The Angler Magazine | September 2021 | Greater Atlanta Edition

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NATIONAL 5

IN THIS BATTLE, YOU NOW HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF SHOCK AND AWE.

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CAST 2021 marked a return to normalcy for the fishing industry. In the 64th exhibition of the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, the halls of the Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center bustled with activity July 21-23. As usual, the event kicked off with the ICAST Cup bass tournament at nearby Lake Toho, and the renowned big-bass factory did not disappoint. In a short four-hour tournament, the winning team weighed a tournament-record 25-pound, 7-ounce five-fish limit. But most of the action went on indoors. The annual ICAST New Product Showcase is an event the fishing world eagerly awaits every year. It is the venue where industry heavyweights and innovative newcomers roll out their best new gear for the year to come. This year, 686 new products were entered by 218 companies to compete for Best of Category awards in 30 different categories. From rods, reels and lures to apparel, electronics, gadgets and accessories, the New Product Showcase is gear-head heaven. The Angler Video Mag team was on-hand at ICAST 2021 to cover the show and give you a first-hand look at some of the cool and innovative products that will make you a better angler this year.

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NATIONAL 7

Live Bait Snook on South Florida Beaches

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ere on Florida’s East Coast, we have access to some of the most exciting shore-based fishing there is. From spring, through summer and into fall, big snook run the beaches of South Florida, and they can be caught from the sand with lures and even sight fished with flies. I am a lure fisherman, and everyone knows it, but fishing with artificials can be difficult during the doldrums of late summer and fall. The Atlantic Ocean is flatter and big snook become wary. The fish are still here; what are we to do? Here’s a pretty simple technique that will catch snook when the fishing gets tough. The hottest bait this time of year is live croakers. Croakers are catching so many snook right now that the local bait shops here in the Stuart, Fla. area sell out as soon as they get a shipment. With the artificial bite kind of drying up, my friend and occasional fishing buddy, Mike Vars, showed me how to catch big snook on live bait. Mike buys a dozen croakers when he can get them. All you need to keep them alive for a couple days is a round bucket with an aerator. Good baitsized croakers are 5 to 8 inches, anything larger might catch a big snook, but they are harder to fish. Mike uses a 3 or 4 size circle hook and hooks his croakers through the nostrils so they can

8 NATIONAL

SEPTEMBER 2021

By Richard L. Matteson

swim freely. Some anglers prefer to hook them through the tail. Since the tactic involves free-lining, with no weight, casts should be just past the trough on a high tide, which is about 20 feet here. Then open the spool and let that croaker run. On low tide, it might be necessary to wade past the trough and cast farther out. Mike uses a 60-lb. leader and 20-lb. braid on a spinning reel. Before the snook takes the bait, the croaker will often wiggle excitedly—this is a signal you are about to get bit. When the line suddenly starts moving fast, it means a snook has your croaker. Let her have the bait for a few seconds, and then begin reeling steadily so the circle hook lodges in the corner of her mouth. Mike Vars with a nice beach snook Mike averages three or four big female snook caught on live bait. each trip with this method. He has caught several over-slot snook, with the biggest measuring about 40 inches. Florida’s Atlantic Coast. You’re allowed one per day If you want to catch your own bait, use a between 28 and 32 inches. sabiki rig and tip hooks with a small piece of Richard Matteson writes for the Stuart Rod & shrimp. Or fish the trough with light tackle and a Reel Club and he is a long-time contributor small piece of shrimp. to Coastal Angler Magazine. Sept. 1 marks open season for snook on

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SEPTEMBER 2021 PUBLISHER: BOB RICE

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING SEPTEMBER FLY FISHING REPORT Contributed By: Henry Cowen www.henrycowenflyfishing.com August weather has been what we always expect here in North GA, a hot weather month. However, the weather overall has still been a tad cooler than expected. This has changed our fishing for both stripers and bass on Lake Lanier, and I assume other nearby lakes in the area. The fish are deep but not quite as deep as one would expect. There has even been some reports of some surfacing schools in the PM when the Corp is generating. It’s very sporadic, but yet folks are seeing some schooling fish in August which bodes well for September. Spotted bass are schooling both AM and PM as well, and this too bodes well for September. After the long hot summer, September brings with it the hope of a new striper season as the waters tend to cool down. In-the-know anglers are preparing for what is arguably the most fun time of the year; the surface feed. Last year, September striper fishing started by the 10th of the month. In years past, we start seeing surfacing fish by mid-October, but in 2019 and 2020 we saw the surface feeding fish begin by mid-September. Will we see that again this year? You have a few options to keep an eye out for when fishing our area lakes and rivers. Fishing for carp has anglers getting in their last licks of the season. The river will be less crowded this time of year as folks have kids in school and the river water temperatures starts to cool down. If the nighttime temperatures start to cool slightly earlier in the month, the carp will again take one more look at the flats for a meal before heading back into the deeper holes in the river itself. The river rats who search for stripers in the shallows before they make their journey south are also getting in their last licks. The Lanier stripers that have spent most of their summer around Helen and Dahlonega are making their way back down toward the big lake. Same holds true for the West Point

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SEPTEMBER 2021

stripers that resided around Sandy Springs and Buckhead. August turned out to be a GREAT month for striper fishing the Hooch. The best news of all is that September does not have as much pressure on the river fish and less pressure on a river usually means better fishing! September is also the time of the season when hybrids may begin their topwater ritual on Lakes Allatoona, Oconee and Hartwell. Combine lower surface water temperatures with the lakes where the Corp of Engineers start to pull down water, and you have the perfect environment for hybrids to start hitting the surface. This can lead to some fast and exciting topwater action. It is a perfect opportunity for fly anglers to get in some great fishing. Even conventional anglers can get in on this great fishery. Just have a medium to medium light tackle outfit rigged with 10-pound test and a casting bubble along with a small fly, and you will be set. Fly anglers should arm themselves with a 6-8 weight fly rod, intermediate fly line and a few small flies. Best flies are small Clousers, Albie Anchovies and Somethin’ Else patterns. Lakes like Hartwell, Clark Hill, Carters, West Point, Chatuge and Allatoona will see this topwater action. Lake Lanier, while not a hybrid lake, will see similar action with spotted bass schooling in September. With any luck you might even see small stripers in the 2-5lb class hitting the surface by the end of the month. Use the same tactics that applies for hybrids and you too can get in on this action. Smaller stripers can handle the lower oxygen levels better than their big brothers. Lanier striper anglers need to keep an eye out for surface feeding fish all over the south end of the lake. From Browns Bridge south to Buford Dam and everywhere inbetween is the area you might find surface feeding stripers. I would key in on the area around Three Sisters as a good starting point.

Alayna Bergin with a Hooch striper caught in September.

CHATTOOGA RIVER

We are welcoming September cooler weather as Labor Day arrives with football, picking apples, and let’s not forget to do a little fishing. Hopefully, the huge heat of summer is behind us, as the water temperature was a bit higher than anyone would like to see, and the trout definitely are looking towards the cool down. A few changes in color of the leaves on the trees in September shows us that the cooler temperatures and fall fishing is upon us here in the lower Appalachian Mountains. Now is a great time to go out and seek trout on early mornings or later afternoons, as the fish will start moving out of the depths of thermal refuge from summer heat, seeking food in the shallower areas of the rivers. The fish may be a little wary and spooky, so lengthening leaders and smaller tippets will be necessary. Stealthy approaches to the fish will be necessary as well, and at times, the slightest movement of the water will send fish dashing towards the depths seeking cover. The extended look at the September forecast is for below aver-

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age temperatures, which we will all take after the summer heat. The same outlook of September forecasts have a below average rainfall. As we look forward to the cooler temperatures of the fall season, we will start to see the emergence of the first of the “fall bugs”. These bugs will start to appear as the water temperatures start to drop. The rocks in the rivers are loaded with very small dark nymphs as well. Try swinging a heavy nymph with a smaller nymph dropper through the riffle areas of the river and into the heads of the pools. Deeper runs will also produce fish as temperatures heat up. As daytime temperatures heat up, the fish will move further into the depths of the rivers, so getting a bit deeper with a heavier front fly or a pinch of split shot will help greatly. Streamers are equally productive, and will continue as well through the fall season. With the heat of the summer behind us and a good amount of water in the rivers and cooler temperatures, the fall fishing here looks to be excellent for another year. Let’s remember that we can all help in keeping our rivers clean by picking up what someone else left behind. It makes for a cleaner watershed for our next visit. As we leave no trace, we look forward to seeing everyone out on the rivers!

