LAKE & RIVER FORECASTS
navigating peace of mind
THE IMPORTANCE OF BOAT INSURANCE
Embarking on the open water is an exhilarating experience, flled with the promise of adventure and relaxation. Whether you’re a seasoned sailor or a weekend cruiser, safeguarding your vessel with proper insurance is not just a choice—it’s a necessity. Explore the reasons why every boat owner should prioritize boat insurance for a worry-free voyage.
Unpredictable waters
The open water can be unpredictable, with unexpected storms, collisions, or other potential accidents. Boat insurance can give you fnancial protection if there is damage to your vessel, providing coverage for repairs or replacement.
Damage and injury
Accidents on the water can result in damage to other boats, docks, or even injuries to passengers. Boat insurance offers liability coverage, which can pay for damages or injuries you’re liable for while boating, up to specifed limits, and lawsuit costs if you’re sued. This includes damage you cause to another watercraft or if someone on or near your boat is injured and you’re found to be legally responsible.
Theft and vandalism
Unfortunately, boat theft and vandalism are realities that boat owners face. Boat insurance has comprehensive and collision coverage that can protect you against events outside of your control, including theft and vandalism.
Incurred medical payments
Accidents on the water may lead to injuries for you or your passengers. Boat insurance offers a range of optional medical payments coverage limits, helping to cover medical expenses if you are in an accident or someone is hurt on your boat, regardless of fault.
Peace of mind for fnancing
If you fnanced the purchase of your boat, most lenders require insurance coverage to protect their investment. Having boat insurance not only fulflls these requirements but also gives you peace of mind knowing that your fnancial interests are safeguarded.
Navigational fexibility
Some water municipalities and marinas may require proof of insurance for docking or accessing certain areas. Boat insurance allows you the fexibility to explore different destinations without worrying about entry restrictions.
Emergency towing and assistance
Progressive boat insurance can include optional Sign & Glide® On-Water Towing coverage. If your boat is disabled or breaks down on the water, Sign & Glide® pays for on-water towing, jump starts, soft un-groundings, and fuel delivery.
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If your boat sinks, Progressive boat insurance will cover the cost of removing your boat from the water (if removal is legally required).
Investing in boat insurance is not just about protecting a valuable asset; it’s about safeguarding the memories, experiences, and joy that come with your on-water adventures. Don’t let unforeseen circumstances disrupt your journey—navigate with confdence, knowing that Progressive boat insurance has you covered. Ensure a smooth and worry-free voyage, because when it comes to your boat, peace of mind is the ultimate luxury.
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THEHIGHS OFUNICOR HUNTING
Throughout chc year, the Florida KC)'S provide excclltnt billlish oppor1unitics.
Bycapt.QulnlynHaddon
Sailfish c.an be foulld year.round and are most reliably targeted in late autumn through the spring when they feast on ballyhoo at the reef.
Swordfishing is grc.1t any time ofthe year. as lcmgasM!3.lhcr accommodal('S!he l<>nsrnn l() the decpwa1cr JcdgcS. Tai:gcting them during tht:: day re<1uii:csdroppingabaitLothebottom.
�fariinfishi11gjsdoableduri11gsummer.butit$ certainlyJess thanreliable. 'Ihey a.-eoftenhooked as bycatch while fisltillg for the mahi or tuna on whichtheyarefeeding.
I recently had the pleasure of taking a trip solely targetingmarlinandswordfish.\Vehadtwo fishermen on board who were firs1 1liners with both.spl't'i<$. It wasintcro:,ting ,vatching them go 1hrough thebipolarswingsofbUlfishing. ·n1eywere
there LQ a$$i:.land learn, and I got lo watch them enjoy nnd suffer through thefull experience. Initially. there was opliini.sm as the su1\ rose a11d wedeployed ail elaboratetrolling spread. 1he setupmust haveseemedfantasticaltoanewcomer, with the giant lures.strange-looking teasers and lines everywhere. like we were captained by a coffoc fuclcdspider.Thedaywas )'Oung.1hcspread ,rasaworko(an,andthenc,,·bieshadnoreasonto doubt ourchances.
