The Angler Magazine | May 2023 | Great Smoky Mountains & The Upstate Edition

The Watch for When It’s

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RED SPRING USHERS IN

pring is one of my favorite seasons for shing. Fish are warming up and feeding aggressively, especially red sh. Red sh eagerly consume an array of baits this time of year, but there is one arti cial that sets itself apart from the others. Have you guessed it?

If you said, “gold spoon,” you were correct. When you look at the spoon it seems unimpressive, to be honest. However, that is the beauty of it all; we, as anglers, overcomplicate shing. Sometimes all you need is an awkward piece of gold metal to shake the skunk.

WHAT

It combines pro le, color and vibration, which play on the three signi cant senses most game sh use when feeding. e shape might resemble a crab, a small sh or a wounded shrimp, and the unique wobble lets sh know it’s an easy target. Gold spoons are great for beginners and avid anglers alike, they can be rigged weedless, and they are easy to cast. One of my go-to spoons for red sh is the FishLab Bio-Spoon.

RIGGING A SPOON

Rigging is simple; attach a 20- to 30-pound uorocarbon or mono lament leader directly to the spoon. I attach a snap swivel directly to the spoon to prevent line twists. A 1/4-ounce spoon is usually an excellent choice, especially when the bait is smaller. Remember to match the hatch in

terms of size. Pair the spoon with a 7 or 7 1/2-foot medium fast spinning rod and 15-pound braid. My preferred setup is the Okuma ITX 4000 paired with an Okuma SRT spinning rod.

Spoons can produce sh in various conditions, but there are situations when it shines. Along weed lines, mangroves or similar structures should be your rst targets, as this is where red sh congregate. Remember, reds travel in groups, so work an area thoroughly for consistent action. Repeated casts to the exact location or the same retrieval path will o en produce multiple sh.

Gold spoons are best suited for stained or dark water. In cleaner water, the same techniques can be used with a silver spoon. e shape of the spoon and hook guard combine to allow the lure to bounce o obstructions like weeds, mangroves, oyster beds or rocks where other lures might be lost.

Erratic action is the key to the spoon’s success. Many anglers cast and pause, allowing the spoon to utter. If you do not get a hit right o the bat, you have two options for the retrieve. A steady retrieve, varying speed based on conditions, will o en draw sh out and even right to the boat. Others prefer to add a twitch to their retrieve, feeling it increases the motion. Try each or mix it up based on what the sh respond to. Be bold, and try new techniques. Be sure to pick up a Salty Scales Performance shing shirt, stay protected, and remain comfortable on the water.

Capt. Joshua Taylor is a Tampa guide and founder of Salty Scales Performance Fishing Gear. Check them out at www.saltyscales.com.

MAKES THE GOLD SPOON UNIQUE?

HOW TO FISH A SPOON

By Capt. Joshua Taylor

FINALLY, BACK TO GROUPER FISHING

There was a time in my life that we took certain things for granted. For example, No limits and/or seasons on speckled trout, drum, ounder and especially GROUPER! I never thought I would say the two words “grouper” and “season” in the same sentence. Never mind, I’m just venting because I prefer bottom shing and light lining above all other styles of o shore shing.

I went through this last year about this time, but I’ll do it again for those folks who might have missed it. is is the way I start every location we anchor on, or post up with the Rhodan.

NOTE: We take two boxes of quid on every trip, and we typically have live pin sh from the marina also.

I typically have three or four folks with me every trip. We start by ring down whole squid on the jig. Meanwhile, I’m on the sabiki jigging up whatever is on the bottom below us. I don’t care what is coming up on the whole squid, as this is not the main focus. e real objective is to set a nice ‘chum slick” on the bottom to attract the sh you’re really shing for. A er 4 or 5 rounds of the whole frozen squid, we will re down live pin sh or whatever I’ve jigged up on the sabiki. e other advantage of shing a live pin sh, grass grunt, sailors’ choice or whatever you can jig up, is it eliminates the trash bites. In addition to eliminating the trash bites from small snapper, seabass and other “undesirables,” it’s like physcological warfare, as the gags, scamps and reds cannot digest all that is going on here. To them it appears like the pin sh, grass grunts etc, think the live baits were running around picking up squid pieces, and the squid or crab jigs have caught them and the live bait is struggling to get away. BAM!!! e bite happens. is, my friends, is the di erence between “bottom shing” and GROUPER shing.

Another bait that’s a dead ringer for a grouper bite is a butter ied

bait. e butter ied bait on the bottom basically does the same thing as the squid. e small snapper and other smaller sh will hammer the lets until the grouper have had enough of it. You will feel the small sh biting it constantly, but then all of a sudden the small “pecking” bites will stop. Get ready, and don’t move it… the grouper has moved in and everyone else has to leave, because it’s time for the real bite!

Enough about the bottom. I will occasionally troll for a LITTLE WHILE, but this would be to accomplish two things at once. Catch a sh or two, but also to locate the best part of any given ledge with lots of bait and sh on the bottom. As soon as we locate the bait, reel in the troll baits and get to work! Everything you catch trolling, you can catch on the light line while you’re grouper shing. Tuna, dolphin and wahoo are idiots for a big fat (live) greenie, sardine, cigar minnow or goggle eye out back behind the boat in the current.

All the best shing,

Check out more from Tim Barefoot at barefootcatsandtackle.com

Tim Barefoot

Are Saying

It was a perfect late autumn day in the northern Rockies. Not a cloud in the sky, and just enough cool in the air to stir up nostalgic memories of my trip into the backwoods. is year, though, was di erent. I was going it solo. My two buddies, pleading work responsibilities, backed out at the last minute. So, armed with my trusty knife, I set out for adventure.

Well, what I found was a whole lot of trouble. As in 8 feet and 800-pounds of trouble in the form of a grizzly bear. Seems this grumpy fella was out looking for some adventure too. Mr. Grizzly saw me, stood up to his entire 8 feet of ferocity and let out a roar that made my blood turn to ice and my hair stand up. Unsnapping my leather sheath, I felt for my hefty, trusty knife and felt emboldened. I then showed the massive grizzly over 6 inches of 420 surgical grade stainless steel, raised my hands and yelled, “Whoa bear! Whoa bear!” I must have made my point, as he gave me an almost admiring grunt before turning tail and heading back into the woods.

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By TAM Sta

Where Southern Stripers run

WhereSouthern Stripers run WhereSouthern Stripers run WhereSouthern Stripers run

species that crosses their path.

It is a good time to be a river angler. Here are three excellent destinations for river-run striped bass in the South.

• Saluda River: Columbia, South Carolina

In spring and summer, scads of striped bass make the 60-mile run up the Congaree River from the Santee-Cooper Lakes southeast of Columbia, S.C. By late summer, most of those sh pile into the Saluda River, which is a short, 10-mile-long tributary that’s fed with cold water from the dam at Lake Murray. August is the heart of the Saluda season, when 100- sh days of 2- to 5-pound stripers are possible. Fish heavier than 20 pounds are a possibility, but this shery sees a lot of pressure and the water is normally very clear. e big ones spook easily and become nicky late in the season.

• Etowah River: Cartersville, Georgia

On Georgia’s Etowah River, the sh are spread out over about 50 miles of river, so covering water is the name of the game. Anglers should expect to do a lot of casting to each shoal and piece of wood cover where stripers might lie in ambush.

