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SPRING CRAPPIE TACTICS

LOCAL SPRING FORECASTS VOLUME 26 • ISSUE 312

F R A N C H I S E

Wild Smoky Mountain Trout

PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON WILL INSTAGRAM: @WISCONSINWALLEYESGUY

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ripletail are some of the most exciting gamefish that visit inshore waters. Their peculiar tendency to hang near the surface around floating debris makes them perfect for sight fishing, and on top of that they are absolutely delicious. Capt. Jeremy Davidson is an angler devoted to these oddball fish. His charter service, Southern Salinity, is based out of St. George Island, where he specializes in inshore tripletail on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. “They start to migrate to shallower water when that water temperature starts rising,” he said “It’s wind and water temperature dependent, but everything starts to move in March or April—the bait, the pelagics, everything.” Throughout the Gulf of Mexico and up the Atlantic Coast, tripletail move shallower in waves. Davidson said the timing is different by location, but the patterns are similar. First, scads of smaller

fish move in from offshore through the passes to find homes on floating debris. The early spring bite is characterized by plentiful opportunities at smaller fish. By May or June, larger 8- to 12-pounders settle in on trap buoys, floating vegetation and tide lines. Big fish in the 20-pound range arrive in deep summer. They’re there to feed and procreate, said Davidson, which means they are primed to pick up a bait. However, catching tripletail consistently is more difficult than it might appear. THE SETUP: To spot tripletail, you must train your eyes to look beneath the surface. Fish will stay with a piece of floating cover as long as it harbors the small crabs, shrimp and glass minnows tripletail feed on. Cover could be anything, and Davidson recommends checking out everything floating on the surface. You might spot the fish itself, but the first indication is usually the sub-surface flash of a turning fish. When Davidson spots fish, he leaves the boat in gear and noses into the current to point the bow at the fish within casting range. THE CAST: “Do not hit that fish,” Davidson warned. “Pick a spot out past it. I don’t care if it’s the treeline. Just make sure to pitch past that fish.” Casting past the fish with an underhand pitch allows the angler to retrieve the bait slowly through the strike zone. If the tripletail doesn’t take the bait on the initial retrieve, it’s time to flip the bail and allow the tide to carry the bait back past the fish. “It’s a slow dance,” Davidson said. “Retrieve it slow and easy.”

THE TAKE: Don’t set the hook! Tripletail feed delicately. They ease up and pluck their prey from near the surface. Then, to avoid spooking their next meal, they move away before engulfing it. “Let that fish roll down or go the other way,” Davidson said. “Give it 5 or 10 seconds, then lift up and he’s on. Then he turns into a wild man!” THE FIGHT: The harder you pull on a tripletail, the harder and wilder it fights back. This is important because, along with brute strength, these prehistoric fish have a sharp, line-slicing gill plate. Davidson reiterated his slow dance metaphor, saying you can sometimes lead a fish right to the boat by taking it slow and easy. “Square up with him. Keep your rod tip up, and let him run if he wants to dig,” said Davidson “Walk him around the boat. Stay square with him, and pump him in slow and easy.” THE RIG: Tripletail eat shrimp, pogies and artificials, but Davidson prefers to make a fresh-shrimp lure. He pops the heads off large restaurant-quality shrimp and pinches the flappers off their tails. Then he runs a 2/0 or 3/0 3X Strong VMC circle hook up the tail and out the second notch before turning the point back into the bait. This hides the hook and allows the shrimp to swim like a lure. To make pitching the rig easier, he ties an elongated float, like Boat Monkey’s Cigar Slip Float, between braided 30-lb. main line and a 2- to 3-foot leader of 30-lb. fluorocarbon. More advanced anglers might go bobberless for better control while working the bait. To do this, tie the braid directly to the leader with a double uni knot. Capt. Jeremy Davidson owns Southern Salinity, which runs charters on Florida’s Forgotten Coast. See their website at www.southernsalinity.com.

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ver the last few months, I’ve shared some techniques in these pages that people seem to be trying with some success. When you think about it, incorporating squid into your offshore spreads really is a nobrainer when you can find and purchase good whole squid. One of the best ways to rig those squid, and ballyhoo for that matter, is with a Chin Weight coupled with a “stiff-rig” stinger hook assembly. Recently, I’ve received quite a few calls and e-mails from folks all over the country asking for a simpler way to achieve the end result of a stiff-rig stinger hook. I had to go to the barn, have a few cocktails and dig deep, but here it is: The simple way to keep a stinger hook in a rigid “stiff ” position without snelling it or making a cat’s paw connection. If the terminology is throwing you off at this point, stay tuned, this actually is a very simple solution that anyone can achieve with a limited amount of materials and know how. The key to this rig is inexpensive heatshrink tubing over a standard crimped-wire connection. Granted, you might only get a bite or two out of this rig before teeth shred the heatshrink tubing and it’s no longer rigid. However, it’s so easy to make this rig that you can churn

Step two: Make a second crimp at 90 degrees to the first crimp. This is a (small) diameter in the cable to fit over a 7/0 or 11/0 Tim Barefoot Chin Weight (as shown in photo). Step Three: Slide a ¾-inch length section out dozens in different lengths of heat-shrink tubing over the crimped for different sized baits and keep them at the ready. Cut your cable to the connection of the hook and heat with a lighter correct length and make a few crimps… that’s in the vertical position. That’s it! all there is to it. Step One: Make a standard crimped connection using the High Seas 1.0 crimp and the American Fishing Wire 175# (7x7) or 49 strand cable.

Now, if you’re a visual learner like I am, go watch the video I made on the process. See it once, and it will be like a light bulb going off in your head. It really is that easy. For more information and to watch the video, go to barefootcatsandtackle.com. Click on “Heat Shrink Tubing Stiff Rig Stinger Hook.”

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INSHORE STRATEGIES FOR THE

PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES.

Most fish are still in transition between the deep mud and the shallow sand or grass flats, which keeps them spread out through the bays. Add high winds, cool fronts and the small size of the forage, and you have a tougher puzzle to put together than the other three seasons. Here are a few tips to help you sort though this maze and hopefully land a few more fish this spring. First and foremost, baitfish are extremely small this time of year, and it is not uncommon to find dozens of small glass minnows in the bellies of trout and redfish in the spring. This makes my first tip obvious, so I won’t waste a lot of space here, but downsize your lure presentation if you can. Obviously, this can impact one’s casting abilities, so rigging small lures in tandem can be By Capt. Michael Okruhlik a plus and assist in casting distance. Something else I like to use in the spring is a clear or transparent lure with some glitter, or maybe one with a light translucent color. I choose these because it’s more difficult for the fish to see the lure’s actual size, which gives the appearance that it’s smaller than it actually is. I’ve found this to be a productive alternative to downsizing. While choosing a typical-size trout and redfish lure for this application, I look for one with subtle movements. I like either a darting-style bait or a paddle lure with a very subtle vibration. Strong, big-vibrating tails have their time, but early spring is not one of them. One thing I notice about schools of small baitfish is their movement. When displaced, they seldom dart deeper, and most of their movement is side-to-side or upward. Due to this characteristic, I also like a lightweight lure with a slow sink rate. I feel this better imitates spring forage movements and increases strikes. I like a lure that twitches side to side that doesn’t sink very fast on the pause. In early spring while the fish are in transition, they will start to congregate on sandy shores with grass. This will be the main cover for the small fry. While employing these techniques and lure choices, concentrate efforts on broken grass flats with potholes and distinct edges. These areas are best when they are close to deeper water. I hope you find these tactics helpful and as the weather warms and you pring is around the corner, and a lot of fishermen who hang up their gear enjoy the outdoors, don’t forget to take a kid fishing! for winter can’t wait for the temps to rise. Although the enthusiasm is high to wet a line, spring can be the most difficult season to successfully Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures, Controlled pattern and to consistently catch inshore fish. Descent Lures and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.

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MARCH 2021 PUBLISHER: BOB RICE

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

My exercise route takes me along the Smith Creek trail, where last year’s storms put a lot of wood into that stream and others across our region. GADNR fish biologist Anthony Rabern has a great saying for trouting fans: “Wood is Good!” Those instream messes of logjams and trees create some great lairs for sneaky trout. They are the underfished critters and often the biggest browns in the creek. It’s hard to cast upstream and get a good drift down to the trout without snagging wood. So how do we “untangle” those trout? As mountain streams start to warm from their winter lows, my Unicoi Outfitters gang has some tips to help you succeed this spring. Untangle those trout by sneaking in above them, casting down, and twitching your bugs in front of their noses. Quietly slip into the stream well upstream of the tangle. If you can, slowly wade down and over so you’re directly upstream from the tangle, still at a good distance above it so you don’t spook the residents. Then make a short cast with a weighted Woolly Bugger (lead wraps inside it or some split shot a foot above it) across and downstream, into the open, main current below you. If the cast is short, let a little more fly line out. Then steer that Bugger with big mends toward the tangle and by pointing your rod tip at it. Let the Bugger swing just in front of the logjam. Then put your rod tip on the stream surface and twitch and short-strip that Bugger just upstream from the branches. “Call out the trout” to come up and smash your streamer. If your tip’s on the water, the fish will hook itself. But if you hold your rod high, the fish will just pull on your loop of loose line and you’ll miss the strike. Just use heavier tippet so that it doesn’t snap upon impact with your shark. When 2 ATLANTA

MARCH 2021

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hooked, then sidearm that trout away from the snag and toward the far, clean bank. Sometimes those fish can be short-striking or picky. Nail the short-strikers by a) using a smaller Bugger or b) taking out your scissor/clamp and trimming your marabou tail a bit shorter. Picky fish can be convinced in several ways. First, try a double Bugger rig. Tie on a small Bugger first and then put a slightly larger one behind it as your dropper fly. The double Bugger rig will look like one baitfish chasing a smaller one. If that doesn’t work, then trade out that back dropper. Tie on thinner tipper and a small, soft hackle wet fly (ex: Pheasant Tail) as your rear offering. If they’re still shy, ditch the Bugger, risk the breakoff, and swing one wet fly in there on light tippet. You’ll hook more than you land, but you WILL be in the game. Good luck untangling trout from the trees this spring!