Frustrationsoo1lfollowed.Aswewerewtapping up marlin 1rollillg to head for the swordgrouods.
wepa.ss«1agorgeous weed linefull ofhma birds. It looked likeourbestchance... until the right rigger caught grnss. Upon• gentle rc1ricvc10dc.1rtheline,itpopf)OOthe rigger, foll1hroughthespreadam.lauempll-'<ll.Omate with the teaser al the worst time. We packed up inthemiddleof1hegiantflockof birdsthat mockedusforquitting.Ahh,disappointinent It was time co hii Lhe swordgrouncb and beginthecycleagain.Our nextelaboratesetup wo,dd drop to 1,500 feet.and the doe e)eS of optimismmadetheir nextappearance. 1hc dance belwccn doubt. lx)rcdom and forcedoprimismcontinued.a,,;ourfirs1bitedidn1l occuruntilafter4 p.m. It wasaheavyhit.a reelstopping, drag-pulling, set-up-the-harpoon type hit that had us giggling like children. El'eryone was re�1dy to t.1keon dutieswhen, JOO.feet from theweight, the rod tip popped up and everrone experiencedgut.wrenchingheartbreak.
On Lhc nc:ic1 drift, we hooked up again, and cvcrronequietlyheldtheirexcitement untilthetlsh hit the deck. l don't m.�d to cxplah\ the foe-ling in that Jlext moine11t, but with smiles and high fives a1J around > it was the 011e we wereall looking for. We tookhomesati.sfactio11.exhaustio11.andbigbags ofm<.".ll.
Hunting swimming unicorns is hands-down m)' favorite fishing. If youwant toexperiencethe emotional rollcrcoaS1cr of chasing the fish of a lifetime,givemeacallalSwce1 E'nul'Charters.
Capt, Quinl)'u Hmtdcm guides wit/1 Swed E'Nu/Clwrlers, Mnratliot1, Florida Keys. ww1�capt<1inqui11ly11.ccm1; <fi>captai11q11i11/y11; (504) 910�-12.
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TACTICS FOR DOG DAYS BASS 4
It’s hot. Te lakes and reservoirs are covered with jet skis, wake boats and party barges full of sun seekers.
Dog days conditions can be tough for bass fshing, but fsh settle into patterns this time of year that can lead to productive days on the water.
Finding cooler water is the key to catching bass when the surface temperatures reach uncomfortable levels, and there are several ways to do this.
Go Deep: Te huge schools of fsh that concentrate on ofshore ledges and river channel bends at many of our large reservoirs have already been beaten into submission by every angler with sonar by this time of year. You might still be able to pick a few out of the school with deep crankbaits, drop-shots or footballhead jigs, but sometimes it’s worth fnding less obvious fsh to target.
Tere are other areas that hold fsh. Tat 30-footwide shell bed of the main channel might not be covered with bass, but there will be some fsh there if there’s some current, and these bass see much fewer lures and are more willing to bite this time of year. Search with a crankbait, wiggle a football-head on the bottom or drag a big Carolina rigged worm over the shells and see what happens.
Cool-Water Tribs: A tributary stream feeding cooler water into the lake attracts baitfsh and bass. Fish ofen stage on points where a feeder creek enters the main body. Eliminate water quickly with crankbaits or spinnerbaits to see if there’s anyone home before
slowing down with a jig or a worm.
By CAM Staf
Extend the Night Bite: Bass do a lot of their feeding at night this time of year, and anglers can take advantage of this by fshing the frst couple hours of daylight.
Tis pattern will also show you that not every fsh in the lake goes deep. Shallow rocks and grass edges hold bluegill, shad, crayfsh and all sorts of other tasty critters. Start on top at or before dawn with a walking bait or popper and cover as much water as you can before the sun gets up. Tis is not really a numbers game, and the bites will be scattered, but it’s a lot of fun when a big fsh blows up your lure.
Fish the Shade: When the sun gets high and hot, you’ll fnd fsh hunkered down in the shade. Docks, laydowns, overhanging trees or matted vegetation all provide the shade bass and the things they eat look for. Bank shade is also where you’ll fnd bream beds where bass like to feed.
Skip a wacky rig up as far up under a dock as you can get it. Drop a jig into that blowdown. Work a frog over matted grass or punch through it with a heavy Texas rig. Cover water and pick apart those shady areas. It’s a fun style of fshing that can also be productive under less-than-perfect conditions.
For more bass tips, go to coastalanglermag.com.
Coleman Roberts caught his 9-pound, 4-ounce bass in July at Lake Istokpoga, Fla.
