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FOLLOW THE BAIT FOR NEARSHORE WAHOO

Tim Barefoot

his is the time of year when water temperatures allow pelagics like wahoo, dolphin and tuna to show up right on the beach… so to speak. I live in North Carolina, and every year there are stud wahoo caught “right on the beach.” Here “right on the beach” is the 20to 25-mile area off the beach. For some folks in Florida, “right on the beach” might be that first sea buoy right out of the inlet. In late summer, we have a monolithic water temperature from the Gulf Stream to the beach in the mid 80s. That allows wahoo to follow huge schools of bait wherever they go. This is what we call the beginning of the end… the end of summer. The cigar minnows and sardines come nearshore, and the wahoo follow them as far in as they are comfortable with the water depth, which is usually not much less than 75 or 80 feet. They will eat whatever they want, including live menhaden or cigs pulled around by king mackerel fishermen. We call it the beginning to the end of summer, but it’s also the beginning of a wonderful time of year for me… fall and winter. The cigs and sardines come in. The pelagics follow them for a month or so

until the water starts to cool in mid September. Then the magic happens. When cooling water runs off the wahoo, the gags show up in numbers. It’s all a very beautiful dance. Let’s enjoy every step along the way. I keep talking about the nearshore activity of the cigs and sardines, but the offshore schools are also getting bigger now, and this draws the attention of everything from pelagics to bottom fish. All the grouper and big snappers shadow these schools wherever they go. This is why it’s so important to “find the bait.” Cigs and sardines are not the only thing I’m looking for offshore. I like to find a big stack of beeliners. Wherever you find a big stack of beeliners, you can bet your bottom dollar there are grouper and big snapper directly under them and wahoo and kings around them. August is also a month to consider spending the night offshore. Yes, there are late afternoon thunderstorms that pop up, but overall weather patterns are consistent, and you can fish for days, back to back. Leave in the early afternoon, get where you are going and get acclimated to the setting sun. Anchor up on a pretty piece of bottom and bait, and turn on the lights. This is a “National Geographic moment.” The minnows and squid come to the light, so you can easily load up the livewell before the daylight bite starts. I will close with this: We lost a fishing pioneer and legend last month with Mark Sosin’s passing. Our thoughts, prayers and celebrations go out to his family. See more from Tim Barefoot at barefootcatsandtackle.com.

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LIVE BAIT AND ARTIFICIAL TACTICS FOR

upiter, Fla. is a worldrenowned fishery. In the summertime it’s known for hot inshore snook. Offshore produces an epic sailfish, kingfish, tuna and pelagic bite. There are always fish willing to eat. One of my favorite bites is for springtime blackfin tuna. From March through May, jumbo blackfins migrate down the east coast of Florida. It is not uncommon to catch them anywhere from 20 to 35 pounds. From their deliciousness on the table to their long powerful runs, blackfin tuna are one of my favorite offshore fish to target. They are sure to send you to the tackle shop to get your reels serviced after a productive day of fishing. Blackfin tuna are excellent hunters. Often, they work together to ambush schools of baitfish. They are equipped with massive eyeballs, which are designed for pitch black and low-light conditions. They spend a majority of their time down deep feeding on squid. However, at dawn and dusk, the tunas move higher in the water column to feed near the surface. Be on the lookout for frigates and disturbance on the water’s surface. It’s not uncommon to see them exploding and flying out of the water on a bait ball. I keep an easily accessible casting rod, with a plug or weighted feather jig tied on, for this scenario or in case a school of mahi shows up. Blackfin tuna will often hold to areas with bottom topography like humps, reefs and wrecks. You can find success drifting over areas like these with live bait. Live sardines, pilchards, threadfins and gogs will all work. I prefer live sardines. For me, they have been the most productive bait.

Chumming is important to bring blackfins higher in the water column. Chunk up pilchards and throw a few pieces out at the bow, mid and stern every couple of minutes. The best chum is live chum. Small- to medium-sized pilchards are your best bet. I throat-hook a sardine and send it out on a free line. The bait will swim down on its own, and you should keep some tension on it. I also drop a live bait on a down rod and wait for the bite as I drift along. Blackfins’ excellent eyesight means they can be leader shy, so I often run a 40- to 50-pound fluorocarbon leader, but will go as light as 30 pounds. A triplehook rig for freelining or a single 4/0 or 5/0 circle hook depending By Ryan Izquierdo on the size of the bait is my hook preference. You can also catch them kite fishing, trolling feathers/spoons, with ballyhoo rigs, cedar plugs, planer fishing, vertical jigging and slow-pitch. Second to live bait, slow-pitch jigging is a fun and effective way to catch tunas when the hot mid-day sun pushes them down deep. My go to jig is a Jyg Pro 240 Gram strike jig. I like to jig anywhere from 200 to 350 feet. Send it down to the bottom over active areas and work your rod up high and let the jig flutter back down. You can change the pace and tempo of your jigging until you find what works. Don’t be surprised to get hit as you are burning the jig back to the surface. I hope these tuna tips bring you success and dinner to share with your close friends and family. Keep on fishing! Check out Ryan Izquierdo’s adventures on his YouTube channel: Ryan Iz Fishing.

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FREEDIVER SPEARS WORLD RECORD CUBERA SNAPPER A massive 137-pound Atlantic cubera snapper speared by a Texas freediver in early June was heavier than the existing IGFA all-tackle world record as well as the Texas state record. It will not, however, qualify for either record because of the method used to catch it. Who cares? The diver, Braden Sherron, a student at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, can rest assured that his monster cubera is one of the largest of its species ever caught by any method. It will likely be the new International Underwater Spearfishing Association’s world record. If approved, it will replace a 122.4-pound fish shot in 2006 off the coast of Brazil. According to a Field & Stream story on the catch, Sherron first encountered the giant snapper while freediving a Gulf of Mexico oil rig about 60 miles out of Port Aransas, Texas. He did not take his shot at the time because he was not equipped to handle such a large fish. A week later, on June 3, he returned to the rig with heavier gear, dove to about 55 feet and put a dart into the fish. Luckily, the cubera wrapped the trailing line up in the oil rig, which kept the fish from diving. While the fish fought itself, Sherron returned to the surface to wait 10 minutes before diving down to secure

By CAM Staff

his prize with two more shots. When Sherron brought his fish back to the scales at Fisherman’s Wharf in Port Aransas, it began making the rounds on social media almost immediately. It truly is an enormous fish, which outweighs the existing IGFA record—a 2007 Louisiana fish that weighed 124 pounds, 12 ounces—by more than 10 pounds. Sherron’s fish also outweighs the Texas state rod-and-reel record of 131 pounds. The only larger cubera snapper research was able to turn up was a 151-pound monster that’s listed as an “other methods” catch by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. That fish, caught by handline out of Port Mansfiled in 1984, weighed 151 pounds. The thing is, none of these other anglers were holding their breath when they caught their fish. Sherron’s catch is absolutely one for the record books. “I would equate it to shooting a 200-plusinch whitetail deer on public land,” he told Field & Stream. “It’s one of those things that happens once in a lifetime, and you can’t believe it when it does.” Check out video of Braden Sherron’s spearfishing on his Youtube channel: https://bit.ly/3yKm8EP

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING THE CASTING CORNER

SUMMER SIMPLE Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse

Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer

Is your casting on track? There are lots of terms to define each portion of a fly cast. Getting to know the terms will help in the learning/ discovery portion of practicing and fishing. The term tracking is the path your rod tip travels in the casting stroke. A straight line away from the target and back to the target is true tracking. Your normal fishing cast will not look like that. If you want to get better distance or accuracy, tracking is the straight path to go down. When casting with another instructor, we were working on good loops and distance. We did a video to try and capture the casting error that was showing up in my distance delivery cast. The slow-motion video had all the mechanics going well until the delivery cast. I could see the line swipe to the side and the loops were not parallel