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING CLOUD FISHING Contributed By: Noey Vinyard

THE FOOTPRINTS OF FALL

They are faint and indistinct, just patches really, but the long awaited signs of fall are here. It’s that time of year when the calendar is no longer needed to announce autumn. It is not yet the breathtaking explosion of colors that I hope it to be, but Mother Nature can no longer hide her tracks, and soon even a novice leaf chaser will be able to follow her trail into a new time. Just like a big, fancy boutique or a glitzy Vegas casino, Mother Nature has what is known as a soft opening. And this folks, to steal a line from the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey, is a soft opening for the greatest show on earth. This week it’s just a few dull patches of leaves and the temperatures in the morning are just below the mild mark, but the promise has been made, waiting now not for a handshake to seal the deal, but a frost. The first good frost of the year is something that I anticipate almost as much as the color change that follows. Ole Jack Frost is the harbinger of winter, and it is he who will take that dreaded humidity of summer and turn it into a layer of frozen moisture that covers the entire landscape and changes everything it touches. It will cover the branches and the leaves themselves and with the precision and finality of the surgeon’s scalpel, it will sever the lifeline between tree and leaf and send the leaves on their final flight and complete their part in this circle of life. When this happens, it will go from a soft opening to a sold-out show. And the best part of that is that the people in

Blue Ridge get to bear witness to the whole thing. But take heed Blue Ridge, only the changing of a season has been promised. The changing of leaves and their subsequent flight is only a small event in that season and the duration of that show can never be predicted. Mother Nature is far too wild to follow any type of schedule. This will be my ninth fall in Blue Ridge and no two have ever been the same. Even at the height of color change, a hard rain and strong winds can erase the leaves like an Ekta Sketch, leaving only the pines and mountain laurel as the only color in an otherwise harsh and gray landscape. So when you turn the corner and have your breath taken away by the bold yellow and bright red patches on the mountain, take a minute to let the beauty permeate your senses and let it all solidify into a memory that will be yours forever. Such moments in life were never meant to last more than a flash of time. I will offer you one last piece of advice. Don’t let this event be a picture on your cell phone. If you wish to share this with your loved ones, then take them and show them. Let this event become an experience for the whole family and not something that has been turned into a digital reproduction. Pictures without the experience is like trying to share a campfire with someone by bringing them the smoke. The essence of it will slip through your fingers and only the smell will remain. See you next month, Blue Ridge.

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September is a month when we usually have low water and some relief from the high temperatures that are usually widespread across the Southeast. Normal early fall conditions with low water means Stealth! You simply cannot catch a trout that you have spooked and it has gone a hundred feet either upstream or downstream. Low water conditions also require some tactics that many anglers do not know about or simply choose not to do. Here’s the short list: observation, learning to use obstacles and cover and finding a trout’s new holding area. I always tell clients when fly fishing that they should be stealthy like a hunter. Clumsiness, stumbling, stepping on a limb that breaks, wading too fast, talking too loud, or allowing rod guides to reflect sunlight off them during a cast; these decrease your opportunities for hookups as trout have superior senses like eyesight, inner ear for hearing and even a lateral line for vibration sensing. Observation is a key component to knowing what is going on and where the trout are. Just because you are going fishing doesn’t mean it has to be fishing. Observe the stream from a high bank by staying low to the ground or from behind an obstacle to hide your presence. Take five minutes and watch everything that comes alive. You can learn more about trout and insect behavior in five minutes than you can fishing for ten hours. Have a decent set of polarized sunglasses as they are essential. It is easy to see a trout rise to a fly, but many will miss a trout sipping a fly. You will have to train your eyes to see the flicker of a tail or to see a shadow of a trout. Again, be observant, as it will pay dividends in the end. Use obstacles and obstructions for your benefit. Here are just a few to be aware of: I see anglers who will climb up onto a large rock to cast from. This angler has spooked everything around that vicinity. Stay

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down and behind the rock to make your cast. Most of our mountain streams descend quickly leaving higher whitewater to our front as we move upstream. Use the higher elevation of the stream to your benefit by making your approach to your casting spot as low as possible. Do not blow the opportunity by walking upright to this casting spot! Use that large log out in the stream as cover to cast from. These little things will make for more hookups. The trout you caught back in the spring will probably not be in the same riffle or run. As water conditions change, a trout’s lie will also change. This is not necessarily because they wanted to move but because of what Mother Nature is offering them. When low water appears, feeding lanes change. Learn to read the water and have a basic understanding of a trout’s needs. After you learn to read the water, you will know where all the trout’s lies are. You just simply target that spot and possibly hook up with a trout of a lifetime! Reel ‘Em In Guide Service is the only Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide in North Georgia’s Historic High Country region. They have been offering their services to fly anglers since 2001. They have permits for guiding in North Georgia and North Carolina, offering over 7 miles of private trophy waters across Georgia, and operate drift boat trips on the Toccoa River in GA and the Tuckasegee River in NC.

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RIVER BASSIN’ THE DOG DAYS by Jacob Milholland, Store Manager Cohutta Fishing Company www.cohuttafishingco.com Summertime in North Georgia brings warming water temperatures to the point that many of our trout streams become unfishable. Luckily for us, Georgia isn’t limited to trout. Spotted, redeye, shoal, and some largemouth bass are abundant in many creeks and rivers throughout the state providing opportunities to fly fish close to home. Where: Look for public access in Wildlife Management areas or public parks that have creeks or rivers that flow into a major lake such as Allatoona or Lanier. For those looking for trout stream caliber beauty this time of year, check out some of Georgia’s seasonal Delayed Harvest trout streams or lower elevations of some of your favorite trout rivers and creeks. Once summer temperatures arrive,

these creeks and rivers can harbor bass. On bigger rivers, target shade lines, especially through the hottest part of the day! You may have heard the expression, “Bass don’t have eyelids!” This is a simplification of the truth: shade lines provide perfect ambush points and cooler water. Oxygenated water such as a riffle or shoal can also hold bass. “Foam is home” applies for bass as well as trout. Flies: My favorite way to catch bass is with Boogle Bug poppers. These flies showcase the aggressive attitude and explosive hatred of topwater bugs that make bass so enjoyable to catch. If you want to double your chances, the popperdropper rig can pick up fish that don’t want to come up to the surface. This rig is a repurposed trout tactic: tie a light subsurface fly

such as a size 8 Pat’s Rubber Legs below a popper with a short length of tippet based on the water depth and current speed. Twitch and pop the bug every so often, but follow with a dead drift. Experiment with cadence between twitches and pops; these fish will demolish a faster retrieve, but more often than not, the fish will take a fly while drifted along current seams. For streamers, have a mix of both mid-column and bottom bouncing flies. Try various retrieves with baitfish flies such as the Clouser Minnow, Coffey’s Sparkle Minnow, or Henry Cowen’s Somethin’ Else. Crawfish and hellgrammite patterns such as Kraft’s Krittermite, Whitlock’s Near Nuff Crayfish, and

various colored Wooly Buggers drifted through seams and riffles or stripped on the bottom can entice bites when baitfish patterns won’t. Equipment: For this style of fishing, I use my trout gear while wade fishing creeks and rivers. Think nine foot, five weight fly rods and matching reels. If you’re floating a bigger river, try going to a six or seven weight fly rod to aid in distance as well as fishing fighting ability, in case you need to pull a true monster bass out of cover. Regardless of rod size, I prefer to fish tropical or warm-water core, weight-forward lines with a long head during the warmest part of the year to combat sticky and illcasting fly line. Leader and Tippet: I recommend beefing up from standard trout sizes. These fish can be as line shy as trout (especially in gin-clear water), but I start with a 1X, seven and a half foot monofilament leader to combat line twist caused by the cupped face of bass poppers and to provide a buffer of strength for bigger bass. Keep a couple spools of both monofilament and fluorocarbon tippet from 1X-3X to make adjustments when needed.

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WHAT IS THE BEST FLY LINE?

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We have all seen the choices of fly lines that are out there, and it seems there are more every day. Why would you want to have so many different lines? Do you really need them? It depends. I think it’s super important to know how line characteristics work for you or against you in different situations and why. Understanding the taper and how to use it in a cast is most important. Getting to know the core (the part inside the tapered PVC) and the sink rate are important too. There are tropical lines that stay hard and don’t get sticky in the heat. There are also cold water lines that are designed to stay supple in the cold. Thirty years ago, I used a great fly line. It was summer and I was fishing for spots on Lake Lanier. The line held up in the heat, didn’t get sticky, and had a small head and thin running line. When striper season came around, it was the worst line I had ever used. The difference was the air and water temperature. Cold was making the mono core of the line coil in the worst way. Did I need to get a different line the next time out? YES. The mono core of the line gets stiff in cold weather, so I had to go to a multifilament core. One of the things I liked about the first line was the relatively short head. It allowed for quick change of direction casts, so if a school of fish popped up, it would be easier

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to redirect, make a back cast and shoot quickly into the running line. So I looked for that quality in my new line. So changing lines is sometimes very important. Read up on what makes things happen when using a particular type of line. For example, there are lines that are designed for shooting the banks or making repetitive casts, generally at the same distance without a long retrieve. They have very short heads and front tapers and longer line management sections or rear tapers. That’s an example of something that is getting more and more technical in line design, and if you don’t get familiar with the tapers, it can be difficult to cast when you get out of the consistent rhythm that line is designed for. I would compare fly line to a bike. There are some that get you from point A to point B and do the job. There are others that are so advanced that unless you are practiced with them, they will not help you much unless you are in a situation that bike is specifically designed for. Don’t take a road bike on a mountain bike trail, but you can take a mountain bike on the road. It will not be as efficient as the road bike, but it will work. Get to know the line characteristics, pros and cons, and life on the water can be much more pleasant. More on fly lines next month in The Casting Corner.