Starting in April, they run some 75 miles upriver from Alabama’s Lake Weiss to a lowhead dam downstream of Georgia’s Lake Allatoona. e sh are constantly on the move and the idea is to intercept them. Anglers might hook up with sh from 4 pounds on up to 20 pounds and larger.

• Hiwassee River: Reliance, Tennessee

e Hiwassee is more of a quality than quantity shery. Anglers are called on to sh hard for just a few bites, but those bites come from sh that o en weigh 20, 30, even 40 pounds or more.

In the South, the striped bass runs of spring and summer bring some of the most exciting shing of the year for those who prefer to sh rivers. Landlocked striped bass are as large and powerful as any sh in freshwater, and for most of the year they are only available to big-lake anglers who troll or downline live baits.

at all changes in spring. e rst groups of striper migrate into the rivers on spawning runs. In many locations, this spring run is followed by a larger summertime push, when pods of striped bass move up into cooler, more oxygenated waters. Sometimes they pile up below dams, and sometimes they patrol surprisingly skinny waters in wolf packs, gobbling up any prey

Most years, the wide, shoal-broken river around Reliance loads up with striped bass from July into September. ese are big-river sh that run some 50-miles upstream from the Tennessee River at Lake Chickamauga. ey revel in cold, oxygenated water that ows down the mountains from Apalachia Lake on the North Carolina/Tennessee border.

ey hold in the same holes and shoals every year to feed heavily on skipjack herring, gizzard shad and the stocked trout Tennessee puts in the river for anglers.

For more information, go to coastalanglermagazine.com.

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Shane Goebel Fishing

Lake Hiwassee Trophy Stripers

SPRINGTIME STRIPER FISHING IN MURPHY, NC

It’s that time of year! Monster trophy stripers on Lake Hiwassee are firing up and it don’t get better than this!. Yup, it’s May….our favorite time of year for the big-uns. I’m talking about those reel screaming, explosive hits that will make you wanna smack your granny it’s so awesome. No offense to granny, but this is most definitely the best time of year for trophy fish.

May’s warmer weather and longer days get these stripers in the mood for some heavy post/pre spawn feeding. We’ll also start catching numbers as well. And let me tell you about catching these beasts on some ultra-lite tackle too. Shew-wee, talk about fun! There’s nothing more exhilarating then catching a striper on a crappie rod with lite line lol.

So, if you’re looking for something to do or are an avid fisherman looking for that record fish, give us holler and get your fish on with the area’s #1 guide service. We specialize in striper and hybrid fishing. Check out our Facebook and Instagram page, Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service and give us a like.

Currently Lake Hiwassee is around 15 feet below full pool. Clarity is mostly clear and slightly stained in the rivers. Water temps have been in the low 60’s. The striper bite has been wicked insane lately! We are starting to catch some good numbers. It’s not uncommon for us to catch 15 to 30 stripers a morning. The majority of our stripers have been in the 15 to 30 pound range.

In the early part of the month, you’ll still find a lot of these fish in their spring spawning areas in the backs of creeks and in the river. As the month progresses, they’ll start working their way back to deeper water in the mouths of creeks and around shallow humps all over the lake. The early morning and late afternoon bite has been the best for catching these beasts.

Pulling planer boards and free lines with live herring will be your best technique. As the sun comes up, it never hurts to throw out a couple of down lines. Try to pay attention to areas that are holding a lot of baitfish—the stripers will be close by. Also, watch for an awesome top-water bite to fire up. I always like to keep a Red Fin or a spook at the ready to work the banks as we troll around. Just keep an eye out for busting fish.

May is a fantastic month for catching a lot of trophy stripers on this Western North Carolina lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of Lake Hiwassee’s best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Murphy, NC’s and Blairsville, Georgia’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass.

We also serve Lakes Nottely and Chatuge (in North Carolina), and Lake Appalachia for smallmouth and trout. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

Service and is a member of The Angler Magazine Fishing Team. See the website at www. bigolfish.com or call (828) 361-2021

Shane Goebel owns Big Ol’ Fish Guiding

By Ronnie Parris

He was born April 15th, 1940. He grew up in Robbinsville in Graham County, North Carolina. The biggest part of his life he worked for the North Carolina DOT. He married Gayle, the love of his life, whom he cherished for 60 years, til the lord called him home on March 1st of 2023 after a long illness.

I was just one of many that was blessed to know and love Bill. He was just one of those people that had only love and kindness to give to anyone who he came in contact with. It’s easy to see why he and Gayle got along so well as they are cut from the same cloth. I can’t say enough for the kind of people they are. I could write for days about how Bill helped this person or

that person. Any kid wanting to get into hunting only had to ask and Bill would be the first to see they had what they needed.

We used to camp opening week of bear season on Santeetlah and bear hunt with the hounds. There was always a bunch of us Bill had taken under his wing, helping us with whatever we needed so we could spend as much time in the woods as possible. When my kids started competing on the shooting team and needed different sights for their rifle, Bill was right there helping them and wouldn’t let them pay for them. He said all you owe is to do good and stay in school and keep out of trouble.

I would like to say Bill was a friend, but he was so much more than that. He was more like family. As far as a true mountain man, hunter and fishermen, there was none better. He loved bear hunting and following the hounds and killed a good many bears in his life, but the thrill for Bill was listening to the hounds. Which, if a dog was lucky enough to get bought

Continued, see MOUNTAIN LEGEND Page 10

LAKE, CREEK & RIVER FISHING • FLY FISHING • CAMPING

We o er both full and half day trips with the most competitive rates available. All tackle and supplies you will need while you are on your trip is covered by our listed price.

Fontana Lake Fishing Guides – Ronnie Parris, Owner & Head Guide

CAPT. CRAIG HENSEL

What’s going on everyone? Captain Craig here with AWOL Fishing Charters. I hope all of you are able to get out and enjoy this month’s fishing because it has been on fire.

With all the wind, rain, water temperatures fluctuating, and water levels rising and falling it has had the fish scattered everywhere. Usually I go to locations I have marked on my Garmin, but these fish have been all over the place this month. I have ignored my electronics and popped in and out of new holes and have found some great fish.

Now this doesn’t mean that they’ll be there tomorrow, but it’s always good to go hunt for new territory and leave the honey holes alone every now and then. I’m not a community hole kind of fisherman; I like to put in the work to find new places on my days off. But this month I have a very special story I want to share.

Now I usually write about the Cape Fear River, but I received a call from the owner of Foust Heating and Air Conditioning a few days ago. Mike Foust wanted to go to a certain lake and do some bass fishing. This is one of our best kept secret locations, so for this article we will call it, “the lake.”

So Mike calls me while I’m out running errands (it was a bit breezy this day, so I took off to get some chores done), and he says, “I hear they’re wearing them out at the lake—lets go this afternoon. What time

can you go?” I said, “I’ll pick you up in an hour.” “I will be ready,” he says. So I get back to the house and throw some tackle in the boat, grab some rods, put a splash of fuel in the tanks and I’m off to pick Mike up.

