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

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE NATIONWIDE!

Dear Angler,

We’re looking to expand our franchise footprint and are seeking like-minded outdoor enthusiasts who share in our vision to bring our free publication to every town in America! is is a great opportunity to own your own business, control your time and, to a great extent, control your income.

Our Ideal Franchise Candidate Will:

• Be an avid angler and/or love the outdoors.

• Have either prior business experience or a minimum of three years sales experience.

• Good communication skills

PUBLISH YOUR OWN FISHING MAGAZINE!

If you love the outdoors and dream of being in business for yourself, now is the time to choose a Coastal Angler or e Angler Magazine Franchise.

Established Brand • Proven Systems Training & Ongoing Support

Work From Home • Be Your Own Boss

• Alabama - SOLD

• Big Bend, FL

• Charlotte, NC

• Connecticut/Rhode Island

• Daytona Beach, FL - SOLD

• Destin/Pensacola, FL - SOLD

• Eastern Tennessee

• Georgia (Coastline, Savannah)

• Lake Erie, Ohio - SOLD

• Lake Michigan

• Long Island, NY

• Miami, FL - SOLD!

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New Orleans, LA

• North Carolina (Raleigh, Wilmington)

• Okeechobee, FL - SOLD

• Outer Banks, VA

• Panama City, FL - SOLD!

• South Carolina (Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach)

• Tallahassee, FL/SW GA

• Texas (Coastal, Houston)

• ...YOUR HOMETOWN!

Don’t see your location? Ask one of our specialists about franchise availability in your area.

1-888-800-9794

info@coastalanglermagazine.com

franchise.coastalanglermag.com

• Good credit

If you or someone you know is looking for an opportunity to own their own home-based business and earn a living in the outdoor industry, please contact us toll-free at 1.888.800.9794 or email info@coastalanglermagazine.com.

Tight lines, Ben Martin Editor In Chief Coastal Angler Magazine e Angler Magazine

www.CoastalAnglerMag.com

FRANCHISOR-CORPORATE DIRECTORY

EDITOR IN CHIEF : Ben Martin • camads@coastalanglermagazine.com

COO : Tracy Patterson • tracy@coastalanglermagazine.com

ART DIRECTOR : Laura Kelly • graphics@coastalanglermagazine.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR : Nick Carter • editorial@coastalanglermagazine.com

WEBMASTER : Ryan Clapper • webmaster@coastalanglermagazine.com

ADVERTISING & FRANCHISE INQUIRIES: info@coastalanglermagazine.com • 888.800.9794

FRANCHISE DIRECTORY LINK

www.coastalanglermag.com/directory

FISHING DEEP DROPS AS

By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

Sfrequent, and the pelagics are plentiful. is time of year, you can usually point your boat o shore and eventually run into the mecca. However, these sought-a er pelagic species are moving around through their migrations and nding them isn’t always guaranteed. Sometimes you just get unlucky running and gunning all day, on the hunt for birds, debris and weed lines. Whether you are out there with no signs of life or just can’t seem to get away from schools of undersized sh, it’s a good idea to have a backup plan to save the day and make the fuel bill worth it.

Having a deep-drop rig ready to go can save a day of o shore shing. Sword shing can be an epic day saver, but it takes quite a bit of time, gear and involvement to have a good chance. ere are a lot of opportunities for shing the bottom between the reef and the sword grounds.

With a set-up that can handle shing between 500 and 1,000 feet, you will have what you need to quickly pepper in some drops during your day, without spending too much time setting it up and packing it away. ere are a variety of edible aliens that can be targeted, or even snagged as bycatch, when shing in the deep, but pretty much all

onboard, in case you get hung on the bottom, or adjustments need to be made due to the current. Having the right weight is important, and it is pretty easy to tell a er a drop if you have put on too much or too little. I would recommend having 6-, 8- and 10-pound weights to make your adjustments with. ese leads can be extremely pricey, so look into some DIY methods if this is something you plan to get into.

Depending on what you want to target, there are a few variations you will want for your rigs. Utilizing 300-pound mono and sleeve swivels, space out up to ve hooks along the leader, making the drop-down leaders short enough that they won’t tangle with each other. Play around with di erent size hooks and spacing between them. If you aren’t sure what might be living on a newfound bottom spot, drop a rig with varied hook sizes, having the biggest on the bottom. It is also a good idea to a x a 6-inch, 50-pound breakaway leader to the lead to save the rest of your gear when you inevitably get hung up.

Searching for new bottom spots can be one of the most exciting parts about this type of shing. You might see ledges full of life on your machine, or you might see nothing at all, and still nd sh.

You can even look for changes in the waves on the surface that indicate depth uctuations on the bottom. Mark your spots whenever you get a bite, and start your own collection of o shore honey holes.

Sweet E’nuf Charters’ two-boat eet specializes in deep-dropping out of Marathon, Florida Keys. Call them at (504) 920-6342 to book your trip this summer. Follow Capt. Quinlyn on social media @captainquinlyn.

Throw Yourself a Bone

Full tang stainless steel blade with natural bone handle —now ONLY $79!

Thevery best hunting knives possess a perfect balance of form and function. They’re carefully constructed from fine materials, but also have that little something extra to connect the owner with nature. If you’re on the hunt for a knife that combines impeccable craftsmanship with a sense of wonder, the $79 Huntsman Blade is the trophy you’re looking for.

The blade is full tang, meaning it doesn’t stop at the handle but extends to the length of the grip for the ultimate in strength. The blade is made from 420 surgical steel, famed for its sharpness and its resistance to corrosion.

The handle is made from genuine natural bone, and features decorative wood spacers and a hand-carved motif of two overlapping feathers— a reminder for you to respect and connect with the natural world.

This fusion of substance and style can garner a high price tag out in the marketplace. In fact, we found full tang, stainless steel blades with bone handles in excess of $2,000. Well, that won’t cut it around here. We have mastered the hunt for the best deal, and in turn pass the spoils on to our customers.

But we don’t stop there. While supplies last, we’ll include a pair of $99 8x21 power compact binoculars and a genuine leather sheath FREE when you purchase the Huntsman Blade

Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Feel the knife in your hands, wear it on your hip, inspect the impeccable craftsmanship. If you don’t feel like we cut you a fair deal, send it back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price.

Limited Reserves. A deal like this won’t last long. We have only 1120 Huntsman Blades for this ad only. Don’t let this beauty slip through your fingers. Call today!

Huntsman Blade $249*

Offer Code Price Only $79 + S&P Save $170

1-800-333-2045

Your Insider Offer Code: HBK186-01

You must use the insider offer code to get our special price.

Stauer ®

EXCLUSIVE FREE

Stauer® 8x21 Compact Binoculars

-a $99 valuewith purchase of Huntsman Blade

What Stauer Clients Are Saying About Our Knives



“This knife is beautiful!”

— J., La Crescent, MN



“The feel of this knife is unbelievable...this is an incredibly fine instrument.”

— H., Arvada, CO

Rating of A+

14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. HBK186-01 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.com

*Discount is only for customers who use the offer code versus the listed original Stauer.com price.

California residents please call 1-800-333-2045 regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product.

•12” overall length; 6 ¹⁄2” stainless steel full tang blade

• Genuine bone handle with brass hand guard & bolsters

• Includes genuine leather sheath

Call today and you’ll also receive this genuine leather sheath!

THREE DESTINATIONS FOR

For many anglers, yellow n tuna settle right into the sweet-spot of the tuna shing world. ey’re bigger and stronger than black ns, while being far more approachable than giant blue ns. ey’re fast and strong, and they school up, sometimes crashing baits on the surface. ere’s so much to like about this tremendous game sh, and it doesn’t hurt that limits are relatively liberal in most places. Did we mention that yellow ns are made of the delicious meat known as ahi in sushi bars?

Here are three of the best destinations where you can test your strength against a few yellow ns. Win the battle, and you’ll eat like a king.

Venice, Louisiana:

One of the most consistent places in the world for catching yellow ns is out of Venice, e “Yellow n Capital of the World.” Tuna are a year-round possibility here in the Northern Gulf, where the Mississippi River produces rich currents and rip lines that roll out to hundreds of oil rigs and undersea mounts known as lumps.

Summertime brings better weather and calmer seas, when getting o shore more quickly and comfortably can reward anglers with mixed bags of mahi, wahoo, snapper and tuna in the 40 to 80-pound range. However, peak season for giant yellow ns is in winter, and triple-digit sh become the norm when the bite is hot. Fish heavier than 200 pounds are a de nite possibility.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:

On Mexico’s Paci c Coast, where the landmass begins to curve east, Puerto Vallarta is positioned within range of some of the most proli c tuna grounds in the world. Outside of Banderas Bay, a series of islands and deep-sea banks draw in tuna like clockwork at certain times of year. ese are some of

By CAM Sta

yellow ns here, but shing is best from July through October, with a typical peak season of August and September. With runs of 36 to 125 miles to reach the shing grounds, anglers must commit to long days on the water or overnight trips. e rewards can be huge. A low-end average sh weighs 80 pounds out of Puerto Vallarta. Big ones weigh 350 pounds or more.

Outer Banks, North Carolina:

e Outer Banks get a lot of attention for giant blue n tuna that move through in the winter months, but yellow n tuna are around all year. With the Gulf Stream averaging 30 to 45 miles o shore and all the bottom structure on the Continental Shelf, large schools of yellow ns are frequently encountered along with many other pelagic favorites.

Unpredictable weather makes the deep winter months of January and February a crapshoot, which leaves October through December and March through June as prime time for catching yellow ns. ey run a little smaller here, with 25- to 65-pound sh being normal catches, but the action is usually fast once you nd them. Charters ll limits quickly, with doubles and triples coming tight when you troll through a school of them.

For more great destination shing, visit coastalanglermag.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CAPT. BLAKE RIGBY, TRIPLETAIL CHARTERS

Bill Dance Signature Lakes to Solidify Tennessee as the Heart of Fishing in the Southeast

Anglers from Around the World Travel to Tennessee for its Excellent Natural Resources and Premier Fishing Spots

Bill Dance Signature Lakes will connect the world’s most-loved angler with some of Tennessee’s most excellent natural resources – its lakes. Already known for its premier fishing spots, this program will make Tennessee a best-in-class destination for anglers worldwide – beginners, experts and every skill level in between.

With the new initiative’s goal to improve and enhance Tennessee lakes, increase visitation and honor Dance’s legacy, TWRA and the State of Tennessee will invest $15 million in improvements above and below the water at 18 lakes that bear fishing legend Dance’s stamp of approval. Tennesseans will benefit from increased stocking, habitat and fisheries management and improved access for fishing and boating. The collaborative effort between Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee State Parks and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development seeks to solidify Tennessee as the heart of fishing in the southeast and drive economic activity across the state.

“I’m unbelievably humbled and excited to be involved in such a helpful project that will benefit so many people and our natural resources in my great home state of Tennessee,” said Bill Dance. “You can bet your favorite lure this project will have a ripple effect for a mighty long time, not only giving the weekend fisherman but tournament anglers a wonderful fishery as well, thanks to the great state of Tennessee and my friends at TWRA.”

