The Angler Magazine | September 2019 | Great Smoky Mountains by Coastal Angler Magazine

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE EDITION

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ICAST's Hottest New Gear

+ Bass On The Move • Fall Feed-Up

PHOTO COURTESY OF DREW GREGORY VOLUME 24 • ISSUE 294

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THEANGLERMAG.COM O P P O R T U N I T I E S

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SEPTEMBER 2019

W O R L D W I D E

SeaStar Solutions is introducing a new foot throttle, the Pro-Pedal, that provides a more comfortable operating experience for the driver and incorporates components that will greatly improve durability and reliability.

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Part No.

Description

FT7000P

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FT7050P

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BEST OF ICAST 2019

EDITOR PICKS: Every year at the ICAST show, dozens of lucky winners are chosen the Best Of ICAST for their respective categories. There are dozens of other companies whose products might not have won Best Of, but their innovative gear certainly deserves some recognition. Join us as we celebrate our selections for the Best Of ICAST 2019.

Vibe Shearwater 125

ach year, ICAST showcases the latest and greatest in fishing gear at the world’s largest fishing trade show. A highlight of the show is the “Best Of ” awards, which are selected from the massive New Product Showcase, as voted on by buyers and media. Garmin’s new Force Trolling Motor won overall “Best of Show” at ICAST 2019, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando in July. It won top honors out of more than 1,000 new products showcased.

“Best of Category” Award Winners • Boating Accessories: Garmin Force Trolling Motor • Boats and Watercraft: Hobie Mirage ProAngler 14 with 360 Drive Technology • Eyewear: Costa Del Mar WaterWoman • Footwear: Frogg Toggs Skipper • Giftware: 13 Fishing Fillet Table Beverage Management System • Lifestyle Apparel: AFTCO Yurei Air-O-Mesh Performance Shirt • Technical Apparel (Cold Weather): Simms M’s G4Z Stockingfoot Wader • Technical Apparel (Warm Weather): AFTCO Overboard Submersible Shorts • Ice Fishing: Johnson Outdoors Ice Helix 7 Chirp GPS G3N All-Season • Cooler and Bait/Storage: Plano Synergy Frabill Magnum Bait Station 30 • Cutlery, Hand Pliers or Tools: Bubba 110V Electric Fillet Knife • Electronics: Johnson Outdoors MEGA 360 Imaging • Fly Fishing Accessory: Simms Dry Creek Z Sling Pack • Fishing Accessory – American Tackle Company MW20 Finesse Set • Fishing Line: PowerPro Moon Shine Braid • Kids’ Tackle – Anything Possible Brands The Bumblebee by ProFISHiency • Tackle Management: Plano Synergy Plano EDGE • Terminal Tackle: Rapala VMC Bladed Hybrid Treble Short • Freshwater Soft Lure: Lunkerhunt Phantom Spider • Saltwater Soft Lure: LIVETARGET Slow-Roll Shiner • Freshwater Hard Lure: LIVETARGET Erratic Shiner • Saltwater Hard Lure: LIVETARGET Flutter Sardine • Freshwater Reel: Shimano SLX DC Baitcasting Reels • Saltwater Reel: Shimano Stradic FL Spinning Reel • Fly Reel: SEiGLER Reels SF (Small Fly) • Freshwater Rod: St. Croix Mojo Bass Glass MGC72HM Rip N’ Chatter Rod • Saltwater Rod: St. Croix Avid Surf VSS80MMF • Fly Fishing Rod: St. Croix Imperial Salt IS908.4 • Rod & Reel Combo: Lew’s Fishing Lew’s Mach Smash Baitcast Combo 6

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Vibe obviously put a lot of thought into their new fishing kayak. By combining features kayak anglers customarily had to choose one over the other, the Shearwater 125 is the most versatile fishing kayak on the water. This streamlined fishing vessel has an open deck as well as center-console storage. It’s comfortable and stable with a high-low seat, a standing perch and ample floor standing room. Rudder steering is pedal and hand controlled. It can be rigged for paddle, pedal and motor power with Power Pole mounts. There is open bow storage for easy access as well as hull rigging access. Four flush rod holders are complemented by four horizontal rod holders. It’s got a tunnel hull and a keel for maximum stability and speed. And all of that is just the beginning of a long list of well-designed features. With innovation that provides all of the functionality anglers look for in a kayak, Vibe’s Shearwater 125 begs the question, “Why choose when you can have it all?”

Vibekayaks.com

Bixpy Kayak Outboard Kit Looking to extend your range and save energy for fishing? The Bixpy Thruster is an electric outboard motor designed to fit any kayak or other small boat. It reaches speeds of up to 7 mph, opening up a whole world of opportunity for folks who fish from small boats. This extremely powerful, efficient, light and portable propulsion system helps you fight wind and current, explore new places and extend trips. A single charge allows for up to 10 hours at trolling speed, and at full speed it will push a kayak to about 7 mph for up to 75 minutes of continuous use. The Bixpy Outboard Kit, which includes a thruster and an outboard Power Pack is emission-free, weighs only 9 pounds and is easy to mount, operate and transport. All components are waterproof and safe for fresh and saltwater use. This little outboard turns your kayak into a micro-skiff, allowing you to go farther and faster, wherever the fish are.

Bixpy.com

My Coast Outdoors Knockin Tail My Coast Outdoors, the Houston-based lure maker that brought us its innovative Controlled Descent line of soft plastics, has released another one-of-a-kind lure to the industry. The Knockin Tail paddletail swimbait made its debut at ICAST 2019, and it raised eyebrows with a unique design that’s proven to stimulate feeding behavior in fresh and saltwater fish.

COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

2019 HOTTEST NEW FISHING GEAR Every angler knows the benefits of sound and vibration paired with visual stimulation to convince fish to feed. With the Knockin Tail, there’s a rattle built into the tail. Not only does this eliminate the need to purchase or insert rattles, it outperforms traditional noisemakers, which only produce sound when the rod is twitched. This lure puts out a continuous fish-attracting sound with every flutter of the tail. Whether it’s twitched, bounced, on the fall or with a steady retrieve, the Knockin Tail rattles to stimulate the lateral line. Beneath that innovation, Knockin Tail is also a carefully designed soft plastic that’s as durable as it is action packed.

Rod Vault ST

Mycoastoutdoors.com

Nauticus EZ BOARD

With its EZ BOARD removable boat boarding assist handle, Nauticus designed a simple solution for those of us not blessed with the agility of a spider monkey. Made of strong and durable, corrosion and UV resistant PVC, the EZ BOARD is the handhold you need to safely and easily board the boat. It slides right into most flush-mounted rod holders, which makes it as convenient as it is helpful. When it’s time to board, insert the EZ BOARD into the rod holder and twist to lock it. When everyone is safely aboard, slide it back out of the rod holder and stow it. It can be oriented while on the water to provide a handhold for boarding or disembarking from either a dock or the swim platform, depending on where it’s needed. Made in the USA, the EZ BOARD is lightweight, requires no special tools and comes with a five-year replacement warranty. It is available in 36” and 48” models, and there’s even a 24” model to help with getting in or out of a kayak.

www.nauticusinc.com

LIVETARGET Flutter Sardine With its new Injected Core Technology, LIVETARGET hauled in the hardware at ICAST 2019, winning three best of category awards. The idea behind these lures is to show a realistic baitfish profile to fish, while hiding the unnatural mechanical elements that give lures their action. The ICT Flutter Sardine has the enticing twitch and falling action of a standard jigging spoon, but its exceptionally realistic profile sets it apart from everything else on the market. Injected Core Technology enables a lifelike sardine profile, while the Exo-Skin gives the lure its signature flutter action. Perfect for a host of saltwater fishing applications with a saltwater-grade hook, it’s available in five weights and six colors.

Livetargetlures.com

This vehicle-mounted rod storage solution allows anyone from recreational anglers to professionals to arrive at their fishing destination with baitcast, spinning and spincast rods and reels intact, fully-rigged and ready to fish. Two aircraft grade anodized aluminum tubes hold up to six fully rigged casting or spinning rods up to eight feet in length, and a locking reel housing area easily fits most baitcasting and small to medium spinning reels. Protective polypropylene liners inside the Rod Vault eliminate rod on metal contact, protecting guides and rod tips from abrasion. A large entry tube accommodates initial line guides up to 2.5 inches out to 40 inches from the base of the rod. It’s perfect for rigs deisgned for bass, inshore and other warmwater fishing. Included mounting brackets secure the Rod Vault ST to the top of any vehicle with rooftop crossbars and are built to accommodate almost any factory or aftermarket crossbar design, including aero and square tubes up to 3.5 inches wide and 1.5 inches thick. An innovative t-slot mounting design and movable tube clamps provide flexible options to fit most vehicles. The Rod Vault ST was specifically over-engineered to keep valuable equipment safe in almost any circumstance. Stainless steel hardware ensures the Rod Vault ST will remain rust free no matter the fishing environment, and fiberglass-infused nylon construction protects the reel housing, mounting hardware and aerodynamic nose cone from UV degradation. Whether storing rods to fish before or after work or traveling across the country on an epic fishing trip, the Rod Vault ST is deisgned to keep gear safe.

rodvaultst.com

Soft Steel USA Fluoro-Stretch Line Soft Steel USA has come up with a fishing line that might finally end the perennial debate over monofilament vs. fluorocarbon. With its new stretchable fluorocarbon, Soft Steel USA found the meeting point that provides the benefits of both fluoro and mono. It’s a real game changer. Soft Steel’s new Fluoro-Stretch line is a 100 percent fluorocarbon line with the stretchable properties of monofilament. It has the abrasion resistance, low visibility, sensitivity and toughness of fluoro as well as the tighter knots and shock absorption of monofilament. Tight knots have always been an issue with fluorocarbon, especially when it comes to line-to-line knots. The new Fluoro-Stretch allows for a tighter cinch, which elevates knot strength to 95%, which is much stronger than standard fluorocarbon lines. Available in breaking strengths of 10 to 150 pounds, the new FluoroStretch will be available in 25-yard spools and coils as well as 5-yard single-shot lengths.

