GA BASS ODYSSEY
Senior Member
Woke up early on day 2 and headed to Nankin boat ramp which is about 9 miles up river from the GA 31 Ramp. Arriving at the ramp just before sunrise I was greeted with a huge obstacle. The ramp was completely dilapidated and unusable for launching a motor boat. I looked around the ramp and saw a slight chance on the south side of the ramp but not on the ramp. so I decided to give it a shot. I got it in but the boat was tilted bad on the trailer once far in enough to get it off. This ramp needs a total rework. Lowndes County has let this one go. The ramp is broken up and the drop off at the end will cause any trailer frame to bottom out on the ramp.
After finally getting the boat in I ventured up stream a few yards to see if the shoals were passable. They were not and even the cutout around them was blocked by laydowns. The shoals about 150 yards south of the ramp were passable but only by floating over them. As I got past these shoals I started fishing. The day was nice and almost the same as the day before, but foggy and a little warmer. I first thing I noticed was this stretch of river was a lot different. There was hardly no limestone rocks or bluffs on the rivers edge. Plenty of rock in the river but not the type I was seeing the day before.
I fished for quit a while only getting light taps most likely from bream. I then came to a small limestone ledge with some timber around it. Fish on....right by the limestone just past the timber. It was a small Suwanee less that 12 inches. Sad to say this would be my last Suwanee. The Withlacoochee in this area gave up no more green beauties to me. I fished about 1.5 miles down river a came to my next obstacle, without a good bite. The shoals ahead was unpassable by motor boat so I motored up a few hundred yards a fished some areas I missed. Decided to give the old whacky stick bait a try and after a little while I hooked my biggest fish of the trip. She was a 17 inch largemouth and she put up a great fight. That would be it for Nankin. It was 11am and needed to get back and get the girls. Getting the boat past the set of shoals just south of the ramp was a pain and I had to use the trolling moor to do it. My outboard would not pass even in shallow water drive. Getting the boat out on this ramp was a pain as well.
Went and picked up the girls and headed to Statenville and the Alapaha River. The ramp here is very nice and the river was boatable. The current was swift and the water was more shallow overall than the Withlacoochee. We floated and I tell you I was on the trolling motor all the time avoiding timber and sandbars. Wife caught some nice redbreast but it was hard for me to fish without anchoring up and I left my drag anchor in the truck. Anyway, I saw a very beautiful river and it sure looks like prime Suwannee habitat. Lots of limestone bluffs and rocks but not so much in the river. We floated about 2 miles down when we came to some shoals and I didn't even look to see if they were passable as I would no risk it with my family. My wife hooked a huge largie over 5 lbs but got off at the boat. She was so disappointed but we fished a little more going back up river without much luck. Stopped and took a break on a nice sandbar then motored back to the ramp with no problems. Shallow water drive of course. The Alapaha is beautiful in this stretch and some areas you would think you were in north GA. I will return in the spring to Statenville and try for a Suwannee here. It's a personal challenge to catch here one on my home river and there very few on this stretch.
Here is some info for those wanting to give the Withlacoochee a try for the Suwannee.
1. Water levels:
a. US 84, NEAR QUITMAN, GA 3.5ft and slowly falling
b. NEAR PINETTA, FLA 7.4ft and slowly falling
2. Ramps:
a. Ga 31 good,
b. Nankin very bad.
3.Weather:
Day one GA 31, 80° 52°Sunny to Partly Cloudy with a slight wind not effecting the river
Day two Nankin, 85° 59°Sunny to Partly Cloudy with a slight wind and foggy morning
4. River Conditions
a. Ga 31 river is not very shallow. Limestone throughout in and around the river. Slow flow except near the shoals and some bends. Very doable by motorboat up to the shoals just past Arnold Springs where the river dips into Florida.
b. Nankin, Shallow river with little limestone. To me, not worth the trouble with a motor boat due to ramp and shoal limitations.
5. Fishing Tactics: I used 4 baits the whole trip. 1. Zoom UV Speed Worm 2. Zoom trick worm. 3. Strike King Shim E stick 4. Big Bite Bates Fat stick. Colors that worked well were bright colors like yellow, white, chartreuse. Next best colors were watermelon red and green pumpkin. I fished the whacky as well as Texas rig. They could not pass up a bright colored whacky rigged worm. Most fish came from that set up.
