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Fishing a Fairytale in

By Nick Carter

Bristol Bay, Alaska A

rguably the best salmonid fishing in the world exists in the system of waterways that feeds the Bering Sea on Alaska’s southwest coast. The region is a vast, sparsely populated web of streams and rivers, lakes and wetlands that weave through open tundra to Bristol Bay. The wildlife is astounding. To be there is like stepping into a documentary film, with bears, moose and bald eagles going about their business unconcerned by human visitors. On a July afternoon, I watched in terror as a brown bear crashed from the brush, bluff charged my wife and stole the sockeye salmon from the end of her line. It’s that kind of place. From fancy lodges or tiny riverside fishing villages, human anglers are nothing special. They are just one of many species taking advantage of the great salmon migrations that drive the ecosystem. All five species of Pacific salmon spawn in the Bristol Bay watershed. Coho, chum and pink salmon all make runs up the rivers that feed the bay. But king and sockeye salmon are the reason anglers should book passage to the area. The Nushagak River boasts what might be Alaska’s best king, or Chinook, salmon run. Back bouncing egg sacks on heavy casting tackle, anglers regularly do battle with big kings in the 20to 40-pound range. Just a short puddle-jump down the coast, the Kvichak River hosts the largest sockeye salmon run on the planet. Sockeye pile into the river by the millions and push up into the headwaters to spawn and then die. For thousands of years, this transmission of nutrients from the sea inland has fueled the region’s wildlife, tundra and forests of alder and spruce. An angler with a fly rod can stand on the bank and cast streamers to huge pods of sockeye as they run past. Hooking one is no problem; it’s like collecting meat. The fight, however, is that of a creature determined to achieve its sole remaining purpose on earth.

These massive salmon runs feed all of the wildlife in the Bristol Bay region, and that includes rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, arctic grayling and others. Some area rivers are places where mouse patterns streaking across the surface draw aggressive strikes from rainbows 30-inches and longer. I can’t count the number of 25-plus-inch rainbows and Dollys we caught in a single day swinging big streamers. During and after the salmon runs, fish key in on salmon eggs and chunks of dead salmon adrift in the rivers. This is when egg patterns and flesh flies lead to unbelievable numbers of big fish. It’s the kind of fishing that only occurs where humans have yet to make a pronounced impact on systems designed by nature.

And that’s where the Bristol Bay fairytale is in danger of ending. In 2005, gold, molybdenum and copper deposits were discovered underground near the headwaters of the Nushagak and Kvichak rivers, just a few miles from the banks of Alaska’s largest lake, Lake Iliamna. Ever since, conservation groups, sporting groups and locals have been waging a legal battle against greed to save this pristine landscape and fishery. As proposed, the Pebble Mine would be an enormous scar on the landscape. According to The Wild Salmon Center, it would destroy an estimated 10,000 acres of wetlands and more than 330 miles of streams at the head of the most productive salmon fishery in the world. Annually, an estimated 10.6 billion gallons of mine-polluted wastewater would be sent downstream toward Bristol Bay. For anyone who has ever fished or hopes to fish in a place as unspoiled as the Bristol Bay drainage, it’s unconscionable such a project is even being considered.

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Permit

By CAM Staff

The Ultimate Challenge on Flats of the Keys

f it’s farther away, it must be better. While there’s truth to this concept that sends anglers around the globe seeking out remote and spectacular fisheries, there are also flaws to this way of thinking. It’s like the bank fisherman who strives to chuck baits as far offshore as possible only to cross lines with the boater casting tight to shoreline structure. While you’re at home dreaming of Indo-Pacific atolls, there’s an angler on the other side of the world flipping through magazine images of the Florida Keys. It’d be a shame to forget that geography gifted North Americans with some of the most productive and gorgeous flats habitat on the planet. Nobody knows this better than Capt. Luke Kelly of Key Flat Charters. Kelly has spent his life fishing the Keys. He operates year-round backcountry and flats charters out of Sugarloaf Key Marina. It’s about 20 minutes north of Key West on A1A, slap in the middle of the mangrove islands and vast crystal-clear flats of the Lower Keys. This is a place where anglers watch from the casting deck of a small flats boat as tarpon, bonefish, permit and other species cruise and hunt in knee-deep water. A flats slam of all three species is possible any day of the year, and while the power and aerobatics of a big tarpon might be the ultimate thrill in angling, permit are the ultimate challenge… especially with fly tackle. “Permit are highly sensitive and can sense the slightest vibration. It’s the challenge of this hunt that makes it all worthwhile,” said Capt. Luke. “With little room for error, anglers must be precise and stealthy during their first attempt, as second chances rarely exist when targeting permit on fly. Considered by many as

the ultimate catch during a fly-fishing career, permit demand the best from anglers and guides.” Kelly said convincing a permit to take the hook is the most difficult aspect of the pursuit. They are abundant in the Lower Keys, especially during the late February through April prespawn, when 10- to 40-pounders invade the flats. The easiest way to hook one is to accurately present a live crab with light spinning tackle. Permit feed aggressively when they feel comfortable, Kelly said, but they spook easily. “Once alerted by boat or angler, that’s it, the jig is up,” he said, “and the permit never gives second chances.” The odds of a hook-up reduce dramatically for anglers who take up the challenge with an 8- to 10-weight fly rod. A good double-haul is required to achieve the long accurate casts necessary to put a shrimp or crab fly in front of a permit. From there, it’s up to the angler to give life to the fly during a short time-window of opportunity. “Proper technique found successful in hooking permit on fly varies greatly with any given situation,” Kelly said. “Permit eat a variety of different things, all of which act differently in the wild. Anglers must be willing to think outside the box at times when trying to fool this ultimate gamefish into eating something artificial… It boils down to a challenge, and should be viewed in no other way.” Contact Capt. Luke Kelly and Key Flat Charters for light tackle and fly fishing trips for tarpon, bonefish, permit and more. www. lowerkeysflatsfishing.com / (305) 304-3152 / keyflat@icloud.com.

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ast year, Hurricane Dorian devastated Grand Bahama and Abaco. The most destructive hurricane to ever hit The Bahamas, it destroyed homes and businesses and displaced thousands of people. After the dust settled, I got a lot of questions about how the marine environment and the fishery fared after such a powerful storm. As Bahamas initiative manager for Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT), I keep an eye on such things. After several surveys, getting out fishing and hearing reports from other anglers, it appears the inshore and offshore fisheries weathered the storm well. There are plenty of big bonefish and permit on the flats, the reefs are full of snapper, hogfish and grouper, and the offshore tuna and mahi bite is great. The northern Bahamas remains one of the world’s foremost destinations for anglers. With lodging and charters recovering from the storm and Covid-19 restrictions beginning to ease, now is a good time to plan a trip. Fishing pressure is down, and the islands could certainly use an economic injection from anglers. One of the great things about these islands is there’s no need to travel far or break the bank for incredible fishing. The main islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama sit on the Little Bahama Bank and give access to more than 5,700 square miles of reefs and flats with an easy run to productive offshore waters. For a quick weekend or family trip, you can’t beat access by air or sea. Commercial flights are 45 minutes from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, and a boat ride is just two to four hours, depending on your destination. Fishing the northern Bahamas offers some of the greatest variety of sportfish anywhere in the world. In the same day, you can catch bonefish on the flats, spearfish the reefs for hogfish and lobster, and then head offshore after dolphin and tuna. SEASONS: Right now, the winter bite is on. High-speed trolling the dropoff is producing big wahoo. Spearfishing is also good for hogfish and lobster. Come spring, late-season wahoo will be around, and the dolphin and yellowfin bite really picks up. Blue and white marlin are also popular spring targets around Abaco, and bonefish and permit can be phenomenal on the flats. Summer is time for multi-day trips targeting tuna, hogfish, grouper, snappers, bonefish and permit. Deep dropping and spearfishing are particularly good in summer. MANGROVES: While the fishing remains stellar, mangroves were heavily impacted by Dorian. Mangrove habitat is an important nursery for many fish species, and it is vital to protect the coast from erosion and storms. BTT found that 70 percent of the mangroves on Grand Bahama and 40 percent on Abaco were lost to the storm. BTT is collaborating with Bahamas National Trust, Friends of the Environment and MANG to restore mangroves on Abaco and Grand Bahama. Check out www.bonefishtarpontrust.org for info on this project. Before making a trip to The Bahamas, visit www.bahamas.com for current information on access and checking in with customs. Fishing regulations are available at www.myoutislands.com.

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FOLLOW BAIT AND WATER TEMPERATURE Tim Barefoot

ow is truly a transition time for a number of things including the number of daylight hours, water temps and the mass migration of baitfish. The number of daylight hours is a major signal to all species of fish from mullet to marlin and everything in between. Daylight hours decline by a minute or so a day until Dec. 20. Fish and bait understand this. They react accordingly by putting the feedbag on. Another important piece of the puzzle is dropping water temperatures. Every species in the ocean, from nearshore and offshore waters to the shallow marshes, reacts by working temperature breaks. Areas with dramatic thermal change will concentrate fish. When the cooler north/northwest winds start howling, distinct water temperature breaks will become more defined. Pelagics, bottom fish and the bait they pursue will all be affected. Bait like cigar minnows and sardines will gather in large schools. Everything we fish for looks forward to this buffet. Some of the best grouper bites I’ve ever encountered were on or near structure where huge stacks of baitfish were consolidated. But the bait is the most important part of the equation. As a matter of fact, I’ve been on some crazy good bites that were on slick flat sand bottom that held big stacks of bait. It’s pretty simple… find the bait; find the fish. Once gags, reds and scamps start their true spawning rituals, the bait becomes less important, but for right now, I’d focus on the food rather than simply the structure. It’s a given that the big spawning gags will key in on the best bottom, as long as it holds bait. However, grouper certainly follow these huge schools of bait around wherever they go. This is especially true for red grouper. They will follow the bait and almost disregard the ledges and structure.

Granted, a live cigar minnow is one of the most desirable baits of all time for grouper and big snapper, but a big live sardine is absolutely irresistible! It must be the oil content or the taste, but I’ll take a large live sardine on a Crab Decoy Jig over anything out there. I’m not discounting a live vermillion snapper (beeliner), though. Speaking of a live beeliner, don’t ever hesitate to put out a live beeliner on the light line for a smoking hot wahoo bite when anchored up bottom fishing. Bottom fishing and light lining or kite fishing is almost at the apex of the year, with December and the first few weeks of January being the best. Get out there and get after it!