TREASURE FOUND!
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RUN-AND-GUN TROLLING Scout Weed Lines Quickly and Effectively
By Mark Ambert
With summer weed line formation, mahi become a favorite target for the “run and gun” method. A good way to quickly scout if anyone’s home is a modifed version of the troll. I have observed and adopted this method used by professional captains for mahi.
The Setup
Keep a couple of spinning rods rigged and ready with pitch baits that can be trolled. Te rig consists of a 7-foot medium-heavy spinning rod with a 6000-size spinning reel—preferably with a baitrunner setting.
If you’re not familiar with the baitrunner function, it is a free-spool setting that allows line to pull from the spool while the bail is engaged. When a fsh grabs your bait, it can take it without feeling resistance.
My favorite combo is a Penn Carnage III boat rod with a Shimano Tunnus reel. Spool up with 20-lb. mono and add a 40- or 50-lb., 4-foot fuorocarbon leader. Tie on a Gamakatsu 6/0 or 7/0 Octopus hook using a Palomar knot. Insert the hook under the chin of a fresh frozen, small- to medium-sized ballyhoo. Make sure the point of the hook exits directly between the eyes. I like a Squidnation Slammer 3-inch plastic chugger head
with the bait to produce more action.
Cast this behind the boat along a weed line while underway. Position it several yards past the last wakes from the prop wash, and slowly work the bait by twitching the rod tip while holding it above your head. Tis will cause the ballyhoo to skip like a feeing baitfsh. You can work two baits in this manner by staggering the distance. If nothing hits within a few minutes, move on.
Tis method is slower than traditional trolling, and it is deadly for locating feeding fsh on large, scattered weed patches. If you are using a baitrunner reel, allow the fsh to run a few seconds before setting the hook.
The Electric Alternate
An alternate method that’s ideal for long straight weed lines or rips is a more traditional trolling setup. I use the Piscifun Saltfow ofshore rod and a Kraken electric reel with battery pack for this type of trolling.
Te Saltfow is 8-foot, 3-inch rod with a sof tip. It has a unique line guide setup that eliminates rod twist under a load. Te Kraken electric reel is new to me this year and has already paid dividends.
beneft when constantly retrieving lures to clear weeds or move locations. A traditional ballyhoo rig with a teaser and bait spring is my choice for medium-speed trolling. A good premade rig is the Mahi Chaser by Trolling Pro Tackle.
Once you get a hook-up, get some fresh squid, jigs or live baits in the water and hang on. Te Mahi show is about to get started!
Mark Ambert, IG @marksgonefshing_™
Cast Lures in a Mitzi Tournament 17
RULES FOR LIFE
By Jeff Durniak | Unicoi Outfitters
While teaching new flyfishers some river fishing basics, I relate them to their quarry in simple terms. I call them the “game fish rules for life.” River sport fish follow just three basic tenets for their success. In order, they are: 1) don’t get eaten, 2) eat, and 3) reproduce. Knowing these three rules should help some of you to catch more fish, too. Let’s dive in deeper.
Game fish must follow the first rule, don’t be dinner, before they can consider the others. That means they must avoid predators like ospreys, eagles, herons, and otters. Fish will often hang near or in protective cover, especially during the midday sun. If they sense danger, they’ll flee to their safe spots and forget about lunch, so they’re not lunch themselves!
Expert anglers “hunt” their targets with careful stalks and soft casts to avoid spooking fish. They sneak up within casting distance and aim their flies or lures toward “cover.” Instream cover can be deep pools, the broken surface water of riffles, submerged logs and boulders, rock ledges, undercut stream banks, and overhanging tree limbs along the banks. Shoal bass love bedrock ledges and boulder fields in faster currents, while brookies and browns adore a “roof” over their heads via boulders, logs, and cut banks. I often tell new trouters to fish for “groundhogs” by looking for deeper, shady pockets next to rocks, logs, and undercuts. When the sun is low or the water is stained, gamefish will finally emerge from heavy cover and proceed to Rule #2.
That second rule is “eat!” Game fish that aren’t nervous will have an appetite and be on the hunt for food, necessary for survival, growth, and reproduction. Stream trout will pick feeding spots in softer water near swifter currents that deliver drifting insects. They expend little energy foraging and can save consumed calories for growth. Those “seams” between slow spots and the faster, food delivery lanes are prime casting targets. Aim for the foam lines! River bass will “hunt” for minnows and crayfish in slack water and shallow riffles when the sun is low or the water is stained, thus protecting them from predators. Cast into those bass grocery stores.
