The Angler Magazine | November 2022 | Greater Atlanta Edition

@CAMTAMagazine

Aboard The Hard Merchandise

By Astrid DeGruchy

icked Tuna is a show my ancé, Capt. Brandon Storin, and I like to watch. As an avid angler betrothed to a charter captain, I think it’s pretty cool to watch these guys reel in giants, but it’s even cooler to do it Brandon and I wanted this experience, so we went on a charter with the legendary crew of the “Hard Merchandise.” Docked in Gloucester, Mass., the boat is very spacious with a heated cabin, full head and all the latest electronics. Capt. Joe Marciano and his Mate, Jay, are exactly as they are from the show, and their skillsets for catching

During our time with them, conditions were a bit rough. It called for us leaving the docks earlier than anyone else, and while riding out, you could really see how meticulous they are in each part of the rigging and set up. During the boat ride, conversation was great, with plenty of laughs to go around. Before we knew it, we were at the tuna grounds.

In the midst of catching and soaking baits and waiting for the bite, the crew made us fresh breakfast and it was amazing. We had bacon and scrambled eggs with lobster.

e experience is very much like what you would expect from watching the show. ere’s lots of refreshing baits and waiting for a bite. When they mark sh on the sonar, the enthusiasm from the crew is amazing, just like on television. Capt. Joe and Jay jump up, yelling “WE’RE MARKING!” Adrenaline starts pumping with anticipation as you hope everything is lined up perfect enough to get a bite.

Fortunately, we did get tight, and I have never seen a sh take such a wild and ferocious run… several times. I was up to battle this sh with coaching from Capt. Joe and Jay. ere is nesse needed to ght a giant like this, and a cra in staying tight and knowing when to let him run. Every second spent reeling elevated the hope that we might land this big tuna. Yet there was also anxiety. If you’ve watched the show, you know that losing one of these monsters is a very real possibility.

We battled the sh for a while. Gaining where I could, adrenaline kept me pumping while the crew maneuvered the boat. e communication is constant as everyone works together.

Finally, I saw this huge beast start surfacing. Capt. Joe moved in with the harpoon, ready to take the shot. Everything happened so quickly! e beast surfaced, and Capt. Joe drilled it with a perfect gill shot. It wasn’t over yet, but it was just a matter of time. A er the sh made one last run, taking a bunch of rope, we hauled it back in and roped its tail. At that point, I knew I had landed my top bucket-list sh.

It was an amazing experience, and it felt like we were literally in an episode of Wicked Tuna. What you see from the show is what you get in person. ere is no script; nothing is fake. ere is only grit, talent and hope, and these guys have all that.

e Hard Merchandise team recently launched Angelica Seafoods, where one can order fresh blue n, lobster, scallops, oysters and more to be delivered to your door. If you plan a trip to Boston and want to catch a sh of a lifetime, book a charter with the Hard Merchandise.

For more information on the Hard Merchandise, visit www.angelica sheries.com/fv-hardmerchandise.

IG: @catching_astrid @bnmbean @hardmerchjoe @melodyredwing @hardmerchandisejay.

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HILARY MARTIN:

INFLUENCER, YOUTUBER AND BASS ANGLER

That’s quite a headline for a 17-year-old high school student from Clewiston, Fla. who loves bass shing.

I spoke with Hilary while she was in Palatka, Fla. preparing to sh the Florida Bass Nation tournaments on the St. Johns River, and her enthusiasm and passion for the sport of bass shing were impressive.

Last year, at 16, she nished h at the State Championship of the Florida Bass Nation with a total weight heavier than 19 pounds. She’s hoping to do even better this year.

I asked her if she could remember when she rst started shing, and she laughed as she guessed that she was “probably only 2 years old.” A er all, she does come from a pretty well-known family of professional bass shermen.

Her grandfather, the legendary Roland Martin, is one of the greatest bass shermen of all time. Her father, Scott, won the 2011 Forest Wood Cup Championship, and also has 45 top-ten nishes and eight tour victories in the FLW and hosts the Scott Martin Challenge.

But things are di erent today than they were

By Don Norton

Iin the past. Today, social media is the key to reaching your audience, and Hilary has done an incredible job on both YouTube, with over 100,000 subscribers, and Instagram with 103,000 followers.

Most of her videos are bass shing, although she’s had some very interesting saltwater shing videos, as well.

Hilary said she started taking bass shing seriously when she was 15 years old, and at 16, joined the Florida Bass Nation Series.

She has her own bass boat, a 20’ Skeeter FXR, with a 250hp Yamaha, but she also shes out of her dad’s boat from time to time, because, “it’s got all the goodies,” she laughed.

Her biggest bass, a whopping 9.1-pounder was caught ipping a black/blue Sweet Beaver along the edges of cattails on Lake Okeechobee when she was only 14 years old. She hopes to break that personal best soon.

Her shing arsenal includes a Favorite Phantom Series shing rod, a Shimano Curado reel and braided or uorocarbon line, along with her favorite bait, a Zoom Speed Worm.

“I was shing out of a kayak and I saw this

far away, so I threw my Speed Worm just past the mark,” she recounted. “I started a fast retrieve when a big bass came up and just exploded on it. at sh drug me around for what seemed like forever before I nally landed it. It weighed just over ve pounds. e cover picture of me holding a bass was taken the day a er.”

Listening to her tell that story, her excitement, enthusiasm and passion for bass shing became even more obvious.

If you haven’t seen one of her videos on YouTube ( eReelHilarySue), I’d strongly recommend you check them out. ey’re fun to watch, and you might just learn something. She’s a natural.

What an incredible future this beautiful, talented young lady has in store. I think she’ll be one of the biggest names in professional bass shing in the years to come.

Don Norton is co-publisher of the Okeechobee edition of e Angler Magazine.

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I think the most common question we get is where do I start? David and I recommend most folks start off with our 3-hour intro class. It gives folks an opportunity to see if they will like fly fishing without in vesting much time or money. We get you out on the water with a fly rod in your hand. No parking lot or grass casting. You need to be in the water with waders and boots or wet wad ing if possible. Failing a fly rod in the air on grass does not give you a true experience. Another option would be a 4-hour guid ed wade trip on waters. Make sure when you are looking for a guide or instructor that they have plenty experience teach ing. Just because you can do, does not mean you can teach.

Another popular question Da vid and I get is when should I book a class or trip? We provide services all year round. Fortunately, here in North Georgia, fishing is typically available all year round. It just de pends upon weather conditions. Have we had enough rain? Or too much rain? Has it been too hot? Or just too cold for comfort? We put all these weather conditions into consideration when determining whether/where to do a class or trip.

Public or private water? Most clients ask us what is the differ ence and why is one better than the other? Private water gives you

a piece of trout water to yourself for a certain amount of time (4 hours/8 hours) that is catch and release. These trout are typically larger because they are allowed to grow without being caught out. And, most of the time they are supplementally fed because there are so many larger fish in a smaller area. These fish would not stay in the private waters if they do not have enough food to survive. Pub lic waters allow access for you to go back and fish. Trout stocking typi cally occurs in spring to summer months for public waters. Delayed Harvest season offers another op tion for public waters during fall to spring months. There are marked sections on specific trout waters that have special regulations like catch and release for anglers to en

joy during this season. It is a great time to learn to fly fish on these wa ters because of these regulations.

Should I do a full day class or a wade trip? You should think, what do I plan to get out of this trip/ class? Do you want to go out on your own? Or do you want to devel op your skills? Our full day class is focused on helping you learn to fish on your own or be self-sufficient. After years of teaching, David and I have developed a great outline for our full day class which has proven to be a great success. We are very blessed to have clients still fishing for over 25 years. A wade trip can also be instructional. However, you will focus more on types of rigging like nymphing or streamers and how to fish them. I would recom mend this for someone with some experience but other factors might come into play when making a de cision.

Are your classes with a group of folks or can you do them inde pendently? We offer both options. We can put together a class for a group of folks. But, most of our classes are booked for a client and

a family member or friend. David and I believe you do get a better experience with a smaller client to instructor ratio. Just be sure your gear is provided for your class. We like for new clients to use our gear for classes. We can give you plenty insight what gear you need to get started so you are not buying gear that you do not need. This can be a bit overwhelming for folks.

We hope you will check out our website:

www.blueridgeflyfishingschool.com for more information about the classes we offer and other informa tion.

LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING

THE CASTING CORNER CASTING GEEK QUIZ

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

Recently, a friend of mine de scribed herself as a geek. Another friend of mine labeled himself as a casting geek. Back 40 years ago, if someone called me a geek, I would have been offended. After look ing at the various definitions of the word geek, this one seemed almost fitting, engaging in or discussing

computer-related tasks obsessively or with great attention to technical detail.

Applying that to fly casting, I am proud to now call myself a cast ing geek. Are you? Do you seek out others that have the same passion?

Would you like to? Locally, here in Atlanta, there are several groups,

organizations and clubs that can get you that, ‘fly casting fix’. Among them are the Atlanta Fly Fishing meetup group, Atlanta Fly Fishing Club, Georgia Women’s Fly Fishers, Veteran’s Fly Fishing, LLC, Trout Unlimited and the Atlanta Fly Fish ing School. All these groups will have at least one geek. There is usu ally little or no membership fee, so they are easy to join. Some have casting instruction, some are more social, but there is always someone to talk to about fly casting.

Okay, so now you get to hear from the geek side of me. See if these concepts, technical aspects, and topics stir some thoughts. There are 5 essentials in the basic fly cast according to Fly Fisher In ternational. Can you pick which one of the 5 essentials below is the goal that the other 4 are trying to accomplish?

Slack- should be kept to a mini mum.

Stroke- Size of the casting stroke depends on the length of the cast. (Short cast-short stroke, long castlong stroke.

Straight path of the rod tipHave the rod tip travel on a straight line away from the target and back to it.

Power- Apply the proper amount of power at the proper time. (A smooth constant rate of acceleration to a stop.)

Pause- Allow the loop of line to extend without losing tension or falling dramatically. (Watch the back cast.)

If you chose, ‘Straight line path’ as the goal of the other 4 essentials of fly casting, you may be a casting geek too!

Congratulations on your new role in life. The learning curve is much easier with a trained eye. Make an investment of time to get a few lessons and the time on the water will be so much more fun.

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GUIDES EDGE ON LAKE OCONEE NOVEMBER FORECAST

Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore USCG www.oconeeonthefly.com

This “guide’s edge” is what I call home: Sugar Creek Marina! Wil liam Clarks’ father purchased the Marina in 1993 and garnered his assistance in running the business.

For the past 29 years William has operated the marina, store, and boat storage facility. Today he has 10 employees, and they are the best there are.

William stocks literally every type of gear that the guides here use at incredibly competitive pric es. You need a 7/8-ounce war eagle spoon? He’s got them. How about the ACC Crappie Stix all the guides use? Yep, those too. Want to know what color jig we are using? They know. Need crappie minnows or bass minnows? They have them. He supports the annual Big Fish Heads Fishing Derby too.

The kitchen has great biscuits and Wednesday through Saturday the ladies there serve an incredible lunch.

If you are fishing Lake Oconee, stop in. You will feel right at home, and you might even see the vener able angler Norris Edge, a legend here on Lake Oconee.

November Forecast - Hybrids / Stripers

As of this writing on October 12th, the strong fall bite for hybrids and stripers has not turned on yet. However, late in the day, I have seen large schools of both thread fin and gizzard shad busting the surface in Richland Creek. This is happening when they gener ate. As we move into November the bite will pick up and drop ping that War Eagle Spoon in white, chartreuse, or silver is go ing to produce large numbers of fish. Also, long lining bass min nows at a slow speed (5/10 to 9/10 mph) will yield some large fish. Look for the gulls too, you can cast that spoon a long way to avoid spooking them.

Fly Fishing –

We have been waiting for the water temperatures to drop and they finally have started to do so. The pump back bite has been so different this year because the oxygen diffuser lines have been

installed at the dam. By November we will know if this bite will be the same extravaganza, it has been in years past. Head to the dam at first light and throw a “Somethin Else,” which is Henry Cowen’s version of a small clouser on intermediate line. Also, when the gulls arrive on an overcast day the fish will be there. Sneak up on where the birds are dive bombing and make long casts and you will have a good day!

Crappie –

The crappie guides are still kill ing it fishing brush piles in deep water, but as we move into No vember those fish will scatter and everyone will start trolling. I love the 8-foot ACC Crappie Stix and troll 8 out of the back of my boat. I use 6 lb Stren low-visi green mono with two 1/16th ounce jiffy jigs on the Curtis Hobbs Litewire Hooks jig heads. Of course, you can get all the above at …Sugar Creek Ma rina!

Final Words

Please call 404-317-9556 or email me at wmoore1700@outlook. com and lock in your dates well ahead of time to ensure you get the dates you want. Please remember when you fish in the fall to dress for the weather, and bring a dry sack with extra clothes just in case you fall in. Tight Lines, and God Bless.

LOCAL RIVERS & FLY

LOCAL RIVERS & FLY

THE DFD TO TROUT NIRVANA

By Jeff Durniak, Unicoi Outfitters

Flyfishing vets know that tech nique almost always trumps fly pattern. It’s true for wild fish and quickly applies to hatchery dump lings, too. Although fresh stock ers in Delayed Harvest streams are easy following release, they smart en up quickly after a few angler encounters. Then you must have a good, drag-free drift!

New Flyfishers, here’s your rec ipe for success via a drag-free drift (DFD) this fall and winter. First, the rigging and casting: 1. Tie on one or two of your favorite sub surface flies. 2. Add just enough split shot a foot above the first fly to drift it along the bottom. Carry several sizes of small shot (#4, #1, B) to match depth and velocity, and add or subtract as needed through the day. 3. Add a strike indicator up the leader from your first fly, at a distance of 1.5 times the water depth. Adjust the indicator often to match the depth of each spot you fish. (Airlock indicators make this easy!) 4. Study the pool briefly and predict where you think the fish are holding. 5. Sneak up to the pool slowly, like a heron, and get in position for a short cast and good drift. 6. Make a short (5-15 feet) cast upstream, toward your oppo site shoulder. Aim for the “seam” where slower water meets the main current.

Now, the drifting, hookset, and grinning: 7. As your rig drifts downstream toward you, strip in fly line and raise your rod to gather slack and keep most or all of your line off the water. 8. Ensure your in dicator drifts naturally by matching the leaves and bubbles around it. Make sure you don’t have a down stream “U” shape of fly line or lead er in the water, which catches the current and makes your fly travel faster than naturally drifting food. 9. Put 2-3 good drifts through one spot or lane, then take a few steps and try another piece of the pool. We call this “painting the pool” as you cover the water with good, short drifts.10. Instead of casting farther, move your body and keep the cast short. Why? Long casts cross multiple currents and it’s hard to get a DFD when your line catches those currents. 11. Set the

hook any time the indicator pauses or jumps. Hooksets are free! 12. We like to set the hook with a sidearm, downstream wrist snap. If we yank the fly out of the water, it will snag behind us in a low, streamside bush so we can retrieve it. Upward hook sets leave many more flies out of reach, up in the trees!

13. Get your net, your camera, and your smile ready!

My buddy Sautee demonstrates the DFD for you in the two brief videos in here: http://blog.angler. management/2021/11/the-dfdand-hooksets-are-free.html. We had a great trip to Nantahala DH and his technique might help some of you newer fly flingers to see the DFD in action. Good luck

NOVEMBER DELAYED HARVEST FISHING

By Jacob Milholland Store Owner Cohutta Fishing Company (706)

Fall colors, beautiful scenery, and TROUT! It’s that time of year – Georgia’s Delayed Harvest Trout Streams (or, DH for short) open November 1st. While many (in cluding ourselves) have written on the topic, it’s always nice to revisit!

These streams are designated with special regulations from No vember 1st to May 14th:

• Catch and Release

• Stocked Monthly

• Artificial Only, Single Hooks only (droppers permitted)

The upper Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, Georgia is a beautiful DH stream that flows through the Chattahoochee National For est and has access from Sandy Bottoms Canoe Launch down stream to just short of Shallow ford Bridge. If you’re already up here with the family, this is a great place to sneak off for a morning or an afternoon. Make sure that the

river isn’t too high to wade! Use the U.S. Geological Survey Gauge at Dial Road (type in USGS Dial Road on google) to determine flow. I look for flows below 450 cubic feet per second if I’m going to wade the Toccoa DH. Don’t be afraid to explore and fish differ ent parts of the stream. Too many people tend to stack up on a hole close to easy access.

