The Angler Magazine | February 2021 | Greater Atlanta Edition by Coastal Angler Magazine

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VOLUME 26 â&#x20AC;¢ ISSUE 311

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Why Are Dealers Hoarding These 100-Year-Old U.S. Silver Dollars?

hen it comes to collecting, few coins are as coveted as the first and last of a series. And when big anniversaries for those “firsts” and “lasts” come around, these coins become even more coveted. Take, for example, the 1921 Morgan Silver Dollars. These 90% pure silver coins were the last of their kind, a special one-year-only resurrection of the classic Wild West Silver Dollar. Three years prior, the Pittman Act authorized the melting of more than 270 million Morgan Silver Dollars so their silver could be sold to our allies in the United Kingdom. Facing our own Silver Dollar shortage, the world’s favorite vintage U.S. Silver Dollar was brought back for one year only while the U.S. Mint worked on its successor, the Peace Silver Dollar.

Dealers Begin Stockpiling Last-Year Morgans

Knowing what we’ve told you about special anniversaries, dealers around the country are preparing for a surge in demand. 2021 will mark the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar—the last-yearof-issue for the most popular vintage U.S. Silver Dollar ever minted. But slow-moving collectors may be disappointed in what they find when they seek out these coins. Since the days of the Pittman Act, millions more U.S. Silver Dollars have been melted or worn down in commerce. It’s been estimated that as few as 15% of all the Morgan Dollars ever minted have survived to the present day. That number grows smaller each year, with private hoards now accounting for virtually all the surviving Morgan Silver Dollars. And that was before silver values started to rise...

Interest in Silver Is on the Rise

19 19 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 LY G T T V C N B R R Y E LY G JU AU SEP OC NO DE JA FE MA AP MA JUN JU AU

As you can see from the chart on the left, in 2020, we’ve seen daily silver prices close as low as $12.01 per ounce and as high as $28.33 per ounce. That rise in value has led to a sharp increase in buyers’ interest in silver. We’re already seeing a surge of interest from collectors wanting to add vintage Morgan Silver Dollars to their collections. But at what price?

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Find & Catch Deep Winter Flounder

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PHOTO COURTESY OF KNOCKIN TAIL LURES

o all flounder migrate offshore during the winter? I can’t be certain, but I have caught them in every month of the year. Those latewinter catches may have been flounder that never left, or they might be some that returned early. But one thing is for sure, during cold weather is when I have caught my largest flounder. Let it be known that I am a lure fisherman at heart, but if you want to consistently target the largest flounder this time of year, live and dead bait rule supreme. A large mullet or shad in the 6-inch range is ideal. Any type of fishfinder rig will suffice with the appropriate weight for the depth of water and strength of current you are fishing. You just need enough weight to keep your bait in contact with the bottom, where flounder live. The method I use for flounder catching is to keep the bait in constant contact with the bottom. Pointing the rod tip toward the water and utilizing a sweeping motion, I twitch my rod, kicking up mud and sand to create a trail of dust that attracts fish. This way I can cover some water in search of a hungry doormat. Once I feel the first tap from the flounder, I pause. I wait patiently for the second and usually a quick third tap. Then I give it a solid hook-set! Flounder will hold on to a bait longer than most inshore species, and they don’t always engulf it all at once. I feel they want to injure their meal before swallowing it, which is why it pays to be patient and wait until they’ve got the hook in their mouth before driving the point home. The best area to target the largest of the species is near structure, specifically bulkheads. Flounder like to bed down next to seawalls, where baitfish have fewer angles of escape. Other structure like rock jetties are also great areas to try. On an outgoing tide, I target drain openings where high tide flows out of the marshes. These drains can be small, 1 to 2 feet of width is all it takes. As long as the marsh behind the drain has enough water to hold bait, it’s perfect. Flounder will stage at the opening of a large drain as well, but no drain is too small, and I feel the smaller ones can easily be dismissed and easily missed. One final note is on tide direction and strength. During a strong outgoing tide, flounder use the tide as easy transportation to open water and focus more on swimming than feeding. I tend to avoid the strong outgoing tide when targeting migrating flounder. Be safe, stay warm, and get out there to catch the largest flounder of your life.

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KAYAKING FOR

A DAY OF DOUBLES By Brian Nelli

n offshore kayak fishing, many of the milestones we pursue come in the form of knocking off “bucket list” fish. Sailfish is at the top of that list for a lot of anglers in South Florida. The sailfish is a great achievement, but there is one fish that many either write off as improbable or just a dream. That fish is the wahoo. One of the fastest fish in the ocean, it bounces around in kayak anglers’ heads with the question of could today be the day. I’ve been a South Florida kayak fishing guide since 2010. Here, where the currents of the Gulf Stream swing so close to coast, it is possible to launch a kayak from the beach in pursuit of offshore species. I have been fortunate to assist clients in catching multiple wahoo over the years. To give an idea of how special this is, my best year for wahoo saw just six of these speedy fish landed in 150 offshore kayak trips. Now what do you think the chances are of catching two in one trip? How about two at the same time? That is where our story begins. Two days after the December new moon phase, winds were light and the ocean was flat calm. My two clients and I were running live goggle eyes on 60-pound wire stinger rigs tied to 40-pound Yozuri Hybrid Line. We were geared with Shimano Spheros 10k reels paired with Crowder Rods E-Namic 6’6” 15- to 40-pound rods. At dawn, we headed roughly a mile from shore and started slow trolling. All hell broke loose within the first hour. It was a double hook-up on sailfish! The fish pulled my two clients in opposite directions. After screaming directions and running back and forth to each angler, we managed to secure both fish for a great photo before release. That sailfish double already made it a great day, but there was more to come.

8 NATIONAL

FEBRUARY 2021

We regrouped and got baits back out in search of another bite. At about 11 a.m., we approached a slight rip line near 150 feet of water. There was very little current and next to no surface action for most of the day, so we slowed down to stick in the rip area. Ten minutes in, I noticed one rod bounce hard and then take off. It was a good high-speed run and then line went slack. I screamed to keep reeling no matter what, as this is typical for a wahoo strike. Sure enough, the fish came tight again for another run to the bottom. As I yelled to one angler, the other client’s rod started bouncing. He reeled down, and there was head thrashing on surface. The fish circled the yak twice, and I

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gaffed the 29-pound wahoo within minutes. Once we got that one, I knew by its behavior the first fish was going to be a wahoo, as well. I was excited and shaking. I’ve been hunting a double wahoo for a decade or more. Ten minutes later, with that first fish safely in-hand, I let out a scream heard round the world, “We did it! DOUBLE WAHOO!” Brian Nelli operates Pushin’ Water Kayak Charters offering inshore and offshore kayak fishing trips out of South Florida. Contact him at Brian@tckayakfishing.com and check out his website at www.tckayakfishing.com.

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earlier, the biggest trout caught during February and March will eat crappie-sized jigs… so, there goes that theory. For the most part, though, I like bigger shrimp to eliminate as many of the dink trout bites as possible, but even the dinks will give the biggest shrimp you throw a whack. When you miss a bite, I always say, “don’t Tim Barefoot worry about it, it’s a dink.” Trout always eat a shrimp from behind, so they can fold the shrimp up and swallow it with the horn going forward. his is the time of year when the inshore bite can slow down or get hot as a firecracker, especially for speckled trout. Always. A missed bite usually means the fish didn’t have a mouth large Right now, bait size can make all the difference between enough to “inhale” your shrimp backwards. Another key ingredient stacking ’em up and getting to getting bites in cold water skunked. Live baits are is the speed of the retrieve. really the best bet when This is a perfect situation to things get tough, but for use a sliding cork or a fixedhard-headed anglers—like depth cork. For example: If me—who prefer artificials, you’re in water 6 feet deep it’s important to use smaller and you want to slow the profile baits and slow down bait way down, set the stop the retrieve considerably. at 5 feet and just let the As a matter of fact, I cork stand up and drift the know a guy who scales same speed as the current, down to crappie-size or if there is no current, jigs through the coldest just barely slow-take a stretches of February and wind on the reel to keep March. the bait moving forward. I prefer a smaller Don’t twitch the bait, just version of the same shrimp barely move it forward, and I always use. I normally always use a shrimp scent throw the 4-inch shrimp on like Pro Cure Shrimp. a jig head, but when it gets cold, I like the 3-inch size. There is not a time of the year when fish won’t eat a shrimp; there’s only a Videos for this style fishing will soon be available at: few weeks of the year when they won’t eat the 4-inch version. The reason I normally throw the bigger shrimp is that the old saying, BAREFOOTCATSANDTACKLE.COM “bigger bait, bigger fish” kind of holds true for seatrout. But like I said

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n May 18, 1980, the once-slumbering Mount St. Helens erupted in the Pacific Northwest. It was the most impressive display of nature’s power in North America’s recorded history. But even more impressive is what emerged from the chaos... a spectacular new creation born of ancient minerals named Helenite. Its lush, vivid color and amazing story instantly captured the attention of jewelry connoisseurs worldwide. You can now have four carats of the world’s newest stone for an absolutely unbelievable price. Known as America’s emerald, Helenite makes it possible to give her a stone that’s brighter and has more fire than any emerald without paying the exorbitant price. In fact, this many carats of an emerald that looks this perfect and glows this green would cost you upwards of $80,000. Your more beautiful and much more affordable option features a perfect teardrop of Helenite set in gold-covered sterling silver suspended from a chain accented with even more verdant Helenite. Limited Reserves. As one of the largest EXCLUSIVE gemstone dealers in the world, we buy more carats of Helenite than anyone, which lets us give you a great price. However, this much gorgeous green Helenite Earrings for this price won’t last long. Don’t miss out. Helenite is only found in -a one section of Washington State, so with purchase of call today! Helenite Necklace Romance guaranteed or your money back. Experience the scintillating beauty of the Helenite Teardrop Necklace for 30 days and if she isn’t completely in love with it send it back for a full refund of the item price. You can even keep the stud earrings as our thank you for giving us a try.