We drive an hour down the road and pull up at the lake around 3ish. When I pull up to the ramp there’s 5 kayakers putting in, so I kindly ask if they were going to be a while because they have to unload all their stuff from the trucks and put them into the kayaks. Be patient with the kayakers, folks; they have it a little harder than some of us with boats. But anyways they were nice enough to pull their trucks up and move their stuff to let us launch.

So I put the boat in, and the wind is blowing across the lake from the South at like 15knts. It was white capping at 1-2ft swells. That’s brutal for this lake. I looked at Mike and said, “This is definitely going to be a challenge for sure, but we should catch some fish.” I had no intentions on what was to come.

So we get into the throttle, and I go to a ledge I like to fish on a south wind. Not my favorite with its blowing 15knts, but we were going to make it work. The water was 72 degrees so I knew the smaller bass “should be” be on the beds. I am in no way, shape or form a bed fisherman. I just don’t like doing it for a number of reasons, and it’s not fun to me. But anyways, I pull up to this spot, drop the trolling motor,

and I rig Mikes Rod with a Deep Creek Lures finesse worm.

First cast, Mike pulls in a 5lbs bass. So that’s got me thinking...ok great, the big females are here. We fished this ledge up and down for about two hours and landed over 60lbs of bass; the two biggest were 6lbs, and many were in the 4-5 pound range. The smallest fish we culled was 2.43Lbs.

It was an unbelievable day of fishing, one of those days we will talk about for years to come. For the conditions, it was incredible. Blue bird, high winds, but the wind was right and the water temps perfect.

Mike said it was one of the best fishing days of his life. He caught a lot of quality fish and made one heck of a memory. It meant the world to me to be able to put him on these fish. It was his day to shine for sure! We took a few pictures and videos and released all of them unharmed to be caught another day. If you’d like to see the video check it out on my social media platforms, which I will list below.

Soft Hackle

By Frank Yaun

To Soft Hackle or not, THAT is the question, right? Well, maybe the real question is what in heck am I talking about—what’s a Soft Hackle (SH)? I’m so glad you asked, or at least the voices in my head asked.

SH’s are a type of wet fly, that’s fished sub-surface and imitates a recently emerged bug trying to make its way out of the water, where it flies up, lands in the bushes, chills and watches Netflix, or whatever bugs do. It imitates an aquatic insect at arguably it’s most vulnerable stage, and trout like easy meals. They don’t have drive-thrus due to a labor shortage, I hear.

SH’s are the oldest known fly used, going back to the 1400s. Evidently monks used the Partridge and Orange SH to catch fish in England, thus the start of the British staple food, Fish & Chips. Maybe. They’re easy to fish, simple to tie, very effective, and arguably the most under-used fly in today’s fishing world, in my opinion.

Sure, Skinny Jean (Euro) Nymphing is the most effective way to get a nymph in the grill of a feeding trout, but the most efficient way doesn’t necessarily mean the most enjoyable. Swinging a SH scratches the itch of making long casts, which is very gratifying, but the hook up is also most excellent as the line is tight. You’ll feel the full pull when the trout puts a smack down on the soft hackle fly, and they pretty much hook themselves. To answer my own question in the title, definitely SH!

Let’s talk some about aquatic insects and what the SH fly imitates. The trout diet consists of aquatic insects, primarily Mayfly, Stonefly and

Caddis. All of these insects are hatched from an egg under the water, they then enter the pupa stage, where they live under rocks in the bottom of the stream. At some point in their life cycle, they hatch into an adult, complete with wings. They try and make their way to the surface to dry their wings, then fly away. Before they reach the surface, this is what the SH represents, and it’s when they’re very vulnerable, as they’re not good swimmers.

The SH on the body of the fly is usually a soft bird feather (hackle), usually from a hen (not a rooster dressed up like a hen) chicken, or other materials like CDC (duck butt feather—I kid you not) or Starling wing. This feather is wrapped around the hook, not too far behind the eye of the hook, and when it’s in the current, the fibers of the feather undulate, imitating the legs, wings, or antennae of the emerging bug, and this movement usually triggers the trout to eat the fly, then, game on!

Fishing a SH is EZPZ, even a politician could figure it out, well, maybe. A 2-5 weight fly rod, with a floating fly line, and a 9’ leader with 5x tippet works well. To fish a SH, I try and position myself where the main current is on my left or right and preferably a nice seam where the current meets softer or slower water. I then quarter my cast downstream, right into the teeth of the main current, and then let the fly line undulate with the current, tracking the end of the fly line with the rod tip. The line, then the SH will eventually make its way thru the current, to the seam I

Continued, see SOFT HACKLE Page 17

My Favorite Leader for Small Streams

By Ethan Hollifield

Alost art in the world of fly fishing is learning how to tie your own leaders. This is a skill that takes a lot of time to master, but hand-tied leaders generally tend to perform better for me than the premade ones that you can buy in a store. Tying your own leaders also tends to be more economical, as they tend to last longer and tangle much less.

I will say that some hand-tied leaders take a long time to get dialed in correctly, and one leader set up for a particular rod may not work as well for another rod. It takes a bit of trial and error with some adaptations on the water to make a leader turnover and cast correctly, especially if the leader is meant specifically to throw dry flies.

I finally feel confident enough to share one of the leader systems I’ve come up with that is a good all-purpose leader for fishing many of the small trout streams here in the mountains. It definitely might need some tuning from rod to rod, but it has done well for me in rods ranging from moderate to fast action, 7’-8’ three and 4 weight classes. It has enough butt section to make quick accurate shots in pocket water but can still throw a dry fly up to 30’ effectively. I’m sure I’m not the first person to figure this out either, but I hope that this can be a good baseline for other anglers to follow who enjoy making and fishing with their own leaders.

Leader Formula: 30” of 20lb, 14” of 15lb, 12” of 8lb, 12” 2x tippet, 16” of 5x tippet I would strongly recommend using maxima leader material for

the butt sections of the leader. Its stiffness and lack of memory helps everything turn over quickly. The total leader length should be around 7 feet, give or take. This leader works exceptionally well on smaller streams no wider than 30 feet, and it is great for fishing short casts into rough pocket water.

Ethan Hollifield is a member of a conservation organization called 2% For Conservation and a guide for Southern Appalachian Anglers

MOUNTAIN LEGEND continued from page 3

by Bill he was gonna get the best treatment and care til he passed on from this life.

His true passion was turkey hunting. Without a doubt he was the best turkey caller around. He taught me so much about hunting turkeys. If I ran into a gobbler I couldn’t work, I would call Bill and usually he would have an idea on how to outsmart him. Turkey season is fixing to open and I can’t wait to take one of Bill’s calls into the woods and talk to an old Tom.

This past bear season was the first time since I met Bill, over 35 years ago, that he wasn’t able to get in the woods for bear and turkey season. It’s gonna be a little sad when we hit the woods this fall and don’t hear Bill on the radio, checking on Bigfoot, Fatman, Coonfoot, Snowman, Mr. Green and the Edwards boys.

When I’m sitting up against a big poplar tree talking to an old gobbler with one of his calls, I hope he’s up there watching the show saying that’s my ol buddy right there. I hope he’s proud of me. I hope he knows how proud and grateful I am to have known him and how blessed I feel to have been one of his many friends. He’s gone on to a far better place, but I can guarantee you one thing... this mountain legend will never be forgotten.