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING MARCH FLY FISHING REPORT

Contributed By: Henry Cowen www.henrycowenflyfishing.com February had a mix of some good days followed by some bad days, very typical for this month. However, March is up next and that brings about a major change on Lanier as well as most striper lakes here in North GA. Predicting what happens in March is all based on our lake’s water temperature, and so far it appears we will be a little colder than last year. If it gets warm, the bite should be pretty good! If it doesn’t, then we will wait toward the latter half of the month to begin the spring run and the highly coveted “pre-spawn” striped bass bite. The fish are spread out and there are fish both on the north part of Lanier as well as the very south part of Lanier. Probably the best advice I can give anglers fishing the lakes in North GA during the month of March is twofold: take advantage of the moon phases and take advantage of the prefrontal systems. Try to plan your trip around both the full and new moon phases for best results. Fish will respond well to both of those moon phases. Also, if you are going to fish before a front moves through the region, in all likelihood you will be rewarded. If you choose to fish post frontal, you better be happy to just be out on the water rather than sitting behind your desk in the office. We actually have two types of patterns that exist for March. The first is the pre-spawn, which is a big fish pattern. This can take place during the entire month of March. However, this could be delayed if temps stay cool. If someone is going to land a trophy on Lake Lanier (or any North GA impoundment), it is usually done during this time period. Striped bass are seen crashing threadfin shad on the surface in the coves all over the lake. Our bird life on the lake will take you to the fish. Look for small gulls picking shad off the surface. You have a chance to encounter some of the most epic surface feeding of the season. While the fish can be caught on both the north end as well as the

south end, I would always give the nod to the north end for this pattern. However, three years ago the pre-spawn was off the charts on the very south end of Lanier. They can be in the backs of the coves in very shallow water or in the mouths of the coves over a 30-40 foot bottom. Either way, they will be feeding on threadfin shad in the 2” to 3” size and possibly herring in the 4”5” size range. So far this year, the shad has been mostly in the 3”-3 ½” range. Fly anglers need be prepared with both a sinking line as well as an intermediate (slow sinking line) in order to cover both just sub-surface as well as to twenty feet down. The sinking line comes in handy if you cannot get to the fish while they are on top. The fish on top will make toilet flush type boils on the surface. Some folks have likened it to tossing a cinder block into the water from two stories high. Fish up into the mid-teens and even pushing into the twenty plus pound range can be seen on the surface at this time of year. While Lanier has lost much of its big fish (fish over twenty pounds), the females are fattening up for their spawning run up the river, and this is the beginning of what I call trophy season. Somethin’ Else, Coyotes, Game Changers, Clouser’s and baitfish patterns can all be the ticket this time of year. If you start with the bigger flies and get refusals, then simply size down until you get a bite! Look for fish feeding best around first light and last light, and as stated earlier, during cloudy days and pre-frontal conditions. The second half of the month offers a slightly different pattern to watch for especially if the water temps warm up to near sixty degrees. Now the stripers, largemouth and spots will be feeding in the coves, and you will come away with a mixed bag of fish. What I love about the second half of March is the sheer number of bites an angler tossing flies can expect. There are plenty of days where fly anglers can land double digit num-

bers of fish in a morning or afternoon outing. Dock light fishing is in full swing too! All the lake’s dock lights will be full of fish. This pattern will exist on all our North GA lakes as the stripers do not know where they live. For conventional anglers, it’s hard to beat either a 3/8 ounce Fish Head Spin with a Fluke attached or simply a weightless Fluke thrown on a spinning rod. Also try tossing a Little Cleo to surface feeding fish. Remember, these fish are NOT eating on the surface but rather one to three feet under the surface. The blow ups you visually see on top is just the fish giving a kick with its tail to go back down.

For those anglers who have been sitting in their recliners the past two months, now is the time to clean the equipment in preparation of some HOPEFULLY fabulous March fishing. Get the honey-do list completed and make the time to get out on our area lakes. Spring has sprung and so will the fly fishing for stripers and Kentucky spots! BTW, fly anglers will catch what could be the next line class world record Kentucky spotted bass at this time of the year. See you on the pond!

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING WHAT ARE YOU WATCHING?

Contributed by James Bradley Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide www.ReelEmInGuideService.com (706) 273-0764 The Situation: The most critical key to having success on any water is understanding the fishing situation you will encounter and have a common knowledge of tools that are needed to fit as applications. Many times, no two are alike in a “one size fits all” even on the same stream, and we have to dial in with specific applications to the situation we encounter. This gives us that extra edge! As we are coming out of the wintertime months, this is not always the difference between catching or not. But, by having a solid background knowledge of the water and species, we can have the tools for an enjoyable day. • Many waters we operate on have certain proven aspects that may require technical dry fly and/ or nymphing. • Short heavy leaders? Can be used in stained water at times. • Long light leaders? Can be used in low crystal-clear water at times. • Weight or no weight? Base decision on current speed and depth of fish. Casting is one of the most enjoyable aspects of fly-fishing when it’s going well. There are times when it will not go well. Even seasoned anglers will have bad times on the water, but they normally work through their issues quickly. Just stop and relax, assess your cast by searching for the fault, imagine your cast correctly and then complete the cast. Many times, just thinking it

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through can help. • Your cast is likely to go crazy when you become fatigued, frustrated, or anxious. • All the good casting advice and instruction you have picked up over the years can be whisked away in a challenging circumstance. • If you are new to fly-fishing, your good technique can evaporate much faster if fishing all day or you get taunted by a large fish. When things go like this, it is a good idea to stop, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself of some of the basics of casting. Remember that many times we use the word “pretend”. Pretend to see yourself make the cast, then present that perfect cast! Your eyes should be watching the water like a hawk. Too many times, we see and hear anglers discouraged by their trip. After asking a few questions, we understand why. Good anglers and great guides, even though they may not tell you this, are always looking and searching for a common theme on the water. For many of us, it is so second nature that we may even be unaware of it at times. Always watch upstream for activity. As soon as you get to the water, watch for a few minutes to see what is going on and continue this at times throughout the day. We’re looking for insects and rising fish on our mountain trout streams! • What insects are we seeing? We want to know their activity and

their size and color, right? This leads us to whether we dry fly, nymph, or both. • Are we seeing any rises? Was it a subtle surface take with a few dimple rings or a splashy rise? For the most part, a subtle rise tells us mayflies on the surface and a splashy rise tells us caddis. • No activity whatsoever: go home…just kidding! Maybe it is too cold for insect activity. Search under rocks or in woody debris for insects in their nymph stage and use matching nymph patterns. Most of all, be prepared for your outing no matter where you go, and have fun! If you are a beginner wanting to learn how to fly fish, we have a great staff of instructors who have been schooled in the art of fly fishing. One of the best ways to learn

about fly fishing is to spend time with those of us who are professional full-time guides. Don’t forget to ask us about our float trips! Currently, we are doing floats on the Toccoa Tailwater and on the upper river as well. Give us a call to book your amazing trip on the water and don’t forget that we offer gift certificates! Reel ‘Em In Guide Service operates as an Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Outfitter in North Georgia’s Historic High-Country region. They have been offering their services to fly anglers since 2001. They have permits for guiding in North Georgia and North Carolina, offer over 7 miles of private trophy waters across Georgia, and operate float trips on the Toccoa River in GA and the Tuckasegee River in NC.

The Situation: The most critical key to having success on any water is understanding the fishing situation you will encounter and have a common knowledge of tools that are needed to fit as applications.

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RETIRING FROM THE DAY JOB/FULL TIME GUIDING Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore USCG www.oconeeonthefly.com Time marches on, dreams come true, and good deeds can bring good fortune in ways we can hardly imagine. Yeah, I know it sounds optimistic, but these days it’s nice to read something positive. I am retiring from my day job of selling electronic medical record software to doctors this week! This will free me up during the week, so I will be guiding weekdays here on Oconee and enjoying some quality time with my wife and family. Dreams and good deeds; I have always dreamed of being a fishing guide. That means a serious investment in a boat, tackle, insurance, a website and much more. Venerable guide, Doug Nelms, told me that “It’s easy to make $100,000 a year guiding, just spend $200,000!” I have been blessed by God and a series of good deeds from others. When I was a young father in 1983, a close friend’s father owned a billing service for doctors. He talked his father into hiring me and my career got a kick start. Later in my career, I was blessed again to meet Dick Derrick. Dick was a sales manager at a competitor, and he tried to hire me to eliminate the competition. Despite being competitors, we became friends. When he was looking to get a new job, I wrote an email to his prospective employer about his exceptional skill as a sales manager. He got the job. Then, a little later, Dick returned the favor. I was looking for a new job, and Dick hired me at eClinicalWorks. They are the industry leader, and being with the right company allowed us to move to Lake Oconee and pursue my dream of opening a guide service. My point is, always do that good deed. It will come back in ways you could never imagine! March Forecast Hybrids/Stripers – So far, February hybrid and striper fishing has been tough. We have had rain and cold temperatures, and most days, the water temperatures have not gone above 50 degrees. By March this will change. Look for fish from Lick Creek south to the dam and from the dam north in Richland Creek. The water in these areas will be less stained. Use a variety of tac6 ATLANTA

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tics, and a white 7/8-ounce spoon jigged over suspended fish will produce. Downline bass minnows and troll longlines behind the boat. When I am spooning, I use spot lock on my trolling motor, so the presentation is straight down. The same goes for downlines. If the fish are on the move, I troll at .5 mph. That way I can use downlines and longlines in my spread. March Forecast Crappie – Don’t wait until the end of March to get on Oconee to crappie fish. Pre-spawn is the time to come. Again, quoting Doug Nelms, “When the first bloom appears on the Bradford Pears, it’s time.” Longline above I-20 in the flats up the Apalachee and Oconee or push Jiffy Jigs tipped with minnows. This is when the huge crappie will be caught. Just look for the boats. Final Words - I am now taking trips during the week and on weekends. Email me at wmoore1700@ outlook.com or call 404-317-9556

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING

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CHATTOOGA RIVER

March brings the transitional time on the waters here at Chattooga River Fly Shop. February brought us rain, snow, and temperatures in the 60’s. Who can complain about that? With the warming trend and early spring rains now upon us, we see the water temperatures start to raise. Warmer southerly breezes make daily excursions to the river refreshing, but also remember we may see below freezing temperatures in March with a little snow still possible, but a rarity. Warmer water temperatures will equal the first emergence of the caddis and mayfly season. We have seen Early Winter Black Stoneflies, Blue Winged Olives, and Midges throughout the winter, but the

hatches of the spring will be much more prolific. In typical form, this emergence starts off slowly with the first of the Quill Gordon’s and Black Caddis. Although on some days these bugs are in what seem to be swarms all around the river, no fish are rising. This is common to see early in the spring. With water temperatures still in the low 40’s, fish are slow to start rising for the dry flies/adults on topwater. Truly, fishing the nymph patterns, soft hackles and wet flies will produce more fish. Fish will move out of the depths of the river bottoms and into riffle and shallower water areas for feeding as the water warms. Start the day with a tandem rig with a nymph and wet fly or soft hackle prior to hatches happening. Fish the riffles into runs of the rivers or shallow rocky swift moving waters into the calmer slower depths. The fish will hold in these calmer

waters just off the riffle areas awaiting emerging nymphs and caddis. As the fish start to rise on top, have ready your dry fly selection. A longer leader, slight upstream cast, mend, and a nice drag-free drift toward rising fish will be essential. Refusals on the fly being drifted can be frustrating, so make sure to have all bugs that are hatching and a size or two of each. If the fish are just dimpling the top of the water, the fish are eating emergers or adults that have sunk back under the surface, so fish a wet fly or even a dry fly just by itself just under the water’s surface on the “swing” to the area that the rings are on the water. Do not let frustration set in. One of our guides can take you out on a full or half day trip and show the entomology(bugs), the where’s and why’s of how to fly fish on the river and break this all down very simply. We are all looking forward to a wonderful spring season. Let us all remember to “Leave No Trace”, and please have respect for all, keep a social distance, and be safe.

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MARCH 2021

ATLANTA 7

LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING THE GUIDES ANGLE

A SMORGASBORD FOR TROUT UNDER THE SURFACE

Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service Late winter and early spring is the peak window for the “larval stage” of most aquatic insects in trout streams. Anglers should take the time to flip some rocks or use a seine to take a quick inventory of the trout’s menu. Your larger critters should be imi-

tated with your heavier point fly attached to the end of your leader, and the smaller critters should be imitated with one or even two droppers. You will be amazed with the abundance and variety of bugs under the surface this time of year.

