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inter fishing in the Florida Keys can be a double-edged sword. This time of year can be limited by more frequent windy days. However, some of our best fishing occurs very close to land this time of year, and you don’t have to go far to get into the heart of it. Snapper are always a viable option on the reef, and targeting them also provides the opportunity to fill up the livewell with fresh ballyhoo to use for sailfish, which will be showering bait under diving frigates. If you happen to get out there on a sporty day, and the thought of rocking on anchor first thing in the morning makes your stomach turn, wahoo might be a better option. Trolling lures can be productive for targeting wahoo, and reduces the rocking of the boat that causes seasickness. Utilizing deep-diving lures, planers and trolling sinkers, there are countless ways to set up an efficient wahoo spread that can be pulled at varying speeds. Since wahoo like their baits moving quickly, high-speed trolling is a great way to target them while lessening other species as bycatch. Another great option for wahoo fishing is using live bait. This method is more exciting, and uses bait that can be acquired without dropping anchor. With wahoo rigs already set with wire leaders, and extra prerigged leaders on hand, head out to the wrecks to catch fresh bait. When targeting bigger baits like bonita, blue runners and goggle eyes for wahoo, use a heavier rod and reel, with the appropriately overpowered sabiki rig. Accounting for tangles, breakoffs and unwanted mackerel attention, make sure to have more than a few extra sabiki rigs on board. Affix a weight to the sabiki and drop it down to fill the well with blue runners, or troll the sabiki over schools of bonita, hooking them immediately to the wahoo rig and sending them back out. Power drift or bump troll a spread of live baits with some weightless, flatlined on the surface, or even under a kite, and others at varying depths with a breakaway weight or downrigger. Watching a hungry wahoo skyrocket on a surface bait provides all the adrenaline needed to knock any lingering seasickness out of you. Wahoo are excellent table fare, and they are also one of the best fighting fish you can target. Keep in mind that if your line goes slack, they might be swimming toward the boat. It is a wahoo until it’s not a wahoo, so keep reeling until you see the end of your line. Charter fishing in the Florida Keys is busy during the winter, so make sure to book your charter in advance. Sweet E’nuf Charters offers gift certificates for all the Santas out there with fishermen in the family. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon, of Sweet E’nuf Charters, operates out of Marathon, Florida Keys. Check out her website at CaptainQuinlyn.com, her social @captainquinlyn or call (504) 920-6342.
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By Nick Carter
old water makes catching fish more difficult, right? Not with crappie, according to allaround outdoorswoman Terrie Huffmaster. She looks forward to deep winter, when she can load the boat with the biggest slabs of the year. Huffmaster is a South Georgia farm girl from Quitman, way down on the Florida border, so she calls crappie speckled perch, or specks for short. “You catch the bigger specks in wintertime,” she said. “I like to go into the deeper water trolling for them.” A great thing about crappie is they’re predictable. In spring they move shallow to spawn, but throughout the rest of the year they are nomads in search of comfortable water temperatures. You’ll always find them near structure or cover, and they are usually schooled up tightly. Huffmaster fishes for specks on Lake
Seminole, a nearly 40,000-acre impoundment that straddles the Georgia/Florida border. It’s a relatively shallow lake, full of stumps, brush and submerged grass. When Huffmaster says “deeper water,” she means the deepest water Seminole has, which is 25 to 30 feet. Trolling delivers both quality and quantity when water temps are in the mid to high 50s. But Huffmaster isn’t looking for a 30-fish limit. She’s hunting 10 or so giant specks in the 15- to 18inch range. She catches a lot of smaller fish in the process, but she throws those back. “When you get on ’em good, it’s crazy how
many you can catch,” she said. This is how she gets on them: Huffmaster has a line she trolls that she’s identified on electronics and with previous success. It’s just outside a channel marker, where there’s a ton of submerged trees, stumps and other brush and debris to hold fish. She pulls jigs over deep water and up over humps and ledges that rise to as little as 5 feet. “You keep that trolling motor on low,” she said, “just enough where your line’s pulling, where you’re barely trolling.” Huffmaster said there’s no need to deploy huge spreads from a bank of rod holders. She fishes just one, maybe two rods at a time. Her favorites are a lightweight Mr. Crappie Slab Shaker combo and a Lew’s 6-foot Ultra Light with a Lazer Light Speed Spin 75 reel. She spools up with 8-to 10-pound braided main line and uses a 4- or 6-pound fluorocarbon leader tied to a 1/16-ounce Crappie Magnet Fin Spin or a Mr. Crappie jig head. Paddletail and curly tail bodies both have their place. Chartreuse/pearl and pumpkin are good colors. She trolls her jigs 10 to 15 feet behind the boat and keeps a loose drag so the hook doesn’t tear out of a crappie’s paper-thin mouth. “Call me old fashioned, but that’s how we do it,” she said. “And we don’t seem to have any problem catching a mess of them… and some big ones. Search up Terrie B Huffmaster on Facebook and terries_dusk_2_dawn_fishing on Instagram.
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NATIONAL 7
Which Would You Change First? By Capt. Michael Okruhlik
C
hange is inevitable. In all aspects of life, change is necessary. This is especially true for anglers. When things are not going right, we immediately think of the next lure to throw. We all embark on our fishing journeys with a plan before hitting the water. We may base it on predicted conditions, time of year, experience, or possibly, but hopefully not, a social media post. Let’s discuss what I would do when plan-A doesn’t produce as envisioned. Imagine we are in the perfect looking spot, conditions are exactly as planned, active bait is visible in the area, the tide is flowing, but nothing is biting. Most of us would make a change, and I think we are all in agreement that our first correction would not be to move with everything looking right. Now, here is where I feel most people will make a mistake. Let’s say we are throwing soft-plastic paddletails. What is the first thing you would change?
PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®.
SIZE OR COLOR:
I bet you said color. Am I right? During my decades of fishing the salty bays and marsh, I’ve found that color is the last thing I should change. If some bass fishermen are reading this article, I am solely basing this theory on saltwater for trout, redfish and flounder. It’s not your fault that you tend to change color first. Let’s face it, color is the first thing someone mentions when they describe the lure they used, and when we walk into the tackle aisle there are significantly more colors than lure choices or sizes. We are bombarded with so many colors. Color must be the key to catching, right? Well, maybe not, most of the time. I’ll use my lure brand for an example. I produce 34 unique colors, but I only produce three different sized paddletails. Having all these color options at our fingertips can be overwhelming, and hearing others focus on the color that landed
the big one has caused fishermen to focus on color first. I have found more success in changing the size of the lure over the color. The fish are typically not feeding on anything that resembles the color we are throwing, but they are feeding on a specific size that we have in our box. Matching the forage size is the better option. If that doesn’t produce a bite, then I will even switch the style of lure before the color in most situations. Ultra-clear water is an exception, and these conditions play by different rules. We can cover that in another article, but until then focus less on color and more on size and action. Take a kid fishing and enjoy the outdoors. Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
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NG
LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer
Rockin’ Along
I must be getting older, I keep getting articles about how to stay young, check your health and stuff like that. One of the things they said was to check the ability to stand on one foot with your eyes closed and see how long you can balance. Try it. I was awful, 3-5 seconds. At that rate I think I’m going to die soon or at least fall down. Now try to do it, and before you close your eyes, take a cleansing breath, squeeze your core like a dancer (not a boxer), get it all lined up. Then try it. I did, and it was so much easier to balance. Why in the heck would I tell you this? If you go fly fishing in a boat, there will be some wake on the water when you cast. The smaller the boat, the
easier it is to cause a wake. Your guide or host may tell you to stop rockin’ the boat, but not offer a way to reduce it. My best advice is to think in terms of being centered, just like a dancer- core tightened, shoulders square and think in terms of any energy that is used comes from your core, not your legs, arms, and upper body. It’s not like throwing a baseball. Don’t transfer energy from the back leg to the core, to the arm. Whether you are standing or sitting it should be core to arm. Remember you are pulling the line through the air, not pushing it. Use a solid core base as the anchor for your arm to reach back and pull the rod/line through. Then stop the rod and let it launch the line. Your body will feel
like it is pushing down into the seat as you stop the rod if you are sitting. That is the centered feeling. Keep centered and you may be invited back on the boat. Keep rockin’ the boat and the captain may have you fishing from the bank. If the captain kicks you out, here is a tip when wading a river. Use the same technique, keep your core tight like a dancer- it will help you navigate the riverbed. Go ahead-try the eyes closed test and you will see what I’m talking about.