Ronnie Parris is owner and head guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in Bryson City, N.C., heart of the Great Smoky Mountains www.smounlimited.com; (828) 488-9711.

North Carolina High School and Junior Series Fishing

We are a volunteer led youth organization that hosts High School and Junior Series (Middle School) bass tournaments at various lakes and rivers across the State. With the popularity of high school fishing clubs being formed nationally, these events give young anglers a chance to experience the competitive atmosphere surrounding such programs and allows them to join an existing team or start their own team at their school or in their community.

Teams consist of two anglers and an adult boat captain. Fish tournaments to win single event awards and earn points to qualify for the National Championship (High School). Fish enough events to qualify for the State Championship, and finish in the Top 2 to qualify to fish in the BASS Nation National Championships — High school or Junior Series! BASS membership and BASS Nation membership are required. Discounted BASS memberships for students are available online at bassmaster.com. We are a BASS and BASS Nation affiliated organization.

HOW TO START A B.A.S.S. HIGH SCHOOL CLUB

B.A.S.S. High School Nation clubs foster leadership, problem solving and public speaking skills, promote environmental awareness and responsibility, as well as teach kids the fun of fishing. If your club is ready to contribute to the future of our sport, follow these easy steps to start your own B.A.S.S. High School club.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1. A desire and commitment to encourage youth fishing

2. A minimum of two (2) interested students grades 9-12, and a club advisor.

Once your club makes the decision to form a B.A.S.S. High School Nation club, you should begin recruiting members.

Once established, the B.A.S.S. High School club needs to begin holding regular meetings and activities. Advisor duties will include supervising the meetings and functions of the club, helping the students hold elections for their officers, planning club meetings and programs and, of course, helping the students learn about the great sport of fishing. When planning the programs for the club, keep in mind that the

programs should be fun, interesting and interactive. Programs that are dull, unorganized or too long will lose the students attention. Ask for the students input when deciding on the agenda and activities; remember, it is their club.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

High Rock Lake –

Southmont Boat Access

899 Wildlife Recreation Area Access Road, Lexington, NC

May 20-21, 2023

SPRING EMERGERS

By Karl Ekberg

As far as springtime here in the South Carolina Mountains goes, this has to rank close to the top of the charts. The fishing has been spectacular throughout April and the outlook for May is looking great. River levels have been excellent, with just enough rain coming through the region to keep the water levels up, and wading levels good all month. As the weather warms throughout the month of May, the wet wading season will begin, and the waders can be hung up until the Fall.

The swing has been the best in the early part of the day, in using heavier lead flies with smaller soft-hackles trailing. Fishing the riffles will be very beneficial and finding pockets within them. This area of the river is where the majority of the bugs will start their emergence. Look for small areas of calm water located behind larger rocks or boulders within the riffles. Fish will hold in these areas and feed on bugs which drift into their zones, tumbling out of the faster moving waters.

Watching the water prior to casting, fish can be observed in the small pockets at times rising to adult dry flies of the caddis, mayflies, and stone flies. As the bugs have started their emergence to the top of the water to “hatch,” watch the slick water below the riffles for dimples or rings on the water surface. Slowly moving toward the rising fish will be crucial so not to startle them, which will send the fish to the depths, only to be seen at a later time. Casting, as well, has to be planned and thought out. Casts well above feeding fish, with careful mends, and long drifts, with longer leaders will have greater results in landing fish.

Another large emergence is of the oak worms. These fine little creatures are a tasty treat that even the largest of trout cannot pass up as

they fall from the trees into the rivers. Casting imitations of these, into over-hanging bushes, and dead drifting them with a twitching technique will be very beneficial to a large day on the river. Anywhere you may find these worms dangling from their silk lines from the trees, do not hesitate to stop, watch the worm finally hit the water and see what happens!

The next process is to work your way into a good vantage point to make your cast to the fish which just ate the natural. Do not worry about a delicate cast; even a splat of the worm on the water will be just as effective, as they also fall out of the trees from far above. As the late spring temperatures rise, fishing the shady areas of the rivers will be essential, as the fish will move out of the high sun and warmer waters.

Join us on Saturday, June 3, for the Kid’s Fishing Rodeo at Burrell’s Ford Campground on the Wild and Scenic Chattooga River, sponsored by the Andrew Pickens Forest Office.

Let’s all remember “leave no trace.” Packing out with what you brought in is essential and bringing something back out, that someone else left behind, does not hurt either to keep our beautiful streams and rivers how they should be. Keeping them clean now means future generations will still be able to enjoy what we are enjoying now!

Enjoy the greater outdoors and we hope to see you out on the rivers.

Karl and Karen Ekberg are co-owners of Chattooga River Fly Shop, located at 6832-A Highlands Hwy, Mountain Rest, SC 29664. Give them a call at (864) 638-2806 and visit their website at www.chattoogariverflyshop.com.

By Scott Norton

It’s finally that time of year. April in Western North Carolina was cold and rainy, but this brings warmth to the lakes and streams. For most people it seemed that it only rained on the weekends when you wanted to fish. In this case all you can do is break out the rain gear and go to work or miss the pre-spawn.

It is very important to invest in rain gear once you decide that you’re not a beginner or just a fair weather fisherman. This gear allows you remain comfortable in any scenario the weather throws at you. You will find out you will use rain gear for about any weather other than sunny days. Cold, wind, and rain are what a fisherman deals with on a constant basis, so once you own good rain gear you will be glad you invested in it.

When fishing this time of year be very observant of the clarity of water. The waves of weather can change your circumstances from day to day. With clear water I like to either downsize or upsize. You will notice it’s a challenge to catch fish in clear water, because they spook easy, being able to see for a distance. Downsizing will allow you to be subtle and methodical for catching spooky fish.

Do not forget to use silent lures without rattles especially in calm situations. Big baits are a great way to just concentrate on trophy sized bass with that silent drawing power that only big baits have. This leaves out those normal, conventional sized lures your used to casting. Once the water gets stained then conventional lures with rattles are a must.

If you want to concentrate on those big females, use red or orange lures because this is when the crayfish come out of the clay banks, and the females need that iodine to break loose those egg sacks. For clearer water use a natural red, and for stained water go for the brighter orange. Pumpkin green is a wonderful color to mix and match with the reds. These big females will key in on where these crawfish live and hangout there before spawning. Look for rocky banks to help you locate these areas. Using a jig will help you feel around the bottom to find bass that are deep.

My secret this time of year is to use a kayak to sneak up on spooky bass if you cannot afford the front facing sonars. With bass coming into river arms you do not have to paddle a kayak far to find them. This will also allow you to fish in places boats are not allowed to go. This means lowpressured bass will be in the area. There are pros and cons with boats and kayaks. Just pick the one that suits you the best and have fun this season.

Scott Norton is a Western North Carolina native. Born in Asheville, N.C., he is a long-time hunter, angler and weekend warrior.

Fishing Directions

By Jim Mize Excerpt from The Jon Boat Years

Farm ponds often provide outstanding areas for fishing since they are remote and fished less than public waters. So when an invitation to fish a private pond came my way, I pounced on it. Three friends who overheard the conversation followed suit. The pond reportedly had bass and bluegill populations so thick that fishermen lined up to bring their kids here fishing. Therefore, four experienced fishermen should have no trouble at all, or so we thought.

