other tackle stores around North Georgia.

SUSPENDED

1. GA Blade Shad Spin – This is an excellent producer on Lanier. Fish the bait at the depth you see the fish suspending near bait balls. Understand the fall-rate for your rig and count the bait down to the depth of the fish and maintain that depth.

2. Jerk Bait – Another great tool for targeting suspending fish. Choose a bait that suspends at the depth the fish are holding and experiment with your retrieve cadence until you find what the fish are looking for any given day. I really like the Berkley offerings in the jerkbait, particularly the Stunna - start there.

I still have a few dates available this October, but they are going fast - call me to book a trip! 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! Mobile - 770-542-7764

Unicoi Outfitters staffer Joseph Clark with a big Alaskan grayling from his summer adventure.

The famous fish kiss by Levi Nobles with his proud dad Ben Nobles watching on!

Levi Nobles with his first striper!

Great memories being created on a family outing! Kevin Nobles with grandkids Violet, Mason and Levi.

This is 14-year-old Paul with this 7.2 pound Large Mouth Bass that caught in subdivision lake in Cobb County.

Unicoi Staffer Ben Smith with a solid bass!

Kendra Benecke, 4lb largemouth bass Lake Allatoona

Logan and Reagan showcasing a great striper

Violet with a nice Lanier striper!

Unicoi Outfitters manager Jake Darling with his massive north Georgia shoal bass.

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COOK ISLANDS GRANDER CAUGHT SOLO FROM A 22-FOOT BOAT

Catching a grander is one of the most sought-after feats in sportfishing. Boats, crews and anglers enter rare air when they hook and land a 1,000-pound-plus marlin, and untold time and money are spent chasing the dream.

Fishing solo from a 22-foot boat, angler Arnold Pauro achieved his lifelong dream Aug. 25 when he hauled in a 1,128-pound blue marlin that is a new record for the Cook Islands. According to the Cook Island News, Pauro came tight with the huge blue fishing just 3 miles off the southern end of the island Rarotonga.

Rarotonga is the most populated of the Cook Islands, which is an archipelago nation out in the middle of the South Pacific northeast of New Zealand. Rarotonga is renowned for excellent flats fishing, especially for bonefish, and like many volcanic islands, the water drops into thousandfoot depths just a few miles offshore. This creates a situation where bluewater fishing is very accessible, even for anglers in smaller boats.

According to the Cook Island News, Pauro managed to subdue the giant fish solo in his small boat, Haurua, by keeping a short line. He first brought the fish boat-side after just 3 minutes, and then all hell broke loose. Arnold told the news outlet that the fish jumped 40 or 50 times and ran out of steam after about an hour and a half.

“I kept it to 50 metres of line, kept it short, I don’t like letting my marlin go,” he told the Cook Island News.

Arnold’s fish topped the Cook Island weight record of 1,045 pounds, which was set by angler Paku Poila in November 2020. The IGFA all-tackle world record for blue marlin was caught off Brazil in 1992. It weighed 1,402 pounds.

To read the original report, go to www.cookislandsnews.com.

Hanapa‘a - Mahi

Hanapa‘a - Ono

Hanapa‘a - Ahi

Hanapa‘a - Marlin

Fish flags inspired by Sun Dot Marine Flags.

@fishflags

For the third time in the last 13 years, serious flaws have been revealed in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) data collection programs for recreational fisheries. A recent pilot study conducted by NOAA itself and published in August found that estimates on angler effort might be overestimated by 30 to 40 percent.

These inflated estimates are important because they are part of the equation used to manage our fisheries. The data is used in stock assessments, and to estimate harvest numbers and recreational discard. By overestimating angler effort, catch data is also inflated, which means the data erroneously reflects a larger harvest by recreational anglers than actually exists.

In a nutshell, the pilot study found that the Marine Recreational Information Program’s Fishing Effort Survey is confusing to respondents, which led to “reporting errors” and “illogical responses.” NOAA said this survey, which is mailed to licensed saltwater anglers, “remains the best and sometimes the only available science for tracking relative year-to-year and long-term effort trends.”

The immediate reaction to this revelation from some outlets was a call to reduce restrictions on recreational anglers. The estimate means fewer fish were actually caught, which means there are more fish still in the water, right? Not so fast. This catch and effort data also figures into stock assessments. The inflated effort numbers translate to an overestimation in fish populations.

“The news of this significant overestimation has serious implications for all of our fisheries. Since every species is managed differently, the ramifications of this information cannot be quantified under a singular umbrella,” reads a

report from the American Saltwater Guides Association (ASGA). “It does not mean that because fishing effort is less than originally expected, there must be more fish to harvest. In fact, it will mean there needs to be a major re-calibration because effort is used to help determine stock size. If we have overestimated effort, we also overestimated the stock. We must go species by species to understand the best path for management moving forward. Now more than ever, we need to be precautionary in our management approach.”