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on all planes. Frustrated with this tendency to do that, I went frame by frame and found that my hand would tend to wrist over to the side right at the end, like a baseball player throwing a slider. That little bit of cut at the end would make the rod slice to the side a few inches, and the line would follow that slice. It showed up in the air as the line was going out and then when the line hit the ground. There was a wave to the side in the layout, it wasn’t a straight line to the target. If you are reading this article, you may be a bit of a casting geek. I applaud you; casting can be as much fun as catching fish. Casting talent will improve your fishing when you are getting the line to do what you want. If you choose to check your tracking, it helps to have a tape measure or rope to give you a true line to follow. It

helps to have another set of eyes on the casts too. If you practice by yourself, make a forward cast on the straight line, then on the back cast stop, and let it fall. Did it fall on the tape measure behind you? Make a few false casts and lay it out in front, is it straight? That type of practice is what I will be working on. The summer temperatures are hard to fish in, so maybe 15 minutes of casting can satisfy the flycasting fix. At least you will be on the right track.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING AUGUST FLY FISHING REPORT Contributed By: Henry Cowen www.henrycowenflyfishing.com As I sit at my computer and type out next month’s fishing report, I have to look at what I am seeing today as a preclude for what August might bring. Right now, July for the most part has been an off month for top water bass fishing on nearly all the lakes in GA compared with last year! Whether on fly or light tackle, Lanier can still produce both quality and quantity on topwater flies and lures. But the bight has certainly not been what it was like over the past two years. The pattern remains nearly the same but the numbers of fish being called up to the top remains a struggle. We can get them to eat a fly or lure when they are busting the surface and a skilled angler can toss their bait into the melee. So where does that leave us for August (3 weeks from now)? August is usually an extremely hot month here in No GA. So, we might hope for a normal August on the pond as well as the rivers around Atlanta. While the temperature around Atlanta is HOT the fishing might be heating up too. As stated earlier, topwater spotted bass fishing was very good this year and it looks like it might continue through August. June had the spots eating off the surface and in July it continued to stay strong. While some of the big fish have gone deep for the summer, the smaller 1-3lb fish can still be caught on humps and points using poppers on floating lines. Largemouth and even a few stripers could still be in the mix. It’s a great way to have some fun fishing during the hottest days of the year. During both the new and full moon periods of August, the dead-sea (Lake Allatoona or Chatuge) may be THE HOTTEST lake to catch hybrids, white bass and spotted bass on the surface. Never a guarantee but when the hybrid top water bite is on you need to just take a day off from work and head on over to either for some spectacular surface feeding. This is usually easy pickings as the fish will blow up all over the lake both early in the morning and again late in the afternoon. If you can find an overcast day coupled with the new or full moon phase, you are going to have the makings for one of the most 2 ATLANTA

AUGUST 2022

memorable days of your fishing year. While this bite typically was a June and even July occurrence over the past 10 years, August can sometimes be the most consistent for this event. Fish will be feeding on small 1-1 ½” young of the year threadfin shad. All you need is to toss an intermediate (slow sinking) line and you will be in the game! A floating line will work okay as a second choice, but the slow sinking line is positively your best bet. Look anywhere in the area around the dam. This is usually where the ground zero hybrid bite can be found. If not, then just ride towards Kellogg Creek and look both left and right as you are running up the lake. Stamp Creek is another area worth looking at for surface feeding fish. Flies of choice continue to be small shad type patterns. Try any one of the following for success: Albie anchovy, a small Clouser minnow, somethin’ else, small deceivers and wiggle minnows. Try using a 6 or 7 weight rod with 8 to 10 lb test and you are sure to have a ball. For conventional anglers, try tossing any of the previously mentioned flies (except a wiggle minnow) behind either a casting bubble or popping cork rig. A light tackle outfit with 8lb test will have you matched perfectly for this fishery. Just keep in mind that Allatoona did not produce this epic top water bite the last few years while Chatuge did...what happens this year is anyone’s guess. August is also a great time to be hitting the Hooch for some last lick striped bass below Morgan Falls Dam as well as the Etowah River. Last year and this year, July is typically a great month for this fishery but for some reason the fishery has just been fair at best. Maybe it will pick up in August. A lot has to do with the release schedule by the Corp of Engineers. The rivers water temperature should be at its warmest for the entire year during the month of August and anglers can toss weighted baitfish patterns on intermediate (slow sinking) lines along the banks and in the deeper holes of the river to find the stripers that are summering over in the city limits. If trying the Hooch, the best areas to fish will be well below

Morgan Falls Dam. Start at Sope Creek and work towards Cochran Shoals. From Whitewater to Paces Mill is another good area to look. Another hot area will be below Paces Mill and down toward Peachtree Creek. Once again fishing both early and late in the day (low light) seems to produce the best results. The key is to try and fish falling water levels. For conventional anglers, try tossing ¼ to 3/8 oz. bucktails, weightless flukes or some 4-5” rebels, bombers and any swim bait. For top water try throwing a 7” Redfin early or late in the day. As we move toward the end of this month the fishing will slow down as the fish move further south toward West Point Lake. If you happen to get there while the river is dropping water your odds of finding feeding fish are even better. So far July produced MANY 20ld plus size fish on both flies and lures. Or make a trip up toward Helen and ask the folks at Unicoi Outfitters to take you wading for stripers on their part of the Hooch. As of this writing their section of the Hooch has a lot of fish swimming around their property. Finally, carp fishing is still going strong, but the fish are getting pressured from all the paddlers using the river over the past 4 weeks. The fish can still be caught on fly with a

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little more patience being the key ingredient. Carp are a tough and finicky type fish to get to eat the fly to begin with. Add the pressure of a month of anglers tossing flies to them as well as kayaker and paddle boarders invading their flats and you can see why they are a bit skittish. The Bull Sluice section is still my favorite carp fishing location as well as the Savannah below Lake Hartwell getting a second nod. Crayfish and nymphs will still be your best fly patterns to toss at carp. A 6-8 wt outfit and floating line along with 10 lb tippet is all that is required. Remember you need to tiptoe around these guys as they are SUPER SPOOKY come August. The past 2 weeks have been tough to get river conditions right for these shallow water beasts BUT when we have gotten out the fishing has been really good! Get out there and give some of No GA hot summer fishing a try. Come next month we will discuss preparing for the fall striper run on the surface up on Lanier again. This will all start to happen hopefully by September or early October at the latest. Last year the fish fired up in early September so maybe it will happen early again! See you on the pond… www.henrycowenflyfishing. com.

• •

he key h and the fly ure of flies to paddle nd you kittish. ill my as well artwell sh and est fly 6-8 wt g with quired. tiptoe SUPER past 2 t river hallow e have n really some g a try. discuss run on n. This pefully ber at red up it will on the fishing.

LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING SUMMER FISHING OPPORTUNITIES Contributed by David Hulsey International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor http://www.hulseyflyfishing.com 770-639-4001

The dog days of summer are sometimes best spent to avoid the heat of the day. Early morning or nighttime outings make the most sense when the sun is below the horizon. Trout fishing in the mountains of the Southern Appalachians is pretty much limited to the tail waters below hydro- electric dams and the extreme high country. Even then an angler should check the water temperature with a thermometer looking for that magic 67 degrees or colder reading to avoid killing every trout you hook. August is a good time to explore some possibilities for fishing for bass and bluegill or other warm water species. The lowly common carp is a good target too! Carp cruising across the mudflats of your local lake is about as close to fishing for bonefish in fresh water as you can

get. The great Lefty Kreh once said “fly fishing for carp is like fishing for bonefish only harder”. Carp are very smart and difficult to catch most times. A careful approach is necessary along with an accurate cast that doesn’t scare the fish into the next county. Carp eat a lot of different organisms including crayfish, minnows, nymphs and the occasion dough ball. When bass fishing, I keep a rod rigged and ready for the carp that shows up unexpectedly, the golden ghost is a magician and can put the strongest drag to a test! A seven or eight weight rod paired with a reel with a smooth disc drag is required and expect to see your backing peel off if it’s a nice one! An Olive Rubber Legged Dragon is one of my favorite flies for carp. With its bead chain eyes it sinks but slowly and rides hook up to prevent

as many hang ups on the bottom. Dragon Fly or damsel fly nymphs are normally abundant in shallow areas of lakes in summer and that’s a great thing for the carp and the angler. Seeing the fish, is aided by a good pair of amber polarized glasses and getting the sun at your back, if possible. You can wade if careful or use a boat or kayak to get close enough for a shot, either way the first fish’s blazing run will have you hooked. Summer may slow down our cold water loving trout but the carp are very well equipped

to handle the hot water in style. Try a shot or two at the golden ghost and give the trout a break this summer.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING SUMMER VACATIONERS By Jeff Durniak, Unicoi Outfitters

The dog days of summer are unkind to southern Appalachian trout. The only happy and hungry ones are on the mountaintops or below really big dams that hold back enough winter water to get salmonids through summer. Most local flyrodders give our cold water quarry a break, switching our sights to cool- and warmwater species like bass, bream, gar, and carp. But there is one species that gets us as hot and bothered as Georgia’s summer heat. It’s our summer vacationer, the striped bass. Stripers over 10 pounds require water temperatures below 80 degrees to survive. As summer arrives and reservoirs warm, big stripers head toward their thermal refuges. Many will head downstream and dive real deep for the cold, oxygenated winter water stored just above the dam. But a second school of fish head upstream to vacation in cooler river waters at higher elevations. Popular vacation destinations for those Georgia travelers are the Etowah, Savannah, Tugalo, Chestatee, and Chattahoochee rivers. These river fish give kayak and wading anglers a great shot at a trophy. How do you visit with these vacationers? Well, we’ll tell you. First, rig right. Leave your trout rod at home and break out your striper or redfish outfit. A stout 8-weight rod, an intermediate (slow sink) fly line, a short, straight 20-pound test leader, and a dozen meaty streamers (on stout hooks) will get you in the game. Good patterns are 4 to 8- inch Game Changers, bunny leeches, magnum woolly buggers, and sometimes the largest rubber leg stonefly that you can find. The best colors are rainbow trout, all white, olive over white, and black. Be sure to sharpen those hooks before you tie on that fly! Like resident bass, river stripers are nervous when the sun is high, so aim for dawn, dusk, after dark, and on stormy days. If you’re lucky, a summer shower will color4 ATLANTA

AUGUST 2022

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up the water before your visit and make those tourists much more comfortable - and hungry! Toss your streamers into the deeper, shaded water on the outside bends of deep pools. Also stop below the biggest shoals, cast up into the whitewater, and strip that rabbit strip fast as it falls into the head of the pool. You’ll strike out with a trout strike, so when that fly stops, be ready to strip-strike, several times, to drive that hook into those big, bony lips. Then hold on as the freight train leaves the station! We hope you’re not stepping on that loose fly line at your feet… Our Unicoi Outfitters gang is lucky (unlucky?) enough to host some trout terrorizers in Helen each summer. After a dose of YooHoo from a summer storm, you’ll find one of us chucking an 8-weight at those submarines, and buckling up for our train ride downstream! Stop in or give our Helen shop a call (706-878-3083) if you’d like to learn more about your own visits with these summer vacationers.