“You probably won’t be able to find it,” said our host on the phone. “I’ll have my husband meet you at the Dairy Queen at eight tomorrow morning.” Later that night, I located the Dairy Queen address and calculated the travel time to be a few minutes early. The spare time quickly dissolved the next morning as we gathered gear, found breakfast, and needled each other as fishermen tend to do. Visions of largemouth danced in our heads.

We pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot five minutes early. Being the only vehicle in the lot, it was evident our host had not arrived. We’re not too sharp at eight in the morning but we figured out this much. A cat with a passel of kittens roamed just outside the dog exercise fence, apparently there to taunt them. Or maybe the cats were there to make the dogs run around frantically

so they tired more quickly, and travelers could put them back in their cars and be on their way sooner. Some people think of everything.

About 8:15, no one had shown up yet, so we surmised they were late. Remember my earlier comments on our powers of deduction. I called our host and she apologized profusely, recommending that it might move us along more quickly if we met someone else who knew the pond’s location. They were supposed to be at her cabin and she gave us directions to get there. The pond, we were assured, was close by.

About twenty minutes later, we pulled into the driveway by the cabin and noticed someone outside. Figuring that must be our contact, I walked over and introduced myself. As our luck or lack of it would indicate, this wasn’t who we were supposed to meet. It was, however, another fisherman who had gone to the public lake nearby and had an outstanding day crappie fishing. Unable to pull away without insulting someone who might be able to point me to my contact, I politely listened to his fishing report on a banner crappie trip. After what seemed a long time, I cut in and asked if he could tell me where to find the fellow I was looking for. “Oh, he’s not here,” replied the fisherman and went straight back to his fishing story.

I got back on the phone with my host, and she again apologized

profusely. “I’m almost there,” she added. “Just get in your truck and drive back the way you came. We’ll meet on the road.”

So we again loaded into the truck and started driving back the way we had come.

It seemed we had driven too far so we pulled off into a church parking lot to wait for our host to pass by. At this point, my passengers were making snide remarks and I began to think it might be easier to manage those feral cats back at the Dairy Queen. Our host didn’t drive by during the next few minutes, so I called again. As it turned out, she had also pulled over to wait for us to drive by her. While we talked, I looked down the road and saw her wave.

Now able to follow her, we made it down a dirt road to one of the fishiest ponds I’ve ever seen. A broad, shallow body of water, it was splotched with brush, small islands, and a few standing trees. We listened as our host provided a background on when the pond was built and stocked, as well as a few pointers on where we might bump into a snake or two. We all shuffled our feet and discretely checked our watches while trying to be polite and attentive, antsy to finally fish. After what seemed like eternity but was in fact five minutes, she left us to our fishing. We quickly split up and headed to what looked to each of us as the fishiest water.

The shadows receded from the corners and soon the bright sunlight fell on the entire pond. I looked at my watch and guessed our trip had taken two hours of the best fishing time. With each of us taking a different side of the pond, we quickly covered the water and converged back at the truck to compare notes.

I had thrown popping bugs on a fly rod, another had tossed artificial worms, while the other two had cast hard baits. We had driven two hours in all directions, cast and covered water in a pond that regularly produced for young fishermen, and luckily managed to avoid the snakes. For all our efforts, we had not one bite.

At this point, we decided to eat lunch. That is, if we could still find the

Dairy Queen.

“Fishing Directions” is an excerpt from Jim’s new book, The Jon Boat Years. You can order copies from the University of South Carolina Press at https://uscpress.com/The-Jon-Boat-Years

SOFT HACKLE continued from page 8

mentioned, and that’s often where the strike occurs, usually when the fly line has fully straightened out, which causes the SH to rise, mimicking an emerging aquatic insect.

I usually make 1-2 casts, then take a few steps downstream, rinse and repeat. In that you’re fishing downstream, and the trout are facing upstream, casting as much line as you possibly can is usually best, to try and be beyond the trout’s field of vision. I typically fish 30-40’ of fly line out. Much more than that really isn’t necessary, as the cons of managing that much line outweigh any pros.

As far as when to fish SH’s, when you’re seeing trout moving in the water column, either just below the surface or at 1-2’ depth, that seems to be ideal. More often than not they’re eating bugs that are trying to make their way to the surface, and that’s an ideal time to be swinging SHs!

You can also fish a SH upstream with a dead drift, under a dry fly as a dropper or even use it as the top fly in a nymph rig. To me, to swing is the King Chicken Wing, which means I prefer swinging the SH. That’s the most fun.

It’s a fun, easy, and very effective way to catch fish on the fly. Give it a try, you’ll love it. It works!

Frank Yaun has been chasing trout around WNC, and all over the US for over 30 years, but WNC is home, and his first love. Frank resides in Asheville with his wife and his 12yo son, and when not fishing, he’s usually on the tying vice. He guides exclusively for Maggie Valley Fly Shop, the best damn fly shop in Western NC, bar none.

Lake Murray Country Top 10 Angler Announcement MLF Bass Pro Tour

Lake Murray has been good to professional angler Anthony Gagliardi. Coming into the event, the Prosperity pro had two major national wins – including the 2014 FLW Cup –and banked nearly a half of a million dollars in career tournament winnings from Lake Murray, alone. April 14, Gagliardi added another big trophy and another $100,000 in earnings from his hometown fishery. He caught 16 scorable bass, with his best five weighing 26 pounds, 13 ounces, to win the top prize of $100,000 at the Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury.

Gagliardi’s two-day total of 10 bass weighing 47 pounds, 12 ounces, earned him the win by a 4-pound, 11-ounce margin over second-place finisher Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, who weighed in 10 bass totaling 43-1. “There is something about this lake, I don’t know what it is, but this lake just suits me,” Gagliardi said. “I don’t even fish it all that much – I honestly don’t – but this lake is just incredible, and I am so proud to be from here. Lake Murray showed out for everybody this week.”

“If you’d have told me that I was going to be able to catch that kind of weight doing the things I was doing today, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Gagliardi continued. “I started the day out thinking I was going to fish conservatively and just try to get to 18 pounds and see what happens after that. But I caught a 5-12 early, and then the 8-pounder –just a huge, huge fish. Then it was on. This has just been a blessed day all around.”

Gagliardi spent his week targeting fish that were feeding on the blueback herring, but he did it in an unorthodox way – with a dropshot rig keying on schools of striped bass.

“This is not how I envisioned this tournament playing out,” Gagliardi said. “The herring bite is usually the deal this time of year, and I practiced that way. But I just didn’t find the places that I felt like had big enough fish. And then I figured out the other deal, and just went with what I had.

“I was fishing points that had herring, and I was specifically looking for points that had stripers on them,” Gagliardi continued. “I slowed down and used that drop-shot so I wouldn’t have to worry about catching the stripers. A lot of times I’d throw into groups that I knew were stripers and I’d watch the drop-shot go down through them. The stripers would swim around and act real crazy, but it would get down and if there was a largemouth in that group of stripers he would bite the drop-shot. “I was also seeing some fish on the Garmin LiveScope–individual fish, and I caught a lot that way as well, but I never thought I would have been fishing like I was today.”