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ATLANTA 1
LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING WINTER TROUT ON TOP By Jeff Durniak | Unicoi Outfitters
priate mini-fly on a two-foot, 6X dropper behind your strike indicator: a dry you can see. I like a #16 or 18 parachute Adams, with its visible post and buggy body that will draw its own share of strikes. What mini bugs, you may ask? Carry Unicoi Outfitters’ local “Winter Big 3:” blue wing olives (BWO’s), midges, and little black stoneflies. BWO’s are my favorites, as their gray sailboat wings glide across the surface and flying adults can be spied in the air. Match subadults with pheasant tail nymphs and soft hackles. Carry some adults, wets, and nymphs in sizes 18-22 and maybe a few dries in #24 -- IF you have eagle eyes to thread their microscopic hook eyes. Hint: magnifiers like Orvis Clicks and Flip Focals will save your day. Midges are common all winter. Carry some dries in sizes 1822 in black, olive, cream, and Griffith’s gnat and some dark wets like zebra midges, root beer midges and WD40’s in black, brown, and olive. Little black stones are usually a #16 or 18. For dries, toss that pattern, a small dark stimulator, or even a small gray caddis. Just trim both sides of the caddis wing to form a long, thin stonefly wing. For wets, try a #16 black stonefly nymph or black soft hackle wet fly on that two-foot dropper below your dry. Have some spring fun in the winter by cashing in on these sunny afternoon hatches. A few winter trout on top, via this holiday recipe, will surely warm your buns! Stop in either UO shop and we’ll help you out.
The cold, dreary days of winter are the time most trouters dredge the icy depths. Bundled up like Eskimos, they bump pool bottoms with long leaders and a string of split shot in front of their beefy stonefly & egg combo. But not always… Aim for a warm, sunny afternoon for some trout on top! Your weather app and your stream thermometer are “rise predictors.” Watch for a warming trend and hope for stream temperatures that creep up toward the magic 50-degree mark. The USGS Hooch-Helen online gauge even has a thermometer and allows you to remotely assess area river trends. Trout will rise to the top when there’s a good reason for it: food! Look for small, buzzing bugs and softly rising fish in the slow, sunny water. That’s pool tails and the soft bankside edges of rifles and runs, especially with boulder and log cover. Bubble lines along those slower currents are chow lines, funneling emerging insects to waiting sippers. Foam lines in the back eddies on both sides of a pool head are also prime chow spots, with trout facing downstream into that back current. First be the hunter and scout the stream from the bank. Focus on one riser to determine the bug and assess whether they’re eating its adult or subadult stage. Then sample the stream surface with your discount bug collector: a hardware store paint strainer stretched over your trout net. Knowing the bug, then match the hatch. Knot the appro-
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING WINTER TROUT SPEY
Contributed by David Hulsey International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor http://www.hulseyflyfishing.com 770-639-4001 Handling the freezing temperatures of dead winter in the high country of the Appalachians can be challenging to say the least. The cold here can cut into your soul like a dagger to the heart. Humidity combined with twenty-degree breezes can make the fly fisher yearn for spring evenings like nothing else. Everything slows down in winter including the trout’s metabolism and my desire to rock hop like a grasshopper in July. So, together the trout and I kind of reach an agreement, at least for a few months, in that they’ll bite a few times, if I go into chill mode and spoon feed them. My love for swinging flies for trout is pretty much inescapable and luckily a very effective winter tactic for grumpy browns and rainbows. The rhythmic swing of everything from tiny soft hackles to large intruders makes it easy for the trout to time the attack, but also for the angler to get the flies right in the fish’s face. Trout in the winter usually don’t want to move very far to intercept a morsel of food if it looks like it might be able to get away from them. Skagit spey lines with a sink tip from five to ten feet and a short 4-foot piece of 2x will usually get the job done. The tips sink rate and length is critical for getting the fly or flies to the correct depth. Normally, I use tips that sink from 1-7 inches per second depending on the water flow. Skagit lines are massive and can handle larger streamers with some weight built in. I fish a four-weight trout spey rod with my Skagit set up. Scandi lines for trout spey have a long front taper and will deliver a double soft hackle rig like a laser beam. Normally, I’ll use a
regular nine-foot 3x fluorocarbon leader to a tippet ring or a triple surgeons knot and a couple of softies to fish around 2-3 feet deep. Trout holding at this level are usually looking for emergers and a 2 or 3 weight trout spey rod with a Scandi line is the perfect tool to put those flies right in the strike zone. About the only hatches you’ll have in the winter are Blue Winged Olives, Black Caddis and some Midges, so the Skagit line gets a lot more of river time when it’s cold. Being able to cast a long line without hardly any back cast room with the micro spey rod lets you fish normally inaccessible spots that can be dangerous or risky for a dunking. Trout Spey gear can accomplish this and more! Besides being an effective fishing tool it’s just plain fun! If you’d like to get started in the spey game or are just curious about it, we give a Half Day Beginners Trout Spey Class that can get the ball rolling. The class is given in the water of course swinging flies over fish. There’s always a chance for a grab or two! We also supply all the gear with quality spey rods and reels, both Skagit and Scandi lines and flies included for you to try out. Trout Spey Wade or Float Trips are available on the Toccoa River our home water near Blue Ridge Georgia. We have Gift Certificates available for that special person on the last-minute Holiday shopping list. Just give us a call and we’ll get those emailed right out to you!
RIVER THROUGH ATLANTA GIFT GUIDE Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service We know everyone wants to get that perfect gift for that friend or family member this Holiday Season. Any time spent outdoors is priceless, so here are some gift ideas from the RTA Family to help one connect with Nature on the Chattahoochee River. A remedy for Cabin fever this winter, you should consider a fly-tying class at The Fish Hawk. These classes are offered at their shop all winter and teach you how to tie your own creations to use this upcoming fishing season. Contact them for scheduling in January or February. How about that perfect fly rod and waders? Contact either ORVIS store located in Alpharetta or Atlanta where you can “test cast” the Helios 2 or perhaps the Recon state of the art fly rods. Make sure you check out those zipper-fly guide waders, as they are the bomb! Now that we’ve mentioned the toys and classes at the shops, let’s talk about pairing these gift ideas with a guided outdoor experience. River Through Atlanta offers exclusively “the experience” on the water. For beginners, we recommend the private onstream fly fishing class where total beginners learn the art of fly fishing while you catch fish. All they will need is a GA fishing license and trout stamp (for ages 16 to 64 years old) and dress for the weather. We got
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the rest of the gear. It’s optional to add a guest or a few for additional cost. We can cater for groups of up to 12 people. How about for that more experienced fly angler who is up for a challenge? RTA Guide Service has guided these waters for three decades since 1993 so maybe you would like to check out a new section of the River you have never fished before or to target a quality fish that lurks these waters with a local expert guide. Gifting a fly fishing experience is a novel idea for someone who is hard to shop for!