NOAA has indicated it will initiate further studies into the findings of its pilot study, according to the ASGA report. Meanwhile, a group of marine conservation and recreational fishing organizations has ramped up its call to wrest control of recreational data collection from the federal government and turn it over to state agencies.

“Yet another major revision to the federal recreational data collection system is upon us, and it should bring a realization that NOAA is just not capable of doing this job,” said Ted Venker, conservation director of the Coastal Conservation Association. “At best we are looking at several more years of questionable revisions, recalculations, and recalibrations based on a suspect data system that has never proven it can produce accurate information. This is no way to manage a public resource. It would be irresponsible to continue down this road rather than exploring and supporting state-based options to better manage the recreational sector wherever feasible.”

HIGHWAY 17 SOUTH, GREEN COVE SPRINGS, FL 32043

31-INCH LIMIT ON ATLANTIC STRIPER EXTENDED

New Management Plan Delayed Until at Least January

Recreational anglers in Chesapeake Bay and along the Atlantic Coast must continue to release all striped bass longer than 31 inches after fisheries managers extended an emergency regulation that was set to expire on Oct. 28. The extension’s new expiration date is Oct. 28, 2024, which gives the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) more than a full year to grapple with a complex management plan intended to rebuild the coastwide striper population by 2029.

The emergency measure was first implemented in May, after estimates showed recreational harvest nearly doubled in 2022 over 2021’s figures. At the time, projections plummeted from a 97 percent chance the stock would be rebuilt by 2029 to just a 15 percent.

NOAA’s Fisheries Effort Survey, which was found recently to have overestimated angler effort by 30 to 40 percent, is an important part of recreational harvest estimates. It also plays into stock assessments for the striped bass fishery.

However, scientists still believe striped bass reproduction has been down since 2015. The 2015 age class was strong, and those fish are now the larger fish in the population that contribute most to reproduction. The emergency measure was implemented to protect the larger breeding fish.

The Chesapeake Bay “Trophy” season, which has historically been an important fishery for bay anglers, is exempt from this emergency regulation. The short early May season in Maryland has allowed anglers to keep one fish longer than 35 inches per person. A press release from ASMFC warned anglers that this special season might change once the emergency measure is replaced by a management plan that is supposed to come from ASMFC’s Addendum II of the Atlantic Striped Bass Fishery Management Plan.

Addendum II is a complex document with a range of management options intended to rebuild the striped bass stock by the end of the decade. It was hoped Addendum II would be ready for implementation in October. After five hours of back and forth at an August commission meeting, the decision was made to delay action. Now, the earliest a new management plan can be implemented is January 2024.

“Moving the emergency action forward was an important stop-gap measure to balance fishing mortality in the recreational fishery,” said David Sikorski, a Maryland delegate to the ASMFC. “Unfortunately, the delay in advancing draft Addendum II leaves uncertainty in our ability to meet our rebuilding goals and reduce overall fishing mortality ahead of the 2024 fishing year. Between now and the October 2023 meeting, draft Addendum II will be updated and provided to the board and posted online.”

The 31-inch maximum emergency rule will remain in place until Oct. 28, 2024, or until it is replaced by restrictions in Addendum II.

For more information, go to http://www.asmfc.org/

SNELLING A HOOK

Snelling a hook is an age-old way of attaching it to your line. It is a technique that pre-dates the invention of hook eyes, when hooks only had flattened tops and snelling the hook was required to create a good connection to the line.

Thanks to hook eyes, this is no longer necessary, but a snell knot remains one of the best connections out there for simple line-to-hook connections. The knot’s ability to orient the point of the hook in the right direction for octopus and circle hooks makes it a go-to knot for live and cut bait fishing. You’ll get more solid hook sets when you snell circle hooks.

A snell knot is quick and easy to tie and it provides a strong connection. The only real disadvantage is the knot is on the shank of the hook, where it is vulnerable to the teeth of toothy critters. It’s probably not the best choice if you’re fishing for muskie or barracuda.

For more information, go to usangler.com.

HAVE

YOU CAUGHT A LENGTH-RECORD SMALLIE?

This gorgeous Colorado River smallmouth bass is a new IGFA alltackle world length record for the species.

The chunky smallmouth measured 53 centimeters (20 inches) on an official IGFA measuring device, which tied the fish for the length record with two other officially recognized smallies. Sarah Harris landed her big fish while night fishing on the Colorado River in Arizona. It slammed a topwater lure and was boated after a short fight. After snapping some photos, Harris released it safely.

Harris’s bass tied a smallmouth caught by William Brent Evans from Alabama’s Lake Guntersville in 2014 as well as one caught from Washington’s Osoyoos Lake by Shane Hoelzle in 2020.