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

One December years ago, ole buddy Steve and college upstart Landon joined me on the chilly Chattooga River. By 4pm, Steve and I were happy with four fish each, dredged via our traditional “bobber” (strike indicator) rigs. Landon sauntered back with his long rod, thin leader, and tiny tungsten jig flies. When asked, he quietly admitted to fondling two dozen trout. His “sinker” rig was deadly! I swallowed my pride and asked him to teach me Euronymphing! Most flyfishers complicate things, but I’ll simplify it for you. Euronymphing is basically microjig bass fishing for trout. Here’s the setup. Tie a tiny tippet ring to the end of your fly leader. (These rings let you connect lines of very different diameters). Then tie 2-4 feet of colored monofilament to the ring. That’s your strike indicator, called the “sighter.” To the free end of the sighter, tie on another tippet ring, then tie on very thin tippet (5 or 6X) to that second ring. Guess the water depth and add that length plus another 2 feet of tippet. Then tie on a tungsten beaded Euro nymph to the tippet’s free end. This thin rig slices through the water with no drag and bumps along the stream bottom. For starters, try these patterns: #10 Tan Mop, #12 Sexy Walt’s Worm, and #16 and 18 Frenchies, each with a silver

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tungsten bead. This is close-in fishing. Wade to the edge of a riffle or run that’s less than 6 feet deep. With only a foot or two of fly line outside your rod tip, toss the Mop or Walt’s upstream, raise the rod, and follow your rig back down to you at the same speed as the current. Keep the mono line straight, but let the fly bounce the bottom. Watch your colored sighter tickticking along just above the water surface as the fly occasionally bumps the bottom. When that sighter jumps upstream, set the hook. Easyremember that thin tippet! After some practice, add the Frenchie as a dropper 20 inches above your original, “anchor” fly via a triple surgeons knot. Start out simple and give it a try. To learn more, just Google these experts and watch some of their videos: George Daniel, Lance Egan, and Devin Olsen. Our traditional bobber rigs are still deadly in the big, deep pools. Learn how to rig and fish traditional strike indicator rigs via our 11/4/20 Unicoi Outfitters Facebook posts (recipe and video). This Euronymphing technique is more effective in the faster shallows, where your bobber rig can’t sink fast enough. Don’t be intimidated by this new technique; give Euronymphing a try this winter. It will cost you just a few bucks for tippet rings, colored mono, more 6X tippet, and a few tungsten beaded flies, but the benefits might be a bunch of bonus winter trout. If this old dog can learn Landon’s new trick, so can you!

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING FEBRUARY FLY FISHING REPORT

Contributed By: Henry Cowen www.henrycowenflyfishing.com January of 2021 was nearly a duplicate of 2020. The striped bass are not coming shallow again this year due to the fact that their food source (threadfin shad) are staying deep. Lakes have a way of changing over time, and it appears we are in one of those changing cycles. The shad are most likely deep because their food source (plankton) is probably deep too. What causes this? It could be that our weather patterns or a changing of lake turnover. It could be water quality. Here is what you need to know going forward. February normally is one of those months where anglers have to be really serious if they want to catch some fish on a fly on any of our North GA lakes. Water temps MAY bottom out (4546 degrees) during this month, and the fish feeling the cold water will be extremely lethargic. Last year, our fishing was really tough. Water temps bottomed out in the mid-forties, and for the most part our fishing throughout Feb was pitiful. It’s not that we did not catch any fish, but catching a couple on a four or five hour trip was as good as it gets, and most of the fish were in the 2 to 4-pound range. Our big fish were sleeping deep below. With any luck, if we continue to see a more mild winter by January’s end, then February can continue with the great fishing like we are having this winter thus far. Small baits are still the choice meal for striped bass, spotted bass and largemouth bass. It is important to be able to offer these baits to the fish using a slower retrieve and allow the baits to sit in the feeding zone for a longer period of time. That is the KEY to feeding the fish! How do we do this you might ask? Well, the answer is to carry a fast sinking line that has a sink rate of about 6” per second. The fish will be found in the 15’ to 30’ range over a 40’, 50’ or even 60’ bottom. A fast sinking line can get you into the strike zone by using what we term the countdown method. The countdown method basically means we dump out a cast and let

the line sink into the fish’s feeding zone. Now a short but quick series of strips followed by a 3-5 second pause will allow your fly to stay in that feeding zone which in turn should elicit a strike. Fast sinking lines from either RIO or Sci-Angler are both great choices. Small flies like a Somethin’ Else is the KING OF FLIES. A 2”-3” Clouser (tied with a hot pink fluoro fiber throat) will be a good second choice to catch winter stripers. This is the time of year when your electronics will play a big role in helping you find and feed the fish. Fishing without a fish finder means you are fishing blind. These electronics are your underwater eyes and are the key to allowing for success. Also let the wildlife help you find the big schools of threadfin shad which hopefully will lead to finding big schools of stripers. A greater blue heron sitting on a bank, a kingfisher diving in a cove, terns and gulls flying in circles around a specific area and diving every now and then to grab a shad will be the best signs to finding fish. Look both early and late in the day to see if any fish are up on the banks in 1-4’ of water chasing baitfish. Remember, you need to be stealthy when fishing in shallow water. If you choose to pound the banks, then do so with slow sinking intermediate fly lines. For conventional anglers, a weightless Fluke fished in the back of the coves up shallow is a good choice, and for those wanting to target the deep fish, a .6 Flex-it spoon or a Fish Head Spin with a small albino Super Fluke Jr will also help get you a few bites. If the fish are not feeding near the bottom when you find them on your fish finder, try dropping a ¼ ounce bucktail jig or as previously discussed, a small Fish Head Spin with 8-pound test on these fish. Again, fishing slow is the ticket. If we are lucky and the end of January brings us continued warmer weather, then it is possible

that our back of the cove feed on the banks may eventually get going. Remember to plan your trip on pre-frontal days as that will get the fish moving some. Stay home on the post frontal days. It is simply all about water temperatures

this time of year. If the temps hover around 50 degrees or higher, then the surface feed should still be on. Dress warm, fish slow and show lots of patience. Those are the keys to success in February. See you on the pond!

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING COLD WATER TROUT FISHING

Contributed by James Bradley Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide www.ReelEmInGuideService.com (706) 273-0764 Cold water temps force trout to become lethargic, but trout still have to eat. Timing can be crucial to getting takes. As the water temps continue to decrease, trout get to where they will have to move very little to consume. They also get down on the very bottom to stay out of any current. Wintertime hatches usually come off around 1 to 3 PM, so many anglers don’t head out until around 10 AM or later, allowing the sun to get up high and warm things up a bit. That little bit of warming can trigger a hatch and turn the trout on for a short time. Slow down on moving so much and become an angler who fishes tight lanes. Position your casts no more than 6 to 8 inches apart to cover the entire width of the stream. Fish thoroughly to catch more fish or at least get more takes. Keep in mind that lethargic trout do not chase food. I believe that the closer you get your fly to their mouth, the higher the chance of them eating. If you can get your fly within a six inch radius of their mouths, you’ll catch some fish. Be systematic about how you use weight and your leader length to find where the fish are feeding. Short leaders are great, but they do not allow your flies to get down deep. Lengthen your leader and allow those flies to get on down to where the trout are. As a rule of thumb, you should be sticking the bottom on every few casts. If you

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never touch the bottom, your takes will be minimal. Having your leader two to three times the length of the water depth from the indicator to fly is a good rule to follow. Don’t shy away from using weight. I like to use shot because each additional one I use will be the same size, and I get additional drop or distance from the surface each time with the exception of casting into the fastest currents. After making several attempts with different amounts of weight, then and only then do I move on. Every time you add weight, you are getting your flies to come through a deeper lane and presentation. After making several presentations and continuing to add shot until you hit and/ or stay on the bottom, you have now covered the entire depth of the stream and can determine at what depth the trout are feeding. Wintertime fishermen are persistent in their fishing methods. The bottom line is to use weight and long leaders to get those flies down to where the fish are. Reel ‘Em In Guide Service operates as an Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Outfitter in North Georgia’s Historic High-Country region. They have been offering their services to fly anglers since 2001. They have permits for guiding in North Georgia and North Carolina, offer over 7 miles of private trophy waters across Georgia, and operate float trips on the Toccoa River in GA and the Tuckasegee River in NC.

THE CASTING CORNER

GOOD FISHING DAYS ARE AHEAD

Contributed By: Rene J. Hesse Certified Casting InstructorFederation of Fly Fishers & Atlanta Fly Fishing and Camping Meetup Organizer What will you do now that it’s cold and travel is limited to improve your fishing? When I can’t get out for a trip but need a fishing fix, I work on my tackle and watch casting videos. I clean my fly line, check the tippet spools, and replace the boot laces, the things that I always say I need to remember to do, but don’t. There can also be busy work things like reorganizing my fly box or tying flies, but the thing I enjoy most is watching fly casting videos. Watching and learning is a good pastime. There are all kinds of things to learn about casting. There are accuracy casts, distance casts, fishing casts, spey casting, and even more if you want to get into the science of the casts. What causes the loops to be shaped so

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many different ways? What are the variables of a cast? If you have an interest in learning about casting, check out Fly Fishers International’s website. They are the solid, no BS source of fly fishing information. https://flyfishersinternational. org/Education/Learning-Center/ Casting/Casting-Instruction There’s so much to do even if the weather is not letting you go out to fish as often as you would like. Take advantage of the resources Fly Fishers International has to offer and support them. Membership is very inexpensive. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and watch a good video or two on fly casting and then think about how you will apply them to your next trip. It’s going to get better, so hang in there.

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Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore USCG www.oconeeonthefly.com If you are reading this, there is a good chance you have heard of, or know Captain Doug Nelms. Doug has been guiding here on Oconee for at least 20 years and loves promoting fishing for striped bass, hybrid bass and crappie. Doug is a great organizer and knows practically everyone who fishes this lake. He started the “The Derby” in 2015 as a 1-day tournament to help buy Christmas presents for the foster kids of Rockdale County. In 2018, Capt. Doug read a book about the grand striper tournament put on every year at Martha’s Vineyard that goes on for six weeks. He thought this was a great idea, so The Derby moved from a one-day to an eight-week event. The timing of The Derby is February through April when the fishing here is at its peak. It has been a success, as anglers embraced the idea of not being boxed into fishing just one day, but several weeks. The Derby dates are February 20 - April 18, 2021. Everyone is invited to compete in The Derby and will be welcomed by your fellow anglers! A registration fee of $150.00 must be paid BEFORE opening day for you and/or your boat to be eligible. If you are competing in the Calcutta (where you can win in a lot of different ways), an additional $50 must be paid at registration. Get all the details at www.oconeederby.com. At the end of the competition, there is a Champions Party that is worth the price of admission, with a cool ring ceremony and trophy presentation. You do not want to miss this! February Forecast Hybrids/Stripers – Looking back at last February, trolling crankbaits for hybrids and stripers was still very productive. We had a lot of rain in January, and this pushed the fish to the mouth of Richland Creek where the water was much clearer. I believe we will see

a repeat of this pattern this February. You can troll your gas motor at 3 mph or less. I use Shad Raps in sizes ranging from 5 to 7. I like the natural colors. If you are in The Derby, you might want to go bigger, like a size 9. It was won last year by Kevin Harris trolling a huge (yet secret) crankbait. February Forecast Crappie – February is crappie heaven here on Lake Oconee. The fish will have moved to the flats above I-20. Look in the Apalachee near the Swords boat ramp or up the Oconee near Redlands. You can long line a curly tail jig on Curtis Hobbs Litewire hooks for more numbers of fish or push a Jiffy Jig tipped with a minnow for monster crappie. You can get everything you need at Sugar Creek Marina. Final Words: Winter fishing here on Lake Oconee is incredible! Email me at wmoore1700@outlook.com or call 404-317-9556 and lock in your dates.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING CHATTOOGA RIVER