www.softsteelusa.com

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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t’s snook season in Florida, and despite a closure to harvest for much of the state’s west coast, the next couple months offer great action in the world’s best location to target the state’s most iconic inshore/ nearshore gamefish. Snook strike aggressively, fight hard and grow large—into the 20and 30-pound range of true slob snook. The Florida state record weighed 45.75 pounds. It was caught by Heather Lynn Conners near Sebastian in 2015. But even the slot fish—those in the 28- to 33-inch range you’re allowed to keep one of—will test your gear. It’s one of the most explosive and exciting gamefish on the planet. Snook are extremely temperature sensitive, and tactics vary according to the season. From the beaches and nearshore, where they spend their summers, they will move over the next few months seeking warmer water in sheltered winter haunts. First, you’ll find them in deep water adjacent to the shallow flats. Then, driven by cooling sea temps, they’ll push all the way up into the creeks and rivers, residential canals, warm water discharge from power plants, upper estuaries, and anywhere they can find suitable water conditions. The harsher the winter, the more pronounced the move. Fall through winter is the time when big, line-snapping snook will hunker down in areas that might seem highly unlikely to the uninformed. With the mild winters of the last decade, much has been made of the northward spread of snook. A tropical species, they historically thrived only on the southern coasts of Florida, up to about to about Sebastian in the Atlantic and Tampa in the Gulf. However, in recent years, snook have set up shop farther north, in areas that would have been unheard of a decade ago. These days, it’s possible to target snook at Homosassa and farther north along the Nature Coast of the Gulf and up toward Jacksonville in the Atlantic. They have also shown up much farther north. This summer, Coastal Angler Magazine reported on a juvenile snook caught in a cast net way up in Winyah Bay, South Carolina. First timers seeking to do battle with snook should hire a captain. Along with being big and strong, large female snook are notoriously smart and usually require specialized tackle, techniques and a good deal of patience. Their tendency to hole up in the structure of mangroves, rocks and bridge and pier pilings makes break-offs common, and the expertise of a good guide increases your chances of actually landing one. The good news is, snook have been relatively unmolested by anglers during the closed season of the last three months. Now is as good a time as any to fool a big cow nosed into the current under some residential canal dock. They feed best in low light of the early mornings and late evenings when there’s a rising or falling tide. The stronger tides around the new and full moons are optimal for catching them. Keep that in mind when booking your trip to Florida’s snook fisheries, and you could find yourself experiencing the fishing trip of a lifetime.

For information on snook in Florida, go to myfwc.com.

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EPIC TRIPLETAIL OF FRANKLIN COUNTY

Photos courtesy of Robinson Brother’s Guide Service.

f you’ve ever wanted to check the mighty tripletail off your bucket-list, there’s no better place to do it than the waters off Franklin County, Fla. and the city of Apalachicola. The tripletail population is extremely healthy in these waters, and the friendly captains and crews who work here are ready to put you on them. Capt. John Sapp, with Robinson

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Brothers Guide Service, consistently puts his clients on giant tripletail. He credits the area’s abundance of shrimp and other baitfish along with the flow of the Apalachicola River for creating the perfect scenario for tripletail to flourish… and flourish they do! Everyone around here knows these fish like to hang around floating structures, like buoys and channel markers, but John and other guides like Capt. Ken Finch have these fish located on deeper and less obvious structures that most people don’t know about. All the visible spots get a lot of pressure from anglers, and while they will produce fish, hiring a seasoned local guide will greatly increase your odds of bagging a really big fish… or several of them! While the size and numbers of fish that have been coming out of this area has been nothing short of amazing, they are heavily pressured. Finding and catching the bigger fish isn’t just as easy as pulling up to a buoy and tossing shrimp out. Understanding their seasonal movements, feeding habits and their locations around deeper structures that hold fish, makes all the difference. These guides know how to read conditions and account for tide and wind currents and know how to piece it all together and time the day perfectly. This puts clients in the best position for success. Anglers can harvest two triple tail over 18 inches, per person, and while they are most excellent table fare, catch and release is often the name of the game. Anglers who haul their boats to Franklin County will find an abundance of launch locations, facilities and accommodations that make this easy going. A bucket of live shrimp and some basic artificial lures and terminal tackle will usually get the job done. Franklin County offers great offshore fishing as well, but the inshore waters offer anglers a wide variety of species to pursue like speckled trout, redfish, jack crevalle and flounder, just to name a few. As we transition into cooler weather, you can expect the bite to heat up for all of these species of fish, so get to Apalachicola, Fla. soon and check out this insane inshore tripletail action and more! For more info and a complete list of rentals, charters, supplies and more, visit www.floridasforgottencoast.com.

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GOLDEN CRAPPIE CAUGHT IN ARKANSAS

avid Allen Sisson, of Magnolia, Arkansas, caught a fish on July 27 that few anglers have ever seen or even heard of: a golden crappie. Sisson was vertical jigging a brushpile at the 3,000-acre Columbia County, Ark. water supply reservoir when he caught the unusual fish. “The pictures still don’t do it justice,” Sisson said. “It was amazing, and I just feel blessed to have caught it.” Arkansas Game and Fish Commission District Fisheries Supervisor and avid crappie angler Andy Yung also was excited to hear about the catch. “I had never seen a golden crappie in my life,” Yung said. “I’ve read about them, but it’s something you just never see in the wild.” Yung explained the gold coloration is caused by a genetic mutation called Xanthism, similar to what causes a rare animal to be an albino or the black pigmentation in some extremely rare cases of deer and other animals. Xanthic crappie not only are lottery-drawing rare, but their coloring can hinder their ability to survive. These sorts of animals usually stand out from the others and are typically eaten by predators long before they reach maturity. Sisson said his golden catch didn’t end up in a frying pan, but has been taken to a taxidermist in Magnolia to mount.

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BIG FRANK'S Their Specialty!

Skiffs Are

By Joe Woody

his summer has definitely been a hot one, and the Dog Days are just beginning. By mid-morning, temperatures are hitting the 90 degree mark, the high humidity exacerbates things to the point that you’re wondering if you should have stayed cool in your favorite recliner watching Nuts & Bolts of Fishing episodes. I recently purchased a boat From Big Frank’s Outdoors in Maryville, Tenn., and it was the easiest boat purchase I’ve ever made. Frank and his team go above and beyond what you would expect when it comes to customer service. In fact, I would go so far as to say that there is excellent customer service, then there’s Big Frank’s customer service. Big Frank’s staff members came in on their day off to make sure my boat was ready for the water. They even offered to deliver it to me on Calderwood Lake where I was staying, which would have been a trip over the Tail of the Dragon, one of the Southeast’s longest, curviest roads. I declined their generous offer and came to get it myself, but just the offer was enough to show how much these guys care about their customers. They are skiff, small boat and shallow water specialists, offering unique skiffs in sizes from 13 to 22 feet, available in fiberglass, aluminum and plastic composite. No one else really offers what they do in the Great Smokies area. They enjoy the boats they sell on a regular basis, so the customer can be confident they are getting tried and true, real-world advice. They will also customize your boat to the way you need it.

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Their boats are perfect for the rivers, lakes and coastal waters so prevalent in the southeast. They also offer a full line of boat-related products including fishfinders, GPS devices, trolling motors, Power Poles, LED lights, underwater lights and props. They are also an outboard jets dealer. They deliver to almost anywhere in the continental U.S., so give Frank and the boys a call for your next boat purchase. You won’t be disappointed.

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MURPHY AREA LAKES

Monster Stripers in the Mountains: Lake Hiwassee September Striper Fishing By Shane Goebel

eptember striper fishing on Lake Hiwassee is wide open. It’s actually one of my favorite months to be on this beautiful lake. The striped bass really school up and feed like crazy. This means we can absolutely wear them out and trust me, we do! I also love this time of year because you can start to feel a bit of fall in the air. The temperatures start to cool outside and it gets the fish moving. This is a perfect time to experience some extreme striper fishing, and what’s the best way to do that? By booking a trip with Murphy, NC’s #1 and only full-time striper guide: Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. We’ve been striper fishing these lakes longer than anyone! We have what it takes to put you on some sweet trophy stripers. Currently, Lake Hiwassee is 4 feet below full pool. Water clarity is clear and water temps are in the mid-80s. Striper fishing has been excellent for us lately. We’ve been averaging 30 to 40 stripers per morning out here, and most of our fish have been in the 8 to 15 pound range. We have also caught some bigger stripers in the 20 to 30 pound range. The early-morning and evening bites are your best times to see action. With the cooling water temps,

Stripers will start to show up in the mouths of creeks and points off the main lake channel. These fish will also start working their way up the Hiwassee and Nottely Rivers. The majority of our fish have been caught from Point 6 to the dam. Down-lining live blue-back herring will be your best technique. The top-water bite on our ultra-light tackle has picked up a bit too, so keep a spook or a Red Fin at the ready to snag surface-busting fish. The fish will continue to be schooled up throughout the next month and will remain in deeper water before starting to spread out. Just remember to keep an eye on your electronics and watch for schools of stripers when cruising the lake. Also, don’t forget to try to get the fish back into the water as quickly as possible after they are caught. Try not to drop them in the boat and remember that the limit is 4 per person out there. This is an excellent striper lake, and it’s only going to get better if we help them thrive. I predict some huge monsters out here in the next 5 years, but we have to keep them in the lake. September is a fantastic month for catching tons of monster stripers on this Western North Carolina lake. Give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call and let the area’s #1 rated guide

service put you on some of Lake Hiwassee’s best trophy stripers during the fishing trip of a lifetime. We are Murphy NC’s only and original premier fulltime guide service, specializing in striped and hybrid bass. We also serve Lakes Nottely, Lake Chatuge, and Lake Blue Ridge. And for all your live bait and tackle needs, check out Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA. They carry everything you need for a successful day of fishing and have the best live herring around. So, come fish with the pros for the opportunity to be featured in Angler Magazine, and let us help you get your fish on! Shane Goebel is the Owner of Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service and a member of The Angler Fishing Team. Contact him at www.bigolfish. com or (828) 361-2021 / 1-(844)-4-ANGLER

