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RECORD CATCHES OF 2020
Smallies &
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PHOTO COURTESY OF HOBIE & KEVIN NAKADA VOLUME 25 • ISSUE 301
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Photo courtesy of Knockin Tail Lures
By Capt. Michael Okruhlik
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or those who want to catch a heavy speckled trout, April is perhaps your best opportunity. April trout are still heavy from their lowered metabolism of winter. They are heavy with eggs and about to spawn. This makes April a prime month for heavy fish. The warmer water also makes them extremely aggressive and more willing to strike artificial lures of all styles. Let’s go over the how, when and where to target trophy trout in the spring. How: When water temp reaches the low to mid 70s, topwater action can be some of the best of the year. Aggressive trout are attracted by the rattling sound and erratic sway of the cigarshaped lures. You can’t go wrong with bone/white/ silver or a combination of these colors. I like to match the size to the conditions and forage in the immediate area. Required casting distance and surface conditions also play a vital role in my decision making. In rougher conditions, I typically use a large lure. The rattles of various lures also have different pitch. I prefer to use the higher pitch over a muddy bottom and a lower tone over sand, grass or shell. Slow-sinking, rattling, shad-style twitch baits
are also a good choice when trout don’t want to “rise” to the occasion. I prefer these lures with near-mirror reflective finishes. They do an excellent job of impersonating a wounded baitfish, and no large spawning trout in its right mind will pass up an injured baitfish. I can’t leave out the most versatile trout lure of all, the soft plastic. There are many styles, sizes and colors, but I prefer those that give more bang for the buck. When the fish are aggressive, I steer toward a soft plastic with a larger paddle that vibrates, creates a great swimming motion even on the pause, and one that rattles. These three components stimulate a fish’s lateral line, and they can’t resist the need to feed. When: I plan trips according to the solunar tables. I make every effort to be at my spot fishing during peak feeding times so that I’m not traveling from spot to spot when the fish are eating. Where: In spring, I direct my attention to grass flats. Wading is the superior method to consistently catch large trout, but you can still target flats from a boat. I prefer a flat with broken grass patches, potholes, channels, the dreaded prop scar or anything else that breaks up the grass to create ambush points for trout. Try to cover each transition from multiple angles, as trout will
stage on the edge of the sand against the grass. Pay attention to the where, when and how on your next trip. It will increase your odds of landing a trophy trout. It never hurts to practice catch and release on these beautiful fish. Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures, Controlled Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
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atching big pelagics is one of those “someday” goals for many kayak anglers. Venturing into the open ocean under paddle power after species like kingfish, mahi, sailfish and tuna can seem daunting to anglers accustomed to inshore waters or freshwater lakes and rivers. The first question you might have is: “Where am I going to find them?” Inshore, there are grass flats, mangroves and channels drop-offs that offer kayak anglers good places to start. Offshore waters don’t always give up information quite as easily, but the clues are out there. You just have to know what you’re looking for. The ocean is a big place, but I believe 10 percent of the water holds 90 percent of the fish. Narrowing it down to that 10 percent is the first step. Start your research off the water by locating a beach or other launch point that is close to hard bottom, wrecks or a reef line. This can be done with a little online research and a good mapping chip for your GPS. When the day comes to venture into the pelagic zone, take some time on the beach before heading out. Know the current, wind and water conditions. Is it calm? Is it rough? Are there a lot of weeds on the beach? Is there bait close to shore? Which way is the wind blowing? Answering these questions helps you decide what baits to use and at what depths to fish them. In general, calm days call for running baits deeper in the water column. With some surface chop or visible action on top—like bait jumping or fish breaking the water—run baits closer to the surface. Other things to look for are rips, color changes, birds and weed lines. A rip is an area where two currents meet. The water will look more turbulent than surrounding areas. A defined color change will have strong current running along its edge. Usually these color breaks and rips consolidate debris and weeds, and often birds will hover over these areas. The weeds and current attract bait, which in turn attract the pelagics. When you’re offshore, you have to take what the ocean gives you. Anything that looks different than the surrounding water is a place to put baits out. If you find yourself on the water with no wind, surface activity or weeds, look to your GPS to show you the way to hard bottom, structure, rock piles or reefs. There will always be some type of baitfish around these areas to attract pelagics. Find the bait, and you will find the fish. If you are new to offshore kayak fishing or are thinking about trying it, this information should give you a start on your quest to land a pelagic from your kayak.
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By Brian Nelli
Brian Nelli operates south Florida’s Pushin’ Water Kayak Charters. Check them out at www.tckayakfishing.com and email Brian at brian@tckayakfishing.com.
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he sun rises and sets at peak travel periods, during the early morning and afternoon rush hours and many drivers find themselves temporarily blinded while driving directly into the glare of the sun. Deadly accidents are regularly caused by such blinding glare with danger arising from reflected light off another vehicle, the pavement, or even from waxed and oily windshields that can make matters worse. Early morning dew can exacerbate this situation. Yet, motorists struggle on despite being blinded by the sun’s glare that can cause countless accidents every year. Not all sunglasses are created equal. Protecting your eyes is serious business. With all the fancy fashion frames out there it can be easy to overlook what really matters––the lenses. So we did our research and looked to the very best in optic innovation and technology. Sometimes it does take a rocket scientist. A NASA rocket scientist. Some ordinary sunglasses can obscure your vision by exposing your eyes to harmful UV rays, blue light, and reflective glare. They can also darken useful vision-enhancing light. But now, independent research conducted by scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has brought forth ground-breaking technology to help protect human eyesight from the harmful effects of solar radiation
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By Nick Carter
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ennessee’s Lake Chickamauga has garnered a lot of press in recent years for giant largemouth bass. The introduction of Florida-strain largemouths certainly paid off for this 60-mile-long Tennessee River impoundment. The thing is, all the hype over bucketmouths has overshadowed world-class fisheries that already existed on the Tennessee River from Chickamauga down through Chattanooga. Flowing between high ridges of The Scenic City, the big river pumps out some pretty spectacular action for catfish and smallmouth bass. Richard Simms, of Scenic City Charters, said the fishing heats up with water temperatures this time of year. Whether you’re looking for bigshouldered river smallies, giant blue cats—or a little bit of both—right now is the time to be on the water. Smallmouth Bass: The Chickamauga tailrace lights up with aggressive smallies in spring. They feed up in a 10-mile stretch below the dam. Simms said fishing jigs and soft plastics around rip-rap, current seams and edges is productive. But drifting live threadfin shad or shiners with the current leads to faster action. With light 6-poundtest line enticing the most bites, any smallmouth is a handful. They typically run from 2 to 4 pounds on the river, and a decent day will produce 10 to 15 of
these scrappy bronzebacks. Simms said to expect a mixed bag on live bait. Everything eats shiners, so anglers will also catch white bass, spotted bass, largemouth bass, crappie, yellow bass, catfish and maybe a striped bass. Catfish: Big blue catfish are abundant on the Tennessee River from Chickamauga Dam all the way down through Chattanooga. When flows are right, the tailrace can be very good. When too much water is being released from the dam, Simms heads up to the reservoir. Either side of the dam, the prespawn bite peaks in April. “Both fisheries hold great big catfish,” said Simms, “and pre-spawn is a great time for catching trophy fish.” On the reservoir, deep drop-offs and river channel holes with structure are the places to vertical drop cut skipjack herring, bluegill or chicken breast. Below the dam, Simms drift fishes those same baits on light 10-pound tackle. In 2009, Simms’ client, Jerry Uhrine, caught a 52-inch-long, 75-pound blue catfish on 10-poundtest line. It is a National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame line-class record. “That light tackle technique is really fun because the average catfish we catch is 5 to 10 pounds,” said Simms. “Those 10 to 20 pounders aren’t unusual,
Photos courtesy of Scenic City Charters.
and every now and then we get one of those really big fish.” An average half-day trip from April through October typically yields 50 to 100 pounds of catfish. “It’s real easy to stock a freezer,” said Simms. Check out Scenic City Fishing Charters at www.sceniccityfishing.com.
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Photos courtesy of Tuna Duck Charters, Hatteras, NC.
April action can be fast and furious off the Outer Banks. Here’s one on deck and another on the line.
By Tom Schlichter
T
he Outer Banks of North Carolina needs little introduction to fishing fans. A true angling Mecca, it boasts super action with striped bass, red drum, cobia, sea trout and a host of inshore species while also offering tremendous offshore action for tuna, billfish, wahoo, mahi and additional pelagic favorites. These ocean predators really get your blood boiling in April, when the action comes alive 25 to 30 miles offshore. “We really do see a great mix of blue water species in April,” said charter Capt. Dan Rooks of the 51-foot custom Carolina Sportfisher, Tuna Duck (252-216-6160; http://tunaduck.com) which sails out of Hatteras Harbor Marina (252-986-2166; https://www.hatterasharbor.com.) “Typical action this month sees yellowfins in the 40- to 70-pound class, blackfin tuna weighing 20 to 25 pounds, and wahoo to 60 pounds. Early in the month, you might also deck a bluefin while the end of the month sees white marlin, blue marlin and sailfish arrive on the scene. Many of the big blues will top 400 pounds.” It’s the combination of bottom structure and a meeting of offshore currents that draws big game species to these waters, explained Rooks. The warm waters of the Gulf Stream flowing up from the south and cool waters of the Labrador Current dropping down from the north meet along the edge of the continental shelf, providing sharp temperature breaks that stack squid, ballyhoo, flying fish and other baitfish. Match a Anglers aboard Capt. Dan Rook’s Tuna Duck Charters celebrate a break over some structure, and you have a great spot to start hefty tuna that slammed a popper off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. your search. “It’s not as important that the temperature break be large as that it be well-defined,” noted Rooks. “I’ve seen breaks here as small as half-a- said. “A storm might push the cool water farther out or bring warmer water degree and as large as 20 degrees. Any break can produce if the surrounding closer in, so you constantly need to make adjustments. Expect to spend some conditions are right. Look for clean water, active baitfish and plenty of life. time searching out the fish even if they were stacked up just a day before. That’s one plus for heading out with a charter skipper; we’re on the water daily, Those are tip-offs that you are in the right area.” Although he’ll sometimes jig or work poppers for tuna, Rooks spends which helps us keep track of shifting currents, temperature breaks and baitfish most of his time trolling. His favorite setup is a natural dead-bait spread, with schools. Some days you find the predators sooner than others – but never give eight ballyhoo trolled in a V-pattern at 7 knots. He works hard to drag his up hope because once you dial ’em in, the fishing here is as good as it gets.” Anglers looking to trailer to this area can find transient dockage, fuel, hotel offerings across structure points, where temperature breaks are discovered accommodations and a boat launch ($10) all at Village Marina (252-986-2522; using on-board temperature gauges and satellite imagery. “The breaks move, of course, and you need to be aware of that,” Rooks www.villagemarinahatteras.com) in Hatteras. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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APRIL 2020 PUBLISHER: BOB RICE
A FREE PUBLICATION THE ANGLER MAGAZINE IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. THE ANGLER MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY B & B PUBLISHERS P.O. BOX 766 MADISON, GA 30650 706-614-8231 WWW.THEANGLERMAGAZINE.COM REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS IN ANY FORM IS PROHIBITED BOB RICE, PUBLISHER THE ANGLER MAGAZINE FISHING, BOATING, CONSERVATION “FIND YOUR OUTDOORS HERE”
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: HENRY COWEN DR. ANDREW COX JIMMY HARRIS CAPT. CEFUS MCRAE CHRIS SCALLEY GARY TURNER NOEY VINEYARD O'NEILL WILLIAMS RENE J. HESSE JIMBO MATHLEY JAMES BRADLEY DAVID HULSEY WAYNE WOOTEN JAY STRIKER WAYNE MOORE RYAN KENNEDY DICKLESBY KIM NUNERY CAPT. DAVID HARE GRAPHIC DESIGN: KATHLEEN CARREIRO PHOTO BY SHANE GOEBEL, BIG OL FISH GUIDING SERVICE
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING GET OUTSIDE WITH US! Contributed By: Jimmy Harris www.unicoioutfitters.com Unicoi Outfitters, Orvis 2018 Fly Shop of the Year
Guided Fly Fishing and Conventional Tackle Trips for Hybrids, Stripers, and Crappie
Unicoi Outfitters has a new (second) shop to better serve Northeast Georgia. Unicoi Outfitters General Store is located at 1420 Washington Street, right in the middle of the square in Clarkesville. As expected, you’ll find a great selection of fly fishing gear. We’ll have our tried and true brands like Orvis, Scientific Anglers, Fishpond, Feel Free Kayaks, Rising, Costa del Mar sunglasses and a full selection of cold water and warm water flies. This store will be a shop for anyone who loves getting outside, and our inventory will reflect that. Exciting additions to our new shop will be some of the best brands in outdoor gear. You’ll find Patagonia, Kleen Kanteen, Bertucci Watches, Nalgene, Kavu Bags and Outdoor Wear, Farm to Feet Socks, Yukon Outfitters coolers, Bison Design and more. If you’re headed to the mountain lakes area, the Chattooga, Soque, Tallulah River or the miles of wonderful small trout
streams in Northeast Georgia and Western North Carolina, we’re now on your way: right on Hwy. 441 and just a few minutes off Hwy. 365. Our grand opening is Saturday, April 4th. We are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM until 7:00 PM. In addition to good gear, we’ll also be offering regular classes and seminars, so follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest happenings. Of course, as you’ve come to expect from Unicoi Outfitters, we’re always ready to help you plan the best angling outings with up-to-date information on the streams and lakes in our area. Clarkesville is a great small community with good local restaurants, interesting shops and a culture that encourages the healthy outdoor lifestyle. We think Unicoi Outfitters General Store is the perfect addition. We invite you to stop in and see us!