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING DELAYED HARVEST UNIVERSITY Contributed By: Jeff Durniak www.unicoioutfitters.com Unicoi Outfitters, Orvis 2018 Fly Shop of the Year

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As our Delayed Harvest season starts, this DH vet offers a few tips to increase your post-trip smiles and stories. Let’s think of DH streams as colleges and their stocked trout as year-classes. So, welcome to DH University! Hey, bear with me; I told you I’ll help you catch more fish! Stepping into streams on the opener, we’re surrounded by Freshmen. In Georgia, they’re fresh transplants from “schools” at Lake Burton, Buford, Rock Creek, and Summerville. Rabunites call them “dumplins,” straight off the stocking truck and looking for Mama Fish Tech’s bucket of trout chow. They hang in schools in pool tails, which must feel like their former concrete surroundings. To find Frosh, cover a lot of ground and attract them with color and movement! It will be famine for a long stretch until you discover where the DNR netful hit the water. Then it’s feast! Here are feasting tips: use small (#10 or 12) Woolly Buggers and bigger, bright junk flies like #10-12 worm and egg patterns, and make sure you move them with twitches and strips! After two weeks of your fondling, Frosh learn and graduate to Sophomores. Folks who still fish for Frosh see their catches plummet! Why? Sophs have spread out via floods and have learned that gaudy flies stripped across current hurt their lips. Through hunger, they’ve also learned about natural drifting food. Now it’s time to pull out your good drift, read the water, and bump your flies along the bottom. Try the squirmy or egg as your first attractor fly, then add a #16 bright nymph like a Lightning Bug as the dropper on 5x tippet. Those little bright bugs will get their attention. Soon the sore-lipped Sophs learn that bright bugs don’t look or taste like the real ones, and advance to Juniors. About 4-6 weeks into the season, switch the dropper to natural patterns like #14-16 Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, Prince Nymphs and their soft hackle versions. And you’d better have a good, natural drift. Survivors soon get pickier and advance to Seniors. Two months into DH and you’re fishing for seemingly

wild fish! Turn over submerged rocks and match the small, dark winter nymphs with tiny versions of your Junior flies in sizes 18-20 on 6X tippet behind your egg or #10 Pat’s Rubberlegs attractor. Have a great drift and get ready for very subtle strikes, especially when water temps drop into the 40’s. If the Seniors are smarter than you, there’s still hope! By design, monthly agency restockings replace fish lost to floods, natural predators, and angler fondling, so you have more shots at underclassmen. Keep the Bugger, Rubberlegs, or egg as your first fly for Frosh, and drop a size 18 Pheasant Tail or #20 Zebra Midge on 6x tippet behind it to show the Seniors you’re still smarter than they are. Good luck at DH University as you teach those fish some lessons!

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Contributed By: Henry Cowen www.henrycowenflyfishing.com I am sitting at the computer in mid-October and it’s time to predict November. The lake is now 71 degrees and the fish are just starting to chew. We are just now seeing fish on top and lots of fish around the humps. This is actually a little early, but I am not complaining. That means November should be fantastic as long as the weather holds up. Most of the time, we are fishing the south end of the lake until the water cools and turnover is finished. It appears like turnover started earlier than usual when we had that minor break in temperature in mid-September. November is clearly one of the three best months of the year to fly fish on Lake Lanier as well as many of the North GA lakes around the state. It is one of the few months that you can count on to see significant topwater action. This plays right into the hands of a flyrodder as well as the conventional angler. November fly fishing on our area impoundments is as close to a sure-thing as one can get. The only problems you will face during November are the days after the front which can shut the fishery down for a day or two. Last November we had some epic topwater fishing, and I fully expect the same to happen again this year. Big schools of fish can be found crashing the surface eating young-of-the-year threadfin shad. The big question is where to look? As the water temperature cools down, the striped bass start

schooling all over the south end of the lake. There might even be fish seen further north, but in previous years your best bet will be on the south end to start. While fish can be seen feeding on the surface at any time of the day, it is a good bet that the first 2-3 hours after first light as well as the last 3 hours before sunset will be you most opportunistic times. I think I may actually prefer afternoons to mornings! Fish may still be feeding on 2-4” long blueback herring, but you can count on the fish gorging on 1-2” long threadfin shad. It is the small threadfin shad that have fly anglers excited about November fishing. This is why fly anglers have a specific edge in hooking fish at this time of year. Simply put, they match the hatch better than conventional anglers. A conventional angler will need to fish a small white Fluke, a small Sebile or a spy bait. Or better yet, a casting bubble with a fly will get you a few extra bites. If you are out when the Corp of Engineers is generating water, you’ll hit the jackpot. Best bet for fly fishers will be to carry two outfits rigged on the boat. First, an intermediate line with a small shad fly tied on will work perfectly for surface feeding stripers. You can throw a topwater fly, but you will not get nearly the number of bites as a subsurface fly. An alternative is to attach a

November striper caught on Lake Lanier on fly by Keegan Corcoran. Wiggle Minnow to the end of the tippet. If fishing a Wiggle Minnow, it is important to keep a continuous retrieve in motion. Stick the fly rod under your arm and use a hand over hand retrieve. For my second rod I would go with a fast sinking line and a small Somethin’ Else fly attached to the end of it. The Somethin’ Else matches the small threadfin shad perfectly and will get you a few extra bites. My second choice would be a small grey over white Clouser minnow. Conventional anglers should also rig up a small ¼ oz. bucktail. Another option is to fish a small Crocodile spoon. If the fish are on herring, then a swimbait is your best choice. A Zara Spook or pencil popper might work just

fine too earlier in the month. Keep a pair of binoculars at the helm to help locate the busting fish. If October is any indication of how November is going to fish, then anglers need to be prepared for some spectacular fishing. As a reminder, I am still guiding but on a limited basis through COVID. I am only taking single anglers in the boat for this season. One more thing…GO DAWGS! See you on the pond. To book a trip please contact us through our website www. henrycowenflyfishing.com and be aware that my new book “Fly Fishing for Freshwater Stripers” will be available in fly shops and through Amazon, Books-AMillion and Barnes & Noble by mid-November.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING OCONEE ON THE FLY-NOVEMBER FORECAST LEARN MORE ABOUT FRESHWATER STRIPER FISHING!

Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore USCG www.oconeeonthefly.com If you have ever listened to the O’Neill Outside radio show on WSB, you probably have heard Henry Cowen, also known as “Hank the Yank,” call in with the Lake Lanier fishing forecast. Henry was one of the early pioneers of freshwater fly fishing for stripers here and “…has been pursuing striped bass on both fly and light tackle for over 30 years in both saltwater and freshwater.” Henry has finally written a book, Fly Fishing for Freshwater Striped Bass: A Complete Guide to Tackle, Tactics, and Finding Fish that is a must read for all fisherman who want to enhance their skills at catching stripers. I have listened to Henry speak at the Atlanta Fly Fishing Show, have fished with him, and from time to time, get to catch up with him on the phone. His advice is always spot-on, and you can apply his techniques to any freshwater striper impoundment or river. “Stripers don’t know where they live.” You can get the book online at Amazon or pre-order at The Fish Hawk’s Facebook page. November Forecast Hybrids/ Stripers – Yours truly got a new knee about six weeks ago, and I finally got to go fishing a few times in the past week. I was rewarded with a 7-pound, 14-ounce striper trolling a #7 Shad Rap. Trolling Shad Raps will be the way to go in November. Local angler, Kevin Harris has

mastered this technique and won the prestigious BigFishHeads Derby 2020 with a 15-pound, 10-ounce striper last year. I troll #7 Shad Raps, and I usually go with the shad color. I use spinning rods with 12-pound test Stren Original Mono Lo-Vis Green. I like that it will stretch and give a little, as opposed to braided line. You can troll on your gas motor at 3 mph or a little less, or on your trolling motor. I have recently used the trolling motor in shallower water running 2.2 to 2.6 mph. Also, long lining bass minnows will work well in November. I use the same setup as I do trolling Shad Raps but put a swivel on and a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader and a #4 circle hook. It’s great not to have to throw the cast net. November Forecast Crappie – November is when long lining is in full swing! Just troll a 1/16-ounce jig with a 1/32-ounce jig tied a few feet below it. I use Curtis Hobb’s livewire hooks for the jigs. I use Jiffy Jigs curly tail jigs in a Junebug /chartreuse color. The fish will start to move from below the 44 bridge to above I-20. Final Words - It’s hard to beat a fall/winter trip here on Lake Oconee. Email me at wmoore1700 @outlook. com or call 404-317-9556 and lock in your dates. Tight lines and God bless.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING THE CASTING CORNER YOU DON’T NEED TO BE A ROD STAR TO FLY FISH Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer

Get out! Those words can mean a lot of things. Today, let’s let them remind us to go outside, even if it’s just to stand in your back yard to listen, look and relax. Orvis sent me an email explaining that there is a shortage in fly fishing equipment due to the high demand. The movie, “A River Runs Through It” didn’t just come out, so why the demand? You got it. People just need to get out, and a lot of them are getting into something they always wanted to try, fly fishing. But then.... On my first try at fly fishing for trout, no one told me I had to get leader material to match the fly size. I was all geared up standing in the middle of the Chattahoochee at Island Ford and couldn’t get the frigging leader through the eye of the fly. I always bass fished in the 70’s, so 10-pound mono worked on all of my bass bugs. Lesson learned. Go to the fly shop and ask what else you might need. My next time out with the correct combination, I tried my best to cover the whole river from one spot. I made cast after cast trying to reach any water that looked good.

No fish. Then I did a little reading, watched a few guys who looked like they knew what they were doing, and noticed that they were only making 15-20 foot casts. It wasn’t because they couldn’t cast further, it was because they knew where the trout would hold, that trout wouldn’t travel far to get food, and a proper presentation would catch more fish than random, erratic casts. The point of telling you of my lessons learned is to let you know that gathering information is important. That information gives you the knowledge to make wise choices on the water. We don’t have to make hero casts, but knowing how to make a few different type casts and knowing when to use them will increase your enjoyment of fishing and increase your chances of catching a fish. We have a lot of great guides in Georgia. Invest in some time with them. You may need the knowledge, and I am sure nowadays they could use the business. It’s a win, win. Flatten the learning curve, catch more fish and GET OUT!

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DELAYED HARVEST IN GEORGIA

Contributed by James Bradley Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide www.ReelEmInGuideService.com (706) 273-0764 The much-anticipated Delayed Harvest (DH) season is finally here! Most of our DH waters are marginal at best. This means that most of the trout will not survive the higher water temps during summer months. Solution is to allow anglers during the DH season to practice catch and release and others to harvest these fish once the DH season ends and the water begins to warm. It is a win-win situation for many anglers! Georgia’s DH season begins November 1st, and continues through May 14th. Anglers fishing DH waters must release all trout immediately and use and possess only artificial lures with one single hook per lure. Georgia has five waters listed in their DH program. They are Amicalola Creek, Chattahoochee River, Chattooga River, Smith Creek and the Toccoa River. These waters are stocked heavily with trout for an angler’s enjoyment. Early in the DH season, these fish will be in pods after being stocked. These pods will slowly disappear as the fish move and spread out more. A week or two into the season and you can begin catching them in feeding lanes and other normal holding areas. There is no denying that freshly stocked trout will devour about anything, especially bright, flashy colored flies. A simple setup to search the water with is a standard dry/nymph rig. Tie a 12” to 24” piece of tippet off the bend of the dry fly hook and then place a nymph at the end. This rig allows you to use the dry as a surface fly as well as an indicator. The nymph is subsurface where trout feed about ninety percent of the time. Dries can be Stimulators, Caddis or foam flies in sizes 10-14. Droppers (or nymphs) can be a Hare’s Ear,

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Pheasant Tail or Prince in sizes 14-16. DH fish do not mind chasing streamers or Wooly Buggers in sizes 8-12 that are stripped across current, or giving a reaction strike to other items like San Juan Worms, Squirmy Worms or other junk flies like colored eggs or Y2Ks. Remember, these fish early in the season will just about strike a bare hook even though I haven’t personally tried that yet! Stockers don’t stay uneducated for too long as anglers begin pounding them. As the season rolls on, it may be necessary to remain more on the traditional smaller flies. It will not hurt to have some smaller patterns like Rainbow Warriors or Midges in sizes 18-22. If you want to try fly fishing for the first time or want the watchful eye of an instructor to help improve your casting, we have several guides that teach the “Art of Fly Fishing”, entomology, stream reading, etc. We are a full-time fly-fishing guide service with professional guides from across North Georgia. So, what are you waiting for? Give us a call and we’ll hook you up! Reel Em In Guide Service is the only Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide Service in North Georgia’s Historic High-Country region. They have been offering their services to fly anglers since 2001.They have permits to guide in North Georgia and North Carolina, offer over 6 miles of private trophy waters across Georgia, and operate drift boat trips on the Toccoa River in GA and the Tuckasegee River in NC.