THE CASTING CORNER

HOW TO CHUCK A BIG HEAVY FLY – THEN DUCK

Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer Yep, there is a term called chuck and duck, and it is all about to happen with the early springtime bass fly fishing. Bass are hungry coming out of the winter months and looking for a big meal. March is a great month to get some big flies like dragon tails or lead eye streamers in their strike zone with long casts on points and flats and drop-offs. They are chasing shad, sunfish and herring that are starting to spawn. Searching for bass with long casts and heavy flies requires a particular cast that can keep the loop from collapsing on itself. The cast has to use the line weight and fly weight to deliver the weighted fly a long way. However, even if you are making shorter casts, the oval cast will be your best friend. There is a setup for the cast that will make your life easier too. Here is how it goes. The forward cast will be the same as a normal cast, slightly off to the side and not straight over the top. By loading the rod against the weight of the fly line and the heavy fly, we get a little extra weight to bend the rod. Keeping constant tension on the back cast as you come into the forward cast is one of the keys. The other important factor is the line trajectory on the back cast. This is the setup and sequence that will make a smooth

cast out of something that tends to be clunky and awkward. Remember the setup I spoke of? It is simply flopping the line and fly out about 20+ feet in the direction of the target before you start your casting sequence. This gets your line up near the surface and prevents you from having to perform a change of direction cast. That way you can raise your line and go directly away from the target. The back cast is a lift of the line, but not like you normally would. The rod tip will only go up enough to break the water tension on the line, maybe 45 degrees off to the side as you then accelerate to the back and up. The trajectory on the back cast must be moving in an upward direction from that 45 degrees because the forward cast is going to be coming over the top of your shoulder. That movement from the back cast low off to the side and then up over the top is the oval portion of the cast. The reason we use this elliptical line motion is to keep the fly, which is heavy, from crashing down on the loop or kicking over and destroying the back cast. Watch that back cast and see if you are getting the sweeping upward motion and then chuck it out there. Don’t forget to duck as the fly goes by. They hurt!

Bass are hungry coming out of the winter months and looking for a big meal.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING

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

The Southern Appalachian mountain area in North Georgia, Eastern Tennessee, and Western North Carolina is blessed with over ten thousand miles of trout streams. The lushly forested mountains provide just enough elevation and cool clear water for the trout populations to thrive. Fortunately, we have called the mountains home for many generations. The hills and everything in them were home, and fishing and hunting and being outdoors was just a way of life. In the 1970’s, I discovered fly fishing and was taken in a whirlwind and haven’t been able or wanted to escape since. Learning to fly fish in the early days involved spending time with a mentor, and I was very lucky to have several. Today, finding information about fly fishing is as easy as hitting a few keys on the computer. In our hum-

ble opinion though, nothing beats spending time on the river with instructors that are as passionate about the sport as you are eager to learn. The Blue Ridge Fly Fishing School is our reply to the call of folks looking to try fly fishing for the first time and for the experienced angler wanting to expand or sharpen their skill set. We’ve been teaching fly fishing since 1992 and wanted a more focused place for people to get more structured information and instruction. Over the years, we’ve analyzed the best methods for teaching fly fishing, fly casting, and fly tying and are making these available in the form of short, focused classes and full day events that make learning to fly fish easy and fun! Our most popular class is a 3 hour, action filled, river born ex-

cursion that gives the beginner enough experience to know what fly fishing is all about. Students of our full day class leave with enough skills to be self-sufficient on the trout stream. We also offer basic fly casting classes for the beginner to the angler needing more distance in their casts for far flung trips to the salt flats or windy western waters. Trout Spey classes are given on the Toccoa River which is the perfect setting for this fast rising aspect of fly fishing. With spey gear, you can launch casts and fish waters that are impossible to fish due to deep water or unsafe wading. Swinging soft hackles is one of my favorite things to do on the many riffles on the river, and trout spey is perfect for that. Czech Nymphing is an extremely effective method to put a lot of fish in the net on almost any given stream. We love teaching this method, and we can get you going

right out of the gate. We limit both these clinics to one angler at a time to give folks as much one-on-one attention as possible. Beginner Fly Tying classes are also available to get future fly tyers started off on the right foot. We tie 4 different patterns that build your skills in steps and are effective guide flies that we use on the river every day. The fishing is awesome right now in North Georgia and North Carolina, so check us out on our website at www.blueridgeflyfishingschool.com, and I’ll see you on the river!

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING FISHING OFF THE BEATEN PATH Contributed By: William Reed Nucanoe National Pro Staff Writer IG: @wde_will, will@nucanoe.com

Blue Lining for wild trout is out of this world. The term “Blue Lining” is becoming more mainstream, and four wheel drive is recommended along with a good pair of hiking boots. As for Blue Lining, I am not quite sure how the term came about, but, it’s simply fishing tiny water that is remote enough to be mostly left untouched for a chance at catching a trout that has never been caught before. The most common and well known trout fishing waters in the Southeast are all stocked streams and lakes. Summertime tailwaters and wintertime delayed harvest provide a year round fishery, but they almost always exclude native fish. Named waters do contain decent numbers of wild fish; to clarify, wild and native fish are different. Wild fish would be reproducing brown, rainbow and reproducing stocked brook trout. A true, native brook trout would be one that was not introduced to its environment by stocking, rather re-

produced naturally in its waters. Comparatively, if one of each was held in the hands, one would easily be capable of telling the difference. Native brooks have vibrant colors and sport a great fight on the end of the line. The best part about native fish is, even though they sound elusive, they’ll be abundant once found. The fish common in Blue Line waters are five to ten inches long with a trophy being over twelve inches. What do I mean by “Blue Line”? To find Blue Lining water, choose almost any well-known waterway and find its source (the feeder creeks and springs). The farther off the beaten path, the better. My rule of thumb is if the waterway has a name on Google Maps, it’s probably too big and has too much traffic. Search for the creeks on Google you see as an unnamed blue line but you can’t see water in satellite view because of the tree cover. Finding the water in person

should be just as challenging. Park on a gravel road and hike through a hardwood thicket. Remember, the area just out of view or over the next hill probably holds the fish hiding that have never seen a fly before. When Blue Lining, the key to these small streams is presentation. Fly selection isn’t critical, and one of my go-to setups is a small chubby or dry fly with 18-22 single nymph dropper. I run a shorter 3-5 wt. rod around seven and a half feet. You should never be having to do anything other than a small roll cast or flip of the rod to get your fly in the perfect position. Make sure your fly has a natural presentation. I will give one word of caution; don’t spook the fish. Native and wild trout aren’t used to people trampling around them, and they do spook easily. Camouflage clothing and even hiding behind a tree make life easier. The last thing to discuss is my personal secret of how to find un-

touched waters. More than ever, people are exploring the outdoors making untouched streams harder and harder to find. Being an avid kayaker, I use my Nucanoe to hit tiny tributaries miles from the closest road while floating some of the biggest named rivers in the state. To name a few, the Toccoa has hundreds alone along with the Nottely, Chattahoochee and any other river in the northernmost part of the state.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST A NOTE TO OUR ANGLER FANS

CARTERS LAKE

by Dickelsby Dickg@Theanglermagazine.com

We are so pleased to have quite an increase of your catch photos sent in for our “Wall of Fame” page. I want to share a little about our most recent pic winner, Miss Katie Richardson. She landed a monster bass from her Grandpa’s Tennessee pond and won the highly sought after Angler Magazine hat! Interestingly, Katie is a new employee at our Cabelas Acworth store and loves her job there. As a cashier, she gets to meet and greet tons of customers and learn more about the great outdoors, especially fishing and hunting equipment. Cabelas, of course, has tons of local fans as well as being on Interstate 75 and enjoying stopovers by travelers all over the Southeast! The store is also home to one of

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

lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

the busiest Angler Magazine racks in North Georgia, and as you pick up your current month’s copy, take a peak to see if Katie is there. She will give you a big smile! You can reach me at dickg@theanglermagazine.com.

Water temperature: 44 degrees, lake level: +/-5 feet with rains, clarity: 4 feet. The bite on Carters has been pretty typical for February stripers. The fish are scattered in the creeks as well as the water column. We are seeing fish as shallow as 6 feet and as deep as 50. Our best days have been fishing a number of baits at different depths spread out as far as you can. Cover water and stop the boat when you see bigger schools of fish or activity on the screen. We have had several doubles with one fish deep and one fish on the surface and lots of fish suspended away from bait balls. As far as location, Fisher Creek, Camp Branch and Worley are always the go-to areas for early spring,

as the bait tends to congregate here before the spawn. Bait of choice has been medium gizzards, as they just seem to get hit more than alewives or trout right now. We are fishing 12-pound mono leaders and circle hooks on all our downlines and shallow presentations. The U-Rig bite has been picking up for us. The Capt. Mack rigs are a great way to cover water and hard to beat for an open water presentation. White or white and green have been hot colors.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST JACKSON LAKE By Brian Lee leebrian16 @yahoo.com Water temperature: mid-upper 50’s, lake level: slightly below full, clarity: heavily stained. March marks the days that most every angler can’t wait for; warm weather and pre-spawning bass. Bass will start to transition to points making their travels to spawn and feeding up as they head to spawning areas. The weather this time of the year is a huge factor, so remember to keep that in your mind if you plan a trip to Jackson. Primary points with a #5 crawdad Shad Rap is really all you need to catch bass this month, but

keeping a variety of baits on deck will do the job as well. If we have a few days of warmer weather, look more towards secondary points and spawning areas for bass, because it doesn’t take much to get them committed to going. If a few days of colder weather happens to hit us, I’d throw a Fish Head Spin with a Zoom pearl white Fluke Jr paddle tail and crawl it on the primary points. The cooler temps may make the bass suspend waiting for the weather to stabilize. March is pretty much straightforward as to what and where to fish. Look for a wave of spawners to flood the banks later in the month as the full moon and warmer temps approach. Soft plastics will be the key baits, and remember to slow down.

March marks the days that most every angler can’t wait for; warm weather and pre-spawning bass.