Booking now, novice or experienced anglers. On the water instruction, top of the line fly gear! Mix it up with light spinning tackle as well for a great combo trip!
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING APRIL FLY FISHING REPORT
Contributed By: Henry Cowen www.henrycowenflyfishing.com The lake has fished very poorly since the middle of February and thus far in March as the conditions have been horrible. The lake has stayed as high as I’ve ever seen. So when will it ever stop raining here in North GA? All the rain and the lake being super high makes predicting the fishing patterns more difficult. What I can say is that it appears we are slightly warmer than usual which may mean our April pattern will move up by a couple of weeks. March of 2019 was our best month for the entire spring, but even that being said, it was still tough fishing overall, and we saw that the fish went upriver to spawn early and then the water temps got so warm that the fish went deep and bypassed a couple of patterns that we are normally accustomed to seeing. The striper fishing was basically non-existent for April and May last year. The only pattern we could count on was the dock light bite after dark. April in my opinion may be the BEST month to fish area lakes throughout North GA. What makes April so productive is that the winter pattern has ended, and while the weather has certainly warmed up due to the mild winter we had this year, we are fully ingrained with warm spring like temperatures every day. There can be two or maybe even 3 patterns to look out for during a typical April fishing season. The fish should be doing something totally different due to the temperature change. Once the fish are committed to both the pre-spawn feed and the spawn itself, it has the fish on the move. Striped bass for the most part should already be up to the upper reaches of the river systems their lakes are formed by. While this usually starts in end of March and goes through April, this year we will see this event already as the water temps sent the fish upriver earlier than normal. Not all fish head north. Some fish will head to the backs of some of the larger creeks where there is a good source of fresh water. This is
when the fish will get SHALLOW. However, for anglers wanting to take advantage of the spawn, all one has to do is head north into their lake’s respective river system. The fish will bunch up in huge numbers. This will last from two to three weeks as all the fish do not make the run at the same time. For anglers fishing Lake Lanier, all you need to do is head up either the Chattahoochee or the Chestatee Rivers to wait for their return downriver in this annual event. This will also take place on all our other lakes and their respective river systems that feed these lakes. Fish will be eating nearly anything thrown in their line of vision. Heading upriver is clearly going to be your best bet! While most fish are still feeding on threadfin shad in the 2”-3” range, do not hesitate to toss flies that are a tad larger than that. Equipment remains the same in that we toss both 8 and 9 weight fly rods. Lines are still the same in that it is best to employ both an intermediate (slow sinking) and fast sinking fly lines in case you are finding fish in water 8’-10’ deep (fast sinking line) or 2’5’ deep (intermediate slow sinking line). Clousers, Coyotes and Something Else flies are still your best bet. For anglers bringing conventional tackle with them in the boat, it is best to toss medium action rods with 12-pound test line and have an assortment of baits with them. Some of my favorites are flukes (weighted and un-weighted), ¼ ounce bucktails, Mcsticks, spy baits and Krocodile spoons. You can start fishing points in the dark using Long A Bombers. That bite is usually kept very quiet by in-the-know striped bass aficionados. Anglers will also find spotted bass getting shallower at this time of the year in preparation for their spawn. Anglers need to fish in the 3’ to 8’ depth and toss a little lighter tackle (6 and 7 weight rods) for these bass that are getting very aggressive. Tossing flies on your lake’s points up shallow as well as fishing the grass flats will have you finding lots of hungry spotted bass. Largemouth will also start getting active, and
now is the chance to catch a trophy fish up shallow and on dock lights too! The dogwoods have bloomed and the fish are starting to feed. I would even venture to guess that the beloved Redfin bite, which normally starts toward the end of April, will begin by the full moon in April this year. That is easily one of my most favorite patterns there is.
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It is the ONLY time I may not use a fly rod on Lanier day in and day out. When a striper eats a Redfin, they want to completely destroy it on the surface! It is the perfect combination of beauty, excitement and good fishing. Take advantage of April on your area lake and go have a ball. See you on the pond!
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING OCONEE ON THE FLY-APRIL FORECAST
CHATTOOGA RIVER
BETTER CASTING WITH A FLY ROD Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore USCG www.oconeeonthefly.com Most fly fisherman, myself included, have long thought, “I am catching fish, why do I need to improve my casting?” The fact is, most of us would enjoy fishing more if we learn how to cast better. We would catch more fish, and for us older anglers, have less chance of getting tennis elbow or shoulder problems. More importantly, in order to catch hybrids and stripers on freshwater lakes, it takes a set of skills beyond the typically shorter casts involved in fly fishing for trout in small streams and rivers. The best way to get better is to practice on land in short cut grass. Work on the double haul and getting tight loops at 50 feet. Learn the constant tension or Belgian loop cast. Learn the water haul and practice the roll cast. Hiring a casting instructor is a great way to learn. The other option is online videos. There are videos by Fly Fishers International (FFI) and Orvis on YouTube. Two of the best sources I have found are geared around the Fly Fishers International Casting Instructor (CI) test, but are great for all students: Keith Richard is an FFI certified Master Casting Instructor (MCI). He has over 33 videos on his website https://www.thecampflyfishingschool.com/ that are free and very good. Dayle Mazzarella is also an FFI certified Master Casting Instructor (MCI) and he has online lessons for students and instructors: https:// www.flyfishingcoachinternational. com/. Dayle offers some sample lessons and some that require a subscription fee. In my opinion, they are worth the investment! So practice up, hire an instructor, watch some videos, and I am certain you will enjoy fly fishing even more! Here is what is happening now on Oconee: Hybrids/Stripers – As of this writing, the lake is still stained all the way to the dam but getting better. Trolling Shad Raps for hybrids and stripers has been very good. Use a # 7 Shad Rap and troll using your gas motor at around 2 MPH. As we move into April, the spoon bite and 4 ATLANTA
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live bait bite will pick up near the dam. For the fly fisherman, when the water clears up, look for topwater activity at first light, especially if Georgia Power is still pumping water up from Wallace Dam. Crappie – By April, most of the crappie anglers here will switch from pushing jigs out of the front of the boat to pulling jigs behind the boat. Use 1/16-ounce jigs on Curtis Hobbs Litewire hooks http://litewirehooks. com/. You can get these at Sugar Creek Marina. Troll around 9/10 MPH, and you will catch a mess of slabs for the frying pan! Final words – I offer fly casting lessons and guided trips for hybrids, stripers and crappie using light spinning tackle or fly fishing here on Oconee. One thing that has been very popular with my customers is casting lessons the afternoon/ evening before their guided trip the following morning. Email me at wmoore1700 @outlook.com or call 404-317-9556 and lock in your dates. Tight lines and God bless.
Fish are jumping, bugs are flying, and the rivers are fishing great around us here at Chattooga River Fly Shop. The clocks have been sprung forward to give us that extra hour of light at the end of the day, and evening hatches are plentiful. The winter rains have been more than generous to us this year, as the rivers are at great levels as we enter spring. Starting out the day, a tandem rig with a nymph and emerger trailer will be a good set up, as the bugs have yet to hatch early in the day. Swinging this tandem rig will work well starting at the tops of the riffles with a slight upstream cast with a mend or two of the line. Slowly work the entire riffle area with numerous casts to make sure you cover every rock or boulder in the riffle and you will be rewarded with trout in hiding, awaiting a drifting morsel. Once the riffle is covered, swing this tandem rig into the heads of the pools. A pinch of weight may be necessary to get the flies down to the fish. Also, swinging these flies along the seams will be just as productive. As the day progresses and the sun starts to warm the waters, the bugs emerge from the nymph shucks and break to the top of the water to fly away. This is when our day
gets exciting! A glimpse of the first rising fish followed by a few more, and now it’s time to tie on our dry fly. A little more precision in our cast and mending techniques will be needed, as you will want to cast well above these rising fish. After the cast, a mend or two of the line and a “drag-free” drift into the location of the rising fish will be key. One word of caution; don’t set the hook too early, as it is very easy to do when you see the fish rising to the fly you have perfectly presented. Hook set too early and fish is gone, and we’re back to square one casting to another rising fish. If you are new at this, don’t worry as persistence pays off. We have all been too anxious to set the hook seeing the fish rising at our beautiful dry fly. Once the hatch has subsided and fish have stopped rising, it’s time to switch back to the tandem rig and swinging. As the hatches change, stop by the shop for all the necessary bugs you need on Tuesdays-Saturdays 7:30am-4:00pm & Sundays 7:30am-2pm. We look forward to seeing everyone out on the wonderful rivers here in South Carolina, and let’s remember to “Leave No Trace” out there!
Emma Partin with a nice Chauga brown.
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING THE CASTING CORNER
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR GUIDE
Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer
Contributed by David Hulsey International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor http://www.hulseyflyfishing.com 770-639-4001
APRIL AT LAST
Not only is April the first month that I start using topwater flies for bass, it is also the month that EVERYTHING is happening. I hope you have your gear ready. And if you are wondering what kind of gear to put together, the answer is all of it. Get your bass 6-9 wt., trout 3-6 wt., carp 7-9 wt., and if you get to go salt water fishing, have that line for bones, reds and tarpon. Sounds like a lot of gear, and it is, but the MOST important thing to have ready is your casting. You can have all the gear in the world, but if you can’t use it effectively, it can ruin a chance to catch a lot of fish. So how do you get better at casting? Practice properly and often. The knowledge of casting can be learned by watching videos from Fly Fishers International to start and then take a few casting lessons (especially if you are going salt water fishing). Knowing what to do is a start, but doing it takes practice. There are 35 fly casting instructors in Georgia. They can address any of your fly fishing questions, and even more importantly, see what needs to be worked on to make the casts
work and give you techniques to practice. For example, there are about 6 different casts to use in the wind. Can you change from a wide to narrow loop on command? There are casts that allow you to achieve long natural drifts, which a normal cast would not allow. There is a cast that will allow you to present a fly much deeper than a normal cast would not come close to. How about double hauling? Have you tried to learn that on your own? That learning curve could have been cut in half with hands-on training. When casting weighted flies compared to casting bulky flies, what has to change? There are variables of the cast such as trajectory, stroke length, timing, power application. These all come into play, and knowing when and how will change your game. Before I got with a casting instructor, I fly fished and had a good time. Once I learned the art and science of the sport, my enjoyment went through the roof. I would love to talk more about this, but it’s April and I have to get my rods ready. It’s happening out there.
So how do you get better at casting? Practice properly and often.
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Fly fishing guides are a strange bunch. I’m talking real fly fishing guides here, not daddy’s little boy with his gold card and a ten thousand dollar website, not Joe Blow that caught a couple of fish after a heavy stocking of soap heads and decided “Hey I can be a fishing guide!”, and not the guy after a quick buck. I’m talking about the guys and girls that bang it out day after day untangling a million knots and still keeping a smile on their face even though they would really like to hang you from your fly line. Folks with 20 years of experience and thousands of days on the water that have a pair of waders that never dry out through the year and then they decide they will give it a shot. These are real professional guides. Professional guides will give you their best days of their lives just to see you screw up all day long and then hook up and catch your first trout, knowing they probably have just put another link in the fly fishing chain. To a pro guide, it’s all about passing along a few skills during the day to make you more effective on your next trip and to have a good time doing it. Teaching about conservation and the environment that those trout live
in should come up during the day. Pro guides don’t have “pet flies” or techniques that limit your ability to learn new things. Changing flies and techniques should be commonplace on a trip if you haven’t figured out the silver bullet for the fish. A guide should never fish on your trip unless you insist or unless he or she is trying to show you a more effective technique. If he does, he’s probably a beginner trying to learn himself. If you do catch a nice fish, make sure the guide lets you hold it safely and properly for a picture. If he wants to hold the fish by himself for the pic, he is probably trying to get pics for his Instagram feed. Again, that’s beginner city. Trying to make a short cut to fly fishing fame without putting in the days on the water is a sure way to turn off experienced clients. They can spot this a mile away. A guide should be courteous and helpful to a fault if he or she wants to make it in this business. Sacrificing flies, leaders, tippet and sometimes a fly rod or two along the way can take a toll on the guide’s brain and finances, but yet they still lace up those wading boots day after day putting that next link in the fly fishing chain.
Professional guides will give you their best days of their lives.
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING E
Fly of the Month by Eli Crumley Blackhawk Fly Fishing keepemwet94@gmail.com
Hare’s Ear Hook: Tiemco TMC 3769 size 12-18 Thread: UTC 70 denier (color) Black Body: Hare’s Mask Dubbing Natural Ribbing: Gold Tinsel Thorax: Dark Hare’s Mask Dubbing Wing case: Pheasant Tail
FULL SERVICE OUTFITTER
The Hare’s Ear nymph will attract fish even when there is no hatch on, and this pattern imitates almost any natural nymph. Try it in runs and riffles, or fish it in still waters too.