Gagliardi had an disappointing start to his 2023 Bass Pro Tour season, finishing tied for 79th place at the first event of the year at Stage One on Lake Toho. Now, after a 17th-place showing at Stage Two on Cherokee & Douglas Lakes and the win on Lake Murray, Gagliardi finds himself back inside the REDCREST qualification line at 27th place in the Bally Bet Angler of the Year race.

“I was really nervous about this one, from the standpoint of doing well,” Gagliardi said. “I knew the lake was going to fish really good, but this time of year, with the fish spawning, I didn’t think any local advantage was going to come into play. So I just wanted to have a good tournament and not bomb on my home lake. But as the tournament progressed I was able to stay consistent, and the farther into the tournament I advanced I started to devote more time to the drop-shot

deal when I figured out I could get a good quality bite. And that’s what I stuck with the entire day, today.”

“It’s been my time a couple of times on this lake,” Gagliardi said. “That’s three major wins on this lake, and another second-place finish as well. She’s been good to me over the years, and this is just such an awesome feeling. I love this lake.”

The final 10 pros finished:

1st: Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, 10 bass, 47-12, $100,000

2nd: Ott DeFoe, Blaine, Tennessee, 10 bass, 43-1, $45,000

3rd: Brent Chapman, Lake Quivira, Kansas, 10 bass, 41-6, $38,000

4th: Chris Lane, Guntersville, Alabama, 10 bass, 40-15, $32,000

5th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 10 bass, 40-6, $30,000

6th: John Hunter, Shelbyville, Kentuky, 10 bass, 40-0, $26,000

7th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 10 bass, 37-3, $23,000

8th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, North Carolina, 10 bass, 36-13, $21,000

9th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, 10 bass, 36-0, $19,000

10th: James Watson, Lampe, Montana, nine bass, 31-11, $16,000 Full results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Overall, there were 106 scorable bass weighing 317 pounds, 1 ounce caught by the final 10 pros Friday.

Gagliardi also earned Friday’s Championship Round $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with his 8-pounder on the drop-shot rig in Period 2. Fellow South Carolina pro, Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, earned the $3,000 Berkley Big Bass award for the overall largest bass of the event with his monster 8-pound, 8-ounce largemouth that he weighed on Day 3 of competition.

After three events in the Bass Pro Tour regular season, pro Ott DeFoe of Blaine, Tennessee, is the leader in the 2023 Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Angler of the Year (AOY) standings with 231 points. Pro Chris Lane of Guntersville, Alabama, sits in second place with 218 points, while pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tennessee, rounds out the top three with 202 points. Bally Bet will award $100,000 to the 2023 Bass Pro Tour Bally Bet Angler of the Year winner.

The next event for qualified Bass Pro Tour anglers will be the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event on Caney Creek Reservoir and Bussey Brake, April 24-29, in Monroe, Louisiana. The next regular season Bass Pro Tour event will take place next month – the Toro Stage Four Presented by Bass Cat Boats, May 16-21, at Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama.

The Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury featured pros competing using the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, with each angler’s five (5) heaviest bass per day tallied as their day’s weight. Anglers strive to catch their heaviest five fish each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the live scoring SCORETRACKER leaderboard. Minimum weights are determined individually for each competition waters that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The six-day bass-fishing event, hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country, showcased 80 of the top professional anglers in the world, competing for a purse of more than $805,000, including a top payout

of $100,000 and valuable Angler of the Year (AOY) points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters All-Star event and REDCREST 2024, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

Television coverage of the Fox Rent A Car Stage Three at Lake Murray Presented by Mercury will air as two, two-hour episodes starting at 7 am ET, September 30 and October 7 on the Discovery Channel. New MLF episodes premiere each Saturday morning on Discovery, with reairings on the Outdoor Channel.

Sponsors of the 2023 MLF Bass Pro Tour include: 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, Ark Fishing, ATG + Wrangler, B&W Trailer Hitches, Bally Bet, Bass Cat Boats, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, Daiwa, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Ferguson, Fox Rent A Car, General Tire, Grundéns, Humminbird, Lowrance, Minn Kota, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Power-Pole, Rapala, Star tron, T-H Marine, TORO, Toyota, U.S. Air Force, Yellowstone Bourbon, Yo-Zuri and Zoom Baits.

For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing and the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.

EAST TENNESSEE AND KENTUCKY

CAPTAIN JIM DURHAM FISHING

KY / TN FISHING REPORT

Owner StriperFun Guide Service, Tennessee and Kentucky Walleye, Bass, Crappie and Muskie Charters, Superbaittanks. com, Captain Jim Marine Electronics and much more……

DATE OF REPORT: April 12th, 2023.

Greetings to my readers! I hope that the world finds you and your family doing well!

DALE HOLLOW LAKE CRAPPIE FISHING

The early summer Crappie fishing on Dale Hollow Lake produces fantastic, big stringers of nice slab Crappie! These trips run June and July. We longline small crank baits catching massive slabs! Our Jeff Brown is a terrific fisherman, and our clients always have a great time on Dale Hollow! Look for large schools of bait.

KENTUCKY WALLEYE CHARTERS ON LAUREL LAKE

Laurel Lake, located west of Corbin, Kentucky, is one of the top Walleye lakes in America! Our Kentucky Walleye Charter guide, Fred Hoskins, has several decades of fishing experience for Walleye on Laurel Lake. We offer both day and night trips. The fishing is phenomenal! We fish live bait as well as troll and cast Captain Jim “Walleye Magic” lures concentrating on where creek channels hit the river channel.

GREEN RIVER CRAPPIE FISHING

Spring Crappie fishing is also great on Green River Reservoir! We longline small crank baits catching massive slabs! Our guide is Bracken

Castle who has fished this lake many years and can teach you techniques as well.

It is great to be alive and be a “free” American! I look forward to seeing all of you this year on the water. Always remember to stop and shake the hand of a person in uniform or wearing garb that shows they are a veteran! Their service is why you speak English, can vote and can enjoy the freedoms you do!

Until next time, blue skies and tight lines!

With full State licensing and insurance, all Captain Jim’s Guide Service guides (16 guides on 16 waterways) can take you on a safe, fun and unforgettable fishing adventure! Check out all of our fishing services as well as our exclusive “online” store at www.striperfun.com or call 931-403-2501 to make reservations today.

DOUGLAS LAKE CRAPPIE?

By Perry Hensley

Let me start this article by stating first that I have debated about writing on this subject simply because it is so touchy with Crappie Anglers that I know on Douglas Lake. I have fished the lakes of Douglas and Cherokee most of my life for crappie.

I myself have noticed the amount of crappie caught between the years of 2017-2023 have seemingly declined from year to year (in my opinion). I have a lot of anglers tossing around blame on a number of things to do with the crappie population, but at the same time I’ve also experienced legitimate facts being tossed around in conversations myself.

Now! I don’t not claim to be a marine biologist at all or a expert of crappie behavior and reproduction, nor do I have a definite answer as to why the crappie numbers seem so low on Douglas Lake in recent years. Something I do know is the numbers of crappie caught in 2017 was sometimes 200 a day/trip with a lot of those being 4 inch fish with the occasional keeper.