Successful gamefish that avoid predation, grow, and mature can then proceed to the last rule of life: passing on their genes to the next generation. And that’s essential for our future fishing trips. Spawning runs, when fish are concentrated, can provide some of the hottest angling of the year.
The next time astream, think like a bass or trout. First, where would you feel safe from a heron? Second, where are your grocery lanes, foam lines, and groundhog holes? Third, where and when are those hot dating spots? Follow these three gamefish rules for life and see if your catches (and releases) are boosted on future trips. Good luck!
FISHING ACCIDENTALS
Summertime in the South ain’t no joke! The blazing heat of August pretty much shuts down the fish’s appetite in the afternoon. This leaves the early morning or the dark of night to have a chance at finding active fish. Water temperatures on our lower elevation trout streams can reach dangerous levels making fishing not a good idea. Any trout hooked is in real danger of exhaustion and going belly up so maybe waiting for the cooling breezes of Autumn is a better idea! In some higher creeks up on the mountains you might find waåter temps below 65 degrees making fishing possible. Tailwater fisheries usually will be fishable at least a few miles below the dams.
Warmwater species may be a totally different story at least if you fish in the morning hours. Lakes, ponds and riåvers that contain bass and bream remain fun and sporty even in the dog days of summer. If you’re on at daylight and off at noon you can normally find some will-
ing fish and miss the throngs of fun seekers ripping up and down the lake. In the first hour or two before the sun gets up over the shoreline, I usually like to throw poppers or frog patterns around the bank with good cover like logs or over hanging bushes. The strikes can be explosive and will wake you up if you missed that second cup of coffee! As the morning goes on I start working deeper into the water column first with popper dropper rigs and by ten am or so I’m in full bottom dragging worm, crawfish, or fly drop shot rigs in 8-10 feet of water. Always be on the lookout for streams or springs flowing into the lake as these will usually be hot spots or I should say cold spots that will have feeding bass and bluegill lining up with the feedbag on. Any type of vegetation or boat dock that provides shade can also get you a few bites as well while punching or pitching heavy flies through or under them. Fish early and leave early are the words to remember during the dog days of summer.
LAKE ALLATOONA
By: Joseph Martinelli 404-919-4918
Summer is up and running! For most all species here on Lake Allatoona, we have found a great bite very early morning starting as early as 4:30 to 5:00 a.m. in select locations, with a peek between sunrise and 7:30 a.m. If you can handle the heat, there’s a decent midday bite and a pretty good late afternoon / evening bite. Our concentrations have been from the dam area and north into Little River, with very little exploration on the south end aside from a little bait catching these past several weeks.
Galts Ferry, Kellogg Creek, Victoria harbor, Illinois Creek, Bartow Creek, Stamp Creek all have good populations of mixed species.
For targeting hybrids and stripers, downlining a frisky threadfin shad or herring from 15 to 20 ft has been key. If you’re fishing live bait this time of year, you might be better off with shiners if you’re not accustomed to changing your bait out every 3 to 5 minutes. If it’s not getting hit, it’s probably dying and not frisky enough for when the fish do pass by it. There are times when there’s some good fish down as deep as 30, but please remember that your bait won’t survive but a couple minutes down at that depth. Your best oxygenated water in the reservoir is currently in the top 20 ft. of water. While you will mark fish down deep, I don’t believe they are thriving in those deeper ranges. Often just cooling down or maybe even chasing herring that tend to dive deeper. Sometimes your larger fish, particularly the line sides, will just lay below feeding schoolies and pick off the easy eats.
Free lining the similar baits have also proved very effective during this month. With a split shot as small as a 3/0 or even a seven, and with a boat in motion at 0.3 to 0.5 mph, that freeline bait will typically live a little longer staying in that top few feet of water.
The spotted bass bite has been very hot as well, and we’re picking up a lot of nice largemouth bass in the 2 to 4 lb class, and even captured and released an 8 lb. a couple weeks ago. For any of you wondering how we do it on our boat, while we do allow for select harvest of smaller spotted bass when a fish meal is desired by our guests, any of those 3 lb
LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST
plus spotted bass and all largemouth are always returned back to the waters. We wish to honor the resource along with understanding how important those fish can be to tournament anglers.