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING TAILWATER TROUT IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER AT HARTWELL DAM By Bob Borgwat From a technical standpoint, it’s a tailwater fishery, but trout fishing in the Savannah River below Hartwell Dam is admittedly not much of a riverway challenge and is much like fishing from the bank of a lake. More than 13,000 trout are annually stocked here from March through June, through a program shared by Georgia and South Carolina wildlife agencies. Like many Southeastern reservoirs, Hartwell Lake has three distinct water layers that differ in temperature and chemistry. By late summer the “hypolimnion layer,” the cool bottom area of water in the reservoir, typically has low dissolved oxygen (DO). Since the water released through the dam for hydropower comes from this layer, the low oxygen content would have a negative impact on the tailwater as it leaves the dam. While trout
prefer the colder water, low oxygen content makes it difficult for them to thrive. A modification to the turbines changed all that. Recognizing an opportunity to improve fisheries habitat in the Hartwell tailwater, the Corps of Engineers contacted the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1997 to assist in identifying possible water quality improvements at the Hartwell Dam and power plant. After an on-site engineering study, the Corps followed TVA’s recommendations to install turbine hub baffles
and 10-inch air supply pipes to four of the five generating units. These modifications allow air to diffuse into the water as it flows past the turbines during generation. This results in a much-needed increase in dissolved oxygen levels in the tailwater. The location of the Hartwell tailwater trout fishery makes it unique. The cool hypolimnetic water released during power generation makes a trout fishery possible in the Piedmont. The same water once extremely low in DO (and a limiting factor for trout stocking) is now viable habitat with the addition of the turbine venting apparatus. Catch-and-keep fishing is clearly the norm in the slightly more than mile-stretch of the Savannah’s “trout water”. You’re not going to wade here; posted signs warn to “stay off the rocks”, and the river is generally deep. Some anglers choose to float in inflatable boats and tubes, but boating trips are nearly out of the question because the current falls out quickly as the flow backs up into Lake Russell. Those who do boat the river for trout put in at the Smith-McGee boat ramp, just a few miles downstream in Lake Russell, but a buoy
line prohibits boating into the first quarter-mile of the flow below the dam, leaving all the best trout water available only to shore-bound anglers who walk the shoreline downstream from the buoy line or along the Georgia River Recreation Area and Pier on the Georgia shoreline at the dam. A selection of 1/8 to 1/4-ounce lures can keep an angler casting and catching where the water is moving. Consider a selection of spoons – Kastmaster, Phoebe and Little Cleo – and spinners – Roostertail, Mepp’s, Panther Martin – in bright colors (combinations of white, yellow, orange, silver) with silver blades and dark colors (brown, black, green and copper) with gold blades. Some anglers drift small Trout Magnet jigs deep under foam bobbers. Ultralight tackle armed with 4-pound line makes the catching fun. A minute-long, loud horn alerts anglers to the impending and quick rise in the river below the dam. Leave the riverbank quickly whenever the horn sounds. The Hartwell power generation schedule recording is available by calling toll free 1-888-893-0678 or 706-856-0300. The schedule is recorded daily and is subject to change at any time.
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING THE GUIDES ANGLE SPRING INTO THE HOOCH
Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service
North GA’s Full Service Fly Shop
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While the Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam is not known for its hatches, I would have to say April would be my choice of months to maybe actually witness some dry fly action. The Hooch tailwater was famous for its black caddis hatch from the 1970’s through 2005 with clouds of caddisfly adults which we called a “blizzard hatch” so thick you could not open your mouth unless you wanted try an insect snack. My fishing buddies and I fished the river since the late 70’s, and of course the “good old days” were always better in hindsight. Our theory behind the bug decline is that Atlanta was just approaching 1 million population count then, and now we are approaching 7 million in the greater metro counties. We have replaced abandoned pastures and chicken farms with
suburban sprawl, which means everyone now wants to keep up with the Jones’s with whose landscape is the prettiest. Pesticides and insecticides have become more potent with the introduction of Dursban in the 80’s which is extremely deadly to most six legged critters. In recent times, these chemicals have been regulated, and some forms have been banned from use. While I am guilty of overdosing my yard with Sevin dust to treat for my dog’s fleas, I have become more aware of the devastating impacts, not just to aquatic insects, but bees as well. The good news is that we have seen an upswing in bug numbers in recent years of caddisflies and mayflies on the river! Don’t forget your dry fly box this April. You just may catch some trout on the topwater if you’re lucky.
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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING SPRINGTIME FLY FISHING Contributed by James Bradley Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide www.ReelEmInGuideService.com (706) 273-0764
SO YOU WANT TO FISH FROM A KAYAK
By Chris Largent
I know you’ve seen this before. A blog or Facebook post is written with the simple question of “What’s the best kayak to buy to fish from?” And then the responses commence, with a series of reasons as to why his or her kayak is “the best” for everything and typically very strong opinions regarding other brands on the market. Let me ask you a question though. Would you buy a car without first taking it for a test drive? Then why buy a kayak without taking it for a test paddle? Kayak shops these days understand this. Most of the staff at these places have used and have fished from many of the models they stock in the store. Product training is key to passing information along to their clients and customers. The technical features available on newer kayaks are only words on a page or forum until you have a knowledgeable person walk you through it. Here are a few tips from an experienced kayak angler on how to choose a boat that works for you. Know where you are going to spend most of your time fishing. Are you pond hopping or floating a few hours downstream to shuttle back? The hull design of your kayak will depend on whether or not you are looking for stability and maneuverability or tracking ability. A wider hull typically provides a lot more primary stability to the boat, making it seem less tippy and easier to control, also being more comfortable for the beginner to paddle on flat water. The more stability you have, the less tracking ability, normally due to the lack of a defined keel. Longer, narrower, V-shaped hulls displace water better, allowing the kayak to cut through the water with less effort. This hull design would be great for traveling across large lakes, but not so well in narrower rivers with current and obstacles. This design will feel more tippy to a beginner and will give the false impression that the kayak is not very stable. Know what you want to take with you. Are you carrying 4 or 5 rods every trip? Are you looking to carry a cooler for an all-day outing? A lot of the newer fishing kayaks have you in mind, with weight capacity soaring into the 700 to 800-pound range. The average, about 400-pounds, is usually more than enough room for angler and accessories, with a little
Well folks, April is right around the corner. Milder weather is not only a plus for anglers and guides, but for trout as well. Rainbow trout will be beautifully colored up due to their spawning activities. April will have all kinds of insects coming from abroad. This will get many trout looking up for these tiny morsels. If you like dry fly fishing, it’ll be picking up this month! Our friends at the Department of Natural Resources started stocking many streams back in March. They will continue to fill streams with trout until July 4th for the first half of the year. Keep in mind that the delayed harvest streams and rivers will continue to get some fish until the season ends on May 14th. Some flies to have for your outing in the Southern Appalachians will be caddis, mayflies and stoneflies. The following is a good assortment to have on hand: black, brown, grey and green caddis sizes 14-18 (elk or deer hair caddis), Quill Gordon (early in the month), Blue Quill, March Brown, Red Quill, and Light Cahills (late in the
month) sizes ranging from 10-20 (mayflies). Lastly will be stoneflies like little black stones, and yellow stones sizes 14-18. I personally like stimulators and elk hair caddis size 14-16 for my dry fly fishing during this month. Regardless whether you are fishing with dries or nymphs, it is important that you try to match the size you are seeing first, then the color. If nymphing, take a little time to flip some rocks to match the mayfly or stonefly sizes. Making a good choice for your dry fly and dropper fly, if permitted, will help lead you to success! Reel Em In Guide Service is an Orvis Endorsed operation serving mainly in North Georgia’s Historic High-Country region. They have been offering their services to fly anglers since 2001. Permits have been granted for guiding in Georgia and North Carolina, offering over 6 miles of private trophy waters across Georgia, and operating drift boat trips on the Chattahoochee and Toccoa Rivers in GA, and the Tuckasegee River in NC.
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room to spare for the ice cold beverages. Options include interior storage and deck storage. Just make sure you splurge on the extra tie down kit and leash your rods! The rigging solutions out there now are astonishing, but you have to decide what you really need. I suggest taking it on a few trips first with as little as possible, and then figuring out what else you would enjoy having, and then trying it out. Most of the fishing kayaks on the market now come with a basic set up of a rod holder or two, and all you have to provide is your paddle and rods. Know how the kayak handles. How do you do that? Rent one, demo one or borrow one from a friend. Most kayak dealers have a demo available of the popular models and will rent them out to you for that reason. Some of them even offer to deduct the rental fee from the purchase price of the boat, meaning you won’t be out any actual money in the long run. You can take all the advice in the world on how a kayak handles, but until your butt has to paddle it, you won’t have the firsthand experience. I strongly suggest taking it to the waters you will be fishing, and give it the full test of abilities. If it doesn’t work, move on to another model. I would even go so far as to test a kayak that may not even spark your interest. You may be surprised at what you find. Call your local dealer. Hound them. Ask them the random questions from the list you’ve made. Most of them have been in the same shoes and have pretty good advice on how to handle it. Most of the shops are there to provide you with quality gear and also quality knowledge. So as you are deciding on whether or not to jump feet first into one of the fastest growing and greatest sports around, remember you must figure out your goals, your needs and decide based on your experiences before making that final purchase. I hope this helps you along your way, and I hope to run into you out on the water someday soon!
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE MARTIN Provided By: David Hare Alex City Guide Service 256-401-3089 Water temperature: 54-58 degrees, lake level: 488.9 (full fool 491.00), clarity: stained to very stained. Needless to say, I have seen as much rain as I want to see for a while. Fishing the last several weeks has been very tough. Even though we had some awesome days of catching, we also had some days where it was hard to find clear enough water to get a bite. We also fished in wind speeds of 5-30 mph, and let me tell you, that’s work. One particular day, we boated 57 stripers in 5 hours, so that’s what makes people want to keep coming back.
Here it is April, and in a normal weather year, this is definitely the most exciting month for striper fishing! It is well into trophy season and the topwater bite is on! Stripers are feeding on larger live baits this month which also means you can catch them on giant topwater lures such as Redfins. You trollers can also catch them by just not trolling as deeply. April brings some of the best dock light fishing for stripers there is, but you must remember there is a lot of debris out, so you’ve got to be on top of your game or you’ll get in trouble fast. Lots and lots of stripers, bass and crappie are caught in April here on Lake Martin. If at all possible, try a weekday of fishing and you might get to fish your brush pile or dock or point by yourself! Our water patrol and game wardens are out in force in April
doing what we pay them to do so don’t be surprised if you get checked several times in April. At all times be very nice to them and respectful because they’re just trying to keep you safe and at the same time protecting our lakes for the next generation of fishermen and fisherwomen. Until next time, catch one for me!
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST SMALL WATERS CAN BRING BIG REWARDS IN THE SPRING
LAKE LANIER STRIPERS
Contributed By: Jay Striker www.jaystriker.com Before there was a big bass boat with a 250HP Mercury with Power Poles and high stakes to compete for, there were the small waters of Georgia where I fell in love with fishing. With having fished so many small waters, there are some basic things to keep in mind that will help you be successful. When you go, remember to study your surroundings, be as quiet as possible, and have the equipment and the right lures to be successful. Study your surroundings: Understanding your surroundings makes pond fishing much more enjoyable. Know how to approach the body of water you are going to fish. One key thing to look for is finding a remote pond perhaps on a map or ask some of your friends where are the good ponds to fish. Here in Georgia there is the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center which has over 15 different ponds and lakes that have some great fishing. You can also contact your state DNR office and ask them where there is accessible waters to fish. Be sure to be safe, as some of these small waters will have you walking through some really tough brush to reach untouched waters to possibly hang a trophy of a lifetime. Being very quiet is one key to success, especially if you are fishing from the bank. I like to stalk the bank, which means walking slowly around the pond not making a lot of noise. You don’t want to spook them away. When fishing from the bank, be sure to stand back from the edge of the water and make long casts to the lake. On windy days, cast into the wind rather that with the wind, because pond bass like to set up where their meals drift by. Casting into the wind allows for that presentation. Most ponds will have clear water and an elevated shoreline, so as you rise up over the pond, they can see you. Wear
some type of drab or camo patterns to break up your profile. Have the right equipment and lures to fish small ponds. When deciding to fish these little special lakes, having the right stuff is key. If you are fishing from the bank, having a small backpack will help carry all of the lures you need. Baits that are must-haves are topwater baits, Texas rigged worms, frogs, spinnerbaits and small crankbaits should be more than enough to enjoy the day of fishing. Minnows will get the attention of a lot of bass in ponds, but be sure to ask permission to fish minnows. If you are fishing from a small boat, be sure that you have all the safety equipment you need. Be sure to stay back away from the bank with your boat and try not to bang your tackle and rod against the boat, as it will spook the bass near you. Places to target on small ponds are brush piles, stumps fields, channel break and drops offs, rocks, and grass flats. This is the time of year to consider heading out to the small waters and take a chance on bass that are less pressured and willing to bite. Knowing your surroundings, being stealthy and having the right equipment will help you have a great day on one of the local ponds. Be sure you get permission to fish private ponds, and if you get permission, be sure to leave it better than you found it. Please take the time to follow me on social media @JayStriker52 on IG or check me out at www.jaystriker.com.