“Bill Dance is a tremendous advocate for our Tennessee rural communities, and we are thrilled to partner with him,” said Gov. Lee. “The Bill Dance Signature Lakes highlights the importance of lakeside tourism with premier fishing opportunities.”

Including 500,000 acres of lakes and 1.7 million people who fish in Tennessee, Bill Dance Signature Lakes touches 39 counties, including 22 at-risk or economically distressed counties, and is an essential step in helping those communities create new revenue streams through

increased visitation. Fishing generates $1.2 billion in economic impact annually and supports 7,480 jobs across the state.

“We have over a million anglers that visit Tennessee waters every year, so we try to give back and make it exciting for anglers to keep coming to Tennessee,” said Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Executive Director Bobbie Wilson. “By investing this money into the Bill Dance Signature Lakes, we are going to bring people to our lakes and communities not only from within our state but across the borders as well. This means that we will have more people visit our communities, visit the restaurants, visit the stores and buy goods in the area, which all will help our local communities.”

Nine large reservoirs will feature Bill Dance Signature Lake access points constructed to a standard of excellence endorsed and designed by Bill Dance Outdoors in collaboration with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. These nine reservoirs include “Bill Dance Signature Lake access areas” with new or improved assets driving economic activity year-round for each surrounding community. In addition, nine “small venue” lakes entice anglers of all ages and experience levels to enjoy the outdoors while experiencing an above-average catch rate.

Bill Dance Signature Lakes includes nine large reservoirs with a proven track record for quality fishing for a variety of fish. In partnership with the Tennessee Valley Authority, reservoirs will receive new or upgraded best-in-class ramps to improve public access for both recreational and tournament anglers. Each of the 18 lakes will see such above-water upgrades as courtesy docks, ample parking, additional access points, fishing piers and signage, to name a few. Several smaller lakes, many which are located within Tennessee State Parks, will be managed intensively by TWRA for Bill Dance approved family fishing with regular stocking to ensure the best chance for success.

“Good fish management makes fishing special in Tennessee,” said Director Wilson. “We have such a diversity of fisheries. We have the Mississippi River all the way to the Smoky Mountains area and a diversity of fish species.”

Continued, see BILL DANCE SIGNATURE LAKES Page 4

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 Lures and Marine Electronics and much more Greetings to my readers! I hope that the world finds you and your family doing well!

STRIPERFUN GUIDE SERVICE ON THE LAUREL DAM TRACE

The Laurel River Dam Trace is located in the Daniel Boone National Forest. We fish for stripers in the “cold” trace waters that flow out of the Laurel Lake Dam for a mile then into the Cumberland River! This area is located only 25 minutes from Corbin KY, 20 minutes north of Jellico TN and only 55 minutes south of Lexington KY. We run 3 boats there. Limits are caught frequently, with some 30 to 40 fish days as well (catch and release is allowed)! Prime season is July and August!

STRIPERFUN GUIDE SERVICE ON THE CUMBERLAND RIVER

Captain Jim’s StriperFun Guide Service Cumberland River Adventures fishes in he Cumberland River for several reasons.

• First, the stripers are much larger in the Cumberland River system than other freshwater arears. There is an average of over 15 Stripers caught annually in excess of 50 pounds and 40-pound fish are not uncommon. The smallest fish we generally catch daily is over 3 feet long! These fish mostly eat high protein rainbow trout, large gizzard shad and skip jack and also fight the current all day, making them much heavier and stronger than “lake” fish.

• TN allows the use of rainbow trout as bait and we catch large gizzard shad in the allowed creeks and use them in the KY waters. We use 1 to 3 pound bait.

When a big river striper comes after a large bait, the bait will be tail dancing all over the surface trying to get a way. Sometimes the “dance” will last half a minute (as you watch the big predator circling the prey!) until the striper finally gets the big bait then its “kabam”!! The rod gets yanked down and the reel is screaming! We also catch huge fish casting Captain Jim Special (see our website store) Striper Magic “glide” baits and my mini umbrella rigs!

This fishing is not for the faint of heart however! These big fish hit like freight trains, making long powerful runs in the constantly flowing waters of the river! We use large rods, heavy duty reels, 50-pound test line and titanium hooks! June, July, August, September and October are great months to fish!

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.

Summer Crappie Techniques

By Perry Hensley

Well! We have come through the ups and downs of spring crappie fishing and are headed into the deep water and high temperatures of the summer, so now what?

If you are like me and can’t handle the heat of the day in the summertime, then it is time to buy some lights and hit the water for some nighttime slab hunting.

Around East Tennessee it is very common to pass by the lakes and rivers and see the bridges and banks all lit up with lanterns and lights. One of the techniques I have used in the past is fishing deep bridge columns. you can do this by either anchoring your boat or also by tying off to the columns themselves. (Note: Please be aware of the boat traffic as this can be dangerous at times if an uncourteous boater/fisherman comes flying by so be very cautious!)

Now that you are set up drop either your submersible or floating lights over the boat almost instantly you see the schools of baitfish swarming under or around light source. I would prefer to also be over some kind of structure such as rocks or brush where the chances of finding crappie would be more in my favor.

All one needs for this is some good limber rods and small reels with 4-8 lb. line a split shot weight or two and a #4-1/0 size hook (depending on your preference) and a few dozen medium size minnows. It is important to be using a rod with a real soft tip as crappie do not like any resistance and if you are using a stiffer rod the crappie is likely to spit out the bait or just rip it from your hook stealing your bait.

I would start by lowering my bait half the total water depth in which you are fishing or drop it to just a foot or two above structure or brush that you intend to fish. This will cause less problems getting hung up in the structure you are fishing over in the event you hook a good slab crappie. One does not have to use just minnows to be effective in fact you can have a ton of luck using an artificial bait such as a stinger type profile bait or even a crappie magnet style bait or even night crawlers. Just as a precaution, make sure you are prepared to hook a variety of different fish using this method of crappie fishing. All in all if you can handle the bugs this is a great way to fill your live well with some summertime slabs. In closing and as always, get out there and make those memories with your friends and loved ones. May God our Father bless each of you and Tightlines! Perry Hensley

BILL DANCE SIGNATURE LAKES continued from page 1

Agency partners and Bill Dance selected each lake for its ability to be a destination fishing location and provide quality fishing fun for avid anglers and families. Endorsed by Bill Dance Outdoors, projects are slated to begin in 2022 and near completion by the fall of 2024.

The Bill Dance Signature Lakes at launch are as follows:

• 1000 Acre Lake, Huntington, TN (Carroll County)

• Brown’s Creek Lake, Natchez Trace (Henderson County)

• Chickamauga Lake, Harrison Bay State Park & Chester Frost Park (Hamilton, Rhea, Meigs, McMinn and Bradley Counties)

• Dale Hollow Lake, North Central TN (Clay, Pickett, Fentress and Overton Counties)

• Douglas Lake, East TN (Jefferson, Sevier and Cocke Counties)

• Fall Creek Falls Lake, Fall Creek Falls State Park (Van Buren County)

• Herb Parsons Lake (Fayette County)

• Kentucky Lake, Paris Landing State Park (Henry, Stewart, Houston, Benton, Decatur, Perry and Humphreys Counties)

• Lake Acorn, Montgomery Bell State Park (Dickson County)

• Lake Woodhaven, Montgomery Bell State Park (Dickson County)

• Norris Lake, Northeast TN (Anderson, Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger and Union Counties)

• Old Hickory Lake, Middle TN (Sumner and Davidson Counties)

• Pickwick Lake, Pickwick Landing State Park (Hardin County)

• Pin Oak Lake, Natchez Trace State Park (Henderson County)

• Reelfoot Lake, Reelfoot Lake State Park (Lake and Obion Counties)

• Tim’s Ford Lake, Tim’s Ford State Park (Franklin and Moore Counties)

• Travis McNatt Lake, Big Hill Pond State Park (McNairy County)

• Watauga Lake, Northeast TN (Johnson and Carter Counties)

Plan a Fishing Trip to the Tennessee River Valley’s Legendary Waters

The Tennessee River Beckons Anglers from Anywhere and Everywhere for Elite Level Bass-Catching Experiences

The fact that for the first time ever a guy from Canada won the Bassmaster Classic in Knoxville says a lot about how challenging, unpredictable and extraordinarily rewarding the waters of the Tennessee Valley can be.

Hooking up with victory in the 2023 Bassmaster Classic back in March was Ontario-native Jeff Gustafson’s second big pro-circuit, trophy-landing event launching from the Marble City in just two years. Using his personally fine-tuned “moping” technique – hover-jigging buoyant superplastics for deep-suspended fish -- “Gussy” won the 2021 Bassmaster Elite event on the Tennessee River as well.

What that says is that fishing along any of the Tennessee River’s sprawling TVA lakes is that they have a singular capacity to exhilarate, exalt or frustrate anyone, no matter where they’re from or how much fishing experience they possess.

“Gustafson had the tournament lead after the first day of competition, as well as the second day,” recounted a blog post on Bassmaster.com after the whopper-catching Canuck landed a victory in the world-renowned tournament. “He ran the table with an incredible performance on the third and final day to claim the top prize. Gustafson is the first Canadian to take home the prize for winning the most prestigious event in the world of professional fishing.”

In an interview with ExploreTRV videographer Brad Wiegmann before the derby, Gustafson hinted that even though he was fishing waters more than 1,300 miles from home, he was confident about his prospects -- partly because he “got lucky” and won an event two years ago on the same stretch of Tennessee River.

“It is just an awesome place to spend the week here in Knoxville,” Gustafson said as the Classic was getting underway. “I will be excited

anytime as long as this place is on the schedule. If I had to choose which reservoir to fish on the Tennessee River, for big bass I would probably go with Chickamauga. But for me personally to have the best opportunity to win, I think Loudon and Tellico are right up my alley.”

Bassmaster Classic event planners recognize something special in the Tennessee Valley as well. Four of the past 10 of their Super Bowls of Bass Fishing have been held on the Tennessee River, an honor no other river system in the country can boast. Guntersville Lake hosted the big event in 2014 and 2020, and less than a month prior to this year’s downtown Knoxville showdown, Dayton, Tennessee was the launch point on Lake Chickamauga for Bassmaster’s National Championship for kayak anglers.

Regional anglers who call Tennessee River lakes their home fishing holes – as well as bass wranglers who hail from faraway waters – speak highly of the Tennessee River and its chain of trophy bass producing reservoirs. Owing to the river system’s clean water, lush aquatic vegetation, diverse structure and abundant bait fish, it is regarded as one of the premier fisheries anywhere in the country.

In order to be successful in competition fishing on the Tennessee River—or just to improve your chances of hooking into a fat bass on a lazy day off—it helps to develop competency in a range of angling tactics and techniques. To be consistently successful on the Tennessee River requires an angler to learn just about “every technique known to man for bass fishing,” said east Tennessee native Brandon Card, a former University of Kentucky angler who was the first Bassmaster College Series angler to qualify for the Elite Series – and in 2012 was named Bassmaster Elite Rookie of the Year.

