CARTERS LAKE

to catch fish can be put to use, from crank baits to crawler harnesses, you can literally throw the box at them this month.

The bass fishing has been great the last few weeks and should really crank up as we get into April. Look for that top water bite in the morning, on the main lake. Zara spooks and Berkley hijackers are a staple bait I keep tied on and ready to launch at any fish breaking the surface or at any school of bait acting nervous. The spoon bite has been good after the sun gets up. Look for fish that have dropped down to that 20 to 30ft range. Nicholas MOJO spoons and 3/4oz Krocodile spoons are my favorite for spring fishing in this clear water.

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By James K. Pressley jameskpressley@gmail.com

Well, we are now into the 3rd month of 2023. So, are there any New Year’s resolutions still going?

I wish you good luck with them! Don’t follow me around for advice on those folks. You are likely to end up on a beach, on a skiff, or chasing a fish around the gulf, all while probably slightly intoxicated.

As the great prophet Jimmy Buffett says:

Take another road to a hiding place

Disappear without a trace

Take another road in another time

On another road in another time

Like a novel from the five and dime

Take another road in another time. Follow the equator, like that old articulator

Sail upon the ocean, just like Mr. Twain

Never look back, this is my plan

Run my pony in the sand

Somewhere, somewhere…

There’s no way around the fact that I am passed middle aged and if you doubt that, I will have to live to be 100 for that to be true anymore… My life is such that it has gone through many changes over the years: the usual ups and downs of business, kids, family life, and the passing of many good friends. I might think on some occasions that I have life figured out, that I might understand what is happening, or that my purpose in life is this or that. Well, the truth is this, through this column, I have discovered a new purpose in my life might just be to catch fish and then write about it. To share this passion with others.

Sounds funny? Yeah, I thought so too. But we are going to give this a solid try folks. As of February 1st, you can now book fishing trips with me on Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee. Yep, I know you have all been waiting for this with bated breath and shaking knees. There is that much excitement in the air!

However, this is part of a lifelong dream that honestly, it’s just time to pursue. If you have ever met me, you know family and fishing are what I live for. Seriously, in my life I have spent years on the water, and I look forward to sharing my experiences, my knowledge, and my tactics with any of you who have a desire to go.

I will specialize in Stripers, Hybrids, White Bass, and largemouth on our respective lakes for the time being. We will blur the lines between what is currently being done and what we can only hope to imagine with new products, tactics, and ideas from different lakes, ecosystems, and fishing guides from around the country. From slow pitch jigging (my version of it) for hybrids and stripers to swim baits for white bass! We’ll try it all. My ultimate hope is to later expand down to the big bend of Florida for speckled trout, reds, and tarpon. Fishing is more than a passion for me and my family. It’s our life. It’s how I relate to the world and what I think about most.

So, I look forward to having you on the boat!

A Great Crappie Day

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

Spring is here. Dogwoods are beginning to bloom. Pollen is everywhere. And here in the southeast, spring can be deceiving. We’ve had some of our biggest snowstorms around the first of April.

Spring also means it’s crappie time. As our area lakes begin to warm up into the upper 50’s and lower 60’s, the spring crappie bite fires up. Water temperature is a key factor for them to begin moving up into the shallow brush piles and structure to spawn. So, it pays to spend a little time on the water doing some scouting.

Pre-Spawn: The few weeks before the actual spawn can sometimes be more productive than the spawning time itself, as both the males and females will put on their feedbags in advance of doing the dance. Pre-spawn starts around 55 degrees or so. Depending on the lake and the available structure, pre-spawn depths could be 8 to 20 feet. DownScan and SideScan on your Simrad units will be super-valuable because you’ll be able to actually see the crappie schools around structure. Visualize the shallow places along the bank where the spawn might occur, then look in deeper water near those places. Once you locate the school, drop a marker on the spot and either anchor up, or set your trolling motor on anchor about 20 to 30 feet off the mark, and then make a few casts.

Spawn: A good indication the spawn is about to happen is when you stop catching males in deeper water. The males are considerably smaller than the females. The males move up first to ‘build’ the nests, and then wait for an inter- ested female to stop by and set up house. When you’re catching the big slab females in shallow water, and on structure, it’s a good bet the spawn is in full swing. On the back side of the spawn, the males will hang around to guard the nest until the eggs hatch. And not all the females will be ready to mate at the same time, so you could have some really fishy days for a week or two.

Tactics: Light tackle is the key. Super light line…2-to-4-pound test. Super light jigs…1/16 and 1/32 ounce. You’ve got a plethora of trailer colors to choose from too. I go with the old adage of clear water means light colored plastics, and dingy water equals darker or more vivid colored tails. And, of course the opposite can just as easily be true. Since you’re casting super light jigs, be sure to give the lures time to sink. And if you’re fishing vertical structure, cast just beyond it, so as the jig sinks and the line comes tight, your jig is still on the mark. If you cast directly on top of the structure, the jig may sink ‘away’ from the school; and these fish will not move a long way to chase bait. Live minnows under a cork work really well also. You can adjust the depth of the minnow with the float to keep it from getting tangled often. Use very light wire hooks, so if you do get hung up…and you will…you can pull the line and the hook will bend to get if free. You can bend it back a dozen or more times before it finally breaks, and you have to re-tie. And by the way, you can catch them with a fly as well. Use a sink tip line and Clouser flies that look like small crappie minnows. It’s hard to beat a bucket of crappie to make a great fish fry. But catch and keep enough for dinner, and leave the rest for another day, or another angler. So, get out there and have a great crappie day!

Forecast By: Shane Goebel

Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service

(828) 361-2021

Lakes Apalachia, Chatuge, Nottely, Blue Ridge and Hiwassee

If you are looking for an explosive biting, line screaming, pole bending, crazy good time fishing, then you must read this! Imagine someone threw a grenade in the water. That’s how these North Georgia and Western North Carolina stripers hit this time of year. It’s absolutely insane when that reel starts screaming, rod doubles over, and you feel like you have a Nascar on the end of the line, lol. Yup! That all means, it’s once again, monster striper time on this wicked fun North Georgia lake located in Blairsville, GA. April and May are two of my favorite months on Lake Nottely. If all this sounds like something down your alley, then it’s time to book that striper trip with Lake Nottely’s #1 striper guide service, Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. We are one of the south’s premier