• • • • • •

LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING UTILIZING TROUT TACTICS FOR SUMMER RIVER BASS By Jacob Milholland, Store Manager Cohutta Fishing Company (706) 946-3044 Trout aren’t the first thing that come to mind when thinking about August, but there is still ample fly-fishing opportunity in North Georgia for river bass. When water gets low, clear, and hot, we can take some notes out of the trout playbook to target bass! While baitfish are the predominant forage in many rivers, don’t be afraid to utilize “critter” flies when the fishing gets tough. One of my favorite ways to fish shoals and mild current for bass is with a crawfish imitation like Galloup’s Nancy P or Whitlock’s Near Nuff Crayfish. While both flies can be fished on a floating line and split shot, I like to drag the Nancy Ps through a shoal with a sinking or intermediate line if there is substantial current. With the Near Nuff Crayfish, I like to dead drift these flies through

runs either under a popper, utilizing a “Popper-Dropper” style rig like you might for trout with a foam hopper imitation, or I will high stick the fly through fast runs. These techniques can also be done with hellgrammite imitations or larger wooly buggers (especially rubber-legged buggers). Utilize 5-7 weights for these techniques, and don’t be afraid to downsize your line if your water is clear. I typically start with 12lb fluorocarbon and will downsize as light as 8lb if needed. Popper fishing comes to mind first and foremost when talking about summertime bass fishing – we love targeting bass in big reciprocating eddies, around laydowns, and in shade lines this time of year with a big size 4 boogle bug. I will downsize to a large terrestrial pattern like a

Fat Albert or Cherynobyl Ant for a more subtle presentation on occasion. “Trout” tactics come in to play this time of year in the sense that a long, dead drift can be preferred by these fish – I’ll do as much as a ten count between pops or twitches to give these fish time to come to the fly and eat it. When I’m fishing poppers, I like to fish a short, 7 ½ to 8-foot leaders with a stiffer butt-section like the Scientific Anglers Bass Leader in 8-12lb sizes. I will also keep spools of nylon from 1X-3X to make adjustments as well as add length to my leader, especially in low and clear water, just like you might for trout. Slow down! It’s very easy to get in

a rhythm and keep fishing the same way when things aren’t working, but often when things get tough, I’ll take a water break and check my knots. This gives me time to reset before I start fishing again. I already mentioned a water break, but I can’t reiterate how important it is to stay hydrated this time of year! Cohutta Fishing Company is in the heart of downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia. We carry a large assortment of guide-tested fly-fishing equipment and proven fly patterns, as well as have a knowledgeable and friendly staff. Come by and see us! 490 East Main Street Blue Ridge, GA 30513. (706) 946-3044

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DOG DAYS/LAKE OCONEE AUGUST FORECAST

Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore USCG www.oconeeonthefly.com According to the old Farmers’ Almanac, the Dog Days are, “... the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11, coinciding with the heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius.” Looking back at pictures of my guide trips in August I noticed that I take vacation in August, and for good reason. It’s hot here on Oconee! I’ll outline some strategies for success in August, but first it’s important to understand that patterns change every year. The biggest factors are water temperature and the generation/ pump back schedule. August forecast - Hybrids / Stripers Many times, in August there is the brief topwater bite at first light. Georgia Power pumps water up from Lake Sinclair at night to replenish the lake level from releasing water to generate in the afternoon/evening. If they continue the pumping through first light (or be-

yond), the baitfish are active in the current. Throwing a popping cork and a white Betts Pop N’ Stripe Popper is a wonderful way to target the rising fish. I use a spinning reel with 12lb test to the cork and an 18-to-24inch length of 10lb fluorocarbon from the cork to the popper. Also, throwing a white Sassy Shad on a ¼-ounce D.O.A.® ShortShank Jig head in chartreuse will work because the fish are often feeding just below the surface. You can get these and anything else you need to fish Oconee at Sugar Creek Marina. Finally, the old reliable 7/8-oz War Eagle jigging spoon in white with a bit of red on the front is great. The advantage to the spoon in targeting rising fish is you can cast it a long way and avoid spooking the fish. Fish either at the mouth of Lick Creek or near the dam. Getting on them at first light is critical. Sunrise is around 6:30 AM.

LAKE OCONEE As I mentioned above, when Georgia Power pumps water up from Lake Sinclair and leaves the pumps on through first light there is often a topwater bite. We expect this some days this time of year because of power demand but there is no set schedule. There is a fly-fishing version of the popping cork rig: Captain Dubiel’s Pop-N-Fly. It’s a foam cork that’s tied to the leader, then an18-inch to 20-inch length of 10lb fluorocarbon goes to your fly. The fly can be a wiggle minnow, a Cowen’s “Somethin Else.” I often use the Betts Pop N’ Stripe Popper in white. Crappie Fishing minnows straight down over submerged timber works great in August. Most guides do this early in the morning for the better bite and to avoid the recreational 6 ATLANTA

AUGUST 2022

boaters that are out in full force by 10AM. This method requires a lot of skill. First you must locate the brush pile and then fish directly over it. Using an 11-foot rod allows you to put your bait over the timber or tree without spooking the fish. Please use proper fishing etiquette and don’t try to fish where another boat is already on a good spot. There are plenty out there and you can find them with good electronics. Please call 404-317-9556 or e-mail me at wmoore1700@ outlook.com and lock in your dates well ahead of time to ensure you get the dates you want. I am already booking trips for this fall as the bite was strong last year October through December. Tight Lines, and God Bless.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING CHATTOOGA RIVER

As we roll through the “Dog Days of Summer” the rivers here around us have warmed up considerably. At times, we have stopped fishing for trout, as catching them in the heat and the warmer water temperatures, leads to mortality. One saving grace, is that our water levels have been good, with thunderstorms dumping much needed rains into the watersheds. The outlook is for continued summertime conditions, with thunderstorms keeping water levels and temperatures about the same as they are now. Any type of small drought, will lead to much lower levels and much higher water temperatures than most shallow dwelling trout can survive. Higher elevation head waters, creeks, and streams will definitely be everyone’s best bet for later summertime fishing for trout. The rivers are loaded with a large number of small nymphs. While fishing, take a minute to turn some rocks over to find these and do not hesitate to tie on a nymph resembling these, trailing behind a larger stonefly. Tying these smaller nymphs on behind a larger stonefly nymph pattern will allow the flies to get deeper in the water column, where the fish are holding. Don’t

hesitate to pinch a small piece of split shot on your line to get deeper, if you are not catching anything. Terrestrials have also been productive, using small beetles, ants, hopper, and small cricket patterns. Casting these towards the over-hanging foliage, and a dead-drift & twitch method will produce for you. These patterns will continue to work throughout the remainder of the summer. If the trout are being a little tough to catch, a great day on the rivers is the bass and panfish. Lower sections of the river are fishing good now. Top water and streamers seem to be the big hit now for a successful day. Wet wading is an enjoyable day to beat the heat of summer. A small pack, plenty of fluids (to keep hydrated), a small fly box, a good pair of polarized sun glasses, exploring waters you might not normally fish, what a way to spend a summer day, and did we mention, catching fish on a fly rod. While out on your day of fishing, expect afternoon thunderstorms, and the river level to raise slightly. Although it may not be raining where you are fishing, the river level may start to rise as rain may come over the river upstream, so keep an eye on the water level around you. Let’s all remember to Leave No Trace, and let’s all take out of the woods a little more than we walked in with for a better place for all of us tomorrow.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

CARTERS LAKE

LAKE HARTWELL by Preston Harden Water level- full pool water temp.- 87 degrees water clarityclear. July fishing for hybrids and stripers has been very good with large schools feeding good in the early mornings. As we go into August. I will limit my search to the lower lake in deep water. The time of day is not as important as it was earlier in the year. Sometimes the afternoon bite is better. The water usually is released from the dam in the afternoons. This water movement gets fish more active. Live herring work great. Power reeling with a big spoon or a big swim bait, catch plenty of fish and reeling a big artificial lure thru the school will trigger a reaction strike. Hope-

fully we won’t get the huge rains of the last few years. I will be looking for the larger fish deeper than 80 feet. The bass will also move deeper, so I will look for them around 20 to 30 feet deep. Brush piles on humps or long points can hold big schools of spots as the summer progresses. They group together like hybrids and stripers. The schools get larger as the summer progresses. Trust your electronics to show you the deep fish.