Winter is in full swing here on the rivers around the Chattooga River Fly Shop. Our new guide team has been putting clients on great fish so far this winter, and that trend looks great for February. We may not have received much snow yet this winter, but we are still hopeful the white stuff will grace us on the rivers at least once. Fishing in the snow is quite dynamic, and everyone should have the chance at least once in their lifetime to catch a few fish during the snowfall and enjoy the absolute beauty of nature during that time. Let’s remember as February sets in that we are still in winter, even here in the South. Good cold weather gear is a necessity for fishing during these cold winter days. Wearing cotton or denim jeans holds the moisture against your body, which

cools you down quickly while standing in the water. Save your jeans for after your fishing trip and casual wear. Wicking base layers and heavy wool pants (Redington I/O Fleece), and upper layers are great ideas for keeping warm. Wicking socks are a must as well to keep your feet warm and dry. Let’s remember not to let yourself get too cold while fishing, and a walk along the river bank for a few minutes to get the blood flowing back through your lower extremities will help you warm up quickly. Warmer days have been producing great numbers and large fish as well. Tight line nymphing has been a great way to land many fish. Fishing near the river bottom, where the water of the river is the warmest, has been the key to successful days. Heavy nymphs to get to the river bottom with small fly trailers is the way to go. A pinch or two of split shot may be necessary during higher stream flows. The use of streamers at this time of year is equally rewarding. While

fishing streamers, one must keep in mind that with the colder water temperatures, the small baitfish are lethargic as well. Casting your streamers slightly upstream, letting them fall in the water column, and twitching them through the drift will be successful. Also, after the drift and twitch, a slow pulsing retrieve can be very beneficial. The use of a sinking leader to keep your

streamers down or a pinch of split shot a foot above the streamer may be necessary. It will not be long until the warm weather of spring embraces us and we will be fishing dry flies to many rising fish. We hope to see everyone out on the rivers, and let’s remember to enjoy the beauty of our greater outdoors while leaving “No Trace”.

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING THE GUIDES ANGLE

LAKE BLUE RIDGE

a tailwater fishery, but trout fishing

MATCHING THE WINTER HATCH

Contributed By: Chris Scalley River Through Atlanta Guide Service During the months of February and March, Lake Lanier will have its coolest water temperatures caused by extreme winter weather. Small baitfish that inhabit the lake called threadfin shad and blueback herring are susceptible to extreme cold conditions causing mortality known as “winter kill”. Major winter weather systems like a polar vortex scenario can cause surface temps to plummet overnight result-

ing in catastrophic bait kills. These hapless victims will gradually drift to the south end of Lake Lanier and exit the penstocks of Buford Dam. These past few winters have been quite mild, so winter kills have not been heavy on the lake. Let’s hope for a cold winter to help create plenty of “winter bait kill” so the trout in the Chattahoochee tailwater have another source of protein.

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

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Water temperature: 42 degrees, lake level: -14 feet, clarity: 5 feet. The lake has reached winter pool and winter temps. The bite has slowed down a bit, but there’s still plenty of fish being caught. We are mainly targeting spots and big pre-spawn yellow perch. The perch have been schooled up pretty good, but they are not staying in one place long. They are keyed in on the schools of baitfish that are moving in and out of pockets and ditches in the early morning. Find the birds working early in the morning and you will find the perch underneath that ball of bait. Loons and seagulls are your friends right now. Minnows, small jigs, spoons or a com-

bination of any will catch fish. The water is cold, so the presentation needs to be slow. You want your bait just off the bottom with a small twitch. Work an area for 15 to 20 minutes. If you’re not putting fish in the boat, move on and find another school. Around mid-day, look for a grassy bottom or some type of structure as the fish will look for cover with the bright sun. On cloudy days, the fish will be more mobile and will continue to chase schools of bait into the mid-day hours. Smaller spotted bass are schooled up cruising near the perch. Average size is about 1.5-pounds, but there are some big schools cruising in 30 to 40 feet of water. The bigger fish seem to be in 50 feet of water or deeper. We have seen a few walleye and a few smallmouth as well, but both are pretty sluggish right now. Look for that action to pick up next month.

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FEBRUARY 27TH SNOW MOON 8 ATLANTA

FEBRUARY 2021

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LOCAL RIVERS & FLY FISHING

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PREPPING FOR SPRING Contributed by David Hulsey International Federation of Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor http://www.hulseyflyfishing.com 770-639-4001

February in the Southern Appalachians can be brutally cold with a few sunny days thrown in there to keep us confused. It’s a good time of year to repair and prepare your gear for the upcoming warm carefree days of spring. Hatches are sparse with a few black caddis starting to come off at the end of the month. Usually, by this time we are getting tired of dredging the bottom of the river for takers and long for the sweet of the year when the trout are looking up. Late winter is a perfect time to make plans for future trips. Early planning for trying a new fly fishing skill or visiting a new piece of water is a good thing. I tie all my own leaders and flies that I use personally and for guide trips. Dead winter is a good time to get out in front of the trips and stock up with patterns and leader configurations

that I use the most of throughout the year. I use literally thousands of flies and hundreds of leaders through the four seasons, so having a stash is really helpful. Trying to learn a new thing or two or sharpening up on your casting is a sure way to put a few more fish in the net or on the boat. By far, my most popular fly casting work shop is the distance class. Typically, the average fly fisher can cast 35 to 40 feet or so without too much effort. On the trout stream that’s usually enough distance to reach just about any fish. Once you step onto a flats skiff or into a giant steelhead stream in the Pacific Northwest, you will find yourself under gunned for sure if you can’t throw out any more line than that. So, taking a lesson or two can get you in the game in no time. For those just starting out in the

fly fishing game, taking a class will dramatically shorten your learning curve without a doubt. Hands on and on water classes are best to get your feet wet, so to speak. We feel you can learn a lot more by doing it than talking about it. Folks who are just curious about fly fishing will get more out of a short jaunt into the sport than a full day. We take a lot of couples on their first adven-

ture in a 3 hour class that is tailor made by 4 decades of experience in fly fishing. It’s inexpensive and a ton of fun, and trout usually make an appearance too! With Valentine’s Day coming up this month, what better way to tell someone you love them than by getting them an experience that may start a spark that might last a lifetime! I’ll see you on the river!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE SINCLAIR Forecast By: Ken Sturdivant ken@southernfishing.com

over the grass and around docks can get a strike, but later each day with the warming waters.

Lake Sinclair is down 1.1 feet with the water stained and the temperature in the 50s. Bass fishing is fair. The rivers are heavily stained, and it’s best to fish down lake. Work the heavy brush on points and docks on the lake. Use the Stanley dark green or all black 1/2 ounce jig and a larger Bo Hawg pork trailer on the heavy cover. This is a great dock lake all year and especially mid-fall into the winter. Just pick a creek and work every dock. Little River is also a great area for fall fishing with a bone or parrot colored crankbait. Cast a dark red and black Texas rigged Berkley Power worm in the larger sizes slowly worked on the docks on the lower lake. Slow roll a willow leaf blade combo in gold on points. Using larger dark worms

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST or even a family outing on Lake Lanier and provide information on accommodations, dining and outdoor recreational requests. For more information on Gainesville,

REEL TIME By Regina Dyer

Gainesville CVB Manager O 770.531.2664 M 678.780.7865 www.gainesville.org

Lake Lanier is 38,000 acres of world class fishing and is open YEAR round. Each year over 11 million visitors come to Lake Lanier to take part in fishing, kayaking, rowing, boating and a multitude of outdoor recreational activities. Beginning in late January, the spotted bass on Lake Lanier are starting to bite, and by mid-February there are dozens of tournaments bringing thousands of anglers to the waters. It is not uncommon to reel in a five pound spot during this time. Gainesville is home to one of the largest ramps in the Southeast, Laurel Park, which has hosted tournaments from high school championships to pro tour stops. This mega-ramp hosts all the amenities to conduct a large scale tournament. Ample parking, 8 boat pull in ramp, amphitheater area, restrooms and convenient location make this one

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LAKE ALLATOONA Forecast By: Capt. Robert Eidson www.firstbiteguideservice.com eidson6260@att.net

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Lineside fishing is good! Normally, a full moon phase will kill the fishing, but this wasn’t the case this month. It actually triggered the bite. The schools that have had lock jaw for the last five weeks have decided it’s time to feed and will eat almost anything, Shad, trout and shiners fished on downlines, freelines and planer boards will all get you bit right now. The bite is nothing like it is in the summertime, but compared to the last two months, it is on fire. Mid-lake to north has been fishing

best for my guides, but I bet there is a good bite on the south end as well. For trolling, the umbrella rig bite is probably the best overall bite if you’re looking for hybrids and stripers, but look for these fish to be on the smaller size. This week, I have been pulling my rigs 75-80 feet behind the boat on a 16-20 bottom. These fish are on the move, so make sure you cover a lot of water. I have caught fish as far north as the S-turns this week and all the way south to the dam. Topwater bite is good. I have seen more topwater this week than I have seen in months. Fishing is fixing to break wide open.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST JACKSON LAKE By Brian Lee leebrian16 @yahoo.com Water temperature: mid -upper 40’s, lake level: full, clarity: heavy stain. It’s that time of the year again when bass fishing on Jackson starts to get good. This month has always been one of the best months to fish Jackson as the bass will start to transition to spawn. Bass will flood the shallow water as they prepare to move up onto spawning areas. The most consistent bite is down lake for big spotted bass. A Lucky Craft jerk bait or a Fish Head Spin are the key baits for this bite. Look for schools of bass near bait or just keep moving till you get bit. Once you get bit, slow down. All it takes is one bite to fire up these schools of big spotted bass and you can get

right quick. A DT 6 on long rocky points leading to spawning areas will have bass on them as they start to migrate shallow to spawn. Any shallow wood cover shouldn’t be ignored either. Flipping a jig around this cover can produce a hefty largemouth at any given moment. Jig color will be determined by the water color. Bass will start to move shallow and shallower especially if we see several consecutive days of warmer weather. The shallow crankbait bite will begin to heat up, as bass of all sizes will be there. Look for the bass to continue migrating to spawning areas as the month goes on. Bass fishing from here on out will only get better. Don’t be surprised to see the bass further along than expected if the weather gets warm. Once they commit to going shallow, they will stay there until they finish their purpose. Keep an open mind as to what and where you may need to fish or throw this time of the year.

LAKE BURTON Forecast by: Capt. Wes Carlton Georgia Lake Fishing 770-318-9777 www.georgialakefishing.com Water temperature: 46 degrees, lake level: 3 feet below full pool, clarity: clear. Bass: The bass bite has been good the last few weeks. We have been catching most of our fish in a 23 to 30 foot bottom. Most of the bass seem to be picked up on long rocky points and in the mouths of coves. Silver Flex-it spoons have been working best. These fish are very lethargic and take the bait slowly. Be patient when fishing this pattern. A telltale sign that we’re in a winter pattern is reeling a bass up off the

“We have also caught a few largemouth bass on small white crankbaits.”