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Spectacular fall colors have blessed the Chattooga Valley once again. Remnants of a Gulf Coast hurricane brought well needed rains to the area in the middle of October after eleven days of splendid cool temperatures and great fishing. Long range forecast is for continued cool temperatures, which is vastly different from a year ago being too warm. The water table is in great shape, and water levels on the rivers here will remain good for wading and great fishing conditions. November 1 brings the start of another Delayed Harvest season here on the rivers of South Carolina. Great thanks to the Walhalla State Fish Hatchery, South Carolina DNR and the U.S. Forestry Department for their great work with the helicopter stocking program. Many tens of thousands of fish were brought from the hatchery, placed in the helicopter bucket, and flown to the rivers here.

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Great dedication from the folks of these agencies makes it all possible for the Delayed Harvest areas to receive fish up and down the river corridors. The chance of catching a beautifully colored brook trout should be on your agenda for November in these waters. Year after year, the Walhalla Hatchery stocks the rivers with the most beautiful and large brookies in the South. Also, along with the brook trout, let’s not forget the rainbow and brown trout which are stocked as well. The myth of fingerlings being stocked is just that, myth. Large numbers of large fish are stocked every year, and they will definitely stretch the fly line. After their release from the helicopter stocking, usually within a couple of days the large pods of fish start to disperse throughout the rivers. At times, it will take a few days for these fish to recover from the transportation arrangements to start to feed again. More variety of flies and colors will be very useful. If using one color and getting refusals to eat the fly, do not panic. Just simply

try another color. More times than not, this will put numbers in the net. Bright, flashy, and movement in the flies which are being fished are very helpful for a successful day out on the Delayed Harvest sections of the rivers. Though these are truly different

times for all of us, let us remember to have respect for each other and for the wonderful outdoors we are able to enjoy. Please “Leave No Trace”, and we hope to see everyone out on the rivers. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Chattooga River Fly Shop!

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING TOURNAMENT WINNING TACTICS Contributed By: William Reed Nucanoe National Pro Staff Writer IG: @wde_will Most bass fisherman dream of winning a fishing tournament or knowing how the winning fish were caught. The Kayak Bass Fishing National championship with big sponsors and over $100,000 in prize money draws some of the biggest names in fishing, and it just happened October 7th-9th on Lake Guntersville. Nucanoe TeamNU snagged the 1st, 3rd and 27th place with over 300 anglers competing and only the top 100 moving onto day three. Being on Team Nucanoe with anglers like Conant, Brundle and Pagnano is a blessing, and I got them to tell me how they won. “My bites primarily came off of heavy hydrilla edges that would become sparse for the last 8’ in 4-6’ of water. The morning bite I had dialed was on a Lucky Craft Sammy. Once that died, I would continue to run my Nucanoe Pursuit along the same edges putting the Motorguide Xi3 on track and firing a Bhite Delight

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colored Zman Jack Hammer paired with a Yamamoto 4” Zako swimbait. Caught my kicker fish on both baits throughout the three days.” - Matthew Conant 1st place KBFNC, Trail Series Champion, KBF Challenge Series Champion and KBF rookie of the year. “I would use my Motorguide Xi3 to get my Nucanoe Pursuit into the proper position and get my baits in front of the fish that were holding in 2’-4’ of water. I mainly used 3-4 baits for the entire tournament. Early in the morning I would throw a Strike King BuzzToad over the top of the grass then I used a Zman Original Chatterbait in white/chartreuse color and would burn it by the clumps making sure to bang it into them and rip it free, and that’s when I would get most of the bites. When I had the opportunity at schooling fish busting on shad, the Megabass PopX is what I would throw and work with a slow chugging motion

which got absolutely destroyed on the strike. Lastly, I would throw a Megabass Big Gabot frog on the mats which got me a 21”er on the final day! - Derek Brundle 3rd place KBFNC “As always, I started my days running long distances with my Motorguide Xi3 on my Nucanoe F12. Standing 6’2 and 330 I need a yak and motor that can handle the pay load. I was able to stand and run a big grass flat in practice rounds about 5 miles from my launch. As tournament day approached, the weather moved in as well as Lake Guntersville was dropping the water levels. This started

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a change reaction of dirty water moving in and bait frantically being chased. With the conditions I was able to zero in on a consistent bite with the ZMan Jack Hammer 3/8 oz. chatterbait, alternating between a Spot Remover to Bhite Delight for colors. On day three, I picked up a Megabass Pop X that matched the hatch perfectly. It was on! I caught over 40 bass on the final day and at one point, one on every cast for 3 minutes. I’ve only competed in about a dozen bass tournaments in my life in past 1.5 years, so I know as the years roll on I will work my way to the top with them.” - Rob Pagnano 27th place KBFNC.

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sunrise and then head to the river to catch fall spawning brown trout in the afternoon. My personal favorite is to hunt waterfowl in the morning, then fly fish during the heat of the day for trout and then climb up into a deer stand to bow hunt at dusk!

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

Spey fishing originated on a Scottish River of the same name many moons ago. Long heavy wooden rods were used to cast and lob flies to fish in its cool waters. Today, wonderfully easy to cast graphite and boron fly rods are used in larger rivers and streams all over the world for a variety of cold and warm water species. Trout Spey involves somewhat smaller 2 through 5 weight rods of 12 feet or less that can toss heavy lines and flies sometimes incredibly long distances. These rods are very well suited to fish our larger rivers here in Georgia and Western North Carolina. in the Southern Here mountains, we are well treed along the banks of almost any stream. Spey rods handle this well, in that the casts made almost eliminate the big back cast needed with a regular

fly rod to reach the distances these rods are capable of. Spey casts are similar to the common roll cast except a lot more dynamic. Two hands are used instead of one with one hand functioning as a fulcrum and the other pulling on the lower handle. Trout spey lines that are useful for the Appalachian two handers are the Scandi and the Skagit taper lines. The Scandi line or shooting head is large at the rear and tapers all the way to the fly end and delivers small wet flies and soft hackles like a lazer beam. Scandi’s are perfectly designed for riffles and caddis eating trout. It’s nice for the smaller flies, but for larger flies like various streamers and Intruder style flies, a Skagit line is needed. Skagit lines can deliver a full size yard chicken if needed. They are very good at fishing runs and holes

or buckets as our spey brothers and sisters call them. Adding tips to the Skagit lines of various weights allow you to fish different depths. Local rivers that come to mind that are well suited to trout spey are the Tuckaseegee River in Sylva, North Carolina and the Toccoa River in Blue Ridge, Georgia. Both are large and not too easy to wade, a perfect combination for the spey rod. With a spey rod, you can stand

in a safe wading area and launch casts into not too safe wading areas. Fast deep water, ledge rocks, and distant runs all are fair game for the old two hander. I teach trout Spey fishing classes on the Toccoa River year round for anyone interested in learning the craft. I owe it to my Scottish Heritage! All gear is provided and fun will be had for sure! I’ll see ya’ll on the river!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LANIER STRIPERS Forecast by: Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com 770-630-2673 Fall is here and the stripers have been schooling on top at random times. Some days it has been spotted bass as well. Look for some of these schools to be very large in size. You may see them from several hundred yards away. All types of topwater baits will work, but each day a different one will be the key choice. Two key baits are the Sebile Magic Swimmer and the Berkley J-Walker. So far this fall, the Magic Swimmer has been on fire. We have been catching them on the Magic Swimmer for several weeks. Our bigger fish have come on the Magic Swimmer over live bait. Spool up a Penn Battle III 4000 spinning reel with 12-pound Trilene Big Game line on a 7-foot medium heavy Fenwick spinning rod, and you are good to

go. If the water is calm, pick up the Berkley J-Walker. This bait will zig zag across the surface. The south end of the lake will most likely continue to be the key area, but the stripes may quickly be found further north on the lake. Some are already being caught on the north end. If you want to use live bait, pull some freelines, which are simply baits with no weight, at 100 feet behind the boat tipped with a blueback herring. All you need is a Shakespeare Striper rod paired with a Penn Fathom II Linecounter reel spoiled with 15-pound Trilene Big Game line and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. The herring will do the rest. Pull the herring across humps and points, and you will catch stripers and spotted bass. It’s a great way to spend the day. Looking forward to the most explosive fishing of the year this November. See you on the water

LAKE HARTWELL By Preston Harden Bucktail Guide Service www.bucktailguideservice.com (706) 255-5622 Water temperature: 73 degrees, lake level: full pool. November is a transition month on Lake Hartwell. Understanding the transition and migration is the key to success. Turnover occurs in November. The surface water sinks and the deep water rises. The water turns brown and sometimes gets a foam on top. It is worse after a cold

front, but it gets better after a few mild days. It starts in the creeks and the upper lake and progresses down the lake to deeper water. The oxygen gets low as the water turns. Fish run from turning water. By late November, game fish will migrate up the lake and into the creeks. I look for green water and try to avoid brown water. This migration includes bass, stripers, hybrids, crappie and catfish. November can be a tough month, but understanding the conditions and the migration can increase your odds.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST JACKSON LAKE By Brian Lee leebrian16 @yahoo.com Water temperature: 68-70 degrees, lake level: slightly under full pool, clarity: stained/clear. November is one of the best months to bass fish on Jackson. The shad are starting to move into the creeks and pockets. Topwater early in the mornings around any cover or isolated cover will produce. Keep an eye out for schooling fish as the shad are making the move to creeks and pockets. Topwater baits of choice would be a Pop-R, Rapala Skitter Props, Spooks, Torpedos, or something of this nature. Shad colors are the color of choice. A Spook around shallow humps and in the pockets

are producing some quality largemouths and spotted bass. Shallow rocky points with a variety of baits will yield some fish as well. A ¼ ounce double willow leaf spinnerbait in white or white/chartreuse with gold blades or white blades is catching some fish. A-Rigs are catching some as well. A 3/8-1/2 ounce black/ blue or green pumpkin jig fished around docks, rocks and rails will be a way to catch fish all winter. Late November and into December will bring cooler water temps pushing fish tighter up on ditches and deeper drops. Use your electronics to locate these fish and drop a Flex-It or Hopkins spoon down to them. A Fish Head Spin can be dropped or cast to these fish as well. Some hefty bags are always caught on Jackson in the wintertime, so bundle up and get in on the action.