Equipment: Trout are gen erally stocked in the 8–12-inch range, but some larger fish are stocked as well. A 9 foot pole, 4, 5, or 6 weight is sufficient on DH water. Typical Trout taper fly lines matched to the rod are perfect (SA Infinity, Rio Gold), as they allow you to manipulate your line and make mends more easily. Never forget the essential 3x, 4x, and 5x tippet in fluorocarbon (we are mostly nymphing), split shot in varying sizes from #4 – BB, some

LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING

kind of strike indicator, and a wading staff. Waders and wading boots are a must have if you’re fishing any of our area trout streams this time of year!

For the beginner, DH streams of fer a place to learn trout behavior and build confidence in their skillset since these fish are not the most educated at the time of stocking. They are still acclimating to their environment. Fly selection isn’t nearly as important, so stick with big “junk” flies like San Juan Worms, Egg Patterns (Y2k’s), Mop Flies, and anything flashy or colored tungsten bead head flies like Pheasant Tails, Rainbow Warriors, Lightning Bugs, or Sexy Walt’s! As these fish be come accustomed to their new homes and are pressured by other anglers, they will start to feed more heavily on the naturals and can grow weary of junk flies, but I still keep junk flies in my rotation in addition to all of my more typical patterns.

Fishing the swing or lift can make for an awesome day on DH water. At the end of my drift, I will swing my flies in the current until they are com pletely downstream. If you don’t have enough room to get a full swing in, try slowly lifting your flies at the tail out of a pool or in front of obstruc tions (Boulders, Laydowns, etc). Both actions will bring your flies up higher in the water column, as if they were emerging insects – fish love it!

Whether you’re fishing the DH streams, floating the Toccoa Tailwa ter, or chasing bass on the lake, this is a gorgeous and productive time to be fishing! Come by and see us at the shop. We’re located at 490 East Main Street in downtown Blue Ridge in Fannin County, the Trout Capital of Georgia! You’re always welcome to call us here at the shop for a quick fishing report as well – (706) 9463044.

NOVEMBER FLY FISHING

Contributed By: Henry Cowen

November is arguably one of the best months to catch striped bass on the fly on lakes throughout North GA. The key is understand ing where the fish will be hiding (so to speak). I usually divide Novem ber up into two different categories: with wildlife and without wildlife. The first two weeks of November the only wildlife you may see on Lanier are a few gulls and a few loons. That means you are relying on seeing surface feeding fish by looking for the busts on the water. It’s no differ ent than how we do it in October. Having a good set of binoculars is the key to help find surface splash es. By early November the likeli hood of the fish moving into the coves will also begin. I am not sug gesting you give up looking for fish on the main lake and particularly, in the main lake channel, BUT, by now, the water temps are cooling off to the point where the shad and even the hearing will start to move back into more shallow surround ings. The other likelihood is that when we transition from October into November the stripers tend to rely on threadfin shad a lot more than they did the past couple of months. This means to start sizing your fly selection down to the more standard 1” to 2” flies like a some thin’ else. As we get into the middle of November the gulls and loons will start to overtake our lakes to the point were finding diving gulls and working loons is an easier way to locate striped bass. Carrying a fast-sinking line in your boat along with your old reliable slow sinking intermediate line can sometimes save the day if the fish are down five to twenty-five feet and feeding sub surface. Another good tip is

to try to fish on or around the new and full moon phase periods. Fish will feed more consistently around those times. Finally, once we have determined that the fish are prefer ring threadfin shad to herring it is a wiser choice to plan your fishing on overcast days versus sunny days.

One last tip is to remember not to be stingy on burning gas. The folks who run around more will likely be the ones who catch more. Early and late in the day will be your best timeframe and having a good network to discuss your suc cesses and failures will put you on the fish more quickly. That’s No vember fishing for stripers on our North GA lakes. I am sure Lanier will be ground zero for some of the best striper fishing on the fly in the south. It usually is! Happy holidays to all our Angler Magazine readers and GO DAWGS!

CHATTOOGA RIVER

Cool wisps of air from the North embrace the mountain, the leaves of all the foliage start to turn into a magi cal sea of color across the mountain tops, and it is fall on the Southern Ap palachian streams and rivers. Octo ber brings excitement of cooler water temperatures, some dry fly fishing, and checking your waders for the up coming season of cold-water fishing.

Water temperatures have signifi cantly dropped from the summertime heat, and now the trout have evolved from the depths of thermal refuge into shallower areas of the rivers. The emergence of some Fall hatches has the trout moving as well and to the game delight for most of us, dry fly fishing. Dry-dropper rigs are doing well throughout the day. If casting dry-droppers is not in the game, try swinging nymphs and soft-hackles, 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. A full arsenal of Fall bugs is avail able here at the shop, along with full and half day guided trips.

Streamer fishing will be great this Fall season as well. There are a tre

mendous number of shiners, min nows, 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, get ting ready for their journey to the rivers. From fingerlings, to show fish, one will be amazed at the vari ety of sizes of the Brook, Brown, and 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.

As we travel from one water sys tem to another, let’s remember to give our equipment a good clean ing 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!!

Water temperatures have significantly dropped from the summertime heat, and now the trout have evolved from the depths of thermal refuge into shallower areas of the rivers.

Ellijay

LANIER STRIPERS

LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING

LAKE MARTIN

Lake Lanier is down 3.5 feet and falling, the water is mostly clear with a little stain in the back of the creeks, and the stripers are schooling at random times. More importantly, the big fish are back! For the first time in several years, we are consistently see ing fish over 15 pounds. The fish are healthy and feeding heavily. After a very slow late Summer, it is great to see the fish awaken.

As mentioned, the topwater bite has been off and on like a light switch. Look for some of these schools to be very large in size. You may see them from several hundred yards away. All types of topwater baits will work but each day a different one will be the key choice. Two key baits are the

Berkley Magic Swimmer and the Berkley J-Walker. So far this Fall, the walking baits have been on fire. We have been catching them on the walking baits for several weeks. Not big numbers but our low numbers are being made up with size. Spool up a Penn Battle III 4000 spinning reel with 12-pound Trilene Big Game line on a 7-foot medium heavy Fen wick spinning rod and you are good to go. If the water is calm, pick up the Berkley J-Walker. This bait will zig zag across the sur face. The south end of the lake will most likely continue to be the key area, but the stripers may quickly be found further north on the lake. Some are already being caught on the north end.

If you want to use live bait, pull some freelines, which are simply baits with no weight, 100 feet be hind the boat tipped with a blue back herring. Smaller herring have been best as well as medium shiners.

by David Hare Alex City Guide Service 256-401-3089

489.8 ft (10/12/22), 68-71 sur face temp, Clarity clear

Well, as predicted, October was an amazing fishing month here on Lake Martin. The weather and water have cooled down a lot, but the fish bite is on fire. We have been running several boats every day and boating lots of fish. Our catches have been nice stripers, spotted bass, huge white bass, and giant crappie.

Moving on to November. Man, you’re talking about excited guides and excited clients as all of us know that Alex City Guide Service shows out in November! Anyone that fol lows us on social media or better yet, fishes with us, knows we boat 30-75 fish per boat per trip starting in November. It’s an angler’s dream, fishing Lake Martin late fall and all winter long.

If you’re fishing on your own, it may be the best month to locate stripers and other fish easily. A lot of crappie are caught this month. I am on water daily and I see a lot of crappie boats trolling in November. If you’re searching for these fine eat ing fish, I’d concentrate in any of the bigger creek channels.

The gulls start helping us striper anglers this month by diving in the huge schools of bait. This tells us the areas we need to check out. I per sonally keep several things rigged

up to fish with, such as, top water plugs, big jigs some with curly tails some not, trolling lures, but my go to is live bait rigs with nice smaller size live baits. Always bear in mind, as big as Lake Martin is, and regardless of how much the wind might blow or how many fishermen you might see, there is always a quiet place to position yourself away from others and away from the elements to have a very successful day of catching in November.

Bundle up, put on a good PFD and get out on Lake Martin this month to enjoy life, the outdoors, your family and friends and hope fully getting that fish of a lifetime. Until next time tight lines .