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bottom and the color of the fish has red clay stains. We have also caught a few largemouth bass on small white crankbaits. Look for this pattern to continue for a couple more weeks as we near the end of February. Trout: The brown trout bite has been decent lately. We have caught most of our fish trolling jerk baits in the mouths of creeks. Mid-lake seems to be a hot spot for a lot of the younger fish right now. Any herring color bait seems to be working well. We have adjusted our trolling speed to 3.5mph with lots of S-turns to get the fish to react. Look for the trout bite to get better as we near the first of March. Good luck!

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST FEBRUARY – TIME FOR PRE-SPAWN Contributed By: Jim “Jimbo” Mathley www.jimboonlanier.com

The early pre-spawn on Lake Lanier can be a fantastic time to catch a huge spotted or largemouth bass. The fish have been lethargic due to the colder water, and biologically, they are triggered to begin feeding in preparation for the arduous spawning process that will soon follow. Typically, the largemouth females emerge from the deeper water first. What triggers this move to shallower water? Where will these big fish emerge? How do you catch them? These are all excellent questions the answers to which we will explore in detail in this month’s article. Optimal Conditions: The biggest factor in the bass beginning their trek shallower is the steady lengthening of daylight we experience as the calendar progresses forward. The longer days are nature’s signal to the bass that it is time to start focusing on the reproduction cycle. This integral need will also trigger a feeding urge. Ideally, look for a 3 or 4 day period of stable weather accompanied by a warming trend. The trend upward in temperature does not have to be huge, just a degree or two in surface temperature can make the difference and trigger the fish to move shallower. Location: Fish travel much like we do – on “highways”. Fish highways include areas like the main river channel, creek channels, and ditches within or near those channels. The bait and fish move methodically along these paths and look for cover to which they can relate for food,

protection, and often in the case of the bass, ambush opportunity. Understand that fish are not going to randomly appear. They travel these “highways” and seek likely stopping points along the way. Creeks: As I pursue the ditches and channels within the creek near areas that I have been catching fish, I look for likely stopping points; a secondary point with deep water close by, for example. Other viable locations include: deep pockets with a small flat or ledge near the point of entry, small bays, or “guts” that receive all day sun and are located right next to the creek or river channel. Boat docks located over or near a channel bend or creek channel ditch in deeper water can be excellent choices too, particularly if the area in which the dock is located receives allday sun. Also, focus on pockets that are protected from a north wind. Main-Lake: The main body of water can also be an excellent location to target early pre-spawn bass. When fishing the main lake during the early pre-spawn period, I like to focus on points and humps that are near the main river channel and offer sharp contour breaks and therefore ease of access to feeding flats or ledges within these areas from deep water. Obviously, cover in these areas will provide an ambush spot for these pre-spawn monsters, so a well-placed brush pile can improve your results! Lures and Presentation: Let’s examine some possible lure choices

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and techniques to catch these fish. In selecting and working a lure, remember that the water temperatures are still traditionally cold during the early pre-spawn period and therefore the fish’s metabolism is reduced. The fish will move slower, and so should your lure presentation. As far as lure colors, I tend to stick with natural colors in the spring as I do all year-long. Green, brown, and white are generally found somewhere in the lures I am utilizing in the spring. If you are not getting bit, switch colors or lure type. Jerkbait – One of my favorite early spring lures. These lures mimic expiring baitfish and represent an easy meal for lethargic bass. I prefer a deeper-diving model such as the SPRO McRip in early spring. Work these lures in the areas mentioned above with a very slow cadence. Offer small twitches or short pulls of the jerkbait followed by LONG pauses. Vary your cadence until you find the right combination. Georgia Blade Underspin– This can be a very productive lure in the early pre-spawn period as well as throughout the spawn and into post-spawn. Work the lure by slowrolling the bait in the likely areas we have discussed. In most cases, maintaining contact with the bottom is important. I prefer a boot-tail trailer this time of year. It imparts

more vibration in the lure and allows you to work the lure more slowly. Crankbait – The Rapala Shad Raps are great choices in the early spring. If the fish are not shallow on the flats, and I am unable to get bites with the shallow-running models, I will switch to a medium depth crankbait such as one of the SPRO Medium Divers. If this fails, I will probe the deeper depths on the ends of flats, points, and humps with a deep runner such as a SPRO Little John DD. Work these baits slowly and attempt to deflect the bait off of cover or the bottom as much as possible. Worm/Jig – When all else fails and when the fish are bottom-locked, do not ignore the Georgia Blade shaky head/worm combo as well as the Georgia Jig. Drag these baits in likely areas very slowly, imparting periods of motionlessness on the bait. Often, bites will occur this time of year when you are simply allowing the bait to remain still following a slow drag or slight hop. Early pre-spawn is a great time of year to fish. Often, this is the time when you are most likely to catch the bass of your life! Get out there and fish! For more information or to book your trip, contact Jimbo on Lanier! 770-542-7764. Jimbo’s website: www. jimboonlanier.com.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE ALLATOONA 404-834-0007 The striped bass and hybrid bite has been phenomenal all winter on Allatoona. Consistent areas have been mid-lake from Victoria to Bartow Carver and even south to Coopers Branch/Dam areas. While last year this time the fish had already surged into Iron Hill/Allatoona Pass and south, the water clarity and quality have been decent enough mid-lake, and the fish have been holding to those areas well. Downlines baited with threadfin shad and small to medium gizzard shad and small to medium trout will likely continue to be the most productive technique through this month. The hybrids and stripers will continue to be concentrated in the 30-40’ depth range for the most part during the winter. These are not exclusive depths, but your electronics will tell the tale. These fish will continue to relate to and move through the main and even secondary channels and

ditches. Right now, a lot of the recorded feeding we are witnessing is happening on the edges of the main channels where the linesides have pushed the bait up to from the main channel. These locales have been great for us, and a lot of our best catches have come when we time it right. Freelines have been producing well still. Sometimes our freelines are simply baited with a medium

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Mini down even while live bait fishing, you might find this gets the bite before the individual live baits. Adjust accordingly. The crappie bite has been pretty good and is expected to rock and roll this month! These fish will be staging up in the channels, especially near the mouths of their favorite creeks such as Little River, Sweetwater and Kellogg Creek for the north end and the same may be found in similar staging grounds all the way to Allatoona Creek. Trolling for them will continue to be a very effective technique with as many rods as you think you and your partner can manage. Do not let any weather keep you from adventure. We’d love to have you out for an Adventure with us so feel free to reach out any time. God Bless you and good fishing!

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shiner on a number 2 or 4 hook on light line complemented by a small 3/0 split shot when trolling at .5 mph. Sometimes these are the only lines getting the bite. Having the freelines out truly puts us in a better position to hone in on exactly what the fish want. Side-planers with a bigger bait or two in the spread are a good idea if you can manage it. Sometimes this may be the preferred technique, especially when you are hunting for a larger fish that might be cruising the area and willing to expend some energy to go after a good-sized meal. Trolling the Mini-Mack’s (125’ out) and full-size umbrella rigs (75-100’ out) will have its moments of glory even through this winter. These are fantastic tools to use for scouting and locating fish. If you have the capacity to keep even one

Ingredients 1 (2 to 3-pound) or 2 (1 to 1 1/2-pounds) whole striped bass, gutted and scaled 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 1 large bunch fresh parsley, plus extra, for serving 1 large bunch fresh dill 1 large lemon, thinly sliced 1 large onion, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper Directions Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Trim the fins from the fish, rinse and pat dry. Set aside. Rub the bottom of a roasting pan with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place 1/2 of the parsley, dill, lemon and onion in the center of the roasting pan. Make sure that this mound of aromatics is high enough to prevent the fish from touching the bottom of the pan. Rub the fish inside and out with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Season the fish inside and out with the salt and pepper and lay on the bed of aromatics. Place the second half of the aromatics on top of the fish and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before transferring whole to a platter lined with the additional fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LEARNING NEW FISHING TECHNOLOGY: IS THIS ESSENTIAL TO ANGLING? Dr. Andrew Cox

Upon reading this article, you have probably had time to experiment with or use some of the gift items that you received as holiday gifts. Most likely, many of these gift items included or involved the use of technology. Hopefully, you were able to master the use of these items successfully; unfortunately you may have also experienced a great deal of stress in attempting to use these items. Technology seems to be everywhere in our lives and has found its way into the fishing world. Equipment, gadgets, and accessories not available even a few years ago are fairly commonplace in the angler’s arsenal. Even with this technology, I still wonder if we catch more fish with such technology. It can make fishing more enjoyable or become a source of irritation. I am old enough to remember

the advent of “depth finders” or “flashers”. These were the early prototypes of today’s fish finders and chartplotters. I also remember hand operated electric or “trolling” motors that turned on by twisting the handle, had limited speeds, and had to be operated by hand. Temperature gauges in boats or even hand held temperature gauges are another fishing accessory that I remember coming onto the market. Trolling motors are now available that self deploy using a remote control sensor device, or optional high tech foot control unit for operation, and an electronic anchoring system that allows you to remain in a certain spot on the water. These motors will also operate remotely through deployment of GPS coordinates. Fish finders/chartplotters have also made great strides in technology. New generation fish finders allow

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past. The internet and particularly YouTube content can be of great assistance in mastering your new fishing items or gadgets received as gifts during the recent holiday season. I anticipate that technology will continue to exert an influence upon the equipment that we use to enjoy our sport. I wonder what fish finders and electric motors will do in ten years? What specialized gadgets and technology will be on the rods and reels that we use in the future? What accessories will be considered essential on the fishing boats of tomorrow? Only time will tell. Author’s Note: Dr. Andrew Cox is a contributing writer to outdoor publications and newspapers. His writing interests specialize in angling and travel, human interest, and general fishing technique oriented topics. He is a member of the Georgia Outdoor Writer’s Association. He has been fishing the waters of Georgia, Alabama, and north Florida for over forty years. Dr. Cox financially supports his fishing habits as Professor Emeritus at Troy University, Phenix City, Alabama. He may be contacted at andrewtrout@aol.com.