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST OCONEE ON THE FLY
Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore - USCG Licensed www.oconeeonthefly.com I was off the water for two weeks recently with some health issues and got back out this week for the first time. Man did it feel great to be back out there! My mother used to say, “If you have your health, you have everything.” She was spot on about that! I had the pleasure of taking Steve, Tony, and Brian on November 6th out targeting hybrids and stripers. We ended up catching several largemouth bass early in the morning trolling bass minnows and Mini Macks. But around 10:00 AM we spotted a ton of gizzard shad busting the surface at the mouth of a cove. Down-lining bass minnows yielded some nice fish including the striper pictured here. Spoons produced some nice hybrids as well. I’m mentioning this because I believe that December is going to be very good fishing here. And, in most years, it’s certainly one of the best times to fish Oconee.
Crappie – I’ve been writing about how LiveScope forward facing sonar has taken over crappie fishing, increased catching, and opened targeting even single fish. I have not bit the bullet and invested in LiveScope just yet, but as my friend Doug Nelms said, “We are all going to have to.” I love to troll for crappie. In particular, I like long lining out of the back of the boat. In December, the crappie usually scatter and this makes trolling more productive in the mouths of coves and over submerged timber. I troll 8 to 10 rods with 6 lb. test and usually double 1/16th ounce jigs. Curtis Hobbs Litewire jigs are a must in my opinion and Jiffy jigs in June Bug color always work well here. Troll around 9/10th miles per hour and you’re likely to have a great day! Hybrids / Stripers – I have had some of my most productive days fishing for stripers and hybrids in Decem-
ber. Spooning is a great way to catch big numbers of fish in the boat. Go to Sugar Creek Marina and get some 7/8-ounce War Eagle Spoons in white with a bit of red at the front or white and chartreuse. Remember, if you find a hump and there are no fish on it, take a stick with a rubber cap on it and tap for 10 minutes. Often the fish will move in and abundantly. I like to flat line bass minnows this time of year too, you may want to use two number 4 sinkers to get the bait down. One thing I have noticed in December is that the bait and the fish will usually be in water that is at least 35 feet deep. Finally, afternoon trips can be very productive in December (and more comfortable). Give it a try! Fly Fishing – If we have an overcast
day even with light rain, you’re likely to see me throwing a fly rod. I’m looking for the birds to show me where the fish are. I usually have two 8-weight rods rigged. One with intermediate line and a 7 foot, 12-pound fluorocarbon leader and a Cowen’s Somethin Else on the business end of the line. On the other rod, I have fast sinking line or sink tip with a Cowen’s Coyote, or a chartreuse and white Clouser on a #2 hook. Fly fishing can be tough on Oconee but when they are on, it’s a blast!! Final Words Contact me at wmoore1700@outlook.com or call 404-317-9556 to book your trip. I do both morning and afternoon trips in December. Tight Lines, and God Bless.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST you may get a shot at a 20lb+ fish. Cast big plugs like the Cordell Red Fin early, late or on a cloudy day or free line a big shad or bream in the Ringer/Graysons Landing area. Be careful as water levels are already low! Forecast By: Capt. Keith Hudson Crappie: GOOD — The fish Keith Hudson Guide Service will typically move up and hold on hudsonprobass@gmail.com | www.LakeWestPointFishing.com bridge pilings, mid depth brush 706-844-1483 piles or under docks as the water temps drop into the 60s or below. The lake is about 6-7 feet down already, really clear in most areas except Try dropshotting minnows or where the fall turnover is going on. Those areas have a tea or brownish tint. casting to or shooting docks in 5-15 — Surface temps have fallen to the low to mid 60’s in most areas. — North feet of water for the best results. of 219 upriver is pretty dangerous already so be careful! Merry Christmas You can really do well if you find and a big THANK YOU to all my loyal customers for another great year in one of these schools. Try the cuts the books!! I start booking for the spring season in January so get with me & coves in Yellow Jacket creek and (www.LakeWestPointFishing.com) to insure your trips for the 2024 season! from Highland Marina north to — Thanks !! Keith Hudson Guide Service Wolf Creek in the Chattahoochee. More fish will move into the cuts attract the fish. The lake is already Bass: GOOD — With the nice and coves as the water slowly cools, down this year so there won’t be cooldown in November, expect a especially by the end of the month. much to cast to as far as shallow big improvement in the fishing as Minnows fished under a float will cover goes, so any cover still in the we move into winter. The bass will usually work on them when you water ,such as submerged stumps, begin to feed heavily and fatten up blowdowns and shallow brush piles find them. Any blowdown or brush for winter. Largemouth and spots has the potential to hold fish, with can still hold a good fish. are still being caught on deeper cover being the key. Night fishing Spotted bass are still your best brush piles, ledges, and roadbeds is still pretty good. Try under the bet on the south end of the lake. in the main lake area. Dropshotting bridges with lights. Try long tapering flats in 18-25 can be very effective in these areas. feet of water. Spots mixed with The best fishing is around brush whites, hybrids and stripers can be piles or other structures in these caught by jigging CC spoons or on areas, if you can find them. Water dropshot rigs. Also, keep your eyes generation always improves this open for actively schooling groups bite. Downsize baits in these same of fish, They will crush the Flash areas & improve your chances for Mob jr. rig, either casting or trolling spotted bass. Feeding bass can still it through the schooling fish. be caught shallow. Shallow water Linesides: GOOD — I expect baits such as spinnerbaits, flukes surface schooling on the main lake and rattle traps will become more to continue to improve. These fish effective for these hungry fish. Look can generally be caught by casting for schools of shad in the pockets to rooster tails, topwaters, pop n cork rigs and Storm Swim Shad lures into the schooling fish. Start early or stay late for the best results. Keep your eyes open for any bird activity, gulls or loons can give away a school of active fish if you pay attention. Expect the deep down-line bite on live bait and spoons to continue to improve as we move on into fall, with the best yet to come in late fall and early winter. Try long tapering flats in 18-25 feet of water. Whites, hybrids, and stripers can be caught by vertical jigging CC spoons as well. Trolling with the Flash Mob jr. rig should also continue to be effective. The mouth of the river at Lake Lanier is 38,000 acres of prime fishing and home to some of the Yellow Jacket, the McGee Roadbed best spotted bass and striped bass in the world. There are dozens of area, and the long points across hotels within minutes of the lake, professional fishing guides to from the pumping stations normally hold fish this time of year. Some increase your odds of catching the “big ones” and plenty of action in lone big stripers normally show Gainesville, Georgia to keep the family entertained! Check us out at back up in the river, in deep holes, ExploreGainesville.org to find out more. north of 219 bridge, in the fall. You probably won’t get many bites, but
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE ALLATOONA By: Joseph Martinelli 404-919-4918 December in North Georgia means great striper and hybrid fishing on lovely Lake Allatoona. We have thoroughly enjoyed the bite on Allatoona through the month of November, even with its temperature fluctuations. December is typically the first month of winter here in Georgia and it shows just as much promise for quality fishing as in years past. We will soon be enjoying that 50° water. We are likely to see many days of ‘sky water’ this month as December rains are quite common. This can tend to muddy up the north end of Lake Allatoona. Depending on the amount of rainfall, this can often move a lot of the active fish back down mid-lake and south into clearer waters. Searching for and fishing the mud line is often a key tactical move. Until that happens, it should be noted that there is typically very good fishing from the Bartow Carver area all the way north, up into the delta area of the Etowah. During the winter months, the channel is typically our best friend, and a keen sense of chart reading is often key for finding the best fishing grounds. Channel sweeps into the creek mouths are an example of key convergence points to be concentrating on. Naturally, don’t forget to keep your eyes out for the seagulls that always have their eyes on the bait. Often enough, where there’s bait, typically