LAKE BURTON Forecast by: Capt. Wes Carlton Georgia Lake Fishing 770-318-9777 www.georgialakefishing.com Water temperature: 49 degrees, lake level: 5 feet below full pool, clarity: clear. Bass: The bass bite has been strong the last few days. There seems to be plenty of bait this year for the fish (aka bluebacks). We have been having our best luck fishing before the fronts or a couple of days after. Midway back in creeks in secondary pockets seems to be the ticket. Bream color crankbaits and pumpkin seed Creepy Crawls have been working best. We have caught both largemouth and spotted bass using these techniques. Typically, once you’ve found a fish, there are several more close by. Trout: The trout bite has been a little slower the last couple of weeks. We have caught a few fish sight casting to surfacing

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fish mid-lake. The fish seem to be feeding on debris from the recent rains floating down the lake. This is a good time to throw a small spoon like a Kastmaster and retrieve quickly. Look for the brown trout bite to pick up quickly as we head into early spring. Walleye: The walleye bite has been a little tough this year with all the flooding rains we’ve had. Late February to early March is spawning time for walleye. This gives anglers the opportunity to catch these fish very shallow. The key to catching walleye this time of year is intercepting the fish on their way to spawn or coming back from spawning. Try setting up and fishing creek and river channels. These are the best locations to target these fish. Casting and trolling Rapalas is a good technique. I normally fish an 8 to 18 foot bottom this time of year. Look for this pattern to continue for the next several weeks.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST PRE-SPAWN TECHNIQUES ON LAKE LANIER Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com

Fishing during March can provide some interesting opportunities. The largemouth will be soon to spawn and the spots will begin to stage in preparation for the spawn. The lake level is normal this year, and only slightly up. This should provide for some more predictable activity for this traditional pre-spawn period. Let’s explore how to address this important month on Lanier in these unusual weather and water conditions. Optimal Conditions: There are a few things to consider when fishing during this time of year. You will be fishing the pre-spawn in March, and maybe an advanced pre-spawn based on the weather, so let’s start with the end in mind and review the spawning habits of both the largemouth and spots. The largemouth in the lake will physically go on the bed at water temperatures of 56-58 degrees. The spotted bass will spawn a bit later when the water temperatures reach 62 degrees or above. Typically, the fish spawn in “waves”, rather than all at once. After the first “wave” of fish completes their spawning routine, there will be fish in all stages of the spawn (pre, spawn, and post) for the next 30-45 days, depending on the weather conditions and water temperatures. Further, it is important to understand that many fish that spawn in “waves” do so during a favorable moon phase, given the noted water temperature requirements are met. The full and

new moon phases often prompt fish to move into their spawning routine. Until those conditions are met, fish will be staging and feeding up in preparation for this process. So, where do we need to look? Location: The largemouth in Lake Lanier tend to spawn shallower than do the spotted bass. The largemouth can be found bedding in creek pockets, often in the back of these pockets, in a protected area and are often in 3 feet of water or less. Look around docks in shallow water for these fish as well as stumps and adjacent blow downs. The spotted bass can frequently be found in similar areas, but often prefer a hard bottom type area. And again, the spots will typically spawn deeper than do the largemouth and can be found in 6-15 feet of water and even deeper. Unlike most largemouth, there are a contingency of the spotted bass that will spawn on the main lake. These fish can be found on or around humps, points, and sandy saddles between islands on the main lake. These females are often some of the biggest fish in the lake. Until the time when the fish spawn in these areas, fish key features adjacent to these spawning areas. Secondary points and docks often provide great staging areas for these fish and become a prime target this time of year. The spots will be in the same types of places to spawn and will stage in similar areas as well. Lures and Presentation: Now that

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we have explored the location that fish can be found during the spawn, let’s examine some of the techniques and lures that can be used to catch these fish. Jerkbaits - A great choice as the water warms up though the 50’s. Work these baits around docks, points, and over humps. A SPRO McStick is a good option. Experiment with cadence to find the right retrieve speed and pause cycle. The colder the water, the longer the pause. GA Blade Underspin– This bait from Georgia Blade in the ¼ oz size is an excellent choice to work in shallow creek ditches as well as in and around secondary points and docks. Experiment with trailer size and type. Either a Super Fluke Jr. or a boot-tail type trailer such as a Zoom Swimming Fluke are good places to start. Crankbait – Excellent choice to cover water in the back of creeks and pockets as well as around secondary point, docks, and flats. Try the SPRO Rock Crawler Series in varying depth ranges and at variable speeds as well as colors until you find the best one for the day’s conditions. Worm/jig – Always an option in the springtime. A Georgia Jig on rocky/clay secondary points and around docks is always a good choice for spots or largemouth. If the fish are ultra-finicky, don’t forget the old Carolina Rig to present your softplastics. Drag or drift this rig slowly over secondary points or spawning flats for some potentially awesome results. Also, when fishing a Georgia Blade shaky head and worm combo, consider using a lighter jig-head. I often choose a 1/8 ounce head or lighter to target spawning fish. I will often tip this with a 4 inch worm from Lanier Baits, as opposed to a traditional offering of 6 inches or

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more. I often work the baits slowly in this situation to trigger strikes. While the winter to spring/early spawn can be a challenging time of year to catch fish, it can be awesome if you remain versatile and openminded in your approach. Use the tips and techniques noted above to guide your fishing during the spawn and you will enjoy some great success. See you on the water! For more information or to book your trip, contact Jimbo on Lanier! 770-542-7764. Jimbo’s website: www. jimboonlanier.com.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE ALLATOONA 404-834-0007 The month of March looks promising with plenty of nice 70 degree days to get the spring bite jump-started. The striper and hybrid bite continues to be pretty good. Downlines have been the most consistent method for hook-ups with threadfin shad, gizzard shad, small trout and medium shiners as well. Depth ranges can often vary, and electronics will greatly assist in getting your correct depths. 17’ and 22’ are typically good depth ranges to be at when scouting or trolling from hole to hole. Most notably, the linesides have not been hammering the baits. They do a lot of licking and slow pulling down, so watching those tips and even having a rod in your hand will definitely increase your hookup ratio. Freelines and planer boards with even the smallest of baits and up to 6-8” have been enticing a good run or

strike here and there, but we have yet to hook up a hog on the planer boards in these colder water temps. As the weather warms a tad more, keeping a spread of planers out may be the ticket. Both casting and jigging with a Flexi-spoon, Steel-Shad or bucktail with trailer has produced fish, and sometimes this method will outproduce live bait. This can often happen in instances where fish are spread out and covering more water proves beneficial, as well as when they are stacked and more easily enticed by a dancing flash. Conversely, sometimes the water conditions and fish activity call for a very slowmoving presentation. Sometimes we just drop into them with a small spoon or even a 1/16 oz. jig to entice the bite. With similar results, a small Arig can outshine the live presentation in some situations. Again, fan casting while working a point or break can help to easily locate active fish and then a decision to move in with live bait can be made. At the

end of the day, your fish count could be doubled if you are simply willing to work at it with a rod in hand. The spotted bass and largemouth bite has been quite fantastic. We are catching a slew of these critters both on live bait as well as artificial presentations. They will chase and strike that small school of shad represented by your A-rig. They have also responded well to Rat’L-Traps and Redfins in a rainbow trout pattern. Crappie: Trolling jigs behind the boat has proved effective especially when water conditions of limited topwater debris are found. Pitching a small jig on a light line (4-6#) has been our favorite method as we like to feel the bump when possible. These fish can still be targeted in and around structures such as marinas and brush piles as well as bridge abutments. Their spawn is upon us and these fish are definitely staged up in the creek channels and over flats. We do hope this helps to provide a few tools for your belt. We would love to invite you to visit this wonderful resource of Georgia. If you’d like to consider a full service instructional fishing trip with myself or one of our captains, please do not hesitate to reach us directly at 404-919-4918.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST ANNUAL SAILFISH TOURNAMENT By Chuck Alford, ASWSC, chuckalford@comcast.net The 34th Annual Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman Club Sailfish Tournament out of the legendary Sailfish Marina in West Palm Beach was held Jan 27th - 30th, and unfortunately the weather woes from 2020 continued. It was pretty rough a good bit of the time, but we managed to catch a few sailfish and a few bonus Mahi Mahi and had a great time. The first day, we braved 30+ mph winds and 6’ seas with the occasional 10-footer as the boats were chased in ending the day early. Day 2 was a little calmer, rough but still fishable, and day 3 was not too bad. This annual trip is always a highlight of our year. Us inlanders 300 miles or so from the nearest saltwater take our boats to “Sailfish Alley” out of the Palm Beach area and fish the Gulf Stream for one of the most majestic fish that swims the ocean. It is something most people only read about in saltwater fishing magazines. This is an example of the great benefit in joining the ASWSC. For most of us to make a trip like this, the amount of research and planning for launching, trailer storage, boat slippage, bait purchasing, and different fishing techniques would be massive. Then it takes at least a couple of trips on your own to get a routine down and have a successful trip. Our club has the history, experience and “lessons learned” to save you a huge effort and expenses on your first time to a new location such as this. Our sailfish tournament is unique as our only species-specific tournament based on sailfish releases. All our other tournaments are based on catching a variety of species. March 18th kicks off the normal part of our year, and we have a packed lineup for 2021 with 10 tournaments scheduled March through December. On March 18th – 20th, we will be having an inshore tournament at Panama City Beach. The offshore fish are still there, but with most snapper, grouper and amberjack seasons closed this time of year, we are going to concentrate on the inshore 20 ATLANTA

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fishing. While everyone immediately thinks of speckled trout and redfish in the bay, along with those two kings of the inshore scene there is a surprising variety of other fish available. By mid-March, the Spanish mackerel should be moving in the bay in masse, and the sheepshead bite will be at its peak. A few flounder should join the party, and there are a lot of small mangrove snapper around along with fun-to-catch bluefish, jack crevalle, ladyfish and who knows what else. There is even a chance a cobia will show up migrating along the beach. MidMarch is a little early for them, but you never know! If you like saltwater fishing, or even just think you might, check out our club. It is a great way to learn new techniques, fish new locations and make a lot of great friends who love the salt as much as you do. See our website for the monthly meeting info, tournament schedule and the social schedule where we get together around the metro Atlanta area. The Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman Club (ASWSC) is the largest inland saltwater fishing club in the US and it has been 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”.

LAKE HARTWELL By Preston Harden Bucktail Guide Service www.bucktailguideservice.com (706) 255-5622 Water temperature: 50 degrees, lake level: 3 feet below full pool. March is one of my favorite months to fish. I love to fish small artificials and catch big fish. I fish small bucktail jigs and flukes and fish shallow like a bass fisherman, but I am looking for a fish that can rip the drag unlike a bass. This is finesse fishing and not so easy. You have to slow down the presentation and put the jig where the fish are. Concentrate on wind-blown banks. Don’t start early, and fish late as the water warms and the fish move shallow later in the day. Expect to catch stripers, hybrids, largemouth bass and spotted bass. Crappie become more aggressive by March and move farther

back in the creeks. I start shooting docks more than fishing jigs vertically. I am still looking for crappie in the shade of docks and bridges. I will upsize my jig from 1/32 oz. to 1/16 oz. By late March, I will start looking for crappie around structure as they prepare to spawn. They like to attach their eggs to wood, rock, stick-ups and other structures. March is a great month to fish artificials, so if you like to cast small jigs and catch big fish, get ready.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST SPRING FISHING TRIP PREPARATIONS Dr. Andrew Cox Springtime fishing is just around the corner with some of the best fishing to be found over the course of the angling year. The crappie, hybrids, and white bass will be running shortly in local waters, depending upon weather and water conditions. We can even begin catching largemouth and spotted bass on warmer days as these fish prepare for spawning. You do not want to lose valuable fishing time or a trophy fish due to equipment failure, faulty line, or not having the right lures or tackle items when they are needed. Now is the time to take stock of your fishing equipment and tackle inventory. Are your reels filled to capacity with line that is not frayed, brittle, and will securely hold knots? With fly equipment, make sure that your floating fly line still floats and does not have cracks or abrasions.