“You can go up into super shallow water, find some muddy water and fish (a couple feet) deep, or you can be out in 30 feet of water in the summertime, learning how to catch them out there on the ledges,” said Card. “So, it makes you a very versatile angler, fishing the Tennessee River, and that’s one reason it is so special.”

The river system’s versatility is evident from its headwaters to its mouth – from “end to end,” said 24-year pro angler Gerald Swindle.

Continued, see TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY Page 12

The Pigeon River…A River Restored

The “Dirty Bird”…The “Dead Pigeon”…These are just a few of the names bestowed on the Pigeon River downstream of the paper mill in North Carolina, especially in the sections of North Carolina and East Tennessee.

It was called the Dirty Bird due to the color of its water. Poisoned by pollution, some described the water as black as tar. I always considered it more of an unnatural green especially in its impoundment in Waterville Lake, just up the gorge from the Walters Hydroelectric facility. But I only started fishing it about twenty years ago, so I guess the color could have changed.

Another reason for the nicknames was the smell. Old timers would often give directions to the river with the simple saying…” Just follow your nose.” Again, I always associated the bad smell with the paper mill in Canton, North Carolina. I’ve never experienced a bad smell in the water myself, but I imagine nicknames are given for a reason. However, underneath the tainted water and smell, the river survived and the fish held on…”Life finds a way.”

The Canton paper mill, owned by an international packaging conglomerate called Pactiv Evergreen, through pressure from environmental groups like the Dead Pigeon River Council, was forced to spend millions of dollars cleaning up its operations. This was not a panacea. It didn’t fix everything, but it was a start. The water began to clear. The river was still off color, but you no longer thought twice about sticking your feet in it. The ‘stigma’ began to lift. Soon, rafting companies sprang up just downstream of the plant in Hartford Tennessee. Before too long, a dozen or more outfits began floating people down water they once avoided.

On March 6, 2023, Pactiv Evergreen abruptly announced the paper mill would close due to rising inflation and corporate restructuring. This was devastating news to the people of Canton, North Carolina. People lived and worked around the plant for a hundred years. New jobs will have to be found and the towns identity will have to change. This is not an easy task. The atmosphere around Canton will undoubtably get darker for the next few years. My heart goes out to those folks.

But downstream, the Pigeon River, a growing recreation destination for fisherman and river rafters alike, is now aglow with new energy. Property values once depressed are now soaring with anticipation of what’s to come. The future is bright for everyone along its banks. So, let’s focus on why I’m excited about the possibility of crystal-clear water in the Pigeon River: the fishing.

The water in the headwaters of the Pigeon is pristine. I’m giddy with the thought of this same water running unimpeded through Canton alongside and under I-26 and into Waterville Lake, through the power plant before being pumped into the bigger water running through Cocke County, Tennessee.

The state record smallmouth (over 11 pounds) is well within reach from these waters. The Pigeon consistently produces huge smallmouth. It has a much narrower river base than other rivers like the French Broad or Nolichucky. It provides a dense smallmouth population in less water. More smallmouth, less water…you don’t have to be a genius.

The Tennessee side of the pigeon river also has 15 miles of “trophy smallmouth” water, where no bait fishing is allowed. And smallmouth is not the only species you can target in the Pigeon. Walleye, Trout, Crappie and even Pike are caught on a regular basis. This river could easily gain the same stellar recognition other streams in Tennessee have garnered like the Holston and the Clinch.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about river access. The rise and flow of water levels due to power generation, advantageous to rafting companies, can make fishing from a raft very difficult. It can also be downright dangerous to be in the water when generation starts. Do yourself a solid and get very familiar with power generation schedules or better yet, hire a local guide familiar with the ebb, flow, and rock formations of the stream bed. There are several put in locations and little homework will go a long way.

The Pigeon River is a testament to the resiliency of nature and the hardy souls living along its banks. Now is the time to get out and explore it.

Legendary Memories

By Jim Parks

While out on my first fishing trip of the year, my mind wondered as I watched my streamer making its erratic path through the current. I began following a train of thought that took me down a path more direct than that of my fly, but still permitting me to maintain focus on any trout that might slam my olive wooly-booger. What rose to the surface were my memories of the late, great, legendary master fly-caster Lefty Kreh.

Using my then recent marriage as a time reference, we were living in an apartment which I believe it was 1988 when the Fly Fishing Conclave was held in nearby Gatlinburg. Having been fly fishing about ten years and being in my early twenties I thought, as do most at that age, that I knew pretty much everything I needed to know about the sport….LOL!!! In my defense, back then there was no internet and very little information about trout fishing except what was learned through questionable rumors and found in magazines that related mostly to distant waters. So, the fly fishing event piqued my interest.

I pulled into the Glenstone Lodge, parking my wife’s Mercury Capri around the back at the far right corner of the parking lot. Noticing a stretch of tarp about four feet wide and one-hundred feet long laid out in the parking lot, I parked about 3 spaces beyond one end of it. I remember reading that a “casting demonstration” was to be held. As an “experienced” high-sticking nymph fly fisherman in the small streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I rarely had to cast over twenty feet and I never thought I would need to. It was truly a small world for me. So as I left my wife’s car behind, I had no doubt it was safe

from whatever was to come.

Having attended a seminar or two that morning, I followed a few guys out back where there was a crowd lined up making me wonder

Continued, see LEGENDARY MEMORIES Page 12

TENNESSEE RIVER VALLEY

continued from page 6

From the waters around Knoxville “all the way down into Pickwick, where I fish a lot, to Wilson to Wheeler to Guntersville,” the Tennessee River has versatility, said Swindle, ticking off a list of bass-bearing features of the lakes that make it a paradise for fish and fisherman alike.

“It’s grass, it’s rocks, it’s bluffs, it is channel swings, it is sandbars, it’s gravel bars, it’s mussel bars,” said Swindle. “The Tennessee River offers something that every fisherman is going to like.”

The Tennessee River’s growing reputation as a premier tournament fishery can be attributed to its prime habitat for both largemouth and smallmouth bass. If there is one consistent aspect to the system that puts Tennessee River lakes in the top-tier as bass fishing destinations it is the robust baitfish populations. The fertile waters teem with minnows, chubs, shiners and darters, providing ample and readily available schools of food for bass to build their populations and bulk up to hefty weights.

“The Tennessee River is probably one of the healthiest fisheries in the United States, and regardless of where you are in the Tennessee River, there is always lots of shad,” said Greg Hackney, a two-decade pro and 3-time Elite Series champ. “There are all types of shad on the Tennessee River – gizzard shad, threadfin shad, Pickwick has yellowtails, skipjack herring. Without a doubt, the reason that the bass do so well is the bait population.”

Hooking trophy-sized largemouth and smallmouth bass is synonymous with fishing the Tennessee River. Its net-busting bass catches make for memories that anglers of all skill levels can acquire and cherish. “It’s got giants that swim all the way up and down it,” said 7-time Elite Top 10 finisher Scott Canterbury of Odenville, Alabama. “It is a fertile fishery – one of the best fisheries in the United States throughout the whole river system.”

The lakes of the Tennessee River Valley are managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the agency goes to great lengths to ensure healthy recreational fisheries as components of both its environmentalstewardship and economic-development missions. TVA has joined forces with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and other state and federal fisheries managers to work toward creating thriving fish habitats by adapting innovative technologies and helping organize cooperative river cleanup and community conservation events.

The Tennessee Valley boasts a rich angling heritage deeply rooted in the region’s culture. This manifests itself in a friendly, welcoming spirit toward visiting fishermen. Communities along legendary bass lakes like Kentucky, Pickwick, Wheeler, Watts Bar and Douglas -in addition to Guntersville, Chickamauga, Tellico and Ft. Loudon -- offer an array of lodging, services and well-maintained recreation infrastructure geared toward making it easy and convenient to cast off the stresses of life on land, and get out on the water casting for lunkers.

The reverence for fishing and the great outdoors also drives communities to take active steps in preserving the Tennessee River’s natural ecosystem. Volunteers form the backbone of the conservation movement in the Tennessee River Valley, and their contributions are crucial in maintaining the region’s natural beauty. From organizing river clean-ups and monitoring water quality to assisting with habitat restoration projects, these dedicated individuals work tirelessly to make a positive impact.

Conservation efforts, such as habitat restoration projects, water quality initiatives, and sustainable fishing practices, have played a pivotal role in maintaining the river’s pristine condition and ensuring the longevity of its bass fishery. Anglers visiting this area can appreciate not only the exceptional fishing but also the commitment of local communities towards preserving this natural treasure.

LEGENDARY MEMORIES continued from page 10

if the Rolling Stones were in town! People were standing shoulder to shoulder on each side of the tarp, one row facing the other for the entire length. To cheers out walked this older gentleman, a bit chubby, with a smile on his face. He was a funny guy who laughed and told jokes as he began stripping out fly line.

As a young fly fisherman, I was told two things about fly line. First, NEVER allow it to touch the water as it would surely scare the wild trout and two, the main purpose of fly line was to take up space on the reel. So, needless to say I was a bit puzzled as I watched this guy strip out all ninety feet of his fly line! In a matter of perhaps two back casts, he was laying his leader across my wife’s car from the far end of the tarp where he stood!

As if that wasn’t enough, he took the rod apart and repeated the cast using only the last segment of the fly rod!! Watching Lefty about sixty feet to my left, my chin lying on the asphalt at my feet in shock, he flips the line straight up in the air and calls out, “Guy on the right in the red hat.” I looked at the guy standing ten feet to my right. Lefty, with little motion sends a perfect cast down the middle of the tarp with the last three feet of his line laying gently across the guy’s right shoulder!!! To this “experienced” fly fisherman, what I had just witnessed was more shocking than if Elvis had handed me by Big Mac in the drive thru at the McDonald’s in Pigeon Forge!

That was my first experience with Lefty Kreh. The following years blessed me with more exhibitions of his amazing skills, and to say he made a HUGE impact on me is a true understatement. Ten years later, I used his book to teach myself how to cast greater distances, sans the shoulder loop, to prepare for my first saltwater trip to chase bonefish. To this day, I occasionally refer back to that little book.

My last visit with Lefty was when he made an appearance at the Little River Outfitters in Townsend, Tennessee. After his casting demo we walked inside. I walked out to my car to get my copy of his book for him to autograph. Upon my return he was commenting how he had seen his wife very little recently due to his travels. Like mine, his wife never begrudged him of his time away. She had a special understanding of his value and service to the fly fishing world. As I approached him with my book, he graciously autographed it as I thanked him for his help. We chatted for probably 10 minutes when, ever the instructor, he nodded his head toward the back door, “Let’s go out back and I will help you with your cast.”

To be honest, I was a little nervous about having a one on one with Lefty. I did not feel worthy of his time and wanted to just get to know the legend on a personal level. So I answered, “Lefty, weren’t you just saying you haven’t seen your wife much lately? If you start working on my cast, you’ll never get to see her again!”