6. Best Bet: GA 31 if you want to catch a Suwanee. River is nice safe and full of Suwanee Bass. They out number the largemouth here in my opinion.
Good Luck
After finally getting the boat in I ventured up stream a few yards to see if the shoals were passable. They were not and even the cutout around them was blocked by laydowns. The shoals about 150 yards south of the ramp were passable but only by floating over them. As I got past these shoals I started fishing. The day was nice and almost the same as the day before, but foggy and a little warmer. I first thing I noticed was this stretch of river was a lot different. There was hardly no limestone rocks or bluffs on the rivers edge. Plenty of rock in the river but not the type I was seeing the day before.
I fished for quit a while only getting light taps most likely from bream. I then came to a small limestone ledge with some timber around it. Fish on....right by the limestone just past the timber. It was a small Suwanee less that 12 inches. Sad to say this would be my last Suwanee. The Withlacoochee in this area gave up no more green beauties to me. I fished about 1.5 miles down river a came to my next obstacle, without a good bite. The shoals ahead was unpassable by motor boat so I motored up a few hundred yards a fished some areas I missed. Decided to give the old whacky stick bait a try and after a little while I hooked my biggest fish of the trip. She was a 17 inch largemouth and she put up a great fight. That would be it for Nankin. It was 11am and needed to get back and get the girls. Getting the boat past the set of shoals just south of the ramp was a pain and I had to use the trolling moor to do it. My outboard would not pass even in shallow water drive. Getting the boat out on this ramp was a pain as well.
Went and picked up the girls and headed to Statenville and the Alapaha River. The ramp here is very nice and the river was boatable. The current was swift and the water was more shallow overall than the Withlacoochee. We floated and I tell you I was on the trolling motor all the time avoiding timber and sandbars. Wife caught some nice redbreast but it was hard for me to fish without anchoring up and I left my drag anchor in the truck. Anyway, I saw a very beautiful river and it sure looks like prime Suwannee habitat. Lots of limestone bluffs and rocks but not so much in the river. We floated about 2 miles down when we came to some shoals and I didn't even look to see if they were passable as I would no risk it with my family. My wife hooked a huge largie over 5 lbs but got off at the boat. She was so disappointed but we fished a little more going back up river without much luck. Stopped and took a break on a nice sandbar then motored back to the ramp with no problems. Shallow water drive of course. The Alapaha is beautiful in this stretch and some areas you would think you were in north GA. I will return in the spring to Statenville and try for a Suwannee here. It's a personal challenge to catch here one on my home river and there very few on this stretch.
Here is some info for those wanting to give the Withlacoochee a try for the Suwannee.
1. Water levels:
a. US 84, NEAR QUITMAN, GA 3.5ft and slowly falling
b. NEAR PINETTA, FLA 7.4ft and slowly falling
2. Ramps:
a. Ga 31 good,
b. Nankin very bad.
3.Weather:
Day one GA 31, 80° 52°Sunny to Partly Cloudy with a slight wind not effecting the river
Day two Nankin, 85° 59°Sunny to Partly Cloudy with a slight wind and foggy morning
4. River Conditions
a. Ga 31 river is not very shallow. Limestone throughout in and around the river. Slow flow except near the shoals and some bends. Very doable by motorboat up to the shoals just past Arnold Springs where the river dips into Florida.
b. Nankin, Shallow river with little limestone. To me, not worth the trouble with a motor boat due to ramp and shoal limitations.
5. Fishing Tactics: I used 4 baits the whole trip. 1. Zoom UV Speed Worm 2. Zoom trick worm. 3. Strike King Shim E stick 4. Big Bite Bates Fat stick. Colors that worked well were bright colors like yellow, white, chartreuse. Next best colors were watermelon red and green pumpkin. I fished the whacky as well as Texas rig. They could not pass up a bright colored whacky rigged worm. Most fish came from that set up.
6. Best Bet: GA 31 if you want to catch a Suwanee. River is nice safe and full of Suwanee Bass. They out number the largemouth here in my opinion.
Good Luck
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