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PATTERNS AND THE LAKE OCONEE SEPTEMBER FORECAST Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore USCG www.oconeeonthefly.com I always listen to O’Neill Outside on the way to pick up customers on Saturday morning. I have been doing so long before I became a guide and have been known to dance in the kitchen to his James Brown bumper music. I listened to Captain Mack Farr give his report on O’Neill Outside recently, and he talked about patterning the fish. He said (paraphrasing here) to keep a log and after a while you will notice patterns. Then, I believe he said, after months and years of doing this, it sheds even more light on what the fish are doing. I have found that here on Lake Oconee this is especially true. Here are some examples: • For three out of the past five years, the pump back and topwater bite at the dam was excellent in June. It was not the case this year, and I believe the higher water temperatures were why. This year, the bite for stripers (as opposed to hybrids) was greatly improved. The stripers were also larger than in years past. • This year the crappie brush pile bite has been consistent. In this case, it has more to do with anglers than the fish. With the advent of tools like of Garmin’s Livescope (technology where you can see under the surface in real time) and Hummingbird/ Minn Kota’s I-Pilot link that can communicate with each other, staying right on top of the brush pile has become easier. The bottom line is keep a log and use what you record to discover pat-

terns and you will learn more about your quarry and your home waters. September Forecast Hybrids/ Stripers – Looking at average temperatures by month for Lake Oconee, temperatures will drop with average high of 83 degrees and low of 63. Of course, the water temperatures will drop, and if we are lucky, the highend temps will keep air conditioners running and increase the odds of the pump back bite. Fish the dam at first light and you might hit it right. September is also when you can begin to use bass minnows as opposed to havnig to throw your cast net for live shad. If you don’t see surface activity at the dam, head up the lake towards either Rocky Creek or on the Oconee side, Waterfront Marina. I like trolling the bass minnows with 12-pound mono, a #4 sinker, swivel, and a # 4 circle hook. The leader is 10-pound fluorocarbon around 2 feet long. September Forecast Crappie – The brush pile bite should still be strong early in the month, but as we move towards the end of the month, the crappie will start to spread out and the long line trolling bite will begin. This is my favorite way to catch crappie as you cover a lot of water, and it is a great way to load the cooler. Final Words - Our best months on the water are about to begin. If you want to fish this fall bite, please email me at wmoore1700@outlook. com or call 404-317-9556 and lock in your dates as far in advance as you can. Tight lines and God bless.

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Contributed by David Hulsey International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor http://www.hulseyflyfishing.com 770-639-4001

September is prep time for the fall fishing season here in the Southern Appalachians. The trout fishing this month in the Blue Ridge and Western North Carolina streams can be a little sketchy. Usually, low water and high temperatures rule until the end of the month when we normally get a little reprieve from the heat in the form of a cool breeze from the north. Decent fishing can be found up high in the mountains or in local tailwater fisheries before lake turnover screws up the river for a few weeks in the fall. Trout stocking will almost halt after Labor Day until the delayed harvest kicks off in October in North Carolina and November in Georgia, making chasing the stocking truck so yesterday. Even with slower fishing in September, there is plenty of opportunity for prepping for the fall! Finding time for stockpiling flies

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and leaders is a little easier if you’re into tying either or both. Flies that are great producers and easy to tie such as Wooly Buggers, San Juan Worms and Soft Hackles qualify for hording being that going through hundreds of them on the stream with clients is a guarantee. I custom build leaders for each and every trip through the year, so making nymphing, dry fly and streamer leaders is a must, and having them already built is a huge time and money saver. Changing a worn out fly line or two will add to your enjoyment on the river. Nothing can ruin a good presentation like a sinking fly line dragging your fly under the surface right at the worst moment. I’m always scouting new water for fishing, and September is a great time to see the streams at their lowest water levels and to see fish. Thick streamside foliage allows the angler to stay hidden from your quarry and

determine if it’s worth coming back, too. Finding a good isolated run to fish later in the year is great to add to the list of possibilities. Learning a new skill for fall and winter fishing is best spent in the late summer prep time. The new surge of anglers learning to spey cast for trout or “trout spey” as it’s called, is extraordinary. Smaller micro Skagit gear is making it increasingly easy and effective to use two handed rods and presentations

to trout sized game fish. Southern waters are the new frontier for this method of swinging flies to fish in not-so-easy areas to reach. West coast stream fishers were the first to adopt this method for anadromous fish running up the huge coastal rivers, but our slippery southern rivers are also good candidates. We teach many introductory trout spey fishing classes every year, and it’s growing in popularity more and more. We’ll see you on the river!

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LAKE BURTON

STOP! DON’T POP!

Contributed By: Jeff Durniak www.unicoioutfitters.com Unicoi Outfitters, Orvis 2018 Fly Shop of the Year

Famous Georgia sportsman O’Neill Williams said the best turkey hunter he ever knew was the late Roscoe Reams, who said “patience kills turkeys.” Roscoe’s lesson applies well to fly flingers on September’s skinny waters. Stop. Don’t pop! Have patience. Let me explain. Our aggressive springtime approach of pop-retrieve-pop is fine at that time when predators chase food. But in September, that retrieve will scare the heck out of summer survivors hiding from herons in low, clear flows. Instead of popping, try some of our Unicoi Outfitters tips: plop, drift, and twitch, and maybe even dance a bit. Let’s start with the plop. Cast your popper or foam bug just upstream of a likely lair. That could be bankside shade for river bass or an undercut bank for a Rockies cutthroat. Let it land loudly, via a plop or a splat, just like the real bugs do. Then leave it alone. If you just wait, the plop and radiating surface rings often are enough to call them up. But if you pop, you’ll often spook these nervous inspectors and just see a surface bulge from their tailwag as they dive back toward cover. So fish the plop first and resist the pop. Next is the drift. I know you’re really itching to pop, but refrain. Let your popper or hopper drift along naturally. Wait 10 or 20 seconds and just let it ride. If you have a good pair of sunglasses, you might even spot that fat smallie or shoalie with its nose bumping your bug’s butt, as both drift downstream together. It’s sizing up your offering and trying to figure out if it’s real. Don’t spook it with a pop! Okay, by now you’ve lost all patience and are about to lose your mind, so we’re going let you do something. Twitch the bug. Give a slight twitch of the rod tip and shake the bug without moving it more than an inch or so. I saw a

Water temperature: 79 degrees, lake level: full, clarity: clear. Bass: The bass bite has been decent the last week or so. We have not been catching a lot of numbers, but we have been catching some quality fish! Drop-shotting in brush and grass seems to the ticket. Most of the quality fish seem to be hanging around the yellow perch and bream, go figure. We have been working the backs of creeks in the 16 to 20 foot

SEPTEMBER 2021

depths. We have seen a little topwater action on cloudy days and mid-morning. These fish are biting a Super Spook. Look for this pattern to continue for the next few weeks as we near September. Trout: The brown trout bite has been slow this month. The few that we have caught have come off blueback herring and trolling Super Rooster Tails 20 feet deep 60 to 80 feet behind the boat. This bite should pick up in the next week or so. We have been focusing on the main lake channel points. This seems to be where the biggest concentration of brown trout are. Good luck!

LAKE BLUE RIDGE Forecast By: Eric Crowley Lake & Stream Guide Service (706) 669-4973

great article recently in a national magazine where the smallmouth guide advises his clients to “bend the knees” of their rubber-legged popper. That’s how subtle of a movement he’s looking for. The same soft twitch goes for your stimulator or caddis on headwater trout pools. After the twitch, go back to the long drift, and don’t take your eyes off that bug! They’re known to disappear. The one exception happens on summer trout waters. Rig up a fluffy yellow stimulator and add a 2-foot dropper fly to it. Then dance the dry in pools and runs. The deep dropper will anchor your rig and let the top fly dance on the surface instead of tangling above you in the trees. That dancing bug can wake up some plump summer trout. Give these “patience” techniques of plop, drift, and twitch a try this fall. Maybe even dance a bit if you’d like. Stop by either one of our stores if you need a hand learning the subtle ways of September. Thanks for the lesson, Roscoe!

....in September, that retrieve will scare the heck out of summer survivors hiding from herons in low, clear flows. 10 ATLANTA

Forecast by: Capt. Wes Carlton Georgia Lake Fishing 770-318-9777 www.georgialakefishing.com

lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

Water temperature: 83 degrees, lake level: summer pool, clarity: 12 feet. It’s been hot, sunny and with lots of boat traffic on the lake this year, and it has the fish scattered. Little pockets of fish here and there seems to be consistent with all species. The walleye have been caught from Tilly Bend to the dam, no joke. There are fish in 25, 35, 55 and 70 feet of water. Most are holding pretty tight to the bottom on rocky points or on the bends in the river near bait balls. Also, there has been some fish caught on grass beds early and late in the day. Crankbaits are still the go-to. Overcast, low light, and rainy days are still best. If it is going to be a pretty day, you better fish early or at night. We had a few

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really nice fish this past month, 24 and 25 inch class fish, and heard reports of a few fish larger than that being caught as well. That’s good news for this lake and walleye population. We have seen a good recovery of walleye since the 2010 draw down and it’s only going to get better. Looking forward to fall fishing this year on this beautiful lake.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING MOTORIZING YOUR KAYAK Contributed By: William Reed Nucanoe National Pro Staff Writer IG: @wde_will, will@nucanoe.com