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the angler to establish waypoints so that you can return to desired areas, download maps for specific bodies of water or locations, and save desired fishing locations for future days on the water. Such technology takes practice to master. The rods and reels that we use today have been impacted by technology. Rods now have “microguides” and high tech rod blanks that increase sensitivity. Casting reels have sophisticated breaking and drag systems to reduce “backlashes”. Spinning reels have skirted spools to reduce “birdnests” and been modified for the use of braided line. Boating equipment has also evolved. The “PowerPole” technology has revolutionized boat operation and maneuverability while fishing. The internet now provides a wealth of fishing information. YouTube has a wealth of information on casting, and specialized angling techniques as well as niche topics such as fly tying, lure and rod construction. We can become expert anglers in a fraction of the time that was required through the trial and error approaches of the

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST 2021 SALTWATER CLUB TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE By Chuck Alford, ASWSC, chuckalford@comcast.net The tournament schedule for 2021 is out! After having several of our 2020 tournaments cancelled due to COVID-19 and hurricanes, we have a really great year planned to make up for it. We will have two categories of tournaments; our traditional format allows for points scored with both inshore and offshore fish which are awarded based on the weight of fish brought in. When the bite is on, it can be difficult for the bay boats and skiffs to compete with bigger boats heading offshore, so to level the playing field, we have a full slate of separate inshore tournaments with scoring based on pictures of the measured length of fish. This allows for catch and release of species such as over slot redfish. (No restrictions on measuring, then putting legal fish in the cooler)! For most locations, we will be running both categories of tournaments simultaneously. We are starting off with our 33-year tradition of our sailfish tournament in West Palm Beach. When the sailfish migrate through in the winter with the Gulf Stream only 3 or 4 miles offshore, this legendary fishery is one of the best places to catch a sailfish anywhere. This tournament is unique in that the only scoring is based on sailfish releases. We then head to the Florida panhandle. Panama City Beach in March will see the redfish and trout chewing, the sheepshead bite on fire and the bay is full of Spanish mackerel that time of year. Next is the Big Bend of Florida. In Steinhatchee, the inshore fishing is great, and in April, gag grouper will be open in state waters for the folks heading offshore. We will be heading to Savannah at the beginning of May. The inshore fishery is incredibly good there, and the offshore experience can be phenomenal. The Gulf Stream is a long run but is typically on fire with the mahi mahi migration that time of year with the occasional wahoo, blackfin tuna or sailfish mixed in, and the snapper banks have some nice bottom fishing.

Then on to Apalachicola Florida, the one we all wait for. Red snapper galore! Need I say more? The town of Apalachicola is old school Florida from 100 years ago, and the fishing is great. It is one of the big favorites of the club, and we always make sure we are here during red snapper season in June. This is followed by another staple of the club, Orange Beach, Alabama. Based on past seasons, there is a good chance red snapper will still be open, at least on the weekends, and this may be the best location in the world for them. The deep-water canyons and oil rigs are in reach for tuna, mahi and billfish, and we wrap things up by boating to Pensacola and rafting up to enjoy their annual Blue Angels air show. In August, we go back to Apalachicola. Red snapper will be closed, but the grouper fishing there is very good, and we love the town and Bay City Lodge. In September, we are going to Pensacola. It will be the club’s first tournament there in several years. Offshore, you can reach all the same areas as Orange Beach, and Pensacola Bay offers a huge variety of wonderful inshore opportunities. In October we go to Grand Isle, Louisiana. This is a trip dreams are made of. Most folks have heard of the world class fishing in Venice, LA. Grand Isle has access to the same fishery, while being easier and more accessible for private boaters. This area has some of the best redfish and tuna fishing in the world, and Bridgeside Marina is another old school fish camp that is so hard to find these days. We will wrap up in Carrabelle, FL. Back to the old school theme in a small fishing village with trout and redfish all over the place this time of year. Last year, the trout fishing was amazing, and quite a few monster redfish were caught. The Atlanta Saltwater Sportsman Club (ASWSC) is the largest inland saltwater fishing club in the US and it has been active since 1987, and today is accepted as the

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST BLUSTERY BASS DAY ON BLUE RIDGE By Gary Turner

The plan was set a week out; meet at Lake Blue Ridge at 7:30am as the bite for bass and yellow perch was good. I had two friends invited to go with me, but they both backed out. They must have ESP or checked the weather. Yep, cold front coming with temps dropping into the 20’s and possible snow. Eric Crowley messages me the day before and says, “Let’s make it 9:00am. The forecast is 25 and windy.” The next morning I get up and going. I had all of my clothing laid out the night before: Levi’s covered by Omni-heat insulated pants, two shirts, two light coats and insulated boots. I don’t know about y’all, but when I sleep I forget everything I had planned before I went to sleep, so it’s best to get everything ready before I go to sleep. I’m up and all ready and in the truck on time! It’s a peachy 22 degrees. When I get to the end of the driveway, I realize I don’t have my snack bag, so I turned around, grab the snacks (I like to snack while I drive) and head out again. Listening to the radio, I’m excited about the fish we are going to catch on this frosty day! I call and chat with my brother who says something that reminds me about COATS! I’m a little warm natured and often don’t wear a jacket but this is the 20’s! Even with all my clothes laid out, I had walked out not once, but twice, not noticing

I had forgotten to put on my coats. I tell my brother I have to go. I have a problem. I’m already past Gainesville, so I pull over, look in the back seat, and there is one Columbia rain jacket. I’m not scared of a little cold, but this was too cold for even me to be on a boat zooming around a lake in the 20’s and windy. I turn around and go back to the only thing I see open, the green Walmart. Guess what? That Walmart doesn’t sell coats. Who knew? I start back up the road again, and I call Eric. After he finishes laughing, he says he has an assortment of coats and stuff in his truck. Thank goodness! I was wondering just how long I was going to last in that rain jacket. I fished in blue jeans in the Kenai in Alaska a few times before I invested in insulated waders. I do what I have to do to try and catch fish! My fishing buddy Roy Holiday always says, “If you are going be dumb, you better be tough.” Guess that is me some days. Well, I finally make it to the Lakewood boat ramp and it’s a nice 24 degrees with the sun peeking out for just a second. I grabbed a coat from Eric, put my windbreaker over it, and off we went. The wind was not howling, thank goodness, but the ride to our secret fishing spots did leave me with rosy cheeks. We marked fish and commenced to dropping baits. The birds were

working bait, and there were large schools of yellow perch and other assorted fish marking the screen. We had a bite and missed it, then another bite and missed it. Oh, I see what kind of day it’s going to be. You would think I would have seen the clues. We marked some more and tried another spot. This one had fish that were feeding, not real actively, but feeding slowly. Finally, I hooked into one! I thought it was going to be a perch, but when it started taking line on the Penn Battle III, I figured it must be a spot. Sure enough, it was a nice spot. We were using small minnows and small hooks. Since the fish were not feeding very actively, we wanted to use the most enticing baits. After several spotted bass and yellow perch, we called it a day. Overall, we had a great time! Once you get used to the cold and start talking about fishing in West Palm Beach, as both of us love fishing there too, you forget how cold it really is. Eric and I are already thinking about where we are going to fish next. Eric is the guru of catching walleye, spots and perch on both Carters Lake and Blue Ridge. I have learned everything I know about catching Georgia walleye from him.

If you want to catch fish on Carters Lake or Blue Ridge, he is the person to go with. His guide service is Lake and Stream Guide Service. You can get more information on fishing with Eric at his website, www. lakeandstreamguideservice.com, and you can also email him at lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com. He can also be reached at (706) 6694973 when he is not fishing. I’m not sure what next month’s article will be on, but remember, if you have an empty seat on your boat that needs filling, shoot me an email and maybe it will be about fishing with you! You can reach me at gary@ purgeright.com. Please remember, if you are not going to eat it, don’t kill it.

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Water temperature: 52-53 degrees, lake level 484.00 (full pool 491.00), clarity: clear to slightly stained. As predicted, January was awesome fishing. It was very cold, but the bite was on, to say the least. We were boating 15-40 stripers per boat per trip ranging in size from 5 to 12-pounds with an occasional 20-pounder, and in fact, had a 25-pounder one day. These class fish are your typical winter fish in huge schools. February will start out pretty much like January with huge schools of stripers still in the 40 foot depth feeding on very small herring and shad. We will be downlining live bait to them for best results, however, you

can catch these fish bouncing small hair jigs in the schools if you don’t have live bait. Towards the end of this month, we will start pulling some planer boards in hopes of finding the larger class striper in the 15 to 40-pound range. Major creek channels and the main river channel will be our focal points when boarding for the larger stripers. In February, always go prepared to fish for both deep water fish and the shallower bite as well, and you shouldn’t be disappointed. As I mention a lot in my articles, especially in the winter you want to take advantage of watching for sea gulls, and they will lead you to fish. I didn’t mention any particular place to target for February due to the fact that there should be plenty of stripers to find at most any area of the lake. Don’t just zero in on one certain area. Until next time, catch them up!

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The weather has a turned cold all over the South. With the water temperatures dropping to the 50’s, catching fish, especially crappie, might not sound like a good plan, but there are some really good fish biting right now for the diehard crappie angler. The secret to these fish is to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology to search the docks and creeks. This technology eliminates going “fishing”, but rather start by going “hunting”. One way to understand this technology is to think about a small handful of rice and lay it on a towel. All the “dots” on the Lowrance technology would look like the kernels of rice. These are tight schools of crappie since they all bunch up together. On larger lakes, scan a row of deep docks that have at least 25 feet of water under them. These crappie are now schooled up in very large schools at depths less than 10 feet deep at times. The common expectation is to find them deep, but these fish are under the docks so thick that basic sonar cannot look under the docks. These fish will always be very tightly bunched up and easy to see. Once they are located, there are two ways to determine if they are actively feeding or not. When we see these fish in tight schools, they are either locked on the bottom or tight in the structure or they will move out and suspend on their structure. When they suspend, they will bite. When the water is very cold, these fish sometime will not chase a minnow. It’s too much work. But carry a few minnows, because they take them. So now get out the tiny spinning rods and reels, 2 and 4 pound line and a variety of tiny lures. For artificial lures, go small. Small mini tube jigs from Bass Pro Shops called

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P Squirts and a variety of ATX Lures in small sizes are great all year baits. Take lots of colors and even multi colored baits by these companies. Buy small 1/16th and 1/8 ounce lead heads. Rig these baits up and head to the lake. Small floats can work on the rigs and minnows. Most anglers also use a unique technique called “shooting”. Use the reverse action of the spinning rods. Hold the bait with the fingers and “shoot” these jigs under the docks. The bait will swing slowly under the dock, and the fish will simply grab it before it sinks past them. Try some extra scent on the lures and even on live bait. Adding some extra scent to these baits can make a fish bite that would not have without it. Cold weather crappie schools are under these docks. Find the active school and you can load a cooler. If you would like to have tackle box list for crappie, send an e mail to kensturdivant@att.net.