With that, Lefty flashed that big smile of his and we went on talking fly fishing. Whoa….was that a nice brown that just flashed at my streamer?!

Jim Parks, a native of Newport, TN, has spent over forty-five years flyfishing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which he considers his home waters. Jim has written articles for Fly Fish American and The Angler Magazine. He works with and gives talks on fly fishing to various civic organizations. Jim is the author of “Tails of the Smokies”. For copies, he can be reached via his Instagram page at “TailsoftheSmokies”

My Favorite Song…A Screaming Drag

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

Ienjoy just about any kind of music, but my favorite song on the water is the adrenaline-kicking sounds produced by a screaming drag. The song usually starts with a few short, staccato notes from the clicker. Then that prolonged solo note as a hundred feet of line peels off the reel. The chorus is a harmony of retrieving line, and then losing line…each bar of the score having a slightly different tone until the final crescendo when the fish is splashing alongside the boat. And there are times when you have a duet, when two reels begin singing at the same time. It’s all music to my ears.

The humble reel clicker is a wonderous device. It helps to keep your reel from over-spooling when you are deploying baits and lures. With the clicker ‘on’ you can leave the drag almost fully disengaged when drifting live baits so the fish doesn’t feel resistance as it takes the bait. The clicker lets you, and everyone else, know when the fish is taking line…and when the angler is, or is not, gaining line. For those reasons, all my conventional reels have clickers, whether they are my freshwater Ambassadeurs for striper fishing or my complement of Avet Raptors that have successfully wrestled everything from grouper to tuna to the boat.

It’s impossible to watch every rod, every second. So the sound of the clicker is most often the first indication a bite is on the way. When

you hear that distinctive click-click-click, you can quickly identify which rod in the spread is about to get hit. On the other hand, if you’re high-speed trolling big diving plugs, most rods are going to have a substantial bend due to the force created by the plug, and a smaller fish may not make the rod bounce. The clicker alerts you to the strike, or to a plug that has been fouled with weeds.

As a guide, I need to know how the fight between angler and their finned-foe is progressing. When the fish is taking line, and also when the angler is getting line. If I see the angler winding, but don’t hear the clicker, I know they are not gaining line. This is especially true when using lighter line and leader, so having the drag set properly for the line class is paramount. I can also tell how feisty the fish is, by how long the runs last. For me, this audible indicator is an extremely valuable tool. And when the clicker songs get shorter, I know it’s time to get the net.

The melodies produced by a noisy clicker is music I never get tired of hearing. My guess is this will become one of your favorite songs too.

Tight lines and calm seas.

Capt. Cefus McRae

European Style Nymphing

By Frank Yaun

European! I ain’t neither, it’s a popsicle in my pocket melting! One of my favorite Little Johnny jokes, and yes, I digress, but many traditional fly fishermen would rather be splashed with urine than catch trout Euro style. I must admit I was hesitant to start learning this style of fly fishing, as I assumed I’d have to wear skinny waders and after a productive day, say <in my Austin Powers voice> “I shagged ‘em, I shagged ‘em rotten baby!”

All Eurotrash jokes aside, European Style Nymphing (ESN), which is the same as contact nymphing, or tight line nymphing, is really the most effective to catch trout when they’re feeding sub surface, which is the overwhelming majority of the time. The trick to getting a trout to eat a nymph is to get it in front of them, where they’re feeding, in a manner that is as natural looking as possible, meaning minimal to no drag, as the natural nymph obviously is not tethered to tippet.

When trout are feeding on nymphs, which is somewhere around 90%+ of the time, they’re usually fairly close to the bottom, where the water current is dramatically slower, due to the aggregate (rocks), and the nymphs live in these rocks, so when they become dislodged, they’re floating downstream in this area, which I call the zone. Also, as the current is slower in the zone, the trout burns significantly less energy than they would if they were higher in the water column. Kinda like laying on the couch having cheeseburgers served to you, conserving energy needed to get up and go to the bathroom, well maybe, kinda, sorta.

You’re probably thinking, cool story bro, but what does this have to do with catching more fish? Let me answer by reiterating that trout will not (normally) eat a nymph that isn’t drifting completely natural. Many novice fly fishermen will use a conventional fly fishing set up, which is a floating fly line, a tapered leader, with a nymph or two attached to the tippet, usually with an indicator (bobber). Not only is the indicator being pulled by the current, but also the thicker diameter section of the leader is catching the current, adding to the drag. Factor in sag from the fly line, and you have a full-fledged drag show going on, which is appealing to Tennessee Vol fans, but not trout, and the percentage of strikes declines dramatically.

Couple that with a lag from when the trout eats the fly to the indicator showing said eat, and your percentage of hook ups from strikes is also dramatically lessened. The Euro Nymphing set up is built to decrease drag, thus increasing strikes, as well as increasing sensitivity to the strike, resulting in more hook ups. Plainly said, you catch more fish. Let’s dive into the how, as the devil is in the details.

Euro rods are usually longer and much more sensitive, increasing reach which helps keep the leader out of the water (reducing drag), as well as the increased sensitivity helping feel a strike. The line and leader is also quite different, with a much smaller diameter fly line, connecting to a long mono leader, which all results in less line/leader sag, thus less drag on the fly. The leader is attached to a small diameter (2x-4x), highly visible multicolor mono “indicator”, which has a tiny metal tippet ring attached to the end, where a very small diameter section of light tippet is attached, with the weighted fly(s) attached to the terminal end of the tippet. It sounds confusing, but your local guide or fly shop can show you much easier than I can put into words as to how to get a rig set up.

The flies used are basically the same conventional nymph patterns, with the exception being they’re tied on jig hooks, so they float hook point up, resulting in less rock trout being caught. They also use much heavier, tungsten beads, which help them rapidly get down to the zone, where the trout are feeding. It’s been said the difference between a good nymph’r and so-so nymph’r is a split shot, meaning it’s critical to quickly get the nymph down to the zone, and the competitive fishing rules do not allow split shot, thus the heavier flies.

Most of the time I fish 2 flies, with a much lighter (often unweighted)

fly being tied on a tag 18” or so above the bottom or point fly. This also helps cover a section of the water column where trout maybe feeding on emerging insects. Depending on the velocity of the current and the depth, I will vary the weight of the point fly, where it gets to the zone quickly, yet isn’t so heavy that it continuously gets snagged. The lighter the flow, the lighter the point fly.

The fishing of this set up is also quite different. In conventional fly fishing, the weight of the fly line is what propels the very light fly through the air to the target area. With a Euro set up, that uses a much lighter line and leader, it’s quite hard to cast as you would with heavier fly line. Instead,

casting is accomplished using the weight of the fly(s) to get to the target area. To some degree, it’s more of a lob cast, and honestly, much simpler to teach to those new to fly fishing, versus teaching conventional fly casting. Also, you’re not fishing very far out, especially on pocket water that has a good degree of turbulence, so line management becomes simplified, and if you’re like me, simpler is better!

Ideally, I’m fishing a seam in pocket water and cast upstream about a 45 degree angle, using a tuck cast, to 10:00/2:00. Upon the nymph hitting the water, I immediately have my rod tip up, sighter/leader out of the water. With my rod tip slightly ahead of where the tippet meets the water, I aim for keeping the sighter leaning downstream at a 30-45 degree angle. The trick is to keep ahead of the fly, but not to the point where it’s being drug thru the water. I like to have a slight bit of slack in the sighter, as I know it’s free-drifting, plus when the sighter rapidly goes taut, good chance a trout just ate the fly, and if you’re fishing with a high quality Euro set up, good chance you felt it as well.

Hook set is simply a slight wrist flick at a 45 degree angle downstream, if the fly is still upstream; if the fly is below you, angle it upstream. Lots of 45 degree references, maybe we should re-name it 45 degree nymphing, sounds better to this hillbilly than “euro”.

By now, good chance your eyes have glazed over, and you’re daydreaming of fishing in skinny jeans to trout that speak with a British accent, but maybe that’s just me (no, I do not partake in hallucinogens), but have no fear, it’s not that complicated, even a Georgia Bulldog can figure it out (I’ve seen it happen!!), it’s just different.

My advice is to do a lot of YouTube watching on this, or even better, contact your local fly shop and talk to them about this style of nymphing. Shannon Young at Maggie Valley Fly Shop actually teaches a Euro clinic, and most of us guides there can take you on a ½ day trip and coach you up on this incredibly effective nymphing technique, we’ll have you catching fish and having a blast doing it, speaking with a fake Euro accent is optional. Fish well, laugh often, and help others.

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.

All Eurotrash jokes aside, European Style Nymphing (ESN), which is the same as contact nymphing, or tight line nymphing, is really the most effective to catch trout when they’re feeding sub surface, which is the overwhelming majority of the time.

SUMMER FLY FISHING IN BLUE RIDGE

By David Hulsey

The mountainous area surrounding Blue Ridge, Georgia has hundreds of miles of trout streams with the jewel of Fannin County being the Toccoa River. This watershed lies at a nice cool elevation that keeps the blazing summer sun at bay. Fly fishers come from all around the region to enjoy the good fishing. Summertime is the perfect season for folks looking for an opportunity to try something new like fly fishing. Local streams such as Cooper’s Creek, Rock Creek, Noontootla Creek, and the Toccoa River are great areas to try out some new skills!

The Toccoa River happens to flow north towards Tennessee. We refer to the section below the dam as the Lower Toccoa River or Tailwater section. The Blue Ridge Dam is controlled by the TVA and used for production of electricity. It is very important to be aware of the release schedule for that particular day. Release schedules can be found on TVA’s app or look at the TVA website under Lakes to find Blue Ridge. You should not be in the river when the water is released from the dam. The river is not wadable, and it is dangerous. Always be alert for potential generations.

There are three public access points for fishing on the tailwater. Tammen Park is located just below the dam provides pretty easy access for fishing. It is closest to Blue Ridge and has nice park area to sit and enjoy the river. Located further down the river is Curtis Switch. It is another public access point for fishing. Wading is a bit more difficult here and access is limited. The last public access is Horseshoe Bend Park which is just upstream of McCaysville, Georgia. Here is relatively easy wading and access. A wonderful place to bring the family and picnic too.

A 9 ft 5 weight fly rod with a floating fly line is about right for the Toccoa River. We use 9 ft 5X leaders made of monofilament with a fluorocarbon piece of 6X tippet usually if using a dropper. Productive flies to use on this tailwater section include terrestrial bugs such as grasshoppers, ants,

bees, and beetle patterns. A few sub-surface nymphs like Pheasant Tail, Prince, and Hare’s Ears are good patterns to always have on hand.