LAKE BURTON Forecast by: Capt. Wes Carlton Georgia Lake Fishing 770-318-9777 www.georgialakefishing.com Water temperature: 67 degrees, lake level: full pool, clarity: stained. Bass: The spotted bass bite has been slow the last few days. The turnover has most of the fish glued to the bottom. We have caught some nice fish but have had to fish deep this time of year for them. We have been using underspins tipped with Flukes fishing over a 20 to 25foot bottom. We have caught a few fish mid-day up shallow on

points throwing a Sebile Magic Swimmer (Herring color). The largemouth bite has been ok. Flukes and swimbaits seem to be working best for these fish. Most of the largemouth are up shallow in the backs of creeks right now. We have a lot of new water from the recent hurricane. Hopefully, things will settle down in a week or two and be back to a normal fall bite. Trout: The brown trout bite has been slow this week. We have caught a few fish trolling in the 20-foot range over the main lake channels. Hopkins Spoons seem to be the ticket for these fish. Look for this bite to get better in a week or so.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST NOVEMBER ON LANIER – STAY FLEXIBLE Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com

Many anglers make the common mistake of underestimating the viability of late fall and winter fishing. While the outside elements are not always favorable, the months of November and December on Lake Lanier can offer anglers some of the best fishing of the year. Ditch fishing is often the approach upon which I focus, yet there are many options in a transitional month like November, so stay flexible! As you pursue different patterns this month, stay flexible as weather fronts will affect the location and mood of the catchable fish. Don’t forget to look shallow around points and humps both on the main lake and in the major creeks, in addition to the smaller creek runs. A spinnerbait on windy days can be incredible this time of year fished shallow on points, as can be a large crankbait like a Spro Little John DD. Also a big swimbait, like the Sweet Bait Sweet Herring can be an excellent choice for a big catch. As we proceed with this article, I will address more of how to approach once the water gets around 60 degrees, which may or may not happen in November this year. Shallow Ditches: Often times, if you find a shallow ditch (15 feet or less) in a creek, you will find baitfish present in and around this ditch. Bass will show up and feed in these areas, particularly in low-light conditions, even in the dead of winter. Slowrolling a SuperSpin or slow cranking a crankbait in these areas at daylight

is a great way to take some huge spots throughout the late fall and winter. Present a SPRO jerkbait over these same areas for bites as well. Cast your jerkbait long distances over the ditch and work the bait back to the boat with a jerk, jerk, pause retrieve. Include long pauses of up to 10 seconds between jerks. Also, ensure that you jerk the bait on slack line to improve the erratic action of the bait, which will trigger more strikes. Deep Ditches: Many of the same definitions and techniques will still apply to deeper ditches, but there are some key differences. When you search for these deeper ditches (2550 feet deep), start by following the shallow ditches out to deeper water. Once you have moved to the deeper

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part of the ditch, use your Lowrance electronics to look for cover within or around the ditch that may offer an ambush spot for bass. If you can find an area with a ditch, standing timber, brush, and key feature changes such as an outside channel bend intersected by a road-bed in 40 feet of water or so, you have found the perfect winter haunts of the bait and our greenbacked friends. Good electronics, such as Lowrance HDS units with 3D Structure Scan Technology, are vital to finding these subtle depth changes and cover. Once you find a location like this holding fish, start by dropping a jigging spoon down to the location of the fish. Allow the spoon to sink to the bottom and then reel it 2 cranks up before beginning your presentation. Jig the spoon with quick, short, upward thrusts of the rod and include pauses in your presentation. Let the fish tell you how they want the bait presented. Another option for these deep fish include a drop-shot rig. Rig a dropshot with a small worm or minnow imitation and present the bait in the area of the fish. Do not over-work the bait. Often, periods of no movement can trigger strikes. I prefer the many offerings of Lanier Baits for these presentations. Steep Rock Banks/Rip Rap: These features consistently hold fish during the late fall and winter months. Begin by using your electronics to graph a likely area in search of bait. When you find the bait, you can rest assured that fish are somewhere in the area. Search for changes in the

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structure as your starting place. Look for points, pockets, contour changes, or transition areas where sand meets rock or clay, for example. Begin your prospecting in these areas with a SPRO jerkbait such as a McStick. Impart the jerk, jerk, pause retrieve mentioned previously. If the fish are not active enough to hit the jerkbait, try worms or Chattahoochee Jigs worked slowly down the rock bank. Position your boat in deeper water and cast towards the bank. Work the bait slowly and methodically back to the boat. Bites in the late fall and winter are often VERY subtle. Once you detect something unusual in your lure’s action, set the hook. While these areas are not the only possible places to find fish on Lake Lanier in the late fall, they are some very good areas to begin your search. Remember to look for bait and fish in an area before fishing it. Fish where the fish are! For more information or to book a trip, contact Jimbo on Lanier via email: james.mathley@gmail.com or phone: 770-542-7764. Check out Jimbo’s website: www.jimboonlanier. com.

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

Fall fishing is wide open out here on this awesome North Georgia lake. The cooler water temperatures have really got these big fish feeding. Currently, Lake Chatuge is 7 feet below full pool. Water temps are in the mid-70s, and water clarity is clear throughout the lake. Hybrid fishing has been great. These fish are still schooling in large numbers, and we are catching some big quantities. These are some of Lake Chatuge’s hardest-fighting fish, and we’re having a blast wearing them out. The early morning and midafternoon bite has been prime. Look for schools of fish along the main channel and off points. Downlining live blueback herring has been the best technique. Fish will be slightly shallower in the early morning hours and will move to deeper water by mid-morning. With the cooling water temps, the topwater bite has been insane. When

these fish start busting on bait, it’s always a good idea to have a Spook or Red Fin at the ready. As the month progresses, these hybrids will work their way back into the creeks and spread out. Time to break out the ol’ planer boards. Spotted bass fishing remains excellent, too. We are still catching some huge spots throughout the day, and it’s not uncommon to put 30-50 of these feisty fish in the boat in one trip. Early morning topwater bite has been strong. Topwater plugs, Spooks and jerk baits have worked well. Our downline bite has also been very productive, especially in the mid-morning hours. Look for fish to be schooled up on shallow clay banks, humps, and off points. In terms of location, the upper end of the lake has been producing slightly better numbers than the lower end. Fall 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. It’s the best place around for quality live blueback herring. We also carry ethanol-free gas and have some of the best hot, made-

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE EUFAULA

WEST POINT LAKE By Capt Sam Williams hawk184@earthlink.net 334-687-6266 Water temps are in the 60’s and low 70’s. Currently, the lake is mostly clear, about 1 foot down and holding steady this year. The way I understand it, plans are to keep us at or near full pool because of work being done on the Eufaula dam. Bass: Good - The shallow bite remains good now and should improve even more, especially with higher than normal lake levels and continued cooler temps. Baits such as unweighted Flukes, Senkos, Spooks and Whopper Ploppers are catching fish. Try to fish these baits in or near cover or around schools of shallow baitfish. Fish the open water in the pockets with a Whopper Plopper, a Kvd 1.5 crankbait or a Flash Mob Jr rig. Also, it doesn’t hurt to have a jig handy to pitch around any wood cover. It won’t produce a lot of bites, but it’s a good way to catch a bigger fish. By the end of the month (especially if it cools off quickly), the big schools of spots mixed with hybrids, white bass and stripers can be caught on jigging spoons and drop-shot rigs on deeper offshore structures. Linesides: Good - The downline bite with shad or bass shiners has improved some as the water has cooled off. Most of the fish seem to be holding 20 to 30 feet deep when they are not schooling on the surface, but are still moving around a good bit. As the water gets colder, these deep fish get easier to catch. They will “stay put” longer as they slow down with falling water temps. Expect the topwater fishing to continue to improve and be best very early and very late or on overcast or rainy days as the water cools. Gulls and loons usually show up in November, which makes it easier to pinpoint schooling stripers. A popping cork rig has been working on schooling 1 to 3-pound fish with an occasional bigger one mixed in. A 3/8 or 1/2-ounce white Rooster Tail, a 20 ATLANTA

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chrome C.C. Spoon and a number of other small shad imitators have also been producing, and the colder it gets, the better the fishing usually is. As the water cools, a bucktail jig becomes very effective as well. The mouths of most creeks south of the 109 bridge, the edge of flats near the dam, and the mouth of Yellow Jacket Creek have been holding fish. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits and Alabama Rigs has also been producing some linesides in these same areas. Crappie: Good - Try tight line fishing minnows or a 1/16-ounce or smaller jig around bridge pilings, brush piles, and blow downs in 6 to 15 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting docks with small tube or feather jigs around or under the docks is also a very good technique during fall. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover. Cooler temps and rain should improve the fishing even more. Yellow Jacket, Wolf and Whitewater Creeks are still producing good strings of crappie. Now is the time to book your fall striper trips to insure you get a good day! Peak fall fishing is from October 15th - December 15th. For more info on booking a trip, go to my website LakeWestPointFishing.com. Thanks!

Water temperature: low 70’s, lake level: 185.89 msl, clarity: heavy stain to muddy in creeks. The river continues to give fishermen a challenge with running in the low water and fishing the swift current. We dodged a bullet with Hurricane Delta staying off to the west. Bass fishing is getting better as the fish are settling down some and staging better on the deeper structure. Chatterbaits, shallow crankbaits and soft plastics worked on the bank line and first drops near any type of cover are getting some strikes. It takes numerous casts in one area to aggravate a fish to strike. Carolina rigs and heavy jigs are working on the deeper cover. Even on the deep cover, the current will carry your bait downstream. Heavy weights are necessary to hold the bait in the fish. Crappie are still scattered on the structure. I am getting reports of some good catches on the deeper structure on the man-made trash piles. Bream are near the banks eating worms and crickets. Even these

areas are hard to keep your bait in place. Catfish are doing well for the bottom fisherman with livers and cut bait held down with bigger lead weights. Some really big ones are coming in. Cats like the muddy conditions. They can smell the bait as it carries in the dense water. We are getting closer to having our new website up and ready. Sign up for our newsletter at www. alclassic.com and keep up with all the current news. We are adding a page for Darby’s Warrior Support and SOAR where you will be able to see reports from research doctors on progress in finding a cure for Niemann-Pick disease as well as from DWS on outings with the post 9/11 combat heroes on hunting and fishing trips. Thanks to our new title sponsor, ALFA insurance, we now can guarantee our first place team a $5,000.00 payout, and the total purse for the top fifteen fishing teams is $15,000.00. Be safe on the river, and use your electronics’ maps to stay in the in the river and creeks. Watch out for the floating trash and stick-ups as you navigate to your fishing hole. Pray for our leaders, police and one another. God bless and good fishing.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST ATLANTA SALTWATER CLUB By Chuck Alford, President ASWSC, chuckalford@comcast.net Between the Covid-19 pandemic and all the tropical weather activities, our ASWSC activities have really been impacted this year, but we are carrying on. Our usual monthly meeting location at the Atlanta Hilton NE has not been available since March. We cancelled a few meetings and are currently meeting where we can find a location that works for the club and to allow social distancing as much as possible. If you are interested in attending a meeting, please check our website for the time and location. Hopefully, we will be back to a routine real soon. Luckily, we held our annual Sailfish tournament in January before all this hit, then we had to cancel our first three tournaments. Luckily, fishing in a boat is excellent social distancing, so were able to start the tournaments back up in June for Red Snapper season