Sink tip and sinking fly lines should be in good condition. Check the condition of your fishing reels to make sure they are in good working order and adequately lubricated. Rod guides and reels seats should be inspected to insure that they are not bent or broken and will securely hold your reel in place. You might also inspect all lures to insure that hooks are sharp and not bent or broken. Inspect line eyes on lures to make sure that they are intact and securely hold knots. You can use touch up paint on lures to improve their appearance and visibility. Go through your tackle box to check your assortment of lures and terminal tackle. Purchase needed hooks, sinkers/lead, swivels, floats, and specialty lures/baits that may be needed for specialty fishing that

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month are important preplanning activities for the upcoming prime fishing months. Having operational equipment, the right terminal tackle and lures can make the difference between an outstanding or a disastrous fishing excursion. Over the next three to four months, you have a chance to catch a trophy fish of a lifetime. You would not want to lose that trophy due to faulty line, an inoperable reel or rod, not having the right lure or bait at the right time, or a boat that cannot take you to your favorite fishing location. Author’s Note: Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. His writing interests specialize in angling and travel, human interest, and general fishing technique oriented topics. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia, Alabama, and north Florida for over forty years. 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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you may pursue in the upcoming months. Inventory and purchase any fishing gadgets that you may need to round out supplies for those fish species that you will be targeting this spring. Don’t forget about one of the most important fishing tools that you have; your boat. Make sure that your electric trolling motor, depth/fish finders, temperature gauge, anchoring, and other boat accessories are operational. Insure that your boat’s batteries are holding a charge with adequate power to operate your boat and its accessories. Inspect your boat’s steering to insure boat safety. Ascertain that required safety equipment is on board such as fire extinguishers, life preservers, anchor and anchor rope, and similar items. Most importantly, does the outboard motor crank and run as needed? What a disappointment to put your boat in the water and not be able to get it started. Each spring at area launching ramps, I observe boat operators that are unable to start their outboard motors thus changing their fishing plans for the day. Making preparations this

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST MY FIRST YELLOWEYE By Gary Turner

This is turning back the clock a few years. When I first started going to Alaska in 2007, I had so many fish on my bucket list I thought I would never see, that is until I met my friend Marc Zimmerman at an internet marketing conference in Atlanta. I had no idea that meeting would change my fishing life forever! We met at the event and swapped email addresses. After a few months of talking about the internet and fishing, Marc said I needed to come up and he would take me fishing. That sounded like an awesome idea. We made plans for me to fly up to Anchorage where Marc and his wife Linda picked me up at the airport. Wow, I was in Alaska! For those of you that don’t know it, I really don’t like to fly. That trip was a first for a lot of fish on my list: a 60-pound King Salmon, which years later I haven’t beaten again; a Silver Salmon; a Halibut; a Dolly Varden and several other fish, some I didn’t even know to put on my bucket list. The Yelloweye actually eluded me until my third trip in 2010. One of the things about being in Alaska and travelling all over fishing is there always seems to be another adventure around the next curve; things like keeping your eyes open for bears while you are salmon fishing or dodging moose as they speed out into the road in front of

you. Then there is the weather and the boats. Such was the adventure that involved two bay liners. Marc, Jim and I were on Marc’s boat and on John’s boat were Gina, John and Matt. We traveled to Whittier to put in. The road trip there was fun, and we launched the boats. We had provisions for a week onboard. We set off headed for the cove we planned to camp in, and when I say camp, I mean camp on the boats. We had gone a mile when Marc’s engine made a very loud noise and died. John is a boat mechanic, so he circled back to see what was going on. He climbed aboard, tried a few things and said “Well, she’s done!” Here we were all set to fish for a week and now the boat was down. After some discussion, we decided we would make the best of it. We would tow the dead boat to the cove and anchor it up. For the rest of the trip, we referred to it as the Chuck Wagon. Marc didn’t like that name very much, but it stuck. Now you would have to know Marc and John. My nickname for John is “Cussin’ John”, and they are the Grumpy Old Men in real life. Jack and Walter had nothing on them. They would argue and fuss, but at the end of the day all was good. Every morning we would cook breakfast, eat, and then get on John’s boat and head somewhere to fish. The scenery was unreal. Breathtak-

ing does not convey how amazing that area is to behold. We had fished several spots and caught lots of fish. We were having a blast. One morning I got up early and heard a noise. We were anchored in about 70 feet of water in a cove not that far from shore when I stepped out of the cabin only to see a big black bear pacing back and forth on the bank. That’s not something you see every day. John and Marc know tons of people there, and we ran across another boat and they knew the guy. He said some of us could fish with him, so Jim and I got on his boat. We were just bottom fishing and catching lots of fish, but no Yelloweye. But eventually, as I was reeling in my fish, I could see the orange color coming up. Finally I had found the elusive Yelloweye Rockfish. Check it off the list!

I have dozens of great stories from Alaska, and maybe I will tell you about some more in another article one day. If you ever get the chance to go to Alaska, don’t think twice. Make sure you send in your pics of great catches to the Angler Magazine, and your picture may be selected for posting on the Wall of Fame. Get with some of your friends and take a fishing trip, whether with a guide or just on your own, but GO FISHING! I’m not sure what next month’s article will be on, but remember, if you have an empty seat on your boat that needs filling, or a great farm pond you want to share, shoot me an email and maybe it will be about fishing with you! You can reach me at gary@purgeright.com. Please remember, if you are not going to eat it, don’t kill it.

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LAKE MARTIN Provided By: David Hare Alex City Guide Service 256-401-3089 February on Lake Martin overall was an awesome month for catching deep water stripers including the 33-pounder in the photo below. We averaged 20 plus stripers per boat per trip with some days producing 50-60. March should keep producing record catches, especially the first part of this month out on the deeper part of the main lake with stripers being found in huge schools around extreme changes in the contours of the lake bottom. As we move into mid to late March, you should be able to hook up with huge stripers by pulling planer boards in the creek channels and the river channel. As I remind anglers every year, anywhere north of the railroad bridge should not be attempted by any angler or boater who is not familiar with this area. It is very dangerous, and you can find yourself

in trouble quickly. This is definitely an area that you cannot rely 100% on your maps on your charts due to the sand bars and log jams that occasionally move with constant swift waters flowing. This is an area that hiring a knowledgeable guide could be a plus, not only to put you in the best fishing spots upriver, but also teach you have to safely maneuver while making your way north . March also will produce numerous crappie fisherman and hun-

dreds of bass anglers along with lots of Saturday tournaments, so pay careful attention to the heavier boat traffic and please do not operate your boats above safe speeds. March also starts the rise of water levels as the power company started holding water at Martin dam on February 29th. With water levels rising, there will be floating debris for the next several weeks, so be extra cautious not to hit it. Not only can it cause expensive damage, it can actually throw you out of your boat and cause bodily injury or death. Anglers can find fishing to be

very productive around docks at night with the rising water levels and dock lights being turned back on this month. Not only will the crappie move to these lights, but the bass and the stripers can be found at several docks around the entire lake. In closing, I would like to remind everyone that the CDC still says outdoor activities (while keeping safe distances and wearing the proper PPE) are recommended, and what better outdoor activity is there in March than a great day of fishing here on Lake Martin. Stay safe and tight lines.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST BACK TO BASICS, FISHING DOCKS By Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com 770-889-2654

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Docks are magic locations and many anglers overlook them for bass, crappie and even stripers. The docks on major lakes offer food and shelter to game fish, and even a platform dock is a good hiding place for fish. While anglers may find docks that are floating, there are also other styles of docks. On some lakes, the docks are on poles, and this can also be a great area for game fish. No matter the style of these docks, they provide shelter and the baitfish can be around them eating the algae living in the water on the floats. Docks also provide the beginning of the food chain in plankton. Game fish don’t eat plankton, but the tiny minnows do. These fish feed under these docks all year. Another reason docks are great locations is that the water around them is usually a few degrees warmer. Next time you pass a dock mid-day, touch the wood and see how warm it is. This heat is transmitted into the water. The best way to fish any dock is to fish all the way around it. Many anglers never go behind the dock and fish the back and the gang plank. Many dock owners add structure around the dock but put it on the back side. Docks are magic areas to the game fish, and most anglers don’t fish them as effectively as they could. Fish don’t need a lot of cover to hide themselves, and in many instances game fish can school up together under docks. But while many anglers know they are there, making only a couple of casts to a dock can be a mistake. Docks can be fish houses. Dock owners use all sorts or tricks to make the dock hold fish. Adding old Christmas trees, old tires and bales of hay make even a plain dock a better place for the fish. Game fish need cover and food, and this is

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what makes a dock a home. Docks provide shade no matter what size the dock may be. Game fish like to hide under docks to avoid sunlight and to ambush food. If the dock is close to deep water or even a small point or ditch, even better. Docks like these can and usually do hold fish all year. Look out in front of the docks for brush piles placed there by the owner. If the dock is a common swim area, the brush may be farther away. If there is a door on the dock, skip the baits under them to get the bites. To unlock the best docks from the bad ones, the Lowrance Structure Scan technology can make this extremely easy. Scanning the docks usually at a range of 80 feet both left and right with the Structure Scan beams is average based on the size of the dock. Be sure to run the Down Scan beam at the same time so you don’t miss what be in front of the dock. The next time docks are the target, spend more time and learn to fish the whole thing. It could produce even bigger and surely more fish.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE EUFAULA

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BASS: Good - Expect big changes as we move toward and on into March. Warming weather and a stained lake should move many of the largemouth shallow quickly, especially after a late February warming trend. Expect the largemouth bite to continue to be good around any shallow wood or brush, rip-rap rocks or around shallow baitfish schools. Shallow water baits such as chatterbaits, square-bill crankbaits and RatL-Traps should work effectively. Spinnerbaits and jig-n-pigs are also producing some fish around wood and rip-rap. It’s a good time to catch a big fish. One of the main keys to this type of shallow fishing is to look for warmer stained water. A ditch or creek run sometimes helps to bring warmer water into an area, especially after a warm rain. Dark chunk rock and red clay retain heat and attract bass. Fishing for spots can be awesome as they will start to bed in March as well. Small crankbaits or Carolina rigged finesse worms will catch fish on almost any gravel bank. Linesides: Good - The river run cranks up in March, and how good it gets usually depends on weather and water conditions. What you don’t want is really muddy and cold water below 50 degrees. I usually start out with cut bait soaked in garlic spray in water temps around 60 or lower. Live shad usually work better in water temps of 60 or higher. Start around

Ringer Access and follow the fish upstream as the water warms. Stripers mixed with hybrids and white bass can continue to school on top throughout early spring as well. The schooling fish are mostly less than 3 pounds or so, but there are some bigger fish mixed in as well. The mouths of Yellow Jacket, Wehadkee and Maple Creeks have all been producing some fish. Downlining with live shiners will also work at times. Target drop-offs near the channel or the top of humps. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits, Alabama Rigs, bucktail jigs and vertical jigging with spoons have also been producing some fish in these same areas. The key is finding a little clearer water. Please don’t forget to book your striper trips for this upcoming spring! Please feel free to contact me at my email at HudsonsProBass@gmail.com to reserve your day! Crappie: Excellent - A few warm days in a row will drastically improve the crappie fishing in March. Good numbers of crappie are being caught in the shallows by bank fisherman on minnows and jigs under a float, especially in the afternoons. Blown down trees and brush piles in 3 to 6 feet of water are holding fish as well. Trolling for crappie usually kicks into high gear soon as well. Whitewater and Yellow Jacket Creeks almost always seem to turn on strong this month. Expect the shallow bite to turn off in the event of an extended cold snap or get even better with an extended warming trend. Trolling always seems to work better in clearer water. Overall, March is probably the BEST month for size and numbers of crappie. Expect many of the crappie to bed on the full moon cycle in late March.