SMSS has all the essentials for hunting, target shooting, home defense, reloading and more Call for date & time of monthly concealed carry class. 53 Peachtree St, Murphy, NC • 828-837-7677 Beside the Courthouse

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Early Fall Fishing on Murphy Area Lakes

By Aaron Kephart

s I write this, the outside temperatures are hovering in the mid-90s and the humidity is almost visible, but the one benefit to this current August misery is that cooler weather is just around the corner. With that in mind, I would like to take just a moment to look at what traditionally occurs in September on our area lakes. The TVA annually starts to drop the bottom out of Hiwassee in September, and that positively affects the fishing on both Hiwassee and Apalachia. The fish on Hiwassee are suddenly met with less real estate to roam in, and they tend to congregate in the face of that new reality. Lower water levels mean that fish tend to get in traditional staging areas. The baitfish also start their early fall migration into the cuts and creeks, and you will often find schooling fish at the mouths of these places. Some of the best

topwater of the year for bass can be had at this time. The stripers also tend to be in the same areas, and while they don’t break the surface as much simply because of the still warm water temperatures, they can often be found in deeper water immediately adjacent to the surface activity. Simply put, September is one of my favorite months to be on Hiwassee for stripers and bass. This drawdown also affects Apalachia because of the somewhat constant and more reliable water flows being released from Hiwassee, which in turns leads to an increase in fish activity there. Smallmouth, largemouth, and brown trout can be had in abundance on that lake this time of year. Chatuge is very similar to Hiwassee in terms of fish behavior and migration patterns right now. September is traditionally the best month for big walking topwaters on this lake, and it isn’t just an early

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Crappie, Trophy Trout, Stripers, and more available

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morning affair. Keep one handy all day long; a wolfpack of big, hungry spots could push a school of bait up at literally any time. The spots and hybrids tend to pin the herring on the surface closer to the main channel. Sunken roadbeds, underwater brushpiles, and long points are great places to begin your search. Other productive baits are large flutter spoons, jerkbaits, soft plastic Fluke style offerings, and the always reliable drop shot. If slinging an artificial all day isn’t your style, a live herring run on the surface or dropped deep will definitely get a lot of attention. I would like to close with a note on fish care. Even though the fish are more aggressive now

than they were just a few weeks ago, the water is still very warm, and dissolved oxygen levels are still very low. Fish, especially the bigger ones, will certainly suffer high mortality rates if they aren’t handled quickly and properly this time of year. I try to land and release fish as quickly as possible right now to ensure that they are there to catch the next time. Please try to never drop them in the bait or otherwise damage their slime coat, as this is an almost certain death sentence, even if the fish seemingly swims off fine. If you would like to get out on one of our area lakes with me please give me a call at 865-466-1345. Have a great day!

Aaron Kephart is the Owner of Mountain Lakes Guide Service. To book a guided trip on one of the Murphy area mountain lakes, contact him by phone or by email at mtnlakesguide@outlook.com Check out his website at http://www.mtnlakesguideservice.com and catch him on facebook@ mountainlakesguideservice

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Tons of Lake Chatuge Hybrids with the Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service

By Darren Hughes

’m not sure if Lake Chatuge’s hard fighting hybrids even know that fall starts this month. These fish are still schooling and biting midsummer. September is historically a great month for hybrid fishing on Lake Chatuge, and it’s looking like this year is going to be even better! Currently, Lake Chatuge is at full pool, water temps are in the low 80’s, and water clarity is clear throughout the lake. If you’re looking for an actionpacked morning of fishing, give Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service a call. We are Lake Chatuge’s #1 guide service for loads of trophy hybrids and spotted bass. Hybrid fishing is wicked good! The fish are still schooling in large numbers, and we are catching some high quantities. On average, our trips consist of 30 to 50 fish in just a few hours, and most of our hybrids are averaging 5-10 pounds. These are some of Lake Chatuge’s hardest fighting fish, and we’re having a blast wearing them out. If you go out, the early morning and midafternoon bite has been prime. Fish will be slightly shallower in the early morning hours and will move to deeper water by mid-morning. Look for schools

of fish along the main channel and off-points. Don’t forget to search out your areas and watch your electronics. Down-lining live blueback herring has been the best technique. When you mark fish, drop your lines. Topwater bite has slowed down considerably but you can still find a few busting. When these fish start busting on bait, it’s always a good idea to have a plug, spook, or red fin at the ready. Remember, live bait on this lake can be the difference between a successful day of fishing and a horrid one. For all of your bait and tackle needs, come visit us at Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA--it’s the best place around for quality live blueback herring. September fishing on Lake Chatuge is always exciting. For guided fishing trips on Lakes Chatuge, Hiwassee, or Nottely, or questions about the bait shop, call me, Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service or Hughes General Store. And whether you’re a seasoned angler or just starting out, give the Chatuge a shot for some of the best spotted bass and hybrids in the area. Good luck, and get hooked!

Darren Hughes is the Owner of Hughes General Store & Bait Shop and a member of The Angler Magazine Fishing Team and Guide for Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. Look him up at www.bigolfish.comor give him a call, (706) 745-6569 or (828) 361-2021

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Fall Fly Fishing Tips By David Hulsey

eptember usually begins hot and dry and goes out cool and awesome here in the Southern Appalachians. By the last week of the month, a couple of cool fronts have slipped far enough southward to renew the fly angler’s will to drag out the gear and give it a go over. The fall is the beginning of the fly flinger’s year, so to speak, with wonderful days ahead on the rivers and creeks in North Carolina and Georgia. Delayed Harvest Streams in North Carolina will open with massive stockings of beautiful rainbows, browns, and brooks. Fires Creek, Nantahala River and Big Snowbird Creek, in the far west part of the state, are good choices by the second week of October. Just a two or three hour drive from Atlanta, if you don’t get caught in traffic. Day trips to these creeks are great, arriving about 9 and leaving about 4 gives you plenty of fishing

time, so plan accordingly. Georgia’s Delayed Harvest streams open in November and the Upper Toccoa River will be alive with folks that first week. This is my favorite Georgia DH. It’s big enough to float but also provides careful waders with some great sport. Be sure to bring your long fly rod for this one. Sometimes you’ll have to

cast a little ways to get a drift and there are usually several currents to deal with on a single long drift. The glory days of dry fly fishing will usually start dwindling as we get more and more cold mornings. Nice sunny days and clear water will

help the dry bite unless it’s warm and wet then Blue Winged Olives should be about. Be prepared with an arsenal of standard nymphs and streamers and you should be set. Be sure to go over your waders and check for leaks or rat holes. Nothing is worse than a set of leaky waders or boots with worn out soles. The latter can send you to the ER. Be sure to make a trip to your local fly shop for a few do-dads or flies or something because believe me, they’ll appreciate it. Consider taking a casting or fly tying class this fallit’ll add more to your experiences on the water and you might make a few more like-minded friends. Be sure to get out and enjoy the fall in the mountains after all winter’s on its way.

Give David a call to book a class or trophy trout guide trip at Noontootla Creek Farms. We can make learning to fly fish easy and fun! You can make the switch.

Ad intentionally upside down 6 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE

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SWAIN COUNTY / BRYSON CITY / ROBBINSVILLE

When It Rains, It Pours! By Ronnie Parris

o date, this has been one of the wettest years I can remember. For sure, the rain has had both a negative and a positive effect on our mountain lakes and streams. Back in February, we had a week’s worth of rain and the lake levels in Fontana jumped overnight. The walleye fishing had just started to get good and the rains came and if you spent much time on the water, you know what it did to the bite. We went from catching limits of really big walleye to searching for hours, watching a depth finder, hoping to catch a school of fish off the bottom feeding on a school of threadfin shad. I saw a drop in the Santeetlah bite as well, with the fish feeding sporadically and you better have been in the perfect place right when the feed happened, or you might just miss out on the bite completely. During one of these trips, me and my son in-law got on some really nice yellow perch and bass for what turned out to be a great 2 hour bite. Float trips down the Tuck were off as well with the high waters making fly fishing difficult. After the water cleared, it seemed like both rainbow and brown trout bounced back fast, with good numbers and size. One trip where a client preferred fishing spinning gear,

some really big fish were brought to the boat. As sure as the rains made for tough fishing, it should pay off with some great spring and summer fishing as a lot of fish were spared to complete their spawning runs and also our springs and mountain creeks should be in really good shape for the summer. I would say the water table should be the best it’s been in 20 years. It will be interesting to see how the summer plays out but I would be shocked if the fishing isn’t awesome. We’re getting close to the time of year for tana is on their list of priorities warm as the temps are bone some good crappie fishing, not as far as this is concerned. Dress chilling and as always, stay safe! to say you can’t catch them now, Ronnie Parris is the Owner and Head Guide of Smoky Mountain Outdoors it just seems like the ones caught Unlimited-Fontana Lake Fishing Guides, headquartered in now tend to run small and are Bryson City, North Carolina, heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. bunched in the same place day (www.smokymountainoutdoorsunlimited.com) after day. A submerged slide where the trees are still standing barely above water is like getting the perfect parking spot at Walmart. You better be there early and stay till the fish decide to bite because if you leave to look elsewhere, someone will be tied to the branches when you come back. All the up and down lake levels have picked up a lot of wood and debris from the shoreline, so be extra careful to not hit a submerged stump with your boat. Hopefully TVA will have a cleanup but it doesn’t seem Fon-

Fontana Lake Fishing Guides – Ronnie Parris, Owner & Head Guide LAKE, CREEK & RIVER FISHING • FLY FISHING • CAMPING We offer both full and half day trips with the most competitive rates available. All tackle and supplies you will need while you are on your trip is covered by our listed price.

