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For details and the name of your nearest participating Suzuki Marine dealer, visit www.suzukimarine.com Gimme Six Extended Protection promo is applicable to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 300 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17 in accordance with the promotion by a Participating Authorized Suzuki Marine dealer in the continental US and Alaska to a purchasing customer who resides in the continental US or Alaska. Customer should expect to receive an acknowledgement letter and full copy of contract including terms, conditions and wallet card from Suzuki Extended Protection within 90 days of purchase. If an acknowledgement letter is not received in time period stated, contact Suzuki Motor of America, Inc. – Marine Marketing via email: marinepromo@suz.com. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Cash Rebates apply to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Customer and participating Dealer must fill out the appropriate rebate form at time of sale. Customer will have the choice to either apply the cash rebate against the original dealer invoice (Suzuki will credit Dealer parts account) or have a check sent directly to the customer. There are no model substitutions, benefit substitutions, rain checks, or extensions. Suzuki reserves the right to change or cancel these promotions at any time without notice or obligation. * Financing offers available through Synchrony Retail Finance. As low as 5.99% APR financing for 60 months on new and unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors. Subject to credit approval. Not all buyers will qualify. Approval, and any rates and terms provided, are based on credit worthiness. $19.99/month per $1,000 financed for 60 months is based on 5.99% APR. Hypothetical figures used in calculation; your actual monthly payment may differ based on financing terms, credit tier qualification, accessories or other factors such as down payment and fees. Offer effective on new, unregistered Suzuki Outboard Motors purchased from a participating authorized Suzuki dealer between 7/01/17 and 9/30/17. “Gimme Six”, the Suzuki “S” and model names are Suzuki trademarks or ®. Don’t drink and drive. Always wear a USCG-approved life jacket and read your owner’s manual. © 2017 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.
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EDITOR IN CHIEF : Ben Martin • camads@coastalanglermagazine.com VICE PRESIDENT : Tracy Patterson • tracy@coastalanglermagazine.com ART DIRECTOR : Rebecca Snowden • graphics@coastalanglermagazine.com EDITORIAL COORDINATOR : Nick Carter • editorial@coastalanglermagazine.com WEBMASTER : Dmitriy Pislyagin • webmaster@coastalanglermagazine.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: Corporate Headquarters info@coastalanglermagazine.com • 888-800-9794
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BIG BEND : Mike McNamara • (850) 510-7919 • captmike@coastalanglermagazine.com BREVARD : David String • (321) 684-5888 • dstring@coastalanglermagazine.com DAYTONA/NEW SMYRNA BEACH : Don Meadows • (321) 436-5895 • donm@coastalanglermagazine.com FLORIDA KEYS : Cliff Lumpkin • (305) 849-9093 • cliff@coastalanglermagazine.com FORT LAUDERDALE : Gene Dyer • (954) 680-3900 • gene@coastalanglermagazine.com FORT MYERS : Nadeen Welch • (239) 595-8265 • nwelch@coastalanglermagazine.com GREATER MIAMI : Scott Deal • (561) 945-6999 • scott@coastalanglermagazine.com Monica Isaza-Deal • (561) 945-8899 • monica@coastalanglermagazine.com GREATER ORLANDO : Phillip & Giselle Wolf • (407) 790-9515 • phillip@coastalanglermagazine.com LAKELAND & SUMTER : Mary Brasher • (352) 598-4219 • maryf@coastalanglermagazine.com NAPLES : Nadeen Welch • (239) 595-8265 • nwelch@coastalanglermagazine.com NC FLORIDA/NATURE COAST : Cary & Lynn Crutchfield • (352) 372-4237 • crutch@coastalanglermagazine.com NE FLORIDA : Danny Patrick • (904) 742-4696 • danny@coastalanglermagazine.com PANAMA CITY/FORGOTTEN COAST : Randy Cnota • (229) 834-7880 • randyc@coastalanglermagazine.com PALM BEACH COUNTY : Barbara Ryan • (561) 373-8040 • barbara@coastalanglermagazine.com SARASOTA : Phil Prevoir • (239) 257-4684 • pprevoir@coastalanglermagazine.com TAMPA BAY : Chuck Atkins • (239) 464-5153 • chuck@coastalanglermagazine.com TREASURE COAST : Misti & Gary Guertin • (772) 285-6850 • treasurecoast@coastalanglermagazine.com flahama@coastalanglermagazine.com
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INTERNATIONAL BAHAMAS : Misti & Gary Guertin • (772) 285-6850 • treasurecoast@coastalanglermagazine.com flahama@coastalanglermagazine.com PUERTO RICO/VIRGIN ISLANDS : Ace Bassue • (407) 285-9453 • ace@coastalanglermagazine.com © 2017. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Disclaimer: Coastal Angler Magazine / The Angler Magazine will not be held liable for injuries incurred while partaking in activities described herein, or for claims made against products or services provided by advertisers.
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Best Of By CAM Staff
Overall Best of Show - Bote Rover
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ach year, the fishing industry and anglers eagerly await ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, to see what new rods, reels, lures, apparel and gadgets companies will roll out in the show’s New Product Showcase. For the gear-heads out there, it never disappoints. This year, 1,263 products, accessories and apparel were entered by 280 companies to compete for Best of Category awards in 26 different categories. The products were viewed and voted on at ICAST in Orlando on July 13. This year’s big winner was the Bote Rover, which took home Overall Best of Show. It also took top honors in the Boats and Watercraft category. It is a truly innovative little SUP/Skiff hybrid, powered by a small outboard to get you where you’re going. Once you get there, it gives you all the skinny-water and stealth capabilities of an SUP. The following is a list of all the other cool and innovative products that earned top honors in their categories. Boating Accessories: Yeti Coolers LoadOut Bucket With the LoadOut Bucket, Yeti has done for the lowly 5-gallon bucket what it did for the cooler. This injection-molded workhorse is Yeti tough and designed to exceed any need from the boat to the backyard. Eyewear: Costa Sunrise Mirror Lens Sunrise Mirror lenses are designed for low-light conditions. They let in 30 percent of the available light while maintaining 97 percent polarization for optimal performance and eye protection at dawn, dusk or on cloudy days.
Huk Attack
Footwear: Huk Performance Fishing Attack The Huk Attack is the most engineered, purpose-built fishing shoe ever created. It brings performance features for the serious fisherman with unique traction, bullet-proof durability and all-day comfort and support. Giftware: The Catch and Release Print Shop Actual Size An alternative to taxidermy, these fish prints are created to the exact length of your catch and stamped with your name and information about your catch. Lifestyle Apparel: Frogg Toggs Prym1 Series Pilot II Jacket and Bibs The Frogg Toggs Prym1 Series Pilot II Jacket and Bibs is the company’s camouflage style of its bombproof Pilot II. It is available in shoreline blue, silver mist and blackout options. Technical Apparel: Frogg Toggs Sierran Transition Wader A zippered, flip-out chest pocket, large multi-function pocket and exterior fly storage area allow these waders to fill double-duty as a chest pack for storage of fly fishing gear. Electronics: Humminbird Solix 15 Chirp Mega SI GPS Humminbird has achieved improved detail and target separation with Chirp Digital Sonar. With touch screen or keypad interface, the screen can be customized and viewed with up to four panels. Fishing Accessory: Yeti Coolers Panga Duffel The Panga Duffel is a hardcore drybag designed to withstand brutal treatment and be completely watertight. It is fully submersible, and Yeti called it a gear fortress. Fly Fishing Accessory: Simms G3 Guide Stockingfoot Wader Simms has built its most breathable and durable wader yet in its new G3 Guide, with four-layers of Gore-Tex fabric in the legs and three layers above the waist. They also feature a chest pocket, handwarmer pockets and built in utility tabs.
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Fishing Line: Berkley Fireline Ultra 8 With four times the abrasion resistance of its original Fireline, Berkley’s thermally fused Ultra 8 comes in a range from 4 pound test up to 30 pound test. FishSmart: Eagle Claw 2017 Flounder Sample Pack Eagle Claw jumps in for the conservation of summer flounder and catch and release with its 2017 Flouder Sample Pack. Kids’ Tackle: 13 Fishing Ambition Combo Designed specifically with the smaller size of a child in mind, but packed with some features required by serious anglers, these salt and freshwater combos are perfect for the little angler who is really into fishing. Tackle Management: Daiwa Tactical Backpack This tackle backpack is perfect for hiking into a stream, walking the banks of a pond, hauling down to the surf or for use as a quickgrab on your buddy’s boat. It is custom designed to hold all the gear an angler needs.
Saltwater Soft Lure: LIVETARGET Hollow Body Mullet The Hollow Body Mullet is sure to find a place in nearshore and inshore boxes and be deadly for sea trout, redfish, snook, flounder and striped bass. It is an incredibly detailed and lifelike walking bait with great action. Fly Reel: Pflueger Supreme QRS Fly Reel With its innovative Quick Release Spool, the Supreme QRS offers an interchangeable large-arbor cassette spool system. The polycarbonate cassettes are secured in the spool carrier by an advanced locking system enclosed by a full stainless steel and alloy construction. Freshwater Reel: Shimano Curado K Baitcasting Reel As if the Curado weren’t legendary enough, Shimano has improved on its venerable reel with the latest in Shimano technology, such as smooth, efficient, durable MicroModule gearing. It is available gear ratios up to 8.5:1. Saltwater Reel: Shimano Sustain Reels C4000/5000 Shimano’s Sustain Reels are a saltwater line of spinning reels that fits into the higher end of Shimano’s line. Featuring Shimano’s advanced Hagane technology, they are smooth, powerful and durable for anglers seeking to do battle with midsized saltwater species.
Terminal Tackle: Trapper Round Bend Treble With an innovative “trap,” the standard version of this odd-looking hook has proven itself by holding baits in place and keeping fish on the hook. The treble-hook version of the trapper is revolutionary. Freshwater Hard Lure: Savage Gear 3D Topwater Bat This crazy-looking bait plays on the nature of predatory species to strike on reaction. It is a hard, surface-walking bait 3D scanned to mimic a bat struggling in the water.
3D Topwater Bat
Saltwater Hard Lure: Rapala X-Rap Magnum 40 Did somebody say wahoo? The new X-Rap Magnum 40 dives consistently to 40 feet with aggressive swimming action. It can be trolled as fast as 13 knots without rolling or kicking out.
Rapala X-Rap Magnum 40
Freshwater Soft Lure: Lunkerhunt LP Prop Series The Lunkerhunt Prop Series combines the design of hollow-body soft plastics with modern prop technology previously found only on hard-body lures. The Prop Series features three body styles: The Prop Frog, The Prop Fish Sunfish and The Prop Fish Shad.
Rod & Reel Combo: Lew’s Mach Crush Speed Spool Combo This baitcast combo features Lew’s exclusive SLP Super Low Profile compact design in a premium 10-bearing Speed Spool reel with MSB Multi-Setting Brake dual cast control system. The combo’s onepiece IM8 graphite rod sports a Winn Dri-Tac splitgrip handle. Fly Fishing Rod: G. Loomis IMX-Pro Fly Rod G. Loomis’ IMX-Pro series was designed for professional guides. IMX-PRO MATRIX is a material that allows Loomis to use fewer wraps of graphite and build fast, responsive rods that are lighter and more sensitive without sacrificing power or durability. Freshwater Rod: 13 Fishing Fate Black With crisp action, incredible sensitivity and superb balance, the Fate Black offers the benefits of a Japanese 30T HTC blank, an innovative seamless reel seat, tanglefree guides with zirconia inserts, hybrid comfort grips and handles made of hand-selected Portuguese cork. Saltwater Rod: St. Croix Legend T o u r n a m e n t Inshore Legend Tournament Inshore rods are the blending of the sensitivity, power and durability found in St Croix’s existing Legend Tournament Bass and Walleye series with components and technology reserved for saltwater environments.
Lunkerhunt Prop series
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A boater’s paradise, Bay Point Marina is gently tucked away along the Grand Lagoon in Panama City Beach, Florida, yet conveniently located just five minutes from the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and 15 minutes from the Intracoastal Waterway. Fortunately for patrons and guests, Bay Point Marina is also just minutes by boat from Shell Island, which offers excellent snorkeling, superb fishing and some of the most secluded beaches available in North Florida. This quiet, full-service marina offers worldclass facilities and services including 180 protected slips, housing for boats up to 125 feet and luxury pontoon boat rentals at a relaxing price.