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our game fish are close by. Overall, hybrid and striper fishing can be stellar most days. While it is often tough to beat an early morning bite, we will find days coming into December and later into the winter when you may as well not even start fishing until 10-11 a.m. Each day can be different and at the beginning and end of each day, the very best time to go fishing is the time/space that you can be on water. For targeting these hybrids and stripers, trolling some full-size Umbrella rigs as well as Mini-Mack’s and deep diving crankbaits can, at times, fish circles around live bait. The trolling of artificials will have its days. However, the very best go-to on our boats is going to be a threadfin or gizzard shad, trout or shiner down lined in combination with free lines. This is the time of year that we will start leaning toward gizzard shad and trout while we are hoping to target some of the better fish in the 8-to-12-pound class. Catching fresh frisky bait during the winter months can be somewhat challenging, so feel free to lean on a local bait supplier such as the Dugout Bait and Tackle or Allatoona’s Shad Bait and Tackle, particularly when your time on the water may be limited. Downlining might be as simple as a 1-2 oz. swivel style sinker with a 4-to-6-foot fluorocarbon leader tied on to an octopus hook. As far as hook sizes are concerned, this can range and should be matched with your bait size but typically anything from size 2 or 1 for smaller baits and up to 4/0 for medium/large gizzards and medium trout. Typically, you want the biggest amount of the hook gap exposed while doing your best to use an appropriate
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size for the size bait being utilized. It does you very little good to have a size 2 octopus hook on the line and then decide to put a medium gizzard shad on that hook because even barely hooking it you do not leave yourself enough hook gap to convert into a solid hookup. All the way into late November and again into the month of December, we love targeting some larger catfish that the reservoir has to offer. While techniques can vary here, a key thing to note. if you are going after these larger fish in the 20 to 30+ pound class, you should target them with appropriate weight tackle. A 25-pound flathead is still a formidable opponent and gives a good fight even when using 30-pound test and heavier lines, and in combination with heavier action rods. When you’re trying to fight these fish on 8-pound test ML or medium tackle, it’s just a long and arduous battle that can more than often result in you losing the fish even after working your forearms to Popeye-like proportions. The crappie and spotted bass bite are overall great as well during the winter, here on Lake Allatoona. From
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pulling and pushing jigs and/or minnows to shooting docks and marinas for the crappie and for hunting spotted bass with Alabama rigs all the way up to monster swim baits as the waters continue to cool, he or she who targets these species can do very well during December. We fish all year ‘round and stay on the fish and work hard to find the bite on any given day. Nothing pleases us more than making new friends out on a guided fishing adventure and helping craft some wonderful smiles and memories for you, your friends and family. Please do not hesitate to reach out directly to us via phone call or text to 404-919-4918 or email us at: heronoutdooradventures@gmail.com. We do hope that the anticipated forecast for December gives you a good starting point on your own trip. We are here for the full-service adventure whenever you ring us up. Stay safe, love and be kind to one another and yourselves. We wish you the merriest of the Christmas seasons and will catch you again in the New Year. Tight lines, my friends! - Joseph DECEMBER 2023
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST worm. Green Pumpkin derivatives are usu- to these fish can be effective as well. Make ally a good place to start. I prefer the GA sure to experiment with different places and Jig options and will fish a worm on the GA approaches as the lake fishes differently each day. Stay flexible and enjoy more success. Blade Ball Heads as well. As the day progresses, particularly on Good Luck and I’ll See Y’all on the Contributed By: sunny days, the bait and fish will move into water! the deeper portions of the ditch and will reJimbo is a Full-Time, Year-Round Spotted Jim “Jimbo” Mathley Bass Guide on Lake Lanier. late to the available cover, such as brush or www.jimboonlanier.com Contact him today to book a trip! standing timber. Presenting a GA Jig, drop While the outside elements are not al- The colder the water, the slower your presen- shot worm by Lanier Baits, or jigging spoon Mobile - 770-542-7764 ways favorable, December and throughout tation should be. Experiment with different the winter can offer some outstanding an- lures and retrieve speed to determine the gling on Lake Lanier. Big sacks of spotted optimum strike provoking presentation on bass can be taken during these cold-weather any given day. By Capt. Cefus McRae | Nuts & Bolts Fishing Series As the water chills on Lanier heading into months if you approach the lake with an open mind and are willing to try some dif- December, rock points and veins of rock (in Hartwell, GA ferent techniques and locations, and mostly, creek arms or on the main lake), as well as December get off the bank. Let’s explore two productive rocky humps can be a big factor. Rock holds approaches to Lanier in December – ditches heat from the sun and therefore attracts for- brings a lot of and rock. Understand that in 2023, the lake age that seek to meet their metabolic need change to our is around 9 feet below full pool. This is the by finding the warmest available water, even area. Folks first time in several years that this condition if it is only a slight temperature difference. are out in has occurred. In the past, when we have Accordingly, make sure you find the rock in large numbers encountered lower lake levels in December, whatever area you are fishing as that might shopping for it has made ditch fishing both more predict- indeed be the area the fish are holding be- the perfect Christmas present. Holiday able and consistent. Join me in welcoming, cause the bait is in that same area. Rock of- music plays in coffee shops, retail stores in advance, a repeat performance! ten provides the sweet spot within any viable and gas stations. Homes and businesses to use artificial baits; but if you simply display decorations that would rival the A ditch can be defined as a significant structure options as the water gets colder. want to stretch a string, or maybe you’ve depression, typically narrow in width (2-15 A GA Blade Shad Spin is one of my favor- North Pole; and every night a transformagot someone new to fishing on board… feet), which offers a sharp depth change of 2 ite baits for this time of year. Cast this bait tion occurs as thousands of lights create a my suggestion…go with live bait. Did I feet or more from the surrounding structure. down the center of the ditches in which you landscape of color along every street. It’s just cross the line? Hope not. Seriously Ditches can be naturally occurring or can be have found bait and fish. Work the bait slow- hard not to get wrapped up in the holiday though, small shiners, crappie minnows, man-made. An example of a naturally oc- ly on the bottom (or in the area where you spirit. small worms and crustaceans are what December also brings change in the curring ditch would be a creek channel that see the bait and fish suspended) and be alert feeds a pocket, cove, or creek arm. A man- for very light bites. Make sure to let the fish outdoor world. Most of our southern lakes these fish are eating now. And if you can give them what they want, you’ll realize a made ditch could result from a trench that load up on the bait before you set the hook. have turned over by now. Oxygen levels tremendous benefit from the tactic. was dug during the construction of a hous- That is the toughest part of this approach. It are good throughout the water column The exceptions for winter fishing in our ing edition near the lake. These features ex- is easy to feel the first bite and immediately and the water is clearing up. Fish can now southeastern impoundments are stripers ist in many places on Lake Lanier, and they set the hook. Resist the temptation and keep feel free to cruise deep or shallow. On a and hybrid bass. For them, the colder… hold fish during the winter months. Ditches reeling slowly until the fish “loads up”. Use a bright day, the sun warms up shallow flats the better. 