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Kayaking is one of the fastest growing outdoor sports, and there is a new feature making it even more attractive. That new feature is the introduction of outboard and electric motors that blurs the lines between a kayak and a boat making kayaks a very versatile tool for hitting the waters. For many years, the only way to propel a kayak was by paddle. Although a paddle kayak is by far the cheapest and fastest way to get on the water, it is also limiting. One of the biggest limitations on a paddle kayak is your arms are used to propel the kayak, so when fishing or doing other things, you are not able to paddle. This deficiency grows when fishing in waters with currents or wind. The other major limiting factor with paddles is speed. A paddle kayak is the slowest form of propulsion. Kayak engineering now allows some kayaks to be fitted with pedal propulsion systems, outboard gas motors and bow or

stern mount electric trolling motors. Most established kayak manufacturers are making direct bolt on motors or motor mounts. Motor companies like Newport Vessels and Motorquide actually make kayak specific motors. The Newport Vessels NK-180s is a brushless 24-volt motor that works on any kayak that can accept a stern mount bracket. Recently, I had the pleasure to run one and topped out over 5 MPH while towing two buddies in paddle kayaks behind me. The NK-180s is the best stern mount motor currently available for a kayak. For a bow mount motor, the new Motorguide XI3 Kayak motor is amazing. This motor was specifically built for a kayak with a short 36-inch shaft to accommodate how low kayaks sit in the water and is 100% controllable by remote control. If you choose the Pinpoint GPS model, with the push of a button, you can anchor in current or wind in seconds. Choosing between the two, the Newport Vessel motor can cover more range at a faster speed, while the Motorguide offers

faster turning/maneuverability and pinpoint anchoring features. Once you decide to go the motorized route, keep in mind the other components that are needed. First, you need to consider motor mounts and wiring. To highlight Nucanoe, their kayaks are all built with a square transom and can be paddled, pedaled, or equipped with a motor. For a motor, all Nucanoes are rated up to a 2.5HP outboard to really cover some water. Nucanoe also offers bow mount and transom mount adapters that offer a no drill application. With an electric motor, the other main component is a battery. Standard deep cycle and car batteries will work, but on a kayak, weight is everything. Amped Outdoors makes lithium batteries that offer features such as half the weight and twice the power. I currently use an Amped Outdoors 100AH battery that will run my Motorguide XI3 all day and an Amped Outdoors

19AH battery for my graph and phone charger. The last things to consider with a motorized kayak are transportation and registration. Motorized kayaks weigh significantly more than standard paddle kayaks. A truck or trailer is almost required. Once you place a motor of any type on a kayak, it now has to be registered with the appropriate state office. In Georgia it cost $25 to register a kayak with the GA DNR. Take one word of advice and try before you buy, as any reputable shop will let you demo a kayak and motor first. I always say no kayak or motor is perfect for everyone, and ensuring a perfect fit is essential to have fun on the water and stay safe.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE MARTIN Provided By: David Hare Alex City Guide Service 256-401-3089 Water temperature: 87 degrees, lake level: 491.00 full pool, clarity: clear. August was still producing stripers on live bait. On our typical August trips, 4 out 5 trips produced good, then we would have a tough day on 1 out of the 5 days. September will be a lot like August fishing. My advice for September would be to fish the lower end of

the lake, fish early and be prepared for tough fishing after 9 am. Even though you’re going to see some striper marks up high on your electronics, the deeper marks more than likely are going to be your catchable fish. Stripers will still be feeding on smaller baitfish in September, so keep that in mind when you’re gearing up for a day of fun here. Bring lots of patience and plenty of bottled water, because in September’s heat here in Alabama, it takes both to have a successful day of fishing. Until next time, stay safe, try to stay hydrated and catch a big fish for me!

THE BOUNCE BACK by Wayne Wooten

In May 2020 I injured my neck causing pain in my left shoulder, and my forearm felt like I had a hold of an electric fence. Being left handed, it was a real problem. After many visits to the chiropractor, then the neurologist, and lastly the neurosurgeon, it was determined that I had a pinched nerve caused by a bulging disc. The neurosurgeon put me in physical therapy and prescribed a non-narcotic, Gabapentin. The Gabapentin relieved the pain and tingling, and the exercises helped me stay flexible. The hard part was being unable to fish due to the “light duty” recommendation from the therapist for six months. It is now July 2021, and I have now been released to return to normal life continuing with the medication and exercises, and understanding some activities may cause discomfort, but won’t do any further damage. So I was getting my courage up to go fishing again and determining who I will go with. Well, as it happened, one of the kids who comes to the Ila Restaurant for breakfast with his mom was having his sixth birthday and asks his mom to ask me to take him fishing on his birthday on the lake we live on. Well, that was that! The Lord does work in mysterious ways! We got started about 8:30 AM, and it was already 88 degrees and no breeze. The birthday boy,

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Jamison, Jaxon his 3 year old brother, and their mom Morgan head down the lake trolling jigs. I felt like trolling would allow the boys to get settled in the boat and maybe catch a fish or two on the way to catch a few bream with some red wigglers. After we arrived at a spot I knew held some bream and getting their Spiderman rods rigged, I opened the tub of wigglers only to find they were cooked. Not good! There was no other choice but to continue trolling and casting jigs. After an hour and a half, Morgan caught a nice crappie. The boys were excited touching it, and Jamison wanted to take it off the hook but thought the fish had teeth that could hurt him. After a little encouragement, he finally did it. What a smile! It was now 11:30 AM and 95 degrees and Jaxon was getting hungry, so we headed back to our place. We went to the house and let them cool down in the air conditioning before lunch. I must say those boys were really good and never complained once despite the heat and lack of catching many fish. I’ve had adults get mad if they don’t catch a 5-pounder in 30 minutes! We are scheduling another trip, and I’ll put the bait in the refrigerator next time! What a way to get fired up! I look forward to the next time.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

T FISH THE CURRENT By Capt. Cefus McRae Nuts & Bolts Fishing Series Hartwell, GA Our Southeastern impoundments are awesome fisheries. They hold a cornucopia of piscatorial critters from bass to bream and stripers to gar. As a guide, my clients expect to hear a drag scream and experience the thrill of wrestling with a finned foe, and maybe put a few in the box for dinner. Some days the magic happens early, and some days it seems like forever before a rod bends, but that’s fishing. If you want to absolutely guarantee you’ll have fish for dinner on every fishing trip, you might want to stop by Kroger and pick up a couple tuna steaks on the way to the boat ramp. One of those ‘forever’ days happened about a week ago. At my first stop, a nice school of hybrids were posing for a beautiful picture on the Simrad. We set out a spread of juicy herring, and I honestly expected to see rods bend before I got all the rigs out. Didn’t happen. These fish had lockjaw. I could clearly see the lead sinker and the baitfish swimming just above the school on the EVO3s. Occasionally, we’d have a window shopper come up to take a peek, and then I’d watch that fish swim right back into the mix of arches on the screen. Occasionally, we’d get a very soft bite. The rod would get active, but the fish just wouldn’t commit. We’d bring up a mauled herring, almost devoid of scales. It seems that no matter what I tried, and I tried everything from drumming to chumming to trolling umbrella rigs, I could not coax a strong bite. We did manage to put a nice channel cat in the box, but that was not our target. So I moved to another spot, and another spot, and another spot with the same results. The fish were there, but just not ready to eat. I thought maybe it was the moon, maybe it was the barometric pressure, or maybe the sun was too high in the sky, but none of those excuses would be sufficient to please my clients. My job is to give them the opportunity to stretch a string; and the strings weren’t stretching too much so far.

Let me back up and say that it’s simply a fallacy to guarantee clients we’ll load the boat every day. My clients understand this is fishing, and I will do everything I can to help put fish in the boat. In the end, a trip with Wide Open Outfitters is about the overall experience and spending a fun day on the water. Catching fish is just one facet on the diamond. By mid-morning, the box had a couple catfish and a nice spotted bass in it, but no hybrids or stripers. Suddenly, I heard the distinctive sound of the warning horn at the dam. This meant they would soon be pulling water to generate electricity. To me, that was the sweetest sound of the day. Even in a huge body of water, pulling water through the turbines creates current upstream. It may not be much, but the fish sense it. Stripers and hybrids love current. It brings the bait to them, and I think they enjoy swimming in the current as well. I maneuvered the Wide Open II to the mouth of a creek adjacent to the main river channel where the topography dropped dramatically from about 15 feet to 80 feet. Creek channels are ‘highways’ for fish traffic, and I was parked at the busy intersection. About 10 minutes after the first horn sounded, we began to see large balls of bait on the Simrad screen and then one of the downline rods bent double. Then another reel started screaming, and another, and another. We had four fish on at the same time. Even though they weren’t monsters, about 3 to 4 pound schoolies, by the looks and smiles on my clients’ faces, these could have been 30 pounders. The bite lasted for almost an hour, and we never moved. School after school of hybrids with some stripers mixed in, paraded under the boat. We put a few fish in the box for dinner, and simply enjoyed the fun with the others. The point to all this is simple. Fish don’t eat every minute of every hour, and there are factors that contribute to cranking up the bite.