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The Old Man

By Danny Maybin

hether I’m fishing or hunting, there are certain things I require in order to consider my excursion a success. Bag and creel limits are nuisances and bad weather is inevitable, but going home richer in spirit has no price tag. Here in the southeast, over the years, I’ve developed a fondness for the countless little backroad watering holes that are so familiar to anyone who has grown up here. A little while back I went on a two-night fishing trip a little south of where I live. I looked forward to seeing my local friends as much as I looked forward to the fishing. There’s a little two-lane bar called “Pearls” that I always drop by if I’m in the area. If you hit it on the

right days, there’s a band led by a woman named Anita that defines the word “Honky Tonk”. Anita’s band was just cranking up when I came into Pearls at around six o’clock that evening. To me, walking into a comfortable old place with a steel guitar crying and the bass driving is like wearing your favorite jeans and putting your feet up on the table. I had just placed my order and sat down. Anita was belting out a classic and the barkeep was wiping a glass. It was a snapshot in my mental album of best days ever, until the old storm door that serves as a front door scrubbed open. The bottom of that door has scrubbed the ground for as long as I can remember, and the sudden opening let sunlight pour

CONTINUED, SEE THE OLD MAN, PAGE 35

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Live, Learn, and Leave Great Smoky Mountain Excursions What You Don’t Need

By Capt. James McManus

AAAhhhhh... September is arriving, there will still be some hot days, but the fish will have received the note that they better get off the stick and get to feeding up before the snow blows. There is nothing quite like the first semblance of fall when you go back in the house and grab a jacket. Call out the dogs and stoke the fire, the summer is gone. Looking back on pictures, it seems

Hazel Creek, Gateway to the Smokies

eye schools used to be found at Fontana this time of year and all you had to do was troll a Rapala through them to load the boat, same with schools of smallmouth. Here is hoping the fall magic holds this year. I have taken several guides out lately and they have all stated that, regardless of their home waters, whether fresh or salt, something has changed over the past several years. We all have

A Lou, Diane and Spanky with stripes.

as though September holds some of the biggest catches of the year. Whether it’s smallies, stripers, or carp, my archives are full of good September catches. Last year at Hartwell, we saw a solid 75 to 100 acres of breaking stripers...Did not believe there were that many fish in one place anywhere shy of our coasts. Wall-

ideas about what has caused these changes but I don’t think there is ever a simple reason and consequently a simple solution. I truly believe, with a few exceptions, that we have been spoiled beyond any reasonable expectation of what a day on the water should hold. When I first started fishing Fontana 35 years ago, things were

CONTINUED, SEE LIVE, LEARN AND LEAVE, PAGE 16

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beautiful trail, miles from anywhere! Fontana Village Resort & Marina is excited to offer you a voyage on our famous vessel, Miss Hazel, to the backcountry that was once a bustling mill town. Even though early pioneers settled this town, it was originally established by the Cherokee Indians. Dating back to its prime in the late 1800s, it was a booming mining and log milling town. Remnants of the old town and life on Hazel Creek are scattered throughout. Old chimneys, stoves, foundations and even full structures such as the famous Calhoun House will be seen, as our guide takes you back to a simpler, more rustic era on the historic trail. Bring your thermos and enjoy fresh mountain spring water as the first settlers did. Brown bag lunches included. No hiking expe-

rience needed! This trail consists of an old road bed and bridges that cross Hazel Creek, making this an easy outing into the backcountry. Bring your camera! While hiking on the creek you may observe black bear, bald eagles, grouse, deer and fox that live in the area. This 4-hour expedition consists of a one-hour round-trip boat ride with 3 hours in the backcountry. Come enjoy one of Fontana Lakes’ most visited sites! All that is needed is a reservation and a sense of adventure. Different drop-off points on Fontana Lakes’ NorthShore available; call Fontana Marina for details, reservations and lunch selection. For excursion and marina details, call Fontana Marina at 828498-2129. To book rooms or cabins, call Fontana Village Resort at 800-8492258.

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ASHEVILLE / HENDERSONVILLE / BREVARD / HAYWOOD CO.

Karen Cragnolin Park

iverLink has officially adopted the Karen Cragnolin Park Master Plan that will mark the next step of progress in transforming a junkyard into a public park. The design team was led by an internationally-recognized firm, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, and team members and local contractors, Anchor QEA, Equinox Environ-

mental, and Samsel Architects. The process to reach a Master Plan took seven months and included a public engagement event on the future park site at 190 Amboy Road and an online survey opportunity to receive input. In late October 2018, the public was invited to see the draft master plan and photos of what the park will look like from various per-

spectives on the site. The next steps in the process will include planning for a capital campaign to raise the funds to construct the park and later maintain it as a beautiful attraction along the Asheville Riverfront for future generations. There will also be ongoing remediation activities to bring all of the soils within regulatory limits over the next year in 2019. I think the mission of RiverLink is so closely tied to the mission of our firm in honoring the culture and ecology in our cities. In particular with the commitment to the public realm. I think the commitment that these are free open places for all citizens really resonates with our mission. -Thomas Woltz

Transforming a Junkyard into a Public Park The 5.33-acre tract of land in the French Broad Park corridor was acquired by RiverLink in 2005. The property had previously been operated as an auto junkyard over a span of 50 years, and has since been remediated to the state of an open space, fenced property. The tract is located adjacent to the French Broad River on the south and is bounded by Amboy Road on the north. A concrete sidewalk was installed on the Amboy Road edge, and there is a drainage way called Moore’s Branch located on the western boundary, separating the subject tract from Carrier 12 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE

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Park and its concrete trail system. Because of her role in the revitalization of the urban corridor along the French Broad River, the RiverLink Board of Directors designated the park “Karen Cragnolin Park” in recognition of what was then her 25th anniversary as Executive Director. Karen retired in August 2016, but continues to be a source of inspiration for our community. It is her bold vision that is beginning to transform Asheville’s Riverfront into a nationally-recognized destination for recreation, the arts and culture, and thriving businesses that depend on clean water. RiverLink is at a closing point in the process of getting a brownfields certification from the state for the subject property, and will be taking the necessary steps to raise the funds to construct the park on the 5.33acre park tract within the French Broad River Park system.

The RiverLink Board of Directors very wisely made the decision to name the former EDACO Junkyard Site Karen Cragnolin Park at what was then Karen’s 25th Anniversary as the Executive Director.

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The Details

By Wilson Love

o, you’re looking for a vintage Strike King Psycho Scout, three-eighths ounce, three and a half inches, silver and black, Hard Knock rattling, deep diver crankbait (could you be more specific?). And you want it because back in 2012 you hooked the biggest bass of your life in a private pond and got him right up to the bank. He twisted off, but not before you got a really good look at him. That thing was huge; had to be close to the state record. And you lost your plug on the very next cast. Wow! Well, this is your lucky day. I just happen to have one of those right here on the bottom shelf – and it’s only five bucks. Some version of this conversation plays out a little too often for me, except the fictitious part about actually having the thing. Long ago I heard from one of my teachers that people tend to be either visual or haptic; that is, either view-the-big-picture oriented or hold-in-the-hand-detail oriented. Since that time, I’ve come to realize the value of this difference in folks. If you don’t already know which side of the line you fall on, just ask yourself a few simple questions. When you pay attention to a tree or any plant, do you step back and look at it as a whole and notice how big or colorful or unusual it is? Or are you more likely to touch a particular part of it; noticing how the veins form in each leaf or how many petals each blossom has?

Recognizing this basic tendency in ourselves and others brings benefits. Consider the one who mows your lawn (if you don’t do it yourself). If he’s the detail type and you’re more visual, you may wonder why he takes so long, why doesn’t he just buzz your little patch of grass and move on quickly? But if you’re the detail man and he’s big picture; if he’s in and out of your place in a New York minute, you may be asking why he missed that crabgrass on the back side of your wife’s flower garden. Another example: You’re fishing the lake with your buddy. His boat. His schedule. You know the drill as you ease into what looks like a really choice spot. Your buddy is a card carrying member of the Big Picture Club of America. After all, it is a big lake and you two are burning daylight. And, that’s why he bought the big fast boat in the first place…four quick casts and he’s out of there. But wait, you’re the tactile, hands-on, methodical, every cast counts kind of fisherman. You’ve landed big ones plenty of times on the twelfth or twentieth cast. What to do?

if you’re the visual guy dragging your haptic friend around like a sack of rocks. This whole discussion of haptic vs. visual is pretty much lost on the digital generation. After all, everyone is walking around with a warm and fuzzy “touch me” device on their person. So you’d think the differences in my two subject groups would be harder to spot now than in the past. Not really. The contrast is between someone who learns better from observation (visual) or demonstration (haptic). Are you able to understand how a reel works by looking at a schematic or parts diagram, or would you want to disassemble it yourself to see its function? That’s the distinction. Again, this is about our tendencies, not compulsions. It’s not one hundred percent trackable, and who cares? I look at

it as a relational tool. And if this teaching is discarded, replaced by something modern and trendy, that doesn’t mean its value is gone, only its popularity. Like most ancient wisdom, it still works if you work it. For instance, I’ll seek out a visual/big picture individual for legal advice and a hands-on haptic to build my deck. By the way, if you’re married and one of you is one way and the other is the other way, just know that is part of God’s plan for you. The idea is that you complete each other, not compete with each other. (Col. 3:19)

Wilson Love is Owner/Operator of The Practical Outdoorsman

Some options: 1. Talk to him. 2. Get your own boat. 3. Get a new buddy. I recommend Option 1, though I can’t claim consistent success with it myself. But talking it out beats battling it out any day. Talk it out if the roles are reversed too,

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LIVE, LEARN AND LEAVE

continued from page 10

pretty simple. I remember going up the Little Tennessee and catching five or six walleye throwing crankbaits and being thrilled to death that I had found some fish. Meanwhile, folks on the riverbank were all carrying a couple of walleye on a stringer. Fast forward twenty or so years and if I didn’t catch everyone on the boat a limit of walleye and a limit of bass, I was let down. Even a great lake can’t stand what has been taken out of Fontana year in and year out. Realizing this too late, I am going to opt for keeping far fewer fish even if the powers to be don’t see the need to lower the limits. There isn’t anything wrong with keeping and eating fish, it is one of my great pleasures, but I don’t need bags and bags of fish in the freezer, so less keeping hopefully will lead to more and better fishing. Most guides I talk to agree that we are all so much better equipped with sonar, tackle, boats, and motors that the poor little fellas have nowhere

to hide. Even an occasional weekender has the ability to cover most of the lake, find fish and load up by spying on others directly or visiting chat sites that reveal hot spots. The trout guys, I think, learned something us lake guys need to take a little more to heart and that is that a fish can be caught multiple times but only if released first. Otters, bluebacks, spots, and you name it, have added to less productivity in our lakes but the number one apex predator is people. Here is to a fresh look at what a day on the water will look like, more looking, more seeing the beauty around us, and hopefully more catching-just not so much fish cleaning at the end of the trip. That actually sounds pretty good to me. Enjoy what God has provided, take some of those little ones and introduce them to releasing along with conservative keeping and start them in the right direction. Later, Capt. James

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Capt. James McManus is the Owner of 153 Charters. Give him a call for a great day of boat fishing!