50 degrees is like heaven to can be shallow or deep, and sometimes both boot-tail type trailer as the water gets colder. and long points where they can soak up a them. Baits can be big or small, so the key depending on the length and location of the The vibration of this type of trailer helps the little heat and get a quick bite to eat. For is to determine what forage fish are still us anglers, fishing can be off-the-chain one fish zero in on the bait. If the bladed bait is ditch. active and then mimic those species. StripUse your Humminbird electronics to not working, try the Keitech swimbait on day, and then really aggravating the next. ers will actually focus on a particular bait This time of year, fish can be fickle, find creek arms or pockets just off the main a jig head and swim or drag that as a more choice…like small threadfins for instance especially when the water temp’s dip into creek channels that offer a deep vein extend- finesse-type option. and pass up virtually everything else. When the fish are shallower in the ditch- the 50’s and lower. Because they are colding back into the arm or cove/pocket. The When baitfish get scarce, they will look to farther the deep water extends into the creek es, particularly in the mornings, a crankbait blooded, everything tends to slow down in other opportunities like bream, big gizzard arm, the better. Also, the more rock that is can be an effective search bait. Fan cast the this cold water…both predator and prey. shad, and even smaller bass or stripers. I’ll present, the better. When you enter these ar- back of pockets and ditches with a crankbait And that’s a key piece of knowledge. Cold set up my slow troll spread with a variety eas and are searching for productive water, and, as with the GA Blade Shad Spin, work water tends to make gamefish a bit slugof species and sizes at the start of the trip search for the presence of bait fish in and the bait slowly and deliberately. The more gish. Because they are not expending a lot around the timber which you will find in the the bait bumps and deflects off the bottom of energy roaming the lake, they don’t need and let the fish tell me what they want to eat that day. A couple herring down deep, deeper water portions of the ditch. If you do and acts erratically, the better. Work a Berk- to eat quite as many meals. Nevertheless, one on a flat line, and a large juicy gizzard not find bait, you will not find fish. Leave ley Frittside Crankbait in the backs of creeks. they still need to eat. shad or trout on a planer board right up Try downsizing your lures to mimic and check other similar areas. Start your Don’t forget to try the Berkley jerkbaits as against the bank. Usually the water is quite search in 40 feet of water in the mouth of the well – the Berkley Stunna can be an excel- morsels rather than big meals. Tie on clear, so fluorocarbon leaders are a must ditch and work your way back. Start fishing lent option in the back of these creek arms small spoons, in-line spinners, smaller and consider using the lightest line you feel when you find the bait. early in the morning. Overall, stay flexible in crank baits, etc. And slow down your comfortable with. Once you find a creek arm that meets the your approach and don’t be afraid to switch presentation. In fact, try completely stopWinter fishing can be fun, and it can ping your retrieve and simply let your lure above criteria, you must now determine how techniques! be frustrating. Adapt your bait, tackle and in the water, or drop down slowly. That sit you are going to fish these potentially proWhen the fish are not as active, a jig or tactics to the seasonal change and you can ductive waters. Your approach should be de- worm fished in the ditches can be effective. momentary pause may be just enough to continue to put lots of fish in the boat. termined by the location of the bait and time Work the bait SLOWLY on the bottom. entice a large bass to ease over and take a From all of us at Nuts & Bolts of Fishof day. Early in the mornings, active fish will Make sure to pause the bait frequently (vary look. Be aware, they may even do a little ing, we wish you and yours a wonderoften be positioned shallower in the ditch, the length of pause until you are spot on) and window shopping before actually taking ful holiday season and a very Merry towards the back and sometimes right in impart some pops and hops in the presenta- the bait. Christmas! That brings me to my next point. I the middle. Your presentation speed should tion. This can be key to triggering strikes. Tight lines and calm seas. vary directly with the water temperature. Play with color selection on both the jig and know the majority of bass anglers tend
LOW WATER ON LANIER EQUALS BETTER DITCH BITE
H2O For The Holidays
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST BASS FISHING
LANIER STRIPERS
By James K. Pressley jameskpressley@gmail.com
Y’all it’s that time of year. I mean it’s here ladies and gentlemen! Anglers and Anglerettes! Fall is officially here. Woke up this morning to a temp below 40 degrees. Man does that make me happy! My neck starts to swell, I start pawing the ground! I am itching to fish! I love fall fishing. To me, it’s simply the best we get here in the Lake Country. Sunday afternoon I had the opportunity to be on the boat with two local anglers y’all might have heard of. Matt Henry and Connor Lopez. Now Matt and I work together over at Sinclair Marina and if you follow the news Matt is an Elite Series Qualifier angler who spent most of the year in the top 9 of Angler of the Year points. Matt is an elite angler no matter what trail or group you are talking about. Connor is a young junior in HS, angler who just won the Ga Bass Nation HS event on Lake Oconee. Connor was introduced to me by Jim Lumpkin of Lake Country Fishing. Now, I am on Jim’s prostaff and we work together on a lot of things both at the marina and through the year as fishing “professionals”. Jim simply texted me one day and said I needed to hook up with this young guy and that I wouldn’t regret it. Well, he was right. Connor is a stand-up young man, who has a passion for fishing along with a talent for it that most only dream of. From the first moment Connor stepped out of his truck and shook my hand I had a lot of respect for this young man. From the fact that he shook my hand firmly and looked me in the eye to the fact that he was ready to go, rigged, and jumped up every time the boat stopped. He could
cast accurately, quickly, and with no wasted motion. He also like most of the tournament guys I know hit only the high percentage spots without wasting any time and without being told. To the rest of the world that right there means he can analyze water on the fly and knows where his bait needs to be. Matt and Connor had a conversation the whole afternoon about the tournament lifestyle, the challenges, the highs. The future of it and what to focus on. Matt opened up like few tournament pros will ever do for Connor and with what I saw my deep respect for Matt as an angler and a man grew. This was also the first time Matt and I had fished together. I have fished with a few tournament anglers, but not in a long time, with someone as accomplished as Matt. As an observer on the boat this is something that stood out to me beyond all else in regard to his fishing. Matt doesn’t just stare at a screen. He never once stopped looking around. I mean everywhere and everything happening got a glance and if it was worth it or he thought it might be a clue to catching more fish it got investigated. Matt notices everything. That doesn’t mean he isn’t fishing. This is all done while that lure is sailing through the air, being worked, lures are being changed, rods put down and picked up. No movement was wasted or missed. You see in the course of a day you can only make so many casts, you can only hit so many spots, you can only be in motion so much, so it all has to count. Watch any interview about this with Kevin Van Dam, Rick Clunn, Zell Roland, Shaw Grigsby, and numerous others. They all talk about this specific trait for successful tournament anglers. Now in closing let me point this out. Beyond the fishing these two guys are good men. These two are people you want to be around, you want to fish with, you want to work with, you want to see do well because it proves the point that quality men still succeed. They are good men above and beyond the tournament world. Tight lines and following seas y’all!