Current is definitely one of them. You can plan your day and your location based on when the dam will be generating electricity. Most Corps of Engineer lakes and power company lakes publish a schedule of when they will be releasing water, and you can develop a strategy to be there when that happens. Keep this in mind when planning your next fishing excursion. Fish-

ing the current can turn a dull day into a very fishy one.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST OPTIONS TO CONSIDER FOR LANIER IN SEPTEMBER Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com

A traditional September on Lake Lanier offers anglers many choices of approach. This September on Lake Lanier should be no different. The lake has been around full pool most of the year, and we should go into September around full pool. The water temperatures have been normal for late summer, so the traditional late summer patterns should be in play. Often during these kind of conditions, you can find fish very deep as well as very shallow, and some in between. Today, we will look at how to approach catching bass in this key transitional month. Location: During a normal September, the “comfort zone” of both the baitfish and spotted bass become multi-faceted. In September, we often find spotted bass in 3 different types of locations: 1. Very deep (30-50 ft) off the ends of humps and points, relating to timber lines. 2. Very shallow in the backs of creeks

and creek arms in major tributaries around the lake or shallow on rocky bluff walls. 3. Suspended in the mouths of major creeks around brush in 20-30 feet of water, as well as deeper pockets near the main lake. Now let’s look at some of the tools we can use to catch them in each of the above situations. Lures and Presentation Deep 1. Drop-Shot – This is a great tool to target deep fish. This presentation can be made vertically into cover or it can be cast toward the target and slowly retrieved. I prefer the Lanier Baits Fruity drop-shot worms. I prefer 6 to 8-pound test Seaguar Abrazx. Light line helps provide a more natural presentation and will garner more strikes. 2. Jigging Spoon/Flutter Spoon – Always a great option when the fish are deep. In general, I prefer the Flexit spoons, but choose your favorite in this category. A Georgia Blade flutter

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spoon can be a great option this time of year as well. Experiment with the presentation once you have located the fish. Some sort of rip/pause or fast reel/pause cadence should do the trick. Their mood and the presentation required to catch them will vary daily with conditions. Look around timber lines and tree tops near the mouths of creeks. Lures and Presentation Shallow 1. Buzzbait – While Lanier is not necessarily known as a buzzbait lake, this can be a very effective tool in both shallow situations discussed above. Make your retrieve an erratic one and present around cover where possible in addition to steep rocky banks early in the morning. I like the Georgia Blade choices for a buzzbait. 2. Spinnerbait- An old favorite that can be deadly around flooded shoreline cover and by shallow docks and blown down trees, as well as steeper rocky banks. Try the new offerings from Georgia Blade. They offer a nice variance of bait sizes and blade types. 3. Crankbait - Opt for a shallow to medium diving plug and work the same areas as you would the spinnerbait. I am a big fan of the SPRO offerings. 4. Jig/Worm - When the fish are not chasing, don’t be afraid to pitch worms and jigs to the flooded shoreline cover. This can be a very effective technique to catch fish with a smaller strike zone. Georgia Jigs rule! Lures and Presentation Suspended 1. Topwater – When the water starts to cool, the topwater action can

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be awesome. Look around man-made brush on off-shore structure such as humps and points for the fish that are hanging out. Topwater baits such as a Chug Bug and a Zara Spook can be an excellent way to catch these fish and a lot of fun too! If the fish are resistant to the full topwater offerings, try skipping a fluke over brush. That can be a winner! 2. GA Blade Shad Spin – This is an excellent producer on Lanier. Fish the bait at the depth you see the fish suspending near bait balls. Understand the fall-rate for your rig and count the bait down to the depth of the fish and maintain that depth. 3. Jerk Bait – Another great tool for targeting suspending fish. Choose a bait that suspends at the depth the fish are holding and experiment with your retrieve cadence until you zero in on what the fish are looking for any given day. The SPRO McStick or McRip are great options here. 4. Spy Bait – This bait is a great option when the fish are not hitting your topwater or jerk bait presentations. Cast this bait out, count it down to 10 or so and then begin a very slow retrieve. Slow and methodical is the key. I like the Duo Realis offerings in the G-fix 80 size which you can purchase at Hammonds Fishing or through Lanier Baits. I still have a few dates available this September, so call me to book a trip! See you on the water! For more information or to book your trip, contact Jimbo on Lanier! 770542-7764. Jimbo’s website: www. jimboonlanier.com.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE SEMINOLE Forecast By: by Capt. Paul Tyre paultyrefishing@yahoo.com

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The big bass have been biting on Lake Seminole this summer, and we expect it to continue through the fall! Currently, the bass have been biting topwater lures in the mornings and afternoons. Walking baits like Heddon Zara Spooks and buzzbaits continue to generate some explosive strikes on the grass lines on the main lake. Plastic worms like a 10” Ol Monster in June-bug fished along the grass lines have been very productive after the topwater bite slows. For the September forecast, the topwater bite should continue and get even better as the bass start the fall feed. If you are coming to Lake Seminole in September, make sure to bring swimbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits as all can be very productive, especially if the shad are running. The hollow belly frog is a must in the fall on Lake Seminole!

As the bite begins to slow down, that’s when I like to pick up the frog rod and start working the thicker espegrass, cially paying attention to any holes in the grass beds. My favorite frog for doing this is a Spro Bronzeye Popping Frog. When fishing the frog, you need a rod that has enough backbone to get the big bass out of the grass. My go-to rod is a 7’3”heavy action Temple Fork Tactical Bass casting rod in fast action. This rod has a soft tip and enough backbone to get Lake Seminole’s biggest bass out of the grass. For an exciting Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure, email us @lakeseminolefishingadventures@gmail. com or follow us on Instagram @capt. paultyrefishing and Facebook @lakeseminolefishingadventures! Give us a call at 850-264-7534 to check availability!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST A REMINDER THAT FALL IS AROUND THE CORNER Dr. Andrew Cox September is a transition month for the angling year. The first of the month continues to be hot air with warm water temperatures making some days outdoors uncomfortable. However, observant anglers will feel tinges of fall during the early morning hours. For the later days during this month, anglers will definitely feel the first days of fall leading into full swing fall angling in October and November. September and the other fall months are my favorite time of the angling season. Anglers on the water during this month may find fish schooling on area lakes and waterways. Anglers may catch schooling bass, hybrids, and possibly stripers. Unfortunately, this fishing activity is over just as quickly as it begins with the fish moving elsewhere or going into deeper water. Crappie and catfish may be found fishing during evening hours. As September proceeds, anglers can find cooler water temperatures, hopefully making fish more active and in shallower water. Anglers can explore streams and rivers entering reservoirs. With their cooler, shaded, and flowing waters, fish may be easier to locate and catch. September is a good month to explore Georgia’s trout waters. The Chattahoochee River from Lake Lanier’s Buford Dam into Atlanta’s northern suburbs offers good bank, wading, and boat access, particularly within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation areas. Some stretches of the river also offer angling opportunities for shoal bass and stripers. Checking the national recreation area website will show you various access points. Streams and rivers in Georgia’s extreme northern counties continue to provide excellent trout fishing throughout this month. Make sure to consult the Georgia fishing regulations to determine special regu-

20 ATLANTA

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lations regarding certain streams in the North Georgia trout fishing area. Information available through the Georgia Department of Natural Resources will provide information on the trout stocking schedule for area waterways. An added bonus of September fishing is that area waters are not as crowded and with less boating activity. School is in full swing by the time this month rolls around, particularly after the Labor Day holiday. Hunting and keeping up with college football takes other outdoor enthusiasts off the water. Accordingly, there is typically less boat traffic with quieter and more tranquil water conditions. Though continuing to be hot and muggy at times, September reminds us that fall is just around the corner. Good fishing can be found over the course of this month for the angler willing to be outdoors and able to adapt one’s angling methods to the gradually changing water and weather conditions. Good angling and be safe. Author’s Note: Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. His writing interests specialize in angling and travel, human interest, and general fishing technique oriented topics. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia, Alabama, and north Florida for over forty years. He has also fished the waters of most states within the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and several Caribbean islands. He enjoys fresh and saltwater fishing for bass, bream, crappie, trout, redfish, and speckled trout using fly, baitcasting, and spinning equipment. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Professor Emeritus at Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama.He may be contacted at andrewtrout@ aol.com.

LAKE SINCLAIR Forecast By: Ken Sturdivant kensturdivant@att.net Lake Sinclair is down 1.5 feet with the water temperature in the 80s. Bass fishing is slow. It is the heat that effects both the anglers and the bass. Start the day early with a small all black buzzbait and cast it as far back into the pocket as possible and repeat this several times. Follow up any missed strikes with a 3/8 ounce Lucky Craft Redemption spinnerbait with double willow blades preferred,

and a Texas rigged green pumpkin trick worm. By mid-morning, concentrate all fishing on the main lake points that drop off into deep water down lake within sight of the dam. Use the Carolina rigged Zoom four inch Dead Ringer worm on light line and work it slowly around these points. By mid-afternoon with the heat, drag this same Carolina rig out to 25 foot point drop-offs and go with a Zoom green worm. There may not be many strikes, but there can be a big fish in the area. Also, slow roll the same Redemption spinnerbait on the bottom and use the 832 Sufix braid.