November typically means Deer season for most people, but we are hunting something differ ent on Blue Ridge Lake this month. Walleye, and big ones at that! It’s my favorite time of year to run and gun, looking for hungry fish pinned to the bottom. Vertical presentations fished right in their face is the way to go. Spoons, jigs, and blade baits in all sizes are the ammo for this hunt. It’s a fast-paced reaction bite that’s hard to beat. If you like to jig and cover water, this is the time to do it. Look for fish in 25 to 75 feet of water typically in the river bends, near the islands, or in the mouth of the river where it enters the main lake. Color choices will change day

to day, and you should have a vast selection. Chrome, yellow, purple, orange, and gold are all great op tions.

The yellow perch bite will also peak this month. Look for big schools of yellow and black barred beauties to congregate on grass beds in 15 to 30 feet of water. Little spoons are the fastest way to catch them, but minnows on a jig head is another great alternative if they won’t eat the spoons. We only keep the bigger fish letting the smaller ones go and sometimes you must weed through the little ones to find quality fish. Fish in the 12-to-16-inch range is what we are after this month.

Please remember the lake is at the winter pool (-18ft) and there are no public docks that are usable this time of year. Watch for shal low water hazards and stay warm. We will see you on the water.

Forecast by: by Tyler Clore tyler.pps@hotmail.com www.georgialakefishing.com

Water Temp: 66 Water clarity: clear Lake level: 1’ below full.

Bass: Now that the turnover finished, fishing has been good. Early in the morning we have been catching bass on top water, off points, with a Hell raiser. I have also had a lot of fish come off the white juice herring. As the day goes on move to the deeper brush and drop a shot morning dawn Roboworm.

Trout/walleye: We have man aged to catch a few big trout in the channel and around the dam first thing in the morning using live blue back herring. The smaller trout should show up this month and you can catch them on a Ra pala countdown.

Also starting in November, Georgia Power has scheduled to start dropping the lake. Be care ful navigating around the points and humps that are not marked. This is also a good time to use your electronics to scan the lake and find these shallow humps that hold fish when the lake is at full pool.

If you would like to place an ad, please contact us: craig@theanglermagazine.com

Temp 70 Level full +/-6ft Clarity 6ft

Carters Lake in November is the start of fall fishing. The strip ers and hybrids will pull up a bit shallower this month which makes them good targets for live bait, artificial, and trolling options. It’s hard to beat fresh caught bait for striped fish but the big spoons can be just as produc

CARTERS LAKE

tive. Look for groups of suspended fish holding near big pods of herring and shad in the creeks 35 to 55 feet deep over slightly deeper bottom. Light leaders and small hooks are a must in November with the clearer water. Walleye are schooled up and holding near timber around pre dominant humps on the main lake. The 60 feet depth contour seems to be the most productive. Live bait and flutter spoons are the ticket. Don’t spend too much time in one place, give them a chance to eat. If they don’t eat, move on to the next mark.

The areas around Camp Branch and Doll Mountain are the areas to start looking.

Carters Lake in November is the start of fall fishing. The stripers and hybrids will pull up a bit shallower this month which makes them good targets

Forecast By: Eric Crowley

Stream Guide Service

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

NOVEMBER ON LANIER –VERSATILITY IS KEY

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

Many anglers make the common mistake of underestimating the vi ability of late fall and winter fishing. While the outside elements are not always favorable, the months of November and December on Lake Lanier can offer anglers some of the best fishing of the year. Ditch fishing is often the approach upon which I focus, yet there are many options in a transitional month like November – so, stay versatile!

November 2022

As you pursue different patterns this month, stay flexible as weather fronts will affect the location and mood of the catchable fish. Don’t forget to look shallow around points and humps both on the main lake and in the major creeks, in addition to the smaller creek runs. A Geor gia Blade spinnerbait, on windy days, can be incredible this time of year fished shallow on points, as can be a large crankbait like a Berkley Dredger. The Spro Rock Crawler is a great choice for a smaller crank bait. Also, a big swimbait, like the Sweet Bait Sweet Herring, can be an excellent choice for a big catch. As we proceed with this article, I will address more on the approach once the water gets around 60 degrees, which will likely happen this year. In addition, the lake is trending down in terms of water level, which can make fall fishing even better.

Shallow Ditches

Often times, if you find a shal low ditch (15 feet or less) in a creek, you will find bait fish present in and around this ditch. Bass will show up and feed in these areas, particularly in low-light conditions, even in the dead of winter. Slow-rolling a GA Blade Shad Spin or slow cranking a crankbait in these areas at daylight is a great way to take some huge spots through-out the late fall and winter. Present a Berkley Stunna over these same areas for bites as well. Cast your jerkbait long dis tances over the ditch and work the bait back to the boat with a jerk, jerk, pause retrieve. Include pauses of up to 10 seconds between jerks. Also, ensure that you jerk the bait on slack line to improve the erratic

action of the bait, which will trigger more strikes. The key to this tech nique is patience. Long pauses can be important as well, so stay patient.

Deep Ditches

Many of the same definitions and techniques will still apply to deeper ditches, but there are some key differences. When you search for these deeper ditches (25-50 feet deep), start by following the shallow ditches out to deeper water. Once you have moved to the deeper part of the ditch, use your Humminbird electronics to look for cover within or around the ditch that may offer an ambush spot for bass. Always remember that bass are predatory and constantly seek an advantage through a point of ambush. Struc ture changes, such as a ditch, along with ancillary structure/cover such as brush or standing timber, offer a refuge for bait fish, as well as an am bush position for the bass. If you can find an area with a ditch, stand ing timber, brush, and key feature changes such as an outside chan nel bend intersected by a road-bed in 40 feet of water or so, you have found the perfect winter haunts of the bait and our green-backed friends. Good electronics, such as Humminbird Helix in conjunction with Garmin Panoptix, are vital to finding these subtle depth changes and cover. Once you find a loca tion like this holding fish, start by dropping a Georgia Blade jigging spoon or Shepoon down to the lo cation of the fish. Allow the spoon to sink to the bottom and then real it 2 cranks up before beginning your presentation. Jig the spoon with quick, short, upward thrusts of the rod and include pauses in your presentation. Let the fish tell you how they want the bait present ed. Another option for these deep fish includes a drop-shot rig. Rig a drop-shot with a small worm or minnow imitation and present the bait in the area of the fish. Do not over-work the bait. Often periods of no movement can trigger strikes. I prefer the many offerings of Lanier Baits for these presentations.

Steep Rock Banks/Rip Rap

These features consistently hold fish during the late fall and winter months. These “vertical” banks, present in the creeks as well as the main lake, offer the fish the ability to change depths within the water column without traveling very far. This provides an optimal situation for the fish whose metabolism and activity levels are slowed by the colder water. Begin by using your electronics to graph a likely area in search of bait. When you find the bait, you can rest assured that fish are somewhere in the area. Search for changes in the struc ture as your starting place. For example, look for points, pockets, contour changes, or transition ar eas where sand meets rock or clay. Begin your prospecting in these areas with a jerkbait like the Berk ley Stunna. Impart the jerk, jerk, pause retrieve mentioned previ ously, with a focus on long pauses. If the fish are not active enough to hit the jerkbait, try worms or Georgia Jigs worked slowly down the rock bank. Position your boat in deeper water and cast towards the bank. Work the bait slowly

and methodically back to the boat, paying particular attention to your lure’s movements. Bites in the late fall and winter are often VERY subtle. Once you detect something unusual in your lure’s action, set the hook.

While these areas are not the only possible places to find fish on Lake Lanier in the late fall, they are some very good areas to begin your search. Remember to look for bait and fish in an area before fishing it – fish where the fish are! Good luck out there and see you on the water!

For more information or to book a trip, contact Jimbo on Lanier via email: james.mathley@ gmail.com or Phone: 770-5427764. Check out Jimbo’s Website: www.jimboonlanier.com

Jimbo is a full-time, year round Spotted Bass Guide on Lake Lanier. Contact him today to book a trip! www.jimboonlanier.com

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

PASSING IT ON

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

I grew up spending most of my daylight hours outdoors. The woods, creeks and ponds on our property were my playground. In the summer, we stomped through the creeks looking for crawdads dur ing the day and spent many nights setting trotlines for catfish. In the fall and winter, we traded our fishing rods for shotguns, walking the fields and tree lines to hunt rabbits, quail, and squirrels. There was always something to keep us occupied and put some tasty treats on the table as a result.

My grandfather was born in 1889. He was over 70 years old when I was born. But he was tough as nails and had the heart of an an gel. He taught us to have a deep respect for the wonders of Mother Nature. We developed an under standing of the roles each creature plays in the circle of life…how some are prey, and some are predators.