Forecast By: Steve Scott http://TeamLanier.wordpress.com/menu April is finally upon us and the Lanier striper anglers welcome the warmer weather with less rain than we had in February and March. As we get into April, we should continue our down-lining efforts concentrating over the huge schools of baitfish using blueback herring and medium to large gizzards. I say stick with the schools because the stripers are now moving above the schools because of the warmer water temperatures. We should also be getting out the planer boards as well, putting them at least 50 feet out from the boat using six to eight feet of fluorocarbon leader in the 12 to 15-pound range. Using a bead and a swivel on the main line will keep the board from sliding down the line and knocking off the striper. The bait should be from 30 to 50 feet from the board using an appropriately sized hook based on the size of the bait. Each day you go you should bring a variety of live bait including herring, “gizzies” and medium shiners. Bait requirements have been known to change from one day to the next. If you are into artificial bait, trolling is a good option as well. Three or four arm umbrella rigs 100 to 140 feet out will put you in the 20 to 35 foot range. This is a good choice in the rivers or in the back third of the creeks. They are
also useful pulling them near mud lines or when there is a break in the water’s color or temperature. Another choice that is becoming more popular is the Mini Mack which can be trolled at .2 to .5 mph or added to a planer board. I prefer the bladed Mini Mack as they mimic threadfin shad. They do not come with any trailers, but I will add some curly tails to them. Tip of the month: when using any type of spoon, the strike is usually on the fall. As the spoon is dropping, look for any change in the line’s movement or hesitation and set the hook. For more info see TeamLanier.com - Steve Scott 404273-3481.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST WHAT SPECIES TO GO AFTER? By Tim Danger ltdangar@tds.net
Greetings to all my fishing friends. March Madness is upon us and fishing is crazy good! This time of year puts a problem right in my lap, and that is what species of fish to go after. After considering that for a nano-second, I decided to go after them all! The small deep and cold North Georgia lakes are coming alive with a good trout bite in the upper ends where the creeks come in with some creek minnows to feed on. Think about using a small minnow-like plug, and as always, a Rooster Tail of your choice. These fish will try to take your pole away from you, and that’s fun! The big lakes are all high but
have come down in recent days. My home lake, Allatoona, is about six feet up still, but the water color has improved greatly. I am primarily a crappie fisherman, but as always in March, you will get some nice size hungry bass every now and then hit a crappie jig. The high water makes it somewhat difficult to fish your honey holes, but you just have to adjust. The fish are there and more to come. Water temperature is 55-56 degrees, and with no nights going down to freezing or below in the next nine to ten days, the water temp should go up. So, put on the rain gear and go fish!
This time of year puts a problem right in my lap, and that is what species of fish to go after.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST FISHING THE SPAWN ON LAKE LANIER Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com
Head and worm combo, consider using a lighter jig-head. I often choose a 1/8 ounce head or lighter to target these spawning fish. I will often tip this with a 4-inch worm as opposed to a traditional offering of 6 inches or more. 2. Fluke – A weightless fluke is a fun and productive bait to fish this time of year. Target the shallows, cover, and docks with this rig. Twitch the bait and then allow it to sink slowly. This presentation will draw strikes from actively feeding and spawning fish as well, and you get to see the strikes! 3. Super Spin - I like to downsize to a 1/4 ounce model with a small trailer and work the back 1/3 of creeks with this bait during the pre-spawn and just before the fish go on beds. It offers versatility in presentation and depth, a great combo. A traditional spinnerbait can be a good choice as well. 4. Swimbait – Swimbaits offer great versatility as they can, based on the model, be fished at any depth you wish. This a great bait with which to
Fishing during the spawn can provide some interesting opportunities and many different choices. Bass focused on the spawn are often quite finicky and tough to catch at times. Bed-fishing is very popular this time of year, especially for tournament anglers, and certainly can provide some outstanding catches. In most instances, I prefer to leave the fish to their reproductive cycle, and often shy away from bed fishing. In this article, I will focus on tips and techniques to catch fish during this sometimes challenging period that offer an alternative to the bed-fishing option. Optimal Conditions: This year, 2020, we are in sync with the normal timing of the spawn on Lake Lanier in terms of water temperature trends. The thing that stands out for this season is the unusually high water. Lanier is more than 4 feet over full pool, and has been that way for a number of weeks. The high water, should it stay that way throughout the spawn, will provide many options for spawning fish, and more importantly, additional cover for the bass fry. This should lead to a good year class, barring any major cold fronts or other further unusual activity. Typically, the fish spawn in “waves”, rather than all at once. After the first “wave” of fish completes their spawning routine, there will be fish in all stages of the spawn (pre, spawn, and post) for the next 30-45 days, depending on the weather conditions and water temperatures. Further, it is important to understand that many fish that spawn in “waves” as mentioned above, do so during a favorable moon phase, given the noted water temperature requirements are met. The full and new moon phases often prompt fish to move into their bedding routine. Make sure to cross reference the moon calendar with water data to understand when fish will likely begin their spawning rituals. Location: The largemouths in Lake Lanier tend to spawn shallower than do the spotted bass. The largemouth can be found bedding in creek pockets, often in the back of these pockets, in a protected area.
They will position themselves next to a piece of cover such as a blow down tree or stump for security and are often in 3 feet of water or less. The spotted bass can frequently be found in similar areas, but often prefer a hard bottom type area, such as that a pebble rock/clay flat or sandy pocket can provide. The spots will typically spawn deeper than do the largemouth and can generally be found in 6-12 feet of water and deeper. Unlike the largemouth, there are a contingency of the spotted bass that will spawn on the main lake. These fish can be found on or around humps, points, islands, and sandy saddles between islands on the main lake. These females are often some of the biggest fish in the lake. So, if you are looking for a trophy spot in the springtime, your efforts may be better spent on the main lake as opposed to the creeks. The creeks, however, will offer greater numbers of fish and more action than will the main lake in most cases. Spots and largemouth both will stage around and under docks near likely spawning areas. Check those areas thoroughly. Lures and Presentation: Now that we have explored the location that fish can be found during the spawn, I want to share some of the techniques and lures that can be used to catch these fish. Rather than focusing on specific “bed fishing” techniques, which are multi-faceted and often different with each pair of targeted fish on any given day, I am going to share some proven tactics that can be used to catch fish just before they actually lock down on the beds. 1. Worm/jig – These baits are proven fish catchers year-round, and the spawn is no different. These are great baits to skip and pitch around docks for those staging fish we discussed earlier in this article. Use a 3/16 ounce Georgia Blade Shaky Head and tip it with a Zoom finesse worm. If the fish are ultrafinicky, don’t forget the Carolina Rig to present your soft-plastics. This presentation method is often ideal for finicky spawning bass. Drag or drift this rig slowly over secondary points or the ends of spawning flats for some potentially awesome results. Also, when fishing a Georgia Blade Shaky
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catch a monster bass just before they spawn. Often, the females will be out just off of the spawning area in slightly deeper water, but they are not far from the beds. Throwing a big 6 or 8-inch swimbait and slow rolling in these areas just off of spawning flats or around secondary points and docks can entice bites from very big fish. I recommend the Sweet Herring Swimbait from Sweet Bait options for this tactic. Keep in mind this approach will not garner you many bites on any given day, but the fish you do catch will likely be monsters! Also, a Lanier Baits Swimmer on a jig head swam off of rocky and clay points as well as in pockets can be a great option for both numbers and big fish as well. While the spawn can be a challenging time of year to catch fish, focus on the immediate pre-spawn period with the trips and baits noted above for some outstanding results! See you on the water! For more information or to book your trip, contact Jimbo on Lanier! 770-542-7764. Jimbo’s website: www. jimboonlanier.com.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST KIM’S KITCHEN
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Easy Grilled Fish Fillets in Foil Pockets IINGREDIENTS 4 fresh fish fillets, about 5 oz each 4 tsp olive oil Salt and fresh pepper to taste 4 sprigs fresh herbs, parsley, rosemary, oregano 1 lemon, sliced thin 4 large pieces heavy duty aluminum foil, about 18 to 20 inches long INSTRUCTIONS Place the fish in the center of the foil, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Place a slice of lemon on top of each piece of fish, then a sprig of herbs on each. Fold up the edges so that it’s completely sealed and no steam will escape, creating a loose tent. Heat half of the grill (on one side) on high heat with the cover closed. When the grill is hot, place the foil packets on the side of the grill with the burners off (indirect heat) and close the grill. Depending on the thickness of your fish, cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and cooked through. My porgy fillets took about 12 minutes.
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Contributed by Joseph Martinelli Heron Outdoor Adventures www.heronoutdooradventures.com 404-919-4918 Oh how we welcome the warmth of April, showers and all. The water temps begin to rise, the fish are spawning, and we are so very excited for the bigger fish bite that we start to enjoy in the month of April. The hybrids and stripers will soon be rolling on the surface, so let the “boiling” begin! We are confident that standard patterns of downlining and free-lining fresh threadfin and gizzard shads along with trolling umbrella rigs and crankbaits will produce both numbers as well as quality fish. The topwater bite is just starting and this always provides an extra rush of adrenaline when any species busts the popper or such on the surface. This is the time the bigger girls come into the shallows to play and hunt, day and night. We can only hope to hook up with a gem or two this month. Bigger baits may prevail when targeting the larger fish and separate trips for big bait catching will likely be commonplace. If this does not sound so fun, we have some great live bait resources along the lake for you to take advantage of if you are going it alone. Think about pulling a big 10”+ shad anytime you are committing to an area for maximum success on hooking a drag screamer. The spotted bass bite has been fantastic for every one of the years I can recall on Allatoona. I look forward to catching them while walking the banks as well as pitching to the banks from our boats this month. They will respond well to many offerings. A white fluke or shad pattern swim bait worked along the bank edges will produce fish, as might your crappie jigs. It is always hard to beat a good ol’ night crawler or basssized shiner to get the bite. More 3 to 5-pound bass will be caught this month. Spawn will fatten the females up, and we would encourage releasing egg laden females during this time. We sure do have a lot of 1 to 2 pounders that make it easy to enjoy a creel limit of this sweet meat if you just cannot resist. If you are looking for the tenderloin of Allatoona, the crappie and
bream are bountiful. Red worms or crickets under a bobber may be all that you and your family need for a fun day of fishing for shellcrackers. Keeping a small jig worked 3-6 feet under a float, maybe even tipped with a minnow, will produce some nice crappie that will be coming into all the awesome Christmas tree piles and other structure that local volunteer fisherman, state and federal agencies have diligently placed to ensure that the fishing will be great this time of year. We are excited to be offering our newest targets this spring: the catfish of Allatoona and beyond. We are very hopeful to be contributing a little more in-depth info on the big cat bite on a regular basis, so keep reading this season. We will be targeting the blues and flatheads as well as channel cats. We look forward to even having you on board for a striper, spotted bass, crappie or catfish adventure here on lovely Lake Allatoona. Please reach out to us any time. Stay safe and tight lines, friends!
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST WEST POINT LAKE
LANIER STRIPERS Forecast by: Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com 770-630-2673 April is a big month on Lanier for striped bass. The stripers will move up both rivers, spawn and work their way back down to the main lake. Since the stripers will be on the move, they will need to eat. The result is some great catching on Lanier. After the endless rain, it is time to get on the water. The key pattern will be to pull the banks and points with freelines and boards mostly on the north end of the lake. Be sure to use your electronics to spot the fish in these areas. On the Humminbird Side Imaging, you can see the fish on each side of the boat. In the past five years, the electronics have progressed immensely. The best setup is a Shakespeare striper rod paired with a Penn Fathom II Linecounter. Spool the Penn Fathom II Linecounter with 15-pound Trilene Big Game line. On the end of the line, you will need a flourocarbon leader. Tie on a Spro Power Swivel and a five foot section of 15-pound Trilene 100% Flouro-
carbon and a Gamakatsu 1/0 Octopus hook. Pick up a set of Water Bug planer boards and some live herring and you are good to go for the day. If you prefer to use artificials, be sure to pick up some Sebile Magic Swimmer Swimbaits in White Linear and Ayu in several sizes. The most popular sizes being the 95 and 125 size. Be sure to throw the smaller 95 size on 10-pound Trilene Big Game or Trilene 100% Flourocarbon on a seven foot, medium action Penn combo. Personally, I like the Penn Conflict 3000 spooled with 10-pound Trilene Big Game on a Fenwick 7 foot medium spinning rod. Pick up a selection of other topwater wake baits like the Berkley Surge Shad and walking baits like the Berkley Cane Walker and you are good to go. One day, the Surge Shad will be best, and another day, the Cane Walker will be best. Another good choice is a Capt. Mack 1/2 ounce bucktail tipped with a Berkley Jerk Shad casting to the bank. April is a great month for casting here on Lanier. Time to be on the water!