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Bass: Fair - The shallow bite for bass is only fair right now but could improve quickly in February, especially with a warm rain and extended warming trend. Stained water, higher than normal lake levels, and water temps in the low 60’s will turn things on quickly. Baits such as crawdad Shad Raps, Rat-L-Traps and chatterbaits will produce on these shallower fish. Try to fish these baits in coves and pockets with small feeder creeks or around schools of baitfish. Keep a jig or shaky head handy to pitch around any wood cover. Fishing rip-rap can also yield good results this time of year. The rocks warm quickly and retain heat. Yellow Jacket and Whitewater Creeks should continue to produce. On the other hand, a snow or ice storm in early February could shut the shallow bite down completely! Water temps in the 30’s and 40’s make it super tough. If the lake stays cold and clear, go deep! Big schools of spots mixed with hybrids, white bass and stripers can be caught on jigging spoons, drop-shot rigs and shaky head rigs on humps and drop-offs. Target deeper offshore structure like brush piles and old road beds in 20-30 feet of water near the mouth of most major creeks for the best results. Linesides: Good - The downline bite with shad or bass shiners has improved as the water has cooled off, and in most years, stays pretty good all winter. Most of the fish seem to be holding 20 to 30 feet deep during the mid-day time frame. Expect the topwater fishing to be sporadic. It’s usually best very early and very late, or on overcast or rainy days. Gulls and loons are here now, which makes it easier to pinpoint schooling stripers and hybrids. Keep your eyes open! A 3/8 or 1/2-ounce white Rooster Tail, a chrome C.C. Spoon and a number of other small shad imitators have also been producing, 26 ATLANTA

FEBRUARY 2021

and the colder it gets, the better the deep water fishing usually is (within reason of course). In cold water, a bucktail jig becomes very effective as well. The mouths of most creeks anywhere south of the Highland Marina area all the way to the dam and Maple Creek have been holding fish. Trolling with mid-depth crankbaits and Alabama Rigs also continues to produce some linesides in these same areas. Crappie: Fair - Try tight line fishing with minnows or a 1/16 or 1/8-ounce jig around bridge pilings, brush piles, and blowdowns in 15 to 20 feet of water. Concentrate on trees and brush that are close to the old creek channels. Pitching or shooting deep water docks with small tubes or feather jigs around or under the docks can still produce this time of year. As usual, crappie seem to love shade and cover. Yellow Jacket, Wehadkee and Whitewater Creeks are still producing some crappie. Spider trolling usually works well in February as well and can be very effective. If February turns unusually warm and wet, the crappie can show back up surprisingly shallow very quickly!

By Capt Sam Williams hawk184@earthlink.net 334-687-6266 Water temperature: low 50’s, lake level: 188.34 msl, clarity: heavy stain. The cold, windy and rainy conditions have kept fishermen indoors for the most part. Covid-19 has slowed down the guide business due to travel precautions, but fishing and outdoor activities are still safe during these crazy times. The fish remain lethargic in the cool water. Bass are holding in deeper, warmer water early. Locate the structure on your electronics and work the areas out with different baits to entice a strike. Deep crankbaits can cover an area faster. If that does not get their interest, vertically work a jigging spoon in the fish you see on the electronics. You can keep it in front of them longer. The hammered spoon creates a flash if the water is clear enough and also causes a vibration that attracts their attention. As the sun rises and the shallows warm, watch for the birds to begin to feed. Work these areas with blade baits. Chatterbaits are

good in the dirty water. Soft plastics on a Texas rig or shaky head worked slowly are a good bet. Red shades are good in dirty water. Working a jerk bait or Spook with deliberate motions will create action that will draw attention to a lazy bass. Crappie are still holding on the deeper trash and structure in 12 to 20 feet. Minnows are the answer for a good mess for the table. Jigging with a minnow attached can get them excited. Catfish are still feeding on jugs. Cut bait is a good choice. We are now taking entries for the Scott Woodruff Heart Transplant Tournament. Go to the Albany Bass Club website to register. The Alabama Classic Bass Tournament is also open for registration now. Thanks to Alfa Insurance, we have a guaranteed first place check for $5,000.00 ready for the winning team and a total of $15,000.00 purse for the top fifteen teams. Boat numbers will be assigned upon receipt of paid entry fees. All information is on both websites. Be safe on the water. Dress warmly and enjoy the beautiful outdoors God has provided for us. Pray for one another in these trying times and always remember America was founded for freedom to worship. Trusting God is our answer. God bless and good fishing.

“Bass are holding in deeper, warmer water early. Locate the structure on your electronics and work the areas out with different baits to entice a strike.”

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LANIER STRIPERS Forecast by: Clay Cunningham www.catchingnotfishing.com 770-630-2673 Looks like the striper fishing this February will be a repeat of last February. The stripers have been deep with the deep bait all winter and will continue to do so until the weather finally makes a turn toward spring. We need some sun to warm the water for the bait to make a shift shallow. Most of the bait has been 50-80 feet deep. There have been a few fish shallow that can be easy to catch but not big numbers. Live bait has continued to be the best pattern over the deep bait. As the bait continues to condense in the creeks, this pattern will not change much except that they will progressively move shallower as spring gets closer. Trout has been the best bait all winter. Herring has been working as well. The problem has been getting herring. With the bait very

deep, the bait catchers have been working extremely hard to keep the bait stores supplied. Keep as many Shakespeare striper rods rigged as possible with Penn Fathom Linecounter reels spooled with 15-pound Trilene Big Game. Rig several of these striper rods with downlines. Tie on a 2 ounce Capt. Mack swivel sinker, a four foot leader of Trilene 100% 12-pound Flourocarbon and a Gamakatsu size 1/0 Octopus hook for the trout and a size 1 Gamakatsu octopus hook for the herring. These hooks are tiny but incredibly strong. Great electronics like the Humminbird Solix will greatly increase your success as well. You should be able to see your bait almost hit the fish on the head with the electronics. Also, the down imaging of the Solix allows you to see into the bait with more detail. Many times you will see fish with down imaging that is hard to see with old school 2D.

If you want to use artificials, the Capt. Mack 3/8 ounce and 1/4 ounce bucktails will come into play in February. In clear water, go with the white bucktail and the chartreuse in stained water. Rig up a Penn Conflict 3000 with 10-pound Trilene Big Game on a 7 foot Medium Penn rod and you are ready for battle. If you prefer a baitcaster, match up an Abu Garcia Revo with an Abu Garcia Veritas 7’ medium casting rod. Do not use heavier than 10-pound line. Heavier line will decrease your

casting distance. This pattern will be best once the bait moves to the back of the creeks. Also of note, February can be the big fish month of the year as the females begin to feel the urge of the spring spawn. The metabolism of the big females will increase and they will be looking for a meal. Be sure to check all your lines for minor frays and knots in the line. The stripers are rebounding from the parasite that hurt the big fish a few years ago. Be prepared and don’t say the big one got away.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST LAKE SEMINOLE

WINTER, SWIMBAITS, JERK BAITS AND JIGS

Contributed By: Jay Striker www.jaystriker.com When fishing in the wintertime, there are a few things I like to look for to ensure that I’m successful. I hope this article clarifies some of the best ways to target fish in the winter and some of the baits, techniques and locations that get you a bite. Let me tell you why throwing jerk baits around floating docks, dragging jigs alongside the ditches of underground roadbeds, and throwing plain old swimbaits at suspending fish near drop-offs are some of the best techniques I have used while fishing in the wintertime. Jerk baits are a staple in the winter, especially here in the Southern lakes. When the water temperature gets down to 40 degrees, the shad will begin to die, and a jerk bait fits the bill. Using long pauses will help aid in enticing those fish to bite. In the winter, I prefer a jerk bait that dives a lot deeper and suspends. One of the best places to deploy a jerk bait is around docks in deeper water. In the South, there are a lot of floating docks, and when the sun comes out, the floats under the dock platform start to warm up. Throwing jerk baits around these docks can pay dividends. Using jigs in the wintertime is one of the best ways to catch the biggest fish of a lifetime. In the dead of winter, I’m looking for specific places to slow my jig down and catch fish, especially around roadbeds. Many roadbeds will have small rock, shell, and wood on them where fish will tend to bunch up. Brush piles along the roadbeds will get you some quality bites. The bass are not as active, but they will use the roadbeds as migration routes for feeding. I found that the ditches on both sides of the roadbed will hold fish and provide excellent opportunities to activate those fish schools. When looking for roadbeds, I will use my paper map first to find the right areas, and then use my electronics to define the key locations to start casting. The last of my favorite baits is a Strike King 3.25-inch swimbait on a Fish Head ¼ or ½ ounce V-lock swimbait head. Make long casts 28 ATLANTA

FEBRUARY 2021

around deep docks and slow roll it back to the boat. The key is to keep a consistent retrieve while letting the bait fall naturally and using the action of the tail to trigger bites. On sunny days in the winter, metal docks cannot be overlooked, and if there is a big pontoon boat there, they both will hold heat, and bass with gather there to soak us some of the warmth. When throwing a swimbait, I rarely use line over a 12-pound test in fluorocarbon. However, in thick cover where a heavier line is needed, 20 to 30-pound braid might get the call. When you head out to the lake this winter, remember the fish are there, and it may take a bit longer to see them. However, you just may be able to shorten the wait time by finding the right docks, roadbeds; using jigs, jerk baits, and swimbaits. Remember that we are blessed in the greatest country on earth to go out and enjoy what nature has to offer even when the mercury dips below freezing. Thanks everyone, for allowing me to carve out time in your day to read the Angler Magazine. Thanks for following me on Instagram and Facebook, and thanks for being part of the Striker Nation. www.jaystriker.com, God Bless the U.S.A .

Forecast By: by Capt. Paul Tyre paultyrefishing@yahoo.com The bass fishing on Lake Seminole has been very productive this winter! The water temperatures have fallen down to the mid 50’s and the Flint and Chattahoochee River arms of the lake have good stain. Spring Creek remains clear. We have been catching bass on a variety of lures from spinnerbaits and vibrating jigs to jerk baits. A double willow leaf Strike King Premier Plus ½ ounce spinnerbait in chartreuse and white has produced very well. This bait works well at fast speeds to generate a reaction strike. The new Strike King Thunder Cricket has been very productive this winter, and I expect it to continue to produce all the way into spring! This bait has incredible action to it and a built in trailer keeper that works! Jerk baits have worked well this winter also. The Strike King KVD jerk bait in the 200 Series and the 300 Series in any shad color has worked well. The Strike King KVD Series is one of my favorite jerk baits because it’s casting ability and

action. The key is working at a fast erratic pace. As we enter into February, the bass will be in full pre-spawn mode. It is one of the best months of the year to catch the biggest bass Lake Seminole has to offer, because the bass will be schooling up by size. For a Lake Seminole Fishing Adventure this winter, give us a call at 850-264-7534 or follow us on Instagram @ lakeseminolefishingadventures and Facebook @ paultyrefishing!

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

lakeandstreamguideservice@gmail.com

Water temperature: 43 degrees, lake level: -6 feet, clarity: 2 feet. The striper bite has been pretty good this winter. Gizzard shad or big fresh threadfin are the go-to baits right now. Some guys are catching them on trout as well, but we just haven’t been using them as the bait is still catchable. We are pulling flatlines, planers and downlines all day. Some fish are up at 20 feet and some are still holding deep near 60, but they are all interested in bait. The best pattern seems to be the worse the weather, the better the bite. Look

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for schools of fish in the backs of the creeks near the bait balls that are in just about every arm of the lake to start the day. About midmorning they seem to feed again, so don’t cut out early as 10 to 11am has seen pretty good action. The spots are relentless right now. If you’re fishing live bait, you are going to catch bass. They are schooled up chasing bait for what seems like all day. We haven’t been fishing much artificial baits as the shad bite is pretty hot. We have seen some fish in the 4-pound plus range almost every trip. The walleye are still holding pretty deep and tight to the bottom at 50 plus feet most days, but there have been some fish suspending near the bait balls in 25 to 35 feet in open water. Look for them to move shallower next month.