And he instilled the notion, that even though we are at the top of the food chain, we should only harvest what we needed for the freezer. In those days, little thought was given to wildlife conservation and man agement. But Grandpa would say, “If you kill all your chickens for a big supper on Sunday, you won’t have any eggs for breakfast on Monday morning”. He was a very smart man.

Grandpa Jim, as everyone in the community called him, was a car penter, a clockmaker, a gunsmith, and farmer. In those days, you had to be sort of a jack-of-all-trades.

People would bring their shotguns and 22 rifles to him to repair. Some had broken stocks, some had worn down firing pins, and I remember one shotgun with a crack that went about a third of the way down the barrel. He would firm up the action of the breach or make a spring for

a tube magazine. And the crackedbarrel shotgun, he turned into a sawed-off scatter gun.

One of the widowed ladies in the community once needed some kitch en cabinet doors replaced. Grandpa made them from white pine boards and painted them to match the rest of her kitchen. The widow didn’t have much money, so she gave Grandpa her husband’s Browning Sweet 16 shotgun. It was in pristine condition, and Grandpa told me he might let me have it when I was old enough. The lady also gave him a mantle clock, but the mechanism was worn, the pendu lum was missing, and the face was all scratched. But the wood cabinet was beautiful, and the etched glass door was quite elegant.

Grandpa made springs and gears for the mechanism. He hammered out a pendulum from a lead fishing weight, formed a chime from a piece of brass wire, and created a new face made from the bottom of a coffee can…which he then hand-painted numbers on. On my 18th birthday, he gave me the clock. At the time, I really wanted the shotgun, but I came to realize the clock meant more to him (and me) than any shotgun ever could. That clock still keeps good time today and chimes every hour.

So why the story about my Grandpa? Most all of us have people in our lives who have influenced us in a positive way…true role models. Individuals who have taught us and others how to hunt or fish, how to be self-reliant, how to be respectful of Mother Nature’s bounty, and how to be a good person. Although I never knew my great-grandfather, I’m sure he taught those things to Grandpa JJ, and he passed them on to my genera tion.

That’s what I’ve tried to do with my kids, and they turned out pretty good. Now they are passing on those same things to their kids, and it makes me proud. It’s never too late to share your knowledge, your pas sions, and your life experiences to engage our kids and grandkids in the majesty of our outdoor treasures. It’s good for them, and it’s good for you.

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

ANOTHER YEAR ANOTHER SPOON ARTICLE!

By James K. Pressley, jameskpressley@gmail.com

Another year another spoon ar ticle!

It’s almost that time folks!!! It’s almost here! Spoon time!

If by now you don’t know fish ing a spoon is a favorite tactic of mine, you might live under a rock. I don’t think I’ve written more about any other tactic or tech nique. Spoon fishing a few years ago became an obsession with me and one that caused a lot of frus tration before meeting my buddy, Jimmy. Since then, my success rate has soared along with my enjoy ment of the spoon technique.

New changes for the 20222023 season. The biggest change I am making is in my own personal spoon rod. I have gone to a BassX rod by St. Croix that is 6’6” and a medium heavy action. It does have some flex but it’s admittedly stiff. I love the butt section of this rod be cause it’s kind of short and doesn’t get in the way with my BBQ gut. I truly prefer casting rods here. I do have spinning rods set up for spooning in case a customer wants to use one or is too timid for a bait caster. But in all honesty the feel, the reaction time, and the fishabil ity of the bait caster is a big advan tage.

I’m still using 20-pound fluo rocarbon line (I prefer SunLine FC Sniper) and I make sure ev ery spoon I use has good swivels on it. Line twist is insane with this technique. To me the stiffness of this line helps to keep the spoons from get ting tangled in the line. Plus, if I hook a big striper or hybrid I’ve got the rod, reel, and line to boat it and I can still enjoy small white bass and hy brids on this set up.

Spoons- I’m trying two new spoons this year. The first one is by LiveTarget and is called Erratic Shiner. It’s a radically bent

spoon and therefore has a ton of action with it. The next spoon that is new to my box is the Strike King Ledge Spoon. This is a heavy chunk of lead, folks. You need a medium heavy to heavy rod to handle it. For me this is a deeper presentation spoon. It’s an ounce in weight so it’s going to get to the bottom quick!

Towards the end of last winter, I was catching some deeper than average for Oconee fish so I am hoping to experiment with these heavier spoons to see how it might impact my success.

On a recent trip to Florida, I was talking with a friend of my fathers about spoon fishing. He’s a fanatic about it too. We have very differ ent approaches but, in the end, it came down to this technique really works! He is much more aggressive year around with his spoon actions than I am. The colder it gets the less I will hop a spoon. He never changes really. I never really cast spoons. He will in a heartbeat. To me once it goes to casting, I would rather toss a tail spinner or blade bait. He uses spinning gear, me just bait casters for this!

Just remember this. The only wrong way is to never fish with a spoon! So, get out there and try them!

Water level 188.83 msl

Water temp 74 early 78 as sun rises

Water clarity Good stain

The water table continues to hold steady. The bass are working shal low, early and late. Chatter baits and other blade baits are working on the edges of the shallow cover. The frog bite is getting better in the pads and grass. Soft plastics in greens are also working on a Carolina rig or Texas rig on the edges as well, with the same green colored plastics. Deeper bass come from 18 to 30 feet deep on the river ledges. Watch your electronics for the deeper fish. We are finding them bunched up where there is no visible cover. The strikes have not been very aggressive, and most are running at the boat with the bait, causing a troubling hook set. If you crank in slack too fast, they will feel it and drop the lure. If you set up with too much slack, you get a poor hook up and they can get off. We also found out that a Caroli na rig worked back to the bank from the top of the river ledge is getting more bites than the Texas rig. Guess they are cautious of the weight, who knows these rascals, but it is work ing.

Crappie are still being stubborn, saw a couple of old experienced crap pie fishermen recently trolling. They had picked up 4 by mid-morning. They have not been consistent on

trolling for a while. The folks fishing minnows deep are getting a few fish, but not like they should. The crappie have not set up on the man-made at tractors this year and are scattered on the natural structure in deeper water.

The blue gills continue to be de pendable around the cover in the creeks. Crickets have been their fa vorite meal of late. Some action on worms, but crickets are best.

Catfish are always eating and there have been some nice ones coming in using cut bait on jugs. Working these jugs in the creeks has been produc tive and with the wind and current, it is easier to keep them corralled up in these areas. We love to take an old telescoping cane pole and snell a hook on the tip, flatten the barb and use it to swoop under the jug to land the fish. You do not lose as many as you do by hand lining them and the youngsters have a ball fighting them on that flimsy tipped rod. Bottom fishing with night crawlers and wig glers are catching a nice mess work ing off the creek drops. Our river cats are the best eating ones you will find anywhere.

Pray for all our uniformed men and women, especially the border patrol folks. Remember the farmers along our Southern borders, they face a real challenge every day. Be safe on the water, holidays are coming up and it is the perfect time to build those memories with your kids and grand kids in the woods or on the water. Enjoy what God has provided for our enjoyment, the memories will last for generations.

God

Good Fishn’

Sam

Hawks

God Bless & Good Fishn’

Keith Wilson from Carlton, Ga fishing with Capt. Sam Williams with a Lake Eufaula spotted bass

Donnie Wilson from Carlton,GA fishing with Capt. Sam Williams with a nice Lake Eufaula bass

Water temps are mostly in the up per 60s and low 70s. Currently the lake is mostly clear and a few feet down. November is a great month to fish. The fish are feeding before win ter and the lake is not crowded!!

BASS - GOOD - Shallow water fishing remains good now and should improve even more during Novem ber, with the higher-than-normal lake levels and falling water tempera tures. Fish the cuts and pockets, start ing north of the trestle up to around Wolf Creek. Pay particular attention to those with little feeder creeks. Try fast-moving baits like Buzz baits, Spinnerbaits, Whopper Ploppers, Rat L Traps or the Flash Mob Jr to cover water. Fish these baits in or around schools of shallow baitfish. Target any cover you run across with a Fluke, Senko or pig n jig. By the end of the month (especially if the lake level

drops and it continues to cool off) the big schools of spots mixed with hybrids, white bass and stripers can be caught on jigging spoons and dropshot rigs on deeper off shore structures. Try humps, road beds and long tapered points that drop into deeper water. Find the deep bait and the fish are normally close by. Most of the deep fish are near the mouths of the creeks or in the river itself. For spoon fishing, I love to see the fish in the 18-25 feet range and near the bottom.