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Water temps should be mostly in the mid 60’s to low 70s. The lake is still slightly stained in the creeks and should hopefully be approaching full pool soon! Bass: Good - April is usually my favorite month for all types of fishing in general. Bass can be caught on several different patterns. Topwater baits such as Pop R’s, Zara Spooks and buzzbaits can be extremely effective for shallow and aggressive pre-spawn and spawning fish. The second pattern that works really well is to look for spawning shad. Try fishing rip-rap around bridges with spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, and Zoom Super Flukes. Additionally, some big tournament sacks of largemouth are weighed in April by guys who sight fish, targeting fish that are locked on bed. A Yamamoto Senko or Merthiolate Trick worm rigged weightless will do the trick. This can sometimes be an aggravating way to fish but can pay off in a tournament win. Lots of spotted bass spawn in April and are caught by just dragging a Carolinarigged Zoom finesse worm or mini lizard around sloping gravel banks. This tactic normally works very well for numbers. Linesides: Excellent - Expect a strong river run from the hybrids and white bass this year until at least mid-April. The hybrids have made a nice comeback since the DNR has been stocking them again for the past several years. Many of these fish are mature this year and should guarantee a big run. Try live or cut bait (even chicken livers will work at times!) fished in holes from Grayson’s Landing to Franklin. Spray your bait with a little garlic scent for even more bites. Some fish will always remain down on the main lake as well and can be caught on small crankbaits, topwaters, and Storm Swim Shad lures. Try the rip-rap around the bridges at daylight. Shad spawn should start soon! Please don’t forget to book your striper trips for this upcoming season. I still have a few days open in May and June! Please feel free to contact me at HudsonsPro-
Bass@gmail.com or visit my website LakeWestPointFishing.com to reserve your day! Crappie: Good - Because of below average water temps last month, there should be a good second wave of crappie coming up in early to mid-April this year to spawn. During April, crappie can be in all stages of the spawning process: pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn. Crappie can be easier to catch in slightly stained water especially if you have shallow brush, blow-downs or chunk rock structure. Try using minnows, small Panther-Martin spinners or jigs under a float. Spawned out fish will typically move out and hold on deeper structure for a while to recover. Night fishing should also improve in late April. Bream: Good - Don’t forget about our bream and shellcracker. Finding an active bed can take a little effort, but when you do, you can have a ball! Bedding usually takes place on the full moon cycles in April and May. Look for shallow cover in the backs of pockets. Sandy flats and stump beds tend to draw the fish like a magnet. Use live pink worms, crickets and small spinners for the best results. Catfish: Good - Lots of channel cat are caught every year by anglers who are targeting linesides. The same live and cut baits (as well as pink worms and liver) that are used on stripers will catch cats especially in the river north of 219. To target flatheads, go to a larger bait like a 4-5 inch bream and fish the same areas. Be sure to increase the size of your rigs as fish in the 20 to 30-pound range are fairly common.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST GENERAL TIPS AND ADVICE GLEANED FROM THREE QUARTERS OF A CENTURY by O’Neill Williams It’s funny that the older you get, the more you have to say to more people whether they want to hear it or not. The redeeming factor is that at my age, one doesn’t care if you listen or not, agree or not, or can improve on the subject or not. The tips are here for the taking or just ignore what you choose. In no order of importance, here goes. Try turning the tail of any curly tail jig up or down. If the tail is down, it will sink slightly slower because of the resistance. If turned up, it will sink slightly faster with less resistance. Rig them both on different rods with the same line size and see what works best. When using a drop-shot, use a Road Runner or any other jig as your weight at the end of your line. This increases your chances of catching fish as they might bite that instead of the drop-shot rig father up. If you hook up, don’t be in a hurry to reel him in as there are others looking and feeding there also. Pick one day a month as family outdoor sports day. Take the entire family fishing, hunting, boating, seashell hunting, hiking, sporting clay shooting, or even camping. Getting the family outside once a month can prove to be enlightening and fun for everyone. Participate in shoreline cleaning events in your local area or even organize one yourself through your church or bass club. Keeping the banks and shorelines clean is a positive for the fishery and the
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environment. Run a piece of cotton through the guides on your rods. If any of it sticks to the guides, there must be a crack in the fiberglass inside the guide and needs replacing. Do not power spray your reels with a hose. It forces impurities into the reel that may cause corrosion. Use only a light spray and douse or submerge the reel in a bucket of water for a couple of minutes. Dry it off with a lint-free cloth and spray the entire reel with Real Magic. It will protect the reel and line from UV rays and help prevent corrosion. Keep an angler’s journal. Each time you go fishing, write down as much data as possible about the weather, water color, temperature, wind direction and always include what you were using to catch fish. Do not forget about moon phases, barometric pressure and cloud cover. You can refer to this journal over the years to condition your approach to each body of water. If you are a proficient angler and you want to pass on your knowledge, do some volunteering. Local high
schools and colleges need mentors for fishing teams. These youngsters are the future of the sport and they need additional guidance. Be respectful at the ramp. Have your rig ready to launch when it is your turn. Do not back up to park on the ramp then load the boat from your vehicle. This wastes other anglers’ time on the water. Wash your boat off when moving from lake to lake. Contaminants from one lake can stick to your boat and wash off into another lake. This is how the zebra mussels infested lakes out west. Use the long shank Tru-Turn, light wire hook for panfish. The longer shank makes it easier to grab and remove since you cannot get your fingers in a smaller fish’s mouth. When fishing with younger kids, use a rod with a handle that floats. If the rig falls out of their hands, you will be able to recover it. If you’re fishing deep for bass and you have one on and it gets off, don’t reel in immediately. Could be that many more bass were with that one and wanted your bait also. Leave
it in the water at that level and don’t be in such a hurry to reel in. You will probably get another bite. When using a buzzbait or something similar and are using a trailer hook, which I recommend, turn the trailer hook down instead of up and mash down the barb. You’ll double your catch. If you get a bite on a buzzbait and it’s missed, have a plastic worm to throw back to the strike area. While the bass will not likely hit the buzzbait if you toss it back, he’ll almost always take the worm. I learned that from Rick Clunn in a tournament about 50 years ago. Every time you rig up to go fishing, cut off one rod length of line. Start with a fresh 6 or 7 feet of line. This will require you to retie your lures and hooks with new knots also. Want more incidental tips and shameless unsolicited advice? Tune in “O’Neill Outside” radio on WSB and the SB Nation affiliate network across North America every Saturday morning from 4AM to 6AM. We have many callers smarter than “O’Neill” to hand it out.
LAKE CHATUGE Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchsguideservice. com 706-455-2323 Water temperature: 51-52 degrees, lake level: 3.5 feet low, clarity: stained. Bass: The lake has been up and down with all the rain that we’ve been getting, but the bite has been picking up. We’ve been catching spotted bass on points and around spawning banks on drop-shots with a 4.5” red crawler Roboworm, and Z-Man Ned Rig with a green pumpkin TRD. Now that some of the shore line brush is in the water, try a 3/8 ounce green pumpkin jig, Zman chatter bait, and a 3/16 ounce shaky head with a 6.5 Strike King finesse worm in green pumpkin. As the water continues to warm up, fish are going to move up and start cruising. This is a good time to throw a 3.5” or 4.5” swimbait. Also try throwing a Strike King 1.5 square bill in red or chart/blk. If you find any fish bunched up, try a 1/2 ounce white or chrome spoon. Also,
try a Strike King KVD series 200 jerk bait in clear water minnow is a good spring bait. On a sunny day, try an ARig around docks, points and flats. 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 JUST ANOTHER CRAPPIE DAY! By Gary Turner
Last week I was getting my gear ready to do some crappie fishing and someone asked me where I was going. I told them probably just to Ft. Yargo. I have a boat I have been building for years and wanted to test it out. He said “there’s no need to go there. The water is so muddy the fish will never see your bait.� We have had rain every day for nearly a month, so there is not a lake around that doesn’t look like a mud bath. I was polite and didn’t offer that opinion though. As luck would have it, I had a little accident on the way to the lake. No one was injured, but it was back to the yard for the boat. When I went to get replacement parts the next day, the guy said “you ain’t going fishing are you? The water is so muddy the fish wont bite.� I told this man that I have a friend who has been wearing them out in this muddy water. My friend and guide Chad Smith has been catching limits of crappie on Oconee for 2 weeks in this rain, cold and floods. I called Chad and asked if he had any openings. He said that he was booked until April with several days running 2 trips. I told him that if he gets a cancellation to give me a shout. A few days rolled by and I texted him to see if he had any cancellations. He said everyone is keeping the trips because the fishing is on fire but just to come down here tomorrow and when I finish up my trip we can go
out for a little while. Well, a little while is fine with me. I arrived at Sugar Creek Marina and waited on him the next afternoon. The water looked like caramel coffee. It was so dark you could not see in it at all. There was wood and debris all around the docks. The wind was blowing and the water has a little chop. When Chad arrived at the dock, two guys got off the boat and I asked them how they did. One of them replied that they did great! Chad said they kept 45 good fish and threw back over 50 smaller ones. I looked in the cooler, and sure enough, they had some good fish. I was ready to get on the water. We untied and headed out to a cove he hadn’t fished in several days hoping to find some bigger, hungry fish. It was a little slow, but we found 4 fish pushing black and blue crappie jigs tipped with minnows on them. Chad said when the water is this stained to use dark colors. The fish finder was showing a good bunch of fish in a layer between 8 and ten feet. We pushed at 8 feet for a while then at 10. They just weren’t in the feeding mood, so we hit another cove. We were only going to fish for another 30 minutes or so, and he had marked fish in that cove earlier that day. When we arrived, the cove was 59 degrees with the wind coming across it. Another boat was set up pulling baits already. We rigged up
12 rods to push. A minute later we had a bite, and it was a good crappie. Then another and another at the same time. I missed the second one trying to get it with one in my other hand too. The other boat was coming back by us and asked what we were using. Chad told him and said he needed to push, not pull, and slow down to .2 mph. We got into the fish, and it was fast and fun. We pulled in 16 fish in that last 30 minutes. The wind was blowing, the water was muddy as it gets, and it was 4:30 in the afternoon. You can wait for the perfect day to go fishing, or you can just go when you can and hope for the best. Chad stays booked, and that’s why he keeps looking for hungry fish. He has people that book a year in advance to get trips with him. If you are looking for a trip for crappie, catfish, striper, hybrids or need sonar training, he is the go-to guy on Lake Oconee and Sinclair. You can reach Chad at 706-207-2411, and his website is chadsmithguideservice. com. Make sure you send in your pics of great pond catches to the Angler
Magazine, and your picture may be selected for posting on the Wall of Fame. Get with some of your friends and take a fishing trip, whether with a guide or just on your own, but GO FISHING! I’m not sure what next month’s article will be on, but if you have an empty seat on your boat that needs filling or a great farm pond you want to share, shoot me an email and maybe it will be about fishing with you! You can reach me at gary@ purgeright.com. Please remember, if you are not going to eat it, don’t kill it.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE SEMINOLE Forecast By: by Capt. Paul Tyre paultyrefishing@yahoo.com
15544 Hwy, 515, Ellijay
The bass fishing on Lake Seminole has been great this March despite the flooding of the Chattahoochee and Flint River arms of the lake. Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits have been very productive. If planning a trip to Lake Seminole in April, there are three baits you will need to have tied on. 1. A hollow belly frog. One of my favorites is a Spro Popping Frog fished around and over the top of vegetation. I like using a 7’ 3” heavy action rod with a high speed reel filled with at least 50-pound Cortland Master Braid to get the big bass out of the heavy cover! 2. A swim jig is a very productive lure in April on Seminole. My choice of a swim jig is the Untamed Tackle Heavy Cover Swim Jig. It is made with a quad bait keeper that holds the trailer on and will come through the cover with ease. 3. A soft plastic straight tail worm is a very productive bait in
April on Lake Seminole. My favorite is a Yum Dinger Texas rigged and fished around the grass lines. Lake Seminole is nationally known for its excellent shellcracker fishing, and they will be bedding in and around the flats. For a Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure this April for bass or shellcracker, email us at lakeseminolefishingadventures@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @lakeseminolefishingadventures.