By Capt Sam Williams hawk184@earthlink.net 334-687-6266 Water temperature: mid 40’s, lake level: 188.50 msl, clarity: muddy. The cold rainy conditions continue. The fish are in their winter, cold water mode. It takes a lot of patience to aggravate a strike. I talked to a friend who fished a tournament Saturday. He found a good school in about 10 feet of water, worked his Carolina rig in the fish, watched one mess with the worm and drop it. They would not commit to the bait for any reason. Using a floating hard bait on the Carolina rig gives them an exposed hook when they mess with it and you increase your chance to hook the fish. Chatterbaits and lipless crankbaits are a great choice. They create a reaction strike and the hook up is more in your favor. Watch the shallow cover when the sun gets up. Use a Spook or twitch bait and stir the water with it. The more action the better. Crappie are on the drops in 12 to 20 feet in the trash piles. Minnows floated just above them are your best bet. Catfish are eating cut bait on jugs in the creeks. Keep your line a little deeper to reach some warmer water. Use cut bait as the smell travels further in the dirty water causing more action. We are getting closer to the

Scott Woodruff Heart Transplant Tournament March 20, 2021 at Lake Point State Park. Registration is open online at Albany Bass Club website. Boat numbers are assigned by receipt of paid entry forms. The big fish side pot is 100% payback split between the two biggest fish caught. The proceeds go to the National Transplant Foundation in the account of Scott Woodruff. The Alabama Classic Bass Tournament is scheduled for June 12, 2021 with the proceeds going to SOAR for Niemann-Pick disease research and Darby’s Warrior Support to benefit post 9/11 combat and PTSD heroes with hunting and fishing outings. Registration is also open at www.alclassic.com. Boat numbers will also be assigned by receipt of paid entry fee and big bass side pot is 100% payback for two biggest fish brought to the scales. We are blessed with Alfa Insurance coming onboard as our new Title Sponsor, guaranteeing our first place team a $5,000.00 check and increases our total payout to $15,000.00. If you have questions, you can contact me about both events at 334-355-5057. Be safe on the water, dress warm and stay dry. Hunting season will be closed by the time this report is printed, so there will be more anglers on the water. There will also be smaller boats out there. Remember, by law they have the right away. Pray for one another in these changing times in America. God is always in control and we can depend on Him. God Bless and good fishing.

The cold rainy conditions continue. The fish are in their winter, cold water mode.

Hawk’s

Fishing Guide Service ON BEAUTIFUL LAKE EUFAULA 201 Kelly Mill Rd. • Cumming, GA 30040

BASS -BREAM -BREAM BASS CRAPPIE-CATFISH CRAPPIE-CATFISH CAPTAIN SAM WILLIAMS

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

ST LANIER STRIPERS Forecast by: Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com 770-630-2673 The stripers have been very deep all winter, but are finally making a move into shallower water. Freelines will become the primary tactic in March. Rig up a Penn Fathom Linecounter reel with 15-pound Trilene Big Game line, a 10-pound Trilene 100% Flourocarbon leader, a Spro 80 pound Power Swivel, and a Gamakatsu 1/0 Octopus hook tipped with the herring. This setup is the Lanier staple. The Penn Fathom Linecounter really helps your success rate as you are able to know exactly how far back your baits are behind the boat. Start

at 120 feet and make changes as necessary. Some days a small split shot or an additional 30 feet of line can make a huge difference from day to day. Pull the freelines at 1 mph across humps and points and in some cases over open water. So far, open water has been best. If the fish move to the banks, keep a Penn Battalion 7’ medium light spinning rod paired with a Penn Conflict with light line on the deck. Tie on a Capt. Mack 1/4 ounce bucktail in white or chartreuse or a Berkley Fusion 1/4 ounce jig head tipped with a white paddle tail and beat the bank. Some days the plastics outperforms live bait. Also, start thinking about a Berkley Surge Shad in bone later in the month. The topwater bite will be around the corner.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE SEMINOLE Forecast By: by Capt. Paul Tyre paultyrefishing@yahoo.com The bass fishing on Lake Seminole was very productive last month. As we move into March, it’s one of my favorite months to catch some of the biggest bass Lake Seminole has to offer! A variety of lures have been and will continue to produce through March, and one of my favorites is an Untamed Tackle Punisher swim jig in 3/8 ounce in the magic gill color. One feature that makes the Punisher unique is the Quad keeper that locks on your plastic trailer. A crankbait is another lure that is great for covering water, especially a lipless crankbait like a Booyah Hard Knocker in any shad color fished over the submerged grass that is so prevalent on Lake Seminole. The crappie fishing on Lake

Seminole has been excellent this spring! The crappie are being caught out of shallow water near their bedding areas. As we move into March, the shellcracker will begin to move shallow into their spawning grounds! Fishing for shellcracker and crappie is an awesome way to introduce kids to fishing. At Lake Seminole Fishing Adventures, we encourage parents to bring their kids, and we offer trips on a pontoon boat that can accommodate the whole family. I had the pleasure of fishing with Jeff and Steve Khachadoorian. Jeff and Steve came down to catch their PB’s (personal best), and they were both able to catch their best bass ever. It was awesome watching them fight those big bass to the boat! For a Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure this spring for bass, crappie and shellcracker, give us a call at 850264-7534 or follow us on Instagram @ lakeseminolefishingadventures and Facebook @ lakeseminolefishingadventures!

LAKE ALLATOONA Forecast By: Capt. Robert Eidson www.firstbiteguideservice.com eidson6260@att.net Water temperature is 45 degrees with a light stain. Linesides fishing is good! The mid-lake is still the place to be despite the stained water right now. All of our stripers are coming on trout and shad fished on planer boards and freelines out over open water. All of our hybrids are coming on trout

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and shiners fished on downlines 20-30 feet deep on humps and points. The u-rig bite has picked back up. We are using a Mack Farr 4 arm rig loaded with pink trailers. Our better bite is coming in eyesight of the dam. We are pulling our rigs at 3 mph and a 100 feet back just off the river channels. Overall, I am pleased with what I am seeing out there right now. Let’s hope these cold temperatures don’t start a shad kill.

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ST A GREAT CRAPPIE DAY

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

As our area lakes begin to warm up into the upper 50’s and lower 60’s, the spring crappie bite should fire up, and they will be going shallow to start spawning. Knowing the exact dates for the spawn is somewhat of a mystery, but water temperature is a very good indicator. It pays to spend a little time on the water doing some scouting for likely areas and continuing to check the temps. Pre-Spawn: The week or so before the actual spawn can sometimes be more productive than the spawning time itself, as both the males and females will be putting on their feedbags. Pre-spawn starts around 55 degrees or so. In this case, fish a little deeper water than you might during the spawn. Depending on the specific lake and the available structure, pre-spawn depths could be 8 to 20 feet. DownScan on your Simrad or Lowrance

units will be super-valuable, because you’ll be able to actually see the crappie schools around structure. Once you locate the school, drop a marker on the spot and either anchor up, or set your trolling motor on anchor about 20 to 30 feet off the mark, and then make a few casts. Spawn: A good indication the spawn is about to happen is when you start catching mostly males, which are considerably smaller than the females. The males show up first to ‘build’ the nests, and then wait for an interested female to stop by and set up house. When you’re catching the big slab females in shallow water and on structure, it’s a good bet the spawn is in full swing. On the back side of the spawn, the males will hang around to guard the nest until the eggs hatch, so you have a pretty good window of opportunity for doing some catching.

The pre-spawn, spawn and postspawn period could be a few days or a few weeks. Not all the females will be ready to mate at the same time, so you could have some really fishy days for a week or two. Tactics: Light tackle is the key with super light line in 2 to 4-pound test and super light jigs in 1/16 and 1/32 ounce. You’ve got a plethora of trailer colors to choose from too. I go with the old adage of clear water means light colored plastics, and dingy water equals darker or more vivid colored tails. If there’s a couple of you fishing from the boat, I’d suggest everyone start with different colors and let the fish tell you what they like that day. Since you’re casting super light jigs, be sure to give the lures time to sink. If you’re fishing vertical structure, cast just beyond it, so as the jig sinks and the line comes tight, your jig is still on the mark. Live minnows

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under a cork work really well too, especially when you’re fishing around docks and brush piles near the bank. You can adjust the depth of the minnow with the float in an attempt to keep it from getting tangled often. Use very light wire hooks, so if you do get hung up, you can pull the line and the hook will bend to get if free. It’s hard to beat a bucket of crappie to make a great fish fry. Even though crappie are prolific in some of our lakes, it’s a good idea to consider responsible resource management. Catch and keep enough for dinner, and leave the rest for another day or another angler. So get out there and have a great crappie day!

MARCH 2021

ATLANTA 29

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March is another great month of fishing on Lake Chatuge. With its warmer temps and longer days, we expect March to be just as great as last year. Currently, lake temps are in the mid 40’s. Water clarity is clear all over the lake and water levels are holding at about 7 feet below full pool. The hybrid bass bite has been crazy. We’ve been catching some nice 7 to 10 pound fish in good numbers for early spring. The hybrids are presently staging in their spawning areas in the backs of creeks and feeding on small bait. This should continue through the month of April and into May. Early morning planer boards and free lines have worked the best. As the sun really comes out, the fish are moving to slightly deeper water and hitting on our downlines. Live bait is key here to catching some quality fish, but don’t hesitate to cast a Spook, Red Fin, or Sexy Dog, especially when theses hybrids are busting topwater. Our spotted bass bite has also been insane. We are averaging anywhere from 30 to 40 fish a trip out here. Lake Chatuge offers the best spotted bass fishing in Western North

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Carolina, and I highly recommend booking a trip with us to experience this super exciting fishing thrill. These big spots are stacking up on shallow points, humps and flats all over the lake and preparing for the spawn. Look for these fish in the 10-30 foot range. The early morning bite has been okay, but it really fires up once the sun comes up. The late afternoon bite has also been pretty productive. Once you find these fish, they are hitting just about anything you can cast at them. Jerkbaits and crankbaits have been working great, but as always, our super lively blueback herring are the biggest producers for some huge spots. March fishing on Lake Chatuge is always an exciting month. It’s a fantastic month for catching a lot of monster hybrids on this North Georgia lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of Lake Chatuge’s best trophy hybrids during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Blairsville GA’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Hiwassee, Lake Apalachia, Nottely and Lake Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge, GA. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