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

lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

Temp 86. Level full , Clarity 2 ft Start early and beat the heat or fish at night is my best advice. Regardless of what species you’re after starting early, fishing late, or fishing at night is going to improve your catch rate drastically. The stripers and walleye have moved deep and will probably remain there until turnover later in the fall. Fresh live bait is your best bet right now. Catching it under the hydroglow lights is a breeze most days. Light leaders in small hooks will also help increase the number of hookups. Look for fish to keep cruising near deep offshore structure where there are lots of bait fish present. The area by the beach and the marina have been holding lots of bait fish. The mouth of Worley Creek and camp Branch have also been hot areas. We have been seeing a lot of spots busting top water early in the morning but it’s

short-lived after that. They seem to be 25 to 35 ft deep suspended off the points in sharp drop offs on the main lake. With all the rain we had at the end of the month, there’s not much going on in the river at this time. Hopefully it will clear up soon.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST IT IS ALL MENTAL; WIN THE GAME IN YOUR MIND FIRST. Contributed By: Jay Striker www.jaystriker.com Bass fishing is a sport that can have your mind racing in many directions, especially when you are competing against some of the best “sticks” in the game. Recently, I was fishing a tournament on Lake Sinclair, located in Georgia, and there must have been about 200 boats in the event. It was an event that would take two days due to a postponed event a month earlier. This event made many other friends and I feel tight because we’re all fishing on Mother’s Day. We would all have a long ride home if we didn’t have a reward for missing this special day. On the first day of the event, I didn’t do well. The fish were not biting what I had been throwing all day. I arrived home that evening and told my fishing partner that I had got to do a better job on the water tomorrow if I was going to get a shot at winning. My partner said something that stood out “Striker, sometimes we just overthink bass fishing, and we need to get out of our way”. At that moment, I realized that I had been mentally overthinking this event. As an angler, let’s discuss how you can do some simple things not to overthink your next event and put yourself in a winning frame of mind. Remember, you are doing something you love; it should not be stressful; if so, then it’s not fun; it’s work. Before a big event, take some time to spend with the family; your support channels are an essential element you have around you and for that, be grateful. Taking time with family can lower stress, ease your mind, and help you relax. Taking your mind off fishing and re-focusing on the family will aid in pulling you back to your comfort zone because you are not focused on fishing. The following advice is to get a few hours of quiet time to settle your mind. I allow time for my mental focus to gain clarity as I renew myself spiritually and emotionally. This time ensures I don’t spin out when I’m in the 10 ATLANTA

AUGUST 2022

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

lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

moment of a tournament, and something doesn’t go as planned. This aspect of the game is most important, as I can center me. Some people prefer to do other things to find their center space. Whatever you do, taking the quiet time for yourself will be better for you in the event. Last, I recommend avoiding “dock talk” before the event. I spend a lot of time with my headphones on my head to block out the noise of the amount of information flowing around. If you allow dock talk to enter your mind, it will play a role in your game plan. That’s when you make the critical error of scraping your game plan and doing something else, and 90% of the time, you end up returning to what you found to work for you. If you have prepared a game plan and it produced in practice, stay mentally confident that your plan will work on game day and don’t change. Well, when my partner told me not to overthink the event. I went and spent time with my family, found a few moments of quiet time for me, and stuck with my game plane. The next day I went out and placed 2nd in the event because I got out of my way and stopped overthinking fishing. My ride home, after all, was not so bad. It’s All Mental. Thanks, everyone, for following me on Instagram, Facebook, and jaystriker.com. See you on the water.

Temp 85, Level full , Clarity 15ft. Well, it’s Hot! Summer heat and warm water has the fish deep most of the day. There’s still some fish up shallow in the morning but mostly smaller fish is what we are seeing. The walleye have retreated to deeper cooler water and are feeding early and late in the day. Overcast days and rain are your friends this month as the fish will be much more active without the summer sun beaming down on them. I’ve been focusing on big points in the river that are holding a lot of bait. The walleye are following the big schools of blue backs as they move throughout the river, above point 5. Look for them in the 40 to 60ft range. There’s also fish holding in deep grass beds near Star Creek.

Try to work the edges for the best results. Chrome and black spoons worked right in their face has been the most productive. The trout bite is winding down for the summer as the temps continue to rise. There will still be a few out feeding but the majority will disappear into the depths and go wherever it is they go till next year. We have seen some real quality fish this year and hope the trend continues. The bass have been acting a little different this year. We are catching a lot more fish in open water and shallow, usually only 10 to 15 ft deep. They are chasing schools of bait off the points and in the pockets on the main lake. Sometimes 10 to 20 fish in a school. This makes for great jerk bait fishing as there’s some competition for food. For fish that come up out of range, use a heavy 1oz spoon to reach out to them. 99% of them are spots but we have seen a couple smallies as well, which is great!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST BIG FUN ON LAKE ALLATOONA

LAKE SINCLAIR

by Tim Dangar

Big fun on Lake Allatoona now! With the right conditions you can have a blast catching bass and crappie and still be off the lake before it gets too hot. Get out at day light and look for feeding activity busting the top. Calm water improves your chances for some fun on top water. I primarily fish the North end of the lake which has a lot of shallow water humps. The poles just outside the mouth of Sweet Water Creek is a good place to look for this action early. The spots and hybrids will push the bait fish to the top and when it happens, game on. I like to throw a small to medium size shiny top water plug. If they are not visible on top of the water for a while, I will go to a small chrome Hot Spot. As the morning wears on, this activity will slow down. I then go to some brush piles in about fifteen feet of water and work a crappie jig really slow just hitting the

top of the structure. All of this and you still can be off the lake by noon. As always stay calm and fish on!

Forecast By: Ken Sturdivant kensturdivant@att.net Lake Sinclair is down 1.4 feet, 80S. Bass fishing is good. The shallow bite is still the dominant patterns. The bream are still bedding in the pockets and the mayflies are starting to hatch in the rivers causing the bass to stay up shallow. Top water baits such as the Bass Hound prop bait and the Spro Bronzeye frog are catching fish consistently around grass, lay down trees, and sea walls around points and channel swings. Texas rigged soft plastics and shaky heads will also catch fish around the docks in these same areas. Find them with the Lowrance Structure Scan

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technology and then use the Active Target to pinpoint them. Accurate presentations will be important A Buckeye Lures spot remover with a Zoom trick worm is hard to beat under these docks. For those that prefer to fish deep, there is a decent offshore bite going on as well. Look for offshore humps and long points in the mouths of creeks and near the river channels for the best results. A cell mate colored Spro Little John DD and Buckeye Football Mop jig fished on these offshore spots will catch fish right now and for weeks to come. Look for hard bottom or stumps when fishing offshore. Watch for schooling shad if the wind is down and cast a pearl Super Fluke into the schools and let it sink about 10 feet deep. This bite is best when Georgia Power is moving water.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST JULY ON LANIER – LET WATER TEMPS BE YOUR GUIDE Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com

While the fishing generally gets tougher in August on Lake Lanier, there are ways to ensure continued success. Let’s review the locations, techniques, and lures to utilize to keep you catching fish during the heat of the summer. Location: Understand that the primary concern of both game fish and bait fish are oxygen and food source, in that order. The fishing traditionally changes in August because the bait fish, particularly the blue back herring, change in response to the conditions. They often go deeper in search of better oxygen content in the water; the depth at which this key oxygen content is maintained is called a thermocline. In August, I normally like to target sharp breaks and deeper water on main lake features such as ledges or sharper breaks on the ends of points and sides of humps and islands. Often in August we would work depths of 25-45 feet of water, anticipating the thermocline to establish in the 2530-foot range, historically speaking. However, even though there are fish in the deeper zones, there are also still fish located shallow all around the lake. You can find these shallow fish not only on the main lake, but also in the back of pockets and creeks as well. These shallower locations are great areas to target during the early morning timeframe. Later in the day, the “normal” areas with brush are still holding fish, and there are fish starting to move deeper and relate to the timber. When fishing deeper, target Timber edges in 35-45 feet of water near the same key features upon which you find the brush. In general, if one type of area is not producing, don’t hesitate to try another location or another depth. Stay flexible and versatile and move around until you find active fish. Running and gunning several different types of places can be the key to success during this time of year. Often many areas will not produce, but if you stay on the move and remain versatile in types of location and bait selection, you can and will find active fish. 14 ATLANTA