The Upper Toccoa River is the part of the river that flows into Lake Blue and above the dam. Public access is limited on the Upper Toccoa. The most popular public fishing access is at the Sandy Bottoms Canoe Launch area. It provides good access to about a mile and a half of great freestone stream fishing. This area has delayed harvest fishing regulations from Nov 1st to May 15th. Summer fishing is still pretty good here early in the day. Good rainfall and lower water temperatures help provide a better habit for trout in the hotter months. We recommend using the same outfit and flies as you use in the Lower Toccoa River. However, streamer fishing here in summer can also catch a few smallmouth bass in addition to trout. A few streamer flies to try might be an Olive Zonker and a Black Woolybugger.

Farther upstream on the Toccoa River are Cooper’s Creek and Rock Creek. Each of them has several access points with easy wading. Rustic camping is an option here too. We prefer shorter rods like 7 ½ or 8 ft fly rods in 3 or 4 weight for these streams. Fiberglass rods are perfect for these streams too. A short leader works just fine to keep you from getting caught up in the rhododendron cover. Pretty much the same fly patterns as terrestrials will hold the trout’s attention well enough to keep you busy almost any summer morning. You can add Yellow/Orange Stimulators, Royal Wulffs, and Yellow Humpies to your fly box. Both these streams contain some wild populations of fish but by far the usual fish encountered near the roads that parallel these creeks will have been stocked by the national fish hatchery located on Rock Creek. Matching the hatch is not as important to the stocked fish so San Juan Worms and Egg patterns can make for a fun outing too.

Noontootla Creek located on the Blue Ridge Wildlife Management area is a special place with only wild trout in the stream. The year round catch and release special regulations on this creek are a safe haven for the native fish populations. You can use the same equipment and flies recommended above for this pristine fishery. You will enjoy summer fishing here with high floating dry fly patterns such as Thunderheads, Grizzly Wulffs, Yellow Hammers, and Tellico Nymphs thrown in there for good measure. Spending a cool summer morning with a professional guide or certified fly-casting instructor can make learning fly fishing easy and fun. If you’d like to learn to fly fish or try it for the first-time visit www. blueridgeflyfishingschool.com. We offer various classes for beginning or experienced anglers. We have been teaching fly fishing for over 30 years and can definitely shorten your learning curve for a lifetime of fly fishing adventures!

Give David Hulsey a call at (770) 639-4001 to book a class or a guided trout trip. See his website at www.hulseyflyfishing.com.

Shane Goebel Fishing Lake Hiwassee Stripers

MURPHY & WESTERN NC

If slaying schooling summertime stripers and hybrids is what you want, then look no further. Lake Hiwassee offers some of the best striper fishing in the southeast, and we are so privileged to be slapdab in the middle of it all here at Big Ol’ Fish Guiding service.

July’s warm summer temps really get these deep mountain stripers & hybrids schooled up. It’s definitely the time of year to catch tons and tons of hard fighting fish. When I say “tons” I mean it’s not uncommon for us to catch 40 to 50 fish in like an hour. I’m talking crazy fun! Checkout our Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service Facebook and Instagram and see for yourself.

Currently, Lake Hiwassee is at full pool. Water clarity is clear throughout the lake, and water temps are in the low 80’s. Striper fishing has been excellent. We have been loading the boat with some big fish in good quantities, averaging 25 to 35 stripers and hybrids every morning. The early-morning hours and evening bites are your best times to see action.

As far as technique, it’s been all down lines for us. With water temps on the rise the fish are moving to deeper water. Target creek mouths and points off the main lake channel. Also, during the hot sunny days of summer, search out areas with some good shade. The majority of our fish have been caught from Point 7 to the dam.

The top-water bite has been amazing as well. Keep a spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag surface-busting fish. The fish will continue

Fish Caught by 6-year-old Boone Archer Miller in a Public Delayed Harvest Stream

to school up through the next couple months and will move to even deeper water. Just remember to keep an eye on your electronics and watch for schools of stripers when cruising the lake. Also, remember to try to get the fish back into the water as quickly as possible after they are caught. These warm summer water temps are hard on stripers and often they’ll die if you don’t get a quick release.

July 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 (in North Georgia), Chatuge , and Lake Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge, GA.

So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

Original facebook post:” Well today was the day that Boone went trout fishing and caught a dream! A once in a lifetime beauty of a brown trout out of the mountain waters right here in NC measuring almost 28” and weighing in at 9.50lbs! After a 15 min nerve wracking battle he was able to wear him down enough for me to get my hands on him! So proud of him holding his composure as he waded up and down a 60yard stretch of creek while fighting it until he won! Epic!!! What a blessed day, and thanks to @ncwildlife@kaileewinters, @gougespike and the rest of the crew who make this possible for these youngsters! Also thanks to @hank. parker for his polarized fishing glasses! @millerhalfstead, @liteboots@ cvaofficial, @deadendgamecalls, @vortexoptics, @lews_fishing”

Shane Goebel owns Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service and is a member of The Angler Magazine Fishing Team. See the website at www. bigolfish.com or call (828) 361-2021

Beat the Heat…Fish Early

By Ronnie Parris

Hey folks I’m sure hoping everyone is doing fine. It’s that time of year again where the heat weeds out the faint of heart. And just for the record that means me. The exception is early morning. And this will most likely be your pattern for a while. I like getting on the water at day light and fishing till around 11. As it heats up your jet skis and wakeboarders hit the water and it’s about over for the day.

My favorite fish to target this time of year is the steelhead and rainbows. I’m usually catching them between 40 and 70 ft deep trolling

spoons and minnow imitation plugs as well as spinners. I do like putting a flasher or dodger in front of my spoons as this seems to make the fish more aggressive on the strike.

Both steelhead and rainbow have soft mouths so try not to horse them or you will rip the hooks out of their mouth. Colors vary as far as lure selection goes but red and purple seems like the best choice for me. I usually use heavy braided line on the reel but run a 10 pound fluorocarbon leader. As far as table fare you’re gonna want to cook them the same as a salmon. I usually smoke or grill mine.

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.

While trolling for the steelhead I run a few lures deeper for walleye and some shallow diving plugs for the bass. Usually you’re gonna get a mixed bag, which is always a good thing. Santeetlah and Fontana are my 2 best lakes, and the bite’s usually gonna last till mid to late October. This is a great trip if you’re wanting to get the family out, so be sure an get started early while the bite’s good and don’t keep those little ones out after the sun gets too hot as you don’t want to wear them out.

If you’re interested in one of these trips give me a call at 18287369471. I’d love to hook you up on some nice steelhead. And as always take a kid fishing

Fontana Lake Fishing Guides – Ronnie Parris, Owner & Head Guide LAKE, CREEK & RIVER FISHING • FLY FISHING • CAMPING

1012 East Alarka Road, Bryson City, NC • 828-488-9711, Cell: 828-736-9471

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.

Getting Back on the Water

By Capt. James McManus

So for the past year I have been absent from my usual haunts on the water. We have built a final, for us, house...at least that’s the plan. While I have had a lot of help, most of the time I built on my own, and that’s why it’s taken a year to finish. During this past year I have fished less than I guess any time since I’ve been married which is coming up on 46 years. So the house is done, well it’s being lived in, and I get to return to the lakes, put down my nail bag and pick up my tackle box. The only sort of bummer is that it’s July.

I chose to live here in the mountains for several reasons, high on

the list was the lack of really hot weather. A change of seasons is nice but transitioning from spring to summer is not my fave. This past spring when there was a chance to fish while not banging nails, the bank bite was really good on most trips. Now that high heat has arrived that’s over and it’s time to break out the trolling gear.

Guiding can be really fun when you are putting fish in the boat. While I’ve fished with some excellent fisherpersons, a lot of clients just want to be out on the water and the plan is to help them catch more fish than their skill level would normally allow. Trolling is the guide’s best friend.

If you are new to trolling here are a few tips to get you started. Your boat needs to have a motor that can idle for hours at a time, four strokes help that tremendously. If horses are above, say 150, you may need a trolling plate or kicker motor if you have room. Rod holders are a must

Continued, see BACK ON THE WATER Page 24

Less is More

By Ben Bailey

The older I get and the more time I spend in the woods, the more I’m continuously inspired and awed by what I see and experience. I’ve seen bear and deer, rattlesnakes and copperheads, wild hogs, and coyote. I’ve seen and held in my arms a 28-inch beautiful brown trout. I have seen beautiful sunrises and sunsets that took my breath away. I’ve seen majestic waterfalls spanned by rainbows in the mist. I’ve seen patches of wildflowers that would rival the finest English garden and I have stood on the lofty heights of Clingman’s Dome watching the craggy heads of mountains poking up through the white linen blankets that covers the valley early in the morning before the sun melts it away.

I’ve been serenaded by the whippoorwill in spring evenings and been brought to tears by the song of the wood thrush after a summer storm. I’ve been lulled to sleep by the sound of water running over rock and been awakened by the crackle of a campfire and the gentle sound of friends talking and laughing.

But I was unprepared for what I witnessed on a June evening last summer. Some friends and I were camping in an undisturbed and remote location in the North Carolina mountains. We had all gone hiking up the creek to fish, and I’d stopped to change my lure. When I finished and looked around, I didn’t see my companions. It was almost lunch time, so I thought they had returned to camp, so I made my way back down the creek.

When I got to camp, I was surprised to see we had company. At least twelve horses and at least twelve people, six of whom were women…very attractive women I might add…and did I mention they were all wearing bikinis? They’d removed their saddles and were riding their horses bare back…and no I was not drunk or high. I assumed they were cooling their horses down before they let them drink from the creek. I guess the bikinis were for the same purpose.

Now I am a happily married man, so I must tread lightly here, even to the point of how I remember this. After pondering a bit, I came to see it this way. When I see beautiful sunrises or sunsets or an awesome waterfall, I don’t want to see any trash or clutter. I want it to be clean and pure and I want other people to enjoy it just as I have. The same goes with beautiful women on beautiful horses in beautiful places. I want to remember it pure and clean. I will have to admit as far as the bikinis, less is definitely more. Thanks, girls, for adding a bit more beauty to an already beautiful place.

BACK ON THE WATER continued from page 22

and the more the better. Downriggers aren’t absolutely necessary but will definitely help. If there’s no budget or room for them then lead core or even trolling sinkers can substitute, but for putting baits right on their noses downriggers are best.

One of the most important items is a really good fish finder. Years ago we trolled blind and did pretty well, but those days are about gone, less fish and more competition makes you up your game.

Side planers, dipsy divers, boxes and boxes of spoons, plugs, swim baits and accessories are all it takes to complete your gear, assuming you have an assortment of rod and reel combos that makes your garage look like the aisle at bass pro. But those details I will visit next month.

For now get your big things in order and we’ll get to the nitty gritty next month. Have a safe (if hot) time til then. Catch you later, Capt. James.

Capt. James McManus owns 153 Charters. Give him a call for a great day on the water at (828) 421-8125

Ben Bailey, is a native of Western North Carolina, Master Carpenter, Avid Angler, and Naturalist.

Getting Kids into Fly Fishing

By Ethan Hollifield

Some of my favorite trips that I have run in the past as a guide have been with kids, some as young as 7, introducing them to fly fishing. The excitement when they hook up into their first fish are moments I never get tired of seeing, and it makes the tangles and lost flies getting to that point more than worth it.