Forecast by: Capt. Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com 770-630-2673 The striper fishing on Lake Lanier is falling into the winter patterns. The bait is thickening up in the creeks and the stripers are following them. Live bait will be hard to beat in December. The baitfish are now moving into the creeks in very large schools as mentioned. Some of these schools are absolutely massive. On and off throughout the day the stripers will move through this bait and feast. You want to be waiting on the stripers with the traditional downline with blueback herring and rainbow trout around these massive pods of bait. You will need the same setup for the herring and the trout, but you will need different size weights and hooks. Spool up a Penn Fathom II 20 reel with fifteen-pound Trilene Big Game clear line paired with a Shakespeare striper rod. You can use this setup year-round for stripers. Tie a Carolina rig on the end with a Capt. Mack 2-ounce swivel sinker and 5-foot leader of 15-pound Trilene 100% Flourocarbon and a Gamakatsu 3/0 octopus hook. If the trout are smaller, go with the 1/0 or 2/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. On the herring, use the smaller 1-ounce Capt. Mack swivel sinker. Also, on the herring use a smaller size 1 Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap hook and 12-pound Trilene 100 % Flourocarbon. All of
these details are important. These details will make the difference between fishing and catching. If you want to catch these fish on artificials. The spoon is a great choice. Tie on a Capt. Mack Super Spoon on a 6’6” Fenwick medium action rod paired with an Abu Garcia Revo X with 10-pound line and drop the spoon to the bottom and work it in a yo-yo type motion around the big pods of bait. Most of the bites will be on the fall of the spoon. If you do see some surface action, keep a Berkley Spy tied on a spinning rod. This late in the year the stripers will be feeding on small threadfin shad which the Spy will match. To find where these deep pods are located first look for any birds. The birds always narrow your search. Now that you are in the right area, the proper electronics are crucial. On the Humminbird Solix, you can see these huge pods of bait and even see your bait swimming around on the hook around the schools of bait. During the winter, do not be afraid to fish in the middle of the day. Many times, in the winter, the best fishing is during the warmest part of the day. A win all the way around. No need to freeze at daylight. See you on the water, the pleasure boaters are gone, and the lake is all set for fishermen.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST locked in by the next article and ing time in God’s great outdoors will post them on FB as well. As is the perfect way to mentor these soon as we get our site back, we will kids. We can teach them the Godly continue our newsletters to keep values we were raised with or let you up to date. the establishment lead them astray. Pray for all our folks in uniform They will be our leaders someday. and their families as they protect Watch our Lee King Memorial Alabama Classic Face book page for us every day. Pray for one another By Capt Sam Williams | Hawks Fishing Guide Service updates on our 2024 schedule as we as well, God commanded us to hawk184@earthlink.net | 334-355-5057 love each other. Have a memorable get our website back in order. We Thanksgiving. are planning a March and SeptemWater level: 186.35 ber tournament to raise research Water temp: mid to upper 60’s money for these precious, terminal The drought has caused the river pattern has been a great choice Water clarity: good stain children with Niemann-Pic disease. to remain low. The upside to this around riprap and the river rocks Because of our supporting fisheris the banks are exposed and will upriver on the Georgia side. The allow the vegetation to germinate top water action has been on a frog, men over the years, the doctors are nearing a possible cure for these making for some great cover for Pop-R and Spook. When you find the bait fish and critters when the the schooling shad, a trap under the kid’s. We should have our dates water rises during the spring rains. school will get a good strike. The cooler water has caused the Crappie are settling in their winfish to become active again. Where ter pattern; they are being caught in If you would like to place an ad, you can locate any pads and bank 12 to 18 feet of water on minnows please contact us: grass, the bass are doing great on and minnow tipped jigs. Texas rigs and jigs hooked up with Catfish are still doing ok on jugs craig@theanglermagazine.com trick works in Tequila sunrise, baited with cut bait. The bottom Watermelon candy and green fishermen are working the creek pumpkin. Using creature baits on drops with crawlers. jigs is a good choice. I have been The cooler weather is the perfect using some of Lindsey Page’s 850 time to get a youngster out for soft baits and doing well on his Ole a day of dishing and build these Mose in a 6” trick worm. The shalmemories. Hunting season is in on low square bill in the threadfin shad both sides of the river too. Spend-
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST 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 December fishing on Lake Martin is something you need to treat yourself to. If you’ve never done it, you’re missing out. The weather is beautiful, the bite is on fire and absolutely no recreational boat traffic to deal with. Last December we were (on a daily basis) boating 30-60 stripers per boat per trip. Are they in the 20-40 lb. class size like we catch in the spring? Well the answer is no, but they are in the 3-12 lb. class with the occasional 20+ pounder. I always say winter fishing is a numbers game and you’ll never get bored because it’s literally one bite after another. It’s so exciting that if you ever experience it, you will do a December trip year after year as so many of my clients do!
If you like chasing fish by searching for gulls busting in the bait balls then you’ll love December here on Lake Martin (one of the best areas to find the seagulls is the Kowaliga Bay Area). If you like jigging for stripers and bass in huge schools in deep water, then this is your time to shine. If you like the slower pace but still catch quality stripers then find you some creeks or the river channel and pull planer boards. Yes, you can absolutely catch fish on Lake Martin in December with literally any approach you prefer. I know I say this about several months of the year, but December here is literally one of my favorite months. If you are having a hard time
deciding what to get your family for and Happy Holiday season. Until next time “Tight Lines“. Christmas or your budget is tight Water clarity / clear and you’d prefer to delay spending Winter pool level money at this particular time Surface temp 60 then why don’t you consider a gift certificate from us? We are home to the: get now but don’t pay until the day it’s used gift certificate. That’s right I’ll email you a gift certificate that you can wrap and put under your tree and you don’t spend a dime until the day it’s used. From our family to yours we wish you a very Merry Christmas
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LAKE CHATUGE Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchguideservice.com 706-455-2323 Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports: “ Fishing has been good, I will start my mornings out on the main body throwing topwater, once the sun gets up the bass have started blowing up on herring bait fish. On sunny days, I like throwing chrome, like a Berkley 110 cane walker, Ima Shimmy, and Whopper Plooper. Make sure to keep a couple top water equipped rods on the deck all day, because they will blow up at any time. By mid-morning, I will start fishing banks and points
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along with offshore structure. Using my Garmin Livescope to locate fish, I will use a dropshot rig, shaky head, and a Texas rig senko. The colder the water gets the better the fishing is going to get, when we get down in the mid 50’s it will be time to start throwing the float n fly. Good Luck Chatuge: Level: 1.5’ Below Full pLevel: 5.5’ Below Full pool. Temp: 68-70 degrees. Clarity: Clear DECEMBER 2023
ATLANTA 11
LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST BLUE RIDGE Forecast By: Eric Crowley Lake & Stream Guide Service (706) 669-4973
LAKE NOTTELY Forecast By:Will Harkins- Getfishingguide.com | Williamharkins11@gmail.com
lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com
The walleye bite continues to be consistent as the temps and lake levels fall. We are in the sweet spot now; cool water and steady weather make for good morning feeding patterns. We have seen some really nice fish in the 23-to-24-inch range in the last few weeks and we should get more as we get additional cold front/ low pressure systems. Fish the prefrontal and frontal days for the best success. Clouds, rain, and overcast days are your friends this month. Everything we are having success on is vertical. Bringing the bait to
the fish vs making them chase it. Smaller baits are getting bitten by some really big fish so make sure and mix up your presentation. Color selection seems to be standard for walleye anywhere. Reds, greens, purple, black or gold are the usual choices but make sure and mix in some other choices as some days it can make all the difference. The perch bite was on and off last month with all the warm weather but should be more consistent this month as the big females show up. Small spoons, minnows, even worms are a good option. We have been catching a lot of bass dropping spoons in 35ft. The 3/4 oz krocodile spoon or blue fox pixie spoon are my go-to for spotted bass. Blues, yellow or straight chrome have been getting the job done.
