pjciii
Senior Member
LAKE HARTWELL IS FULL, CLEAR, 80 S
Bass fishing has been fair. With water temperatures hanging right around the 70 degree mark with cooler water up in the main rivers, bass fishing is good for the most part. The bass cannot decide if fall is here or is it still summer. The fishing is still on the slow side. With the shorter days the water temperature has stopped rising. The bass have started to move out of the deep water and a few are chasing bait into the coves and creeks all over the lake. Use a 3/8 ounce Strike King spinnerbait with all white skirts, tie it on and head to the lake. Several other baits that will be necessary to pack will be an assortment of crank baits and pig n jigs and let's not forget those lipless baits. You might start off the morning with top water bait like buzz bait but if you can't get a hook up or rise put it down and pick up the spinnerbait in either white and chartreuse. Use a single no. 5 Colorado blade in silver. Throw the bait at isolated cover only that you might find near the bank. Each piece of cover will require more than one cast. These bass just aren't hitting the first time around in most cases. Make sure the area you fish is close to the channel or deeper water. These bass are roaming from deep to shallow to feed and are not concentrated in any one area. Covering a lot of water will be the key to a productive day. The suspending Shad Rap is still producing bass and will continue to do so for at least month or so. Best when used on or around points and small cuts on the sides of points. Work the lipless cranks in these areas as well to determine which is working best. Jig any and all stumps or wood as well as any remaining docks with a 3/8 ounce or lighter jig in black and blue or black and brown combination.
· Slamming Bass
I got my certificate. Do you have yours yet? You have three more months remaining to get your five species, so get going on a fun endeavor.
The GAWRD Bass Slam instructions are here: https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing/...eorgiaBassSlam
And location/technique tips are here: https://georgiawildlife.blog/2018/09...ember-21-2018/
Pretty Chattahoochee bass pic here: https://www.facebook.com/unicoioutfi...type=3&theater
· River Bass
The extension of summer into October isn’t good news for trout waters, but it has sure extended our great 2018 river bassin’ season. Rivers are running low and clear and warm,
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv?site_no=02330450
and that means a great topwater bite in the shade and early evening shadows. Dark30 now starts around 6PM and lasts til 7:30, when my headlamp gets turned out for the wade and walk out. Dredger got a few Hooch shoalies on top Wednesday night after work, but the earlier moon is now cutting short the after-work option for this year.
o Looks like the Cohutta gang has capitalized.
https://www.facebook.com/CohuttaFish...357075?__xts__[0]=68.ARBnOD6k3GgFP2sUvB463b0kfJJP5prvS88vWptl8WgNik D6rNFMCgSIJgwfYsGbXG_-mqECZmC-PqiNcIpxs32Qlq9_8ErrLmEYzrWmNOiAxbDwcEm7Pa6q2jtzn3 Gd0uId7npW0zwe3ZzDehsCYjRT-59semYOWKb7Fk3tJcgT26r7GTowUBY&__tn__=-R
o For variety’s sake, Dredger hit Unicoi Lake last Friday evening and did fair on little largemouths on his stealth bomber/Texas worm duo of rods. On Saturday he witnessed the Dawgs’ drubbing of his beloved Vols, and regretted staying home to watch the game. The next evening he took a road trip north of the border to find some salve, and he found it! He tossed Kent Edmunds’ stealth bomber into the bankside shadows, and met Bertha and Bubba. First fish of the day, Bertha, taped at 17 inches, while big brother Bubba, who came out to play at dark, stretched it two inches further. Thanks Kent! http://www.rainysflies.com/fly-designers/kent-edmonds
http://www.flyfishga.com/stealth.htm
· Our Bassin’ Biologist
Fall is when Bass put on the "feed bag" for winter. This presents excellent opportunities for anglers on north Georgia's lakes. Look for these hungry fish on woody structure adjacent to deeper water. Top-water plugs such as the Zara-Spook and soft plastics such as the Zoom 'Ol Monster are quintessential for catching a big fish this fall. Here’s my 6 pound, 12 oz Largemouth and an even bigger brother caught on Georgia Power reservoirs, in Rabun County, last weekend while using a big, Texas-rigged plastic worm.