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Alaska’s Can’t Miss
Freshwater Fishing Adventures
By Christopher Batin
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laska sportfishing offers wilderness realized rather than imagined and quickens the pulse in all types of anglers, from panfishermen to veteran world anglers. When an angler returns from Alaska and shares an evening on the flats or at the catfish hole with friends, talk quickly turns from big catfish stories to Alaska fishing adventures. The reason is obvious. If you are searching for action, the roostertails of spray generated by a 50-pound chinook salmon on a five-jump run through shallow water will satisfy your need. If the sight of huge shad migrations have you tying on a lure in finger-fumbling fashion, wait until you view pristine rivers teeming with five species of Pacific salmon that are counted not by the thousands, but by the millions. Valdez anglers see the return of as many as 11 million pink salmon to intertidal waters. Choosing the right Alaska adventure is complex, with its various runs, timing and weather. Knowing when to go, where to go and with whom is key. I’ve fished and covered Alaska’s fishing for more than 42 years, and I’ve helped countless anglers find the trip best suited for them. Each angler has separate needs. In the freshwater realm, here are some of the top considerations for can’t miss adventure, fish-hooking action and personal service worthy of the Alaska experience. Interior Alaska
If you’re looking for a quiet place to fish, with scenery, comfortable cabins and located far from the crowds, drive down to Denali National Park and visit Kirk Martakis at Fish Denali. He offers several lakes on private property that offer about 3,000 wild rainbow trout to 31 inches and trophy-sized grayling. They cruise the lake like sharks, and the clear water makes sight casting to them with single-hook jigs, nymphs or topwater lures too much fun. It’s some of the best lake rainbow fishing I’ve experienced. Cozy, fully equipped cabins located at lakeside offer everything you’ll need for a multi-day stay, including Wi-Fi and multiple bedrooms. It’s a good choice for large families, fishing buddies or couples who want a quiet, laid-back trip with some of Alaska’s best scenery (www.Fishdenali.com). Float fishing offers a change of scenery around each turn in the river as well as great fishing opportunities. Alaska River Tours offers remote float trips along the road system, with neither the crowds nor the expense. Depending on the season, owner Reinhard “Reini” Neuhauser chooses the best rivers for grayling, trout, sheefish, pike, salmon and char. On overnight excursions, he provides tents, camping gear and boats. You arrive ready to fish. I recommend the overnight float, which makes the most of Alaska’s 19-plus hours of daylight. Fish when it’s light, and float during the remaining five hours from midnight to the 4 a.m. during the twilight period, when it’s still light enough to read. It’s a heady trip that is only surpassed by his camps and food served (www.akrivertours.com). The Kenai Peninsula For a quick day of fishing, the Kenai River offers big king salmon to 70plus pounds that sizzle drags. Guide Joe Connors was my instructor back in 10
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my college days, and he’s still as tough on catching fish as he was on me learning public speaking. He’s a long-time Kenai veteran, and his guides at Big Sky Charter and Fish Camp have a long-time, sterling reputation for helping anglers of all skill levels catch silver and sockeye salmon, char and rainbow trout in the 25- to 34-inch range. He offers comfortable riverside cabins, evening barbecues and a quiet place to enjoy the river (www.kenaiguide.com). Bristol Bay Bristol Bay lodges offer the crème de le crème of Alaska sportfishing in these western Alaska waters, where tens of millions of salmon move into various watersheds each year. A couple hundred lodges and camps offer a variety of services, from bare-basic outfitted trips to spectacular lodges with fly-out fishing, shore lunches, and gourmet meals. Mike Gorton runs Goodnews River Lodge, the only lodge located on the 400-milelong river that offers some of the best boat-accessible river fishing for silver salmon, rainbow trout and char you’ll find in the region. It is a mixed-bag fishery, where no matter the weather, you can fish. There wasn’t a stretch of the Goodnews when friend Mark Wade and I fished that didn’t have silver salmon hammering our flies and big rainbow trout swarming in numbers like piranhas. The guides have great people skills and are skilled in their knowledge of the river (www.goodnewsriverlodge. com). Southeast Alaska In southeast Alaska, Marlin Benedict, of Fish Wrangell, offers freshwater fishing for salmon, cutthroat trout and char in the remote, beautiful jungle streams of the Tongass National Forest. You don’t walk long distances here, as most of the good fishing is within a half mile or so of saltwater, which also guarantees fish as fresh as they come. The most fun in fishing these shallow waters is watching salmon attacking your fly or lure. Personal service is topnotch. (www.fishwrangell.com). Chris Batin is editor of The Alaska Angler and author of nine award-winning books and Alaska fishing DVDs. He is featured as an Alaska legend in a new book, “Alaska’s Greatest Outdoor Legends,” published by the University of Alaska Press. For over 40 years, he has run The Alaska Angler Information Service. Discover more at www.AlaskaAngler.com.
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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
HAMMERHEAD TUFF GRAB AMARRA
Hammerhead Tuff Grab spearfishing gloves are the toughest warmwater spearfishing gloves available. Tuff Grabs were designed in Hawaii for use in asspetto spearfishing, which involves the diver descending to the bottom and scratching up substrate to attract inquisitive fish. In this style of ambush diving, normal diving gloves only last weeks. Tuff Grabs last months, saving the diver money in the long run. A full 5-finger, 2mm neoprene glove with reinforced flexible amarra (synthetic suede) palm and double-stitched gripped reinforcements offer exceptional durability without sacrificing dexterity. Anti-Slip rubberized grips are sewn into each fingertip and palm, leaving the knuckles open for flexibility. Large batting-glove style Velcro enclosures keep the glove tight. Tuff Grabs are available in both Deep Reef and Pelagic Shatter camouflage to help make you the ultimate predator.
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MAVERICK DARIAN YOKOOJI HYBRID SPEARGUNS Darian Yokooji made his first speargun back in 1993 because he didn’t have money to buy one. Since then, his Hawaiian-made, handcrafted guns have become highly sought after by spearfishers around the world. All of Yokooji’s guns are handcrafted in small batches to ensure quality workmanship, and he uses only the finest materials to construct beautiful, durable spearguns that perform to the highest level. His best-selling guns are his Hybrid Signature line. Originally designed in 1996, this line offers the stability of wood with the maneuverability of a pipe gun. The latest rendition of this classic gun has been retooled through collaboration with Maverick America’s Mark Laboccetta to improve on the original body design, add a carbon fiber barrel and redesign the Delrin muzzle. It is an exceptional, versatile speargun available in lengths of 53, 55, 57 and 60 inches. Check out all the specs online.
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Center sp Are Log Homes Practical? Why Buy a Log Home?
Log Cabin process. Each log is perfectly engineered in our state of the art, climate-controlled facility prior to construction. This precise engineering of the logs prior to construction also ensures a superior thermal mass. Prior to the Blue Ridge Log Cabin process, thermal mass was affected by less than airtight construction. Ensuring exact fitting and high thermal mass has enabled our log homes to be very competitively priced with traditional construction and traditional building thermal efficiency, making our log homes View time-lapsed video at www.blueridgelogcabins.net an exceptional value, both now and into the future. bviously the number one attribute for log home owners tends Ben Martin: You’ve mentioned the “manufacturing process.” to be the aesthetics. Log homes and the feel of real wood tend to create an ambiance that tends to suit the outdoor enthu- How is it that log homes would have a manufacturing process? Chip Smith: Blue Ridge Log Cabins is an innovator in the log siast more than the traditional American home. But what about the cost to build and maintain a log home? Is it practical? That’s the ques- home industry. We were recently voted on as one of “America’s Favorite Log Homes” by Log Cabin Hub. Our unique process of comtion that we asked Chip Smith, Owner of Blue Ridge Log Cabins. Ben Martin: Chip, some people would suggest that the cost of pletely engineering each log in our facility has enabled us to provide a consistency previously unavailable in the log home industry. This a log home is more than that of a traditional home. Is that correct? Chip Smith: There was a time when that would have been true has also enabled us to produce a more energy efficient log home. Eliminating the inconsistencies normally associated with log but today with our improved efficiencies in development and construction of a Blue Ridge Log Cabin the answer is no, they are not home construction has allowed us to create a better value for our more costly than a traditional home. This innovation in the actual customers and a more efficient building process. Beautiful log homes manufacturing of the logs themselves is at the core of the Blue Ridge do not have to cost more than traditional homes.
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SOUTHEAST
Mad Fish
By Capt. Chester Reese
W
e sometimes think fish are just mindless members of the environment with little tiny brains. Though it is true that brain size in fish is diminutive, they’ve had 450 million years to work out their game plan. In the wild, fish need to be both aggressive and wary to survive. The eye of a fish is well adapted to light conditions and motion; this gives them a unique ability to feed and fight. I’ve been a diver for many years and witnessed some wild antics of fish of all sizes. Once, there was a 3-inch damselfish in the Keys that attacked my dive glove and
fought like a bulldog because it thought I was intruding on its territory. Here in Franklin County, Florida, we have some of the best gag grouper grounds in the state. During the warmer months, gags are somewhat dispersed, and the tried and true method of fishing for them is to troll large-lipped lures. This allows the fisherman to cover a lot of ground, plus it’s a nice way to cruise and fish at the same time. Some of the lures that are the most effective do not look like any fish in the sea but catch fish on a regular basis. What does a grouper think a big plastic bright green shaking lure racing along the reef is? For a long time, whenever I bought a lure it had to look fishy, but maybe that’s not what is the most effective. Many times when we get a hookup on these lures, the fish is caught on the side of the head or in some other part away from the mouth. I have talked to a lot of grouper fisherman, and we have come up with a crazy idea; maybe these lone groupers are simply defending their spot on the reef. One old captain told me he wasn’t catching feeding fish, they were just mad. This make sense to me, because I’ve seen largemouth bass defend their breeding beds in freshwater and they can be very aggressive. And don’t forget about the damselfish incident. Color, size and movement are very important to successful lure action. Many colors appear different at depth than at the surface. Red is the first to go and looks black at 30 feet, while chartreuse green holds its color the best in low-light conditions, and you can’t go wrong with white. So, when considering what lure or fly you want to fish with, think like a fish. What is going to stimulate a bite under certain conditions and in certain areas? It is important to realize that fish may not only be feeding, they might just be “Mad Fish.” Be Safe Out There and Good Luck Capt. Chester Reese Natural World Charters out of Carabelle, Franklin County, Florida. Check out his website at www.naturalworldcharters.com.