The crappie bite Is still good. It always tickles me when someone asks if they are biting. They eat year-round, and while the pattern is currently a little different than one might find earlier in the spring, they are pretty much holding to deeper water structure this time of year. Brush piles even in 15 ft of water with access to deep water have been producing. Fishing a couple of local marinas, we found them consistently right at the 20 ft mark willing to eat 1.5-3” rubber bugs. Most of these fish are still over 30 to 60+ ft of water in the deeper water marinas. Also, they will eat a baby shad or small shiner!
The catfish bite Is picking up. We are catching quite a few nice post spawn channel catfish in the mix, and many of these fish are eating suspended and even on the top of the water. We are starting to see a nice population of channel cats in the 5 to 8 lb range being caught. Though not targeting them specifically, we have not caught a blue cat for a couple of months, however, we have caught several nice flat heads in the reservoir. And when I say nice, I’m not talking about big – just pretty fish.
Well, without getting too much more into it, I’m headed out to fish and catch a couple. It is hoped that this might help you on your own excursion. Please never hesitate to reach out to us directly @ Heron Outdoor Adventures on FB or Insta or call/text us at 404-019-4918 for a full service catching smackdown. Tight lines friends!
Welcome to the dog days of summer. Where often times the heat exceeds the desire to hit the water. Have no fear, the charming waters of Nottely are quite refreshing! Often times throughout summer a quick swim or a dip of your hat in the water helps beat the heat. The fishing on the other hand can be hot or cold this time of year. As the waters hit their peak temperatures, the bass tend to become lazy or lethargic. Looking for slower, bigger meals. Typical August bait selections include a half ounce jig, deep diving crankbait, or a drop shot. For your best chances at catching fish, find the steeper sloped banks with shade. Bass are like people; they don’t particularly enjoy direct sunlight. The two ways to avoid it is shade or depth. Many bass can be up shallow under bushes, docks, or banks out of the sun. The majority of the fish seem to enjoy the deeper, darker waters to beat the heat. As
Bass are doing good on shallow top water baits. Frogs are really fun and exciting when a bass blows up on them. It is a really disciplined hook set though, you must wait for the pull before you set up or you will miss the fish most times. Buzz baits, spinner baits and flukes are also a great choice for surface baits. Texas rigged worms and jigs tipped with creature baits are a good bet when the top water bite slows. The fish have not left, keep working on them. The deeper bass are also hitting jigs with bigger trailers. Deep cranks are also working. Soft plastics in blue, blue/black and green are good. Shallow square bills in shad colors worked around the rocks, rip rap and causeways are getting bit. There is another spawn in the works, some of the bigger gals are full of eggs now.
Crappie are still holding on natural and homemade structure in 10 to 20 feet. Minnows are the best bait.
Shell crackers and blue gills are
LAKE NOTTELY
you go deeper, the water temperature drops quite dramatically. I like to start at about 20 feet and fish out to 35. This seems like the sweet spot for the bass wanting to chill out. You never know unless you go! Take the family, enjoy the Blairsville beauty, wear your life jackets, and get fishing!
Lake Level: Full pool. Temp: 85 degrees Clarity: Clear
LAKE EUFAULA
eating wigglers and crickets. They are mighty fine eating this time of year. Look for the muscle beds on the flats near deeper water, the shell crackers will come up to feed. Wigglers used here will get a mess.
Cats are acting as usual, eating cut bait on jugs in the creeks and crawlers on the bottom on creek ledges.
School is out, and it is a perfect time to spend time on the water with your kid’s or grand kid’s and make those memories that will be talked about for generations. Take advantage of what GOD has provided for us to enjoy.
Pray for all our heroes in uniform and their families as they protest us every day. Pray for and love one another just as Jesus loves you.
God Bless & Good Fishn’
Water Level:189.08 msl, Water temp: 89 degrees, Water Clarity: slight stain The water level is up and that is great for the shallow bite.