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Lures and Presentation: Now, let’s examine some techniques that can be used to catch fish in August: 1. Topwater and Swimbaits - The topwater bite over the brush can be good still in August, but again it can be nonexistent if the weather is extremely hot consistently. The fish will let you know if the topwater bite is working. Try using some smaller topwater baits, like the Super Spook Jr., which best mimics the smaller bait fish the spots are often chasing during the hot weather months. The swimbait adds another dimension to your game. Work swimbaits fast on the surface or let them sink and work them directly over the brush. Experiment with both the mechanical and soft models at different depths and retrieve speeds to determine which is working best on any given day. A weighted Fluke can be a good option to cast over the brush as well. 2. GA Blade Underspin– This is an excellent producer on Lanier, and August is no different. Fish the bait over and around brush and deeper cover. Vary your retrieve speed, method, depth, and trailer type until you hit on the right combination for that day. 3. GA Blade Flutter Spoon – The flutter spoon can be a good choice to target bigger fish during the summer months. Swim the flutter spoons with a rip, pause, rip presentation or, fast reel the spoon off the bottom for 6-8 cranks, allow it to fall back to the bottom, then repeat back to the boat. The strikes will almost always come on the fall. Fish this bait with no less than 20 lbs. Seaguar Flourocarbon line to help you retrieve the bait on hang ups that will occur. 4. Drop-Shot – This is a great tool when the fishing gets tough. This presentation can be made vertically into cover, or it can be cast toward the feature and slowly retrieved. I prefer the Lanier Baits Drop Shot worms in Passion, Obsession, and Candy. Light line is a must. I prefer a 12 ft leader of 6–8-pound test Seaguar Fluorocar-

bon Invisx coupled with a mainline of Seaguar Smackdown 15 or 20 lbs. braid. Light line helps provide a more natural presentation. I also like to experiment with tag length. I will sometimes use up to a 5-foot tag end on my drop shot depending on the position of the fish and the feature I am targeting. 5. GA Jig – The jig is a bait that is apt to work through the entire summer, as well as into the fall and winter. August is no time to forget the jig. I prefer GA Jigs, often in a brown and orange combo or in a PB&J color pattern. Work jigs on points and humps, around brush,

as well as steep rock. If the Jig is not working, don’t forget to try a GA Blade Shakey head tipped with a finesse or trick worm, or a Yamamoto Senko as a back-up. Wouldn’t it be great to have the most current fishing information provided to you weekly in a detailed format including lures and locations? If you think so, check out Jimbo’s Weekly Video Fishing Reports! Stay on top of what’s working best on Lanier each week, right here: https://jimboonlanier. com/jimbos-weekly-video-fishing-reports/ See you on the water! Jimbo

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST TIMELY TACKLE TIPS

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

The dog days of summer are approaching. We’ve all been fishing hard since spring and if you’re like me, some of your gear could probably use a little TLC. A little regular maintenance will extend the life of your tackle and might prevent los-

ing a trophy or a tournament money-fish. And if you fish saltwater, an end-of-the-day cleaning ritual is a must. Here’s a simple checklist to keep your gear working day-in, day-out. I do this every month or so; more frequently if I’m fishing

every day, or fishing saltwater. *Clean and lubricate reels. Lubricate levelwind gears. Clean & lube drag washers with Drag Grease. Add a little polish/wax to the reel casing and foot. *Replace line. If your monofilament looks like a Slinky when it comes off the reel, time to change. If you use braid, cut off the first 20 feet of line, so you have clean, unabraded line for your next outing. When re-spooling, pack the new line on tightly, and run it through a soft cloth that has a few sprays of line conditioner on it. *Clean your rod blanks and handles. Look for nicks or stress fractures all along the blank. Add a little polish on the blank. *If you are fishing saltwater, thoroughly rinse your rods, reels and lures with a lot of freshwater. Use a gentle spray, not a full-blast stream of high-pressure water. Shake the excess off and spray a little WD-40 on the reel to prevent rust, then wipe off the excess. It won’t hurt the line. *Check rod guides. Look for bent guide frames or missing eye inserts. Rub a Q-tip around the inside of each eye. If a bit of the swab comes off in the eye, that indicates a gouge that can damage your line. Get that guide replaced. *Empty your tackle trays

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and discard rusty hooks. Check lures for rusty or bent hooks and replace them. Replenish swivels, weights, split rings, etc. *Some scented soft plastics will ‘shed’ some of their scent in the trays, and if you place the trays sideways in your tackle bag, you’ll have a gooey mess in your bag. Either leave the plastics in their original packaging or put them in a zip-lock to prevent this. These tasks take just a few minutes to perform, and it’s always better to do it as soon as you can. Leaving rods in the boat or truck bed gives rust and corrosion a head start, and squeaky handles and sticky drags are no fun. So, make a habit of checking your gear before each trip. Take care of your tackle and it will take care of you. Tight lines and calm seas.

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST CAMPS OF YESTERYEAR

By James K. Pressley, jameskpressley@gmail.com

I recently took my 11-year-old son to Shell Island Fish Camp. Now regular readers will recognize the name and I dare say many of you have probably been there. I made my first trip there in 1981 or 1982. For 20+ years my father and I went there several times a year and at one point once a month for years. I love it there. But the chase for bigger and better trout led me other places and I haven’t been back since 2006. Recently a good family friend texted me and said let’s go camping! My response was ok but the more I thought about it the more I thought “I don’t want to suffer through a weekend in the heat in the mountains to catch a couple of small trout”. I would rather take my chances in my bay boat, in the gulf and at Shell Island. Memories flooded back and I got excited. Everyone loved the idea, and I made the arrangements.

In the almost 20 years since my last visit the previous owners have sold and are quietly retired now. The new owners have taken over and changed …. ALMOST NOTHING! How awesome is that for your childhood memories. The store was still a small wooden structure perched on the docks that showed the rising hurricane waters of yesteryear. The dock’s wooden planks that were rotten or missing than present had been updated. The old guide boats, which were once made of wood and now simply fiberglassed over, still sat in their berths and waited the next young man to discover the wonder of the flats. The only improvement to the cabins, motel rooms and other lodging was simply the replacement of the towels. However, instead of a large 14’ gator prowling the depths beneath the cleaning table today tarpon swam and gobbled up ev-

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ery fish carcass that was tossed their way. Camps such as this hold enormous importance in the lives of anglers worldwide. These places are where civilization fades away and the pursuit of fish takes priority. There is no beach, no 5-star lodging, no white glove restaurants. There’s a dive bar, a burger place, and this camp. It exists purely because a lot of us still love the simple pleasure of catching speckled trout and redfish. When we first arrived, we found our cabin and unpacked quickly then I took Beau to the docks and there he discovered his first tarpon. To watch your son experience something like these majestic fish for the first time is an almost spiritual experience. Three days down there passed with watching it rain, smoking cigars, fishing, and men discussing the problems of the world and the pending engagement of a good friend. The TVs didn’t work in our cabin, and it was a glorious thing. We spent all our time on the porch when at the

cabin. My son got to listen to a young man work through the questions of marriage, children, and faith. I got to spend time with my son and a young man that I admire and view as a member of my own family. Things like this rarely happen in a resort. On the final day I had a chance to talk with the new owner, Mr. Horne, and I found a kindred spirit and an old Cracker that valued the Florida I love as much as me. Shell Island will enter another epoch of time in good hands and grandfathers, fathers and sons will continue to make memories on the flats and rivers around there for many years to come. For that I can simply offer a small and quiet thank you.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE EUFAULA By Capt Sam Williams hawk184@earthlink.net 334-687-6266 Water level - 188.92 msl Water temp. - 90 degrees Water clarity - good stain We have finally begun to get some much-needed rail and the water level is holding fairly steady. The hot weather makes it miserable to fish a full day, the bite slows before noon and it’s time to find some air conditioning. The summer thunderstorm patterns make it really hit and miss to get back on the water for a late trip. Lightning is not anything to mess with, if you hear thunder in the distance, you can be struck by lightning. The bass have really seen the pressure this year. Add that to the continuing fronts and you need to work your bait slow and finesse a bite. The shallow bite near cover is short lived on sunny days, overcast skies will buy you a little more time. Frogs, spinner baits, buzz baits and flukes are doing well. Texas rigged finesse worms are also great choice. Pink. Watermelon candy and junebug are working. Strawberry and red shad are also a good choice. Swim jigs with creature bait trailers worked very slow will also work. When that shallow bite slows and you have been on some fish, ease offshore a little ‘till you locate the first drop. These bass are not going far in this warmer water. Work your square bill cranks, Texas rigs, and Carolina rigs. The same colors hold true here also. Try a darker worm with a chartreuse tail or better yet, use J.J.’s magic. The smell will help get the fish’s attention. When you move to the deeper structure, The bigger spoons are a good choice if you have located a school holding on the structure. Jigs are also a good bet as you can keep them on the fish longer. Carolina rigs with big worms worked slow may get a strike. If the fish are suspended, deep crank baits need to be worked through them. Keep your eyes open for any schools feeding near the surface. A lipless crank bait worked under the feeding fish will 18 ATLANTA