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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 Stripers, stripers, stripers! It’s business as usual for us here in Blairsville, GA. It’s also been an outstanding winter bite, and as early spring approaches, the striper bite should get even better. So, get out of that cramped up house and get some fresh air while catching some nice trophy fish with us! This month should be amazing! With its warmer weather and longer days, it’s my favorite month for fishing. With that said, give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and book those trips. Let us put you on some of the biggest fish the mountains have to offer. Mention The Angler Magazine and get $25 off your trip. Currently, Lake Nottley is 21 feet below full pool. Water temperatures have been in the low to mid 40’s. Due to all the recent rains, water clarity is stained in the river and creeks and clear towards the dam. Striper fishing has been super out here lately. Most of the stripers we are catching have been in the 15 to 35 pound range, and we’re averaging about 10 to 20 stripers a trip. The warmer water temps have played a big role on the increase in numbers this year. So, this spring should be amazing! This pattern should continue into the month of March and increase as the stripers start their pre-spawn. Continue the same techniques as the previous months, pulling planer boards with

live herring and shad in the backs of creeks and around shallow, sloping banks. As you pull boards, work the banks by casting a Zara Spook or a Red Fin. As the sun comes up, turn your focus to fishing the mouths of creeks, as the stripers will follow bait to deeper water. With pre-spawn in mind, more and more stripers will start to stage in the mouths of creeks in March. Keep an eye on your electronics for schooling stripers, and pay attention to where the bait balls are. If you find the bait, the stripers will be close by. One last note, the smallmouth and trout bite has been extremely good. We are catching some very nice smallmouth and trout on nearby Lake Apalachia in the 4-5 pound size. We are averaging 15 to 25 smallmouth and trout a trip. These trout and smallmouth have been feeding great. Downlining live bluebacks and light tackle has been the best technique for catching a slew of these great fish in 15-25 feet of water. March is a fantastic month for catching a lot of monster stripers on this North Georgia lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of Lake Nottely’s best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Blairsville GA’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Hiwassee, Lake Apalachia, Chatuge and Lake Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge, GA. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchsguideservice. com 706-455-2323 Water temperature: 45-47 degrees, lake level: 7.5 feet below full pool, clarity: clear. Fish have been scattered. We’ve been catching fish 20’ to 40’ deep on long points and rocky banks. A lot of the fish we’ve been catching are with the Garmin Live Scope electronics. Using a drop-shot with a 4.5” Roboworm, 1/2 ounce spoon or a 2.75” swimbait on a ½ ounce moon eye jig. It’s just like playing a video game, watching the fish on the graph and stopping it at the depth they are in and actually watching the fish hit your

bait. We’ve also been catching fish on the Z-man Ned Rig with a Trd worm and also a 3/16 shaky head with a 5” Strike King Finesse worm. On these warmer, sunny days, there are some fish moving up around pockets and back of creeks. Try a swimbait, jerkbait or an A-rig. For cranking this time of year, I like using a Rapala DT6, a 1.5 square bill or a 3.25” Strike King Rage Swimmer. Jig bite has been slow for me, but try a 3/8 ounce pb/j or a 3/8 ounce green pumpkin. Good luck and remember that we guide on 8 different lakes, so if you’re looking for some great fishing, give Welch’s Guide Service a call. We’re your #1 guide service, and we’ve been doing this since 2001. Good luck!

On these warmer, sunny days, there are some fish moving up around pockets and back of creeks.

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Wall of Fame WINNER! Brock had a memorable introduction to flyfishing at Nacoochee Bend on the Chattahoochee River. Coached by Unicoi Outfitters manager Jake Darling, he battled and landed this monster rainbow trout

Harrison Lusk Hunter catching wintertime crappie on Lake Eufaula

North Georgia Crappie Club angler Bryan Beach fished Lanier to catch this big spot and 2-pound crappie

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One will be given away each month for the best reader submitted photo! Unicoi Outfitters assistant manager Wes McElroy displays his huge, fly-caught muskie while angling with noted Virginia fishing guide Blane Chocklett

Woodie Malone, Gary Gibbs and Jack Mantz holding their slabs from the recent North Georgia Crappie Anglers tournament

Rick Howe caught this beautiful brown trout at Riverside on the Soque while being guided by Unicoi Outfitters legendary guide George Coach Mac MacMillan

Young Julian caught this hefty rainbow trout on the Delayed Harvest section of Smith Creek at Unicoi State Park. It was a great trip with Dad and Unicoi Outfitters guide Hunter Pittman

Robby Robinson caught this nice grouper fishing with SaltyNative Alligator Point Fishing Charters Capt David Reaves

Deb Yates had a memorable introduction to flyfishing at Nacoochee Bend on the Chattahoochee River. She landed this great rainbow trout with Unicoi Outfitters coach Hunter Pittman

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uide Ian Rutter is fired up about spring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ample rains and a mild winter bode well for the wild trout that inhabit more than 800 miles of trout streams in the park. This time of year, fish are perking up to feed on an abundance of aquatic insects. But there’s another reason the Smokies are inviting to anglers in spring. The summertime crowds, with their campers and inner tubes, haven’t yet invaded the larger rivers. Ian and his wife, Charity, run R&R Fly Fishing out of Townsend, Tennessee. They have guided anglers in the park for a quarter century and live a stone’s throw from Little River, one of the largest and most popular streams in the Smokies. From high-elevation brook trout rills to roadside rivers, they fish it all, but Ian said it’s wise to stick to the larger flows in lower elevations this time of year. In March, and even into April, it’s likely there will still be snow on the ground up in the hills. Trout thrive in cold water, but their metabolisms slow, and they feed less readily in icy temperatures. Also, the bugs they feed on are mostly dormant at higher altitudes, which can make things slow for fly fishing. Meanwhile, down in the valleys, larger rivers like Little River, Deep Creek and the Oconaluftee will be waking up. In afternoons, even on cold days, fish should be looking to the surface for hatches of mayflies like Quill Gordons, blue-winged olives and blue quills. Throw in a few early brown stoneflies, and you’ll see why the Smokies are known for great dry fly fishing. “Oftentimes you’ll have some combination of those bugs all at the same time,” Ian said. “They’re not too particular. And even the one’s that are particular aren’t as particular as some folks think they are.” Being sneaky is more important than fly selection, Ian said. Trout in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are wild, stream-born and extremely wary of predators. So wading very carefully and making short accurate casts are important to success. Another thing about trout in the Smokies is they grow slowly. Fishing is less about catching big fish and more about the overall experience. “I like to say, ‘your results may vary,’” said Ian when asked about angler expectations. “We do catch some 16-inchers, but the important thing to remember is it’s a wild trout fishery. There aren’t any stocked trout that were put in last week at 14 inches. A 16-incher might be 10 years old. It’s survived every type of predator out there, so it’s super-smart and difficult to catch.” A proficient angler can expect to catch good numbers of brightly colored 8- to 10-inch wild trout. Any angler can expect to wade through some of the most gorgeous mountain trout water in the East. For information on fishing the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, contact R&R Fly Fishing through their website at randrflyfishing.com.

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From proprietary fabrics that breathe to superior functionality and bold graphics and colors, GILLZ is in a class of its own. It starts with revolutionary, chemicalfree GillzTec fabric. It’s engineered to quickly distribute moisture 360 degrees across the garment, so the moisture evaporates much faster, keeping you cooler. The cross-breeze ventilation system channels cooling air under the shirt. In

fact, you’ll find GILLZ shirts breathe like nothing you’ve ever worn. And of course, all of their shirts provide UPF 50+ sun protection, so you can fish from sunup to sundown safely. GILLZ masks feature “gills” that channel air down your neck and mesh mouth openings that prevent your sunglasses from fogging. Plus, their masks can also be worn in a variety of ways to suit your particular needs. Functional hybrid shorts with pockets where you need them also feature four-way stretch fabric, an expandable waistband and a vented, gusseted crotch that lets cool air in. And who couldn’t use some cool air down there? And you’ve got to check out the epic designs and styles. Each color and print is inspired by and pays homage to nature and marine life. You’ll find bold, confident styles for anglers like you. Whatever your destination – the Bahamas, Florida Keys, Outer Banks or the Gulf of Mexico… whether you’re fishing offshore, the flats, lake, or river, only GILLZ Technical Fishing Apparel brings this level of durability, comfort, and performance to the table. That’s why it’s the choice of many pros. Rest assured, GILLZ will continue to push innovation and performance to the limit with elite new products. So, breathe in that moment out on the water when your muscles are working overtime and the sun is beating down. You’ll know that GILLZ apparel breathes with you so you can be at your absolute best. See the latest GILLZ collections by checking out their website: www.gillz-gear.com

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MARCH 2021

NATIONAL 15

LOCAL ANGLER CRUSHES VIRGINIA SWORDFISH RECORD A daytime deep drop expedition yielded spectacular results for a Virginia angler this past September. It took four months for the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament to officially announce it, but a 597-pound swordfish caught by Nicholas Kontodiakos on Sept. 25, 2020 absolutely crushed the existing state record. Kontodiakos, of Norfolk, Va., was drifting in 1,000 feet of water off Virginia Beach when the massive swordfish hit a bait suspended at 800 feet. Caught along the southern edge of Norfolk Canyon, Kontodiako’s fish topped the existing record by more than 130 pounds. The previous record of 466 pounds was caught in August 2019 by Tony Gower Jr., of Virginia Beach. Kontodiakos and fishing buddy Trey Wallace left Rudee Inlet at 4:30 a.m. aboard the angler’s 2007, 29-foot SeeVee. After arriving at their location, they made several long drifts and had a couple of bites that did not come tight. The lines were set for “one more drift” before they planned to head in for the day. At 3:30 p.m. the deep “buoy rod,” with a rigged dolphin belly on a blue and white skirt, came tight. After wrestling the fish for nearly five hours, it was clear it was a large swordfish, and when the fish was finally secured at the transom, they began to relax. But securing the fish to the transom was

just round one. Round two consisted of couple hours of inching the fish onto the deck. Kontodiakos’ passion for swordfish began a decade ago while living on the east coast of Florida. “I had no idea how to go about catching them,” he admitted. After moving to Virginia Beach and realizing there were swordfish 60-plus miles off the Virginia coast, he decided he needed a bigger boat. Unfortunately, even with a bigger boat, his lack of success in Florida tagged along to Virginia. “No one wanted to fish with me because I never came back with any fish,” he said. Relentlessly perusing information on the Internet and talking to successful anglers eventually began to payoff, and his success improved in recent years. He said he’s caught a swordfish in every month of the year except January. It was nearly midnight when the pair pulled inside Rudee Inlet on Sept. 25. A call had already been made to alert the Virginia Beach Fishing Center of the catch, and the boat’s bow was pointed straight to the Fishing Center’s main dock. Representatives from the Fishing Center were dockside to assist, and a small crowd of onlookers had assembled, despite the late hour. The fish measured 180 inches total length,

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with a lower jaw fork length of 111 inches. It sported a hefty girth of 69 inches. Kontodiakos used a custom Joe Leffler 80-pound class rod, teamed with a Shimano Tiagra 50 reel, spooled with 80-pound PowerPro braid and topped off with a 25-foot, 250-pound Moni mono leader with a Mustad 7691, 11/0 hook, attached to the business end.