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Atlanta/N. Georgia/ Lake Country August 2017 PUBLISHER: BOB RICE CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: NICK CARTER HENRY COWEN DR. ANDREW COX CAPT. JAKE DAVIS JIM FARMER THE FISH HAWK RONNIE HALL JMMY HARRIS CAPT. CEFUS MCRAE CHRIS SCALLEY GARY TURNER NOEY VINEYARD O'NEILL WILLIAMS RENE J. HESSE JIMBO MATHLEY JAMES BRADLEY DAVID HULSEY WAYNE WOOTEN STEVEN KING RYAN KENNEDY JAY STRIKER GRAPHIC DESIGN: KATHLEEN CARREIRO KATHLEENCARREIRO@YMAIL.COM
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A FREE PUBLICATION THE ANGLER MAGAZINE IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. THE ANGLER MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY B & B PUBLISHERS P.O. BOX 766 MADISON, GA 30650 706-614-8231 WWW.THEANGLERMAGAZINE.COM REPRODUCTION OF CONTENTS IN ANY FORM IS PROHIBITED BOB RICE, PUBLISHER THE ANGLER MAGAZINE FISHING, BOATING, CONSERVATION “FIND YOUR OUTDOORS HERE”
Photo by Kenny Simmons, Frog Hollow Fly Fishing
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Local Rivers & Fly Fishing
August Fly Fishing Report The dog days of summer! Someone please get me an iced cold lemonade. It’s been a wet summer thus far and that will help determine where you need to fish these days. While the temperature around Atlanta is HOT, the fishing might be heating up too. During both the new and full moon periods of August, the Dead Sea (Lake Allatoona) may be THE HOTTEST lake to catch hybrids, white bass and spotted bass on the surface. Never a guarantee, when the hybrid topwater bite is on, you need to just take a day off from work and head on over to I-75 and Lake Allatoona for some spectacular surface feeding. This
is usually easy pickings as the fish will blow up all over the lake both early in the morning and again late in the afternoon. If you can find an overcast day coupled with the new or full moon phase, you are going to have the makings for one of the most memorable days of your fishing year. While this bite typically was a June and even July occurrence over the past 10 years, 2013 and 2014 show that August was most consistent for this event. Fish will be feeding on small 1-1 ½” young-of-the-year threadfin shad. All you need is to toss an intermediate (slow sinking) line and you will be in the game! A floating line will work okay as a second choice, but the slow sinking line is positively your best bet. Look anywhere in the area around the dam. This is usually where the ground zero hybrid bite can be found. If not, then just ride towards Kellogg Creek and look both left and right as you are running up the lake. Stamp Creek is another area worth looking at for surface feeding fish. Flies of choice continue to be small shad type patterns. Try any one of the following for success: Albie Anchovy, a small Clouser Minnow, 2 ATLANTA
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Somethin’ Else, small Deceivers and Wiggle Minnows. Try using a 6 or 7 weight rod with 8 to 10 pound test tippet and you are sure to have a ball. For conventional anglers, try tossing any of the previously mentioned flies (except a Wiggle Minnow) behind either a casting bubble or popping cork rig. A light tackle outfit with 8-pound test will have you matched perfectly for this fishery. Just keep in mind that 2015 and 2016 did not produce this epic topwater bite. What happened? No one really knows other than it simply didn’t happen. Our hopes are that it will return to its former prominence and put lots of smiles on anglers who take the time to find this bite. August is also a great time to be hitting the Hooch for some striped bass below Morgan Falls Dam. The river’s water temperature should be at its warmest for the entire year during the month of August, and anglers can toss weighted baitfish patterns on intermediate (slow sinking) lines along the banks and in the deeper holes of the river to find the stripers that are summering over in the city limits. Best areas to fish will be well below Morgan Falls Dam. Start at Sope Creek and work towards Cochran Shoals. From Whitewater to Paces Mill is another good area to look. Another hot area will be below Paces Mill and down toward Peachtree Creek. Once again, fishing both early and late in the day (low light) seems to produce the best results. For conventional anglers, try tossing ¼ to 3/8 ounce bucktails and some 4-5” Rebels, Bombers and any swimbait. For topwater, try throwing a 7” Redfin early or late in the day. As we move toward the end of this month, the fishing will slow down as the fish move further south toward West Point Lake. If you happen to get there while the river is dropping water, your odds of finding feeding fish are even better. Call Rob Smith from the Fish Hawk to get in on a wonderful summertime fishery. He is clearly Georgia’s top expert for fly fishing the rivers for striped bass. Finally, carp fishing is still going strong. While the fish on the flats have been getting pressured for the past two months, they can still be caught on fly with a little more patience being the key ingredient. Carp are a tough and finicky type
fish to get to eat the fly to begin with. Add the pressure of two months of angler pressure as well as kayaker and paddle boarders invading their flats, and you can see why they are a bit skittish. The Bull Sluice section is still my favorite along with areas in the river both above and below Lake Allatoona getting a second nod. Crayfish and nymphs will still be your best fly patterns to toss at carp. A 6-8 weight outfit and floating line along with 10-pound tippet is all that is required. Remember you need to tiptoe around these guys as they are
SUPER SPOOKY come August. The past two months have been tough to get river conditions right for these shallow water beats, but when we have gotten out, the fishing has been fabulous! Get out there and give some of North Georgia hot summer fishing a try. Come next month we will discuss chasing big stripers on the surface up on Lanier again. This will all start to happen by the end of September or early October. See you on the pond…I mean river (for now). www. henrycowenflyfishing.com
9400 Highway 197 North Clarkesville, GA 30523
(706) 947-3474
info@blackhawkflyfishing.com
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Local Rivers & Fly Fishing
The Guide's Angle
Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service
Sweet Summer Trout Sweet summer browns and rainbow trout! My client reluctantly called me to inquire about summer fishing
opportunities for trout in July and August as he was concerned about how the heat would affect both the angler and the trout. My answer is a simple question; “do you like fishing in an air conditioner?” Most customers don’t believe me until they actually get on the river. I tell them that if they do get hot out there, we can pull along the shadows of the old growth trees on the riverbanks where the air temps are 20 degrees cooler than in the direct sun and where the 52 degree river
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AUGUST
2017
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Local Rivers & Fly Fishing LAKE CHATUGE
Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchsguideservice. com 706-455-2323 Water temperature: 80-82 degrees, lake level: 1 foot above full pool, water clarity: clear. We’ve been getting plenty of rain the past three weeks and the lake is still a foot above full pool. There has been some fish starting to break early in the mornings around flats and
backs of pockets. They are feeding on this year’s herring fry. When you catch a spotted bass, he will have a mouth full of these little fry that are only around 3/4 of an inch long. For topwater I’m throwing a Strike King Sexy Dawg Jr or a 65 Sammy. The drop-shot and shaky head bite is picking up around docks and long points, and there is also a jig bite around laydowns. The fishing should start improving after this full moon. Give us a call for a great summer trip!
July 31, Aug. 31, 2017 2017
Specializes in Inshore Fishing Charters and Duck Hunting on Ochlockonee Bay. Duck Hunting Inshore Fishing Freshwater Fishing Scalloping, Saltwater Fishing
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Local Rivers & Fly Fishing
The Casting Corner Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer
Oh Man, It’s Raining Again! Now What? When the Hooch is too high to wade, lakes are muddy, and even your trip out West was washed out due to the late snow melt, there is a way to put a smile on your fly fishing face. Grab your fly rod, put on a 7-8 foot, 0X leader with a piece of yarn and go ‘Grassting’! Yep, casting in the grass can be almost fun as fishing (for some of us). Here is a game plan. Set up 5 or 6 targets at different distances and directions. Set up a line of 3 rocks or cones that start about 15 feet from you and space them 2 feet apart. Start with about 30 feet of line out and make a few false casts while working on good loops. Repeat until you have a good feel for the cast. That will warm up your arm. Then start picking out different targets and casting to them. Here is a hint on changing directions; make the back cast, and when the line is extending out in back, turn your body to the new target. That’s when you change direction. There are other ways, but that’s another
article. Change direction in the back cast. Remember those cones you set up a few feet apart? Here is how you want to challenge yourself. Make a cast to get your fly to a target just past the cones, and as your line is falling, make the line go back and forth between the cones. It is known as an aerial wiggle mend. The cast has a few practical applications. It produces a slack line cast that can help provide a neutral drift. As you walk back to your car, shoot a cast around a tree, under the car or maybe go for your best distance cast. Who knows, this could be the best fly casting day ever. Plan on spending only 15-20 minutes to get an attitude adjustment for your day. Don’t forget there are fly fishing schools and clubs available, and Fly Fishers International can get you even more information on fly fishing and casting on line. Try some ‘Grassting’, you will have a smile on your face, even if the water is high and dark.
henrycowenflyfishing.com. To book a trip, please contact us thru our website at www. by Capt. David Hulsey Contributed
High Country Trouting
International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor http://www.hulseyflyfishing.com 770-639-4001
The Appalachian high country is one of the wettest and oldest mountain ranges in the world. That’s good news for the Southern fly fisher, at least the wet part anyway. Thousands of miles of streams rip downstream between peaks of granite providing cool well-oxygenated water to the area’s brook, brown and rainbow trout populations. Once home to only colorful brook trout, which is actually in the char family, one can find sometimes mixed populations within the same stream shed. The rainbows and browns were imported after the devastation of erosion from the logging era pretty much destroyed all but just a few miles of streams in the most rugged areas of the mountains. Fishing or just spending time in these higher elevations is truly an amazing experience each and every time. Getting to these areas requires a lot of effort and encounters with snakes, hogs and bears can happen at any moment. The trout usually are small in size with an eight incher
being a large specimen. These few facts alone weed out ninety percent of the anglers. Back country anglers always need to be prepared to spend the night in case there is an accident or some other incident. Taking a buddy is recommended and leaving clear directions with someone back home is a given. The weather can turn on a dime at four thousand feet, and a nice summer day can turn into a cold wet soggy night for the unprepared. Fly fishing gear can be kept to a minimum, so leave the forty pound vest at home! A short 2 or 3 weight rod is perfect along with a light weight reel and a couple of short 7 ½ foot 5x leaders. Fly selection can also be sparse with a couple of Elk Hair Caddis, a Wulff or two and maybe a Yellow Stimulator thrown in for good measure will probably fill the bill. I only fish big dries in the back country. It just adds to the joy of having a feisty wild fish pounce on it. Give us a call at 706-838-0585 or check out our website at www.ncfga. com to book your next adventure.
“Don’t forget there are fly fishing schools and clubs available, and Fly Fishers International can get you even more information on fly fishing and casting on line.”
August 7th Full Sturgeon Moon COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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2017
ATLANTA 5
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Fly Fishing & Local Lakes LAKE LANIER STRIPERS Forecast by: Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com 770-630-2673 The striper fishing has been great on Lanier. July and August tend to be some of the best months of the year, and this year has been no exception. The water temperature is in the low eighties and the fish are deep. The only difference this year compared to years past is the fish are biting better higher up in the water column. We are not catching as many fish super deep. The bulk of the bites have been 30 to 40 feet deep and seldom past 50 feet even if there is over 100 feet of water. In August look for the downline bite to continue to be strong. Stay with the Shakespeare Striper Rods spooled with 15 pound Trilene Big Game line, the Captain Mack swivel sinker, a 6 foot section of Trilene 100 percent Flourocarbon and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Add a live herring to the hook and you are good
to go. It is a very simple and effective setup that can be used year round on Lanier. The trolling bite should also become stronger in August. Lead core tends to be best on Lanier for trolling. Talk to your local tackle store for the specific rod and reel needed. Once you are setup, tie up one rod with a Ben Parker spoon and one with a 1 to 2 ounce white Spro Prime bucktail. Tip the Spro bucktail with a 6 inch Capt. Mack chartreuse trailer. Let the first couple bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. Also keep white Capt. Mack trailers, pink trailers, and all bucktail sizes on hand. All types of variables will dictate which is best that day, including barometer, wind, cloud cover and water temperature. Overall, look for August fishing to be as hot as the weather. On a last note, be sure to get the fish back in the water as soon as possible. Even a few extra seconds out of the water can be detrimental during the summer. Try to limit pictures. See you on the water!
LAKE LANIER SPOTTED BASS Forecast By: Ryan Coleman LanierSpots Pro Guide Service 770-356-4136 Fishing is good. Lake Lanier is 5.8 feet below full pool and the surface temps are holding in the mid to upper 80’s. The water has come up about a foot since we got all the rains and continues to slowly rise. The water has not been extremely clear all summer. It’s clear but has some cloudy look to it as the water continues to rise. Fishing has been good all month. The topwater bite has been hit or miss but we are still catching some nice fish all day long on walking baits and big poppers like a Chug Bug. This is pretty typical for Lanier and this year has been right on schedule. We are also starting to get a good bite on swimbaits and underspins worked over brush. This bite was a little slow at first but has now gotten
good. I am working a 7/16 ounce Albino Underspin from SpotSticker Baits rigged with a Zoom Super Fluke Jr or a Reaction Innovations Little Dipper. The paddletail will stay higher in the water column and the Fluke Jr will get deeper. My best bite now is either a dropshot or jig worked around the brush. For the drop shot, just a basic drop shot rig with a 3/8 ounce weight rigging with either a Hot Tomato or Cinnamon Purple 6” hand-poured worm. This has really heated up over the past week. All summer we have had a great jig bite for big fish in the brush. A 3/8 ounce Green Craw or Root Beer colored jig rigged with a 5” twin tail trailer has been the ticket. Just work this bait on 12 pound fluorocarbon line in and around the 20-25 foot brush slowly. At times, I am having to stroke it off the bottom to trigger strikes, but once you get one turned on, they will not let go. Good luck out there!