CARTERS LAKE Forecast By: Eric Crowley Lake & Stream Guide Service (706) 669-4973
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Water temperature: 60 degrees, lake level: +2 feet, clarity: 3 feet. Carters Lake in the spring is my favorite place to be. Stripers chasing bait and feeding early, walleye making the trip upriver, spots are packing on the pounds, and bait is thick. The linesides are on a good planer/flatline bite. Big baits, long leaders and circle hooks are my set up. I like fresh frisky bait caught under the Hydro Glow lights the day of the trip. I prefer to start with 6”+ size baits. Alewife, gizzards or big threadfin fresh from the humpback cast net can be the trick for a good day on here. We are pulling boards in all the creeks. Halfway back is a good place to start looking for fish. Cover lots of water and keep the
baits fresh. I run 50 to 60 feet of line past the boards on the outside and 100 feet back on the flatlines. The spots are in the creeks following the giant schools of bait 25 to 35 feet deep near cover or creek channel edges. We have been catching the big ones striper fishing with big baits. They can’t seem to let a big, slow bait go by without trying to eat it. We have also been catching spots on lures trolling for walleye in 30 to 35 feet of water. The walleye are scattered in the river and the creek arms. Look for a change in depth contour or heavy cover near any current. Live bait or artificial tactics will both catch fish this month. Slow trolling crankbaits or live baits at 1.5 to 2.5 mph right off the bottom has been the best bite. If you’re not getting bites early, try the mid-day bite in the same area just a little deeper. Good luck and I hope everyone has a great spring.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST CLARKS HILL LAKE by Capt Tony Shepherd and Capt Rocky Fulmer Little River Guide Service lrguideservice@gmail.com (706) 210-3474 Come on spring! We have experienced a lot of rain recently, and the lake level is 2 to 3 feet over full pool. There are some navigational hazards to be aware of if you are zipping around the pond at a high rate of giddy-up. The heavily stained waters have deterred fishermen, but the fish continue to eat. As April arrives, most fish will have the need to feed and spawn foremost in their mind. The blueback herring will stage early in the month off of main river points and shortly thereafter move in mass to the shallows to spawn. All
predator fish will follow and gorge themselves while they can. Live herring and cut herring will work very shallow early in the morning and through the night. Fish just a little deeper as the sun gets higher throughout the day. The hybrids and stripers will be migrating up the rivers and creeks on the false spawning runs and can be easy pickings if you can find the right water conditions like those found at Anthony Shoals on the Broad River section of the lake. The fishing should be outstanding through the spring and summer, and we will be on the water daily to provide you with the best opportunity to experience a feeding frenzy. Your next outdoor adventure is just a phone call away at (706) 210-3474. Tight lines everyone.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE HARTWELL By Preston Harden Bucktail Guide Service www.bucktailguideservice.com (706) 255-5622 Water temperature: low 60s, lake level: +1 foot. April means fishing shallow. April also means spawning fish. Fishing becomes simple in April as all game fish move up on the banks. March has been on fire with warming water temps and less rain. As the water warms in the afternoons, fish move up on windblown banks and eat small jigs and flukes worked slowly. By April, the morning bite will become as good as afternoons. Hybrids and stripers will start to eat freelined herring as
well as artificials in shallow water. Many fish will run up the Keowee and Tugaloo Rivers to spawn. Lots of fish will try to spawn down lake on shallow banks. Bass and crappie also spawn in April. Bass can be sight fished as they make beds in shallow water. Crappie will drop eggs on wood and rock structure in shallow water. After a long winter, April is a perfect month to get out on the water.
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LAKE NOTTELY STRIPERS by Shane Goebel Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service 828-361-2021 706-897-3292 Rain, rain, rain! Mother Nature is definitely showing herself in 2020. The good thing is that April is finally here, and it brings with it some rip-roaring striper fishing action on Lake Nottely. Springtime is the most exciting time of the year for us on this lake. It’s the perfect time of year to get hooked up with some huge hard fighting striped bass and trust me, we’ve been slaying them out here. It’s time to get out of the house and book that striper trip with North Georgia’s #1 striper guide service, Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. Currently, Lake Nottely is 9 feet below full pool. Water temperatures have been in the low to mid 50’s. Water clarity is clear in the main lake and just slightly stained in the backs of the creeks and rivers. Striper fishing has been super out here lately. We have had such an amazing late winter striper run, and it’s only going to get better! Most of the stripers we are catching have been in the 20 to 40 pound range, and we have been loading the boat with these monsters. The warmer unusual water temps have had these fish schooled up and aggressively biting. Our boats have had a bunch of 20 plus striper mornings in the past couple of weeks. We have also been wearing them out on light tackle, which is so darn fun! This pattern should continue into the
month of April and increase as the stripers start their pre-spawn. Pulling planer boards with live herring and huge gizzard shad in the backs of creeks and around shallow, sloping banks is going to be the best technique. It’s also a good idea to work the banks by casting a Zara Spook or a Red Fin. As the sun comes up, turn your focus to fishing the mouths of creeks, as the stripers will follow bait to deeper water. With pre-spawn in mind, more and more stripers will start to stage in the mouths of creeks in April and start to work their way to the backs. Also, keep an eye on your electronics for schooling stripers, and pay attention to where the bait balls are. I guarantee you, if you find the bait, the stripers will be close by. April is a fantastic month for catching a lot of trophy 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 fulltime guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Hiwassee, Chatuge and Lake Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge, GA. And for all your live bait and tackle needs, check out Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA. They carry everything you need for a successful day of fishing and have the best live herring around. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST THE NEXT GENERATION OF ANGLERS? Dr. Andrew Cox
The fishing year begins in earnest during this month. Air temperatures make it generally pleasant for anglers and others to enjoy the outdoors. Now may be a good time to introduce young people to the joys of fishing. Have you considered taking a child fishing? After all, they are the younger generation and will be responsible for carrying this sport forward. I have noticed that many schools across Georgia and Alabama now sponsor fishing teams and recognize bass fishing as a competitive sport. Both the Georgia High School Association and Alabama High School Athletic Association recognize bass fishing as a sport at the school level. Various school fishing teams compete, fishing various lakes and other water bodies across Georgia and Alabama. There are also so-called junior divisions where young people
at the middle school age can participate in competitive bass fishing. My grandson, Jonathon, attends public school in East Alabama. He and his friend, Mason, are members of a school bass fishing team. They are required to have access to a boat in order to fish the various lakes on their school’s bass fishing trail. Of course, I fit this bill and serve as the “boat captain”, transporting them around the lake to fish various areas during fishing tournaments. The tournament rules do not allow the boat captain to fish or to even operate the boat’s electric motor. Though sometimes difficult for an avid angler, as the boat captain, all I can do is to observe them fishing and give them some verbal tips on casting and where to fish. In a way, it is gratifying to see these young people catch fish in areas that I selected as potential fish catching locales. Over
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person’s angling interests and skill level matures. Remember to be safe and to anticipate potential dangers that are ever present while on the water. Enjoy what may be the best month or two during our area’s fishing season. Author’s Note: Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. 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 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.
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the course of the fishing season, it is gratifying to see them mature in their angling knowledge and expertise. If you have access to a boat, this appears to be a good way to get young people involved in the sport of fishing and to enjoy the outdoors. Along the way, you can impart to a young person some of your fishing knowledge gained over a lifetime of angling. Even if you do not have a boat or do not want to get involved in organized bass tournaments, you can still foster a young person’s fishing interests and skills. Taking them along with you on your angling trips whether fishing from the shore or on a chartered angling adventure are ways to involve young people in this sport. A final consideration is to keep in mind that children and even adolescents are not adults and have limitations per stamina and attention span. It may not be possible for a young child to spend all day on the water from daybreak to dusk. You may have to target fish species that are easier for the young person to catch than other species. For a young person, fishing is about catching fish; you may have to foster this until the young
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE EUFAULA By Capt Sam Williams hawk184@earthlink.net 334-687-6266
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Little River Guide Service is a three boat operation targeting stripers and hybrid bass on Clarks Hill Lake. Capt Tony Shepherd and Capt Rocky Fulmer.
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Water temperature: 50’s, lake level: 189.07 msl, clarity: muddy. In the past week the river has gone from over 192.26 to 188.99. The fish are scattered, unsettled and full of roe. Lake Eufaula is going to be one of the hottest fishing waters around in the next few weeks as all gets back to normal. Bass are still needing to be finessed and aggravated into a bite. Chatterbaits with trailers are still the most consistent lure. Lipless crankbaits with loud rattles work too. Where you can find cleaner water, punching the grass line with jigs rigged with claw type trailers will do the trick. Pink trick worms on a Texas rig have been successful also. Blade baits create noise and vibrations and work near shallow cover. Crappie are still deep in 15 to 20 feet and hitting minnows near cover in the creeks. When the weather settles out and we see clearing water, they should begin to move shallow where trolling will be more productive. We are seeing a few more boats under the bridges
at night fishing under lights. Catfish continue to stay hungry and active. The jug fishermen are out in good numbers. The creeks are a good location to jug for cats. Please visit www.albanybassclub. com and sign up to fish the Scott Woodruff Heart Transplant tournament March 28 to support our local fire fighter who awaits his opportunity for a new heart and a second lease on a good life with his wife and children. We have another opportunity offered by BassCashBass for only those fishing our tournament. If you are entered into the BCB before takeoff and you catch a tagged bass, they will add an additional $500.00 to every tagged fish brought to the scales. The minimum tag is $1000.00. If you are in the bonus class, it is $1500.00 and during the Scott Woodruff Tournament, it will be $2000.00. The public is invited to the weigh-in on Saturday March 28. Y’all come out and support the activities and see the items up for bid. We also need fishermen in the Alabama Childrens Classic Tournament June 13th. Check the website for more info or call 334-355-5057. Plan a fishing trip with family and friends. The spring fishing promises to be really hot here on Lake Eufaula, and we need to remove the smaller bass from the river and they are good for a great meal. God Bless and good fishing.
Bass are still needing to be finessed and aggravated into a bite. Chatterbaits with trailers are still the most consistent lure.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST NOBODY SAID IT HAD TO BE FAIR FOR THE
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
FISH
Contributed By: Noey Vinyard The man stood and watched as the huge fish broke the water. The man was perfectly built for such battles. At 6 feet tall, his upper body was so muscled that it looked like a clenched fist. The veins that snaked across his body looked like lines from a roadmap, and he stood on the back of that boat with his feet planted firmly and legs that look like tree trunks keeping him balanced. He had battled many fish like this and watched with an appraising eye as the scene unfolded. Unfortunately, the man I just described is my son, and he was not sitting in the fighting chair. That man was me. I have traveled and caught fish all over the world, but the mighty blue marlin had been evading me for over three decades. Now I had one on line and he was kicking my butt 17 different ways. Sweat poured off my face and down my body. My arms and shoulders burned with effort and my heart rate had tripled. The fish was about 150 yards out, and I felt done for. It was a back-and-forth battle. I fought for line an inch at a time. I would get him close enough to see the boat, and he would strip the line so fast from the reel that my son had to pour water on it and splash some on my head just to keep me conscious. I have to admit that even though I was overmatched, it was a beautiful catch. The captain estimated the weight of the fish at between 550 to 600 pounds, and the site of that magnificent fish breaking the water and going airborne was beautiful enough to take my breath away, if I’d had any left. It wasn’t just the fact that I finally had a trophy on line, or
the fact that the aerial gymnastics performed by the fish had everybody on the boat in awe that made this fish special. The people that were with me is what made it so special. My brother and father were there watching and snapping pictures. My father had taught both of us how to fish when we were very young and had remained steadfast fishing partners throughout the years. As much as my father had taught me, nothing had prepared me for this. That’s where my son came in. He stood beside me the whole time, poured water on the back of my neck, wiped my face off with a towel, and quietly coaxed me as I finally made ground on the big fish. While this battle may have started out one-sided, to para-quote Ulysses, “so much has fled, much yet remains.” Though middle-age had snuck up on me, I still have a lot of steel left. My arms and shoulders have known hard work my entire life, and slowly but surely I finally got the fish close enough to the boat to see the leader. For those of you who don’t know, to be considered a catch when fishing for billfish, the first mate simply has to touch the wire leader. The mate pulled the fish up beside the boat, and I got a close look at the fish that had been chasing for so long. He was absolutely magnificent, and after a couple of moments of reoxygenating, I saluted and watched him swim to freedom. My son put his arms around me, and told me he was proud of me. It reminded me of a scene 30 years ago when the roles were reversed and he had caught his first fish, but that’s a story for another time.
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The man stood and watched as the huge fish broke the water. The man was perfectly built for such battles.
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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST CHASING SPRING By Capt. Cefus McRae Nuts & Bolts Fishing Series
areas. You’ll have a fish fry in just a couple hours. So don’t let spring pass you by. Plan a fishing trip with the family, your kids or a buddy. You can fish
Most times of the year, it’s a pretty simple task to decide where you’re going fishing, and what you’ll be targeting, but spring always presents a unique challenge. There are just too many awesome destinations and fishing options to choose from. Spring is a great time to experience everything from cane pole fishing for bedding bream to running out 50 miles to wrestle with tuna. Unfortunately, I never seem to be able to do it all, and believe me, I’ve tried. So this spring, I’ve decided to try something different. I’m just going to enjoy spring right here in my own backyard. Now my backyard is a little bigger than most. In fact, it’s really OUR backyard. For me, I consider everything from the South Carolina coast to the Alabama coast as our backyard. There’s so much to experience, no matter where you live in the Southeast. For most of us, there are an abundance of fishy destinations with less than a five hour drive. I would highly recommend you give some serious thought to a few of these as well. Spring comes earlier to the southernmost areas of our backyard, and arrives a little later the farther north you go. So no matter when you start jonesing for some fishing between April and June, you should be able to stretch a string with a few miles or a few hours of your home base. Here’s a few of my favorite springtime fishing holes. Gulf Shores, Alabama: In early April, the Spanish mackerel run off the beach is phenomenal. You can cast spoons from the beach, troll umbrella rigs and straw rigs just past the breakers, or fish from the pier with Gotcha plugs. When the schools show up, they will be ready to eat and you can catch your limit in short order. If you happen to arrive a little later, the cobia will be running in almost the exact same areas, and right after that the king mackerel arrive. St. Simons Island, Georgia: April is when the tripletail show up to spawn off Jekyll Island. Never caught a tripletail? Imagine doing battle with a 12-pound bluegill.