LAKE CHATUGE Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchsguideservice. com 706-455-2323 Water temperature: 81-84 degrees, lake level: 1.5 feet below full pool, clarity: clear. Lake Chatuge has been fishing well. We’ve only been out early in the mornings fishing the first 4 to 6 hours and getting off the lake before it gets hot. There has been some topwater action going on and fish breaking out in open water, and we’ve also caught some around laydowns using a Strike King Sexy Dawg, Zara Spook and Whopper Plopper. You want to keep a topwater handy because you never know when there is going to be some bass blowing up on herring. I’ve been finding a good amount of fish on offshore humps, points and deep brush. I’ve mostly been catching my fish on the Z-Man Ned Rig with a Trd worm, drop-shotting a Roboworm and 3” minnow pattern baits. I’ve been catching most of my fish using my Garmin Livescope, not just to locate them, but also catching groups of sus-

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pending fish. I’m also mixing in some 3” swimbaits, spoons and a shaky head. If I have a good windy day I will throw a spinnerbait some. When we get past Labor Day weekend, TVA will start lowering the lakes, and hopefully we will have some cooler weather. We guide on 8 different lakes, so if you’re looking for some great fishing, give Welch’s Guide Service a call. We’re your #1 guide service, and we’ve been doing this since 2001. Good luck!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE ALLATOONA Forecast By: Joseph Martinelli 404-919-4918 Lake Allatoona has fished excellent all summer, and we are equally expectant of a fantastic autumn bite. Current Lake Allatoona water levels have been quite consistent at a full pool of 840 ft. since late summer. We are increasingly excited as the fish are starting to school up nicely, and there is a fantastic topwater bite beginning that we hope to enjoy now and into October. Always stand prepared and have a rod ready to cast that has a topwater lure or smaller spoon attached. While they are in a feeding frenzy, most any artificial you can get in front of them could produce. A lot of these fish are chasing and devouring small young-of-year threadfin shad that are still in the 1-2” range, though they do not hesitate to strike a larger topwater lure being walked or even up to a 5” spoon being pulled across or through the school. It should be noted that any of the larger profile topwaters worked slowly may be ignored by the smaller schoolies but trigger the larger fish. Downlining: For the most part, the target start depth for downlining has been at around 15 feet down with live threadfins on a #1 octopus or mosquito hook. Also, freelining threadfin or small gizzard shad is a proven and effective technique. Another notable application here of a freeline shad working exceptionally well will be after sunset in the flats or up on long points. There is often a good bite extending well after dark when these fish have settled to the bottom in 5-12’ of water in flats and/or running the banks on points. They are often actively feeding, and a freeline shad can typically out-produce most anything else. There have been a few evenings that we noted a small BB or 3/0 split shot on a lighter line presentation with a threadfin has been the ideal approach, both moving the boat at .1 mph and especially slow-reeling the threadfin shad back to the boat and triggering hard strikes. A small A-rig with

assorted candies will do the trick if you are confident in it. We have not been utilizing Urig method much lately as so many other go-to techniques have been proving effective. When applied, we have had success pulling a MiniMack about 100-125’ behind the boat, and sometimes with an added 1/2-1 ounce egg sinker to achieve our targeted depth. The catfish bite will be in full swing by now, and we are having a blast tangling with the catfish and gar alike when targeted. We are pleased to include Catfish Adventures on the menu during this season and running two boats for double the pleasure on a nighttime adventure. We will do our best to share some nightly catches and tips with everyone as the month progresses. Please continue to help us keep our waterways clean and calm. If you are out fishing, you likely even have a net to catch some floating plastic bag or bottle. Please continue to be respectful of others on the water. Now, let’s go fishing!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST TIPS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SEPTEMBER By Tim Dangar ltdangar@tds.net

September on Lake Allatoona can be the month of change. Lake level will start down and water temps can also go down depending on our weather. If these changes occur, the fish can become more aggressive than they have been in the summer heat. My last fishing trip on the ‘Toona was on August 4th. I got on the lake early to beat the heat. It proved to be a fun morning, landing about 30 crappie and a bass or two which all went back into the lake on this trip. If you catch 7 or 8 crappie in a row and then a bass hits, you get a wakeup call, if you know what I mean. For crappie, especially in the summertime, you need light line due to light hits, and sometimes all you feel is your line getting tight. Regardless, if you get a bump or just tight line, it’s a good time to give a quick hook set which most

of the time will get a fish in the boat. A bass, on the other hand, will grab it and take off and will not give up as quickly as crappie. I spool my ultra-lights with 6-pound test line, but would like to go lighter. The reason I don’t is because of that occasional bass. Even with 6-pound line, you better have the drag set right or you may not get a look at the fish. As September rolls in, we will see fish hitting a little harder, and the bite will pick up also. Choosing a rod with a very sensitive tip will also help in detecting the crappie bump. It’s getting hot, so I may have to hit a trout stream soon! As always, stay calm and fish on!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST FIVE EASY BASS LURES By Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com 770-889-2654

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The Zoom trick worm is a fishing catching lure for bass anywhere and at any time. It just simply works. Use a size 2/0 offset worm hook on light line. Rig this bait Texas style and be sure it hangs straight. The trick worm can be fished three basic ways: floating, subsurface and then let it sink to the bottom. Start out by working this worm on the surface and keep the line tight and the rod tip down. DO NOT PULL THE WORM. If you pull the worm, it will corkscrew in the water and twist the line. Make the worm stay right up on the surface and even make it jump over the surface. The crankbait can be one of the most effective tools in the angler’s tackle box. With practice and dedication, learning to use a crankbait can open up more options for other tactics. Find the fish with a crankbait and then use other lures to take limits of fish. Two crankbaits from Rapala are fish catching machines year round: the Rapala Shad Rap in the #5 size and the Dive-To (DT) 6 in shad and hot mustard. What makes these crankbaits so effective is that they can cover a greater range of depths than many other lures. Depth ranges, speed of retrieve and sizes and colors are all considerations for crankbaits. One of the best bass producers year round is the jig. Crawfish

are one of the prime food sources for bass during the cold weather months, and the jig very closely resembles this natural bait. The jig is basically a lead head with a hook molded onto it, then dressed with rubber hair added to decrease snags when the lure is worked through shoreline or deep water cover. A favorite brand of jig is from the Stanley Bait Company. The Rebel Pop R topwater bait is a time tested lure, and it catches fish almost year round. Use the original size at 2½ inches long. This is the most copied size. This is a small bait and casting the lure on a spinning reel with 8 or 10-pound test line is a lot of fun. Working this bait is easy. Just “pop” the rod tip down. This bait will splash water out in front of the bait and game fish love this action. The Zoom Super Fluke is one of the best all-around lures ever made that has come out since the plastic worm. The shape of the bait and the fact that each Super Fluke is loaded with salt makes them deadly. The lure resembles a shad when rigged on a large offset hook. Pick two colors: baby bass and pearl white. Fishing this bait is a simple as adding water. Spinning or bait casting outfits will fish this bait nicely. Just cast this bait, twitch the rod tip and let it dart and swim. Bass, spots and even stripers will take this bait.

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CARTERS LAKE Forecast By: Eric Crowley Lake & Stream Guide Service (706) 669-4973

lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

Water temperature: 84 degrees, lake level: down 6 feet, clarity: 3-4 feet. Carters Lake in the dog days of summer can be a miserable place if you let it. My advice is fish early, fish late, or fish in the dark. I typically don’t target stripers in Aug/Sept as it’s almost certain death for the big fish we have. The fish are deep for a reason, and pulling them up from that depth isn’t great for the fish or the fishery. This is our lake and our resources, and I think giving these fish the end of summer off isn’t too much to ask. However, there’s a few things you can do in the heat of summer and still chase striped fish. One thing is fishing at night under the Hydro Glow lights. Set up in 60 feet of water and let the fish come to you. Allowing the fish to come up shallow on their own lets them adjust to the depth change slowly vs being cranked up. Fish baits 30 to 35 feet deep on down lines with 14 to 20-pound leader just out of the lights. Another thing is targeting smaller fish. These fish are 3 to 4-pounds and are fun to catch. I use number 2 or 4 circle hooks exclusively for these fish and release them ASAP. These little guys are the future lake monsters we all love. Live threadfins about 2.5 to 3 inches long is a perfect bait. There is a school at every boat ramp on the lake basically. They tend to hunt the edge of the parking lot lights. It sounds cra-

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zy, but it’s a thing on a lake with no artificial light. You can throw a pearl white Fluke and draw strikes as well. The walleye bite has been lots of fun and consistent this summer. Our average size is up this year from 22 to 23 inches, and we are catching some real nice fish in the 28” range when the conditions are right. Overcast, low light, dawn, and dusk are times walleye like to eat. The less light, the shallower they are feeding. Deep diving crankbaits or small spoons fished vertically around suspended bait balls is a good summer pattern. Just before dawn, the 40 foot bottom is the place to be. I haven’t been targeting the spotted bass much with the good walleye bite going on, but if I have leftover bait from my morning trips, I can pull up to almost any secondary point and catch a few spots. Most are in the 2-pound range. There’s also a decent topwater bite right at dawn all over the lake when the schools of little baitfish are up on the surface. Lure selection really doesn’t matter much. Just make a good cast at busting fish and twitch it. If they are still feeding, they will crush it.

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Instructions

Step 1: Combine olive oil, lemon juice, green onions, parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside 1/4 cup of the marinade. Place salmon in a shallow dish and pour the remaining m arinade over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove the salmon and discard the used marinade. Step 2: Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Step 3: Place salmon on the preheated grill skin side down. Cook, basting occasionally with the reserved marinade until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.