In 2018 we were all catching those 9 ¾ inch fish with the occasional keeper crappie. Now by fall-spring 2019 it seemed as if the majority of fisherman were catching limits from Walters Bridge area to the Muddy Creek area. And with all that being said, let me share what I know about what my crappie fishing was like after 2019. Some limits were being caught with most of those containing 10-11 inch fish with an occasional short fish or two. Since 2020 I myself caught several 12 inch fish, and most of those days I had limits of fish ranging from 10-12 inches. But my limits of fish were less frequent.

As an educated observation, we as Anglers must acknowledge a list of factors as to why the numbers seem so low on Douglas at this time. Now this list would include factors such as flooding due to heavy rains near the height or just after the spawn, the TVA draw down being unsteady due to the flooding, water temps and, of course, other weather factors.

First off lets address the weather. In recent years the weather has been so unpredictable in the Southeast. As a result the lake gets unsteady water temperatures, which in turn draw the crappie to the bank. Then a cold front would move through and the crappie would return to deeper water until that water temperature was stable again. Since not all crappie spawn at the same time, some of those crappie that had moved in may have spawned in shallow water.

Now Douglas being a TVA controlled lake, we must understand that any heavy rainfall or flooding above will flow through Douglas and TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) must open the gates to let water flow so other areas will not flood. If there were any fertilized eggs those would be washed down stream and would possibly be destroyed by the current or eaten by other fish.

If we were to think of all these factors and with this happening back to back combined with the ease of catching limits in previous years one would be right to think that has played a huge roll in the low numbers of crappie being caught here in 2023. Let us not forget that a lot of fry stage crappie get eaten by a number of predators in Douglas Lake. Add all this with the fact that not all anglers are honest and abide by the rules and regulations set forth by the TWRA (Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency.

My final thoughts on this matter are this: I think previous years, having better spawns and possibly some stocking on Douglas Lake, that some Anglers assume and expect that the following year should be good or just as good as the previous, and I am guilty of this logic myself. But the reality of it is that the numbers are always subject to all the factors I mentioned earlier.

In closing I would say not to blame any one factor and lets stop pointing fingers. How about instead we voice our concerns/opinions on the matter civilly to those who are in charge of taking care of our resources on our rivers, lakes and streams. And as ethical anglers and sportsmen, lets do our part by abiding by the rules and doing what we can to help in this situation. Just a thought. God Bless and Tight Lines

Perry Hensley Sr.

So You Want To Be A Charter Captain?

By Capt. Cefus McRae, Nuts & Bolts of Fishing Series

One of my most enjoyable things to do is taking folks fishing. Seeing the smile on someone’s face when they hook into a fish… big or small…gives me a great feeling. It’s a lot of fun.

So maybe you’re thinking about becoming a charter captain yourself? I would highly recommend that. It’s a rewarding experience, and one of the best decisions I ever made.

But first things first. In most cases, you’ll need to get a Coast Guard Captain’s License, also called a 6-Pack license. This lets you carry up to 6 people on a charter. You’ll need to prove you have the required number of hours at the helm and have a current USCG Captain verify those hours and your capabilities. You’ll have to pass the Coast Guard in-person written test, pass a physical, get drug tested and be subject to random drug tests, for as long as you hold your license. But that’s the easy part.

The hard part comes when you start running charters. And that means coming to terms with the fact that YOU are not going fishing. Your clients are. You are now in charge of hospitality, you’re the housekeeper, the service staff, the diplomat, and the get-it-done person. You have to be very comfortable with watching other people hook fish and cheer them on. Remember, your job is to put the people on the fish, and their job is to get them in the boat.

The job can be extremely rewarding, and it can be extremely frustrating. For instance, watching someone pull the hook on a trophy fish is aggravating for both you and your client. But you have to maintain a positive attitude and keep their spirits up. So now you’ve just become a counselor too.

There will be days when the fish just don’t bite. But your client may not understand that. They’re paying you good money to bend a rod. So you have to be personable, humble, and not make excuses. That can be difficult…and yes frustrating. For me, there are many more good days than bad days. And a good day doesn’t always mean filling up the fish box. Most clients appreciate just being out on the water and seeing things they’ve never seen before. They want to learn, and they want to be entertained. Oh yeah, you have to be an entertainer too. They want to have fun, and that doesn’t mean they have to pull in a fish every minute of the trip. It’s a balance between catching and all the other fun stuff you do between bites.

Oh, you’re also the safety director, the medic, maintenance guy, boat detailer, bait catcher, the clean-up crew and in some cases…the babysitter. At the end of the day, your client goes home…hopefully with a smile on their face. But you still have a couple more hours of work to do before you eat dinner and get back up at 4am. You’ll re-spool reels, tie on new rigs, clean reels and rods, clean out coolers, clean the boat, refuel, and a few dozen other things. For me, that’s just part of the job, and I don’t mind doing it. The rewards far outweigh any frustrations.

So if you’re giving some thought to joining the family of fishing guides, seriously examine all that goes into it, and make an informed decision. The world needs more passionate professionals to teach folks how fun fishing can be.

Tight Lines and Calm Seas, Capt. Cefus McRae

YOUR KID COULD CATCH A WORLD RECORD

Would your kid be proud to set a new world record?

Of course they would, and right now is a great time for kids to catch a world record thanks to the International Game Fish Association’s new length-record category for young anglers. e category is intended to promote catch-and-release by making it possible to measure a sh for world-record consideration without killing it, and right now there 169 vacant species just waiting for anglers under 16 years old to set a new world record.

e new IGFA All-Tackle Length Junior category follows the same rules and regulations as the current All-Tackle Length record categories. e All-Tackle Length Junior category will have one record available for each eligible species, with no di erentiation made for the angler’s gender, which is consistent with current All-Tackle Length and All-Tackle Length Fly record categories. Vacancies exist for all eligible species of the All-Tackle Length record category and will follow the same minimum length requirements already established.

“By introducing the All-Tackle Length Junior category, we hope to inspire the next generation of anglers to get out and sh, while promoting ethical and sustainable shing practices,” said IGFA President Jason Schratwieser. “Fishing is a fantastic way to connect with the outdoors, and we believe that by engaging young people with this sport, we can inspire the next generation of stewards of our oceans, lakes, and rivers and help ensure the long-term health and vitality of our aquatic resources.”

With children and teenagers increasingly disconnected from the outdoors, the IGFA hopes to inspire a new wave of young anglers who are passionate about the sport and its role in connecting people to nature.

For more information, go to www.igfa.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IGFA.

Alexandra Hall caught this 63-pound blue cat sh from Virginia’s James River to set IGFA 20-pound line class and female junior world records for the species.

FROG FISHING FOR VERY HUNGRY BASS TIPS FROM A PRO

TYLER WOOLCOTT

Across the country, bass are either in their post spawn patterns right now or they will be soon. ere is a plethora of ways to catch these bass, but my all-time favorite for getting bit and drawing in a big one is a hollow body popping frog.

A popping frog can be used as an incredible search bait, and you can duplicate many di erent bait sh depending on where you throw it and what color you tie on. ere are many di erent options out there. I try to duplicate the bait sh forage in the particular lake I’m shing. Sometimes I use a frog to imitate a bluegill, and sometimes I throw a shad color pattern. 13 Fishing makes an incredible popping frog that comes with a stout hook and a wide variety of colors for any scenario.