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2017
ATLANTA 7
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Local Lakes & Forecasts
Stopping and Dropping in August
concentrate on depths from 50 to over 100 feet searching for striper schools. If I find a few stripers in a small area, I’ll usually stop and drop one of two things, either a Ben Parker Magnum spoon or a Capt. Mack bucktail with a soft paddle tail swimbait trailer on the bucktail. My favorite spoon color is called “Shattered Glass” and my favorite bucktail-paddletail combo color is white and chartreuse. Just keep in mind that you’ll want to use heavier gear for these summer stripers because some can get big, and also it is important to get the fish back in the water as quickly as possible. Using heavier gear shortens the fight time. Once the sun gets up high, the drop shot bite usually takes off and
by Jim Farmer Maybe the fishing patterns change from year to year but there’s one thing we can be sure of from year to year and that is that August is going to be hot here on Lake Lanier. Even an early morning run can be sweltering in the August heat, and if there is no breeze, fishing can be a miserable endeavor when stopping for an extended period of time. For me, fishing in August is all fast paced and just about all vertical. Whether it’s stripers or bass that I’m targeting, in August I’m generally fishing for them with vertical options. This is the time of year I move around a lot mainly out of the necessity of staying cool, but knowing that the stripers move around a lot this time of year, I figure we may run into each other. Bass on the other hand are much easier to find if you know where to look. This time of year a lot of our bass are hanging around structure down in the 20-35 foot thermocline, so having knowledge of sunken brush piles or offshore structure and some good electronics to see the fish is the key to success to catching summer bass. Same goes for the stripers. This time of year the stripers are schooling in massive groups, and having good electronics to locate these schools in the deeper areas is going to be the key to success for summer stripers. I like to mix it up on my fishing trips in August. I may target bass in the 20 to 35 foot range, then drift out deeper and run across some stripers and switch to targeting stripers in a moment’s notice. I may set out to idle around the deeper creek channels in search of striper schools and wind up spending the day with the drop shot for bass. If I’m heading out in the early morning hours, I’m generally going to be fishing some moving baits. By moving baits, I mean topwater baits and maybe a sub-surface swimbait. Believe it or not, you can catch some big ole spotted bass in August on topwater if you’re in the right place at the right time. Surfacing bass are few and far between in August, but if they can push a blueback up to the surface for a quick meal they won’t hesitate, even in the heat of the day. Mornings are the highest percentage for a topwater bite, and generally I approach structure and throw a topwater bait over the top of the structure just to see if there are any takers. My favorite topwater bait throughout the summer is my Emerald Popper. It’s a great topwater option on Lake Lanier from March through early November, and it is my favorite. If I don’t get any takers on the topwater, I may circle around and throw across the structure with a swimbait like a Sebile Magic
Swimmer. Sometimes the fish are holding tight on the structure and not interested in the moving baits, so I ease up closer to the brush pile or structure. When I start marking fish on the graph, I break out the drop shot rig and my favorite “Fruity Worm” from Lanier Baits, a tackle company located here on Lake Lanier. Keep in mind that Lanier is a very clear lake in the summer and using a lighter spinning gear with fluorocarbon line is important for success. The coolest part about using the drop shot technique is being able to see everything unfold in real time with some good electronics. When drop shotting I don’t spend much time in one place. Either they are going to eat or they won’t, and it doesn’t take but a couple minutes to figure that out. If they are eating, I’ll stay until they quit, if not, I fire up the motor and head off to the next stop. I call it “turning on the AC” when I get the boat up on plane. One thing I like to do on Lanier during the summer is fish during generation periods. You can just about bet that there is going to be a drop shot bite while the water is moving. I usually check the generation schedule before going out and I make it a point to drop shot during this period. If I get bored with the drop shot or if the bite isn’t working out, I’ll shift my gears to stripers. I’ll usually look around the deeper part of the creek mouths where they meet the main lake or river channel and
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I’ll spend the remainder of my time either drop shotting bass on structure or targeting stripers in deeper water vertically spooning or power reeling bucktail jigs through the big schools. There are also a few other very important things that I do in the August heat and that is keeping covered and keeping hydrated. I keep plenty of cold water in the boat because this heat can really drain it out of you. I also wear a buff, cover my arms with sleeves and wear a big hat to provide some shade. I make my stops short and I try to fish around the hottest part of the day if possible. August can yield some great fish on Lake Lanier if you can keep moving around and tough out a little heat.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts A Great Place To Stay In Blue Ridge.
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Lake Blue Ridge is not just one of the most idyllic settings in the North Georgia Mountains, it is also the source of some of the best smallmouth and bass fishing in the area. August is a great month to hit the water as we move into the prime of the summer season. Currently, Lake Blue Ridge is at full pool. Water temperatures are in the mid 80’s. Water clarity is clear in the main lake and in the creeks and rivers. Not a lot has changed out here. We are still catching substantial amounts of smallmouth and spotted bass, averaging 20 to 30 fish a trip. The majority of our spots and smallmouth are being caught from the dam to Fish Hook Point. Target these fish off rocky points, ledges and shallow humps. We are finding larger
schools of spots mid-lake and in 25 to 35 feet of water. Down-lining live blueback herring seems to be the best technique for the larger smallmouth and spots. Look for large schools of smallmouths in the Toccoa River and Star Creek area. Live bait seems to be the key out here lately, but a jigging spoon and shaky head can’t be ruled out. This time of year, spotted bass start to school up and feed strongly, so keep an eye out for the topwater bite, too. When they start busting on the surface, they will hit just about anything you can throw at them. August is a fantastic month for catching some very big fish on this lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1 guide service put you on some of Lake Blue Ridge’s best trophy fish. And for all your live bait and tackle needs, go check out Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA. They carry everything you need for a successful day of fishing. Now, hit the water, and go get your fish on! Good luck!
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Local Lakes & Forecasts
Hybrids, Toads or Tadpoles Wayne Wooten
Back in June I went to Clarks Hill and met up with my ole buddy Larry “Legend” Barnes who was camping at Bobby Brown Park. We would be in pursuit of hybrids. We have several good spots, but we normally start at the dam where the fish often chase and smash bait on top. It is usually toads, 5 pounders and up fishing with Flukes and Wild Gobys. On this trip we were at the dam about 6 AM it was 74 degrees with a slight breeze and raining just enough to break out the rain suit, but not dripping off of the bill of your cap. When we arrived at the dam there was no surface action and no baitfish or fish on the electronics. Ok, so now for plan B. Prior to the trip Larry had been
talking to our buddy John Carter who was camping and fishing at Bobby Brown Park the week before. He was catching some nice fish and offered us a tip in the form of a riddle. He said, “200 yards from the Devil’s Eyes in the Beard”. As we began to work our way back down the Savannah River, Larry noticed what could be the “Devil’s Eyes” and immediately headed that direction. When we were 250 yards away Larry got on the trolling motor. We started watching the electronics and sure enough there was a flat on one side of the channel with bait and fish at various depths, and I looked over the side of the boat and there was needle grass everywhere. Well now; Devil’s Eyes and a Beard this must be the spot!
We started chunking our usual Fluke and Wild Goby attack and nothing was biting this stuff. Suddenly a fish came up chomping bait but looked to be tadpoles. Larry breaks out a Little Fishy on a spinning rod and as soon as it hit the water, BAM! I already had a White Rooster Tail on my light spinning rig, but they wouldn’t touch it! So I gave in and tied on a Little Fishy and BAM! These tadpoles, 2 to 3 pound fish, were all you wanted on 8 pound line; drag squealing, hook bending and shredding plastic. We caught and released over 30 of these little monsters in about 3 hours. Toads are nice but catching these tadpoles was the best trip I’ve had this year! Larry’s wife Cindy was coming up to fish for the next several days, and we were hoping the bite would hold up. Instead of an early bite, it was an afternoon bite, BUT they were toads 5 to 15 pounds, hybrids and stripers! Cindy was very happy as it was her first trip of the year, and they
loaded the boat for the next 3 days. Cindy says,” that Legend guy rocks, she loves the Whopper Plopper and John is Dragon Slayer X”!
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Local Lakes & Forecasts LAKE LANIER STRIPER Forecast By: Steve Scott http://TeamLanier.wordpress.com/menu July water temperatures rose to the mid-eighties which was not unusual for the summer season, but it marked the beginning of trolling with Lead Core and power reeling the Ben Parker spoon as the go-to baits. Using a smaller Lead Core presentation of a 1-ounce bucktail jig and a 4” trailer did catch more stripers. The size of the Ben Parker remained the same. I caught several stripers in the upper twenty-inch range on Lead Core in the back of the creeks early in the morning to 10am and in the creek channel near the mouth of the creek between 10am to 11:30am. August water temps will increase into the high eighties and will become a problem for certain baits and the stripers. The thermocline makes a marked appearance on electronics showing the water above it usually 30’ to the surface as super-heated and poor quality. The water below the thermocline is generally cooler containing more oxygen and will sustain blueback herring and stripers. Check with the DNR for current DO (dissolved oxygen) reports. This will help you find your target areas by giving you the depth to find the best quality water for stripers. With Lead Core trolling, be mindful of where your baits are in relation to your target depths. See the Lead Core chart located on my blog TeamLanier.wordpress.com/ illustrations. Begin your search for stripers
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by using Lead Core and when you’ve located them put the trolling motor on anchor and either use your Ben Parker spoon burning it to the surface from the bottom or drop some downlines with blueback herring to catch them. Remember to continually check your bait water temperature to maintain 5065° and keep adding dechlorinated ice as needed which can be found at most bait stores. Be sure to leave the bait tank lid slightly open to allow carbon dioxide to escape and remove any baits that are not doing well. Your baits should be swimming at the bottom of your tank. Update your logs. TIP OF THE MONTH: Using a Seaqualizer to release stressed stripers is a must when surface temperatures exceed 80°. Need more details go to https:// TeamLanier.worpress.com/ menu.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts August on lake lanier - fun in the sun! Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com While the fishing generally gets tougher in August on Lake Lanier, there are ways to ensure continued success. In today’s installment, we will review the locations, techniques and lures to utilize to keep you catching fish during the heat of the summer. Location: Understand that the primary concern of both game fish and bait fish are oxygen and food source, in that order. The fishing traditionally changes in August because the baitfish, particularly the blueback herring, change in response to the conditions. They often go deeper in search of better oxygen content in the water; the depth at which this key oxygen content is maintained is called a thermocline. In August, I normally like to target sharp breaks and deeper water on main lake features such as ledges or sharper breaks on the ends of points and sides of humps and islands. Often in August we would work depths of 25-45 feet of water, anticipating the thermocline to establish in the 2530 foot range, historically speaking. However, even though there are fish in the deeper zones, there are also still fish located shallow all around the lake. You can find these shallow fish not only on the main lake, but also in the back of pockets and creeks as well. These shallower locations are great areas to target during the early morning timeframe. Later in the day, the “normal” areas with brush are still holding fish, and there are fish starting to move deeper and relate to the timber. When fishing deeper, target timber edges in 35-45 feet of water near the same key features upon which you find the brush. In general, if one type of area is not producing, don’t hesitate to try another location or another depth. Stay flexible and versatile and move around until you find active fish. Often many areas will not produce, but if you stay on the move and remain versatile in both your location and bait selection, you can and will find active fish. Lures and Presentation: Now, let’s examine some techniques that can be used to catch fish in August.
can be nonexistent if the weather is extremely hot consistently. The fish will let you know if the topwater bite is working. Try using some smaller topwater baits, like the Super Spook Jr., which best mimics the smaller baitfish the spots are often chasing during the hot weather months. The swimbait adds another dimension to your game. Work swimbaits fast on the surface or let them sink and work them directly over the brush. Experiment with both the mechanical and soft models at different depths and retrieve speeds to determine which is working best on any given day. 2. SuperSpin – This is an excellent producer on Lanier, and August is no different. Fish the bait over and around brush and deeper cover. Vary your retrieve speed, method, depth and trailer type until you hit on the right combination for that day.