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Tips on Topwater Fly Fishing for Smallmouth

By Ethan Hollifield

rguably the most exciting and fun way to target smallmouth bass in rivers is with topwater flies. There really is nothing more exciting to me than to watch a topwater presentation get pounced on by a big river smallmouth coming out of cover or deep inside a shadowline on the bank to engulf a well-placed fly. Throwing topwater flies, the intricacy that comes with how to fish them, and the tackle involved can encompass an entire book in and of itself. If I had to pick one piece of advice when fishing topwater for smallmouth, it would be that less is always more. Let me present a scenario that I’ve seen as a guide all too often. I’ll have folks in the boat cast their flies up against the bank into relatively shallow water, and immediately begin chugging their fly back to the boat as fast

and as loud as possible. Normally when this happens, especially in shallow water, I’ll see wakes of all the spooked smallmouth as they start darting off in every direction. Much of this comes from the loud unnatural commotion that is created by the fly itself. The overall proper technique to topwater smallmouth fishing is to let the fly land as softly as needed and to let it sit for as long as possible. We often call this “stewing” the fly, which just simply means allowing for that fly to dead drift for a long period of time before enticing any action on the fly. Wait until at least the rings have settled from around the fly before imparting action on it again. The reason why I think this works so well is that in shallow water vibrations are reflected from the surface of the water to the bottom repeatedly at a faster rate than deep water. Too much

commotion spooks fish, while the gentle pops and movements of a topwater fly presented very quietly around shallow cover can prove to be very enticing--especially since I believe this imitates large terrestrial insects. The only time I will tell my clients to make erratic/ frequent pops or movements of their fly is in the following scenarios: I see bait fish being chased towards the bank or off-colored water, or I am presenting to fish in deeper water and want more vibrations to reverberate to call up a fish. When it comes to topwater flies for smallmouth, I break them down into four different categories: loud flies, quiet flies, baitfish flies, and insect flies. More so, I look into the sound that a topwater fly makes when it hits the water along with what sound will be transmitted through the water column as the fly is retrieved. Every good bass fisherman knows that imparting different sounds and vibrational frequencies throughout the water will transmit to the bass

through their lateral line in different ways. The sound your popper/ topwater fly makes is one of the most critical aspects to understand when fly fishing for smallmouth. Flies such as a flat faced deer hair popper or a flat faced foam popper will impart a louder plop on the water when retrieved, while simultaneously landing on the water the softest. Flies such as the famous Wiggle Minnow or Dahlberg Diver also emit completely different sounds based on their retrieval. Plastic/ shellacked foam flies make the loudest sounds on and in the water, and hit the water with a louder plop due to the increased line speed that can be generated on your cast with those flies. It is worth experimenting throughout the day to see what kind of mood the fish are in and alter techniques accordingly from either aggressive pops to dead drifting poppers like dry flies. Either way, it’s a really exciting way to fish, and arguably the most fun way to catch smallies on the fly.

Ethan Hollifield is an Environmental/Physical Science Teacher and is also a guide for Southern Appalachian Anglers

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The Perfect Fishing Trip

Ben Bailey

have been on hundreds, maybe even thousands, of fishing trips…all of them good. There is no such thing as a bad fishing trip. Some are just better than others, but I’ve pondered in my idle moments just what the perfect fishing trip would look like. I remember when I was a kid, not quite big enough to wade the swift water, my dad would carry me on his big shoulders through the rough spots. He would set me on a big rock where I could safely fish without being washed away. In those days, the limit was ten and it was seldom that we did not catch our limit. Sometimes, the whole family would go and we would camp on the creek for a week at a time. My mom would fry those trout over a campfire, along with fried potatoes and onions, and corn fritters. I remember drifting off to sleep with a full belly. I could hear the crackle of the fire and the gentle clatter of my

family as they recounted the events of the day. I remember feeling perfectly content. As I got older, I was able to venture out on my own. I fished Linville Gorge, North Fork of the French Broad, and the Big East Fork of the Pigeon. I fished the Davidson River, Turkey Pen, North Mills, and Harmon’s Den. I’ve fished Cataloochee and Jonathan’s Creek. I’ve fished everywhere and anywhere and caught lots of fish. I’ve even had the pleasure and privilege of catching a twenty-eight inch brown on Hazel Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I also had the privilege and opportunity to go to Alaska a few years back on a mission trip. I thought they said fishin’ trip, so I signed up. While we were there, I got to fish with a guide on the Kenai River where we caught King Salmon…and in the ocean, where we caught Silver Salmon. I’ve fished

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at Hatteras for Tuna and Dauphin. I am now in my 68th year and still fishing. I have wonderful fishing buddies and every chance we get, we head for the woods. I have many fond memories of our trips and experiences, and many of them are probably contenders for the perfect fishing trip, but I think they all fall short of my “Perfect Fishing Trip” on Father’s Day 2019. My cell phone rang, it was my Son Zeb, who is also an avid fisherman. “Would you like to go fishing on Father’s Day?” I said, “Sure, where do you want to go?”. “Let’s go to skinny dip,” I said. “Sounds good, let’s do it.” I was excited and anticipated a quiet father and son day on the creek. When I arrived at his house, I soon realized that the whole family was getting ready to go. Five kids, the wife and the family dog…so much for quiet. We all piled into the family

minivan and headed out. We had a wonderful day. The kids were a real joy to be around. The dog was content to be with his people and I felt very privileged to be a part. No one complained about anything. In fact, I was impressed by the apparent cheerfulness of everyone. Even little, three year old, Forrest was content with a handful of gummy bears. We stopped at a store to pick up a few things for lunch. The kids were instructed to stay in the car while Mom went inside to buy.

CONTINUED, SEE THE PERFECT FISHING TRIP, PAGE 21

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THE PERFECT FISHING TRIP There was no argument or begging. When Mom returned, she passed out chips and snacks to munch on during the trip. They were passed around and shared with no fuss. I was impressed and awed at this display of harmony. We arrived at our destination and enjoyed a short hike to the creek. I sat down on a log to assemble my fly rod. Zeb was already fishing. Alana, my Daughter-in-Law, spread out a blanket and began to prepare food. Little Forrest stripped off all his clothes and waded out into the creek. Rose and Fionna, his two older sisters, were close by and watchful of little brother. Liam and Joe explored, skipped rocks, and cooled off in the cold water. The dog tried to keep up with everybody. Zeb came up out of the creek to where I was still fumbling with my fly rodâ&#x20AC;Śhe had already caught two fish. Food was ready, so we ate a bite and then decided to move further down the creek to a deeper

continued from page 19

swimming hole. About a half mile down, we found the perfect spot. As we approached the hole, I saw a fish dart across the bottom into a rock crevice. Zeb saw it too and we both tried to entice it out, to no avail. Soon it was forgotten as we swam, laughed, threw rocks, and explored every nook. Zeb was casting a Rooster tail across the hole and was letting Forrest reel it in just for fun when all of a sudden, I saw that fish dart out from hiding and grab the Rooster Tail. Two hundred years of fishing instincts kicked in, Forrest set the hook and reeled that ten-inch brook trout right up to his feet. Everybody, especially Forrest, was proud of Forrest. It was the perfect ending for the perfect day. As I mused about our trip that night, I realized I had not caught a single fish. I cannot remember a day that enjoyed more. It was the Perfect Day.

Ben Bailey, is a native of Western North Carolina, Master Carpenter, Avid Angler, and Naturalist.

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GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE 21

Mountain Heritage Trout Waters Program

he Mountain Heritage Trout Waters program is a cooperative effort between the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and local governments to encourage trout fishing as a heritage tourism activity in western North Carolina cities that are designated as a “Mountain Heritage Trout Water City.” Currently, 17 cities are participating in the program. Each of these cities provides public access to a trout stream that runs through or is adjacent to the city. North Carolina residents and non-residents who want to fish in a stream that is designated as a Mountain Heritage Trout Water may purchase a 3-day license for $5. The license is valid only for waters that are designated as Mountain Heritage Trout Waters. Anglers with an inland fishing license and a special trout fishing privilege, which is included in the comprehensive and sportsman licenses, can fish in Mountain Heritage Trout Waters without a

Mountain Heritage Trout Waters license. The Commission offers two quick and easy ways to purchase a Mountain Heritage Trout Waters license using a credit card: Call 1(888) 248-6834. Phone lines are open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. From May to September, phone lines are open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Sunday. Purchase a license at www.ncalvin.org. Important note: The Mountain Heritage Trout Water license can only be purchased online or by calling the toll-free number above. Wildlife Service Agents do not sell this license. To fish for trout in Public Mountain Trout Waters that are not designated as “Mountain Heritage Trout Waters,” anglers age 16 and over must have a valid inland fishing license and a

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special trout fishing privilege, which is included in the comprehensive and sportsman licenses. Purchase a fishing license at www.ncalvin.org. No rod and reel? No problem! Anglers can borrow a rod and reel free of charge for the day. The loaner rods and reels are provided by city and town governments and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission through the agency’s Mountain Heritage Trout Waters Tackle Loaner Program. This program operates like a library. Anglers of all ages register at participating Mountain Heritage Trout Waters program-tackle-loaner sites to receive a tackle loaner ID card, which allows them to check out a rod and reel for the day. Anglers under age 18 must have a parent or guardian to complete the reg-

istration form. Anglers receive a free one-time mini-tackle box containing assorted lures the first time they register in the program. One tackle box per participant is permitted. Loaner rods and reels are available for a one-day loan and must be returned to the participating loaner site by the end of the business day. See a list of tackle loaner site locations on the NC Wildlife website, www.ncwildlife.org.