and have had a pretty good fishing year so far, except for cancelling our Fort Morgan, Alabama tournament after it was hit by hurricane Sally. Our last tournament in September, the “Rumble on the Redneck Riviera” was held out of Treasure Island Marina in Panama City Beach, Florida. A couple of days ahead of the tournament, the weather looked like it was going to be very nice, but then the first rumblings of hurricane Sally started up, and it was a little rough but still fishable. Mangrove and Vermillion Snapper, Red, Gag and Strawberry Grouper, Amberjack, Triggerfish, Mahi and King Mackerel were caught, and the contest was very close. Only 10 points separated the first and fourth place finishers, including a tie for first. The tournament consisted of two days of fishing. The first day

was a little sporty but not too bad. Day two started out with sloppy conditions, and the few boats that pushed through to go offshore got the “you know what” beat out of them. Things calmed way down in the afternoon for some good fishing conditions, and that is how the tournament was won (over wimps like me who stayed in closer!) A lot more fish would have been brought to the dock, but the Taxman was out in full force. When the movie Jaws came out in the 70’s, shark fishing became very popular along with a demand from Asia for shark fins (for shark fin soup), and the overall health of shark populations went way down. For years, regulations have been in place limiting the harvest of sharks to a sustainable level. From my observation, this effort has been successful. Over the last few years, I have seen more and more sharks with more than ever this year. They are taking a larger “tax” share of the fish we are catching. It is very frustrating to get on a good spot and start catching fish but only bringing in half a fish or just the fish head. This, along with Flipper coming along to steal fish off your line when bringing them in,

and it can really get your blood pressure up. But to be honest, it is really cool to see these beautiful creatures at your boat. The Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman Club (ASWSC) is the largest inland saltwater fishing club in the US, active since 1987, and today is accepted as the foremost authority on saltwater fishing in the Atlanta area. For more information about ASWSC: www.aswsc.org, info@aswsc.org, and like us on Facebook “Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman Club”

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE MARTIN

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

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Water temperature: 67 degrees, lake level: winter pool down 10 to 15 feet, clarity: 8 feet. The walleye have moved from their deep summer homes in cooler water to the main river channels and creek channels in 35 to 45 feet of water. Crankbaits and spoons are still the go-to right now. You will have to spend some time locating them. They have a slightly flatter mark on the sonar vs say, a bass. If youâ€™re catching bass, youâ€™re in the wrong spot, but not necessarily the wrong area. After you find them, you can drop big minnows or even medium herring to them. Try not to sit right on top of them as it can shut them off at times.Â

Yellow perch are schooling, and we are seeing good numbers coming in the boat early mornings. Live minnows, small jigs, small spoons and even worms will get their attention with the bigger fish coming on spoons. We let all the small ones go and keep only the larger fish. Look for areas with grass that transition to a rocky bottom or shorelines. My target depth is 25 to 35 feet.Â The topwater bass bite can be great on any given morning this month, so I always have a Zara Spook or Spook Jr tied on a spinning rod with 10-pound braid and a mono leader ready to launch at anything on the surface. The areas around the marina over to Point 2 have had the best action in the last few weeks. For colors, I like anything yellow or yellow and white. Iâ€™m not sure why, but the spots in this lake tend to be attracted to yellows.

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Provided By: David Hare Alex City Guide Service 256-401-3089 Water temperature: 73 degrees, lake level: full pool, clarity: clear. Lake Martin once again has not failed us this past month. October was as fun as it gets if you like a lot of striper action. Check out the examples in the pictures in this article. November fishing is awesome here in many ways. Number one is the bite is wide open, and the Alabama weather is beautiful. In November you can catch fish in areas that you havenâ€™t been able to the last several months. The water level is slowly falling about 2â€? per day since October 15th until it reaches the winter pool of 484.00, which is 7 feet below full pool. The stripers should be almost settled in from their transition they make every fall and winter. Areas of the lake to be spending time fishing for stripers in November are numerous. For example, but not limited to are Kowaliga, Parker Creek , Blue Creek, Elkahatchee Creek, Wind Creek and most any area north of The Ridge Marina. If you enjoy river fishing, then November should be a month that you check out the river north of the RR Bridge. On the lake, the stripers will be doing two different

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things. One, is there will be a lot of topwater action in various areas, so always have a topwater plug ready to cast on the famous explosions these Lake Martin stripers will produce. Number two is the stripers will start staging in huge schools for some awesome live bait fishing. If youâ€™ve never fished Lake Martin in November, then this just may be the year that you should check it out whether you try your luck on your own or if you would prefer a professional full time guide service to better your chances of a great day of striper fishing here. I truly believe November will not let you down. Follow us on Facebook at Alexcityguideservice/LakeMartin for daily updates on what you could be catching. Until next time, catch one for me!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST CLARKS HILL LAKE

Currently fall fishing is in full swing. As of this report, the lake level is 329.8 feet and morning surface temperatures are still hanging in the mid-seventies. Early November is typically associated with the end of the lake turnover, and this year will be no exception. By midNovember, the baitfish and predators will have migrated up the rivers and creeks and will be scattered throughout the entire reservoir. We will have predictable success intercepting the moving fish by presenting lively herring on down rods along the river and creek bends. A good starting point is 24 feet down, but it

can be much shallower in low light conditions. We have boats on the water daily and can keep up with the migration. Give us a call and let the professionals put you on the fish. Snacks, drinks and a fishing license are all that is required. We even fillet the catch for you. Look us up for a good time at www. littleriverguideservice.net.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST THE FALL LAKE TURNOVER

By Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com 770-889-2654

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The early months of fall for the anglers can be a very tough time to find and catch fish with any degree of success. The lakes all over the South are going through the turnover effect. This can be confusing to anglers. Basically warm surface water begins to sink and the cool waters under it floats over the warm water back to the surface. Lots of oxygen is then scattered to all levels of the lake. Bass can now roam at any and all levels so they are roaming the lake at all depths. Large reservoirs do not all turn over at the same time. So what is that smell? That is the turnover process, and it’s time to move away from it. This turnover occurs every year when the colder water in the mid ranges of lakes begins to float to the surface. Once this happens, the lake’s water temperature, and most important, the oxygen layers are now the same at all levels. In many lakes, the color of the water also changes and becomes a cloudy color. Look at the river below the dams and you can see this off colored water. Many experienced anglers have learned how to still be successful during this time of year, and it’s not all that hard to do. The key is just understanding what the fish actually do during this time of year. Oxygen is the life giving ingredient for all living creatures and plants on the earth. Nothing can survive long without oxygen, and fish are no exception. In their underwater world, oxygen levels can change at different water levels and at any time during the year. Fish have learned to deal with low oxygen as well as high oxygen levels, and they will adjust their locations around this fact. When the

oxygen in a lake is low, fish will be slow and not react to lures, and may even become dormant for periods. They must try to find better oxygen in order to actively feed and to survive. Once this turnover is in full place, oxygen levels are exactly the same at all levels, and all game fish can now roam the lakes to feed in preparation for the winter. And for the anglers, there are two choices. The first choice is to accept the tough conditions and fish as hard as possible by casting shad and bream colored crankbaits to every piece of cover all over the lake. Smaller baits are more effective and easier to cast as well. This method is very effective, but the angler needs to remember that this is a true pattern that can be duplicated even the next day. Because of the changing conditions every day, the fish will be moving around and not holding on any cover at all. These fish are just roaming the lake looking for food. The second option, should the lake have a long river feeding into it, is to head up river and get into the current. The fish that live in river systems deal with high oxygen levels all year long and are not affected by the turnover effect, In this case, these fish are using up a lot of energy all year just fighting the current every day. In any case, fall turnover can be a lot of trouble to deal with, so the angler might decide to sit in the woods for a month. After all, hunting season usually opens about the same time the turnover takes place. To fish this event, tie on a crankbait, a spinnerbait and a buzzbait and start down the bank. The trolling motor should never stop turning.

Once this turnover is in full place, oxygen levels are exactly the same at all levels, and all game fish can now roam the lakes to feed in preparation for the winter.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST ENJOYING OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES: SHOOTING AND FISHING Dr. Andrew Cox

When you read this article, hunting season will be in progress across Georgia and Alabama. As many anglers are also hunters, they must budget their outdoor time between hunting opportunities and the excellent fishing that also exists during this time of year. This is an unusual article for me to write. I usually write exclusively about angling and angling related topics. I do have some interest in the shooting sports but have only done so on a sporadic basis. This has mostly involved use of a shotgun in dove or clay shooting. Last month, I took an Introduction to Hunting Firearms course sponsored by the Georgia Safari Club International held at the Beretta Shooting Grounds in Kingston, Georgia. This course was held at a superb facility

and provided participants with hands on experience with both shotguns, shooting clays, and target shooting with rifles appropriate for use in deer hunting. It was a great program interspersing conservation, shooting ethics and safety into the program along with a good Chick-fil-A catered lunch. Several families with children were participating in the program. It was good to see children shooting and participating in outdoor activities. I was impressed with the children’s shooting skills. Even though this is supposed to be an angling oriented article, there are tie-ins between the shooting sports and angling. Funding sources through the United States government for both fishing and hunting are similar. Both angling and hunting are supported through

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newspapers. His writing interests specialize in angling and travel, human interest, and general fishing technique oriented topics. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia, Alabama, and north Florida for over forty years. He has also fished the waters of most states within the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, and several Caribbean islands. He enjoys fresh and saltwater fishing for bass, bream, crappie, trout, redfish, and speckled trout using fly, baitcasting, and spinning equipment. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Professor Emeritus at Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama. He may be contacted at andrewtrout@aol.com.