Speaking of tangles and lost flies, while it is rewarding, it can also definitely be a challenge. With that said, I also have seen plenty of really young kids barely able to hold a rod outfish their parents 5 to 1 (their guide may or may not have also put them in the best spot on the river, to be fair).

The idea of taking kids and teaching them how to fly fish can be intimidating, especially if you don’t have much in the way of fly fishing experience for yourself. Here’s a few tips on how to make their time on the water and in the outdoors as enjoyable as possible.

1. Bluegill, River Chubs, and Fresh Stockers are your Best Friend: I’m not saying that kids are incapable of catching something like a wild trout or a smallmouth bass on the fly, because I’ve seen it happen plenty of times in my guiding career. However, if I can, I usually will opt for one of these three fish, especially if the kids are really young. Those fish are easy to catch and relatively plentiful. It wouldn’t be hard to say that bluegills in farm ponds got more people into fly fishing than any other type of fish

2. “Pancakes and Eggs”: This is a technique I learned from one of my mentors that works wonders when helping teach kids how to fly fish. Many of them don’t have the muscle dexterity when they’re starting out to set the hook very easily, and this works especially well for trout that have been freshly stocked in a river. Take the largest bobber/ indicator you can find and tie off a big yarn egg fly around 6-8” under the indicator (the bobbers, the pancake, and the egg fly is obviously the egg). The stockers’ teeth will usually get tangled into the yarn of the egg when the fish eats, and the suction of the indicator going down into the water so close to the fly essentially sets the hook for them. Trust me when I say, this is absolutely deadly, and will also work for bluegill in ponds as well.

3. Take the Pressure Off: It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to be the hero parent, mentor, or guide that puts a kid on tons of fish their first time holding a rod, but I’m honest, that’s sometimes not realistic. The best type of expectations to have when it comes to fly fishing is to simply not have very many at all other than making sure they are having fun. This could mean putting the rod up and picking up rocks to look for bugs, teaching them how to skip a rock, letting them splash around in the water, etc. The nice thing about taking kids fishing is that it reminds us in some ways of the whole point of going in the first place, and that is to just have fun with it and not take it so seriously.

The last piece of advice I’ll give for those teaching kids how to fly fish is to simply just be patient. It can take kids sometimes years to garner a serious interest in it, and it’s better to not be pushy with anything and just allow them to have fun being outside. It can help them find a lifelong passion that they’ll have you to be grateful for, just as how I am eternally grateful to the people in my life that took the time to take me fishing when I was a kid.

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

CAPT. CRAIG HENSEL

What is going on you guys, Captain Craig here with AWOL Fishing Charters. I hope all of you are out enjoying this beautiful Spring, Fall and Summer like weather we have been having. May and June have been amazing for fishing all around. The post spawn Largemouth Bass have been gorging on big baits for us this month as the big females have finally decided to come back out. The

Catfish are finally coming off the spawn as well and have been gulping those big live bream and eels up.

So guys if you remember from last month’s issue I spoke about the St. Jude Fishing to Fight Cancer Catfish Tournament. Well it has come and gone once again and this year AWOL Fishing Charter’s Team took 5th place out of approx. 76 teams that fished it. My tournament partner David Hull came all the way to Fayetteville NC from Missouri to fish this 24 hour tournament with me. I was fortunate enough to have his company for 2 weeks prior to the tournament to catch up on fishing and life. It’s always a blessing to have this fella onboard, so David when you read this THANK YOU for all your Military Service over the years and THANK YOU for being a participant in the St. Jude Fishing to Fight Cancer for the kids Tournament. We all look forward to seeing you next year.

So guys we didn’t put in a whole lot of work into finding fish for this tournament. This is one of those events where the $5,000 dollar prize money didn’t really mean a whole lot. We fished this tournament for the children. We went out and had a great time and didn’t stress over catching fish and it just so happened we caught plenty. Now it was rough for a 24 hour tournament. We boated approx. 27 fish in 24 hours. That’s about a fish per hour average. It was ok but not insanely good. The struggle was real for us for sure. Just before dark I told David we needed to do something crazy like fish near the boat ramp and catch 3 good fish

Continued, see LOCKS TO THE ROCKS Page 28

WORK OF THE HEART

Conservation succeeds where passion thrives

By David A. Ramsey

It’s no secret that conservation is not a field you go into for the money. I’d wager anyone thinking otherwise hasn’t done their “career path” homework. Rather than being highly rewarding financially, conservation is largely a profession of passion—work of the heart, you could say—much like teaching.

I’ve known and worked with many conservation volunteers and feel privileged to have been part of that community for nearly 30 years now. It’s a community that is vital and committed to preserving and protecting the outdoor heritage we cherish and want to pass on to coming generations. But the fact is, volunteers couldn’t accomplish much at all if not for the professionals that do the long, hard, day-in and day-out work of laying the scientific foundations and developing the tools on which the nonprofits and volunteers rely when working and advocating for conservation. And the truth is, most of those same professionals are right out there, off the clock, volunteering too and increasing the bang for the buck in protecting the great outdoors!

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the annual Southern Fly Fishing Hall of Fame event, held in Bryson City, NC, which recognizes outstanding individuals in various aspects of Southern fly fishing. From this 2023 group of inductees, I had the chance to learn about Conservation Inductee, Mike Lavoie, one of the finest examples of a passionate conservation professional we have here in the Mountain South,.

Working as the Natural Resources Director on the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Mike has earned a reputation among his peers and the Cherokee community for his dedication to the protection and stewardship of the Boundary’s wildlife and natural resources. His work includes managing for culturally significant species, Rare and ESA listed species, hunting, public wildlife viewing, invasive species and animal disease traceability. And of course, as a fisherman himself, Mike is highly passionate about his work to protect and help sustain the fish and aquatic life that make the waters of the Qualla Boundary their home.

An integral part of that work is taking care of those waters through the prevention and mitigation of pollution, habitat loss and invasive species, among other threats. Mike helps accomplish this massive challenge through effective communication with the community and Tribal leadership to help shape and execute solid, conservation-based policies and strategic planning—and this can only happen through a broad understanding of traditional Cherokee ecological knowledge and present-day cultural values.

Taking good care of the trout and trout waters of the area has a pretty powerful economic component as well, with trout fishing adding $26 million in annual impact to the community and supporting some 300 jobs. As Mike says, “Conservation can only be successful when it is connected to community well-being.” This is reflected in his all-out commitment to his current priorities of river restoration and increasing the long-term resiliency and sustainability of natural resources in the face of climate change.

To Mike, it’s a matter of plain old common sense that the healthier

our natural resources are, the healthier we and our communities will be. And when asked about one of the most important things the rest of us can do to protect and preserve that natural heritage for the future, he answers firmly, “Take a kid outside and teach what is important.”

This conservation pro has more than demonstrated his Hall of Fame-worthy dedication to his profession and to the philosophy that what is good for our lands and waters is good for us all. Congratulations, Mike

Lavoie!

David Arthur Ramsey is an outdoor photographer, writer and conservationist, born and raised in the mountains of northeastern Tennessee. His outdoor writing and photography have been published locally, regionally and nationally and are most often associated with work to preserve and protect threatened lands and waters throughout the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Field and Stream Magazine and Toyota Motor Company named David the National Hero of Conservation in 2011 for his leadership in saving the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork watershed in northeastern Tennessee. His newly published book, Rocky Fork: Hidden Jewel of the Blue Ridge Wild, tells the story, through his rich photography and his first-hand account, of the more than decade-long battle to preserve this Appalachian and American treasure.

Mike LaVoie, 2023 Conservation Inductee into the Southern Fly Fishing Hall of Fame.

LOCKS TO THE ROCKS continued from page 26 to take to weigh in. He turns to me and says, “you’re kidding right?” I said, “absolutely not, let’s do it!”

He says, “well you’re the Capt.” So just before dark I move down river to a bridge just up from the boat ramp where weigh in was and anchored just above the middle pillar. We baited 14 rods and staggered them, live/ cut, live/cut etc. We get well into dark and we caught maybe 6 out of that spot that were throw backs 8-10lbs. I fall asleep around midnight on the bow of the boat and at 3:05 David wakes me up saying he’s got one pulling drag. We boated a nice 28lb blue catfish. 5 mins after that we boated 2 more fish that put us right at around 60lbs we were guessing. Now we are feeling a lot better about going to weigh in with some good fish under the conditions. David is in disbelief that we had caught these nice fish this close to the ramp.

Well after a few more throw back fish it shut off around 3:30-4:00am and we didn’t boat another fish the rest of the tournament. We get to weigh in and drop our fish on the scales and it flirted with 60, 59, 61 and then the scale dropped off to 57.9 after the fish stopped flopping I was like hey we will take it, we are in second at this time we are doing good. Then more of the top anglers start showing up and we start to sweat a little bit. After it was all said and done we didn’t drop below 5th. I couldn’t believe we had placed in the top 5 with 3 fish we caught right by the boat ramp. It was unreal!! But what an amazing time it was.

I just wanted to share this story with you guys and make you aware that you don’t always have to drive 20 miles away from where you launch to catch good fish. Boat ramps and areas nearby are often overlooked. Keep in mind how many tournaments are held and how many fish are released by some of these ramps. Drop your boat in and don’t crank the big motor. Troll out a little ways and see what’s lurking. You might be baffled by what you catch. But anyways if any of you guys are interested in coming and fishing this tournament it is hosted by Swamp Boys

Organization. You can look them up on Facebook or look up the St. Jude Fishing to Fight Cancer Catfish Tournament in Fayetteville NC online. Come down and have a great time and fish for a great cause. We would love to meet and fish with all of you. But guys get out there and get those lines wet and catch a big one.

The weather is starting to get hot so hit those early morning and late evening and even night bites. Be sure to check AWOL Fishing Charters out on Facebook and Tik Tok. Be sure to like, share, and follow we would greatly appreciate it. Until next time… Tight Lines.

Captain Craig Hensel, AWOL Fishing Charters with Capt. Craig Inc. - 910-916-3138.

Summertime Fishing in the Upstate

By Karl Ekberg

The sounds of fireworks pop in the night skies, while the sound of poppers, dancing across the back eddies of the river, break the silence during the day. Bright colors of the poppers that are tied on the end of the leader remind us of the colors which lit up the previous night’s skies. Most of the time during a holiday, there is much solitude to be found along the rivers, as the holiday festivities fill up the time slot of fishing.

Sneaking out for a few early morning hours, or a couple late afternoon casts can be a rewarding piece of solitude. There’s no need to haul a lot of gear; a small popper box, a leader, wading boots, wet wading socks, and your favorite four or five weight rod and off to the river for some Bartram’s bass, redbreast sunfish, and an occasional trout that just cannot resist a top water delicacy.

Summertime fishing along the Chattooga and Chauga are great top water days for the warm water species. Wet wading is a bonus this time of year, along with a quick swim on the hotter days to cool off, carrying extra fluids is a must to keep hydrated. There is no need to worry about it being too hot for the Bartam’s bass or panfish; this is their time of year.