WEST POINT LAKE
Forecast By: Capt. Keith Hudson
www.LakeWestPointFishing.com | 706-844-1483
Largemouth and Spots--: FAIR August is usually a tough month for bass fishing on most lakes, and West Point is no exception. There are a few patterns that can still oduce. Try pitching jigs or Texas rigged worms around blow-down trees or under boat docks. This pattern seems to work best when the sun is out. The fish like the shade and coverage just like we do. Old roadbeds and pond dams, especially those with cover or manmade brush piles can produce some good fish. Try big diving crankbaits or Ol-Monster worms dragged through the thickest cover you can find. Some decent fish can still be caught above the 219 bridge in the Chattahoochee by fishing the grass beds especially if the lake remains full. Try a frog style bait or a jig around thick cover or aquatic grasses
Hybrids and Stripers: GOOD - I am expecting a good topwater bite to continue this summer because of all the newly hatched shad. Have a popping cork or 3/8 oz Rooster tail ready and watch for schools of fish on the surface. If we have a tropical depression come through during August, they usually go nuts on top!
LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST
Trolling big plugs with a bucktail in front, especially in the late afternoons during periods of water generation, can be very effective as well.
Crappie: GOOD - Good catches of crappie should continue all summer. Most people kind of forget about them this time of year but the guys who do their homework, putting out brush piles and downlining with live minnows in the thick brush, do very well. Another pattern that works is shooting docks or pitching to docks. Crappie like the shade and often a single dock can produce a limit of fish. Also, night fishing is normally very good during the summer months, and it keeps you out of the heat.
Catfish: GOOD - Although they’re kind of overlooked catfish provide a steady bite all summer. Try using live worms, cut bait, chicken liver fished on bottom. Jug fishing is also really productive and a fun way to get the whole family involved. Best of all, catfish are really tasty!
The lake is still near full pool, clear, with surface temps in the mid to upper 80’s.
LANIER STRIPERS
The Summer heat has arrived full force here on Lake Lanier. The water temperature is in the mid-eighties, and the water is clear. More importantly, the average size of fish has made a huge leap from last year. The best fishing has been on the south end of the lake due to deeper colder water. The South end will continue to be the best area in August. Look in the creek channels near patches of timber and your primary pattern is the downline. The primary setup for the downline is a Shakespeare Striper Rod paired with a Penn Fathom II 15 Linecounter reel spooled with 15-pound Trilene Big Game line, the Captain Mack 2 oz swivel sinker, a 6 foot section of Trilene 100 percent Flourocarbon and a 1/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hook. Add a live herring to the hook and you are good to go. Take plenty of herring as they will not live long on the hook.
The trolling bite is also picking up. Talk
Lake Lanier is 38,000 acres of prime fishing and home to some of the best spotted bass and striped bass in the world. There are dozens of hotels within minutes of the lake, professional fishing guides to increase your odds of catching the “big ones” and plenty of action in Gainesville, Georgia to keep the family entertained! Check us out at ExploreGainesville.org to find out more.
to your local tackle store like Hammonds or Oakwood Bait and Tackle for the specific rod and reel needed. Look for a Penn Fathom 30 reel paired with a Shakespeare Tiger rod. Once you are setup, tie up one rod with a Ben Parker spoon, one with a Georgia Blade Spoon, and one with a 1-to-2-ounce white Berkley Fusion buck tail and troll at 2.8 mph. Tip the Berkley Fusion bucktail with a 6-inch Capt. Mack chartreuse trailer. Let the first couple bites tell you which one is hot. It can vary from day to day. So far this Summer, the 1 oz Fusion bucktail has been hot. Typically, as we roll into August, the 2 oz Fusion bucktail will become the best bait. Be sure to release fish as fast as possible. Every second out of the water in the hot summer months increases mortality. If you are taking pictures, have everything ready for a quick release. See you on the water!
OCONEE ON THE FLY
Hybrids / Stripers – August can be a tough month here on Lake Oconee for Hybrids and Stripers. However, there have been some significant changes with the installation of the supplemental oxygen lines at the dam.
My trips as of this writing on July 9th are all starting at 6:15 AM. One tactic is to head straight to the dam and see if the red lights are on. If they are on Georgia Power is pumping water up from Lake Sinclair and more than likely the oxygen lines are pumping millions of bubbles to the surface along the five, mile long, lines at the bottom near the dam.
As my friend and venerable guide Doug Nelms says, “get to the side of the bubble lines so you can see the fish on your electronics.” Then you can target them down lining live bait, using spoons, or trolling Mini Macs at the proper depth. If the bite is not on, head back up the Lake to Great Waters. My customer’s tenyear-old son, Riley (pictured here) connected with this hybrid weighing in well over 5 lbs. there.