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firearm, ammunition, fishing equipment, and tackle sales, and state and federal licensing fees. These funds support habitat acquisition and improvement, and support for specific wildlife and fish species. As many anglers are also hunters, involving children and families in shooting may also foster interest in other outdoor activities to include angling. This leads to interest in conservation and improving access and quality of both fishing and hunting resources for both present and future generations. I believe that shooting and angling coexist as outdoor activities. Interest and in-volvement in both sports lead to improvements in the sports’ quality for both fishing and hunting enthusiasts and the environments that these activities depend. The Georgia Safari Club International provides a number of services and programs. Refer to their website (georgiasafariclub. org) for more information on the mission and programs sponsored by this organization. Author’s Note: Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and

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

lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

Water temperature: 70 degrees, lake level: -6 feet, clarity: 3 to 6 feet. Fall fishing is in full swing. The stripers are starting to pull up into shallower water following the bait. Planer boards and flat lines are the name of the game right now. I like to run big baits back 50 feet or so behind my planers. Circle hooks and 17-pound mono are my choice of tackle for this setup. I like the mono in the cooler weather as flouro tends to get brittle on me in cold temps. You can slow troll the baits in a zig zag pattern covering as much water as you can. I like to keep moving looking for hungry fish vs trying to sit on top of the fish. With the clearer water, they tend to get spooky up in shallower water. All the major creek arms are a good place to start. I typically pull from the very back to the mouths of the main lake looking for any areas holding fish that day. Keep in mind the bait is on the move and the predator fish are not far behind them, so the locations can change day to day. Worley, Fisher, and Camp Branch are my typical go-to areas for big striped fish. If you’re looking to catch fish on artificials, I never hit

Carters without a few Capt. Mack’s umbrella rigs, Ben Parker spoons, and some bucktails ready to go. The walleye have moved towards the shorelines as well. Look for them early and late on sunny days as they prefer the low light hours. On overcast windy days, they will be more active throughout the day. Live baits, spoons, and crankbaits are the drill here. Using the crankbaits as search tools is imperative. After you find them, you can vertical jig/spoon them or throw live baits on them. Typically, I’m looking in 20 to 40 feet of water right now. November is when we start seeing the bigger fish coming into the boat with more consistency. It’s not rare to see 6 and 7-pound fish grouped up on good areas. The small points and bends in most of the creeks have fish on them from the mouths all the way to the very back. Look for bait and fish on the sonar before you ever wet a line. I say it a lot, but fish the fish, not locations. I don’t usually target the bass much in the fall, but I always have a topwater tied on. Hard to beat a Zara Spook for this. Long casting, lots of commotion, and the big Carters’ spots absolutely love to destroy one on the surface. If you’re not seeing them busting bait on top, you can still throw them over points and get some great action.

Fall fishing is in full swing. The stripers are starting to pull up into shallower water following the bait.

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alityatters! u Q re M WheSTEEL NOVEMBER 2020

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE NOTTELY STRIPER By: Shane Goebel Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service & The Angler Magazine Fishing Team www.bigolfish.com 828-361-2021, 1-844-4-ANGLER Fall is for striper fishing, and November is a fantastic time to hit the water for some big stripers. November kicks off the start of monster trophy season in this area, and Lake Nottely offers some fast pace striper action. If you want some huge 20 to 40 pounders, it’s definitely time to hit the water! So, after filling up on that yard bird, grab your favorite rod and book a trip with Blairsville’s #1 and only fulltime striper guide: Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. We’ve been striper fishing these mountain lakes longer than anyone and have what it takes to put you on some huge fish. Currently, Lake Nottely is 8 feet below full pool. Water clarity is clear and water temps are in the low 70s. Striper fishing has been great lately. We’re still catching tons of nice schooled up fish. However, the unseasonably cold temps and lake turnover has slowed the bite temporary. This early turnover should only last a week or two, but this only means the big trophy stripers are going to start firing up. Mid-November is notorious for some big stripers and a bunch of them. For now, the early-morning and evening bites are your best

28 ATLANTA

NOVEMBER 2020

times to see action. With the cooling water temps, continue to target creek mouths and points off the main lake channel but also look for schools to move back into the creeks. The majority of our fish have been caught from Point 8 to the dam. The topwater bite has picked up a bit, so keep a Spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag surface-busting fish. The fish will continue to be schooled up throughout the next month and will remain in deeper water before starting to spread out in their typical winter pattern. Just remember to keep an eye on your electronics and watch for schools of stripers when cruising the lake. November is a fantastic month for catching some big fish on this lake. From huge hybrids to hard fighting monster stripers, there are many great opportunities to catch a number of fish species on Nottely 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 fish. We are the Blairsville GA and Murphy, NC’s only full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lake Hiwassee, Chatuge and Blue Ridge. And for all your live blueback herring and tackle needs, check out Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA. They carry everything you need for a successful day of fishing. 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 GIVING THANKS

By Capt. Cefus McRae Nuts & Bolts Fishing Series 201 Woods Lane, Hartwell, GA 30643

With all the Corona virus craziness going on, it may seem a little difficult to find a silver lining in this Covid cloud. I’m usually a pretty positive person. I think it’s better to look for something good to focus on (even if it’s small), versus dwelling on the negative influences. We’ve been sheltering in place for the better part of a year and venturing out only occasionally to get a drive-thru meal, ordering groceries online, waiting for Amazon to deliver toilet paper, and at night watching re-runs of Nuts & Bolts of Fishing on TV. We’ve settled into a seemingly endless rut. But with Thanksgiving coming up, I can’t think of a better time to pause and give thanks for the positive things we still have in our lives. One of those is our ability

to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Outdoor sports like hunting, fishing, kayaking, bike riding, hiking, and myriad others can be done safely these days. And in fact, many of them by nature are ‘solo’ activities. Deer hunting, biking, hiking, and even fishing are activities that can be done either alone or with significant social distancing. Yes, I do miss the post-event socializing, like leaning against the bed of a pickup truck to recall the events of an afternoon hunt with buddies or standing shoulder to shoulder at the local marina cleaning table, fileting the day’s catch. Those things will come back eventually, but that doesn’t mean we have to go cold turkey on those adventures themselves. Even though I’ve temporarily

halted large group fishing charters, Buck and I still go fishing, although, I do have a hard time keeping a mask on him. And we have a great time. I’m thankful for the opportunity to get on the water and just enjoy the day. Maybe that’s something you might want to consider. Look at the people in your immediate household…parents and kids. When was the last time you all got out and spent some time in the woods, on a hiking trail or on the water together? You live with each other under the same roof, so one might presume it’s OK for you to go fishing together, and fall is one of the

best times of year for fishing. Maybe you pack a lunch and take the kids on a hike (away from the crowds) at one of our fantastic state parks. If you think about it, there’s still plenty of fun things to do that don’t require you to put yourself or your family in a potentially risky environment. I know we will all be glad to see this Covid stuff in the rear-view mirror, but for now, it’s something we just have to deal with. We’re fortunate to be blessed with an abundance of outdoor experiences to be enjoyed safely as a remedy for the Covid blues, and that’s something to be thankful for. Tight lines and calm seas.

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NOVEMBER 2020

ATLANTA 29

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST SOME TIDBITS

by O’Neill Williams

• Caught a bass, striper or hybrid deep hooked around the gills and you’re not going to keep it? Don’t try and remove the hook, just cut your line and give it a chance. See blood? May as well keep it for yourself or someone else. Blood means death. • Want your catch to live longer and stay fresher on the way home? Clean up your live well. OK, good grief, that’s enough. Enjoy the fall. Fishing is great.

A couple of subjects today if you don’t mind. First of all, Gail and I started a live Facebook posting every Monday at 6:30 PM. We’ve only ‘performed’ for the last two weeks in a row as a bit of a feeler for how it might work to be able to talk to a fishing and hunting audience directly instead of television shows, other Facebook posts, newsletter, tweeting, website and such. My cell phone is up close in my face and Gail is passing along the comments the viewers are making from behind. It’s kind of fun. We need to figure out a way for the audience to hear what she is saying as we proceed over the half hour, and we’ll get that done somehow. If you have a chance to venture in at 6:30 PM on Mondays at oneilloutside Facebook, please do. One of the interesting parts of doing this Facebook thingy is that we, or I, get questions about how to get started fishing and where is the best place to buy your tackle. We can’t answer those questions fully as it would take an encyclopedia to give a fully detailed list of suggestions. My suggestion is to ask a few friends who are fisherman to take you with them to their favorite places. They’ll likely do so. A couple of suggestions are headed your way so pay close attention. Tell him or them that you’ll pay for the truck and boat gas, whatever live bait he suggests purchasing, you’ll clean the boat after you return and provide breakfast, lunch and beverages. If you do, then he will probably accept your offer. If you don’t, he will not ask you a second time. He will have to do all that himself. You’ll not learn enough in one trip so ask for two under those conditions. If that doesn’t fit for you, visit one of the dozens of GA State Parks or ‘pay lakes’ in local driving distance and locate someone fishing from the bank and ask if they wouldn’t mind letting you watch for a while. Take a small cooler with beverages and offer that as payment for you to watch. They will likely let you do so and will continue to do their best

to catch a few. You can learn a lot. If you find that you’ve picked out someone who is not friendly, go ask someone else. Just don’t make it ongoing interview, just a question from time to time as to why he or they did something you don’t understand. What happens usually is not difficult to understand. Then you can go to another park or pond and do the same things you saw that person do. Is it that easy or what? No, but it’s a start. Second subject: General fishing tips garnered over the years. Use as you see fit or don’t. Better if you learn more and add to your experiences. You’ll have greater stories to tell later on. • Don’t store your mono in the sun. Sunlight degrades mono line • If your line on your spinning reel gets twisted, take off the terminal tackle and drag it behind the boat the next time you move. If you’re on a stream, so the same thing allowing it to drag downstream. Both ways will remove the line twist and make the day easier. • Always keep your boat keys on a float just in case you…… • If you’re alone, post someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. • When launching your boat, always put in the drain plug. Don’t laugh, I’ve done it. • When fishing at lakes like Lanier or Oconee where stripers or hybrids reside, always have a separate rod rigged with a spoon or bucktail so you can grab it to cast to a surface feeding fish. It has to be done quickly, so you will not have the time to rig it up when you need it. • PFDs are not in storage in the boat. They are unpacked at least if not being worn. • When taking those to be treasured photos, push your hat back and let the sun hit your face so you can tell who you are. Shadowed faces are regretted later. • Don’t clean your reels with a high-pressure spray. Soak them in a bucket. Spraying will drive the gear oils out and dirt in.

30 ATLANTA

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LAKE CHATUGE Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchsguideservice. com 706-455-2323 Water temperature: 72-73 degrees, lake level: 3.5 feet below full pool, clarity: clear. We’ve been having some cool nights which has brought the water temps down. The lake levels have been dropping, but we’ve been getting a lot of rain off these hurricanes that has been pushing the levels up and down. Once the water temp gets around 65 degrees and the lake level stabilizes, the fishing is going awesome. There has been some fish breaking throughout the day. The baits I keep tied on are Strike King Sexy Dawg Jr, Whopper Plopper and a Berkley Cane Walker. I will start out throwing these lures the first hour in the mornings, targeting points, creek runs and laydowns. You want to keep them on the deck of your boat throughout the day for when they will blow up on the blue back herring baitfish. By mid-morning, I will start trying to mix it up with a drop-shot, shaky head, Trd and Texas rig. I will mainly be targeting rocky bluff bank, deep points and laydowns. This time of year, you can also target docks with these baits and also a Zoom Fluke. If I’m throwing a jig this time of year, I have 3 main colors: blue/black, pb/j and green pumpkin, fishing them around docks and brush. If it’s a windy day, I will throw a Z-man Jack

Hammer chatterbait, or a spinnerbait. This time of year is always a good time to throw a Sebile Magic Swimmer around brush or points. Good luck and remember 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.