Seaguar Fluorocarbon in most situations. Light line helps provide a more natural presentation. I also like to experiment with leader length. I will sometimes use up to a 5 foot tag end on my drop shot depending on the position of the fish and the feature I am targeting. 4. Jig - The jig is a bait that is apt to work through the entire summer, as well as into the fall and winter. August is no time to forget the jig. I prefer Chattahoochee Jigs, often in a brown and orange combo or in a PB&J color pattern. Work jigs on points and humps, around brush, as well as steep rock. If the jig is not working, don’t forget to try a Picasso Shake Down head tipped with a finesse or trick worm. I still have some dates available in August, so call me to enjoy some great August fishing. See you on the water! Jimbo is a full-time, yearround spotted bass guide on Lake Lanier. Contact him today tobook a trip at 770-542-7764 or www. jimboonlanier.com
3. Drop-Shot – This is a great tool when the fishing gets tough. This presentation can be made vertically into cover or it can be cast toward the feature and slowly retrieved. I prefer the Lanier Baits Drop Shot worms in Passion, Obsession and Candy. Light line is a must. I prefer 6-8 pound test
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1. Topwater and Swimbaits - The topwater bite over the brush can still be good in August, but again it COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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Local Lakes & Forecasts Enjoying Those Close to Home Fishing Destinations
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The summer vacation time period is now drawing to a close. For many families, children will be restarting school for the new school year. In the South, we usually have several months of continuing pleasant weather with temperatures actually cooling to some degree. Accordingly, it is not too late to consider shorter family oriented day, overnight, or weekend trips. With some planning, fishing for the child, adolescent, or adult anglers in your family can be incorporated into family trips. Such trips may be an opportunity to introduce children in your family to the joys of fishing. When on overnight family outings, some may stay in a hotel or motel. However, this may be a good time to explore and enjoy camping. There are many good camping destinations close to Georgia and Alabama residents. Some of these are close to or have fishing opportunities available for you and your family to sample. Though more expensive, there are lodges and selfcontained outdoor lodging that have outdoor activities to include fishing on their premises. Accordingly, with some research and planning, you and your family can enjoy close by fishing and outdoor activities during this late summer, early fall period of time. Families residing in middle or north Georgia and Alabama can access many good waters within three hours or less driving time. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources manages ten public fishing areas around the state. These waters have good fish populations, a variety of fish species, and good access for the boating or bank angler. The Department also has excellent written information describing various lakes, rivers, and streams across the state to include access, dominant fish species, fishing forecasts, and other information of interest to the prospective angler. This information can be accessed via http://georgiawildlife.com/fishing. Other Georgia fishing opportunities are available in the reservoirs constructed for public drinking water. Many of these are located within the Atlanta metropolitan area. Some of these reservoirs allow fishing and provide
boating access, usually without the operation of an outboard engine. The Alabama Department of Wildlife Resources has a similar website (www.outdooralabama. com). This website provides information describing rivers, streams, reservoirs, and lakes across Alabama. This allows the prospective angler to identify and plan trips to Alabama waters within easy driving distance from your home. Alabama also maintains twentythree public fishing lakes located in twenty counties. Some of these are quite large with boating access. Some have specialized angling regulations. These lakes provide excellent fishing success with some located within easy driving distance for Georgia anglers. Both Georgia and Alabama have an extensive system of state parks and state lands. Many of these have fishing, lodging, camping, as well as other activities that families can enjoy. State government Internet websites are available describing these state parks, facilities, available activities, as well as any costs that may be required. Lastly, you can explore access, activities, and potential overnight lodging available on Georgia Power and Alabama Power reservoirs and properties. Power company websites are also available describing these outdoor opportunities. This time of year continues to provide opportunities for you and your family to take a break from your daily routine and enjoy fishing and the outdoors. You may provide opportunities for your family and children to create memories that they will carry with them throughout their lifetime. Enjoy the great outdoor opportunities available to us in Georgia and Alabama. Author’s Note: Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. 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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Local Lakes & Forecasts CARTERS LAKE
Forecast By: Eric Crowley Lake & Stream Guide Service (706) 669-4973
lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com
Water temperature: 81-83 degrees, lake level: full, clarity: 5-7 feet. The heat of summer is upon us and the fish are feeling it too. Most all of the striped fish in the lake are holding on the thermocline. Whether it’s where the deep cool water meets the deep water edges or drop offs, or on the submerged timber or out in open water, the key is fishing deep. Look for hybrids in 35 to 50 feet of water on the main lake points and in the creek mouths at daybreak, or look in the back of the creeks for fish chasing bait later in the day just before dusk. Live bait is key. Baits of choice for the smaller of the two striped species are 4-5 inch threadfin and alewife. The stripers are deeper but catching them that deep is really hard on the fish. Our preferred method
of catching them is at night under the Hydro Glow lights. These fish are more than willing to come up and eat bait in the 40 feet or less depth range in the dark, and this makes for a much better release with the fish swimming off healthy and not exhausted or bloated. For night fishing we like the biggest alewife possible with 2/0 circle a must to keep from spooking them, a distance with a live bait or a small hooks and 20 pound mono leaders. but if you can make a good cast from fluke or jig, it’s almost an instant bite. This allows us to get the fish in the boat faster, get a pic and release the fish quickly. The night bite is also good for walleye. We have seen some really nice ‘eyes’ showing up in hours just before dawn. Believe it or not, they like the biggest baits available. Big alewife and even dollar bill size gizzards seem to be irresistible to the big eye bottom dwellers. We have seen fish up to 8 pounds in the last few weeks. As these are not the hardest fighting fish, they are the fish of choice for the table. The spots have been up feeding on schools of fry bait all over the lake. It seems like every school has a couple WWW.CARTERSLAKE.COM fish right below it. Long casts will be
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Local Lakes & Forecasts GUNTERSVILLE
Forecast By: Jake Davis msbassguide@comcast.net, 615-613-2382 Guntersville continued to improve over the month of July for the most part. We had some slow days, but everyone still caught fish. We experienced some exciting fishing while catching them on a variety of lures and testing out some new D-Bomb colors “Pink Belly and Sauty Bug” from Missile Baits due to hit the open market soon. The best lineup of lures was Tightline Jigs, D-Bombs and Destroyers from Missile Baits, swimbaits and Catch 5 Swim-jigs from Tightline Jigs around main channel grass lines and grassy humps. Water temps range from 86 to 89 degrees. August will be a great month out on the ledges, punching grass along the main channel and the most exciting of all, a fantastic frog bite with all the grass this year. Best advice is “slow down and work an
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Capt Criss with a nice Guntersville largemouth caught while testing out some new D-Bomb colors area completely!” It’s time to start planning those late summer and early fall frog and flipping/punching trips Guntersville is famous for, so call me to reserve a date. Please wear your PFDs and be aware of your surroundings; with the increased traffic boating accidents can happen to anyone! Make your reservations now for some great fishing on Guntersville or Tim’s Ford. We supply all fishing gear, including Duckett fishing rods, LEW’s reels, Vicious Fishing Line, top shelf lures such as Missile Baits soft plastics, and Tightline Jigs all at no additional cost you. We offer a Military Discount and 100% dedication to making your trip successful. “Let’s go fish’in.”
Forecast By: by Paul Tyre paultyrefishing@yahoo.com Water temperature: 86 degrees, lake level: full pool, clarity: clear/ stained. The temperatures are heating up and so is the bass fishing on Lake Seminole! The bass have been hitting topwater lures with a vengeance as they feed up for the summer. There are three topwater lures that are a must-have to bring to Lake Seminole this time of year. Those three are a buzzbait, a walking bait and a hollow-body frog. My go-to buzzbait is a Strike King Swinging Sugar buzzbait in 3/8 ounce in chartreuse and white fished along the grass lines on the main lake. I really like this new bait because the free-swinging hook design makes it harder for the bass to throw the hook. It also gives additional action to the trailer. For a walking bait, I prefer the Strike
King KVD Sexy Dog in bone color fished along the grass lines of the Spring Creek arm of the lake. The lily pad fields on the Flint and C hatt a ho o che e Arms of Lake Seminole have been very productive with hollow body frogs. I prefer a Strike King KVD Sexy Frog in leopard. To get the big bass out of the pads will require the use of a heavy action rod like a 7’ to 7’7” medium heavy to heavy rod with at least 50-pound braided line. The stripers and hybrids have been plentiful on the lake and have been schooling regularly on shad. A local family recently went out for the day and caught some huge fish on umbrella rigs. It was a great day of fun! Bream and shellcrackers are still bedding in the lake and are being seen coming across the docks at Wingate’s Lunker Lodge by the coolers-full. They are being caught on crickets and worms.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts 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 August brings with it some great fishing in the North Georgia Mountains, and there’s no better lake to experience awesome striper fishing than Lake Nottely. The striper bite is intense; it’s the perfect time to hit the lake and catch some amazing fish. And what’s the best way to do that? By booking a trip with Blairsville, GA’s #1 striper guide: Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. Currently, Lake Nottely is at full pool. Water clarity is clear and slightly stained in the backs of creeks, and water temps are in the low 80’s. Striper fishing has been excellent. We have been loading the boat with some big fish in good quantities, averaging 20 to 30 stripers a trip. The early-morning and evening bites are your best times to see action. Target creek mouths and points off the main lake channel. Also, during the hot sunny days of summer, search out areas with some good shade. The majority of our fish have been caught from Point 7 to the dam. The topwater bite has slowed a bit, but I still like to keep a Spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag surface-busting fish. The fish will continue to school up through the next couple months and will move to even deeper water. Just remember to keep an eye on your electronics and watch for schools of stripers when cruising the lake. Also,
remember to try to get the fish back into the water as quickly as possible after they are caught. August is a fantastic month for catching some monster stripers and bass 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 and Chatuge (in North Carolina), and Lake Blue Ridge. And for all your live bait and tackle needs, check out Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA. They carry everything you need for a successful day of fishing and have the best live herring around. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in The Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!
ALLATOONA
Forecast by by Robert Eidson Lineside fishing is GREAT! The full moon phase has passed and the bite is back on. The downline bite is nothing short of incredible. The south end of the lake is the place to be right now. Iron Hill, the pass, any point within eyesight of the dam is holding
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fish. These fish are scattered in the water column from anywhere from 13 feet to 40 feet deep. Shad, shiners and bream are all working, but it’s hard to beat shad right now. If netting shad isn’t your thing, Shawn and Chris at Striper Soup have plenty in stock. If you are using bream, make sure you catch them with hook and line. Be sure to carry plenty of bait and change it often. Frisky bait is the key to putting more fish in the boat.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts “Get Better Then Pass It On”, Then a Little More. by O’Neill Williams I’m asked often, “How can I become a better fisherman?” My answer is always the same, ‘Go’. Easy answer wasn’t it. Easy, but not complete. OK, here goes. If it is bass fishing in which you want to be more skilled, then join a bass club. You’ll be going with someone who will be doing his best to catch the most he can using his skills developed over years. Secondly, you’ll be going during times and to places that will test those talents as they grow, good weather, bad weather, cold, hot, windy, muddy, etc. Want be better at catching crappie, bream, trout, stripers, reds, tarpon? There are many articles and books, but it’s not like going, and going often. Sounds tough doesn’t it? It is, but still you asked, so there it is. Beyond bass fishing, the answer, no matter what the quest, no matter what the level, it’s always about going, going and going. Easier? Sure, but you got to do it. Can you become the new Kevin Van Dam? Maybe. Maybe not. Some guys just have it differently than the rest of us. I play golf once every couple of years, but it will not matter how many lessons I may take (never had one), Tiger and I are not going to be playing the final round together at the TPC. They, long term champions, understand it all better and more completely no matter what the task. They live in a different world. But let me ask, do you recall any ‘Bassmaster’s Classic Winners’ that subsequently fell from success the following year? I do, many in fact, both young and old, never to rise again. What happened? They stopped fishing and started the promotional tour; dinners, trade show appearances, consumer gatherings, and soon it was over for them. They didn’t have the extra edge developed and displayed on every cast and every hook set. Let’s expand and turn the tables. Are you already a good, experienced, knowledgeable fisherman satisfied with his success and enjoys the adventures? Good. Now what? Pass it on to a youngster. Take him or her, offer to be a mentor. Have you been proud of your growth? Good again, but if you 20 ATLANTA
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really want satisfaction, take a kid and watch the skills grow with him or her. It’s ever more rewarding. Lastly, today, let me ask your indulgence to endure some crass self-promotion. OK? Beginning in July, O’Neill Outside Radio, about which most of you are at least a bit familiar, is expanding considerably. How? Here goes; the show, as you have experienced it before on occasion airing on WSB radio on Saturday mornings from 4AM to 6AM, will now be aired on SB Nation radio to over 100 radio stations across America and on Sirius 93. SB stands for Sports Broadcasting and airs coast to coast. Through December of this year, we’ve elected to re-name the show as “Realtree Radio” but it’s still just me and Woman Williams connecting with the fisherman and hunter on the way to the lake, stream or deer or turkey woods. Here’s the scary part. We’ve turned my little trophy room at Three Falls Cabin into a studio from which we’ll send a live streaming television show to our Facebook page, to You Tube, Twitter, Oneilloutside.com, dozens of other websites, My Outdoor TV and other unfortunate destinations. You can watch live or later on Facebook and You Tube. Don’t forget, I warned you it would be frightening. Point: The show will still air on WSB. That hasn’t changed. It’ll constitute a triple-cast. So, there you are. It started in 1991 on WGST radio in Atlanta on Sunday evenings from 5pm to 7pm. I called my few friends and asked them to listen and to call occasionally. We probably had a hundred or so folks listening, mostly by accident. After relocating to WSB in late ’92, it took off and now reaches almost 1,000,000 listeners all over the world via the Internet. Over the next few months, via the triple-cast, we’ll likely have an audience of over 2,000,000. But please recall that it’s taken 27 years to make that happen. If you have occasion to listen and watch, it might do you well, as in the beginning of this article. From our callers, an angler or hunter can learn via the shared information. Hurry though, I’m 73 and won’t be doing this much longer.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts CHATTOOGA RIVER
by Karl Ekberg Chattooga River Fly Shop www.chattoogariverflyshop.cm 864-638-2806 The “Dog Days of Summer” have reached us here at Chattooga River Fly Shop. The rivers have received a good amount of rain, although summer temperatures have been a little warmer than we would like to see. The great part of a good amount of rainfall and good river levels is that the trout have plenty of water to seek thermal refuge from the rising water temperatures. Many fish are being caught, although, you must like being on the waters at daybreak, and the opportunities are great at landing numerous fish. As the temperatures rise, move to nymphing in the deeper runs of the rivers. The rivers are loaded with a large amount of small nymphs. Take a minute to turn some rocks over while fishing to find these, and do not hesitate to tie on a nymph resembling these behind a larger stonefly. Tying these smaller nymphs on behind a larger stonefly nymph pattern will allow the flies to get deeper in the water column where the fish are holding. Don’t hesitate to pinch a small piece of split shot on your line to get deeper if you are not catching. Terrestrials have also been productive using small beetles, ants
and small cricket patterns. Casting these towards the over-hanging foliage and a dead-drift and twitch method will produce for you. These patterns will continue to work throughout the remainder of the summer. If the trout are being a little tough to catch, the bass and panfish will make a great day on the river. Lower sections of the river are fishing well now. Topwater and streamers seem to be the big hit now for a successful day. Wet wading is an enjoyable way to beat the heat of summer. A small pack, plenty of fluids (to keep hydrated), a small fly box, a good pair of polarized sunglasses, and exploring waters you might not normally fish is a great way to spend a summer day, and did we mention catching fish on a fly rod. While out on your day of fishing, expect afternoon thunderstorms, and the river level to raise slightly. Although it may not be raining where you are fishing, the river level may start to rise as rain may come over the river upstream, so keep an eye on the water level around you. Let’s all pray for a little cooler weather and some rains to keep the rivers cooler and the water levels up. We look forward to a great fall season as the temperatures start to fall off from the summer heat. We also look forward to seeing everyone out on the rivers around us here at Chattooga River Fly Shop.