AUGUST 2022

get the bigger fish. Blue gills are eating crickets near cover in the creeks. For some reason, all the crickets we are buying this year are very small. Take a few extra when you go, these little ones are easy for the fish to steal. Crappie are holding on the trash piles in 12 to 20 feet. Minnows are what they are eating. Working a Big Bite jig in these schools will also work. Catfish are doing well on jugs using cut bait. Placing these in the creeks while fishing for blue gills is getting a good variety of fresh fish for the table. October 15th, is getting closer every day. Visit www.alclassic.com and get registered to fish our 22nd annual fundraising event. We do this to support research for terminal Niemann-Pic disease children and Darby’s Warrior Support where we take post 9/11 combat wounded and PTSD heroes hunting and fishing to acclimate them back into civilian life. This year, Weigh5 is offering $500.00 to a lucky ticket holder. Every entry fee will receive two tickets with their entry fee. Tickets will be available for everyone who wishes to support us for a $5.00 donation. We are praying to reach 200 teams. Contact me if you have questions. We are facing some changes in the way we handle our fish after they are weighed in. We are no longer allowed to release any tournament fish in the boat basin at Lake Point. We will need to have each fisherman take their bag outside the basin and release them back in the creek on the way to trailer your boat. We can also take advantage of what the game biologists have suggested we do to lower the smaller fish population in the river. We can find a church or someone who would enjoy the fresh fish and put them on ice. We hold the key to control having bigger fish on a regular basis if we help to reduce the number of smaller fish. Be sure and be safe on the water on these hot days. Keep plenty of water with you and use sunscreen. Take a youngster fishing, you will build memories that will last their lifetime. Pray for one another, our police, military, and their families. God Bless & Good Fishn’! - Capt. Sam, Hawks Fishing Guide Service, 334 355 5057.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LANIER STRIPERS Forecast by: Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com 770-630-2673 The Summer heat has arrived on Lanier and the stripers have moved south on the lake. The water temperature is in the mid-eighties and the water is clear. The best fishing has been on the south end of the lake due to deeper colder water which means higher oxygen levels for the stripers. The schools are getting larger and larger with each passing day. Also of note, the fish are getting bigger and fatter than the last few years. Be sure to beef up your tackle. The trolling bite is picking up big time. To be prepared for the trolling bite, look for a Penn Fathom reel paired with a Shakespeare Tiger rod and leadcore line. For the details on this setup, talk to the local tackle shops. They will get you set up as this technique has a few important details. Once you are setup, tie up

one rod with a Ben Parker spoon and one with a 1-to-2-ounce white Berkley Fusion buck tail and troll at 2.8 mph. Be sure to start at 8 colors on the leadcore. Tip the Berkley Fusion bucktail with a six-inch Capt. Mack chartreuse trailer or four inch Shad body. Let the first couple bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. Also keep white Capt. Mack trailers, pink trailers, and all sizes bucktail size on hand. Every day is different and a small change in size or color can make all the difference. The downline bite is usually the primary pattern this time of year but this Summer it has been secondary. Some fish are being caught on the downline but just not as many as normal. With that being said, I would not be surprised if the live bait bite takes off any day, so be prepared. The key setup for the downline is a Shakespeare Striper Rod paired with a Penn Fathom II 15 Linecounter reel spooled with 15-pound Trilene Big Game line, the Captain Mack 2 oz swivel

sinker, a 6 foot section of Trilene 100 percent Flourocarbon and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Add a live herring to the hook and you are good to go. Take plenty of herring as they will not live long on the hook. Great electronics like the Humminbird Solix are the keys for success right

now. Be sure to release fish as fast as possible. Every second out of the water in the hot summer months increases the odds of mortality. If you are taking pictures, have everything ready for a quick release. See you on the water.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST FISHING CLOSE TO HOME WATERS DURING THESE INFLATIONARY TIMES Dr. Andrew Cox I enjoy travel to distant waters to sample fishing opportunities, making fishing trips to such distant locales as Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Wyoming, and Maine as well as Canada, The Bahamas. and United Kingdom. I routinely travel to Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida as well as extended trips to other areas around Georgia for fishing excursions. With the rapid rise in gasoline and other travel expenses, along with travel time for these distant and extended trips, one is not going to fish these waters every week or weekend. At best, travel to these areas would be an annual event or possibly a few times a year to those states surrounding Georgia or Alabama due to the expense and time commitments required for these trips. It goes without saying that most individuals would only fish a few times per year if one relied upon these trips exclusively to go fishing. The avid angler is probably aware that local areas provide good fishing opportunities. If you sample these local waters, the angler will most likely spend more frequent time on the water along with less associated expenses. A few hours of fishing could be interspersed around one’s work or home schedule and responsibilities. Anglers residing in north and middle Georgia or east Alabama can access many good waters within an hour or less driving time. I was recently reminded of this in fishing some small lakes in the Pittsview, Alabama area. I made several excursions sampling the early and late spring fishing and was able to catch fish on each outing. These waters are close enough to my home and work to get in several hours of fishing before or after work and without investing all day away from home-based chores and activities. Fishing these local waters allows the angler to spend more day’s fishing, increasing the chance of catching a trophy fish or simply enjoying the 20 ATLANTA

AUGUST 2022

pursuit of angling. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources manages eleven public fishing areas around the state. These waters have good fish populations, a variety of fish species, and good access for the boating or bank angler. The Department also has excellent written information describing various lakes, rivers, and streams across the state to include access, dominant fish species, fishing forecasts, and other information of interest to the prospective angler. This information can be accessed via http://georgiawildlife.com/fishing. Other Georgia fishing opportunities are available on the reservoirs constructed for public drinking water. Many of these are located within the Atlanta metropolitan area. Some of these reservoirs allow fishing and provide boating access, usually without the operation of an outboard engine. I have a friend who regularly fishes with considerable success such reservoirs in Fayette and Coweta counties. These waters do not seem to experience the amount of fishing pressure found on larger reservoirs and at times yield larger and betterquality catch rates. The Alabama Department of Wildlife Resources has a similar website (www.outdooralabama. com). This website provides information describing rivers, streams, reservoirs, and lakes across Alabama. This allows the prospective angler to identify and plan trips to Alabama waters within easy driving distance from your home. Alabama also maintains twentythree public fishing lakes located in twenty counties. Some of these are quite large with boating access. Some have specialized angling regulations. According to reports from several friends who regularly fish these waters, these lakes provide excellent fishing success. Some of these public lakes are located within easy driving distance for north and middle Georgia anglers. Accessing these close to home

waters allows the angler a variety of fishing experiences and more frequent time on the water. More time on the water will hone your angling skills and increase the odds in catching a fish of a lifetime without investing the time, and expense for travel to a distant location for a couple of days fishing. Make sure to review the above noted websites or contact the fishing area of interest to ensure that closures or special regulations are not in place prior to making your trip. 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 many states within the United States, Canada, Chile, 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 CHATUGE

Level: Full pool. Temp: 83-86 degrees. Clarity: Clear Bass: Fishing has been good, we’ve been catching some quality fish and having some trips with good numbers. There has been a top water bite happening at first light and you will also see some good schools of fish breaking throughout the morning. I’ve been starting my trips at daylight and were off the lake by 11am. If you have a good cloudy day with some wind, you’re going to catch fish throughout the day, but if it’s a blue bird sky day, the bite is over before noon. I’m starting my mornings out throwing a Strike King Sexy Dawg Jr, and a Ima Stix, out on humps, points and wide deep pockets. You can also catch some fish on sea walls

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throwing a Whopper Plopper. After a couple hours of targeting a top water bite, I switch over and throw a drop-shot on points that have brush, offshore brush, and laydowns. These areas have been holding a lot of fish, you just have to get them to bite. Once you catch a couple, they will start feeding. You can also fish these areas with a Shaky Head, Ned Rig, and Texas Rig. There also has been a dock bite if you find one with some brush or a ledge with a deep drop off. The new Garmin LiveScope Lvs34 transducer is awesome, the detail and range is 3 times better than the original Lvs32. It is helping me find plenty of fish, If I pull up to a place and scan and it’s not showing many fish, there is no reason to waste your time. If you’ve not seen this in action and you love to fish, you really need to go with someone that has it. It’s going to be hot out there this month. Good luck.