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST MENTAL TOUGHNESS MOVES YOU FROM GOOD TO GREAT Contributed By: Jay Striker www.jaystriker.com

The sport of competitive bass fishing has many different variables that one must manage to be successful including physical, educational, financial, emotional and professional. An essential attribute for success is the mental. I write this article centered around how top anglers can separate themselves from the rest of the pack when they control bass fishing’s mental side. It has been said that rain falls on the just and the unjust, which means there will be situations that will arise that are out of our control and happen to us all. Competition bass fishing can get very stressful and often tests each of those pillars mentioned earlier. How do you manage the stress? How do you work through the tough loss? How does an athlete deal with a string of bad luck and still figure out a way to win? Let us discuss how anglers stay in the game mentally when the world seems to fall apart around them. Stress: To get through a challenging situation on the lake is to have a positive attitude. I must see adversity differently so that I can manage successfully to stay focused. Remember to stay positive. It is the fastest way to get back in the game when things do not go as planned. There will always be something out of your control. Staying positive is free, and free is always in the budget. Tough Losses: If you have caught five fish in a tournament , all you can do is hope that your fish out weight the rest of the field. Often, there will be days when the fish you scouted shrunk overnight, and it seems like your mind is playing tricks on you. You headed to the scales and did not quite make the cut or did not get a check. There is a high chance that there will be more days of losing than winning. The best thing to do is not dwell on the past but focus on the future. Dealing with a string of bad luck: There will be times when you can’t seem to do wrong, and everything seems to go right. However, there will be days, weeks, and sometimes seasons when nothing but bad

breaks seem to follow you around. When this happens, it’s easy to start thinking that you are not good anymore or are not ready for the next level or don’t have what it takes. Having a positive attitude, staying focused, and mentally in the game will get you through these challenging times. From this article, please take this one bit of information. You are respected by being present and showing up, win, lose or draw, versus the one who gave up and quit. Never give up! I would rather have a reputation of not winning than having one of giving up. Let me close by saying that the sport of bass fishing has a significant impact on your physical, educational, emotional, and professional aspects of the sport. However, the way you win against them all is through mental toughness. Attaining a strong mental presence of how you deal with stress, tough losses, and strings of bad luck will be required to rise past those who are just good and get to a great level. Stay tough. It is mental. Thanks to the thousands of readers who read my articles each month. Please continue to reach out and let me know what subjects you are interested in reading. You just might see it here in the Angler Magazine. Please feel free to contact me on Instagram, Facebook under Jaystriker.52 or at jaystriker.com.

LAKE SEMINOLE Forecast By: by Capt. Paul Tyre paultyrefishing@yahoo.com Fall temperatures are in the air and the bass fishing on Lake Seminole is heating up. As the water temperatures continue to move into a downward trend, the bass fishing will get even better! The big bass have been biting, and we had the opportunity to catch over 10 bass in the 8 to 10 pound range in the last several weeks! As we move into November, the bass will begin to feed heavily on shad. Moving baits like spinnerbaits, buzzbaits and crankbaits will be productive. The key this time of year is to find the bait, and the bait is shad. One of my favorite buzzbaits is a Nichols Reflex buzzbait. It is a headslammer style buzzbait that the big

bass can’t resist! A longer rod with a higher speed gear ratio reel works best. I prefer a Temple Fork Outfitters 7’4” Tactical Bass series in heavy action. This rod has a soft tip which allows you to make a long cast but has the backbone to get the bass out of the grass. I use this same setup for the spinnerbait with a little slower reel, no more than a 6:3.1 gear ratio, fished along over the edges of the grass lines in the main lake. Lake Seminole is a half a foot below full pool with both the Flint and Chattahoochee River arms of the lake with a slight stain. Spring Creek remains relatively clear. For an exciting Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure this fall, email us at lakeseminolefishingadventures@ gmail.com or follow us on Instagram and Facebook @ lakeseminolefishingadventures! Give us a call at 850-264-7534 to check availability!

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NOVEMBER 2020

ATLANTA 31

Wall of Fame Hunter Slay with a Lanier striper caught in a tournament with Team Fishslayer.

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

Jessie Walton from Marietta fishing Lake Eufaula with Capt Sam Williams.

WINNER! Larry Elrod caught this striper fishing with his friends on Lake Lanier.

Omari Leggett from Atlanta with a big Eufaula bass fishing with Capt Sam Williams.

Linda Jack from Tampa caught this monster rainbow trout while fishing with Unicoi Outfitters guide Ron Thomas at Noontootla Creek Farms.

Katelin Robinson with a big rainbow fly fishing with Reel Em In Guide Service.

North Georgian Dennis Kelly caught a bunch of rainbows, including this hefty fish, while fishing with Unicoi Outfitters guide George MacMillan on the Soque River.

Josh Zwerner caught this pretty rainbow trout on the Etowah River.

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14 NATIONAL

NOVEMBER 2020

It’s Sailfish Season! S

PHOTO COURTESY OF WEST PALM BEACH FISHING CLUB

W FOR YOUR O N E V R E RES CAPE!!! WINTER ES

ailfish are a target year-round off the Atlantic Coast of Florida, but the best action should kick off this month and improve progressively with each passing cold front as more migratory fish arrive to spend winter off the coast of central and south Florida. November is the traditional start to the season, when sailfish from the north follow migrating baitfish into Florida waters to join the resident population. By December and January, it is estimated that more than a million sailfish arrive to overwinter, and that’s when top sailfish boats report dozens of releases in a single day. It sparks a mini tourism boom when anglers—rather than beachgoers— descend upon central and south Florida. Charter boats book up in a hurry this time of year. If you haven’t already planned your trip, it might be too late. Booking a jam-up sailfish trip is made more difficult by the specialized conditions it takes to bring out the best action. Everyone is looking for tailing conditions after the passage of a cold front. Sailfish move high in the water column and feed aggressively when a north wind clashes with the prevailing current to kick up swells in the Gulf Stream. Some say that the rougher the conditions are, the better the fishing is. It’s a good time of year to have a big boat, but even smaller vessels can get in on the action where the Gulf Stream swings closest to shore. Carefully watching the weather and timing a trip to get out as soon as conditions begin to subside strikes that fine balance between safety and catching sailfish. Tactics differ depending on conditions and location. Some troll a spread of teasers and dead ballyhoo. Slow-trolled or drifted live baits can also be remarkably productive in some situations. The preferred method for many is kite fishing with live baits, because it is effective and exciting. A kite is deployed trailing live baits, typically bridled goggle-eyes, threadfin herring or other hearty baitfish. The kite keeps baits near the surface, and most of the leaders and tackle are suspended above the water. On approach, anglers might see the fin or bill circle the bait. On the take, everything goes into overdrive with the legendary speed and aerobatics of a hooked sailfish. This time of year, it is a scene that takes place multiple times a day, and sometimes with multiple fish at the same time. Rough weather is a good time to be on the water when the sailfish descend on the Florida coast.

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NOVEMBER 2020

NATIONAL 15

It’s Tuna Time In Tuna Town V

enice Marina is the jumping-off point to some of the best fishing in the world. Known as “Tuna Town,” this southern Louisiana meeting place of the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico features endless branches of bayou waterways that give way to a Gulf peppered with oil rigs and other world-famous offshore structure. It is an incredible ecosystem for fish to thrive in. There are also very few marinas with easy access to this fishery, which means a phenomenal array of fish species are plentiful, oversized and underfished. It is truly like going back in time. This time of year, Tuna Town is aptly nicknamed. Autumn is shrimp-boat season in Venice, and it is arguably one of the best times to fish for tuna. In the summer, you might run many miles offshore in search of yellowfin tuna, bouncing from rig to rig or finding prime schools breaching under frigate birds in open water. With a 24-mile run down the Mississippi River just to reach Gulf waters, the summertime gas-bill can definitely take a bite out of your wallet. In fall, when these yellow-sickled beasts school behind shrimp boats, you will find yourself in a “Nat Geo” type situation within 300 feet of water, which out of Venice is only a few miles from the shore. At the shrimp boats, you must convince the shrimpers to give you bycatch. Trade is king in this situation, but not all the crews are after the same thing. Bringing a case of cheap beer is standard practice, but sometimes they request something different like soda, energy drinks or even hooks and monofilament. Sometimes, you will get lucky and the shrimpers will toss bags of stinky gold onto your boat. But more times than not, your mate will have to board them. The captain will pull up right behind their

16 NATIONAL

NOVEMBER 2020

By Capt. Quinlyn Haddon

vessel, and the deckhand has to leap from the bow and grab the tires that hang off the back of the shrimp boat and scurry aboard to avoid being pinned between the boats. Once the deckhand has filled a few sacks of bycatch, they make the leap back onto your boat. I have personally done this many times, and all I have to say is, please don’t forget to tip your mates! The idea is to pull up next to a shrimp boat and chum so hard that you pull up a school of fish as you drift back. As you continuously throw chum in the water, you will see yellowfin tuna rolling out from underneath your boat to devour each piece. Your lines will be out of the water as you hand-feed the tuna and take inventory of fish collected under the boat. When you see the one you want cycle through the feeding pattern, that’s when you toss out bait with a hook in it. It sounds easy enough, but tuna aren’t the only fish that school behind shrimp boats. Buckle-up, because you’ll have to land that fish in the midst of a sharknado. The sharks can be so thick, that as the crew we’ve had to ask clients if they wanted to fight fish or eat fish and had to land a few tuna for them. This type of fishing is incredible to witness for anyone, but is truly better suited to a more seasoned anglers. Shrimp-boat season is completely worth the trip to Venice, but the weather can get a little nasty in the fall. You are likely to encounter a few days in a row that are unfishable offshore this time of year, so allow yourself a few extra days of availability. You can always check out the equally epic inshore fishery if you have to wait it out. Capt. Quinlyn Haddon now fishes out of St. Petersburg, Fla. with Reel Lucky Fishing Charters. Their charters are available for offshore, nearshore, inshore and customizable from anything in between. Call or text the owner, Capt. Joseph Dephillips, at (727) 557-7829.

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NATIONAL 17

J.O. SPICE COMPANY CELEBRATES 75 YEARS AND 4 GENERATIONS

teamed blue crabs seasoned with J.O. No.2 or a custom blend that J.O. manufactures is the flavor people experience at crab establishments all over. Most people credit this crab house seasoning to another product but J.O. has been the crab houses’ seasoning of choice since 1945. J.O. Spice, started by J.O. (James Ozzle) Strigle and his wife Dot in Baltimore City in 1945, is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. A native of Tangier Island, Va., J.O. Strigle brought the seafood spice blend he created in his kitchen on the island to Maryland. Jane McPhaul, J.O.’s daughter took over operations of the family business in the late eighties while her son, Don Ports, was serving in the Marine Corps. In 1990 Don joined his mother in the family business with a vision to expand. In the summer of 1991 Don met his spice girl, Ginger, with the pick up line, “you’re destined to be mine; you’re named for a spice,” said J.O. Spice Company president Don Ports to wife Ginger Ports the moment they met. Twenty eight years later, Don and Ginger- alongside their children Brittany, Tyler and Bethany, are continuing the family traditions of quality seasonings, spices, and more at reasonable prices at their Halethorpe based J.O. Spice Company. “We can provide crab houses everything they need for the crab eating experience, minus the crabs”, Don says. The company added crab boxes, crab paper, bushel baskets, crab knives, crab mallets and a variety of other items to their offerings. “We purchased our first laser engraver and that opened the door to the retail gift world and personalized options,” Don says. J.O. specializes in custom blended seasonings for pizza companies, pit beef stands, butchers, potato chip companies and more. We are more than seafood seasonings. “My children, the fourth generation, and our amazing team work side-by-side to make all of this happen,” Ginger says. “At J.O., we are all family who enjoy working with so many other family businesses. We are blessed.” Please visit us at jospices.com.