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BASS: Fair - During September, expect the shallow bite to slowly improve, especially if we get a lot of rain or a little cooler temps. Shallow water baits such as unweighted trick worms, flukes, Senkos, buzzbaits and Rebel PopR’s usually seem to catch at least some bass in early fall. The trick is to fish these baits in or near cover. It is usually an early or late bite. Another productive pattern is to fish jigs around blown down trees. You are going to lose or break off some jigs, but a kicker fish may be your reward. A few of the largemouth should remain on some of the deeper structure patterns as the water temps creep downward just a little over the next few weeks. Zoom Ol Monster worms, either Texas or Carolina rigged, or a Bomber Fat Free 7 or 8 crankbait in citrus shad, are a couple of the favorite baits for exploring the offshore structures. Old roadbeds, pond dams, channel ledges, etc., especially those with fresh brush piles, will hold some good bass. Most of the tournament-winning sacks continue to come from brush piles. The spotted bass can at least keep the day interesting for you. Carolina rigged finesse worms or a Spot Remover head rigged with a Zoom Speed Craw are good choices for them. Try fishing bridge pilings, blow downs, gravel banks or shoal markers. Look for them to school in packs on small shad at times. Usually when you catch one, there are others in the same area. LINESIDES: Good- Expect the

SEPTEMBER 20TH HARVEST MOON

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topwater fishing to continue to be the best very early and very late or on overcast or rainy days. A popping cork rig has been working well on these schooling 1 to 3-pound fish while surfacing. A 3/8 or 1/2-ounce Rooster Tail, a chrome C.C. Spoon and a number of other small shad imitators will produce when they go down. The flats near the pumping stations, the mouths of most creeks south of the 109 bridge, and the flats around Amity Park have been holding fish. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits and Flash Mob Jr Rigs has also been producing some linesides in these same areas. Downlining with shad or bass shiners should continue to be fairly effective. Freelining a live bait will also work at times. Most of the fish seem to be holding 20 to 30 feet deep when they are not schooling on the surface and are moving around a lot. CRAPPIE: Good - Yellow Jacket, Wolf and Whitewater Creeks are still producing some crappie. Try fishing the smallest minnows you can find or a 1/16-ounce or smaller jig around brush piles and blow downs in 10 to 15 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting docks with small tubes or feather jigs around or under the docks is also a very good technique during the early fall. CATFISH: Good - Try using worms or cut bait fished on the bottom for good catches of channel cats. Bottle fishing is also a fun way to catch a good mess of cats. Channel cats bite well over most of the lake and are way under fished. For big flatheads, try using a big live bream. Most of the best flathead fishing is in the deeper holes north of 219 bridge in the main Chattahoochee River run. Fish the baits on bottom, and be prepared with some heavy gear if you expect to land a big one.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

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GOD BLESS THE USA Contributed By: Jay Striker www.jaystriker.com About a year ago, we all were in the middle of COVID-19. Everyone was locked in the house, only running out to find food and toilet paper and working hard to dodge anyone who sneezed or coughed in our direction. I have never been in a time where we have lost so many American lives to a disease that knows or has no bounds. It appears that everyone wants to be on the right side of the debate. Get vaccinated, don’t get vaccinated, wear a mask, don’t wear a mask, I’m with this party, and you are not. You name it, and there is an opinion. There has never been a time in American history when we have been so divided over health issues such as COVID-19. America has made it through many pandemics before, and we will make it through this one. This year, I have found that we are disconnected physically and more connected electronically. Our kids are being swallowed by the

currents of 5G broadband, making it easier to get swept away from the shoreline of effective physical communication. However, the greatest nation on Earth has found a way to save our kids, regroup our sanity, and head out to the great outdoors. We have told the kids to put down the cell phones, turn off the TV, grab the tents and sleeping bags and start getting out of the house. This last year, fishing license registrations were up 5 million from previous years, and many new families entered the outdoor space. Family and friends actually get the opportunity to reconnect to something that I have loved my entire life. Like you, the outdoors has been my saving grace from the COVID-19 situations that have just ravaged this nation. I want to thank the tournament trails that required anglers to practice social distance and need masks at weight-in. Those precautions were steps in the right direction. Now that many Ameri-

cas are getting vaccinated and understanding the importance of getting fully back to normal is the only way forward. However, lately, America is going in in the wrong direction when it comes to COVID-19. The numbers show that those who are not vaccinated are likely to be exposed to the new variant. I want to encourage all who have not had the vaccination to go and get it. Why? I like seeing things getting back to normal, and I don’t want to go back to being in the house and missing family and opportunities to be with them. I get it; I understand that we all have a right to our bodies and the freedom to not get vaccinated. I have found that COVID doesn’t care about you, me or where we are from or our feelings. If I can share one message, PLEASE GET VACCINATED, protect your family and friends. I know that even if you are vaccinated, you could still be a carrier of this deadly monster, but the effects of not having a vaccine make

it much, much worse. We have been through a lot these past few years. I have enjoyed that we have opened back up. Our businesses are making a comeback, and families can see each other again. America is a leader of nations, and we can all do our part to ensure it stays that way. Again, I want to thank all those who got their vaccinations. I encourage everyone who has not to get vaccinated so our world continues to heal itself. GOD BLESS THE USA.

LAKE EUFAULA By Capt Sam Williams hawk184@earthlink.net 334-687-6266 Water temperature: upper 80’s, lake level: 188.43 msl, clarity: slight stain. The water level is slowly dropping, and all the fish are scattered and seem disinterested in most baits. There is plenty of bait for them to feed on. The bass we are catching are very healthy. Soft plastics worked very slowly in shallow cover are getting hits. Short strikes are very prevalent, so shorter baits are working better. Senko type styles in watermelon candy, greens and June bug colors are the better colors right now. Using a trailer hook rigged weedless is solving some of the short strike misses. Blade baits retrieved slowly near cover and wood are also attracting

attention. The deeper fish are looking at the same soft baits on a Carolina rig. Look for the deeper cover to work these baits. Crappie are scattered on the ledge trash piles and structure in up to 20 feet of water. You will catch a few and then move to another site. Minnows are the bait of choice. Panfish are eating wigglers along the bank lines. This bite is also slow at this time. Catfish are doing a little better on jugs baited with shad and cut bait in the creeks. This is a great time to practice patience. All the species are eating really slowly right now. Be safe on the water during these hot days. The temperature is over 100 degrees most days, so use plenty of sun screen and be sure and stay hydrated. Visit www.alclassic.com and sign up for our newsletter. Our new website is nearing completion. If the PayPal link is not working yet,

Joshua Jones, Kevin Crooms and Derrick Crooks with a few of the nice fish they caught while fishing with Captain Sam Williams. download the application and mail it in with your entry fee. We will have it fully active very soon. If you have questions, please call me.

Pray for each other, go to church and pray for our military, police and their families. God bless and good fishn’.

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ATLANTA 29

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LANIER STRIPERS

LAKE NOTTELY STRIPER By: Shane Goebel Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service & The Angler Magazine Fishing Team www.bigolfish.com 828-361-2021, 1-844-4-ANGLER At last, September is finally here! It’s one of our favorite months for fishing here in the mountains. The temperatures start to cool a bit, and there is way less boat traffic to deal with, not to mention the striper and hybrid bite really picks up, especially here on Lake Nottely. September brings a late summer and early fall feeding frenzy. This means we can absolutely wear them out, and trust me, we do! This is a perfect time to experience some extreme striper fishing, and what’s the best way to do that? By booking a trip with Blairsville, Georgia’s #1 striper guide: Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. We’ve been striper fishing these area lakes longer than anyone! We have what it takes to put you on some sweet trophy stripers. Currently, Lake Nottely is 4 feet below full pool. Water clarity is clear and water temps are in the mid to low 80s. Striper fishing has been extremely excellent for us lately. We’ve been averaging around 20 to 30 stripers per morning out here and on other surrounding lakes. Most of our fish have been in the 8 to 15 pound range. We have also caught some bigger stripers in the 20 to 30

pound range. The early morning and evening bites are your best times to see action. With the cooling water temps, stripers will really start to show up in the mouths of creeks and points off the main lake channel. The majority of our fish have been caught from Point 8 to the dam. Downlining live blueback herring will be your best technique. We’ve had our best bite in the 30 to 80 foot water column. The early morning topwater bite on our ultra-light tackle has picked up a bit too, so keep a Spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag surfacebusting fish. The fish will continue to be schooled up throughout the next month and will remain in deeper water before starting to spread out. Just remember to keep an eye on your electronics and watch for schools of stripers when cruising the lake. September is a great month for catching a lot of schooling stripers on this North Georgia lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of Lake Nottely’s best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Blairsville, Georgia’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Hiwassee (in North Carolina), Chatuge and Lake Blue Ridge. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in The Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

Forecast by: Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com 770-630-2673 After a hot August, it is time for some cooler weather here on the Lanier. The water is clear, the lake is full and the water temperature is still in the low eighties. As long as the weather stays hot, look for the stripers to stay deep on the south end of the lake feeding on herring. Deep this year is not deep as normal. Most of the fish are 30-40 feet deep. We are catching almost no fish past 50 feet. Be sure to release the fish fast as possible to reduce mortality. They are showing signs of stress. If the weather stays hot, stay with the downline. With the right electronics like the Humminbird Solix Series, you can see the fish feeding through the schools of bait and biting your herring on the hook. To catch these fish deep, you need a Carolina type rig using a Capt. Mack Swivel Sinker, a six foot piece of Trilene 100% fluorocarbon leader material and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus straight eye hook. The key rod being the medium light Shakespeare Ugly Stick striper edition paired with a Penn Fathom 15 Linecounter reel. Hook the herring right up between the nostrils and drop them right above the schools of stripers on your electronics. You can many times see the fish come up from the bottom and call the strike before it happens.

Rely on your electronics for success right now. If you do not see fish on your unit, do not stop the boat to fish. If you do not want to use live bait, lead core is also still catching some fairly big fish. Lead core is a weighted line you pull behind the boat. It is color coded to help you dictate your depth. On the end of the lead core line, tie a thirty to fifty foot piece of 20 pound Trilene 100% fluorocarbon tipped with a Spro Prime white bucktail, a white Berkley Fusion bucktail, or a Capt. Mack white chipmunk jig. You need a wide selection of these bucktails from 1 to 2 ounces. Some days they will key in on a particular jig or color. Tip the bucktail with a 4” chartreuse Capt. Mack Shad Body as a starting point. Every bait store around the lake has these bucktails and Shad Bodies. Some days a certain color will outperform other colors due to numerous factors like cloud cover. In late September the weather will begin to cool off. Be sure to have several topwater rods loaded with topwater baits and swimbaits for any early topwater. Baits like a Berkley Canewalker and Berkley J-Walker and the Sebile Magic Swimmer are essentials. We really expect the topwater to take off early this year. They are already coming to the surface at random times in August. A great casting reel like the Abu Garcia Revo makes the difference. Be ready for the fun.