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

ST LAKE ALLATOONA Forecast By: Joseph Martinelli 404-919-4918 Summertime is here and fishing has been quite fantastic statewide through Georgia. Lake Allatoona is no exception, and she has been giving up her fruits non-stop through this summer. With a steady full pool and overall tolerable morning and evening temperatures, the reservoir has been a dream to fish. Your best bite will still be from 5:00 to 8:00/9 a.m. and again from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. During specific lunar cycles, we have had stellar fishing beginning around 2:30 / 3:00 a.m. for the hybrids and stripers as well as spotted bass. Current surface temperatures are in the mid to upper 80s, but there is cooler water just below the surface. This time of year, it is common that we will find most of our Linesides and other game fish holding in the top 20 feet of water. With the established alewife population, we are watching fish dive deeper for bait as these freshwater herring will sound (dive down) deep and quickly. This may prove to provide its own dangers for fish that strive to thrive in already low dissolved oxygen conditions. Most of the bait that you may see rippling and being pushed up to the top are threadfin shad. If you believe you see alewife cruising and dimpling along the surface, they are not alewife, in my experience to date. I am open to being contradicted here. While down lining 15 to 20 ft with frisky live bait has been a successful tactic, free lining has been as effective through July. Matching your hook size to your bait is always key and especially important in these warmer weather months where a thread fin shad in ideal conditions may only last 5 minutes on a hook before needing a replacement. A heavy oversized hook will only hasten its demise and render it ineffective. We have also started to see a little bit of a morning topwater bite as well as into the evening. Having a top water such as a small Shower Blow 77, Zara Spook or Puppy or even a

small 3 in. spoon or swim bait with 1/8-1/4 oz. head can get you on some exciting artificial action, especially when timed right. While we have been fortunate enough to stick with a mega school of good hybrids and stripers through July. We have been able to share confidence building with many different artificial lures and presentations. There have been several mornings where tossing a Captain Mack’s mini rig into the school has produced a strike even when they seem to have given up on a tethered thread fin or gizzard shad. These linesides can be awful finicky at times but just like most other Bass they can often be enticed into a reflex strike. As we head into the heat of August, we still like to go out and sight fish for the large gar our reservoir has to offer. In most instances here, we are looking for a reflex strike from a small swimbait or rope lure properly placed in their paths. spotted bass are Our absolutely showing the signs of a rich diet, and while I believe bream to be their preferred flavor, we’ve hooked dozens and dozens and dozens that have come into the boat spitting up alewife 3-7” and overall smaller threadfin shad this summer. No doubt that Allatoona has the ingredients to facilitate a stellar spotted bass fishery. As for the crappie, any brush found off deep slopes as well as most Marina structures have been holding these in the warmer months. When targeted, we have caught these on anything from a 1/32-1/8 oz. Lead head dressed with a Red Rooster or ATX crappie candy. Bodies can range anywhere from 1.5 - 3 inches. Sometimes this presentation will out fish a live minnow and summertime shows no exception. So, let’s go fishing! We do hope that some of the information provided here will help you get on to the bite. If you are ever desiring a full-service fishing adventure, we would sure love to have you aboard our boats. Never hesitate to call or message

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST DAX AND THE FIDDLERS By Gary Turner

We headed down to Clearwater beach for a little rest and relaxation, and yeah, maybe a little fishing. There are not many places I go that some fishing isn’t involved. I carry collapsible rods in the Rambox on my truck. When you go to a town to fish, there are several scouting options. First, I like to look for people fishing and see what’s biting and what bait is working. There was no one fishing on the beach, so I went to option number two and found a bait shop. Clearwater Bait and Tackle on Gulf to Bay Blvd was great! A nice Italian gentleman who was a Manhattan transplant named John gave us all kinds of information, and while we waited on the thunderstorm to pass, we bought some tackle and talked fishing. I had seen several sheepshead at the beach, so we bought some sheepshead rigs and a flatweight with a hook setting up from it so when the weight sits on the bottom your bait

sits up on it, making it easier to eat. With a bucket of fiddler crabs and tackle in tow, we headed back to the hotel. Well Dax, my grandson who is two years old, had to check out the crabs, so several ended up running around the hotel room, and I had to track them down and put them back in the bucket. That reminded me of the time years ago, when my girls were little, that we caught a 2-ft. shark and put it in the bathtub at the hotel. I hauled a tub full of saltwater, 5 gallon buckets at a time, to put it in. It swam back and forth and was pretty cool. After a few hours of entertainment, we released it unharmed. The crabs were a lot less work in their little bucket. The next morning, we went to the beach to see what we could catch. Now Dax doesn’t know how to swim well yet, so I put on his floaties and gave him his Zebco Micro 33 on a 3-ft. rod. I handed

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his dad the GoPro, and we headed out to about four feet of water. You could see the sheepshead all around us. If you kicked up the bottom, they would come in to see if there was anything they wanted to eat. We rigged up a crab on the sheepshead rig and dropped it. The fish hit it hard, broke the crab then snatched it off without ever getting the hook. The water was crystal clear so we could see everything

and so could they. After six crabs served as practice and warmup, a big one came by and swallowed the hook. It was on now! Dax was reeling and was making headway when the fish just took off tearing line off the little reel. I had to help him get that fish back under control as there were people swimming not too far away. Once we stopped the run, Dax finished reeling it in. His first saltwater fishing adventure! We had a great time at the beach and enjoyed Clearwater. A local restaurant we really enjoyed was Perkins, and we had the best waitress there whose name was Bambi. If you are ever there on vacation, give them a try, the food and service were excellent! I am attempting to revive my old YouTube channel, so if you want to see Dax catching this fish, check it out at FishingWithGary. I’m not sure what next month’s article will be on or where I’ll be fishing, but remember, if you have an empty seat on your boat that needs filling, shoot me an email and maybe it will be about fishing with you! If you are ever interested in info on any guides or places I fish, you can email me at gary@purgeright. com. Please remember, if you are not going to eat it, don’t kill it. “Tight Lines and Squealin’ Reels put a Smile on my face every time.”

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

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Full Pool (491.00) 7/9/22, Surface Temp (90-92) 7/9/22, Clarity Clear Oh man, to this date (7/9/22 ), not only have we had some record high temperatures we have set some record striper catches for July with crazy numbers caught per trip per boat. Now to move on to the August forecast, our hopes and thinking is that this month will be really good also. This thinking comes from the July weather conditions and water temperatures have been like your normal August conditions; therefore, it has our hopes up for one of our better August catches in a while. Some (but not all) of our success in August can be contributed to numerous things 1. Getting on water early (like before daylight), 2. Having the mindset that you may have to cover a lot of water to locate the ever-moving stripers 3. Having good live bait 4. Having in place our Scotty Electric Down Riggers ready for trolling if the live bait isn’t working 5. Having a couple of rods rigged with huge top water lures for the occasional trophy surfacing in casting distance 6. Concentrating in deep clear water 7. Not being afraid to search in areas that in any other month you know for a fact there would never be a striper there. 8. Having our boats stocked with plenty of cold water and Gatorade. If you are not hydrated and feeling your best, then you will start second guessing yourself on why you are even attempting to

catch fish. Believe me you want a good mindset to make the correct decision when it’s time to perform to the fullest of your ability. I often am asked why aren’t we fishing close to the dam? Aren’t they at the dam in the summer months? Well, the truth is yes, some stripers hang out close to the dam but that doesn’t mean they are all at the dam or that they are biting close to the dam. If every striper was at the dam you could actually walk across the lake on top of them because there are millions of stripers in Lake Martin. So in reality don’t spend all your time at the dam. If you fish for stripers in other states or other lakes even if it’s in Alabama you’ve got to realize this is Lake Martin and what might work for you at your other lakes doesn’t mean it’s a guarantee that it will work here so have an open mind and try something new and I honestly believe you will be pleasantly surprised what August fishing has in store for you . If you’re interested in a guided trip for some of the best striper fishing on Lake Martin then contact me at 256-401-3089 I would love to have you join us . Until next time stay safe and catch one for me!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST Forecast By: by Capt. Paul Tyre paultyrefishing@yahoo.com The Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has been AWESOME through July! The Topwater action this past month has been incredible! August is a great month to Bass fish on Lake Seminole. The great topwater action will continue through August especially early and on cloudy days. As the grass gets thicker in August the hollow belly frog becomes my go to topwater bait. I prefer the Spro Bronzeye Popping Frog, it has a double superline Gamakatsu hook that is extremely sharp and heavy enough to get the big Bass out of the grass! I like to fish the Frog over the grass and through holes in the grass. Rod, line, and

reel choices are very important with this technique! A high-speed reel is a must, at least 8:3.1, and a heavy Braided line I prefer is 65lb Cortland Master Braid on a 7’3” XH Temple Fork Outfitters Tactical Bass Rod. This rod has a fast tip and has the backbone to get the biggest Bass out of the grass!