https://www.georgiapower.com/communi...gia-lakes.html
https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing-prospects
Zachary S. Moran
Fisheries Biologist
Wildlife Resources Division
(706) 947-1503
· Stocking More Smallies
How about a little “Sport Fish Restoration” in action?
https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpage...ms/sfr/sfr.htm
Here’s the most recent report from one of our great suppliers:
The Go Fish Education Center hatchery harvested 2 smallmouth bass ponds this past week. A total of 7,154 fish were stocked into Lake Blue Ridge. Their average length was almost 5.5” and in total, they weighed 343 pounds. These are new production records for smallmouth bass at Go Fish. Watch this video of excited smallies, leaping for joy when they learned the news about their upcoming road trip!
https://www.facebook.com/GoFishEduca...type=3&theater
-Tamatha Beckham, manager, GAWRD Go Fish Center
· Where are the fish?
Here’s a really nice article by Capt. Cefus, who took a ride on our special boat with the most effective bait in the world, electricity!
See page 33 in here: https://coastalanglermag.com/e-magazine/atlanta/
Also, biologist Hunter Roop’s most recent Lanier profile (attached) should indicate that stripers have moved up in the water column, where they are tolerating hot water to find some oxygen. Most of them are in a very thin layer of the coolest water with adequate oxygen. Watch the lake reports from Ken S, above, and combine them with Hunter’s DO profile to aim your striper baits and lures at the best depth.
· Henry C’s Summer Advice
I am sharing some perspective on handling fish in warm water. If you harvest the fish and follow our WRD creel and size limits, enjoy your dinner! If you plan to release it, here is some good advice from Lanier angling veteran Henry C to increase that critter’s chance at survival.
Well I have been speaking to lots of folks who have been on “the pond” (Lanier) and while the fishing seems to be pretty darn good we are unfortunately in that time of year where the fish are so stressed from being caught that their survival after release is lower. While I am not fishing to these fish as I choose not to add any additional stress to the fish stocks, I understand why many anglers still enjoy going out and catching a few as they tend to be a tad easier to find and are in bigger groups this time of year. However, anglers need to know that the less time the fish spend out of the water, the better chance for their survival. This is not the time of year to take a fish out of the water and hang it vertically from a boga grip in the middle of the boat to get a picture. It just increases the amount of time spent out of the water which can lead to their demise. Best practice is to do what Capt Mack does. Get one angler ready with the camera so when the fish is landed and at the side of the boat, the angler or the guide can quickly lift the fish for a hasty photo and then back into the water it goes. The whole process should not take 20 seconds. No need to picture every fish caught at this time of year as again too much stress can kill the fish. Keep ‘em wet, guys and gals. https://www.keepemwet.org/#home
- Henry Cowen
· Upcoming Freebies
Ken Sturdivant will be hosting FREE Fishing classes at 4 Forsyth County Library Branch s. These seminars will cover Bass Fishing, Striper Fishing, Crappie Fishing, Fly Fishing and Sonar. These are the dates and times. Anglers DO NOT need to pre register. Please come to the event 30 minutes prior to start time. All events are subjects to change without notice.
These are the locations: Cumming Library Branch, 585 Dahlonega Street, Cumming, GA 30040, Sharon Forks Branch, Sharon Forks 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming, GA 30041, Hampton Park Branch, Hampton Park 5345 Settingdown Road, Cumming, GA 30041, Post Road Branch, Post Road 5010 Post Road, Cumming, GA 30040
These are the dates, times and topics:
Sunday October 14, 2018 Hampton Park SONAR 2 to 4 pm Ken Sturdivant will teach this class on Basics of SONAR.
Sunday, October 21, 2018 Sharon Fork BASS LURES 2 to 4 pm Ken Sturdivant will teach the Basic Bass lures.
Sunday, November 4, 2018 Post Road: FLY FISHING 2 to 4 pm Meet Rene Hess, FFI Certified Casting Instructor at this class.
Good luck this week as we all suffer through the everlasting summer. Maybe the Braves will turn it around, and Mother Nature will let fall to come out and play. Have hope!