18 NATIONAL

NOVEMBER 2020

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FISH BEWARE! CHawk 23

Idaho Producing Monster Yellowstone Cutthroats

Models Available 18-29 Feet

ellowstone cutthroat trout longer than 30 inches are exceedingly rare, but that hasn’t stopped Idaho anglers from besting that mark twice in the last few months. On Sept. 8, Nate Burr, a fly fishing guide from Rexburg, Idaho, caught a 31-inch Yellowstone cutthroat that beat the 30.5-inch state length record set in August. Both fish came from the Snake River. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game reported that Burr and a buddy had been fly fishing the Snake River for three days, looking for big trout without much success. As evening set in on the third day of slow fishing, their luck changed as a huge trout smashed Burr’s fly. “It was one of those brutally slow days,” Burr said. “Hunting big trout on streamers means a day on the water can go from zero to 100 in a split second. That was exactly the case with this fish.” After chasing the hooked trout for nearly half a mile downstream in a driftboat, the pair managed to finally scoop the fish with a landing net. After taking a quick photo and reviving the fish, Burr released the huge trout back into the Snake River, securing his name in the record books.

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NOVEMBER 2020

NATIONAL 19

FORCE ISC™ 10K B2

BIG BASS AT CLEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISCHILDERSBASSGUIDE.COM

ass anglers looking for a destination fishery worth travelling to would be hard-pressed to find a better one than California’s Clear Lake. With all the historic bass fishing powerhouses in the South and the rise of awesome Northern smallmouth fisheries like the St. Lawrence River, it’s worth asking why anyone would travel to the West Coast to go bass fishing. The answer is simple: Clear Lake is home to an abundance of large bass, and its location in California’s gorgeous wine country makes it worth a visit even if the fishing wasn’t so great. And the fishing is great. According to California studies, Clear Lake has more fish per acre than any other lake in the country. Couple that with tournament data from B.A.S.S., and the fishery looks even more attractive. Tournament statistics show the average Clear Lake fish weighed 5 pounds in competition sacks last year. With high catch rates and average fish that weigh 5 pounds, competent anglers can expect to target lots of large fish. A 16-plus-pounder was the highlight of 2019. The lake record is 17 ½ pounds. Clear Lake is a 43,000-acre natural lake about two hours north of Sacramento. Stockings of Florida strain largemouth along with northern largemouth has created a fishery renowned for quality and quantity. About 100 miles of shoreline are littered with docks, piers, pilings and other manmade structure. Humps, boulders, brush piles and an abundance of aquatic vegetation provide plenty of natural cover and structure. For information, go to www.californiasgreatestlakes.com.

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GULF SNAPPER Three Times More Abundant Than Previously Thought

ou can bet there are a bunch of Gulf charter captains out there right now bellowing an emphatic, “I told you so!” In early October, preliminary findings of the Great Red Snapper Count were presented to Congress with results that indicate up to three times as many red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico than was previously thought. This unprecedented study was led by the Harte Research Institute and provides an independent and robust assessment of Gulf of Mexico red snapper stock abundance. It shines an additional spotlight on how inadequate data was used to all but shut down one of the most popular recreational fisheries in the world. The state-of-the-art study was funded through a $10 million Congressional appropriation, championed by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) in 2016 and awarded by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant. The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) was an early proponent of this study. Over a two-year period, 21 scientists used a comprehensive suite of methods on high relief areas, like natural and artificial structures, and low relief areas, such as sand or mud bottom, to arrive at the absolute abundance estimate. Approximately two-thirds of the Gulf red snapper population was found to inhabit these low relief areas, which have not been historically sampled. “The Great Red Snapper Count results validate what the recreational fishing community has long said – that there are a lot more red snapper in the Gulf than have been reflected in recent stock assessments,” said Kellie Ralston, ASA’s Southeast Fisheries Policy director. “We are grateful for the excellent scientific work by the Harte Research Institute and its partners, as well as Senator Shelby for recognizing the need to fund such a ground-breaking study.” With an interim analysis of stock abundance expected for the Gulf in early 2021, NOAA has indicated it will incorporate the Great Red Snapper Count’s findings into its interim stock assessment. Hopefully that will lead to off-the-charts snapper fishing next summer!

Insist on Only the Best Cast Net for Grabbing Your Bait America’s #1 Cast Net Choice, Year After Year America’s Best

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NOVEMBER 2020

NATIONAL 21

DESTINATIONS FOR WINTER TROUT

Karl Eckberg with a delayed harvest trout from South Carolina’s Chauga River.

By Nick Carter

or trout anglers, the next few months offer some of the best catch-andrelease fishing of the year. Delayed harvest (DH) waters are regulated by the states to carry us through to spring with heavy stockings and catchand-release, artificial-only fishing geared toward fly fishers. Here’s a look at a couple good DH options.

About an hour and a half west of Greenville, the Chauga flows a ridge east of the well-known Chattooga River. That’s part of what makes the Chauga such a great option during South Carolina’s Nov. 1-May 14 DH season. The Chattooga draws most of the fishing pressure, allowing the Chauga to fly under the radar. The Chauga fishes just like the Chattooga, only a little smaller, said Karl Eckberg of Chattooga River Fly Shop. The river’s ledges, drop-offs, deep river-bend holes and an abundance of riffle water hold rainbows, browns and brookies. There are only two access points to the DH stretch. Despite a good trail, Ekberg said the middle portion of the specially regulated water hardly gets touched. Early in the season, freshly stocked trout are suckers for the “big flashy and rubbery stuff,” said Ekberg. Load your box with Mop Flies, Y2Ks, Squirmy Worms and Gummy Worms. Micro streamers become more important as the season progresses, but fall and winter also offer hatches of midges, bluewinged olives and little black stoneflies.

NANTAHALA RIVER, NORTH CAROLINA

The upper Nantahala River’s 4-mile DH section is like a high-elevation trout stream without the hike. About 20 minutes southeast of Bryson City, Wayah Road hugs the upper Nantahala, giving no-hassle access to miles of riffles and pocket water, big bridge holes, gorges and deep plunge pools. The drawback to this situation is fishing pressure. Roadside pullouts fill up when the weather is nice during the October into June DH season. Stocked trout learn to spot a fake pretty quickly, so the fishing can be challenging. There are good numbers of standard hatchery-sized rainbows, browns and brook trout. Big fish are known to stake claim to the best holding water. For a few days after a stocking, the usual flashy “junk food” flies are effective, but Nantahala fish switch to more natural behaviors in a hurry. Fall and winter bring out winter stoneflies, blue-winged olives, midges and maybe even a few small caddis. Spring ushers in a riot of bug life and excellent dry fly fishing.

The Return of a

CHAUGA RIVER, SOUTH CAROLINA

The Chauga River is one of several good backcountry streams in Upstate South Carolina. It features some 20 miles of remote, lightly pressured water known for brown trout. This time of year, the Chauga’s 3-mile-long DH stretch is where it’s at.

Nick Carter is the author of “Flyfisher’s Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” It is available on Amazon.com, and autographed copies are available by emailing the author at nsc8957@gmail.com.

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10/8/20 12:17 PM

Flip Flip Hooray! A perfect symbol of fun in the sun for only $79

ere’s a memorable beach moment: You’re basking in the warm sun, toes in the sand, letting the gentle turn of the foam-capped waves lull you into a state of complete relaxation. As your eyes scan the endless horizon of blue on blue, you’re rewarded with a school of dolphins making their way across the sea. There’s no denying their signature shape as they leap from the water. If you don’t see anything else extraordinary the rest of day, you can take solace knowing you’ve witnessed one of nature’s most playful and intelligent creatures in their natural habitat. Why not recreate that special toes-in-the-sand moment with our Blue Topaz Dolphin Pendant? The beloved sea mammal has been captured mid-jump in sterling silver. And, tucked into its fins is a full two carats of shimmering blue topaz. Nothing captures the shimmering color of the ocean in the midday sun like blue topaz. With its sparkling clear blue color and high refractive index, blue topaz is one of the top-selling blue gemstones. And with our special price, you have quite the catch. Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. Enjoy the Blue Topaz Dolphin Pendant for 30 days. If it doesn’t pass the test swimmingly, send it back for a full refund of the item price.

A full two carats of shimmering blue topaz set in sterling silver

Limited Reserves. A full two carats of genuine blue topaz set in sterling silver for this price is as rare as a dolphin sighting. We cannot guarantee availability for long. Call today!

Limited to the first 1900 responders to this ad only! To show exquisite details, pendant shown is not exact size. Chain sold separately.

“Enormously popular, significantly intelligent and scientifically sophisticated, dolphins are amidst the most beloved animals among people.” — Dolphins-World

Blue Topaz Dolphin Pendant non-offer code price $395 † Offer Code Price Only $79 + S&P Save $316!

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“This sterling silver dolphin is absolutely beautiful and the blue topaz is like the color of the ocean”

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• 2 ctw blue topaz; ½ ctw Ultimate Diamond Alternative®, DiamondAura® • .925 sterling silver setting • Sterling silver chain sold separately

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Bad to the Bone Full tang stainless steel blade with natural bone handle —now ONLY $79!

he very best hunting knives possess a perfect balance of form and function. They’re carefully constructed from fine materials, but also have that little something extra to connect the owner with nature. If you’re on the hunt for a knife that combines impeccable craftsmanship with a sense of wonder, the $79 Huntsman Blade is the trophy you’re looking for. The blade is full tang, meaning it doesn’t stop at the handle but extends to the length of the grip for the ultimate in strength. The blade is made from 420 surgical steel, famed for its sharpness and its resistance to corrosion. The handle is made from genuine natural bone, and features decorative wood spacers and a hand-carved motif of two overlapping feathers— a reminder for you to respect and connect with the natural world. This fusion of substance and style can garner a high price tag out in the marketplace. In fact, we found full tang, stainless steel blades with bone handles in excess of $2,000. Well, that won’t cut it around here. We have mastered the hunt for the best deal, and in turn pass the spoils on to our customers. But we don’t stop there. While supplies last, we’ll include a pair of $99 8x21 power compact binoculars and a genuine leather sheath FREE when you purchase the Huntsman Blade. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Feel the knife in your hands, wear it on your hip, inspect the impeccable craftsmanship. If you don’t feel like we cut you a fair deal, send it back within 30 days for a complete refund of the item price. Limited Reserves. A deal like this won’t last long. We have only 1120 Huntsman Blades for this ad only. Don’t let this BONUS! Call today and beauty slip through your fingers. Call today! you’ll also receive this

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What Stauer Clients Are Saying About Our Knives

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shown *Discount is only for customers who useNot the offer code versus the actual size. listed original Stauer.com price.

California residents please call 1-800-333-2045 regarding Proposition 65 regulations before purchasing this product. • 12" overall length; 6 ¹⁄2" stainless steel full tang blade • Genuine bone handle with brass hand guard & bolsters • Includes genuine leather sheath

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