The Flipping bite starts heating up in August as the grass gets thicker. Rod choice is critical when flipping big Bass out of the Grass. My go to rod is a TFO Tactical 8’ extra heavy moderate action rod that has the backbone to get the biggest Bass out if the thick Hydrilla. Line is critical and braided line is a must, I prefer 65lb Cortland Silent Flip braid. It is a 16 strand

that is very quiet going through the vegetation which will get you more bites! For a Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure this August give us a call at 850-264-7534 or follow us on Instagram @ Capt. paultyrefishing and Facebook @ Capt.paultyrefishing or email lakesemimolefishingadventures@ gmail.com.

LAKE ALLATOONA Forecast By: Capt. Robert Eidson www.firstbiteguideservice.com eidson6260@att.net First Bite Guide Service. Temp 85, Visibility clear. LINE-SIDES Great! As of right now the record-breaking temperatures hasn’t hurt our bite. The fish are already on their summer pattern and can be caught out over the river channel anywhere from Kellogg’s Creek to the Allatoona Creek arm. Threadfin

shad fished between 18 - 30 feet is really our best bite right now. Shiners are also working well. Trolling is very good! The umbrella rig bite is very good right now. I do not personally pull them (Cost of Fuel) right now. But I know some of my guides are and having productive days trolling. I am personally running the Mini-Macks (Trolling Motor) and doing well 60 feet behind the boat at .9 miles an hour. We still have availability for July. Call for details and availability Capt Rob 770 827-6282.

Wall of Fame Atlanta’s Becca Klein caught and released this whopper Nacoochee Bend striper with an excellent assist from her netter, Sylvia Huron.

Angler Mason Ray Cheek of Covington Ga, Age 8, Lake Sinclair, 38.1 pounds 44” Long Making memories with his Paw Paw Johnny Sessums.

24 ATLANTA

Jay Shelton of Athens has had a banner summer of shoal bass on the fly from central and north Georgia rivers.

Avid Maryland flyrodder Joel Johnson recently visited his Georgia friend, Jimmy Harris, who put him on this nice Hooch striper.

AUGUST 2022

Jeffrey Peterson from Oconee County Georgia.

Unicoi Outfitters owner Jimmy Harris found a bit of vacation time to tangle with this Texas redfish on the fly.

David Wilson with a Jack caught on a destination travel trip with Cohutta Fishing Company.

Larry Mobley with a Dorado caught on a destination travel trip with Cohutta Fishing Company.

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By Will Schmidt

Your Grouper Grounds

inding new spots to fish has been one of the biggest issues facing us since… well, since fishing started. For years inshore fishermen have used satellite views to find points with cuts, oyster bars and other features that can be seen from above in the shallows. The good news is offshore anglers can now take advantage of similar imagery to make finding new spots feel like you’ve got it made in the shade. High-definition relief shading like that in the new Garmin Navionics Vision+ package gives anglers insight into spots they would have never known about unless they just stumbled across them. There are countless examples of offshore spots where I’ve marked and caught fish without knowing that just a few hundred feet away were even better looking spots. It’s hard to know every ridge or well-defined bottom feature, so getting a view of what is down there can be extremely beneficial. Of course, not all

spots that look good hold fish, but it’s a start. Once you find something of interest, spot lock trolling motors make it easy to move and drop baits to see if anyone is home. For larger areas, such as long ridges, sometimes trolling makes a bit more sense to cover more ground. When chasing bottom fish such as grouper, there are a few techniques that work well. Downriggers and planers with jig heads and large paddletail baits work well, but I find deep diving plugs to be even better. There are a host of deep divers out now that provide an accurate depth to which they will dive. The Nomad DTX Minnow is one of my favorites. It is deadly on grouper and does double duty with its high-speed capability for chasing pelagic species as well. I also love the fact that they come rigged with single hooks versus treble hooks. The key is to just graze the sandy bottom next to the rocks to get the groupers’ attention. They have keen sight and will charge out quickly to grab a meal, and the bonus is you start with them already away from the rocks. Just a few hundred feet away The great thing about using highfrom where the author has definition relief shading and trolling marked and caught grouper for grouper is you might have one is a massive ledge that holds even more fish. spot that quickly turns into four or five locations to drop baits in a relatively small area. Sometimes the spots are within a few hundred feet and sometimes farther. Regardless, this technology is a game-changer, and by covering new ground quickly it can make finding new productive spots much easier. Will Schmidt is a seasoned tournament angler who has been writing about fishing from more than two decades.

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them carefully when dog-day temperatures peak. Fish are fighting for their lives with every ounce of their strength on the end of a line. The stress can kill them when water conditions are less than ideal. That, along with blazing hot sun on the back of the neck, is enough reason to strike out in search of a more appealing environment when it gets hot. My 11-year-old son and I recently spent a couple days on the headwaters of North Carolina’s Nantahala River at a place called Standing Indian. Standing Indian Mountain tops out at close to 5,500 feet, and its slopes feed the river with plenty of cold water from numerous headwater branches. This area, upstream of the U.S. Forest Service’s Standing Indian Campground, is off of U.S. 64 west of Franklin, N.C. The Nantahala at Standing Indian bears little resemblance to the big whitewater river it becomes downstream near Bryson City. In its headwaters, there are about six miles of public water that might be 20 feet across in the wide spots. It’s a great little stream for folks who enjoy slinging dry flies on a four-weight fly rod for pretty little rainbow and brown trout. The fishing wasn’t exactly stellar the two days my son and I fished in mid-June. There were thunderstorms each night, so the river was a little high and stained. My son is also new to a lightweight fly rod, and overhanging rhododendron and river birch are hardly easy terrain for a beginner. Still, we managed to catch numerous gorgeous rainbows slinging a dry-dropper rig with a small Pheasant Tail fished beneath a yellow Stimulator. There were little yellow Sally stoneflies in the air, so our selection of dry fly matched the hatch. Good small-stream browns in the 14-inch range come from this stretch of water pretty regularly, but all we caught were rainbows with a couple measuring maybe 10 or 11 inches. That’s a pretty good fish in terms of little By Nick Carter wild trout streams in the Southeast. We considered our mission accomplished returning to a riverside campsite each evening. While my son might not be old enough to appreciate it, the cool mountain rout anglers have two options when it comes to deep summer. They can air and bedding down to the gurgle of the creek were the highlights of the trip. either hit tailwater fisheries, where dam-controlled flows provide stable The air temperature was easily 20 degrees cooler than back home, and I don’t year-round water temperatures, or they can seek out high-elevation know if I’ve ever slept better. headwaters, where both fish and angler find comfort in rhododendron-shaded For information, check out Nick Carter’s book “Flyfisher’s Guide to creeks with water conditions perennially perfect for little wild trout. North Carolina & Georgia.” It’s available on Amazon or by Big fish and big hatches of tailrace trout fishing are certainly appealing. contacting the author at nsc8957@gmail.com. However, anglers should play fish intended for release quickly and handle

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TIPS FROM A PRO

SUMMERTIME BASS ON POPPERS

TYLER WOOLCOTT

ass are on the move in deep summer. Throwing search baits, especially topwater, is one of the best and most fun ways to find groups of feeding fish. A style of lure that was created a long time ago but still works wonders today is an old-school topwater popper. You can throw this just about anywhere around rocks, grass, wood, docks and in open water to get bites. When the weather gets hot and more people get on the water, getting fish to commit to a surface lure is sometimes almost impossible. What I like to do is put away the bigger topwaters like walking baits or Whopper Ploppers and take out a smaller Pop-Rstyle bait. There are a few reasons this bait gets more bites in the right situations. The first is it’s smaller and quieter. A smaller profile and less noise is sometimes what these finicky fish want. I have seen many situations when throwing a big noisy topwater won’t get a single bite, but throwing a popper in the same area makes fish eat. Another reason popper-style baits are very good is the speed at which you can work them. There are many topwaters that require highspeed retrieves. With a popper, the slower you work it the more it drives them crazy. I vary my retrieve and see what the fish are feeling, but usually I’ll pop the bait subtly a few times and vary the action to make it look like a dying baitfish. Then I’ll let the bait sit for a few seconds before creating another movement. This absolutely drives them crazy. One last reason poppers are deadly is that feathered rear treble hook. When fish are feeding on tiny baitfish or bugs, the feathered treble makes them bite. Sometimes even the small profile of the bait is still too big for them, but they come up and see the feathers and eat those instead. Fishing the right rod and reel with a Pop-R makes a huge difference in landing fish. You want a rod with a good amount of bend because you don’t set the hook. Instead, you just reel into them. I use a 13 Fishing Defy Black 7’ cranking rod. For the reel, you want something that is able to cast a light lure as far as possible. You also need one that will pick up the bait fast for another cast in case a fish misses or you spot surfacing fish. I use a 13 Fishing Concept with an 8:3 gear ratio. I spool it with 30- to 50-lb. Seaguar Smackdown Braid. Next time you get on the water, pick up a popper style lure like a 13 Fishing Poppy McPop Face and see how deadly it can be in the summer months. Tyler Woolcott is a professional tournament angler and guide. Check out his website at www.tylerwoolcottfishing.com.

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