Once the sun is up, target long main lake points that are 25 to 30 feet deep.
Forecast for August Crappie – Structure and brush pile fishing will still be
LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST
the name of the game. Hire a guide that specializes in this technique, and you will likely load the boat.
Fly Fishing – There is still sometimes a first light topwater bite mid lake at the island near Reynolds (Linger Longer) Marina. My best guess is this might be happening the first week in August. Tie on a wiggle minnow or a Cowen’s “Somethin Else” fly on an 8 weight with intermediate line and if they are feeding on top, they will hit it!
Final Words
Contact me at wmoore1700@outlook. com or call 404-317-9556 to book your trip. I provide everything you need including light snacks and soft drinks. Tight Lines, and God Bless.
Commercial Gear for Anglers!
on high alert, and the noises of the day silenced, the bites can be startling and give the impression that the fsh is larger than it is. Tat’s part of the excitement of a topwater bite! I only use this tactic in areas I know well, for safety reasons, of course.
I know wading isn’t for everyone, and night wading is for even fewer anglers, but there are other methods. Fishing from a dock, boat or kayak are all good options. Focusing on dock lights, causeway lights and lighted piers can provide excellent fshing. Many canal homes have lights, both underwater and above the surface, that attract baitfsh, which attract the gamefsh we target. I’d say trout are the most prolifc, but reds and snook can be found mixed in with trout if you have them in your area. I like to target these areas with smaller lures, either a sof-plastic rattling paddletail or a small, hard, lipped bait with or without rattles. I prefer natural colors in some shade of white or clear with some silver mixed in.
I also enjoy fshing granite jetties at night. Setting up for this is a little more work but can yield terrifc results. When jetty fshing, I bring a generator and two 1,500-watt stage lights. Tese areas typically have more current, so my hard-lipped lures may be slightly larger, but I still go with the smallest lure I can work properly in the current. I stick with the same colors as mentioned earlier. Te channel and surf side of the rocks can both be productive depending on the tide, water clarity and bait. I recommend pointing one light in each direction until you determine which area has the best conditions.
Fishing at night brings new challenges, but it can ofer some of the best catches of the summer. If you decide to give one of these three methods a try, remember safety frst and don’t fsh alone. Enjoy some cooler times on the water and be safe.
Capt. Michael Okruhlik is the inventor of Knockin Tail Lures®, and the owner of www.MyCoastOutdoors.com.
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STUD AJ IS A SOUTH CAROLINA RECORD!
Fishing out of Murrells Inlet on May 23, angler James Carroll battled in a 129-pound amberjack that is a new South Carolina state record. Here is the story in Carroll’s own words:
We set out from Murrells Inlet, S.C. at the crack of dawn, heading ofshore to the Winyah Scarp area, about 60 miles out. Our goal was to catch some mahi or wahoo. Afer a few hours of trolling along a weed line and the ledge without success, we decided to move closer in and try bottom fshing.
We relocated to a spot about 50 miles ofshore in 100 feet of water. I switched to a Connley Fishing kingfsh rod paired with a Penn Fathom 40, rigged with 80-lb. Momoi Diamond Braid and a two-hook bottom setup.
At this location, we caught vermilion snapper, black sea bass, grunts and porgies, sometimes two at a time. It was a productive day. I began waiting afer getting a bite, hoping to hook a second fsh. While doing this, something big hit the line without getting hooked.
Finally, I hooked a monster fsh. Afer about 45 minutes of fghting, I told my great friend and captain of the Liberty Call, Gordon Jobe, to put the boat in gear to help bring the fsh up in the water column. Around the one-hour mark, we landed what turned out to be a South Carolina state record greater amberjack.
Using a Garmin InReach, we contacted friends onshore to check the state record weight for South Carolina. Tey replied with 123 lbs. We knew we had surpassed that mark but had to wait a few hours to confrm.
Back at the dock, we went to Seven Seas Seafood Market in Murrells Inlet, S.C., to weigh the fsh on their certifed scales. Te fsh weighed in at 129 lbs. and measured 69 inches in length. Afer certifcation by Kris Reynolds, of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the crew at Seven Seas processed the fsh for me.
For more giant fsh, go to coastalanglermag.com
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