Trout Fishing Tips

Fly-fishing is a great sport but it’s more than a long pole, a fake bug and a casual cast into the water. Fly-fishing takes time and practice. Knowing what lure to fish, as well as when and where to fish is as important as landing a cast in just the right spot with just the right touch. You can download a printable “Tips for the Novice Fly-Fisher” card on the website, www.ncwildlife.org.

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Wilkins Creek – 187 Acres Protected

ust beyond the rush of traffic on Interstate 40 near the Tennessee-North Carolina line, steep hillsides and forested knolls shelter a vibrant community of wildlife. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, NC Wildlife Resources Commission, and other partners identified this property in the Pigeon River Gorge as a conservation priority because it provides a key corridor for elk and other animals to move in the landscape. “This Wilkins Creek property has a unique role in connecting wildlife habitats across the landscape,” says SAHC Land Protection Director Michelle Pugliese. “Unlike many tracts SAHC has protected, this one has some areas of sparse forest cover resulting from past timber harvest. There are some species, such as elk, that require such openings along with intact forest. The Wilkins Creek property falls within an important wildlife corridor in the Pigeon River Gorge and contains open areas that may pro-

The large box culvert under I-40 serves as a passageway for wildlife, enabling animals to safely reach the forest openings on the Wilkins Creek property. The land that SAHC purchased plays an important role for elk to live and move, and the property will serve as a research site on wildlife habitat crossings. SAHC plans to own the Wilkins Creek property for the short term, managing it for habitat and working with partners to monitor the presence and movement of wildlife Wilkins Creek property near I-40, photo courtesy Jake Faber and Southwings. on the property. We hope to transfer the Wilkins Creek tract to pubconservation partners have been vide grazing habitat for elk.” lic agency ownership in the future. Following the successful rein- conducting research and strategic For more information visit troduction of elk in Cataloochee planning focused on the surviv- appalachian.org. Valley in 2001 and 2002, the elk al and movement of elk, bear, and herd has grown from the initial 52 deer in the Pigeon River Gorge. animals to about 150 today. The They found that animals traveling Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, in the vicinity of Cataloochee ValNational Parks Conservation Asso- ley and the Smokies regularly cross ciation, Wildlands Network, Great I-40 in search of openings where Smoky Mountains National Park, they can graze, resulting in signifNC Wildlife Federation, and other icant animal fatalities.

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Fishing in Madison County, North Carolina

et away from the crowded rivers and streams and come to the mountains of Western North Carolina in Madison County just north of Asheville. You’ll find pure water quality in the many fly fishing creeks with diverse stream conditions — from trout streams with pools to the broader rivers like the Shelton Laurel. Fish on the mighty French Broad River with its smallmouth bass, catfish and muskie. Traveling into the back roads of the county brings you closer to the natural environment creating a sense that you are a part of the mountains. The meandering path of the waters lends itself to the solitary nature of the sport.

REGULATIONS:

Anglers must have appropriate licenses and permits to fish for trout in North Carolina. These may be purchased from authorized private businesses that contract with the NCWRC. State fishing licenses are required for all fisherman 16 years old and up. Licenses must be carried by fishermen at all times when fishing. Rules and regulations regarding trout fishing are available at businesses throughout the county. For more details: http://visitmadisoncounty.com/fishing

STOCKED TROUT STREAMS: 1. Spring Creek From Hot Springs, take Highway 209 for about 7 to 8 miles to the Bluff Community (marked by a sign). The fishing area continues and parallels the highway to the point it intersects with Highway 63. (Also Delayed Harvest) 2. Meadow Fork Creek From Hot Springs, take Highway 209 for about 7 to 8 miles to the Bluff Community (marked by a sign). Turn right at Meadow Fork Road at the sign that says “Max Patch 10 miles.” The Creek parallels Meadow Fork Road. 3. Roaring Fork & Little Creek From Hot Springs, take Highway 209 for about 7 to 8 miles to the Bluff Community (marked by a sign). Turn

right at Meadow Fork Road at the sign that says “Max Patch 10 miles.” Roaring Fork Road (which is a dead end) is a right turn off Meadow Fork Road and Little Creek Road is a left. The creeks parallel each of the roads. 4. Max Patch Pond From Hot Springs, take Highway 209 for about 7 to 8 miles to the sign for Max Patch. Turn right onto Meadow Fork Road. Follow the signs for a left onto Little Creek Road and follow the signs to Max Patch Bald. 5. Upper Shut-In Creek Drive north from Hot Springs on Hwy 25/70 toward Tennessee. Turn left at Shut In Road, which is the second paved road on the left. The creek parallels the road. 6. Big Laurel Creek From I 26, take Exit 3. Turn right at the end of the ramp onto Bear Branch. At the stop sign, turn left onto Highway 23 A and follow it for approximately 3 tenths of a mile. Then turn left onto Big Laurel Road, which puts you at fishable waters. Big Laurel Road parallels Big Laurel Creek for approximately 9 miles and then leaves the stream and goes on to intersect with Hwy 208 at the community of Belva. Big Laurel flows through a gorge for about 4 miles before emptying into Laurel River about one mile west of Belva. (Also Delayed Harvest)

Ebbs Chapel Community center. The creek parallels Puncheon Fork Road. 9. Shelton Laurel Creek From Marshall, take 25/70 North to Hwy 208. Continue on Hwy 208 to the intersection with Hwy 212 and turn right on Hwy 212. The creek parallels the highway. (Also Delayed Harvest) 10 Little Ivy Creek From I 26, take exit 9. Take Hwy 19 east for about a mile. Turn right on Beech Glen Road and follow it to the intersection with Paint Fork Road. Continue straight on Beech Glen Road where the creek parallels the road.

“WILD” WATERS:

13. Laurel River Trail At the intersection of Hwy 25/70 and Hwy 208 (GPS: 35.54 and 82.45) there is a parking area located just below the bridge going to Hot Springs. The Laurel River Trail is well 7. Spillcorn Creek Follow the instructions above to marked from the parking area. Big Laurel Creek and watch for the 14. Big Creek right turn onto Spillcorn Road which From Marshall, take Hwy 25/70 is a little over one mile past the inter- north to Hwy 208. Continue on Hwy section with Walnut Creek Road. 208 to the intersection with Hwy 212 and turn right on Hwy 212. The left 8. Puncheon Fork Creek From I 26, take Exit 3. Turn right turn onto Big Creek Road is almost to the Tennessee border. at the end of the ramp onto Bear Branch. At the stop sign, turn right 15. Hickey Fork onto Highway 23 A, then left on Lau- From Marshall, take Hwy 25/70 rel Valley and then the first left at north to Hwy 208. Continue on Hwy

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SEPTEMBER 2019

208 to the intersection with Hwy 212 and turn right on Hwy 212. Continue south for 6.7 miles to the sign for Hickey Fork.

FRENCH BROAD RIVER 16. Murray Branch Area From Hot Springs, take NC Highway 25/70 south and east over the French Broad River. Turn left on River Road and go 4.2 miles to the US Forest Service’s Murray Branch Recreation Area 17. Stackhouse to Hot Springs From the end of Stackhouse Road off Hwy 25/70 between Marshall and Hot Springs, go along the bank of the French Broad River or use a raft or boat to Barnard Road or Hot Springs where there is no access along the road. 18. Marshall to Buncombe County From the town of Marshall, drive south along NC Hwy 251 from Marshall to the Buncombe County Line. There are several places to pull off the road for parking. 19. Blannahassett Island From the town of Marshall, drive south on Bailey Branch Road across the French Broad River and turn right onto Blannahassett Island just after leaving the bridge. There is a fishing pier on the south end past Marshall High Studios (the old school building).

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HIGH COUNTRY

Streamer Fishing for Big Browns

f you follow me on Instagram then you know that I love to fish for big brown trout in small water with streamers. However, many of my followers make the mistake of thinking that streamer fishing is the only method I use. I will do anything to catch trout, whether that means throwing a dry, a nymph, euro nymphing, or a streamer. I just happen to love streamers the most. Surprisingly, streamer fishing has taught me a lot about the importance of fly presentation. It is easy to think of streamer fishing as one of the more mindless types of fly fishing. I get it, to the uninformed observer a streamer angler is simply casting out, retrieving the fly, covering a lot of water, and waiting for a follow or a take. Streamer fishing can certainly be

By Ben Wayne

exactly that if there is no thought or purpose behind the actions being taken by the angler. Streamer fishing from a drift boat is anything but a thoughtless process. The streamer is selected based on its size, coloration, and movement. As soon as a cast has been sent out, the angler should consider where their fly is traveling as they retrieve, its appearance in the water, and the structure you are passing the fly through, as well as the speed of your retrieval. While all of this is taking place during the cast/retrieve the angler must be watching downstream for the next area they are going to target on the next cast. It is a lot going on at once. Streamer fishing while wading smaller water is similar but on a slower scale. You can be more deliberate with what you are doing

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and take the time to ensure your streamer is presented in exactly the way you want. How the streamer is presented to fish is what makes them strike, more so than the color or size of the fly. If the retrieve is too fast, or too slow the fish will not eat. If the streamer does not achieve proper depth or pass through structure that serves as an ambush area for the fish they will not eat. However, if the streamer is passing through structure at the right pace with a retrieve that makes it appear injured or fleeing you are much more likely to hook up with a giant. Just like with traditional nymphs or dry flies, the

presentation of a streamer will get you more eats than if your streamer perfectly matches the bait fish in the water. Trout feed mostly due to opportunity and convenience, especially when it comes to streamer fishing because it is a high risk, high reward situation for the trout. They can potentially gain a lot of calories for a bit more effort, however if they miss the streamer they have expended more energy and gained none in return. As such, you need to present the streamer in such a way and in such a place that it makes the trout take that caloric risk. Presentation is key.