LAKE BURTON
Forecast by: Capt. Wes Carlton Georgia Lake Fishing 770-318-9777 www.georgialakefishing.com Water temperature: 81 degrees, lake level: full, clarity: clear. Bass: The bass have finally worked into a summer pattern. These fish are hanging in the 20 to 30 foot depths. Drop shotting a Robot worm (morning at dawn) has been very effective for us. Try working grass flats in the backs of creeks. We have also had success working brush with jerkbaits off of the main lake channel. An underspin (white Super Spin) is always a go-to bait this time of year.
I like this this bait because we catch bass and trout on these lures. Try throwing the underspin in the 20 foot depths and working it slowly just above the bottom back towards the boat through the 30 foot water column. Trout: The brown trout are numerous this season. Getting these fish to eat has been a little tricky. Crappie minnows has been the most effective way of fishing for the trout so far this summer. We have seen some really big schools but are only catching a few fish out of a school. Hopefully the brown trout will fire up as the waters temp reach the low 80’s. The trolling bite should take off soon. These fish will be congregated on the south regions of the lake.
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• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen lima beans • 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, divided • Salt • Freshly ground black pepper • 4 (6-ounce) pieces cod • 8 tablespoons white wine, divided *Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. •Place 4 (15-inch) long sheets of aluminum foil on a work surface. Divide the frozen lima beans among the foil sheets (about 3/4 cup per sheet). Place 1 teaspoon of olive oil 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley, and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper on each pile of beans and gently toss to combine. Place 1 piece of fish over each pile of beans. Pour 2 tablespoons of **white wine over each of the fish and sprinkle a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Seal up the foil packets. •Place the foil packets on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Gently transfer the beans and fish to a serving plate and serve immediately. * Can be cooked on the grill or over a bed of coals. **You can also use beer instead of wine, but easy does it.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts
Barn Cat! Cloud Fishing
Contributed By: Noey Vinyard
With the slow, easy glide of a gunfighter, he pads across the barnyard. His confidence is palatable and provides a protective shield around him so thick that one can almost see it. His eyes do not dart nervously, and his step does not falter. It seems for an instant that time stops, and all the eyes on the animals that live there stop what they’re doing and watch as he returns to the barn that he has claimed. Even the 12 dogs in our dog pack know better than to impede his progress, and more than one muzzle in the pack bears the scars of foolish attempts in times past. He is a barn cat, and he does not suffer fools. His coat is black and scruffy, his ears notched from many battles. His wits are keen, his claws sharp and quick. His growl is a war cry and can send shivers down the back of even a seasoned veteran. He does not sit in your lap and
purr and will not play with your toys. Every day is survival day for a barn cat, and his skills and tools are more than enough for the task. Just ask the dogs and watch as they give barn cats a wide birth. He marks his barn with the remains of his kills. A pile of feathers and bones, frog legs and mice tails are common sites at his barn. He requires only a handful of cat food a week to subsist his skills, and in return he keeps the barn safe from ALL things. He fears nothing and views the whole barnyard as his domain. He will not come when called as he answers to no one for his actions, and though he will endure a humans touch without repercussion, his contact with humans is slight. We didn’t find him and we didn’t train him. He just one day simply appeared in our barn, and we considered ourselves lucky that a true barn cat had taken up
residence with us. He acts as the exterminator, protector and chief advisor of all things that go on in his barn. I consider myself lucky on the days that he shows itself to me, and even blessed when he gets close enough for me to stroke his sides. Beneath my fingers I can feel the muscles in barn cat, and with each stroke of my hand I can feel the many scars. He does not like to be held, preferring to stand on equal ground, and to touch his belly like you would a common house cat is a sure invitation to a bloody hand. To watch a barn cat move in action is to see poetry in motion, as he seems to make everything he does seem effortless. What barn cat does not have is a sense of humor, nor
does he ask or give quarter. The goats and pigs that are his wards in the barn sleep deep at night because of those attributes. You can’t buy a barn cat anywhere, and you can’t train them. A true barn simply just is. So if you have a barn, consider yourself lucky if a barn cat takes up residence there. He will keep your barn free of rodents and snakes, and will even teach your dogs respect for no extra charge. But he will not accept your invitation to come inside, and he will not curl up in your lap to be petted. He considers himself an equal, making his own way and fending for himself. No barn is complete without one. See you next month.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts LAKE ALLATOONA STRIPER/HYBRID
by Shawn Shadman McNew Striper Soup Bait & Tackle 770-529-9601 Allatoona is at full pool, 840 feet above sea level, until the end of September when fall drawdown begins. The generators at the dam are still inoperable, so the release schedule is steady sluicing until further notice. We are in the peak of the heat, and blistering hot days will make the bite a 90% morning event. Surface temps across the lake should be in the upper 80’s to 90. Cool air will start to filter in by the end of the month, but for early August, bring some shade and plenty of sunscreen. Summer patterns will hold while hybrid and smaller striper continue to feed on schools of shad all over the lake. Fish over 10 pounds will be hard to find since they are not tolerant of the Georgia heat. Catch rates should be good on both live and artificial presentations. The thermocline will remain in place into October in the 22 foot range. The exception is the forebay around the dam where it is drawn down to 50-60 feet. Downlining with 1.5 to 2 ounce trolling or egg sinkers and slow trolling weighted flatlines with live threadfin and small gizzard shad will be the ticket until turnover begins in a couple more months. As stated above, morning and evening are primary feeding periods, but cloudy days can make for an allday bite. Good areas have been Iron Hill, Bethany Bridge/Red Top, Stamp Creek, Cooper’s Branch, Illinois Creek,
Kellogg Creek, Little River and up in the Etowah River towards Canton. There are fish everywhere, so take your time with your electronics and find them before you put baits down. Up to a couple hours of graphing to find good fish will pay off better than randomly plopping baits in the water. We should be seeing some good surface feeding due to our hybrid in the lake. Keep a keen eye on the horizon for the telltale splashing and thrashing of a school of hungry linesides. Bucktails, casting spoons, popping cork and fly, Rooster Tail, Chug Bug, Sammy, Spook and even ¼ ounce jigs with curly-tail chartreuse or white plastic will take these aggressive feeders. Try dropping down a couple of live baits while casting at the breaking fish. This may score you a better quality striper or hybrid. If power trolling is your thing, U-rigs and leadcore will work well on into late October/November when the lake begins turning over. Capt Mack’s umbrella rigs are the way to go. Capt. Eidson of First Bite Guide Service says bumping bottom in 1820 feet will draw the hits. You’re likely to get hung up a good bit so keep a u-rig retriever on hand. HINT: Big thanks to The Angler Magazine for helping us keep you informed of the latest in fishing reports and bringing us all together as a community! Join the Striper Soup online discussion forum for upperlevel info you can’t find anywhere else online.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts JACKSON LAKE
By Brian Lee leebrian16 @yahoo.com
Water temperature: 8090 degrees, lake level: 1 foot below full pool, clarity: stained/muddy. Bass fishing has been tough with the constant water level changing. Although you can still catch them early in the day, the bite gets tough after mid-morning. Run and gun throwing topwater, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. The most productive bait has
been topwater on any kind of structure in water 2-8 feet. Soft plastics will catch fish, but the bites are finicky at times. Carolina rigs are producing some fish as well. Back off rocky points and pick them apart. Brush piles are holding fish, but you have to be in the deepest parts of them to produce fish. As the water color and level starts to subside back to normal, the fishing will get better. Get there early and tie on a topwater and have fun. Till next month, tight lines and remember to introduce a kid to fishing as they are our future
“We have also had success working brush with jerkbaits off of the main lake channel.”
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Local Lakes & Forecasts Sponsorship 101 Contributed By: Jay Striker www.jaystriker.com I often get asked the question about sponsorships and how to go about obtaining them. Well this is not a one size fit all solution, nor is it a topic that has a neat little formula that leads to the optimum outcome. Before I get into this topic, I must state this is my opinion and not necessarily the opinions of others. With that disclosure out of the way, let’s talk about sponsorship. This topic is so big I would like to narrow it down to a few important basics that I feel are a must to being successful at gaining sponsorship for fishing. Those are; understanding relationships, knowing how to add value to a company and it’s a job. Building Relationships: Building good relationships is key to the any long term success in the industry. If you focus on building the relationship and not on what you can get out of one, you will fare much better. With many companies that I partner with there was always a rule that I have and that is I will treat them the best I can, and do all I can when I can. I can tell you right now if you do not value your relationships in the fishing industry, and you tear down relationships instead of building them up, you will be found out. The industry players are such a small group, and they do talk to each other. I would say that this is the most important part of sponsorship because this is what builds trust, and trust is the glue that holds the relationship over time. In a nutshell “don’t take matches on a bridge” and cherish your relationships. Knowing how to add value to a
company: What I like to do before I reach out to any company is to research to see if anything is changing within the company. To do this, I go to the websites, and most large companies will have a social responsibility page and the things they support. They will also have a media page. Going to these two pages tells me a lot about the companies and their direction. I want to be sure I can actually add value to the company I’m interesting in, and this is one piece of information that will help. When I find out I can add value then I need to put my plan together to talk with the ownership for a meeting. Just because you have value to add does not mean you get the sponsorship. Why? Because a lot of companies are going to tell you NO! Take them and learn from them. Its’ a JOB: Any business is in business to make a profit. When I got my first sponsor, I was very thankful and more importantly, humble to the fact that this is not just a sponsorship, it is the start of a relationship. I treated it just like a job. Communication was done weekly, follow-up done timely and customers come first. I try to show that I’m able to take on responsibility doing anything they may need done. Be ready to roll up your sleeves and know that it will pay off in the long run. Spend enough time with them and build on your relationships. Trust it is key. Till next time, I hope that you look at sponsorship in a different way and focus on building relations, know how to add value and treat each opportunity like a job.