Linesides -- EXCELLENT!!

Now is the time to book your fall striper trips to insure you get a good day!! Peak fall fishing is from October 15th - January 1st. For more info on booking a trip, go to my website LakeWestPointFishing. com or Email me at HudsonsPro Bass@gmail.com - THANKS!!

The down line bite with shad or bass shiners has improved greatly as the water has cooled off. Most of the fish seem to be holding 20 to 40 feet deep when they are not schooling on the surface. How

ever, they are still moving around a good bit. As the water gets colder these deeper fish get easier to catch. They will lock into a more specific depth range as they slow down with falling water temperatures. Look for the baitfish on your graph and suspend your live bait at that depth. Expect the topwater fishing to con tinue throughout the month and to be best very early and very late or on overcast or rainy days. Gulls and Loons usually show up in No vember, which makes it easier to pinpoint schooling stripers, so keep your eyes open for them. A pop ping cork rig has been working on schooling 1-to-3-pound fish with an occasional bigger one mixed in. A 3/8 or 1/2-oz. white Rooster Tail, a chrome C.C. Spoon and several other small shad imitators have also been producing. The colder it gets the better the fishing usually is. Trolling, with the Flash Mob Jr has also been producing some linesides as well. As the water cools don’t forget the bucktail jig as it is very effective. In most years, by the end of November the vertical jigging spoon bite is awesome for a mixed bag of fish. The mouths of most creeks south of the 109 bridge, the

edge of flats near the dam, and the mouth of Yellow Jacket creek will be holding fish.

CRAPPIE - GOOD! --- Try tight line fishing minnows or a 1/16-oz. or smaller jig around bridge pilings, brush piles, and blowdowns in 6 to 15 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting docks with small tube or feather jigs around or under the docks is also a very good technique during fall. Likewise, fishing blowdowns with a minnow 4-5 feet under a float can be pro ductive. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover on bright days. Cooler temps and a little stain to the water usually improves crappie fish ing even more. Yellow Jacket, Wolf and Whitewater creeks are usually good choices for fall crappie fishing.

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

THE UPCOMING SPORTSPERSON’S HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING SEASON: IS CUSTOMER SERVICE IMPORTANT?

Dr. Andrew Cox

With the coming of November, the holiday gift season is upon us. Many readers are thinking about a gift for friends, relatives, family members, or acquaintances who en joy outdoor activities. Most likely, you will be turning to catalogs, online shopping websites, and local as well as big box sporting goods out lets for your shopping items.

In my estimation, customer ser vice continues to be an important part of the shopping experience. I like to think that spending my hard earned money is appreciated by a business. Customer service is also essential in assisting you in mak ing purchases or working through glitches that may take place in the purchasing process.

I was reminded of the impor tance of customer service when attempting to make an online pur chase through one of the third tier big box sporting goods stores. I had initially shopped at this particular sporting goods outlet while visiting Anchorage, Alaska several years ago. This company had a few stores in se lected cities across the southeastern United States. The company also had the capacity for making online purchases. In attempting to make an online purchase through this company, I experienced difficulty in the online checkout process, re ceiving some type of error message during checkout. I telephoned cus tomer service leaving several mes sages for contact to assist me on this order as well as attempting to make email contact. I subsequently never received contact from the company to either my voice mail or email con tact attempts. It appears that a live person never answers the customer service telephone line nor responds to messages that are left on voice mail or email. Out of frustration, I completed a survey regarding my shopping experience that was avail able on the business website that was fairly negative. You guessed it; no response to the survey.

To say the least, I have given up on making purchases at this sport ing goods business both in their physical store locations and online department. I also discussed my negative experience with several an

gling friends and acquaintances that may have impacted their purchasing views with this business. I ended up making my purchases with another outdoor product vendor.

I would suspect that readers have had similar negative shopping expe riences that have influenced deci sions in shopping with a particular business. I can say that the first and most second tier sporting goods out lets have their act together. Online and catalog purchases, if available, are usually hassle free with effective customer service personnel avail able to assist with any problems that may occur. I have also done busi ness with several smaller outdoor product businesses. These smaller business establishments have friend ly customer service that make you feel appreciated as a customer. With such service, you are likely to return on multiple occasions as a customer.

Is customer service important for those upcoming holiday gifts? I think so; with positive and hassle free shopping during the holiday season, you are likely to return as a customer to make purchases during other times of the year. The business gains a valuable and reliable custom er; you the customer find a pleasant outlet for purchasing your sporting goods supplies as well as gaining im portant advice regarding fishing and other outdoor activities.

Author’s Note:

Dr. Andrew Cox is a contribut ing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. His writing inter ests specialize in angling and travel, human interest, and general fish ing technique oriented topics. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia, Ala bama, and north Florida for over forty years. He has also fished the waters of most states within the Unit ed 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 spin ning equipment. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Profes sor Emeritus at Troy University, Phe nix City, Alabama. He may be con tacted at andrewtrout@aol.com.

Lake Chatuge: Level: 5.5’ Be low Full pool. Temp: 69-71 degrees.

Clarity: Clear

Bass: Guide Eric Welch reports: “Fishing has been good, The TVA has been lowering the lake for win ter pool, and we have been hav ing cooler weather the past couple weeks, which is helping to lower the water temperatures. We have not seen much top water action, the past couple weeks, due to the time of the year when the lake rolls over. However, by the 1st week in No vember we should start seeing the water temps in the mid 60’s, which

LAKE CHATUGE

should get the fish actively chasing bait. When the top water bite starts back up, I will be throwing a Berkley cane walker, StrikeKing sexy dawg jr, and Lucky Craft gunfish. If you’re not getting the breaking fish to hit your top water lure, try casting a 2.5” to 3.5” swimbait on a 1/4oz swimbait head, in the circle where the fish just broke, let it sink some and slowly reel it back. There are a good number of fish out on the offshore structure. I’m using my Garmin Livescope to find the fish in these areas and will drop a dropshot rig down on the fish I see. You can run this pattern and catch fish on a shaky head, also. We’ve been catching fish in and around laydowns throwing a Texas rig and a 3/8oz jig. Anything in green pumpkin has been working. Good Luck

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

LAKE ALLATOONA

Forecast By: Joseph Martinelli 404-919-4918

If you find yourself in the North Georgia area, we highly recommend a gander at Lake Allatoona and hopefully, even a fishing excursion here. She truly is a beautiful reservoir and a tribute to the Etowah River. There is a lot of history and a lot of good fishing! Currently, we are expe riencing a nice gradual draw down to winter pool with water temperatures hitting the 60’s and the fish are re sponding nicely to the cooler temps.

The line-sides, including the no madic striped bass have returned to the reservoir from their upstream cold-water refuge, along with the hy brid and white bass. These fish will continue to provide some good line tugging all through the autumn and into winter. The best part of Novem ber is getting in on the action early, and the beautiful autumn colors. To target some of the hardest fighting freshwater fish, down-lines with 3/42 oz. weights and a 5-6 foot light flu orocarbon leader with 2-5/0 hooks tipped with a threadfin or gizzard shad is a key technique on many res ervoirs, and Allatoona is no excep tion. Add to the mix some longlines with a little weight, freelines and even some planer boards as these water temps drop into the 60’s, and you are in for some live bait fishing fun!

There can be a great artificial bite as well if you are willing to work it. Throwing a Sebille Magic Swim mer, Redfin, Alabama rig such as a Mini-Mack and various other ar tificial presentations across points and humps will produce when the fish are there. Additionally, do not overlook trolling mini-Mack’s and full-sized umbrella rigs, especially, when these fish are schooled up and chasing bait. I have experienced the days in November when artificial baits have worked circles around live bait. At the start of your trip, have a plan, but do not get too stuck on one pattern or limit your presentation options.

The Spotted Bass on Lake Allatoona are growing. Maybe it’s the alewife population that has these little ras cals fattening up nicely. Hopefully,

the bass fishery on Allatoona will one day rival nearby Carters Lake, when it comes to quality spots. On one of our last Spotted and Largemouth Bass targeted trips, we caught them on 3” & 4” Keitech swimbaits with a 1/8-1/4 oz. swimbait head, Berkley Hit Sticks, Cast OG’s, Spoons and Glass Raps.