Ben Wayne is Highland Outfittersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fly shop manager and wildwater guru. He specializes in seeking out big, wild brown trout in back country streams in the Appalachian Mountains. With his background in biology and education, he has a wealth of knowledge on the water and in the shop.

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Summer Is Fire

By Scott Norton

arm water brings hungry bass to action. When water is warm to hot, bass have to feed. Their metabolism demands calories period. Small to big bass are competing for food sources and competition is in full swing. This time of year, bass like to go down deep to find suitable water temperatures and to set up ambush points. You’ll notice that, all of a sudden, the bite tapers off on the banks and you think that the bass have stopped biting. The answer to that is no, they have just moved to a deeper location. Ledges are the key. I have also noticed their choice of food has changed as well. I have personally witnessed bass seven pounds plus breaching the surface for yellow perch. Over the last few weeks, I have seen bass go from feeding on white lures to yellow lures, and it started with me losing the only white

spinner bait I had during a catch. I tied on a yellow spinnerbait and “Boom!”, large bass from the first cast were murdering that bait. It wasn’t until a week later that I figured out what they were keying in on. I bought another white spinnerbait and a perch followed it all the way to the surface only to become the meal for a giant bass in pursuit. I thought I was seeing carp blowing up the surface but no, these were bass. I got a clue from a local tackle shop called Dream Catcher Fishing Supply. I was there when a huge box of perch swim baits came in and had I known before, I would have been prepared for what I saw afterwards. The light finally went off in my head. I was in the middle of a feeding frenzy with lures they wanted nothing to do with. Makes me rethink the variety of bait I brought with me. I will now have something that

mimics all sources of forage from now on. What I am trying to say is, don’t get stuck in a rut with one bait you have always had luck on. You have to change gears sometimes and branch out a little if you’re going to get the most out of your trip. I did find some bass on the banks in the evenings eating top water. Larger bass were eating small bass and bluegill. The blowups were incredible. I was ready for this bite and I had something they could not resist. I went with a top water popper with a bass pattern that is made by Megabass. The first cast lands across the top

of a big laydown. I gave it a few twitches and “Boom!”, a huge blow up followed by a beautiful display that a largemouth is known for. That pattern would last until sundown and the trip was a success but, I did learn something that I will be prepared for next time. The bass chasing the perch were unusually large and were schooling to run these fish down.

Scott Norton is a native of Western North Carolina. Born in Asheville, NC, he is a long time avid hunter, angler, and weekend warrior. He is a member of Southern Raft Supply’s prostaff teamrepresenting them in his Jackson Kayak Coosa FD

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GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE 27

On the Way to Greatness

he Town of Spruce Pine was founded in 1913. It’s known as the Mineral City. The Town of Spruce Pine is famous for its mineral deposits and mining operations. Visit Spruce Pine and enjoy the majesty of the mountains in this fun and fascinating town. The town has wonderful histo-

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ry, great restaurants, and a vibrant art scene. Whether you’re here for a visit or a lifetime resident, there is one point that stands out. Throughout the storied history of Spruce Pine, the town has stood out as a place to call home. For more information visit www.townofsprucepine.com.

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‘A Wonderful Place to Visit...... And I’d Love to Live There!’

agnificent views, cool clean air and a slower paced environment. From the pioneers of yesterday to the get-a-way seekers of today, these mountains have always had a special kind of charisma. It is a place for a short stay to gather our thoughts and recharge our emotional batteries. Many have embraced this attitude and now call these Blue Ridge Mountains home! Jann Godwin, Broker/Owner of Timberline Properties, Inc., is a native of Charlotte, NC, but with deep roots in the Carolina mountains. Her husband, Davis Godwin, is a descendant of one of the original families to make Little Switzerland their summer home, eventually becoming their full time home. Jann and Davis have enjoyed ownership of their current chalet home in Little Switzerland for 35 years, and have made Little Switzerland their full-time home since 1999. She is

proud of her family ties to Little Switzerland and its history. In addition to Jann’s dedication of maintaining the highest standards for her real estate firm and clients, she boasts two extensive designations, RRS (Residential Resort Specialist and ABR Accredited Buyers Representative, as well as extensive marketing knowledge, gained in the highly competitive Charlotte business market, management experi-

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ence and successful business ownership. All of this combined, make her an excellent choice to represent both buyers and sellers throughout Mitchell and surrounding counties, especially in the very unique Little Switzerland area. When looking for that special place in Little Switzerland and surrounding areas, look to Timberline Properties for results.

SEPTEMBER 2019

Jann Godwin, Owner of Timberline Properties, Inc., is pleased to announce the newest addition to Timberline Properties! Jami Prince, a 16-year real estate veteran from Charlotte, is now a full time resident of Spruce Pine and the High Country. In 2012, Jami and her husband, Jack, purchased their current home from Timberline Properties while visiting the area. They found their home listed for sale on the bulletin board at Timberline’s office, located at the Switzerland Inn, on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Much like Jann and her husband Davis, the part-time home soon became the family’s full-time haven. The union of these two is a “Hollywood Minute”, a crazy, almost unbelievable opportunity for both “Power Women” to push the envelope of Real Estate Brokerage in this area.

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE 29

EAST TN / GREAT SMOKIES

Fishing In The National Park

he fishing in the National Park right now is better than we could’ve hoped for this time of year. With that being said, lower elevation rivers such as Little River or the lower West Prong are fishing really well through the morning and then becoming tougher and tougher as the day gets warmer. Higher elevation streams will fish well all day long. We’re catching lots of these fish on green inchworm imitations, ants, beetles, and other terrestrials. We’re still catching a lot of fish on our standard nymphs such as Pheasant Tails and Tellicos. Try throwing a large olive stimulator right before an evening rainstorm for some really good dry fly acton!

Smallmouth–

Our smallmouth are still hanging out in their deepwater haunts

By Josh Stennen

on the French Broad River and the Pigeon River. These fish will eat just about any large white streamer and the topwater bite has been productive at times as well. If you’re trying to scratch that warmwater itch but don’t have a boat, try sight fishing for carp or gar somewhere in Sevierville on the Little Pigeon River. The smallmouth fishing has also really turned on at the Holston River at Nances’ Ferry. Gatlinburg Stocked

Tailwater Fishing–

The sulfurs on our local tailwaters are going crazy right now! A dry dropper with a sulfur dry and a split case nymph below it is working really well. If you’re into terrestrials and big explosive takes, try throwing a foam beetle under overhanging tree branches and close to the banks.

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Waters–

The City of Gatlinburg is still stocking every Thursday and water temperatures have remained tolerable for the fish throughout the whole stretch. Any bigger, flashier fly will catch these fresh-

ly stocked fish while more natural stonefly imitations and worm flies work well for fish that have been in the river for a while. Feel free to give us a ring at the shop with any questions about the fishing. 865-436-8746.

Josh Stinnett is a Medical Student at UT Knoxville. He is on the water enough to practically have a minor in fly fishing! Josh is an avid fly tier as well and a Signature Tier for Catch Fly Fishing.

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UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

Fall On The Horizon

By Karl Ekberg

ummertime heat has definitely been upon us for quite some time now, and we are all ready for the reprieve of the fall temperatures. Fishing for trout of late has been minimal through late August, with the water temperatures quite high. On the other side, the Red-Eyed Bass & Panfish have made for great days of fishing. The top water bite has been great from mid-morning throughout the day. As the top water bite seems to subside, the use of streams has been the delight to the angler continuing to catch fish. The extended look into the forecast for September is below average temperatures, which we will all take after the summer heat. On the same outlook for September, forecasts are for below average rainfall. As we look forward

to the cooler temperatures of the fall season, we will start to see the emergence of the first of the “fall bugs”. These bugs will start to appear, as the water temperatures start to drop. The rocks in the rivers are loaded with very small dark nymphs as well. Try swinging a heavy nymph, with a smaller nymph dropper, through the riffle areas of the river and into the heads of the pools. Deeper runs will also produce fish, as temperatures heat up, the fish can still seek thermal refuge. As daytime temperatures heat up, the fish will move further into the depths of the rivers, so getting a bit deeper with a heavier front fly, or a pinch of split shot, will help greatly. Streamers are equally productive, and will continue as well, through the fall season. With the heat of the summer behind us, a

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good amount of water in the rivers, and cooler temperatures, the fall fishing here looks to be excellent for another year. Let’s remember, we can all help in keeping our rivers clean, by

picking up what someone else left behind, makes for a cleaner watershed for our next visit. As we leave no trace, we look forward to seeing everyone out on the rivers!

Karl and Karen Ekberg are Co-Owners of Chattooga River Fly Shop, located at 6832A Highlands Hwy, in Mountain Rest, SC 29664. Give them a call at (864) 638-2806 or look them up on the web at chattoogariverflyshop.com

SEPTEMBER 2019

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE 31

SCDNR Solicits Drought Condition Reports from South Carolina Farmers

he South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), along with other state agencies, is asking for farmers to share information on drought across the state. Through a partnership with the Department of Agriculture and the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), SCDNR is soliciting information on real-time drought impacts by farmers who could regularly report soil moisture levels, crop and pasture conditions, and rainfall totals.

How does reporting benefit you?

Agencies across South Carolina are tasked with monitoring drought conditions and taking appropriate actions to help respond to and mitigate drought impacts. At the federal level, the data is used by the authors of the U.S.

Frequent reporting is encouraged, as it helps provide trend data.

What happens to your reports?