Jeff Durniak
North Georgia Region Fisheries Supervisor
Wildlife Resource Division
Bass fishing has been fair. With water temperatures hanging right around the 70 degree mark with cooler water up in the main rivers, bass fishing is good for the most part. The bass cannot decide if fall is here or is it still summer. The fishing is still on the slow side. With the shorter days the water temperature has stopped rising. The bass have started to move out of the deep water and a few are chasing bait into the coves and creeks all over the lake. Use a 3/8 ounce Strike King spinnerbait with all white skirts, tie it on and head to the lake. Several other baits that will be necessary to pack will be an assortment of crank baits and pig n jigs and let's not forget those lipless baits. You might start off the morning with top water bait like buzz bait but if you can't get a hook up or rise put it down and pick up the spinnerbait in either white and chartreuse. Use a single no. 5 Colorado blade in silver. Throw the bait at isolated cover only that you might find near the bank. Each piece of cover will require more than one cast. These bass just aren't hitting the first time around in most cases. Make sure the area you fish is close to the channel or deeper water. These bass are roaming from deep to shallow to feed and are not concentrated in any one area. Covering a lot of water will be the key to a productive day. The suspending Shad Rap is still producing bass and will continue to do so for at least month or so. Best when used on or around points and small cuts on the sides of points. Work the lipless cranks in these areas as well to determine which is working best. Jig any and all stumps or wood as well as any remaining docks with a 3/8 ounce or lighter jig in black and blue or black and brown combination.
· Slamming Bass
I got my certificate. Do you have yours yet? You have three more months remaining to get your five species, so get going on a fun endeavor.
The GAWRD Bass Slam instructions are here: https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing/...eorgiaBassSlam
And location/technique tips are here: https://georgiawildlife.blog/2018/09...ember-21-2018/
Pretty Chattahoochee bass pic here: https://www.facebook.com/unicoioutfi...type=3&theater
· River Bass
The extension of summer into October isn’t good news for trout waters, but it has sure extended our great 2018 river bassin’ season. Rivers are running low and clear and warm,
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/uv?site_no=02330450
and that means a great topwater bite in the shade and early evening shadows. Dark30 now starts around 6PM and lasts til 7:30, when my headlamp gets turned out for the wade and walk out. Dredger got a few Hooch shoalies on top Wednesday night after work, but the earlier moon is now cutting short the after-work option for this year.
o Looks like the Cohutta gang has capitalized.
https://www.facebook.com/CohuttaFish...357075?__xts__[0]=68.ARBnOD6k3GgFP2sUvB463b0kfJJP5prvS88vWptl8WgNik D6rNFMCgSIJgwfYsGbXG_-mqECZmC-PqiNcIpxs32Qlq9_8ErrLmEYzrWmNOiAxbDwcEm7Pa6q2jtzn3 Gd0uId7npW0zwe3ZzDehsCYjRT-59semYOWKb7Fk3tJcgT26r7GTowUBY&__tn__=-R
o For variety’s sake, Dredger hit Unicoi Lake last Friday evening and did fair on little largemouths on his stealth bomber/Texas worm duo of rods. On Saturday he witnessed the Dawgs’ drubbing of his beloved Vols, and regretted staying home to watch the game. The next evening he took a road trip north of the border to find some salve, and he found it! He tossed Kent Edmunds’ stealth bomber into the bankside shadows, and met Bertha and Bubba. First fish of the day, Bertha, taped at 17 inches, while big brother Bubba, who came out to play at dark, stretched it two inches further. Thanks Kent! http://www.rainysflies.com/fly-designers/kent-edmonds
http://www.flyfishga.com/stealth.htm
· Our Bassin’ Biologist
Fall is when Bass put on the "feed bag" for winter. This presents excellent opportunities for anglers on north Georgia's lakes. Look for these hungry fish on woody structure adjacent to deeper water. Top-water plugs such as the Zara-Spook and soft plastics such as the Zoom 'Ol Monster are quintessential for catching a big fish this fall. Here’s my 6 pound, 12 oz Largemouth and an even bigger brother caught on Georgia Power reservoirs, in Rabun County, last weekend while using a big, Texas-rigged plastic worm.