The crappie fishing has been good all this year. We are catch ing the occasional slab or three on most trips while trolling for striped bass and hybrids. Many fishermen targeting them have been recording a large number of 7-9” crappie while trolling and “pushing.” Our Heron Outdoor Adventure guides are crushing some real quality Allatoona crap pie. Pitching to them on and near structure with a savvy technique and smaller jigs on 1/16 to 1/8 oz. heads. We’d love to get you on the boats with us so we can share a “little something-something” you might only get to glean from us in person. The tried-and-true colors, you ask? Well, blue hues are great to have here on Allatoona most days. If you do crappie fish, you probably have all the colors of the rainbow and more. I still think in terms of light or dark and be lieve more in my technique than colors. Sometimes, when it seems the bite has died, I will just pres ent the same jig in a different fash ion. The fish wanted it moving at first, but maybe it is the dead-stick with the occasional tremor that finishes them off now. Again, be flexible in your patterns and pre sentations.

While this concludes this month’s fishing forecast, we want to wish every reader a wonderful time out on the water. We do hope some tips here are found helpful for the DIYer. Should you wish for a full-service fishing and catching experience, please do not hesitate to call us directly at 404-919-4918 to book your adventure with myself or one of our most able guides.

We wish you and your fam ily the happiest of Thanksgivings, His promised blessings and tight lines. Captain Joseph - Heron Outdoor Adventures – Let’s go fishing!

FALL TROUT FISHING IN PANACEA, FLORIDA

By Gary Turner

The fish hit so hard I thought it was going to take the rod away from Steve! The fight was on! We were fishing for Speckled Trout and our tackle was a little light for big fish. He fought for over 20 minutes before we saw it the first time. It was a big Black Drum! We thought it was going to be a big Bull Redfish. The boat with us had already caught several big Reds. After its first ap pearance, it dove again and took another 10 minutes to bring it to the net. Steve was smiling ear to ear. That was the biggest fish caught on our boat.

We were down in Panacea, Flor ida fishing with Captain Tanner of Panacea Outfitters and Captain Bubba of Action Jackson’s Charters. We have been out with these guys several times over the years and al ways have a great time and catch a lot of fish. I was traveling and fish ing with a great group of guys from Calvary Church: Steve Allen, Matt

Dibler, Fred Kindhart, Richards Stevens, Lindell Hunsley, and Joe Mikle. Fred Kindhart caught his personal best fish with a 36 ½ inch Bull Redfish. Richard caught a nice 34-inch and a nice 37-inch Redfish. Matt landed a really nice 39-inch Redfish. We all caught numerous Speckled Trout and White Trout. Many of the fish we caught were just shy of the 15-inch minimum size. If you keep catching them, you eventually get enough keepers for fill your limit. There are what seems like a million Redfish in the under 18-inch range. With the slot 18-27 inches, you can get your limit, but you will have to catch a bunch. We did have one reliable spot in the af ternoons for several 20-to-24-inch fish. We caught and released tons of undersize fish, but it was still a blast catching them. Next year they will have grown into the slot.

Y’all know my fishing trips are almost as much about eating as

NOBODY SAID IT HAD TO BE FAIR FOR THE

fishing, so I will tell you the South of the Border Grouper at Angelo’s is delicious. The little trailer beside the road is Hutton’s Seafood, and it was really good. If you happen to be in town on Monday, be prepared to wait as nearly everything else is closed. I saved telling you about the best for last. Best place to eat in Panacea (Crawfordville address) is Porter Island Seafood Restaurant. The fried fish and shrimp are deli cious and the hushpuppies are to die for. If I ate one, I bet I ate a doz en. It was my first time eating fried mullet, and it was as good as any fish I have ever eaten. I think part of the secret here is they use the freshest seafood and ingredients in all their food. I can’t wait to get back down that way to catch a ton more fish, visit great friends down there, hopefully catch a few big Bull Reds on my line, and eat at all these delicious restaurants again.

I am attempting to revive my old YouTube channel, so if you want to see my latest video of Brazil, check it out at FishingWithGary.

I’m not sure what next month’s

article will be on or where I’ll be fishing, 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!

If you are ever interested in info on any guides or places I fish, you can email me at gary@purgeright. com.

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

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

Forecast By: Capt. Robert Eidson

Bite Guide Service 770-827-6282 eidson6260@att.net www.firstbiteguideservice.com

Lineside fishing is heating up. The fish are still scattered up and down in the water column, over the river channel. They are start ing to bust topwater along with the white bass, but they don’t stay up like the white bass, which will stay up for five to 10 minutes at a time. The hybrids and stripers are only staying up for seconds. Downlining live bait is working fair off any main lake point on the south part of the

LAKE ALLATOONA

lake. Carry a lot of bait with you and change your bait frequently if you are not getting a bite. Troll ing is your best bet if you want to catch numbers. Most of the fish we caught this week came on Captain Mack’s umbrella rigs. Pull these rigs at 3.4 mph 125 feet behind the boat and have an umbrella-rig retriever on board. White bass fishing is still the best bite on the lake. These fish are schooling on top from sunup to sundown. Just ride until you find them. Mid-lake has been the best.

A Zara Spook Jr., popping corks and Rooster Tails are working best for these little linesides.

Wall

Hunter Brisendine with his Papo and 3 nice Lake Lanier Stripers

Joe Dudewicz with a nice 9 lb 2 oz Lake Eufaula bass.

Logan Daniel age 7 pulled in this nice 8-pound hybrid Bass

Mitchell landed this big rainbow guided by David, Hulsey Fly Fishing.

Wayne Cockrill from Preston, Ga with a nice 6+ lb. Lake Eufaula bass. Caught on a Texas rig worm in 15 feet on structure

World renowned drummer Tom Lang with a couple nice Lake Allatoona slabs!

Mason Daniel age 10 pulled in this nice 20lb. striper

Rainbow caught by Shontay Knight

Woodie Malone with a huge 30-pound triple tail from Florida’s Gulf Coast

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JUNGLE JEOPARDY

By Ryan Izquierdo

In September, I embarked on one of the craziest adventures I’ve ever experienced to sh for crazy exotic species on the Rio Guaviare deep in Columbia’s Mapiri Jungle.

Just getting there was an adventure. We spent two days ying from Miami to Bogata and then to San Jose, Colombia, which was a buzzing little town where we picked up last minute supplies, ate a breakfast of pirahana head soup and got wrist bands tied by an elderly women and her pet spider monkey, Kiki.

At the port, we loaded gear in a small shaded boat powered by a Yamaha 200 2-stroke, with a spare lower unit tied on top. I was accompanied by my cameraman Adrian, from Poland, good friends Jake, Derek, Karl, and our jungle guide Diego, from Chile.

We set out downstream and rode for hours, passing through two army checkpoints, before we reached our halfway point at 118 miles. We stopped for lunch and to refuel at an isolated jungle town only accessible by boat. As we creeped up muddy stone steps, we were shocked to see a small town with convenience stores, restaurants, a playground, a basketball court, and happy people everywhere. It was a cool window into a di erent reality.

A er playing soccer with the local kids and a delicious fried sh lunch, we headed farther downstream. When darkness arrived, the jungle came alive and our driver did not feel comfortable navigating the rapids at night. So we stopped and Diego traded goods with an indigenous man for permission to sleep at his house. Some opted to sleep in the boat. e mosquitoes, hornets and massive cockroaches made it tough to sleep. A er long hours, the sun nally rose, and we headed another 45 minutes downriver to base camp, where we discovered we were in for even more travel.

We packed lighter for three days of shing and camping at a sacred waterfall inhabited by one of the jungle tribes. It was another 2.5 hours downstream to a small creek that would lead us up to a second camp. We shed our way up the creek.

On my rst cast, a 15-pound sardinata exploded on my popper boatside. Imagine a huge pilchard but with sharp teeth and hyper-aggressive topwater strikes. Fully grown, Sardinata can weigh 25 pounds. is one threw the hooks, and shing only got crazier from there.

I was throwing a 9-inch Countdown Rapala in Firetiger at the tree line and retrieving it to the boat. Almost every cast we hooked massive payara. is sh is similar to a tarpon, with silver scales, acrobatic leaps and a bony mouth that made hook sets di cult. Payara have long fangs on their lower jaw capable of slicing thick-scaled sh and shing line with ease. ey are without a doubt the most challenging, unique and aggressive jungle predators I’ve ever targeted. I managed to catch quite a few on y and spin tackle.