LAKE HARTWELL
By Preston Harden Bucktail Guide Service www.bucktailguideservice.com (706) 255-5622 The water level is 6 feet below full pool and the water temperature is 85°. July fishing has been as good as I can remember. The lake is heavily stocked with hybrids and stripers. The spotted bass have become well established in the main lake. I never thought there could be so many spots, with many of them over 2 pounds. With the cool temperatures and consistent rain, August could be as good as July. Last year with the hot weather and drought, fishing got tough in August. This year will be different. Most hybrids and stripers will be from mid-lake to the dam. That is where the best water quality is, and they can roam the deep waters of the lower lake. Good electronics are very important in locating schools of fish.
Blueback herring is seldom refused when presented at the depth that the fish are seen on the sonar. Artificials such as jigs and swimbaits, big spoons and bucktail jigs can catch fish. Reeling artificials through the schools of fish can trigger a strike. Bass are around brush piles in 15 to 30 feet deep water. Most main lake points and humps have brush placed around them. Once you find these brush piles, save the waypoint on your GPS. You can also put out your own brush and maybe no one will find it for a while. I like to cast a topwater to the brush from a distance before I get on top of the brush and drop a shaky head or a drop shot rig. If the bass are there, they are easy to see on your sonar.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts LAKE OCONEE
by Mark Smith Reel Time Service at 404-803-0741 or reeltime@bellsouth.net Lake Oconee is full with the water clear on the south end and stained to muddy up the lake and into the river. Water temperature is 84-88 degrees. Striper fishing is good. Use your Lowrance to locate the schools of fish in the mouths of the coves and on the humps on the south end of the lake. Live bait (shad) has been the best over the past week. You can also pick up some fish on the pipeline with a spoon when Georgia Power is pulling water.
Early morning the spoon bite at the dam has started along with the topwater bite on popping corks. Crappie fishing is very good. The fish are moving into the timber on an early summer pattern. Long lining jigs over timber from 8 to 15 feet deep has been the best producer over the past week. Match your color to the color of the water. Make sure you stop by Sugar Creek Marina and pick up your spoons and all your tackle needs. You can also book your crappie and striper trips as well as on the water Lowrance classes with Reel Time Guide Service at 404-803-0741 or reeltime@bellsouth.net.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts
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Local Lakes & Forecasts What In the World Is An “ICAST”? By: Ryan Kennedy YouTube: Ryan Kennedy Fishing Instagram: ryankfishing ryankfishing@gmail.com
ICAST. Is it an overrated fishing expo that gets too much press? Is it everything that is right with the fishing industry? I could go on and on with questions about the most talked about show in the fishing industry known as ICAST, but instead I’ll let you think of the questions as we go along. If you’ve been to ICAST before, you know that when you walk through the doors of the expo your excitement can hardly contain itself. If you haven’t experienced entering ICAST before, allow me to explain the feeling in a quick scenario. If a young child loves to fish, when Christmas rolls around, what are they going to ask for? Are they going to be reasonable and ask for a rod and maybe a couple of baits? NO! They are going to have their wish list decked out with everything they’ve ever seen inside a tackle store. Obviously when they wake up on Christmas morning it will be nothing but sheer disappointment when they realize that not only did Santa eat all of their cookies, but he only managed to haul in a little bit of what was on the list too. Now completely forget that feeling and imagine staring at a room filled with everything on that list and yes, you get to play with it ALL! I know, I know, some of you still don’t see the big deal. Look, I get it; you’re still a little stuck on the fact that the misses got on you enough to take her out to a nice meal and YOU had to pick where to go despite the millions of options that no matter where you choose is wrong. C’mon, was it worth taking your one week of vacation at work and spending every day fishing instead of with the
lady friend? OF COURSE, IT WAS! But the difficulty you faced by trying to pick a restaurant with no true direction for which was the right choice gives you a slight glimpse at where to start at ICAST. Now that you are back on track, you are starting to see the whole picture. We’ve just about narrowed it down to a few words; Fishing, Getaway, Christmas, AND COOKIES! Ehh, I guess we’ll just stick to the first three. Got a little hungry after that talk about cookies. Back to the point! ICAST is an opportunity like no other. This year was my third year attending the massive show. With no exaggeration at all, I can honestly tell you that it is my favorite week of the year. It’s not just about the possible connections and the lights and the shiny new products. To me it’s all about going to see a physical representation of everything I’ve dreamed about and walking away with a motivation and drive like no other to make that dream a reality. To sum up my thoughts on ICAST, if it’s something you’ve never been to before, then it needs to be on your bucket list, and for everyone out there that has been, we can look at the experience with gratitude and patiently await the next opportunity. By this time your credit card is already hurting from that MUST HAVE new product that came out at the show, but don’t worry; you have plenty of time to get it all paid off before the next big thing to spend even more on comes out. To my fellow anglers, stay humble, stay hungry, and stay determined. The dream is out there. Tight Lines.
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Local Lakes & Forecasts
Fishy Destinations By Capt. Cefus McRae Nuts & Bolts Fishing Series
Whenever people who love to fish have a conversation, the question of “best fishing destinations” usually comes up. Everyone has their favorite. When someone asks me to name my favorite place to wet a line, the answer is usually “Wherever they’re biting.” I’ve had the good fortune to fish exotic locales from Mexico to the Caribbean and from Hawaii to Fiji. Each has its own endearing and adventurous characteristics. But in reality, there’s plenty of great fishing right here in the Southeast. Many of these awesome fishing holes are probably just a few hour’s drive from where you live. So, in no particular order, here’s a few of my fun and fishy places that you might like to try as well. State Parks: Whether you live in Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama or Florida, each state has an abundance of state (or federally) managed parks, and many of them have fishing opportunities within the park. From small ponds with bream, bass and crappie, to managed streams stocked with trout, to coastal beaches and backwaters. Most states have websites describing fishing opportunities at their parks. By the way, these are great places to take kids and introduce them to the wonderful world of fishing. Lake Lanier, GA: One of America’s best spotted bass lakes, and it’s also a great year-round striper fishery. Call the folks at Hammond’s Fishing Center or Oakwood Bait and Tackle to get the latest info on the bite, load up with bait, or let them hook you up with a professional fishing guide like Capt. Mack Farr, Capt. Ron Mullins, Capt. Clay Cunningham or get an on-the-water fishing lesson from Ken Sturdivant of Southern Fishing Schools. Lake Oconee, GA: About an hour ride east of Atlanta, this lake offers excellent crappie fishing, and is an excellent lake for both stripers and hybrid bass. Give Capt. Mark Smith of ReelTime Guide Service a call for local info and a very fishy day on the water. Toccoa River, GA: In the heart of the North Georgia mountains, the Toccoa River is one of a few places where natural reproduction helps keep the trout fishery vibrant, versus being completely reliant on a stocking program. Float trips are the best bet, and Unicoi Outfitters in
Helen, GA can get you on the water catching browns and rainbows. St. Simons Island and St. Mary’s, GA: Even though Georgia has a relatively small coastline, the saltwater fishing in this area is outstanding. Georgia’s barrier islands offer an excellent opportunity to hook big fish from a small boat. Blacktip and spinner sharks cruise behind the shrimp boats in the summer, and it’s a spectacular tarpon fishery late summer through early fall. Mondo barracuda, king mackerel and cobia are reasonably close to shore as well. Speckled trout and bull redfish are easy to target in the fall months. On St. Simons, Capt. Mark Noble at the Georgia Fishing Center is your connection to a fun day on the water. At St. Marys, my go-to guides are Capt. Ken Olson for inshore and Capt. Cal Lang if you prefer a great offshore adventure. St. Augustine, FL: America’s Oldest City has some unbelievable fishing throughout the year. Inshore fishing for flounder, redfish, speckled trout, mackerel and cobia equals great filets on the table. And the big fish are just a few miles off the beach, including king mackerel, dolphin and sailfish. Plus, St. Augustine is a great destination to explore on land. The Fountain of Youth, Castillo de San Marcos - the oldest standing fort in the US, beautiful sandy beaches and much more along this stretch of the northeast Florida coast. Give Capt. Scott Shank of Full House Charters a call or check out Florida’s Historic Coast website for lots of local info. Port St. Joe, FL: This quiet little fishing town offers the best of both worlds: St. Joe Bay for over-the-top inshore fishing and Mexico Beach’s abundant artificial reefs provide homes for offshore species, just a few miles off the beach. If you have a big group, try a day trip on board the Fish’n Xpress. Capt. Bill Little and his crew provide all the tackle and hospitality while you fish for snapper, grouper, mackerel and more. Then walk your fresh catch up to Dockside restaurant at Port St. Joe Marina and enjoy a great meal and beautiful sunset. Steinhatchee, FL: One of my favorite places for inshore fishing with hundreds of square miles of pristine grass flats teeming with trout, redfish and other skinny water critters. Offshore, there’s snapper,
grouper, amberjack, barracuda, cobia and king mackerel. My top Big Bend guides include: Capt. Scott Peters, Jr., Capt. John Wells, Capt. Brian Smith, Capt. Jim Henley and Capt. Mike Farmer. Sea Hag Marina can get you stocked up with bait and tackle, and they even have rental boats. Take your fresh catch to Fiddler’s Restaurant and let Chef Jim Hunt prepare a wonderful meal to cap off a great day on the water. Murrell’s Inlet, SC: This is where I grew up fishing the salt. Doormatsized flounder, Spanish mackerel, gator speckled trout and big redfish are the calling cards for this fishing village just south of Myrtle Beach. It’s also famous
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for ‘Restaurant Row’, where oyster roasts and fresh shrimp are at the top of the menus. Get hooked up with a charter trip at Crazy Sister Marina, and for the latest fishing info in the area, listen to the Southern Anglers Radio Show on Saturday mornings from 7-9am. These are just a few of my favorite places among hundreds of great fishing locales across the Southeastern US. Looking to plan a trip? Drop me a note at Cefus@NutsAndBoltsFishing. com and I’ll be happy to suggest some fun destinations and great guides for your next adventure. Heck, Buck and I might come along too.
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Michael Hare
Local Lakes & Forecasts
LARGE
LAKE MARTIN Forecast By: Capt David Hare 256-401-3089 Alex City Guide Service Water temperature: 88 degrees, lake level: full pool (491.00), clarity: clear. July was a pretty awesome month for nighttime striper fishing. With only a few nights being tough, we were able to limit out the majority of time plus land some nice trophies including a 36 and a 26 pounder. August fishing should continue to be good nighttime striper fishing. The water temps are going to be 90+ and the fish are going to be deeper this month than most any other month. I personally will be working in 100 feet or deeper water looking for suspended fish in the 60-80 foot depths. I will
also be expecting the best bite to be later in the night, say 9pm or later. With good live bait, lots of patience will be the key to great catches. August is also a good time for deep water trolling at daylight and dusk. I would try in the Ridge Marina area, the dam and Goat Island. For best results, try using spoons, jigs and big swimbaits running them 40-60 feet deep. Bream fishing is really good in August. If you can stand the heat, you can limit out most any day at most any time. Try your luck in shaded pockets that are stacked with floating debris. Most any area of Lake Martin holds real nice bream. Until next time, be safe, keep what you can eat and release the remainder for your next trip!
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Michael Beck from Newnan, GA catches a 36 pound striper with Capt David ATL_AUGUST.indd 31 Hare
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Wall of Fame
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Matt Selke from Pinnacle Finance ventured down to Florida with friends and caught this huge snapper.
Trey Lewis with a nice bass he caught in a local pond in Villa Rica.
On her first time fishing Hayden Reid from Watkinsville, GA caught this stringer of cats in Barbour County, AL.
Luke Baggett with a huge bass caught on a bluegill swimbait from Hampton’s pond.
Chad Conley with the release of a nice brown trout fishing with Reel Em In Guide Service.
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Benn Irwin and his hybrid caught from Carters Lake.
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Rockin’ Bass In The Adirondacks By Rich Ortiz
Rich Ortiz, the “Fishin’ Musician,” shows off a nice Adirondacks largemouth. Check out Rich’s music and outdoor adventures at richortiz.com. Photo by Louis Torres Photography.