2023 has been a Fin-tastic year! As the year winds down, our thoughts drift to hot cocoa, Santa Claus, and presents under the Christmas tree. It is easy to get caught up in the hustle of the season, when parties and family abound, but do not overlook a quick getaway to the lake! Be sure to bundle up so you do not get Frosty! My favorite thing about this time of year is the lack of traffic on the lake. Many days, I never see another boat! Make no mistake, this is not because the fishing is off! In fact, many of our best days, all year, come in the dead of winter! The spotted bass especially love to eat on nasty cold days. The fish set up in their winter haunts inside ditches and drains. Ditches are deep channels in the form of
Temp 60 | Level -16ft | Clarity 6 ft
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a pocket or low spot between two raised places. Typically, the fish will be set up from 25-40 feet of water in these ditches waiting for a tasty present to swim by! The easiest way to locate these areas is to look at the contours on land. When you see a drain off, or a ditch in the shoreline, more times than not it is the same contour under the water. Many of these are found on steeper slopes extending into the water. For the primary approach, I will utilize a ½ oz underspin swimbait. In the winter, you really want to slow down your approaches. Crawl the swimbait on the bottom, counting every rock as we say. If the bass are not interested, they cannot resist a drop shot with a 4.5-inch Roboworm. I will also drag the bait along the bottom of these drains, waiting for the line to start swimming off! If you are like me and do not like going slow, pick up a medium diving crankbait or jerkbait and get to work! On sunnier days, I will target chunk rock banks and points with the aforementioned baits! It can be a productive way to stay moving and catch some of the lunkers baking in the sun! I prefer a Spro Rock Crawler crankbait or a Megabass 110+1 jerkbait. Of course, winter fishing would not be the same without a jig! Check out Legacy Tackles custom jigs and drag them around anywhere out deep, waiting for the fish of a lifetime! With the holidays upon us, make sure to spend time with family, make some time to hit the lake, and never take a day for granted! Here’s to 2024 being an even better year! Get out there and Get Fishing! #Godsgotthis Lake Level: 15 feet below full pool. Temp: 50-55 degrees Clarity: Clear
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST and selected lures and tackle not found elsewhere. Birmingham, Alabama has some good locally owned sporting goods outlets. In my travels across Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina, I Dr. Andrew Cox almost always browse through the small “bait and tackle” stores perusing their tackle inventory. Though they may have With the onset of December, the Christ- higher, there are advantages to shopping a small inventory, sometimes one can find mas season is here in earnest. You may still at these smaller tackle and sporting goods classic left over stocks of lures and similar be looking for gifts for those sports persons outlets. Customer service is almost always products no longer available at the big box excellent. Staff are knowledgeable and can or online sales outlets such as the original in your life. As you complete your holiday provide advice on special fishing situations balsa Bang-a-Lures, Big O’s, or similar gift purchases, consider shopping at locally or tackle needs. Many times they carry owned fly and other angling or sporting discontinued tackle. There are most likely tackle and product brands not found at big other specialty outdoor stores in your comgoods stores. Many times these are small box tackle outlets. These smaller tackle businesses that are the foundation of munity that deserve your patronage during outlets may have specialty niches. The Fish this holiday buying season. America’s economy. They seem to be havHawk in Atlanta, Georgia is my favorite ing a difficult time these days competing Some years ago, I had an experience at place to shop for fly fishing clothing, acces- The Fish Hawk that led to my appreciation with the large, national, so called “big box” stores as well as online sales that have cut sories, and high end rods and reels. There for locally owned sporting goods busiinto their business market share. Over the are other locally owned sporting goods nesses. I was in the market for a float tube years, many of these smaller family owned stores spread around Atlanta and smaller for use in pursuing trout and bass in local businesses have gone out of business. locales across north Georgia that have fly rivers and small lakes. I was comparing I recall some of these local sporting fishing and other fishing equipment within features of the various tubes but was unsure goods stores that were common when I their inventory. if I would be able to use this angling device. first started fishing. Anyone remember Outside of the Atlanta area, Randall Looking at The Fish Hawk’s inventory of East Lake Sporting Goods in the Atlanta Marine in Phenix City, Alabama is an tubes, the shop owners allowed me to take area, or Franklin Sports in Albany, Georexcellent source of a variety of braid, one home free of charge to try out for a fluorocarbon, and monofilament fishing gia? How about Calvin’s Sporting Goods period of time. I returned the borrowed lines, selling some quality lines not found tube, ending up purchasing a larger, more in Columbus, Georgia? These stores had substantial inventories of outdoor products at big box tackle outlets. A sporting expensive model tube from their store. goods outlet located in Opelika, Alabama This experience reinforced the superb and as well as what seemed to be a good continues to have a good inventory of customer base. personalized customer service and advice quality fishing reels, some quality rods, Though prices may be somewhat often found at such smaller tackle outlets.