Another unique species was a matrinxa, a silver-scaled delicacy. ey are omnivorous and sit below trees to eat dropping fruits and nuts. ey also hit lures with insane power. ese sh were extremely hard ghting and very tasty. ey have teeth like human molars for cracking hard nuts.

Red bellied pacu are another ferocious species we caught. ey have a similar ambush style and diet to the matrinxa. ey are equally aggressive and display gorgeous hues of purple and black

Iwith a blood orange/red underbelly. Black and red bellied pirahana were in no shortage, either. A er three days of shing by the waterfall, we headed back to base camp for new species.

Heavy rains raised water levels, which busted our hopes to catch big peacock bass. But it opened a new door: catching monster cat sh.

I caught several new species of large cat sh. One of the most unique was a ripsaw cat sh. ey have so lips and a long face, similar to carp. ey also have a sharp chainsaw blade for a lateral line, earning them the nickname “Caiman Killer.” I caught small tiger shovelnose cat sh, as well as red tail cat sh. Red tail cat sh are one of the strongest ghting cat sh I’ve ever encountered. It took three days of break-o s before I was able to muscle one up. It weighed 40 pounds.

Fishing the jungle is tough, and it is not for everyone. is trip scarred me with bug bites from head to toe, and I su ered many bee and hornet stings. It is not comfortable in any sense, but it is good for the mind. ere’s no cell phone reception; you are stripped of everything. e only thing that matters is the present moment. For me, it is the biggest adrenaline rush to travel into the unknown and learn about new shing and culture.

Check out Ryan Izquierdo’s YouTube Channel, “Ryan Iz Fishing” for a series called “Jungle Jeopardy.” E-mail him at Ryanizquierdoyt@ gmail.com with questions or to nd out how you can go on one of these trips.

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By Gary Turner

There’s

more to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula than world-famous salmon runs. e saltwater shing is also phenomenal, with species like halibut, salmon shark, ounder, yelloweye rock sh and ling cod being primary targets.

When you run out of Seward to Resurrection Bay, you might see some of the Deadliest Catch boats, and you might see multiple species of whale. We saw a lot of humpbacks this past summer. At more than 900 feet deep, with glaciers around the rim, the bay is awe-inspiring. ere are several good charter operations. Some make long runs for big halibut, while some o er shing that’s a little more local. Check with J Dock Fishing Co. in Seward for the latest shing information and charters. If you’re more of a DIY angler, Miller’s Landing in Seward o ers lodging and charters, and they also rent boats and shing equipment. If you want this option, book early. I have mine booked for next year, already.

Homer is the Halibut Capital of the World,

and it’s another great Kenai destination. We went with some friends and got on some good Halibut! I’m new to the electric reels we used. You had to time the hook-set just right. It took several bites to gure it out, but we caught sh once we got the hang of it. I pulled one a good way o the bottom before it decided it wasn’t coming in and broke a 150-pound-mono leader! We caught several good keepers and turned the smaller ones loose. ere are plenty of charters in Homer. North Country Charters is a great one that o ers halibut and salmon trips. ey will put you on some big halibut. My largest weighed 99 pounds, but North Country catches sh that are much larger.

If you want a long-run charter, check out Casino Charters. If you want to catch sh from the beach, check out Family Shore Fishing. ey set you up with a guide, shing rods and bait at Lands End, which juts out into the bay. Fishing low tide on the shelf, you can catch cod, ounder and halibut. We lled a cart with cod

and ounder in less than two hours shing from shore. en we went back another day without a guide and wore them out again!

Fishing in Alaska is just like anywhere else, once you learn what works, you can do it over and over. ere are lots of di erent kinds of shing there, but once you learn where and how to catch them, you can do it yourself.

On this past summer’s trip, as we were headed to the airport to go home, we drove along Cook Inlet and spotted a school of beluga whales swimming the shoreline. You never know what you’ll see in Alaska. Some things are just so amazing!

I’m currently pulling together next summer’s trip to Kenai, and I’m making a short guide of things traveling anglers might want to know. Feel free to shoot me an email with questions.

For more information, contact Gary Turner at gary@purgeright.com.

LOST FIN-NOR SETUP RETURNED AFTER 50 YEARS

About 50 years ago, Ralph Vodicka lost one of his favorite rod and reel combos when his boat capsized in North Carolina’s unpredictable Oregon Inlet. Recently, Vodicka was reunited with his 9-foot rod equipped with a Fin-Nor 4 spinning reel, and it still works!

Here is a brief recount of the amazing story reported by Summer Stevens in e Coastland Times.

In fair weather in the early 1970s, Vodicka and three buddies attempted to return through Oregon Inlet a er shing o Hatteras National Seashore in a 17-foot 1966 Boston Whaler. e outgoing tide colliding with incoming rollers created rough conditions, even for a large trawler the anglers watched navigating the inlet. Vodicka was faced with a decision. ey could either wait for the tide change, which would force them to make their run in the dark. Or they could go for it.

“Waiting it out would put us in the middle of the night,” Vodicka remembered. “We decided that the best choice was to race on in while we could see. I told everyone, ‘Hold on, don’t move. We’ll ride on the back of one of the breaking waves. Even if it takes a little water, it’ll be ok.’”

In the middle of the inlet, as they were taking on water, a line caught in the prop and it stopped turning. e boat was at the mercy of the tide and waves, and an 8-foot breaker ipped it end over end. e story of the exciting rescue is reported in detail in e Coastland Times. It involves the captain of an old 25-foot boat and his grandson risking great peril to time the waves and rescue each of the anglers one at a time. Vodicka’s badly damaged Whaler was later recovered, and he lost a bunch of shing gear, including the rod and reel that began this story.

e details are lost to time, but apparently the Fin-Nor reel and the rod were hauled up in a commercial angler’s net. e unique set-up ended up doing decades of duty as a showpiece on the wall in Dennis Dudley’s Elizabeth City, North Carolina home.

Vodicka,” and Dudley tried to locate the Fin-Nor’s owner when he received the rod in the mid-1970s. Dudley’s phone book searches came up empty, and the search was forgotten… until recently.

Dudley, 78, remembered the mystery of the reel’s owner while going through his possessions. A quick Google search turned up Vodicka, who is 89 and living in Raleigh, N.C. e men met to eat lunch, and Vodicka was reunited with the beautiful rod and reel he lost half a century ago.

Amazingly, the antique Fin-Nor is already back in action. Instead of hanging it on the wall, Vodicka had it serviced and used it on the Neuse River over Labor Day weekend.

The Return of a

e reel was equipped with a custom plate engraved with “Ralph E.

“It worked. It worked ne,” he said. “It’s amazing that a er 50 years you get your favorite rod and reel back.”

To read the whole story, go to www.thecoastlandtimes.com.

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TOURNAMENT CHEATERS BUSTED

Everyone hates a cheater, which is why it’s no surprise that tempers ared when two cheaters were caught red-handed at a Lake Erie Walleye Tour (LEWT) event on Oct. 1. e event was the tour championship for the series, and the Team of the Year would also be crowned a er weigh-ins. Team Crankin’ Hogs brought to the scales a ve- sh limit that weighed more than 33-pounds. It It would have secured Jake Runyan and Chase Cominsky well over $20,000 for the championship win and for Team of the Year honors. ey overplayed their dirty hand.

Tournament Director Jason Fischer suspected something was amiss when the sh hit the scales. Fischer later told CNN that the sh looked like they should have weighed 4 pounds each, but the total weight indicated they were much heavier. He handled the sh and felt something hard inside one of them.

In a now-viral YouTube Video, Fischer guts the sh as the cheaters stand by silently. “We have weights in the sh!” Fischer announced, and that’s when the shouting started as other anglers hurled obscenities at Runyan and Cominsky.

All-told, there were 8 pounds worth of lead weights, llets from other walleye and a pair of pliers inside Team Crankin’ Hogs’ sh. ey were immediately disquali ed and banned from the tournament series. Both men were later indicted by an Ohio grand jury on charges of cheating and attempted grand the .

It will be interesting to see if the team’s other tournament wins are called into question. ey have won numerous events over the last couple of years, including the 2021 LEWT Championship.

For more information, go to lakeeriewalleyetrail.com.

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