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p b sh It’s the fry can Bu catchin vetera tips to 1) crappi hold o times shallow “Th for the the spa mid-5 As Then seek o of cree back o Th targets spawn could have m Sa the 10 discard

pringtime is crappie time. When water temps begin to climb, the crappie schools move shallow to stage on structure before the spawn. It’s the time of year when loading coolers for a fish fry can be quick and easy. But the thing with crappie is you’re either catching them or you’re not. With that in mind, veteran crappie angler Dan Saknini offered some tips to consistently catch slab crappie. 1) Know The Cycles: The comfort zone for crappie is 35 feet and shallower, said Saknini. They hold on deep brush during the coldest and hottest times of year, but in milder weather they move shallower in search of optimal water temperatures. “This time of year, the crappie are fattening up for the spawn,” he said. “Their comfort zone for the spawn is when water temperatures rise into the mid-50s, preferably closer to 60.” As the spawn begins, fish stage up on structure. Then they’ll move extremely shallow in waves to seek out spawning areas on the banks and backs of creeks. The females move in, lay eggs and move back out. The males stay shallow to guard the beds. Through the stages of the spawn, Saknini targets brush in 15 feet or shallower. With the spawning season lasting about a month, these could be pre-spawn fish or post-spawn fish that have moved back out. Saknini shoots jigs in and around docks in the 10- to 15-foot range. Many lake homeowners discard Christmas trees off their docks. These are

the docks you need to find. 2) Locate Structure: Regardless of the season, black crappie school up on some type of structure. They change depths, and move off structure momentarily to feed, so catching them consistently means knowing the locations of brushpiles at all different depths. Saknini said good electronics and prospecting are key to being a good crappie angler. If you fish a lake that allows it, you can build your own honey holes. “I probably sink 50 or 60 brushpiles a year,” Saknini said. “Then I go back and fish them. There might be fish there, or there might not, but I always have another one to go to.” 3) Ditch the Minnows: Fishing a minnow under a bobber is traditional, and it can be effective. However, Saknini said fishing jigs is a far more efficient. “Once you get used to jig fishing, it’s always more productive,” he said. “If you’re fishing a minnow, it’s either under a bobber or on a downline, and it’s stationary. With a jig, you’re moving and covering water.” Crappie are lazy and won’t chase a bait more than a few feet, Saknini said. There could be fish all over a piece of structure, but you wouldn’t know it if your minnow is just a foot out of the strike zone. With a jig, you can cover water vertically and horizontally for a better chance of passing through that zone.

PHOTO BY NICK CARTER

Catch More Crappie

Dan Saknini is a member of Lanier Crappie Anglers Club. Check them out at www.laniercrappieanglers.net.

FREEDIVER SPEARS WORLD RECORD SNAPPER

reediver Stephanie Schuldt broke a world record in late November when she speared a 19.3-pound (8.8 kg) dog snapper in the Bahamas. At a depth of 45 feet, Schuldt stuck the big snapper with 9-foot Headhunter Nomad roller polespear while wreck diving off Nassau. The fish qualified her for the International Underwater Spearfishing Association’s women’s world record for the species in the sling/polespear division. It also outweighed the men’s record of 19.1 pounds, which was caught by JonMichael Degidio off Grand Cay in 2016. “At the end of my breath hold I saw the dog snapper swimming in and out of the wreckage,” wrote Schuldt in a description of the event. “I came back up to the surface and told my boyfriend, Matt, ‘There is a world record dog snapper down there.’ I took some time to get a good breathe-up, dropped back down into the wreck and got a solid holding shot on the fish. It fought for a bit on the way up, but I was able to clear it from the wreck and get it to the surface. Once at the surface, it tried to bite me and tangled up my float line, but I was able to grab it by the gills and swim it back to my boat.” Even on a rod and reel, Schuldt’s fish would have been impressive. The IGFA all-tackle world record weighed 24 pounds. It was caught back in 1994 by Capt. Wayne Barder off Abaco. Check Stephanie Schuldt’s adventures at www.saillaviecharters.com. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

MARCH 2021

NATIONAL 19

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here should be a betting pool for just how quickly the Black Lake, Michigan sturgeon season will end each year. In 2020, the season lasted just six hours. This year, the scheduled Feb. 6-10 season was shut down after two hours of fishing when the harvest limit was met. Imagine getting all geared up to go spear fishing through a hole in the ice for these big prehistoric fish. The season opens at 8 a.m. Then, at 10 a.m., your hopes are dashed when Michigan DNR knocks on the door of your ice shanty. Apparently, that’s the way Black Lake sturgeon season goes for a vast majority of anglers. More than 500 anglers registered to jockey for a harvest quota of just six fish this year. It’s a credit to Michigan DNR that they even hold the event at the 10,000-acre lake, which is connected to Lake Huron by the Black and Cheboygan rivers. Rehabilitation of the lake sturgeon population in the watershed is an ongoing effort, and this limited harvest creates excitement around the effort. There are reports of anglers who have fished the season for decades without getting a single sturgeon. The six fish caught ranged from 50 to 63 inches and 25 to 61 pounds. Three of the fish had been tagged before during studies of the spawning run up the Black River. A 61-inch-long female, estimated to be about 20 years old, was tagged during the 2006 spawning run. Male sturgeon have a lifespan of about 55 years. Females can live longer than 100 years. For more information, go to Michigan.gov/Fishing. 20 NATIONAL

MARCH 2021

ooking through Facebook and reminiscing on traveling for boat-show season, one conversation starter I remember most fondly is, “That’s too big for my rope locker.” In spite of American fiberglass OEMs like Sea Chaser and Sea Pro factory-installing the Rebel EZ-4 on specific series, there’s still a popular myth that drum anchor winches are built predominantly for aluminum boats. One too many boaters have told me this when they stopped at our company’s booth during the 2020 season, and while we’re officially homebound due to the pandemic, we’re as busy as ever answering questions and informing customers about our product. We want to help them achieve the best anchoring results for them. From newbies who have recently embraced boating, to longtime hobbyists who have extra time to add new features on their boats, there is usually an anchoring solution, whether it’s a Patriot direct drive unit or a Rebel free-fall unit. “You can click the ‘Products’ tab on the website and select the winch that interests you,” Sara Hitchins, E-Z Anchor Puller’s office and trade show manager said. “Select the unit you’d like to view and the link to the dimensional drawings are on the product page. One way to measure is to make a cardboard cutout at home to measure against your boat.” If you’re one of the new boaters looking for a new fiberglass model or researching that windlass upgrade on your family boat, these center consoles from customers and builders prove that a drum winch looks sexy on center consoles, too! SEA PRO: Sea Pro Boats introduced the world to their 320 Deep V Center Console at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, joining Carolina Skiff to become another American fiberglass OEM to factory-install E-Z Anchor Puller’s Rebel EZ-4 free-fall unit, adapting the innovative technology one year after Georgia-based OEM Carolina Skiff began installing. SEA CHASER: “I liked it so much I installed a Patriot on my own personal boat,” Ed Johnston, engineer at Carolina Skiff told us when we saw him at the Miami International Boat Show. The 35’ Sea Chaser also uses the free-fall Rebel EZ-4 and hides it in the rope locker. PARKER: “I know this is an old post, but I love my EZ on my 2820,” one writer on Classicparker.com posted to a company thread, “I have 600’ of dyneema, 75 of nylon and 50’ of chain. With lots of extra room still.” Live2fish posted several pictures depicting the Rebel EZ-4 unit resting on a bow pulpit. ARIMA: Mark Fitch was an avid poster of his installation process on ArimaOwners.com, documenting his journey with various “beer breaks” in between. Mark’s 1987 Arima Sea Pacer was sized for the Patriot EZ-1, a smaller complete 316 stainless steel unit. He still tags #ezanchorpuller in his fishing posts.

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MARCH 2021

NATIONAL 21

HUGE SWORDFISH SETS NEW FLORIDA RECORD

n Jan. 20, four young anglers from Pompano Beach, Fla. set out early from Hillsboro Inlet to get in on the fast action being reported from the swordfish grounds, some 15 miles off the coast. They returned to the docks that evening with a 767.8-pound swordfish that set a new Florida state record. The official record holder and the man who manned the LP electric reel was 21-yearold Timmy Maddock. The 31-foot center console they fished from belongs to 17-yearold Hunter Irvine, who put the final dart in the enormous fish. Lady angler, Jaime Johanson, 20, videoed the landing and got in with the gaff, while Jeremy Rafferty, 21, manned the helm as they subdued the new record. It took five and a half hours to fight the fish into submission. It took almost another hour and a radio call for help to get the swordfish through the tuna door and safely in the boat. Rob Doda, who was fishing solo nearby left his boat floating and boarded Irvine’s boat to help haul the giant fish onboard. It was an epic catch for the group of young anglers, and the 400 pounds of meat their fish yielded was shared with friends and family, with the charity organization Filet for Friends, and at a celebratory barbecue for the whole Pompano Beach fishing community. To read Timmy Maddock’s account of the catch, see the Florida section of this magazine or online at www.coastalanglermagazine.com. 22 NATIONAL

MARCH 2021

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NEW ENGLAND AWAITS

warm water, and they’re looking for that constant bait source. That’s what the rivers provide.” Action is fast in tidal rivers like the Weweantic on the north side of Buzzards Bay. Murphy walks the dog with topwater baits like a 7-inch Lil’ Doc to draw explosive strikes from good numbers of stripers in the rivers. They’ll also eat By Nick Carter soft-plastic eel or herring imitations like those made by Hogy, and although these river fish aren’t the monsters Murphy pursues later in the season, there aren’t many anglers who’d turn their nose up to consistent topwater activity from fish up to 20 inches. As the season progresses, the bite moves to the mouths of the rivers, where stripers ambush herring moving out. This is where some of the bigger fish come into play, and they also can be taken on topwater. By mid-May, Murphy said he’ll be chasing the classic New England bass blitzes, when schoolie-sized fish ball up bait and crash the surface. At this point, fish will have spread up around Cape Cod or through the Cape Cod Canal into Massachusetts Bay. Action ou can almost feel the excitement building on the coast of can be intense for fish in the 2- to New England. Winter is ebbing, and soon warming water 10-pound range. conditions will spark the migration of striped bass up the “You can go out early in the Atlantic coast. Jack Murphy will be waiting when they arrive. morning any day and find blitzing Murphy and his partner, Jack Loveday, co-founded Lucky Jacks schoolies,” Murphy said. “You can Fishing in Marblehead, Massachusetts. For them, April begins the catch 30 or 40 fish in just a couple busy striper season off Rhode Island and Massachusetts. hours.” As you read this, striped bass are spawning in tributaries of By the first part of June, anglers Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay and the Hudson River. When in search of big fish will head 5 to water temperatures rise into the 50s, these fish push north with 10 miles offshore to find big pogy huge schools of menhaden to feed ravenous post-spawn appetites. PHOTOS BY SEAN MAIORANO PHOTOGRAPHY (menhaden) schools. This is a Murphy said the first fish collect on the south side of Cape Cod WWW.SEANMAIORANOPHOTOGRAPHY.COM short-lived first-light bite. in Buzzards Bay. Timing is dependent on weather and water temperatures, so “When you come on one of these schools that’s getting harassed, you’re in Lucky Jacks spends spring studying winds and water temps to try and intercept the first waves of migrating fish. They normally show up in the second or third for a heck of a day.” Murphy said. “We’ve had a few days when our smallest fish were 37 pounds, and 40- to 50-pound fish are very possible.” week of April. “When river herring (alewife) push into the rivers to spawn, the first waves of stripes will be right on their tails,” Murphy said. “They’re looking for that Check out Lucky Jacks Fishing at www.luckyjacksfishing.com.

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MARCH 2021

NATIONAL 23

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