Looking for back eddies and slower moving currents are the targets for these gems. The redbreast sunfish, truly looks like a fish direct from the tropics, in their fiery vibrant orange fronts, with exquisite blue coral masks braided from their lips back. As for the bass, even the smallest of the yearlings to the two year olds will rise from the depths to crush the top water offerings of the day. Over-hanging trees, shrubs, and bushes offer great ambush points below the surface of the water for bugs, beetles, and

fly imitations to drop into.

Let’s not worry about delicate fly presentations, as if presenting to wary, skittish trout. A more deliberate splat on the water is preferred— almost like the dinner bell has sounded. And larger is not always better for these fish, as the diet is of creatures falling from above, so leave the lake tackle at home.

For the early summer trout fishing, temperatures through mid-June have still been quite mild, as evening temperatures were still dipping to fifty degrees, along with cool seventy-degree days. Although water levels were low in June, early morning and evenings had been best to fish for trout. This trend will continue for July, as long as the “big heat” does not happen, and if the temperature does start climbing, higher elevation creeks will be the best bet for trout. Once the water temperatures reach the mid-sixties, it is time to leave the trout alone in that body of water and either move to a cooler creek or stream or start fishing in lower sections of a stream or river for the bass and panfish.

Summertime brings a lot of guests to the National Forests, State Parks, and all the rivers and waterways. Let all of us remember to “Leave No Trace”, and it doesn’t hurt any of us to carry out a little more than we walked in with. The outdoors will be a little better for the future.

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.

Fun In the Sun

By Scott Norton

All the options are open, and the angler can pick from many plans starting right now. Now we have topwater fishing and nighttime fishing to add to your plans. Bass are coming out of their spawn funk and are now feeding aggressively. This means they are either shallow or deep. All techniques can be used just in case you want to change gears to adjust to your current situation. If you are well versed on bass and trout you can switch to one or the other if the weather gets too windy to be on a boat. It is a great time to out there living life right now.

Let us talk about topwater. Now that the grass is about to reach the surface you need to fish the upper water column, Personally I like to use something with a treble hook while you can up shallow. After the grass hits the surface your only option is to fish the grass line. If you want to keep fishing the shallows you will need to switch to a weedless bait such as a frog. You will have many different varieties like the size, walking, popping, and straight retrieve frogs. This is a treat for most anglers alike because it has been so long since their last time. Those blow-ups are so visually pleasing that you never get tired of seeing it.

After post-spawn your bass will split up into two groups, one going shallow, the other going deep. No one really knows what makes them pick one over the other but, I believe it has to with their food of choice. The bass that like to eat trout, shad, and Kokanee will go deep. The ones that stay shallow like terrestrials like frogs, lizards, and rats. These bass will always eat bluegill and bugs that land on the water as well. Now that we are at full pool these bass love to explore

new feeding grounds in search for new things. Most people like the shallows because you can see where they might be. Fishing deep, you may have to feel around with a bottom contact bait unless you have forward-facing sonar that allows you to see that what you could not in the past. All are skills that can be honed.

Now that bass are shallow we can hunt them at night when the traffic in the day get too much. When bass get pressured they will start feeding more at night than in the day. I find that it is easier to sneak up on them at night with a kayak than using a boat. These fish know what to listen for especially after being caught so many times in the day. They will also pattern you. The best bites happen with a topwater lure. Just make sure you can see enough to clear objects in the dark.

As always have fun and take someone to share it with. It is up to us to pass the torch to the next generation and keep the sport alive. I hope this helps and I hope to see you on the water this year.

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

Score From the Shore in Calm Conditions

By Capt. Michael Okruhlik

The surf can be bountiful and as easy as shing can be when the seas are calm. On a recent trip to the Gulf of Mexico’s calm shores, I was certain I was going to catch them at will. To the naked eye, conditions were as good as it gets, but many fellow anglers fell short of their dreams on this beautiful day. Here are some modi cations I made on the y that allowed me to come out ahead of most others.

is day provided us with glass-calm seas, clear water and bait everywhere, but one key ingredient was missing, substantial tide. What most of us focused on, including myself, were the calm conditions. is is always the draw for trout shing on the beachfront in Texas, and it is seldom the norm.

I did research the tide, and it was an early high

heading out, which, once again, seems perfect. However, the slope on the graph was a slow outgoing tide, not one that was going to trigger many bites on its own. Once I realized this and watched others leave empty handed, I decided to search for places that would encourage the slow outgoing current to increase in velocity. I sought out guts in the bars perpendicular to the shore. ese same guts have the potential to cause dangerous riptides, and they can also be the best place to sh. You typically see these guts by studying the waves, but with no waves I had to use my polarized glasses. ankfully, the water clarity made this an easy task. I drove along the beach looking for these, and once I spotted them, I stood on the back of my truck to increase my elevation to identify the best ones.

I’d found my pattern. Now the catching could begin! Keep in mind, as slow as the tide was moving, it did not create a dangerous situation

(always be cautious of rip tides on the beach), but it did speed up the current enough to trigger a good bite. I thoroughly worked all edges of these guts, nding most bites on the back side where the tide pulled bait from the shallow gut to the deeper second gut.

When the tide is slow, I like to try and get a reaction strike by throwing something a little di erent or working my lure erratically. On this day, I was throwing a rattling so -plastic paddletail. I also picked one with a bright green tail to stand out from the millions of bait sh traveling the rst and second guts. All of these tactics combined allowed me to salvage a day when most le with empty stringers.

e beachfront can be a great place to sh, and it’s fun for the kids. My boys enjoy wading beside me, and when the shing is over it’s time to play at the beach!

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES®

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

By Capt. Lukas Brickweg

Alaska shing season started o with a bang for anglers visiting Ketchikan, Alaska. Halibut shing charters produced great catches of halibut, paci c cod, lingcod and rock sh. Salmon shing trips resulted in big king salmon while we awaited the arrival of silver salmon and pink salmon.

Early season typically is more inconsistent than the deep summer months of July, August and September. With that being said, our guests enjoyed better than average shing to start o the 2023 Alaska shing summer.

Fishing tours for cruise ship guests and y-in anglers spent the majority of May bottom shing. ese sheries consist of shing near and o shore waters for halibut, cod and rock sh. Deep-water jigging for halibut had guests reeling in keeper-sized halibut as well as oversized halibut ranging from 10 pounds to 120 pounds. ere’s nothing quite like the thrill of hooking into these deep sea dwellers, and the delicious white meat holds up well when frozen and shipped back home to the lower 48.

Halibut weren’t the only species caught during our halibut shing charters. Paci c cod were a staple while bottom shing for halibut. Cod were concentrated in large numbers on the sandy ats eating a variety of bottom rigs. Traditional halibut shing rigs with glow-in-the-dark squid and cut herring caught the majority of Paci c cod. We also found great success jigging for cod with metal jigs and so plastic swimbaits.

Following up halibut shing with rock sh and lingcod jigging made for a combination catch that had everyone smiling. We do this in shallower water with light tackle. While catching pelagic rock sh such as yellowtails and duskies, we also caught big lingcod. With such a phenomenal bottom shing area, you’re never quite sure what will grab the end of the line. Giant lingcod make a trophy catch for anyone visiting Alaskan waters.

King salmon shing opened June 1. Everyone rejoiced at the opportunity to pursue this iconic sh. Big king salmon catches came in throughout the entire southeast Alaska region. Ketchikan is known as the salmon capital of the world, and it didn’t disappoint. Herring Cove and Mountain Point were the rst areas to open up. is resulted in large numbers of anglers trolling for prized king salmon. As we look forward for the entirety of the region to open, these were the rst areas where big catches came in.

Over the next couple months, the shing will continue to heat up! Halibut will continue to show up in larger numbers as the water temperatures increase. In addition, the salmon shing will see a big burst of silver salmon and pink salmon to combine with the larger king salmon. It’s all happening now!

For more information, visit www.ketchikan shingtrips.com or call (907) 617-4717.

Most of the time the saying is true, bigger baits equal bigger sh! Although elephants eat peanuts, a big bait pro le is something big sh sometimes can’t resist whether you’re shing the open ocean or the Great Lakes. I’ve spent a lot of time in the last couple years experimenting with lures that are larger than what my previous comfort zone was for bass. It is pretty special to see what gets curious to come look at or bite these big baits.

ere are many di erent types of swimbaits on the market, but I’ll break them down into two styles to keep it simple. ere are hard, gliding-style swimbaits with treble hooks and there are so -body swimbaits. Each has a time and a place, and both attract some very big sh.

Depending on where you are in the country and the size of the forage in your lake, a normal meal for a bass is usually much bigger than you would think. Bass have huge mouths to accommodate large prey items. A two- or three-pounder has no problem at all swallowing a 6- to 8-inch bluegill whole. I’ve seen 10-plus-pounders eat gizzard shad up to 14 inches long! Trying to exactly duplicate the larger bait sh in your lake with a natural presentation is the key to drawing attention to your arti cial lure.

With hard swimbaits, my rst choice is a shad imitation. Most of the places I sh are full

of shad, and shad seem to be a favorite food source for bass.

THROW BIG BAITS FOR BIG BASS TIPS FROM A PRO

Crappie are another forage species people sometimes forget about. Lately, when throwing big baits

over deeper water, I’ve caught some big sh with crappie down in their throats.

With so swimbaits, I usually go to a bluegill imitation. I like so baits because they are more weedless, and you can creep them through the grass or along the bottom in places where bluegills live.

Big swimbaits can get mighty expensive. If you are just getting started with them, I would suggest sticking with the more a ordable baits that get good reviews until you get your con dence up. en you can dive into some of the larger, more customized lures.

Learning to sh big baits is best done by getting on the water and doing it. Just get out there and experiment with retrieves until you nd out what works. Of course, throwing giant lures requires special equipment. I like 13 Fishing’s a ordable Defy for a rod. It’s an 8-foot swimbait rod that handles most big lures with ease. I pair this with a 300 sized reel, like the 13 Fishing Concept A3 and some 20- to 25-pound Seaguar Abrazx.

I hope this article sparks someone’s interest to get out there and throw a big bait. Once I stepped out of my comfort zone, I discovered it to be one of the coolest and most fun ways to target big bass all year long. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media if you have questions about these tactics or any others.

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

TYLER WOOLCOTT

RECORD WELS

really realized that I hooked a monster. Adrenaline started pumping hard and the fear of losing it almost sent me into a panic. I was alone, facing the biggest cat sh I ever seen in 23 years.

Italy’s River Po has done it again.

Last week, MADCAT pro sta er Alessandro Biancardi caught a 9-foot-long wels cat sh that will likely replace the IGFA world length record for the species. e monster wels measured 285 centimeters (9 feet, 4.2 inches) in length and stands to beat out the existing record by just 4 centimeters, or about an inch and a half.