https://www.georgiapower.com/communi...gia-lakes.html
https://georgiawildlife.com/fishing-prospects
Zachary S. Moran
Fisheries Biologist
Wildlife Resources Division
(706) 947-1503
· Stocking More Smallies
How about a little “Sport Fish Restoration” in action?
https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/subpage...ms/sfr/sfr.htm
Here’s the most recent report from one of our great suppliers:
The Go Fish Education Center hatchery harvested 2 smallmouth bass ponds this past week. A total of 7,154 fish were stocked into Lake Blue Ridge. Their average length was almost 5.5” and in total, they weighed 343 pounds. These are new production records for smallmouth bass at Go Fish. Watch this video of excited smallies, leaping for joy when they learned the news about their upcoming road trip!
https://www.facebook.com/GoFishEduca...type=3&theater
-Tamatha Beckham, manager, GAWRD Go Fish Center
· Where are the fish?
Here’s a really nice article by Capt. Cefus, who took a ride on our special boat with the most effective bait in the world, electricity!
See page 33 in here: https://coastalanglermag.com/e-magazine/atlanta/
Also, biologist Hunter Roop’s most recent Lanier profile (attached) should indicate that stripers have moved up in the water column, where they are tolerating hot water to find some oxygen. Most of them are in a very thin layer of the coolest water with adequate oxygen. Watch the lake reports from Ken S, above, and combine them with Hunter’s DO profile to aim your striper baits and lures at the best depth.
· Henry C’s Summer Advice
I am sharing some perspective on handling fish in warm water. If you harvest the fish and follow our WRD creel and size limits, enjoy your dinner! If you plan to release it, here is some good advice from Lanier angling veteran Henry C to increase that critter’s chance at survival.
Well I have been speaking to lots of folks who have been on “the pond” (Lanier) and while the fishing seems to be pretty darn good we are unfortunately in that time of year where the fish are so stressed from being caught that their survival after release is lower. While I am not fishing to these fish as I choose not to add any additional stress to the fish stocks, I understand why many anglers still enjoy going out and catching a few as they tend to be a tad easier to find and are in bigger groups this time of year. However, anglers need to know that the less time the fish spend out of the water, the better chance for their survival. This is not the time of year to take a fish out of the water and hang it vertically from a boga grip in the middle of the boat to get a picture. It just increases the amount of time spent out of the water which can lead to their demise. Best practice is to do what Capt Mack does. Get one angler ready with the camera so when the fish is landed and at the side of the boat, the angler or the guide can quickly lift the fish for a hasty photo and then back into the water it goes. The whole process should not take 20 seconds. No need to picture every fish caught at this time of year as again too much stress can kill the fish. Keep ‘em wet, guys and gals. https://www.keepemwet.org/#home
- Henry Cowen
· Upcoming Freebies
Ken Sturdivant will be hosting FREE Fishing classes at 4 Forsyth County Library Branch s. These seminars will cover Bass Fishing, Striper Fishing, Crappie Fishing, Fly Fishing and Sonar. These are the dates and times. Anglers DO NOT need to pre register. Please come to the event 30 minutes prior to start time. All events are subjects to change without notice.
These are the locations: Cumming Library Branch, 585 Dahlonega Street, Cumming, GA 30040, Sharon Forks Branch, Sharon Forks 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming, GA 30041, Hampton Park Branch, Hampton Park 5345 Settingdown Road, Cumming, GA 30041, Post Road Branch, Post Road 5010 Post Road, Cumming, GA 30040
These are the dates, times and topics:
Sunday October 14, 2018 Hampton Park SONAR 2 to 4 pm Ken Sturdivant will teach this class on Basics of SONAR.
Sunday, October 21, 2018 Sharon Fork BASS LURES 2 to 4 pm Ken Sturdivant will teach the Basic Bass lures.
Sunday, November 4, 2018 Post Road: FLY FISHING 2 to 4 pm Meet Rene Hess, FFI Certified Casting Instructor at this class.
Good luck this week as we all suffer through the everlasting summer. Maybe the Braves will turn it around, and Mother Nature will let fall to come out and play. Have hope!
Jeff Durniak
North Georgia Region Fisheries Supervisor
Wildlife Resource Division