If the weather stays hot, stay with the downline. With the right electronics like the Humminbird Solix Series, you can see the fish feeding through the schools of bait and biting your herring on the hook.

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CHATUGE HYBRIDS AND SPOTTED BASS By: Darren Hughes Owner: Hughes General Store & Bait Shop The Angler Magazine Fishing Team & Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service www.bigolfish.com 828-361-2021

If you’re looking for that late summer fishing trip, then look no further. Lake Chatuge is one of the best fishing destinations for hard fighting hybrids and huge spotted bass. This beautiful mountain lake is located in the North Georgia Mountains and is only about 2 hours north of Atlanta. September is historically a great month for hybrid fishing on Lake Chatuge, and it’s looking like this year is going to be even better! If you’re looking for an action-packed morning of fishing, give us a call. We are Lake Chatuge’s #1 guide service for loads of trophy hybrids and spotted bass. Currently, Lake Chatuge is 3 feet below full pool. Water temps are in the low 80s, and water clarity is clear throughout the lake. Hybrid fishing is wicked good! The fish are still schooling in large numbers, and we are catching some big quantities. Our average trips are consisting of 20 to 30 fish in just a few hours. Most of our hybrids are averaging 5-10 pounds. The early morning and mid-afternoon bite has been prime. Look for schools of fish along the main channel and off points. Downlining live blueback herring

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has been the best technique. Search out your areas and watch your electronics. When you mark fish, drop your lines. Fish will be slightly shallower in the early morning hours and will move to deeper water by mid-morning. The topwater bite has slowed down considerably, but you can still find a few busting. When these fish start busting on bait, it’s always a good idea to have a topwater plug at the ready. The spotted bass bite is also off the hook! Using the same techniques we do for catching those schooling hybrids, we’ve been killing it with the bass. We’ve been catching at least 20 or so spots every morning. These aren’t small spots either. Just this morning we had several fish 5 to 7 pounds and probably averaged 3 to 4 pounds. Those are huge spotted bass! September is a fantastic month for catching a lot of trophy hybrids and spots on this North Georgia lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of Lake Chatuge’s best trophy hybrids during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Blairsville, Georgia’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Hiwassee, Nottely and Lake Blue Ridge. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in The Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

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ATLANTA 31

Wall of Fame

WIN A FREE ANGLER MAGAZINE CAP! One will be given away each month for the best reader submitted photo!

WINNER!

This happy face says it all as nine-yearold Thomas Perryman shows off his Lake Chatuge striper.

20-year-old Chris Boggus caught this nice striper recently on Lake Lanier.

. Joshua Jones from Tyrone,GA with his first bass ever caught while fishing Lake Eufaula with Capt Sam Williams.

Amie Pollard caught this big crappie fishing on Lake Eufaula.

With a little advice from his friends at Unicoi Outfitters, Paulding County’s Rodney Tumlin has already landed five species on his quest for a third consecutive Georgia Bass Slam on the fly.

. Capt. Billy Darby from Ft. Gaines, GA with a pair of 8 pounders caught fishing Lake Eufaula. Rick Neet enjoyed a wonderful day with friends catching stripers on Lake Lanier.

Laney Adams and Allie Lewis with a big mess of crappie from Lake Eufaula.

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“A

iyeeeeee, yeeee, yeeee, yeee!” The shout sounded Cajun, or perhaps like the intro to a mariachi tune. Either way, it amplified the chaos on deck. Three rods were bent. Two anglers scrambled to uncross lines screaming off reels. A third angler dove to wrap an arm around the 10-year-old who held a death grip on rod number three. It was a tossup as to whether the kid would lose the rod or be yanked overboard into a very active chum slick. The whole scene unraveled when a 10-foot tiger shark rose to the surface. It smashed the boy’s cobia straight through the surface, blowing up close enough to drench us, maybe 15 feet off the stern. There was stunned silence, then... “Ayeeee, yeeee, yeeee, yeeee!” our captain hollered. “I love chaos!” Man, what a trip. It was a lot more than my two brothers and I expected upon reconnecting with a childhood friend in Bluffton, South Carolina. Our captain, Keene Reese, is a successful real estate agent with Ussery Group, Charter One Realty in the Lowcountry. He is also a very fishy dude. In mid-June, he invited us—along with my 10-year-old son— on a 20-mile ride offshore, where cobia were thick on a well-known wreck. With a beautiful chum slick snaking off the stern of Reese’s 25’ Regulator “Copacetic,” it didn’t take 10 minutes for “brownies” to start showing on the surface. There was no need for down-lines that day. All the action was on top, visible and simple. Pitch a live menhaden on a freeline, and a cobia would take it before you reached the rod holder. Over the course of a few hours, we boated well over a dozen cobia,

although the action came in such crazy spurts that no one could keep count. The thing is, we only landed four fish longer than the 36-inch minimum. That’s good news, according to Mel Bell, the director of Fisheries Management with South Carolina DNR. For decades, South Carolina was famous for its inshore cobia runs. May is the peak of a spawning run that once saw scads of cobia pushing into Port Royal Sound, Calibogue Sound, St. Helena Sound and the Broad River. Bell said boats lined up to target big eggbearing females before they could reproduce. The fishery collapsed. “We were in a bad place in 2016,” Bell said. “The numbers were scary. Even the anglers were telling us we had to do something.” While overall Atlantic cobia stocks are in good shape, according to the latest assessment, Bell said sound-spawners in South Carolina are a distinct “sub-population.” The Southern Cobia Management Zone was formed in 2016 to protect these inshore-spawning fish. The zone stretches from Jeremy Inlet on Edisto Island, S.C. south to the Georgia border. It extends three miles offshore, and within this zone there is a one fish per person, three per boat daily limit—except in May, when cobia harvest is closed. The limit in federal waters is one per person, six per boat. The minimum length is 36 inches, which brings us back to all the short fish. Bell said South Carolina DNR isn’t ready to release hard data. However, he’s heard fishermen reporting lots of smaller fish, which are likely the age classes protected since 2016. If anecdotes translate into survey data, it would mean the restrictions are working. Bell said next year might be time to take a close look and see just how well cobia are returning to the sounds. PHOTO BY GILBERT CARTER

By Nick Carter

For more information, go to www.dnr.sc.gov.

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BIG CATS

f you like the feel of really big fish on the end of a line, catfish are a good option. There are several different types, but trophy hunters set their sights on blue and flathead catfish. Both species grow large and can weigh in excess of 100 pounds. For bait, catfish have been caught on just about everything you can think of. But generally, big flatheads are predators and like whole, live, hand-sized bream. Blues like large cut bait like bream, skipjack or carp. Once you’ve got your bait, here are some ideas for how to fish it. Fish a Fan: My favorite technique is to anchor up in a good spot near rocky bottom or structure such as a ledge, river channel or creek bed. I have 14 Driftmaster 255 H Pro Duo rod holders, which I use to put out a fan of baits on Penn Fathom reels and medium to heavy rods. These are spooled with 80-pound PowerPro braid. The terminal end is a weight slide on the main line then a swivel and a 3- to 5-foot leader, with a Gamakatsu 8/0 circle hook on the end. These are the rigs I use to fish Cabela’s King Kat tournaments. They are heavy duty because you never know when a 100-pound monster will show up. Back-Trolling: On big rivers, back-trolling can be very effective. Use your trolling motor in reverse to slow

the boat’s drift in the current and present baits to catfish holding on the bottom. Bottom bouncing is Bill Dance’s preferred method on the Mississippi River. It’s also very popular on the Tennessee River. It allows you to keep your bait about a foot off the bottom and bounce it to fish facing upstream. Tie a three-way swivel to a mainline of 40- to 80-lb. braid. On the bottom eye of the swivel, tie in 12 inches of 20-lb. mono drop line and attach a bank sinker. The drop line should be lighter than your main line so you can save the rest of the rig when your sinker gets caught. On the third eye, use a 2- to 3-foot piece of the same line as your main line and attach a 6/0 to 12/0 circle hook, depending on the size of your bait. Drift Fishing: Drift fishing is very popular on big lakes like Santee Cooper in South Carolina. On windy days, set all your rods on one side of the boat with weights that will slide along the bottom. Pencil, Lindy and slinky sinkers all work well for this. If the wind pushes the boat too fast, deploy driftsocks to slow the boat. If you don’t have driftsocks, 5-gallon buckets work in a pinch. Gary Turner is a long-time contributor to The Angler and Coastal Angler Magazine. Contact him at gary@purgeright.com.

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About the Patriot Series The Patriot series is the perfect shallow coastal saltwater anchoring solution for center consoles and sportfishing boats. With three sizes, the Patriot spools rope capacities from 1/2” nylon down to 1/4” dyneema. Completely 316 stainless steel components make the Patriot the ultimate saltwater anchoring solution. Engineered to evenly spool anchor rope, these units deploy and retrieve at an average 100-feet-per-minute. Call 1.800.800.1640 or visit ezanchorpuller.com for more information.

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