Biancardi is a veteran cat sh angler who has targeted wels for more than two decades. He landed his potential new record a er a more than 40-minute battle while shing solo in an aluminum

jonboat.

e giant sh ate a so -plastic paddletail shed on a jighead.

“In silence, I approached the rst spot and a er few casts a powerful bite arrived. e sh stood still some seconds before starting a very complicated ght, between strong currents and a lot of submerged obstacles,” Biancardi wrote in a blog post. “I calmly managed to ght what I felt to be a prehistoric sh. I followed it for 40 endless minutes. When it surfaced for the rst time, I

“I tried gloving its mouth two or three times, but it was still too strong,” he wrote. “I decided to go in shallow water trying to land it from shore, and a er few tries, I managed to land it! I tied the sh to let him recover from the long ght then I suddenly realized that the boat was not anchored, and it was going away in the current. I was forced to have a swim to recover it with all my stu .”

Biancardi then called some friends from a nearby sh camp to come help him get a good measurement on the beast. A er taking measurements, the sh was released. Without a weight, it will not be considered for the all-tackle world record, which stands at 297 pounds, 9 ounces for a sh caught from the Po back in 2010.

For more, go to https://madcat- shing.com.

ENTER TO WIN!

SEA EAGLE FISHSKIFF 16 WITH A SUZUKI DF4 OUTBOARD

Coastal Angler and The Angler Magazine, Suzuki Marine and Sea Eagle have come together to offer readers a shot at this Sea Eagle FishSkiff 16 paired with a Suzuki DF4 outboard that’ll take you wherever the fish are. The FishSkiff 16 is an inflatable fishing boat that is lightweight, sturdy, stable and extremely packable. It rolls up small enough to fit in the trunk of a car and quickly inflates into a fishing machine. Powered by Suzuki’s four-stroke DF4A, you’ll have to hold on to your hat as you scream over the flats. Designed for efficiency and performance and portability, the DF4A provides all the speed and acceleration you can handle. It’s lightweight and can be attached or removed with ease.

Ifyou’re anything like my dad, you give your family everything. Your name, your time, your values — the people in your life know they can depend on you for practically anything. In exchange for imparting all of this energy and experience, you expect nothing in return.

e point? You deserve to treat yourself once in a while. You do so much for the people you care about. Now it’s time to focus on you for just a few minutes. at’s where the Men’s Due Volta Watch comes in. is astonishing innovation provides a digital readout that’s powered by a precise quartz engine, combining both analog and digital timekeeping.

Out tted with a stopwatch, alarm, a.m./p.m. settings, and day, date and month complications, this timepiece stands out from the crowd. With its large face and handsome, masculine design, this watch is perfect for the back nine and the happy hour afterwards. Water-resistant up to 3 ATM, this timepiece won’t wimp out if you have a run-in with a water hazard.

Other hybrid watches can sell for thousands of dollars, but because we’ve built more than 1 million watches, we know how to create real value. at’s why we can o er this timepiece for just $59! If you’re not completely satis ed with this watch, return it for a full refund.

Act quickly! is one-of-a-kind watch has been one of our fastest sellers this year. Of our original run of 2,872, we only have 389 left for this ad! In the last couple of years there’s been a watch shortage, but Stauer has got you covered. If you’re the kind of man who gives everything and expects nothing in return, it’s time to treat yourself.

Watch Speci cations:

•Complications: stopwatch, alarm, a.m./p.m. settings, and day, date and month

•Precision movement chronograph

•Stainless steel caseback and crown

•Water-resistant to 3 ATM

Men’s Due Volta Watch $399 $59* + S&P Save $320

IN SEARCH OF HAVASU’S WORLD RECORD REDEAR

By Gary Turner

The sun was just cresting the mountains and the moon was low in the west as Capt. Ron Ratlief, of Ron’s Fishing Guide Service, and I began shing for redear sun sh on Arizona’s Lake Havasu. is trip has been on my bucket list for years. I just never made the time, which is ridiculous considering Havasu is pretty much the Holy Land for bream shing.

Havasu is a large Colorado River reservoir on the Arizona/Colorado border. In recent years, the lake has produced a series of world-record redear sun sh, with the current mark standing at 6-pounds, 4-ounces. Havasu’s freakishly large redears are due to a plentiful food source of invasive mussels that have in ltrated the system. e lake also holds some enormous bluegills, which I came to nd out over two days shing with Ron and a third day with my buddy Zac Mickle.

You could feel it was going to be a hot one—over 100 degrees— as the cool morning air evaporated with the sun. A er all, Havasu is an oasis in the middle of a desert. We started the morning sight shing coves. Havasu’s water is as clear as the Keys, and I half expected to see bone sh swimming by. We searched several coves and saw lots of sh, including bluegills, carp, cat sh, giant gizzard shad, tilapia, green sun sh and small stripers, just

to name a few. We also found some redear sun our target species, but they were small, a pound or less, and we were looking for big ones!

We moved to plan B and headed to deeper water. Havasu has the most man-made attractors and brushpiles I’ve ever seen. might be a bunch in South Carolina’s Santee, but you would never see them. e crystal-clear water makes everything visible, and as the sun got higher, we could see even more. We saw structure clearly in 18 feet of water with large redears on it. I dropped a night crawler on a jig head down, and BAM! I had a good bite! We landed a nice redear heavier than two pounds and continued hitting deeper brush, where we saw some big ones and caught a thick 14-incher that was pushing 3 pounds. A er several other sh in the 1 to 1 ½-pound range, Ron suggested we move back to a cove for a few last casts before heading in.

In the cove, I got hammered by a good one, which upon landing was about the same size as the 2-pounder from earlier, but it looked more like a bluegill. I was thinking it might be a hybrid between the two species, which was later con rmed.

If you like bream, you need to check out Havasu. It is a beautiful lake in the desert with some giant redears and bluegills. I might not have

caught a world record this year, but I’ve already booked next year’s trip.

Check out Gary Turner’s shing adventures on his YouTube channel at youtube.com/ @FishingWithGary.

Your Silver Passport to Travel the World

The 5 Most Popular Pure Silver Coins on Earth in One Set

Travel the globe, without leaving home—with this set of the world’s ve most popular pure silver coins. Newly struck for 2023 in one ounce of ne silver, each coin will arrive in Brilliant Uncirculated (BU) condition. Your excursion includes stops in the United States, Canada, South Africa, China and Great Britain.

We’ve Done the Work for You with this Extraordinary 5-Pc. World Silver Coin Set

Each of these coins is recognized for its breathtaking beauty, and for its stability even in unstable times, since each coin is backed by its government for weight, purity and legal-tender value.

2023 American Silver Eagle: The Silver Eagle is the most popular coin in the world, with its iconic Adolph Weinman Walking Liberty obverse backed by Emily Damstra’s Eagle Landing reverse. Struck in 99.9% fine silver at the U.S. Mint.

2023 Canada Maple Leaf: A highly sought-after bullion coin since 1988, this 2023 issue includes the FIRST and likely only use of a transitional portrait, of the late Queen Elizabeth II. These are also expected to be the LAST Maple Leafs to bear Her Majesty’s effigy. Struck in high-purity

99.99% fine silver at the Royal Canadian Mint.

2023 South African Krugerrand: The Krugerrand continues to be the best-known, most respected numismatic coin brand in the world. 2023 is the Silver Krugerrand’s 6th year of issue. Struck in 99.9% fine silver at the South African Mint.

2023 China Silver Panda: 2023 is the 40th anniversary of the first silver Panda coin, issued in 1983. China Pandas are noted for their heart-warming one-year-only designs. Struck in 99.9% fine silver at the China Mint.

2023 British Silver Britannia: One of the Royal Mint’s flagship coins, this 2023 issue is the FIRST in the Silver Britannia series to carry the portrait of King Charles III, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Struck in 99.9% fine silver.

Exquisite Designs Struck in Precious Silver

These coins, with stunningly gorgeous finishes and detailed designs that speak to their country of origin, are sure to hold a treasured place in your collection. Plus, they provide you with a unique way to stock up on precious silver. Here’s a legacy you and your family will cherish. Act now!

SAVE with this World Coin Set

You’ll save both time and money on this world coin set with FREE shipping and a BONUS presentation case, plus a new and informative Silver Passport!

2023 World Silver 5-Coin Set Regular Price $229 – $199 SAVE $30.00 (over 13%) + FREE SHIPPING

FREE SHIPPING: Standard domestic shipping. Not valid on previous purchases. For fastest service call today toll-free

1-888-201-7070

Offer Code WRD333-05

Please mention this code when you call.

ELEVATE YOUR CHUM!

By Capt. Judy Helmey

BLOTCHY BASS SYNDROME IS A VIRUS

Check out the crazy markings on this Pennsylvania bass!

Recently the American Fisheries Society Black Bass Conservation Committee (BBCC) posted photos of this striking, black-splotched largemouth bass on its Facebook page.

During the old days of chumming, lots of shermen used glitter in their chum, but we sure didn’t talk about it. Why? It was a serious sh-catching secret, and it works as well now as it ever did.

Of course, back then we hadn’t heard of microplastics. We didn’t equate those tiny ashy akes with pollution. Traditional glitter is made with aluminum and plastic, which is a really bad thing to be throwing in the water. ankfully, today there is biodegradable glitter made of plant cellulose. is more environmentally friendly product enables us to keep using our old tricks without doing harm to the ocean.

When you add biodegradable glitter to your chum, the oils coat

every single small piece of glitter. When it hits the water, each piece of glitter becomes sh attractant. As it slowly spreads through the water column, it catches sunlight and re ects it. e oil onboard each small piece of glitter leaves a trail that only a hungry smart sh would care to follow.

You might ask how do I know that glittering chum works? Well, when you start getting hits and landing sh, open the sh box and take a look. You know how glitter is. It gets everywhere and sticks to everything. Well, your sh box and the sh in it will be coated in glitter. Trust me.

Capt. Judy Helmey runs Miss Judy Charters o the Georgia coast. Check them out at missjudycharters.com.

e photos, by professional bass sherman Grae Buck, show his wife Jessica Buck holding a sh with melanosis. e post goes on to explain that this condition is when something a ects the pigment expression in the skin, turning it black. Termed blotchy bass syndrome, it has been found in black bass species in waterbodies across the United States with increasing frequency.

“While a truly melanistic sh would be all black, we more commonly see parts of the sh black, irregular blotches, spots, or ns,” the post reads. ese crazy colored sh show up from time to time, and previously it has been explained as a genetic mutation. In its explanation of this sh, however, BBCC pointed to research being conducted at the U.S.G.S. Eastern Ecological Science Center in West Virginia.

e research found that this blotchy skin condition is actually caused by a viral infection, an emerging novel adomavirus. Researchers have not pinned down a cause yet, but a U.S.G.S. report suggests higher incidences of blotchy bass syndrome in disturbed-water systems, with a potential link to chemicals. ere is currently broad ongoing research to try and determine the causes and e ects of this infection.

TheReturn of a

Follow the BBCC at www.facebook.com/AFS.Black.Bass.

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