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LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST FISHING WITH THE BIRDS

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

If you fish virtually any of the Southeastern impoundments, you’ll notice the birds have returned for the winter. Seagulls and loons are getting fat on the abundance of bait available right now, and they will typically stay around for another month or so. For us anglers, the birds give us a lot of insight on where to fish. They can also be quite deceiving as well. First let’s examine seagulls. While seagulls can dive a foot or two in the water, they aren’t built for long, submerged foraging dives like loons and gannets. Instead, they rely on game fish to corral the bait into tight wads and push them toward the surface. Once the buffet is skittering on the top, the seagulls can easily swoop down and pick a treat right off the table. So if you see seagulls whirling and skimming the surface, you know there’s bait in the area, and there are game fish directly

beneath the bait. On the other hand, loons can do their own foraging. You may see a loon drop below the waves and pop up one hundred or more feet away. Loons also work in groups to herd the bait into large pods so they can gorge themselves a lot easier. Because loons are ‘hunters’, where seagulls are ‘opportunists’, sighting loons actively working and feeding may not always indicate the presence of game fish in the area. Also, seeing seagulls whirling over a group of loons doesn’t necessarily mean there’s game fish in the area. The seagulls may simply be benefiting from the efforts of the loons instead of fish. If you see a raft of seagulls lounging on the surface, that’s a good place to mark on your Simrad chartplotter. They are there for a reason. There’s probably bait in the area, but it’s scattered for the moment, and

they are waiting for a herd of game fish to bring them to the surface. I don’t usually spend a lot of time fishing around floating birds, but I’ll keep my binoculars handy and keep an eye on them. When a flock gets active, you can maneuver to the vicinity. A couple words of caution. Don’t blast over to the middle of an actively feeding flock of gulls. You’ll usually wind up causing the bait and the fish to scatter and go deep. Instead, motor within a few hundred feet, and ease toward them on your trolling motor. You can also get a sense of which direction the birds, bait and fish are moving, then plot an intercept course to have the fish come to you. This gives you time to put your own bait spread out, and wait for the bite. Casting topwater plugs, like

MirroLure Top Dogs, Zara Spooks and Chug Bugs will draw explosive strikes. Casting rigs like the ProjectX X-Rig will get you multiple hookups. Planer boards and umbrella rigs are an excellent way to put your baits in the strike zone too, although these take longer to deploy. A lot of ‘bird-fishing’ is run-andgun fishing. Find a flock, get within casting distance, make a few casts and move on. This kind of action, while exciting, typically lasts just a few minutes at each location, so be ready with both live baits and casting lures. This kind of technique is visual, it’s fun and will test your skill for long-distance and accurate casts, but the reward of having everyone on the boat hooked to a monster is worth the effort.

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Eric Welch Welch’s Guide Service www.welchsguideservice. com 706-455-2323 Water temperature: 47-49 degrees, lake level: 7 feet below full pool, clarity: clear. We are finally getting some cooler weather which is helping bring the water temps down. We are still not seeing any topwater action, and the bait we’ve been marking is still deep. It’s that time of year to get out the ½ ounce spoons and start dropping down on fish you mark on your depth finder. I’m still catching fish on a 3/16 ounce shaky head with either a Zoom or Strike King Finesse worm. This time of year, it’s also hard to beat a Ned Rig with a Z-Man TRD. On sunny days, the fish will pull up on any type of rock or laydowns, due to these areas will warm up quicker. You can still catch fish on a drop-shot with a 4.5” Roboworm and on a Texas

rig. You just want to slow down on how you work it. This time of year I like a 3/8 ounce jig. My three colors are black/blue, pb/j and green pumpkin. I play around with different trailers like a twin tail grub, craw and a chunk. It just depends on how cold and what kind of action I think they are looking for. It’s also a good time the throw a crankbait like a Rapala #5 Shad Rap, DT6, Bandit 300 and Strike King 1.5 deep square bill. Once the water gets down in the mid 50’s, it’s a good time to throw the A-rig. Also try the float-n-fly around deep rocky banks and points. I always downsize my line in the winter months to 7-pound Gamma Touch fluorocarbon for shaky heads, Ned, Texas rig and tube, 10-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon for jigs, 14-pound Edge for A-rigs and 12, 10 and 8-pound mono for crankbaits. Good luck, and remember we guide on 8 different lakes. So if you’re looking for some great fishing, give Welch’s Guide Service a call. We’re your #1guide service, and we’ve been doing this since 2001.

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FEBRUARY 2021

By Preston Harden Bucktail Guide Service www.bucktailguideservice.com (706) 255-5622 February is the coldest month of the year. Most game fish are in hibernation. Their metabolism slows and they do not feed much. They do not digest big baits and prefer small baits. Try to finesse fish with small imitations worked very slowly. There is an exception. Crappie will eat no matter how cold the water gets. They want small baits worked very slowly. I use a 1/32 ounce jig with a tiny Fluke on 4-pound test line. I try to put my jig in the darkest water under a dock or bridge. I do not get out on docks, but I will get close and try to shoot the jig into the dark. Crappie taste best in the cold water. Try to pick a warm day and wear

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Preston Harden on left and Chaz Odom from Athens on right with a striper caught on a Scrounger jig and a Zoom fluke. a life jacket (PFD). Hypothermia sets in very quickly in the cold water. Have a plan to get back in the boat if you fall in with heavy clothes on. It is like wearing weights when clothes get wet. I have a ladder on my transom, and I always wear a PFD when I am alone.

LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST 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 The first month of 2021 is gone and these North Georgia stripers didn’t even notice. In other words, not much has changed in their life except the differences in weather between last winter and this winter. We definitely had some warmer temps last January. However, these monster stripers are still in their typical winter pattern. And, February usually hosts warmer temps here which will really get the fish feeding great! Fortunately for you, we can help you score those monster North Georgia stripers. Lake Nottely is North Georgia’s hidden gem for catching some awesome stripers, and, as North Georgia’s #1 full-time guide striper service, we are here to help put you on some hard-fighting fish. Guaranteed! Check us out on Facebook and you’ll see! Currently, water temperatures on Lake Nottely are in the upper 40’s and water levels are around 16 feet below full pool. Water clarity is moderately clear. Striper fishing has been excellent recently! We’ve been catching a lot of nice fish in the 20 to 40-pound range. These fish are shallow and

pounding bait up on the banks and shallow flats in the backs of creeks. Pulling planer boards and free lines early in the morning has been working great. Huge gizzard shad and blueback herring is always the bait of choice this time of year. It’s so stinking awesome to see a huge 30 pounder explode on a bait at the end of a planer board. It will definitely have you hooked on striper fishing once you experience this thrill. Back on track now, occasionally we’ll also pull small trout as well. Our trophy striper season has been in full swing and these techniques will continue for the next few months. February is a fantastic month for catching a lot of stripers on this Blairsville, Georgia lake. Book a trip with Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service and let the area’s #1-rated guide service put you on some of Lake Hiwassee and Lake Nottely’s best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Murphy, NC’s premier full-time guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Hiwassee, Chatuge and Lake Blue Ridge in Blue Ridge, GA. And for all your live bait and tackle needs, check out us out at Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA. They carry everything you need for a successful day of fishing and have the best live blueback herring around. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on!

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Wall of Fame

WIN A FREE ANGLER MAGAZINE CAP!

One will be given away each month for the best reader submitted photo!

Bill Kessler got out in the frigid weather on Lanier and caught this nice bass.

WINNER!

Kendall Kelley with a nice Lake Eufaula bass.

Doug Geyer caught this big gnarly rainbow fly fishing with Reel Em In Guide Service.

Katie Richardson took time away from her Cabelas job to land this beautiful bass from a neighborhood pond in Tennessee. Eight-year-old Bryant Nicholson shot his first buck in Bartow County while hunting with his dad.

North Georgia Crappie Anglers member Jim Bergstein caught this tournament winning 2.26 pound crappie on Lanier.

Fourteen-year-old Will German on his birthday fishing trip with Capt Josh Thornton caught this 9.62 lb cat on Lanier while crappie fishing.

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Harvest Increases Expected For Gulf Snapper/Triggerfish

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ulf of Mexico anglers have a couple new reasons to be excited as we head into the spring and summer fishing seasons. NOAA is looking at loosening regulations for both Gulf red snapper and gray triggerfish. That should help fill some coolers for bottom-fishers who’ve found it’s sometimes tough these days to catch anything other than snapper and triggerfish. New catch level recommendations for red snapper are expected in time for

the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s April 2021 meeting, which should provide time for adjustments prior to the traditional summer peak in recreational snapper fishing. This good news is the result of a massive study called “The Great Red Snapper Count,” a $10-million, congressionally funded, independent stock assessment initiated in 2016 and conducted by 21 scientists and 12 institutions across the Gulf. The Great Red Snapper Count showed red snapper are far more abundant than previously estimated using the Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review stock assessment process that has been used to all but shut down snapper seasons over the last decade. The Great Red Snapper Count estimates that for 2-year-old-plus red snapper there are 23 million off Texas, 29 million off Louisiana, 10 million off Mississippi and Alabama, and 48 million off Florida. It also showed that large fish are comparatively more abundant in the western Gulf than the eastern Gulf. NOAA’s plan is to integrate the Great Red Snapper Count’s findings into its interim analysis for Gulf red snapper. It is worth noting that even though anglers and researchers are seeing more and larger red snapper, the spawning potential of the population is still below the original target of NOAA’s rebuilding plan. Adjustments to the state-specific catch limits are being considered to account for the harvest monitoring programs used by each state. Loosened restrictions on gray triggerfish are being considered following an interim analysis, using video surveys to estimate abundance, that showed the stock size has been increasing, especially in the eastern Gulf, and that catch limits can be increased. The Gulf Council’s Scientific and Statistical Committee recommended increasing the gray triggerfish acceptable biological catch limit to 456,900 pounds whole weight, which allows an increase in the gray triggerfish annual catch limit. Action is expected prior to the end of the 2021 recreational fishing season. The Council is also considering modifications to the gray triggerfish recreational fixed closed seasons and will consider that action in a separate framework action that will also address changes to the vermilion snapper recreational bag limit.