They are tenacious, and so good on the table. They’re also easy to spook, so you will be testing your skills at long accurate casts with a live shrimp and a popping cork. Trout and redfish will also be on the list, and if your trip is hampered by winds or a little rain, you can always fish the rivers and find a place out of the wind to fish. Don’t have a boat or need some local intel? Call Capt. Mark Noble at the Georgia Fishing Center and he will take you out on a fantastic, fun day on the water. Lake Hartwell, Lanier, Clarks Hill, Oconee, Keowee, Murray, GA/ SC: The reservoirs in the Southeast go into high gear in April and May when the water warms up to between 60 and 68 degrees. Stripers, hybrids, crappie, spotted bass all get frisky when the dogwoods start to bloom. The key is finding the bait, and on most lakes, the seagulls and loons will still be hanging around. Find whirling and diving birds, and you’ve just located the prime zone. Start at the upper ends of the rivers and work your way down as the spring progresses. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: Something wonderful happens in the low country in the spring. The annual cobia migration kicks into full swing after Easter through May. The fish move up the sound and into the river to spawn, and if you don’t know exactly where to go, just look for the armada of boats lined up in the channel in front the interstate bridge. You can also have a large time with bonnet head sharks, dusky’s and sandbar sharks while you’re flatlining live baits for cobia. It’s a great way to spend a warm spring day. Call Capt. Dan Utley – The Fishin’ Coach for a charter trip that you won’t forget. Georgia and South Carolina’s State Parks: Nearly every state park has a fishing pond, and most are full of bluegills and shellcrackers. Pick a couple days on either side of the full moon in April, May or June and grab a tube of crickets and a tub of worms. Then choose your weapon; spinning reel, spincaster or a cane pole and sit by the bank under a nice shade tree close to the bedding
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from a jon boat, a kayak, surf cast or sit on the bank and have a blast. Let me know where you’re going and maybe I’ll meet you there! Tight lines and calm seas.
LAKE LANIER CRAPPIE Forecast By: Dan Saknini, Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. www.laniercrappieanglers.net Lake level is about 3 ½ feet over full pool, and there is still a good bit of floating debris to avoid. Everyone in the boat should be on the lookout. The backs of the creeks have moderate to heavy stain, which is where you find the warmest water, about 55 degrees and creeping up. Fishing is good to excellent. Simply follow the bait in the middle to backs of creeks, and they will lead you to the fish. Also, there are lots of roaming fish. This means that long-line trolling can be very effective. We suspect that the fish are checking out their spawning grounds, and my guess will be that the spawn will begin as soon as the water temps reach about 60 degrees and above. Not all fish spawn at the same time, and the spawn typically lasts four to five weeks. The trees are blooming and the daffodils are in abundance, both signs that the spawn is near. I know the fish can’t see the trees and the daffodils, but their bloom is related to air and soil temps, which are affected by weather, as is water temperature. We are targeting and catching fish in docks in 15 feet of water and much less. The bite is suspended shallow in the water column, so expect bites
quickly after the bait hits the water. Having said that, fishing is changing from day to day. You might catch a mixed bag in size one day, and the next day you may end up with nothing but big ones. I can’t explain that, but for me, any tug on the line is a win. We are keeping a close eye on the blow-downs, and scanning the deeper ones. But so far, we are not seeing any fish on them. I do expect that to change quickly, though. Usually, when I see the turtles soaking up the sun on the blow-downs, I expect to find the fish there. If you happen to be one of those fishermen that get a chance to fish multiple times during the week and are catching a lot of fish, keep in mind that our future fishery depends on a good spawn, so you may want to consider catch and release. Helpful tip: try not to use more than four pound test line (I use two pound) and a 1/24 oz. jig head, (I use 1/32 oz.). Bobby Garland and Jiffy Jigs are my “go-to” baits with Davis jig heads. If you are fishing stained water, use darker jigs. Before you head to the water, make sure your favorite boat ramp is open, as there are still a number that are closed. The Corps of Engineers website will have this information. Stay safe on the water and wear a life jacket as it can save your life!
3/17/20 9:13 PM
LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE CHATUGE HYBRIDS AND SPOTTED BASS Darren Hughes Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service Angler Magazine Fishing Team 828-361-2021 March was another great month of fishing on Lake Chatuge and with this warmer-than-usual spring in place, we expect April to be even better. Currently, lake temps are in the mid 50’s. Water clarity is clear all over the lake, and water levels are holding at about 4 feet below full pool. The hybrid bass bite has been crazy. We’ve been catching some nice 7 to 10 pound fish in good numbers for early spring. The hybrids are presently staging in their spawning areas in the backs of creeks and feeding on small bait. This should continue through the month of April and into May. Early morning planer boards and free lines have worked the best. As the sun really comes out, the fish are moving to slightly deeper water and hitting on our down lines. Live bait is key here to catching some quality fish, but don’t hesitate to cast a Spook, Red Fin, or Sexy Dog, especially when theses hybrids are busting topwater. Our spotted bass bite has also been insane. We are averaging anywhere from 30 to 40 fish a trip out here. Lake Chatuge offers some of the best spotted bass fishing around, and I highly recommend
booking a trip with us to experience this super exciting fishing thrill. These big spots are stacking up on shallow points, humps and flats all over the lake and preparing for the spawn. Look for these fish in the 10-30 foot range. The early morning bite has been okay, but it really fires up once the sun comes up. The late afternoon bite has also been pretty productive. Once you find these fish, they are hitting just about anything you can cast at them. Jerkbaits and crankbaits have been working great, but as always, our super lively blueback herring are the biggest producers for some huge spots. April fishing on Lake Chatuge is always exciting. Remember, live bait on this lake can be the difference between a successful day of fishing and a horrid one. For all of your bait and tackle needs, come visit us at Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA and we also carry live herring at The Ridges Marina in Hiwassee GA. It’s the best place around for quality live blueback herring. For guided fishing trips on Lakes Chatuge, Hiwassee, or Nottely, or questions about the bait shop, call me, Darren Hughes, at Hughes General Store. And whether you’re a seasoned angler or just starting out, give Chatuge a shot for some of the best spotted bass and hybrids in the area. Good luck, and get hooked!
Water temperature: mid 60’s, lake level: full, clarity: stained/ clear. Spring is in full swing, which means the bass spawn is just getting started. Focus on secondary points with spawning areas close by or flats close to spawning areas. This is the time of year every angler looks forward to because any bait you decide to
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Wall of Fame WIN A FREE ANGLER MAGAZINE CAP! One will be given away each month for the best reader submitted photo!
Kyle Mann landed this dandy Chattahoochee National Forest rainbow while fly fishing with Reel Em In Guide Service. Gregg Thompson with a nice striper fishing Lake Hartwell with Preston Harding.
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WINNER!
Strother Allen with a huge 10 lb 14 oz hybrid caught on a crappie rig fishing Lake Eufaula with Capt Sam Williams.
Jennifer Shepherd showing off her Clarks Hill striped bass caught with Little River Guide Service.
Fishing off Frank Nott’s boat on Lake Lanier, Richard Carpani landed this beautiful 9-pound striper.
Walleyes caught on Carters Lake by Rusty Law with Fish Slayer Guide Service. Salt water fisherman Mark Pyryt with his first bass caught on a Johns Creek lake.
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Moacyr Cuervo with a nice Lake Eufaula bass fishing with Capt Sam Williams.
3/17/20 9:13 PM
CHERRY DOMINATES THE CLASSIC
T
here was no denying Elite Series veteran Hank Cherry. Riding a first-day sack of nearly 30 pounds, he led wireto-wire during the 50th anniversary Bassmaster Classic at Lake Guntersville to capture the most coveted title in tournament bass fishing. The 46-year-old B.A.S.S. photo by Gary Tramontina from Lincolnton, N.C. hoisted the trophy on championship Sunday March 8 and accepted his winnings of $307,500 as the Classic champion. It was sweet redemption for a man who’s fished the Classic five times and came heartbreakingly close to winning the whole enchilada back in 2013. During the 2013 Classic at Grand Lake, Oklahoma, a lost jerkbait fish dropped Cherry into third place. It’s safe to say his luck held on Guntersville, where limits of 29-3, 16-10 and 19-8 gave him a three-day total of 65 pounds, 5 ounces. He did most of his damage during Friday’s first round with a Z-Man Jack Hammer. The pattern led to a tournamentbest bag that featured a pair of 7-2 largemouths. On Days 2 and 3, he relied on his own Hank Cherry Signature Series Jig from Picasso in green pumpkin with a matching Berkley MaxScent Chunk trailer and a jerkbait—a Megabass 110+1 in the French pearl OB color. He spent practically the whole event fishing one causeway and one grass flat after a Day 1 arm injury limited his travel in windy conditions. “I never put gas in the boat all week,” Cherry said. “Y’all know me. If it’s windy, I’m not going to be making a lot of long runs—and anyway, I just didn’t need to.” South Carolina pro Todd Auten finished second with 58-10. Arkansas angler Stetson Blaylock took third with 58-1. The Berkley Big Bass award went to Auten for a 7-9 he caught on Day 1.
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ound is critical to a fish’s survival beneath the surface of the water. They rely on sound to signal the presence of prey or warn them of impending danger. Since sound travels five times faster in water than it does in air, it becomes a critical factor in a fish’s daily life. If you have watched fish for any period of time, you know they instinctively become alert to unfamiliar sounds or noise and tend to move away from the source. I watched a scientific experiment with trout in a clear water stream from a concealed tower. As an associate approached the edge of the stream from wooded concealment on the opposite bank, the trout became instantly alert. A few slipped back into protective cover, while the rest became motionless and waited to see what would happen. Every fish within view stopped feeding. Large predators sometimes invade a chum slick simply because they respond to the sound of smaller fish feeding. They can actually hear potential prey as the little guys devour the chum. The sound of other fish feeding will often trigger additional fish to begin feeding. Game fish are intensely aware of the distress vibrations given off by injured or impaired fish and usually are attracted to move in closer. These distress vibrations telegraph the
presence of an easy meal. That’s why a larger predator often attacks a hooked fish as you struggle to land it. Unique in the animal kingdom, the lateral line on either side of a fish is an extremely precise sound-detecting organ. It responds to low frequency sound within relatively short range in a system known as near-field displacement. Anything moving through the water disturbs the molecules and this is detected by neuromasts in the fish’s body. The accuracy of the system is nothing less than amazing. A fish can strike prey it cannot see with incredible accuracy. Negative sounds or noises are equally important. Too many anglers ignore the damage that noises can cause. Once a fish is alerted that something is not right, it seldom will risk striking a bait or lure. A plug landing too close to an oversized shark or a 100-pound tarpon can send that critter scurrying for safety. The noise of an outboard can eliminate fish in a given spot. Racing to reach a spot or to get to breaking Photo by Nick Carter fish as quickly as possible can shut down the activity. And making noise aboard a boat, particularly when it is easily transmitted through the hull has negative effects. The shallower the water, the more damaging noise can be. All it takes is dropping a pair of pliers, sliding a tackle box so it scrapes or making heavy sounds of any type. It pays to live by the rule that silence is golden. If you do, you’ll catch more fish.
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NOAA CLAMPS DOWN
ON ATLANTIC SNAPPER
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n early March, NOAA Fisheries announced that red snapper season in the South Atlantic, from the Carolinas to Florida, will be a scant three days long with a one-fish per person daily limit… if there is to be a snapper season at all. It’s frustrating news for anglers, who are experiencing a similar situation to what occurred in the Gulf of Mexico prior to states taking control of red snapper management. While anglers and charter captains report plentiful and increasing red snapper catches, federal managers continue clamping down on regulations. And even the three-day season is contingent on a change to regulatory framework, which currently does not allow a season at all if NOAA determines it will be three days or less. According to a release from the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC), the change that would allow a three-day season is expected to be in place before the 2020 season. Since 2010, recreational anglers have been allowed just 37 days total to harvest red snapper in the South Atlantic. NOAA’s decision on the 2020 season is based on landing estimates from 2019, when a five-day recreational season produced an estimated 49,674 fish and exceeded the annual catch limit. The current annual catch limit is set at 29,656 fish.
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E-Z ANCHOR PULLER PATRIOT SERIES
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-Z Anchor Puller Mfg. Co. provides a solid, reliable, easy-to-use solution for anchoring. As a leading drum anchor winch manufacturer, our products are a safe, consistent launch and retrieval system for vessels in calm or rough seas. No more trips toward the front of your boat to untangle line and chain: we have a drum anchor winch that provides years of dependability and safety for you and your anchor, from 18-foot all the way up to 55-foot vessels! The Patriot series is especially developed for fiberglass fishing boats in shallow coastal waters. Before purchasing his E-Z Anchor Puller unit, Jarrett Sanchez pulled up a 22-pound anchor and 230 feet of rope and chain onto his 1977, 25’ Mako Center Console all by himself, by hand. Now, he can simply press a button to drop his anchor to the bottom, then simply push “up” for three seconds to ensure his line is nice and tight. Manufactured completely from 316 stainless steel and rated IP68 waterproof submersible, the Patriot series is immune to saltwater environments, whether it’s exposed on the deck or hidden away in the rope locker while you’re out on the water. With three sizes (EZ-1, EZ-2 and EZ-3) in the series, the Patriot is the winch of choice for Florida boaters who own vessels 18 to 35 feet, and can hold between 175 and 325 feet of ⅜-inch line, or 150 to 200 feet of ½-ich line depending on preference and need. The power-up, power-down direct drive button gives boaters more control over deployment and retrieval with an average of 100 feet per minute for deployment and retrieval. Sanchez’s particular unit, the Patriot EZ-2, holds 150 feet of ½-inch line where he boats off of the coast of Treasure Island, Fla. Even though his decision to buy our unit was, “99.9 percent his wife and family,” we think Sanchez is one happy customer, too! No drifting, no tangled lines and one less thing to worry about on the open water. To check out the Patriot series in its entirety, visit our website at ezanchorpuller.com/collections/anchor-winch
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FOULFREE TRANSDUCER COATING
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arine growth on the transducer inhibits the performance your sonar. A fouled transducer reduces sensitivity, bottom-echo returns and positive fish targets. In other words, when the transducer is dirty, you’re not seeing what’s down there. Also, transducers perform best when there’s minimal turbulence over their surface during operation. Consider this next time you’re idling over structure looking for bait and fish. With streamlined water flow over your equipment, you’ll get a better image of what’s below. To solve these performance issues, Propspeed, a leading innovator of underwater coatings, developed a revolutionary foul-release coating designed specifically for transducers. Foulfree is a biocide-free coating that when cured creates a super-slippery surface over the transducer. It prevents marine growth without poisons to keep your transducer clean, streamlined and performing at its peak. One application lasts through an entire year of service and even longer in cooler climates. “Foulfree is an exciting new coating specifically made to enhance the performance of transducers,” said Chris Baird, CEO of Propspeed. “Bringing together our revolutionary product design and working with the experts in transducer functionality from Airmar, we are able to offer boaters around the world a new solution to an age-old problem and improve sonar performance for anglers and cruisers alike.” Foulfree joins Propspeed’s award-winning product line which includes Propspeed an industry-leading foul-release system for propellers and running gear and the groundbreaking transparent foulrelease coating specifically formulated www.oceanmax.com for underwater lights, Lightspeed.