SOME MORE THOUGHTS ABOUT SPORTING HOLIDAY SHOPPING
I certainly continue to shop at the big box stores. Their large inventories of tackle and other fishing products in one location are certainly a draw. However, remember to spread some of your wealth around to your local or favorite sporting goods outlet or specialty store. You just might be able to find the perfect gift for that sportsperson in your life this holiday season; maybe even a gift that one will treasure for a lifetime. At the same time, you will be contributing to the continuation of this family owned business within your community. 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.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST the rods and reels ready to go. If you read my articles from long ago, you know I used to take lots of FFA students fishing. They have coerced By Gary Turner Gary@purgeright.com me into helping with the FFA Alumni https://youtube.com/@FishingWithGary again, so I’m back fishing with them. “Tight Lines and Squealing Reels Put a Smile I love to see their excitement when on My Face Every Time.” they catch their first fish. Speaking of first fish, I took my friends Danny Louisiana where we caught tons of I can’t believe that 2023 is almost and Rafi to Santee, SC this summer. trout, some redfish, and I took care of Danny is 30, and he was ecstatic to gone. I have lit my 26-foot Christmas Cross already, and it is shining bright! 10 alligators - what an exciting trip! catch his first fish! Several of us went to Lake Ida and the I lit it the same night the Chik-Fil-A I’m sure I will teach more people to Everglades fishing and that was a lot on the Atlanta Hwy in Athens was fish in 2024 and continue to enjoy the of fun. Seventeen of us guys went to lit up for Christmas. 2023 was quite camaraderie of fishing with friends. Shell Beach, Louisiana, and we wore an incredible fishing year for me, not As for what 2024 holds, I have been out the sheepshead, trout and redfish! asked to go to Spain after Wels Catthat I caught a bunch of new species I recently met a man at the Happy fish and French Guina for Arapaima, or that I caught too many giant fish, Hooker Bait Shop in Winder as we but I am finding my stride. I turned and I’m excited about those. On my waited for it to open. We got to talk60 this year, and it’s ok. I have made bucket list there is still a Rooster Fish, a resolution to take more people fishing and turns out his uncle was one a Rio Grande Cichlid, a Marlin, and a ing in the future. I have my pontoon of my best friends in high school. We Bluefin! Every time I check off a fish, ready to go and have several more exchanged numbers and went off to I find two more I need to catch! fish different lakes. He had his daughboat projects in the works. My trip to Get with some of your friends and ter and wife with him. After lunch I Brazil in 2022 with my good friend take a fishing trip. Whether with a messaged him to see how they were Capt. Johnny taught me I can fish guide or just on your own, GO FISHall day with a real baitcaster! I still doing. He said they hadn’t caught a ING! If you are local to me, give me love my closed face Zebcos and big thing and his six-year-old was getting a holler because I’m gonna do more baitcasters, the Penn Fathoms, for really discouraged. I asked my friend Lanier, Carters, Oconee, and Sinclair my catfish, but I’m expanding to the who has the lake I was fishing at if he this year than I have in the last few Zillion, Tatula and Curado. I did minded if they came over to fish with years. break three poles this year, includme. He said no problem, so I called them and they came. The little girl ing Johnny’s Cloud 9 which was bad caught 18 bream, her mom caught because it was broken on a turtle! several, and the dad, Jesse, caught Not terrible for as much fishing and a couple of nice channel cats. That’s travelling as I do though. I’ve seen what I call a great day! Jesse and I Bill Dance break four at one time. have fished 11 lakes together since My 2023 trip to Alaska was great! that meeting last month. Some people Dewayne and Blake had a blast! We just have fishing in their blood. are taking six more friends with us I do love teaching people to fish! next year so that should be REALLY Later this week, I am taking 25 high FUN! One of the highlights this year school FFA kids fishing. I’ve got all was a trip I took with Eric to Cut Off,
WHAT WILL I CATCH IN 2024!
14 ATLANTA
DECEMBER 2023
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I’m not sure what next month’s article will be on but remember, if you have an empty seat on your boat that needs filling, shoot me an email and maybe it will be about fishing with you! You can reach me at gary@ purgeright.com. My YouTube has changed again, I’m having growing pains. @takemefishinggary if you want to see some of the videos. Please remember, if you are not going to eat it, don’t kill it.
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Troy Westerman, from Tampa, FL with one of several Lake Eufaula bass caught while fishing with Capt Sam Williams. Randy Miller from Destin, FL with a nice bass caught while fishing Lake Eufaula with Capt. Sam Williams
Carter Cunningham and Landon Glander, GHSA November Fishing Tournament on Lanier. 2nd place finish with a weight of 21-58.
Foster lands his first butter brown trout with guide David Hulsey!
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Major League Fishing High School Open Tournament on Lake Hartwell, Winners with a total weight of 15-15. Congratulations Landon Glander and Carter Cunningham!
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Syncere Evans caught this nice 6 lbs. largemouth at Lake Ramona!
ANGLERS GET TWO MONTHS FOR GULF AJ
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t will be another short season for amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico next year. The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council decided in late October to modify both the recreational season and commercial trip limits for greater amberjack. The result for recreational anglers is a two-month fall season, which is expected to close a few days early based on projections. The council chose to modify the recreational season so it opens on Sept. 1 and remains open through Oct. 31, unless the annual catch target is projected to be met earlier. The projected date for reaching that annual catch target is Oct. 26. The council also chose to reduce the commercial trip limit to seven fish, which is equivalent to about 210 pounds gutted weight. This framework action will be transmitted to the Secretary of Commerce for approval and implementation as soon as practicable. In anticipation that this rule may not be implemented before the beginning of the 2024 commercial fishing season, the Council requested that NOAA Fisheries implement an emergency rule to reduce the commercial trip limit to seven fish at the start of the year. Since Amendment 54 reduced catch limits by about 83 percent, and the 2023 commercial annual catch limit was exceeded, a payback provision will reduce the 2024 commercial annual catch target to 56,661 pounds whole weight. Under the current 1,000-pound trip limit, the commercial fishing season is expected to be incredibly short. For more information, go to https://gulfcouncil.org/.
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“Found in lava, meteorites, and deep in the earth’s mantle, yellow-green peridot is the extreme gem” — Gemological Institute of America’s Gem Encyclopedia
PRAISE FOR STAUER PERIDOT JEWELRY You could easily “...absolutely beautiful. The picture spend $400 on a sterling silver ring set does not do it justice. It is a real with peridot stones. stunner.” – S. C., Berkeley, CA But, with Stauer in your corner, the sky’s the limit for affording the extraordinary. Priced at just $39, you can treat her to the Verdant Peridot Ring set in .925 sterling silver and save your money and your love life all at the same time.
Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. Indulge in the Verdant Peridot Ring for 30 days. If you aren’t perfectly happy, send it back for a full refund of the item price. Limited Reserves. Don’t let this gorgeous ring slip through your fingers. Call today! Verdant Peridot Ring ( 1/2 ctw) $299† $39 +S&P Save $260 You must use the insider offer code to get our special price.
1-800-333-2045
Your Insider Offer Code: TPR283-02 Please use this code when you order to receive your discount. † Special price only for customers using the offer code versus the price on Stauer.com without your offer code.
Stauer
®
14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. TPR283-02, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com
Rating of A+
• 2 1/3 ctw Verdant Peridot • White zircon accents • Rhodium-finished .925 sterling silver setting • Whole sizes 5-10
Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary.®
16 NATIONAL
DECEMBER 2023
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
ABALONE HUMMINGBIRD PENDANT & EARRINGS COLLECTION Graceful Hummingbird Design Solid 925 Sterling Silver Abalone Mother of Pearl
Matching Abalone Hummingbird Earrings
Complimentary 22” Chain 1.57” Length
Natural Abalone Shell
TAKE FLIGHT WITH THIS DAZZLING DELIGHT The hummingbird is a traditional symbol of love and beauty. Suspended in mid-flight, with a rainbow of iridescence in wave-like patterns, outstanding shimmering Abalone decorates her body and wing. Each unique, one-of-a-kind piece of Abalone shell has been molded into a sterling silver pendant. Traditionally, Abalone shell is believed to induce feelings of calm, compassion and love. It has a tranquil, warm and gentle cosmic vibration. Spiritually uplifting, Abalone is said to soothe the nerves, encourage serenity and bestow a feeling of inner peace. Originally priced at $249, this stunning piece of jewelry can be yours today for a special offer price of just $79 with promo code: CA3DHB
Original Price Without Code $249 - With Promo Code Now Only $79 Abalone Hummingbird Pendant $79 plus S&H Abalone Hummingbird Earrings $79 plus S&H Abalone Hummingbird Complete Collection Now Only $149 (EXTRA SAVING)
ORDER NOW TOLL FREE 24/7 ON: 1-800 733 8463 AND QUOTE PROMO CODE: CA3DHB Or order online at: timepiecesusa.com/ca3dhb and enter promo: CA3DHB PAY BY CHECK: Timepieces International Inc. 10701 NW 140th Street, Suite 1, Hialeah Gardens, FL 33018