Blue Ridge Smallmouth News

jim hakala · Jul 17, 2017

WRD has recently started a smallmouth bass stocking program at Lake Blue Ridge. The program is a collaborative effort between GADNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. More info can be found near the bottom of the weekly N. GA Fishing Report: https://georgiawildlife.wordpress.com/2017/07/07/georgia-fishing-report-july-7-2017/

Browning Slayer · Jul 17, 2017

Damer’s Smallmouth News: WRD has recently started a smallmouth bass stocking program at Blue Ridge Lake in Fannin County. This program is a collaborative effort between GADNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The fish pictured here, which were stocked this week, were grown by USFWS Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery. Blue Ridge is the last major reservoir in the state that holds a fishable population of smallmouth, but the fishery has declined severely due to illegal introduction of spotted bass by anglers. In other former smallmouth lakes in Georgia, illegally introduced spotted bass have completely wiped out the smallmouth populations. We hope that our stocking program will help boost recruitment and help maintain a fishable population in Blue Ridge.

Best news I've heard all day...

Hopefully it will bring the population up to a better population then what's there now.

Cletus T. · Jul 17, 2017

Downright awesome!!!!!!

Those are some cute little smallies!!!!

Coenen · Jul 17, 2017

They need to add an addendum, encouraging anglers to keep their limit of spots up there. Maybe make big, neon signs and post them at every boat ramp.

Buckman18 · Jul 17, 2017

I wish they'd include Chatuge also.

spkoli · Jul 17, 2017

Awesome!!!!

Lindseys Grandpa · Jul 17, 2017

That great. Now they need to make it illegal to release a live spot into lake. Do spot checks at the tournements to ensure they kill every spot caught imho.

The mtn man · Jul 17, 2017

Buckman18 said:
I wish they'd include Chatuge also.

Too late for that joey, chatuge has been established as a prime spot lake. I'm sometime amazed at how many people come to chatuge just for the spots. And it's full of spots...

Quackmasterofgeorgia · Jul 17, 2017

I know what color crankbait I'd be throwing to catch a limit of spots. It will never be like it was until the spotted bass problem is addressed. Which the DNR is not wanting to do.

lampern · Jul 17, 2017

There also needs to be a size limit on the smallmouth or they will be jerked out before they are large enough to spawn. A 12-14 inch minimum works in NC and SC.

People need to take spots home, not smallies.

The current regs still allow folks to keep 10 smallies of any size. How does that help?

NCHillbilly · Jul 18, 2017

Lindseys Grandpa said:
That great. Now they need to make it illegal to release a live spot into lake. Do spot checks at the tournements to ensure they kill every spot caught imho.

Yes. I would like to see a must keep/must kill rule with no size or creel limits on spots where they don't belong. Same way they do brown trout in parts of the Shenandoah National Park where they are competing with native brook trout.

deerhunter09 · Jul 18, 2017

It's about freaking time. Great news.

GA BASS ODYSSEY · Jul 21, 2017

I guess the spots will have plenty to eat this year. The only way the can offset he population is to add 610,000 every year for the next 5 years.

King.Of.Anglers.Jeremiah · Jul 21, 2017

Quackmasterofgeorgia said:
I know what color crankbait I'd be throwing to catch a limit of spots. It will never be like it was until the spotted bass problem is addressed. Which the DNR is not wanting to do.

Let me guess, chartreuse or shad patterns?

Quackmasterofgeorgia · Jul 22, 2017

Jeremiahisbrown said:
Let me guess, chartreuse or shad patterns?

That and a hand painted fingerling smallmouth pattern.

lampern · Jul 22, 2017

GA BASS ODYSSEY said:
I guess the spots will have plenty to eat this year. The only way the can offset he population is to add 610,000 every year for the next 5 years.

No clue on how many were stocked but they were an inch long.

Bigger sized fingerlings have a much higher survival rate.

The mtn man · Jul 22, 2017

Wouldn't it be better if they stocked smallmouth further upstream above the lake? Wouldn't that give them more of an opportunity to reach a bigger size before moving down to the lake?

NCHillbilly · Jul 23, 2017

I doubt if stocking will do much good unless the spots are eradicated, which is about impossible. A bucketful of spots has ruined many of a good lake with a thriving smallmouth population.

Quackmasterofgeorgia · Jul 23, 2017

NCHillbilly said:
I doubt if stocking will do much good unless the spots are eradicated, which is about impossible. A bucketful of spots has ruined many of a good lake with a thriving smallmouth population.

If the DNR recognizes that the spotted bass are a problem, you'd think they would do something to combat them.

NCHillbilly · Jul 23, 2017

Quackmasterofgeorgia said:
If the DNR recognizes that the spotted bass are a problem, you'd think they would do something to combat them.

They definitely realize that they are a major problem, but I think they also realize that it's an exercise in futility after they're established. In the last few years, NC has went to open limits on spots in a few lakes. I don't know if it helps or not.

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