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he dawning of the new year has been good to West Virginia anglers who are setting new state records. A monster blue catfish and a big grass carp were certified as state length records by the West Virginia Division of Naturaral Resources, and then the grass carp record was broken again. On Jan. 3, Zachary Adkins, of Cabins, W.Va., caught a 53.1-inch, 59-pound grass carp from Warden Lake, a 44-acre state-managed reservoir in the northeastern corner of the state. Adkins used a large swimbait to catch the fish, which broke the previous length record of 50.75 inches. Then, on Feb. 18, John Miller, of Lost City, W.Va., bested Adkins’ mark with a 54.75-inch, 67.4-pound grass carp, also from Warden Lake. Warden Lake is apparently a hotbed for big carp. The state weight record of 71.69 pounds also came from Warden. It was caught by William Tucker in 2005. On Jan. 11, Justin Conner, of Culloden, W.Va., caught his 49.84-inch, 58.38-pound blue catfish on the Ohio River over on the Ohio border. Conner’s big blue ate a chunk of cut shad. It broke the previous length record of 47.75 inches. Mark Blauvelt still holds the weight record with a 59.74-pound blue catfish caught on the Ohio River in 2016. The IGFA alltackle world record blue catfish weighed 143 pounds. It was caught out of Kerr Lake, Va. in 2011. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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RIDE THE BULL In Grand Isle Louisiana
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he maze of bayous around the mouth of the Mississippi River south of New Orleans holds the best redfish fishing in the world. This unique system of waterways on Louisiana’s Gulf Coast also lays out perfectly for anglers fishing from kayaks. It’s fitting that the world’s largest kayak fishing tournament should be held out of Grand Isle, Louisiana. On Aug. 28-29, Ride the Bull will flood Caminada Pass with hundreds of kayak anglers chasing the event’s heaviest single redfish. It will be the 11th edition of this catch-and-release bull redfish tournament hosted by CCA Louisiana. And whether you’re a competitor or one of the hundreds of spectators, it’s an event you need to see. Because of the tournament’s boundaries within Caminada pass, it is suitable for anglers of all ages and experience levels. The fishing, however, can be pretty serious, with a leaderboard filled by redfish approaching 30 pounds. In addition to the fishing on Saturday, Aug. 29, vendors will be there displaying their wares, and usually there’s live music on Friday night after the captains meeting. Registration opens June 1 and hotel rooms on Grand Isle fill up quickly, so make reservations early. For more information, go to ccalouisiana.com.
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STACK-ON $ 57
10 FT. x 17 FT. PORTABLE GARAGE
20v LITHIUM-ION 1/2" COMPACT DRILL/DRIVER KIT
• CA DOJ compliant
SUPER COUPON
SUPER COUPON
Customer Rating
10 GUN ELECTRONIC SECURITY SAFE
564
OF 7 COLORS
*95584082 * 95584082 SUPER COUPON
$
$1 9999
NOW
ITEM 64349
$
SUPER COUPON
Customer Rating
2" EXTENDED ANVIL
SAVE $77
9
$ 99
COMPARE TO
29 PIECE 30", 5 DRAWER • 15,000 cu. in. of storage Customer Rating TITANIUM MECHANIC'S CART DRILL BIT SET NOW YOUR CHOICE
29 269 $2
SNAP-ON $ 85
5
$ 99 SAVE ITEM 63135 RANGEMAXX MODEL: 1312-92 65% 61451 shown *95583705 * 95583705
SAVE 2,189
$
SUPER COUPON
20v LITHIUM-ION 4AMP HIGH FREQUENCY 1/2" EXTREME TORQUE YOUR CHOICE BATTERY CHARGER/MAINTAINER Customer Rating IMPACT WRENCH KITS 99 1/2" ANVIL $ 99 ITEM 63537/64195 COMPARE TO
$3 49
64999
*95583037 * 95583037
63852 shown
NOW
9 $5999
LIMIT 4 - Coupon valid through 6/3/20*
Customer Rating
Customer Rating
NOW
*95582869 * 95582869 SUPER COUPON
AMMO DRY BOX
SUPER COUPON
ITEM 63971/63970 shown ITEM 63968/63969, CALIFORNIA ONLY
$9
ITEM 64799/63934 shown
STREAMLIGHT
ITEM 61765/46411 shown
Coupon valid through 6/3/20*
NOW
COMPARE TO
*95582198 * 95582198
Limit 1 coupon per customer per day. Save 20% on any 1 item purchased. *Cannot be used with other discount, coupon or any of the following items or brands: Inside Track Club membership, Extended Service Plan, gift card, open box item, 3 day Parking Lot Sale item, compressors, floor jacks, safes, storage cabinets, chests or carts, trailers, welders, Admiral, Ames, Atlas, Bauer, Central Machinery, Cobra, CoverPro, Daytona, Diamondback, Earthquake, Fischer, Hercules, Icon, Jupiter, Lynxx, Poulan, Predator, Tailgator, Viking, Vulcan, Zurich. Not valid on prior purchases. Non-transferable. Original coupon must be presented. Valid through 6/3/20.
9000 WATT MAX. STARTING EXTRA LONG LIFE GAS POWERED GENERATOR • 13 hour run time 5"
5
39 ¢
ITEM 36872/62507/63520/47877 shown
LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 6/3/20*
NOW
$ 99
ANY SINGLE ITEM*
*95608497 * 95608497
Case contents not included.
SUPER COUPON
SAVE 83%
WOW!
94¢
5
Customer Rating
COMPARE TO
MULTIPURPOSE SCISSORS
LIMIT 3
*95582416 * 95582416
TAN
7 FT. 4" x 9 FT. 6" CAMOUFLAGE WEATHER RESISTANT TARP
WEATHERMASTER $ 99
20% OFF
SAVE 93%
• Stainless steel blades • Jar and bottle opener
NOW AVAILABLE IN TAN
Super strong reinforced polypropylene construction Adjustable pressure relief valve equalizes pressure for easy opening
MODEL: DOUBLE RIFLE ITEM 64520 ITEM 56862
$4
O
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SUPER COUPON
SAVE 93%
Customer Rating
14999
SAVE $155
PELICAN $ 99
U
N
O
P
2" Heavy duty ball bearing wheels
13-5/8" W 5-1/8" H
YOUR CHOICE OF COLOR
S
R
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!
W
199 SAVE ITEM 62859/63055 $120 62860 shown $
99
COMPARE TO
ANVIL
$
6639 SAVE 54%
MODEL: A137HOS
$2999 $
3999
ITEM 68998/63248/64080/64263/63091 shown
*95602562 * 95602562
*95613146 * 95613146
*95605055 * 95605055
*95605073 * 95605073
LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 6/3/20*
LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 6/3/20*
LIMIT 1 - Coupon valid through 6/3/20*
LIMIT 3 - Coupon valid through 6/3/20*
COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
*Original coupon only. No use on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase or without original receipt. Valid through 6/3/20.
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At Harbor Freight Tools, the “Compare to” price means that the specified comparison, which is an item with the same or similar function, was advertised for sale at or above the “Compare to” price by another national retailer in the U.S. within the past 90 days. Prices advertised by others may vary by location. No other meaning of “Compare to” should be implied. For more information, go to HarborFreight.com or see store associate.
3/6/20 4:13 PM
Time to get to your local Suzuki Marine Dealer for the Ultimate Outboard Motors. Buy during our Spring Sales Event and get Suzuki’s 3-Year Limited Warranty plus 3 years of Time to get to your local for the Ultimate Outboard Motors. Extended Protection at noSuzuki extra Marine charge.Dealer There are Instant Savings on select models,Buy and during ourFinancing Spring Sales Event and get Suzuki’s 3-Year Limited Warranty plus 3 years of Low-Rate is also available. Extended Protection atSuzuki no extra charge. There are Instant Savings on select models, and See your participating Marine Low-Rate is also available. dealer for Financing all the details. See your participating Suzuki Marine dealer for all the details.
INSTANT SAVINGS INSTANT SAVE RIGHT NOW ON
SAVINGS INSTANT SAVINGS INSTANT SAVINGS Instant Savings on select models when SELECT SUZUKI OUTBOARDS
SIX YEARS OF PROTECTION SIX YEARS OF PROTECTION 3 Years Limited Warranty + 3 Years Extended Protection, 3 Years Limited Warranty + No extra charge. 3 Years Extended Protection, No extra charge.
SAVE RIGHT NOW ON
REPOWER FINANCE REPOWER Rates as lowFINANCE as 5.99%
SELECT SUZUKI OUTBOARDS
you buy a new Suzuki Outboard. Instant on select models when SeeSavings your dealer for details. you buy a new Suzuki Outboard. See your dealer for details.
on new Suzuki outboards on Rates credit.* as low as approved [605.99% Months] on new Suzuki outboards on approved credit.* [60 Months]
™ ™
24
Gimme Six Extended Protection promotion applies to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 350 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 04/01/20 and 06/30/20 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Instant Savings applies to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 04/01/20 and 06/30/20. For list of designated models, Gimme Six Extended Protection promotion applies to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 350 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 04/01/20 and 06/30/20 in accordance with see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Instant Savings must be applied against the agreed-upon selling price of the outboard motor and reflected in the bill of sale. There are no model the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. The Gimme Six Promotion is available substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Instant Savings applies to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 04/01/20 and 06/30/20. For list of designated models, Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Instant Savings must be applied against the agreed-upon selling price of the outboard motor and reflected in the bill of sale. There are no model terms provided, are based on creditworthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and authorized Suzuki dealer between 04/01/20 and 06/30/20. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and terms provided, are based on creditworthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ read your owner’s manual. © 2020 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 04/01/20 and 06/30/20. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2020 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. NATIONAL APRIL 2020 COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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Limited Collector’s Edition
Damascus steel forged to throw them for a curve at only $79
F
or centuries, a Damascus steel blade was instantly recognizable and commanded immediate respect. Recognizable because the unique and mysterious smelting process left a one-of-a-kind, rippled texture on the steel, and respected because Damascus steel’s sharp edge and resistance to shattering were the stuff of legend. If you carried Damascus steel, you were ahead of the curve. Today, you can own the legend.
What customers are saying about Stauer knives...
êêêêê “Very hefty, well-built knife and sheath. Extremely goodlooking and utilitarian.” — R., Lacey, Washington Damascus Curva Knife, you’ll be ready to throw a curve of your own. Limited Reserves. Damascus steel blades are a lost art form that only a handful of artisan bladesmiths have mastered. These legendary blades take time to forge and only a few are crafted each month. Don’t let this beauty slip through your fingers. Call today!
BONUS! Call today and you’ll also receive this genuine leather sheath!
The Damascus Curva Knife celebrates those legendary blades. It uses modern Damascus steel, with the same rippled texture pattern on the blade, to create a curved folding knife that’s 7 ½" in total length. With a liner lock mechanism, which allows the knife to be opened and closed using just one hand, and a ergonomic handle made of buffalo horn and colored bone, this $79 knife is a trophy for any hunter or collector.
Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Feel the knife in your hands, wear it on your hip, inspect the impeccable craftsmanship of Damascus steel. If you don’t feel like we cut you a fair deal, send it back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price. But we believe that once you hold the
“The most common aspects of Damascus steel knives that enthusiasts consider ideal are the aesthetics and high performance.” –– Knife Informer
Damascus Curva Folding Knife $179*
Offer Code Price Only $79 + S&P Save $100
1-800-333-2045
Your Insider Offer Code: CFK280-01 You must use the insider offer code to get our special price.
Stauer
®
14101 Southcross Drive W., Ste 155, Dept. CFK280-01, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
www.stauer.com
*Discount is only for customers who use the offer code versus the listed original Stauer.com price.
• Damascus steel blade & bolster • Buffalo horn & colored bone handle • Liner lock • Overall length, open : 7 ½" • Includes genuine leather sheath
Stauer… Afford the Extraordinary.®
Rating of A+