B
y the time I was 12 years old, I knew and fished at least two dozen bass waters, most of them from a canoe with my Pop. Usually there were no boat ramps, no houses and seldom another fisherman. That’s the beauty of the Adirondack region of Upstate New York. There’s tons of water and lots of fish. Often when the Adirondacks (ADKs) are mentioned in fishing circles, pristine secluded trout rivers or brook trout ponds come to mind. Our secret is that the ADKs have countless bass fishing options, as well, with any kind of water you could think of. Three renowned waters within my 30-minute fishing radius are perfect examples of the great bass fishing in our area. Lake George, Lake Champlain and Saratoga Lake provide varied and endless opportunities for both largemouth and smallmouth action, with a spectrum of habitats that could keep any bass enthusiast occupied for a lifetime. Additionally, if it’s a secluded canoe/kayak adventure you’re after, I dare say the ADKs have more backwoods bass waters on public land than any state I can think of. These woods are the same natural forests they were in 1885, when they were deemed untouchable thanks to Teddy Roosevelt. Imagine fishing secluded, crystal-clear waters with green mountains as a backdrop, moderate temperatures and a relaxing breeze. Since the founding of our country, these waters have provided sanctuary from the heat and congestion of the growing East Coast industrial cities. Summer retreats to the ADKs to fish and hunt were the norm, and coupling
these outdoor activities with attractions like Saratoga horse racing or a Lake George steamboat ride created traditions of the American summer vacation. Today, if you are serious about bass fishing, yet want to include family on the vacation, the Saratoga/Lake George area is the spot. I feel qualified to endorse the attractions, since when I am not fishing or hunting, I’m performing music at many of the area’s top resorts and restaurants. Though my profession as a traveling musician has allowed me to fish all over North America, my heart is still at home fishing the 6-million-acre Adirondack Park. Let’s start with Lake George, which is a large deep-water lake that is the ultimate finesse bass water. This beautiful 32-mile-long glacially carved lake has rock shorelines and is speckled with islands that provide endless bass structure. Lake George has AAA reservoir water quality and is crystal clear. Light 6- to 8-pound fluorocarbon line is a must while drop-shotting 30- to 50-foot rocky bottoms for big numbers of smallmouth and some nice 4-pound-plus fish. When drop-shotting I prefer natural presentation baits like the Berkley’s Gulp! Nemesis in the Smelt color. The lake temperature remains cool all year, and shaky-head worm presentations or small bass jigs will score a mix of largemouth and smallmouth in ultra-clear 20- to 40-foot depths. This is a great training ground for teaching your family or friends to fish. Shore fishing is a bonus, and many others and I make trophy catches all year from shore. I rely on my Costa sunglasses on this lake as much as my Lowrance Sonar. It’s so clear that I can watch strikes in 20 feet of water. I keep three pairs of Costas on board. I prefer yellow lenses for sunrise, low light and cloudy days. These lenses work wonders sighting fish and contrasting bottom structure. I use blue mirror on bright days and amber green mirror lenses for most other situations on the lake. Just to the north of Lake George, Lake Champlain offers everything a fisherman can imagine. Many experts rank Champlain among the top fisheries in the country for largemouth and smallmouth bass. You can fish just about any presentation in this vast lake, which combines natural and man-made structure like sunken ships, submerged train tracks and dock cribbings. My fishing concentrates on the southern end of the lake, where the water is usually very stained. Vast water chestnut beds yield many 5-pound-plus largemouth bass. Heavy abrasion-resistant line is a must; I prefer fluorocarbon or braid, depending on presentation. I normally punch the weeds with 1- or 2-ounce tungsten and big 10-inch Power Bait or Yum worms. Dark colors work best. Topwater and flipping are also go-to tactics, with countless backwaters providing breathtaking views and heart-pounding hook sets. To the south, Saratoga Lake is much smaller than George or Champlain. It is slightly stained and can be highly pressured but still provides large numbers of largemouth in the 3- to 5-pound range. Dense concentrations of cabbage and mixed milfoil create great opportunities for tossing plastics and jigs on the edges of long weed lines. Saratoga Lake’s close proximity to the City of Saratoga Springs makes it an ideal morning or evening getaway for those visiting during track season, which lasts through Labor Day. While the tourist season winds down, the fish really turn on, which make for some magical days in fall. The big lakes are great, but to me the gems of this area are the smaller lakes and ponds I learned to fish on. The unique chance to toss a lure to unpressured fish on public waters is a reality. The Adirondack Park features countless opportunities perfect for canoe and kayak fishing. With today’s lightweight watercraft, you can be alone with 2- to 5-pound bass after just a half-mile hike to numerous ponds and lakes. Many canoe and kayak waters are also roadside or within a state park. New York does a wonderful job providing trailhead access and parking areas for anglers with car-top boats. Research access at www.dec.ny.gov. The amount of good bass water in the Saratoga/Lake George is staggering. With its proximity to so many metropolitan centers, a short drive up I-87 can have you setting hooks on some beastly bass in no time.
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FRESHWATER Mille Lacs Ranked No. 1 Bass Lake By B.A.S.S. Photo by Doug Kerr
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innesota’s Mille Lacs Lake has long been known for exceptional walleye fishing and ice fishing, but the smallmouth bass fishing on this more than 130,000-acre lake north of Minneapolis is what catapulted it to the top of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes rankings. According to B.A.S.S. research, 20-pound five-fish limits of smallmouth bass are a regular occurrence, 30-pound sacks show up in some events, and two 36-pound limits were weighed in during events last fall. Those numbers are almost unbelievable on a smallmouth lake, considering a 36-pound limit would average out to more than 7 pounds per bass. Here’s the rundown of Bassmaster’s top-12 bass lakes in the nation: 1. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota 2. Sam Rayburn Reservoir, Texas 3. Clear Lake, California 4. Shearon Harris Lake, North Carolina 5. Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California 6. Lake Berryessa, California 7. Lake Erie, New York 8. Santee Cooper Lakes, South Carolina 9. Lake St. Clair, Michigan 10. Falcon Lake, Texas 11. Thousand Islands area St. Lawrence River, New York 12. Chickamauga Lake, Tennessee
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Focus On Redfish In August By Tobin Strickland
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big question on all the Internet message boards lately is, “Where are the midrange trout in the heat of summer?” One of the indicators of either fishing too shallow or fishing in the wrong part of the bay for the season is catching mostly undersized trout. So, if you’re catching nothing but “dink” trout in August, fish deep structure with current. I don’t like catching dinks, so I’ll focus on upper-slot redfish and sight casting to the big shallow trout I see while I’m fishing for reds. The summer heat finally forces redfish to go in search of food in the marsh and grass flats. Shrimp are now mostly gone, except large white shrimp, so while there are main-bay, open-water redfish chasing those fish-big shrimp, some reds will now begin to work over juvenile white shrimp and shad in the marsh and grass flats. They’ll also be eating mullet and crabs when the opportunity presents itself. Redfish are simple. They use current to feed, and the faster you learn about where the niche is, the more consistent you’ll be catching redfish in shallow waters. Follow a current from a marsh cut to the bank of a marsh pond it’s flowing too, and you’ll find redfish. Also look for eddies behind structure and where the current edge crosses structure, and that’s good as well. Big trout are similar in the summer in shallow areas. They are there for the big mullet and to eat little trout but are in small niche areas of their own. Tobin created the TroutSupport.com weedless, snagless, long casting, walk the dog soft plastic for fishing shallow grass, shallow oysters, rocks, and mangrove where reds and snook live. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM
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MAKO SHARK ON THE FLY
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f you’re looking for some spectacular fly fishing for toothy critters, mako sharks are tough to beat as a game fish. They can be found pretty much worldwide, but right now is the time of year to visit southern California, where shortfin mako sharks show up off the coast every year within easy range for fly rodders with a small skiff. The mako shark is one of saltwater fly fishing’s outstanding but unappreciated game fish. Found on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, a smaller mako in the 20- to 30-pound range can be the perfect-sized fish for the beginning saltwater fly fisherman. Of course, fishing for sharks is a tad different than fishing for bluegills in your Uncle Ned’s farm pond, and the equipment also differs. First, you’ll need a boat, preferably a boat over 18-feet that can handle fairly choppy seas. Most center-consoles will do; however, a skiff with a beam of 8 feet or wider and a not-too-deep V will settle in the water better and will reduce pitch and roll to a minimum, offering a much more stable casting platform. A good chum line is the most effective way of attracting makos to within casting distance of your boat. Chumming attracts the larger makos and will place you in the position of being able to sight-cast to them. Into a chum bag, place the belly sections or fresh carcasses of tuna, bluefish or bonito, then place the bag into a milk crate or 5-gallon bucket and lower this mess over the side. Then sit back and listen for the musical score from the movie “Jaws” to begin. You won’t have long to wait once that chum slick begins to spread. Ideally, you should use fresh carcasses, but store-bought chum will suffice. One bit of important advice: Less is more when chumming; you don’t need much; no matter how small the slick, a shark can smell it from
miles away. Now that you have the boat and chum, the next thing to do is find a mako. On the West Coast, we are fortunate to have the continental shelf only a few miles offshore. On the east coast, you’ll have to venture a bit farther offshore. Keep your eyes peeled for working birds and surface-busting bait; constantly check the water temperature looking for readings between 66 and 70 degrees. But, be patient when chumming. I will wait at least an hour or an hour and a half before moving to another spot, but there have been occasions when the sharks made their appearance within a few minutes of 1 ½ hours. Once in the slick, makos will stick around for most of the fishing day. Drifting allows you to cover more water and in the process, attract more makos to your boat. By choosing the right season, having the right chum and chumming the right areas, you can count on hooking and releasing a good number of makos during the course of a single day on the water.
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SCALLOP SEASON IS OPEN! DAVID MANEY, FOWLER’S SUNGLASSES
Value Versus Ego In Sunglasses
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t Fowler’s, we know sunglasses. We sold more than 25,000 pairs last year, and we represent more than 30 companies, all clamoring for attention in the marketplace. This gives me intimate knowledge of most of what’s offered, and I have some insight to share on what makes a pair of sunglasses the right pair for you. There are two types of
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Realize that frames represent very little in the cost of production for a pair of sunglasses. What you are paying for--or should be paying for-in an expensive pair of glasses is lens technology. A better set of lenses is going to cost more and last longer. Those inexpensive glasses with sprayon lens protection will serve you almost as well as the expensive ones off the shelf, but they might
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sunglasses shoppers. One views sunglasses as fashion accessories, to be matched to an outfit or activity. This is all well and good. Good-looking glasses do help you look cool. The second type of shopper, which is a group I have found many anglers fall into, is more interested in sunglasses as an essential tool. All-day comfort and performance are considerations that come before style or brand for people in this second group. If performance is more important to you than ego, do not lock yourself into one particular brand of glasses. They can range from $5 to $500, and all manufacturers promote their own bells and whistles. Sometimes you get what you pay for, other times you are paying for a brand logo on the side of the frame.
only maintain that performance for a year. The single most important consideration with frames is they are essential to fit and the resulting comfort for the wearer. This is why you should not be locked into a certain brand. Everyone’s face is different, and so are everyone’s sunglasses needs. Do not be a branded person, choose a pair of sunglasses that fits your face and your needs.
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1,000-Pound Tournament Hammerhead Shatters Texas Record Photo courtesy of Texas City La Marque Jaycees/Facebook nglers hauled some big sharks out of the Gulf of Mexico during this year’s Texas City Jaycees Tackle Time Fishing Tournament. Chief among those sharks was a 1,033-pound great hammerhead that shattered a 37-year-old Texas state record. Tim McClellan obviously took first place for the giant shark he entered in the annual fundraising tournament for the Texas City La Marque Jaycees. The tournament awards the top three fish in multiple inshore, offshore and youth divisions. This year, it ran June 30 – July 9, and 964-pound and 817-pound tiger sharks rounded out the top three in the shark division. McClellan’s fish beat out the 871-pound Texas state record great hammerhead, which was caught by Mark Johnson in July of 1980. The current IGFA world record great hammerhead weighed 1,280 pounds. It was caught from the other side of the Gulf by Bucky Dennis fishing out of Boca Grande, Fla. in May 2006. Texas City is on Galveston Bay, just southeast of Houston, and offers easy access to the open Gulf of Mexico through the pass between Galveston and Goat islands.
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