When I throw a frog as a search bait, I work it faster than most. Cover as much water as possible until you put a pattern together on what exactly the sh are focusing on. at’s the magic of a frog; you can literally throw it around everything! Docks, lay downs, grass and open water are just a few of the targets I look for. Once you locate a group of sh or put a pattern together, slow down and pick them o a little slower. I have noticed sometimes there isn’t a “too fast” while working a popping frog.

A couple things I look for this time of year are bass guarding fry and also sh roaming the banks feeding on bluegill. is is very predictable and an awesome way to catch big ones. Typically, if you know a few areas where the sh previously spawned, these patterns will occur in the same areas. I throw a bluegill pattern popping frog because bluegill chase bass fry, and that drives bass crazy.

Another pattern to watch for is a shad spawn. is occurs in the mornings and evenings and can lead to a bunch of sh in a hurry. Look

for birds feeding on banks while running down the lake. Find the birds and you nd the bait! A white popping frog or a bait sh color is typically my choice in this situation.

A popping frog can work all year long, but it really drives post spawn sh crazy. Who doesn’t like catching sh on a topwater with heavy line and a heavy rod?

Frog Fishing Gear

Heavy gear is needed for setting those big frog hooks and shing around heavy cover. I sh a 13 Fishing 7’4H Omen Black rod paired with a Concept A 8.3 reel spooled up with Seaguar 50-pound Smackdown braid. is setup allows you to get sh out of heavy cover and into the boat!

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

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40-POUND PIKE BREAKS IDAHO RECORD!

BLACK SEA BASS OPEN YEAR-ROUND IN SOUTH ATLANTIC

Black sea bass o en y under the radar for anglers o the coast of the Southeast. Perhaps it’s because their size and numbers are thickest in the middle of winter, when it’s not as pleasant to be on the water? Or maybe it’s because they don’t grow as a large as the other grouper species that inhabit our wrecks and reefs?

This 40.76-pound northern pike is a new Idaho state record. It beat the existing 13-year-old record by a little more than half a pound.

Avid pike sherman omas Francis landed the monster sh on March 21 from Hayden Lake in northern Idaho. e sh was more than 4 feet long, with an o cial length of 49 inches and an impressive girth of 26.5 inches.

Francis told Idaho Fish and Game he speci cally targets big pike almost every day. In late March, ice still ringed the banks at Hayden Lake, so Francis was casting his lure up to the edge of the ice.

“When my lure hit the water, I let it sink all the way to the bottom,” he said. “As soon as my lure hit the bottom, I felt her hit. I sh with 80-poundtest line, and she almost immediately started peeling drag, a lot of it.

“She pinned herself to the bottom and just kept going, peeling drag the whole time,” he continued. “I knew that wasn’t normal, and I could tell it was something special.”

e IGFA all-tackle world record northern pike was caught in Germany in 1986. It weighed 55 pounds, 1-ounce.

For more information, go to https://idfg.idaho.gov

Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that black sea bass are some of the tastiest critters in the ocean, and anchoring over a wreck or reef teeming with them can ll a cooler in short order. Just ask the folks up in New England, where the species is a highly sought a er target of anglers.

NOAA recently announced that recreational harvest of black sea bass will again be open year-round for the 2023-2024 season in federal waters of the South Atlantic, south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. So, sharpen the hooks on your chicken rigs and go collect some meat.

NOAA Fisheries has projected that the 2023-2024 recreational catch limit of 366,510 pounds whole weight will not be met. e season in federal waters will run from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. Seasons in state waters vary, so be sure to check state regulations where you plan to sh. In federal waters of the Atlantic, south of 35 deg 15.0321’ N, there is a seven sh per person bag limit with a 13-inch minimum size limit.

A descending device is required on board all vessels shing for or possessing snapper and grouper species in federal waters of the South Atlantic. e descending device must be readily available for use and attached to at least 16 ounces of weight and at least 60 feet of line. For more information, go to coastalanglermag.com.

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STILL TIME FOR A TROPHY TROUT

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

If you are big trout enthusiast like me, you know there is still some time le if you haven’t had your ll over the past ve months. December through a portion of May is when I set my eyes on catching a personnel best speckled trout. With the full moon on May 3 this year, I feel the entire month will hold promise to land one full of eggs before the rst full moon in June. May is also a little more enjoyable, too, so sit back and let me tell you why.

Most anglers in Texas think about big trout mid-December through early April, and when the waders come o they change their focus. Fortunately, not all the big girls have dropped their eggs yet and will still hold them into May. It gives us the opportunity for a heavy trout to take a big smiling photo with.

Speaking of taking the waders o , wading in May is typically warm and enjoyable even if the sh don’t cooperate. e pleasant temperatures are more appealing than dreary, cold, winter days, and they also allow me to sh the way I prefer. At times in winter, we must slow down our presentation and this can become a little monotonous; however, targeting big trout in the warmth of May allows us to work the lure more aggressively.

ere is not much more exciting than a topwater explosion, and spring is one of my favorite times to utilize this tactic for trophy trout. May is also a great time to throw other lures. Traditional slow-sinking and suspending lures also work wonders this time of year.

As most of you know, I am a paddletail fanatic! is month, I’ll give several sizes a shot at getting inhaled by a huge yellow mouth. ese large predators will take 3-, 4- and 5-inch lures this time of year. As their bodies warm with the water, they become as aggressive as they will be all year, so adding some rattling sound to your tails can really get the sh active.

I seek out areas of grass ats in knee- to waist-deep water. Finding a at with a drain from a small lake or creek will work wonders for concentrating sh over adjacent shallow grass. A depression along such a at is another area you should target. When choosing a at with these criteria, areas of potholes are a plus over a solid grass- lled at.

I hope these tips help you get your PB trout on your last chance of the year to nd one lled with eggs. Take a kid shing. ey like big trout too. And be safe. May is the uno cial start of summer, and inexperienced boaters will be on the water.

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

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

KAYAKER LANDS

102-POUND PADDLEFISH

An angler got a little more than he bargained for in early April while shing for walleye in the Upper White River in northwestern Arkansas. Fishing 12-pound-test line and a 3-inch-long crankbait, Robert Murphy accidentally snagged a 102-pound paddle sh and spent the next hour battling the sh from his kayak.

In April, the Upper White experiences spring runs of several species into the riverine sections of Beaver Lake, including white bass, walleye and paddle sh. Paddle sh, also known as spoonbill, are a large zooplankton eating species. ey won’t chase lures or live bait, so anglers typically “snag” them during Arkansas’ paddle sh snagging season. e daily limit is two sh per person.

Murphy might not have intended to snag a paddle sh, but that’s exactly what he did. According to Outdoor Life, Murphy was throwing a 3-inch Berkley Flicker Shad for walleye when he saw a big sh on his sonar. inking it was a big striped bass or a gar, he ran his 10- to 12-foot-diving plug through the area and hooked his river monster in the top of the tail.

Anyone who has ever foul-hoked a sh knows how hard they ght when you can’t turn their head. Well, Murphy spent the next hour battling the beast from his kayak as it pulled him up and down the river. A er he nally hauled it into his kayak and brought it to shore, he weighed and measured the sh. With a length of 71.5 inches, it was nearly 6 feet long, and at 102 pounds, it was shy of the 118-pound, 9-ounce state record that was caught from Beaver Lake in 2020.

For more information, see www.agfc.com.