The IGFA all-tackle world record smallmouth by weight is a longstanding 11-pound, 15-ounce mark that was set in 1955 by David Hayes at Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee.

Hayes’s Dale Hollow fish is a record that might stand forever, but those length records can be beaten. While a 20-inch smallmouth is definitely a trophy fish, 20-plus inchers are caught pretty regularly. It’s a matter of time before someone with an official IGFA measuring device puts one in the boat. For more, go to IGFA.org.

SEARCH WITH A BLADED JIG

TYLER WOOLCOTT

This time of year, when bass are feeding up ahead of winter, it’s tough to beat a bladed jig—or Chatterbait—to find hungry fish.

In most cases, the Chatterbait is in my arsenal as a search bait to cover a ton of water. There isn’t a piece of cover that I can think of that I haven’t thrown it around with success. Docks, wood, grass, rocks, anywhere a bass might live and feed is a good place to throw it. Most of the time you can locate fish with this bait and then go back through the same area with something else and pick up some more bites. If there are hungry bass around and you present this bait in the right way, you will get a bite.

A lot of times I am trying to duplicate an injured baitfish with a Chatterbait, whether they be shad, shiners or bluegill. Whites, golds and green pumpkin colors are my go to baitfish imitators and are what I have tied on most of the time. If the water is dirty or when fish are feeding on crayfish, I’ll switch to a black and blue or even an orange or red color. Match a trailer bait of your choice on the back like a swimbait or a craw trailer, and you’ll be good to go.

Chatterbait bites are usually reaction strikes, so I vary the retrieve to create erratic action while keeping the lure in the strike zone. I do this by speeding up my retrieval speed and then pausing for a very short period of time and then resuming a normal retrieval rate. Believe it or not, there are way more fish that follow your bait and don’t commit than you think. A very small adjustment in the speed can make the difference and convince these fish to eat. A 3/8-oz. and a ½-oz. are pretty much the only two sizes I throw. This covers all different depth ranges from a foot of water down to 10 feet. Cover as much water as possible until you pin point a healthy population of feeding bass then slow down with a different bait that you can work slower.

Chatterbait Gear

A moderate-action rod makes a huge difference when it comes to keeping fish hooked up. The 13 Fishing Omen Black 7’4mhm is absolutely perfect for fishing a Chatterbait. I pair a 7:5:1 gear ratio Concept A 13 Fishing reel with this and spool it with 17-lb. Seaguar Abraz X. I throw some bigger line with this, as you are usually around some type of cover and are working the bait fairly fast, so they won’t get a chance to see your line anyway.

Hope this fishing tip will give you some confidence to try this technique, if you haven’t already. It flat out catches them. Good luck out there and tight lines!

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

THROUGHOUT!

RECORD MAHI CAUGHT OFF WASHINGTON STATE

A20-pound mahi might not be surprising off the coasts of Florida or Mexico, but this 21-pound, 48-inch-long dolphinfish is a super rare catch off the coast of Washington State. It’s the largest one anyone’s ever caught there.

Angler Wade La Fontaine caught his state record mahi 42 miles out in the Pacific off the Washington coast on Aug. 25. He was on a charter trip with Capt. Keith Johnson aboard the Tunacious. They were trolling for tuna with plastic squid lures behind a spreader when the mahi hit.

Upon landing at the dock in Westport, Washington, the dolphinfish was checked by a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist, then weighed on a certified scale. After review, the record was certified on Aug. 30.

Dolphinfish are sporadically caught by recreational and commercial fishers targeting albacore tuna and other species off the Washington and Oregon coasts, including a handful recorded last year at the ports of Westport and Ilwaco and at least two this summer.

“Most mahi mahi caught off our coast are smaller fish in the 6- to 12-pound range,” read a WDFW press release. “La Fontaine’s fish — which was 48 inches long and 40 inches to the inside fork of the tail — was more reminiscent of large

dolphinfish caught in warmer waters off southern California, Mexico and Hawaii.”

The previous Washington state record weighed 16.27 pounds. It was caught by Albert DaSilva in 2013.

The charter reported 70-degree water temperature in the area where the fish was caught, which is warm, even for the warmer offshore currents, though not unprecedented especially during El Nino years, explained the release.

The Return of a

“I’m blessed beyond comprehension,” La Fontaine said. “I’ll be getting another tattoo of a mahi!”

Albacore tuna are the primary target for Pacific Northwest offshore anglers, with large schools of these “longfin tuna” abundant off the coast of northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia in the summer and early fall. Albacore are found in the blue water, a mass of warmer Sea Surface Temperature water typically found off the West Coast of North America during summer and fall, and off Southern California yearround.

For more information, go to https://wdfw.wa.gov/