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NATIONAL 13

TIPS FOR DIALING ’EM IN

By Nick Carter

here’s no mistaking it when a monster striped bass blows up on the surface. At a slow troll just after first light, you can almost feel it’s going to happen. Behind a planer board, the stinger-hooked gizzard shad begins to struggle. Anticipation goes through the roof as the bait flees for its life. “When you see that big shad get exploded on, it’s like a bowling ball dropped out of the sky,” said Shane Goebel, of Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. “The planer board streaks across the water, and it’s on! There’s really nothing else like it.” Goebel has watched this scene take place hundreds of times while guiding the mountain lakes that straddle the Georgia/North Carolina border. He knows what it takes to boat striped bass in the 30- to 40-plus-pound range. Here are Goebel’s tips for dialing in the big-fish bite: 1) Fish Trophy Striper Season: Giants are caught year-round, but fate favors the uncomfortable angler. When the water is cold, baitfish and big stripers are forced into the shallows in search of warmer water. They push out of the main lake and into the backs of creeks and rivers, where big fish are more predictable than when they’ve got the whole lake to roam. 2) Offer Them Everything: By putting out a large spread of different baits, you’re more likely to troll a preferred meal past that big girl’s nose. Goebel fishes as many baits as the confines of a 14 NATIONAL

FEBRUARY 2021

creek allow. He might run a couple planer boards out each side of the boat, a couple freelines off the stern and a couple of balloon baits way in back. He staggers distance and depth to cover water both horizontally and vertically. Goebel fishes a mix of baits, too. Big gizzard shad and rainbow trout are big striper baits, but when blueback herring are the predominant forage, he’ll fish all three at the same time. You never know which bait will get hit. 3) Stay With the Baitfish: You’re probably sick of hearing this, but… “find the bait, and you’ll find the fish.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BIG OL’ FISH GUIDING SERVICE

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

Goebel starts cold mornings in the backs of the creeks looking for baitfish. When he sees what he likes, he deploys his spread and works from the shallows out to the creek mouth as the day advances to follow the movement of baitfish and stripers. On some lakes, diving birds are a dead giveaway. Keep binoculars on the console to scout for gulls. Also, especially on warmer days, don’t be afraid to drop downlines if you mark bait deep in a creek mouth. 4) Keep a Pitch Rod Ready: Goebel keeps lightweight spinning rods rigged and ready with Flukes and Redfins. Those casting rods come in handy when feeding breaks loose on the surface. It’s quicker and easier to cast lures to visible fish than it is to steer a trolling spread over them. And nothing beats fighting a big striper on light tackle. Check out Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service at bigolfish.com.

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Start The New Year Out In Your New

GILLZ GEAR:

BREATHE IN THE FIGHT

www.

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ome days you battle the fish. Some days you battle the elements. Some days you battle both. You know the kind of day. The one that’s chilly, windy and choppy, with spray everywhere. But you’re determined to stay out until you get a few hits. These are the times GILLZ gear was made for. Innovative gear, with performance in every stitch, is designed with a single goal: for you to be able to fish better, longer and harder— in total comfort! Take the Pro Series Full Zip Storm Fleece. Engineered with air pockets embedded in the fabric, it provides insulation and temperature regulation while keeping the hoodie lightweight. This soft, warm hoodie can handle light rain, boat spray and features four-way stretch comfort, three zippered front pockets, a rear key pocket, and is fully lined. The Waterman Pant is ideal on cooler days. Extensively field-tested on the ocean, these pants are made with heavy-duty polyester, yet are amazingly lightweight and durable. Add a quick-dry, stretch fabric for maximum comfort, UV 50+ sun protection, water-repellant coating, security zipper pockets, and these may become your favorite fishing pant. Whatever the conditions, GILLZ has www.gillz-gear.com the gear.

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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

FEBRUARY 2021

NATIONAL 17

TACTICS FOR TOUGH DELAYED HARVEST TROUT E By CAM Staff

Made in USA

C.A.L. 5” Swim Bait C.A.L. 4” Shad Tail C.A.L. 3” Shad Tail C.A.L. 4” Jerk Bait C.A.L. 5.5” Jerk Bait

C.A.L. Paddle Tail C.A.L. Curl Tail

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ven in the depths of winter, there is trout action to be found on delayed harvest (DH) streams where state agencies stock trout heavily under catch-and-release regulations. DH stretches offer high densities of trout that grow progressively wilder through winter into spring. And while stocked trout are renowned for their gullibility, they can also be difficult at times. Bill Stranahan, a veteran guide with Southeastern Anglers has a few tricks up his sleeve for catching DH trout. Bugger Time: “Wooly Buggers are so important this time of year,” Stranahan said. “You’re looking for that reaction strike. Swing and strip. Keep it moving.” Olive and black are perennial favorite colors whenever and wherever, and for winter fishing he prefers smaller Buggers in sizes 6 to 10. The primary DH stretches he fishes are Tennessee’s Hiwassee tailrace and the Tellico River, which is a freestone. They are very different fisheries, yet swinging and stripping Buggers is pretty much universally productive. Get Down On It: If catching numbers of fish is the goal, nymphing is normally the best tactic. When the trout are less active—especially when they’re holed up in deeper, slower runs during a cold snap—it might be the only way to catch fish. The key to catching fish in these conditions is depth. Trout won’t move far to feed when they’re hunkered down, so getting your nymphs down to them is imperative. Stranahan likes a weighted Pat’s Rubber Legs, or a similar heavy stonefly nymph in sizes 6 to 10. It’s a big buggy-looking mouthful, and it’s also a great anchor fly to fish in tandem with other nymphs. Depending on what the fish want, the Pat’s could be fished below “junk food” like a Squirmy Worm, a mop or egg pattern, or flashy attractor nymphs like a Rainbow Warrior or Lightning Bug. Or, if trout want something more natural, the Pat’s could anchor a small black stonefly nymph, a Hare’s Ear or a Prince. Again, depth is the key, so Stranahan likes a good sliding indicator that’s easy to adjust. Judge the depth of each hole, and try to get your anchor fly to drift just off the bottom. Headhunting: “Depending on how froggy you feel as an angler on a given day, you can go out running and gunning with big streamers,” Stranahan said. On a large tailwater or in deep holes on a smaller stream, big streamers have a way of turning the biggest fish. A big Zonker, a Swimmin’ Jimmy, a Zoo Cougar or one of Kelly Galloup’s other articulated patterns make a commotion when fished on sinking line. You’re trying to get their attention. If you don’t get chased in one hole, switch something up and move until you find what’s working. Sticking to the plan is important, though. You’re hunting a few fish large and aggressive enough to eat a raucous fly. Check out Southeastern Anglers at www.southeasternanglers.com.

18 NATIONAL

FEBRUARY 2021

201667_DOA_7.14_CAL ad_Coastal Angler_3.75x5.indd 1

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM 7/14/20 4:22 PM

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wilder r their guide trout. year,” . Keep

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FEBRUARY 2021

NATIONAL 19

20 NATIONAL

FEBRUARY 2021

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E-Z ANCHORING Applies to Pontoons

PART II

ebuting the Hinged Pontoon Anchoring Solution and Retractable Tritoon Anchoring Solution at Pennsylvania’s Lake Youghiogheny, E-Z Anchor Puller president Aaron Knopp and system installer Don Snyder spoke about and demonstrated the ease-of-use of these two permanent solutions. Underneath the crossmembers of a 24-foot Playbouy pontoon, a Hero EX-1 drum anchor winch was paired with the Hinged Solution, while the Retractable Solution was retrofitted to the 24-foot SouthBay tritoon sporting the Hero EX-2. Read on to discover the similarities and differences between these two innovative solutions that anyone can install! Aesthetics: The difference between the two is a matter of visibility; the Hinged protrudes ever-so-slightly underneath the deck in order to lift and drop the river anchor out of the water, whereas the Retractable remains completely invisible until it slides out from underneath the boat to release anchor, rode and chain in one sweeping motion. While some prefer to see the river or mushroom anchor lifted and held by the Hinged, a waterproof, wifi camera is also available so the operator can watch their Hero EX-1, EX-2 or Patriot EZ-1 deploy the rode from their smartphone. Mechanics: Each system’s operational differences lie within hollow-tube raceways. While the Hinged system has a folding bow roller that lifts when the anchor makes contact, the Retractable system has an internal spring that compresses with deployment and retrieval. Installation: For the Hinged solution, place the bow roller head so it protrudes slightly from under the deck. Keep trailering in mind, and plot where the best-suited location is in tangent when trafficking your boat to and from the water. The sleeve of the hollow raceway, which is immediately connected to the hinged bow roller’s head, is placed directly on the edge of the bullnose/front of the decking bracket that secures the square hollow raceway

Scan the QR code with your smartphone to watch the full review of the Hinged and Retractable solutions’ performance, installation, drum winch stats and more.

to the vessel’s crossmembers. For the Retractable, install the raceway 10 to 12 inches from the front of the boat. Both solutions have four drilled holes at the opposite end of the solution (the drum winch end) to allow for further flexibility when mounting to the crossmembers of the boat. Hardware: Both solution kits come with a universal underside mounting plate with pre-drilled holes for the winch selected. Elongated slots are designed to fit any crossmember, no matter how close or far apart they may be. Additional mounting hardware includes required mounting brackets, hex bolts, lock nuts and flat washers. Both solution raceways have several predrilled holes to correctly locate the included mounting tabs and brackets to the crossmembers, and both can be powered by the Hero EX-1, EX-2 or Patriot EZ-1. The drum anchor winch of choice is sold separately.

The Return of a

For more information, refer to ezanchorpuller.com to view the product, read the manual or subscribe to the company YouTube channel to watch the complete review and installation overview video.

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FEBRUARY 2021

NATIONAL 21

PARKIT360

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ake parking your boat or RV trailer easier than ever with Parkit360’s new Transformer 15K Trailer Dolly. Optimized for today’s rigorous moving standards, the allnew low-profile design easily fits underneath any ball-mounted, fifth wheel or gooseneck trailer. The Transformer 15K is built strong and secure to safely move up to 15,000 pounds on firm grass, packed gravel, and 4 to 6 percent inclines. Controlled by an all-new rechargeable wireless remote, the Transformer 15K now includes Intelligent Speed Control (ISC), a mainstay feature on the Force ISC 5K and 10K dollies. Switch between high and low speed anytime, anywhere at the press of a button! With a gradual start and stop to every movement, get your trailer into position without putting strain on your hitch or cargo. Mount the remote on the dolly’s handle, or control it from a distance! This lightweight controller fits in the palm of your hand or in your pocket when you’re on the go. Micro-adjust your trailer’s position at the source of those trouble areas like tight door frames, corners and trees within a range of 50 feet or more! Every Transformer package includes two 12V U1 Interstate Batteries and an internal battery charger for self-contained power that’s always ready to work. Plug your trailer’s electric or surge brakes into the dolly for added safety and control. Move your trailer with ease and get in PARKIT360.CA and out of storage faster than ever!

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Dexter offers the most comprehensive line of axles, actuators and disc brakes engineered specifically for the marine market. Popular features include removable spindles on Eliminator™ axles, aluminum master cylinders and corrosion resistant coatings. Choose Dexter for trouble-free towing.

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COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

FEBRUARY 2021

NATIONAL 23

ls n e a i c ari e p S iM Make it a r e k t Super Cool White Winter Win S u z u with some amazing deals f ro m from Suzuki Marine

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Gimme Six Extended Protection promotion applies to new Suzuki Outboard Motors from 25 to 350 HP in inventory which are sold and delivered to buyer between 01/01/21 and 03/31/21 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. The Gimme Six Promotion is available for pleasure use only, and is not redeemable for cash. Instant Savings applies to qualifying purchases of select Suzuki Outboard Motors made between 01/01/21 and 03/31/21. For list of designated models, see participating Dealer or visit www.suzukimarine.com. Instant Savings must be applied against the agreed-upon selling price of the outboard motor and reflected in the bill of sale. 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 creditworthiness. $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 01/01/21 and 03/31/21. “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. © 2021 Suzuki Motor of America, Inc.

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