Drought Monitor to make informed decisions that verify the numerical inputs used for the creation of the weekly map. The U.S. Drought Monitor map triggers various drought responses, including USDA disaster relief and Internal Revenue Service tax provisions. NDMC has provided a mobile-friendly tool for those with agricultural interests in the Palmetto State to share this information and

32 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE

SEPTEMBER 2019

upload photos of impacted crops. Reporting of drought conditions also improves the targeting of federal disaster relief aid to farmers in affected areas. To report information, farmers and other community members can either visit bit.ly/droughtreport19 or email drought@dnr.sc.gov. Submitters can report their contact information and GPS coordinates, or choose to remain anonymous.

Condition monitoring reports appear on a map that initially displays the dry-wet categories the observer chose on the scale. Reports can be filtered to display category or sector-based impacts. We recommend submitting a report once a week, to provide an ongoing comparison of wet, dry and normal conditions at your location. This will provide information on the varying local impacts. Researchers and regulators who monitor drought need data to accurately assess each countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drought status. The U.S. Drought Monitor map, updated weekly, uses input from SCDNR, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture and other agencies to assess drought conditions and trigger various drought responses.

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Lake Russell Fishing Report

By Wendell Wilson

lenty of fish can be caught on Lake Russell in late summer. We generally start at first light while it is still cool, and we try to be off the water before it gets too hot. Bass – Largemouth and spotted bass can be caught by fishing drop shot and shaky head worms in 20 to 25 feet of water. Try to find some brush on flats or points

in that depth. There is also some schooling activity in these same areas. Be ready with a small topwater lure. The DNR has done a great job in bringing the numbers of largemouth back into Lake Russell. We have seen some impressive schools of largemouth this summer. Crappie – Crappie are on brush piles in coves off the main lake in 20 to 25 feet of water. They can be

caught on minnows dropped right in the brush. Expect to catch bass, perch, and catfish along with the crappie. Stripers – September is one of the best months all year to target a big striper in Lake Russell. Fish a live herring at the depth the fish

are holding. This depth can vary greatly depending on which area of the lake you are fishing. As a general rule, fish are 30 to 40 feet on the lower end and 20 to 30 feet on the upper end. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy your time on the water.

Wendell Wilson is the owner of Wilson’s Guide Service and can be reached at 706-283-3336.

Luke Wilson and Ansley Breedlove with her Lake Russell Striper.

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SEPTEMBER 2019

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE 33

Lake Hartwell Forecast By Preston Harden

ater temperature: mid-80s. Water level: 1 and 1/2 feet below full pool Fishing is in its summer pattern, and September will be mostly like August. By late September, the water should start cooling and the fish will start moving shallower. Stripers and hybrids are mostly in the mid to lower lake. The biggest concentrations of fish are close to the dam area because it has the best water quality of the whole lake. They will stay in this area until the water starts cooling in late September, then they will begin roaming and feeding shallower. Blue-back herring on a Carolina rig works great. Lower the bait to

Brandon Haney from Charlotte with a Lake Hartwell Hybrid

Largemouth and spotted bass also go deeper in the summer, and some people say the bass migrate towards the lower lake. I do see more in the lower lake during the heat of summerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; they gang up on brush piles, 20 to 30 feet deep. Spotted bass school like stripers and if you can find a school of spots, there may be many of them in a group. They seem to get into larger groups as the summer wears on. September sees the crowds go away. With school, football, hunting, and other interests, the lake gets quiet. The fish are still eating with no one around.

the fish and hold on. Big spoons year. You never know when they and big jig heads with swim baits will come up chasing herring at work too. Using artificial lures the surface. takes more work to entice a reaction strike. I always have a top Preston Harden / Bucktail Guide Service, 706-255-5622 / water plug rigged this time of bucktailguideservice.net

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THE OLD MAN

continued from page 9

in and briefly robbed me of my sight. After the door shut and my eyes readjusted, I could see an older man in a jean jacket, plaid shirt and a worn old western straw hat slowly but steadily walk in. He didn’t look at anyone or anything. He came in, turned right and slowly carried himself to a seat at the bar. By the time he was seated, there was already a beer in front of him- in a can, not a frosted mug. On many of my previous visits, Anita, the band and I had spent countless hours talking about the interesting folks we have known and the joy of watching how our fellow man approaches life. This old man had suddenly piqued my interest, so I settled in to watch and learn. There was a table of three or four younger fellows sitting at a table near the door and their laughter and loud conversation was re-

ally cutting into my ability to enjoy the whole environment, but I remembered that I was once young and loud myself. That allowed me to embrace their brashness. One of the boys spoke up loudly to the old man, asking him

was like reprimanding a Sunday school class. He put a weathered hand that had seen more hard work than I’ll ever know on the bar and turned back around. The barkeep was looking at the young men and shaking his head at their disrespect when the old man did something I’ll never forget. He reached way down into his near-

I saw in his eyes every emotion of the human experience at once. I saw a man with compassion for others who had not yet attained understanding... if he “needed help with that barstool”. The music kept playing, but I had already lifted myself off my chair by the time the old man turned around. He didn’t scowl or say a word but when he looked at them, somehow that weathered face with more than a few scars and kind eyes firmly conveyed “It’s time to be quiet now”. I’ll never forget those eyes. It

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ly white jeans and pulled out a hog leg pistol that looked more like a fence hammer than a gun. He laid it in a bar towel the barkeep had knowingly placed there. Then the bartender tenderly folded the towel around it and placed it behind the bar.

By this time, I was completely mesmerized, watching intently as all this played out before me. Out of the corner of my eye I caught site of Anita, still belting out that great Americana. We caught each other’s eyes and I saw her give me a nod to go over and talk to the old man. I walked over and introduced myself and tried to not let my eyes bug out when his ancient but mighty hand gripped mine. I saw in his eyes every emotion of the human experience at once. I saw a man who knew no fear. I saw a man with compassion for others who had not yet attained understanding of their fellow man. I’m proud to say I bought him a beer before I left that evening. I don’t know how many fish I caught on that particular trip because I caught something infinitely more precious: the humanity of a hard life lived well.

Danny Maybin’s family have fished and hunted in the area of Lake Summit for at least six generations. He is a state firearms instructor a, blacksmith, musician/luthier, and his favorite, a fishin’ and hunting resort facilitator.

SEPTEMBER 2019

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE 35

36 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS & THE UPSTATE

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TRANSITION FROM SUMMER TO FALL BASS FISHING

BRANDON LESTER

here I grew up, fishing is a lifestyle. I would fish Southern farm ponds and creeks day-in and day-out every summer, no matter the weather conditions. As I began to get a little older and experienced, I realized that fishing for a big bass as summer comes to a close was a little different than fishing in the cooler temperatures of fall. There’s lots of variables that come into play when figuring out how to catch fish during this time of year. A lot of your success can depend on what type of water you’re fishing. Typically, fish tend to go to deeper depths of water in the summertime. Bass want to stay cool, and the deeper water offers less light penetration. During these months, bass will actually begin to school up on offshore ledges, and if you find one of these schools, you’ll likely have a successful day out on the water. Finding where the fish are located is only half the battle; knowing what baits to throw is also vital. For me, I have more success during the summer with slower presentations like Texas-rigs, football jigs, ned rigs and drop-shot rigs. In this photo is the Mustad Ned Rig and an X Zone Ned Zone fished on an MHX NEPS 81MXF rod. That’s a fish-catcher in summer and all year.

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Once things start to cool off, the fish do the total opposite when it comes to where they can be found. Instead of the fish schooling together, they tend to be spread out throughout a certain area, making the bite more random at times. A lot of the shad that also call these creeks and lakes home seek more shallow water, and the bass often follow them. In the part of the country where I’m from, I notice this transition during September and October when it starts to get a lot cooler out. The baits I throw in the fall also vary from those baits of the summertime. Buzzbaits, topwater walkin’ baits and others that can cover a lot of water are what I usually get bites with. Whether you’re just getting into bass fishing or are an experienced angler, knowing how the fish behave during certain times of year is essential for your success, and it’s not something everyone always thinks about. If you ever have any questions about bass fishing hit me up on social media sometime! @brandonlesterfishing on Instagram.

For more Lester visit,

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HYBRID STRIPERS STOCKED IN N.C.’S HYCO LAKE

he N.C. Wildlife Resources C om m i s s i on is offering anglers a unique opportunity to catch hybrid striped bass in Hyco Lake with an initial stocking of 37,500 fingerlings. This 3,750-acre lake south of the Virginia border in Person and Caswell counties was pegged by biologists as suitable for a hybrids, or Bodie bass, because of its warm year-round water temperatures, a wide forage base and ample depth for this deep, open-water species. The fish are expected to reach harvestable size within the next year or two. Bodie bass regulations on Hyco will be four fish a day with a 16-inch minimum length. Bodie bass are a cross between striped bass and white bass. They grow larger than white bass and withstand higher water temperatures than striped bass. “Adult Bodie bass are a schooling fish typically found in open water searching for shad or other prey fishes. In Hyco Lake, tilapia may provide an additional food source not found in other reservoirs in the state,” said District 5 Fisheries Biologist Kelsey Lincoln. “This possible predator-and-prey interaction could make for some fun fishing opportunities.” Bodie bass are captured using various angling techniques including trolling, artificial lures and live bait. While Bodie bass do not grow as large as striped bass do, they commonly reach 5 pounds. Next summer, Commission staff will stock additional Bodie bass fingerlings in the lake at a rate between five and 10 fish per acre. Biologists will monitor the population to determine the success of the fishery and to update management recommendations.

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Chasing The Dream

By Michelle Armstrong

ver the last decade, tournament bass fishing has undergone some major changes for young anglers. From high school club teams to officially sanctioned tournament trails, the pursuit has been recognized and is being treated more and more like a traditional high school sport. The best young anglers earn college scholarships for fishing. North Carolina’s Trent Lawson, aka The Fish Nemesis, is a young angler with a dream of bass fishing on the big stage. “I think like a fish,” he said, and it’s that thought process that has given Trent a shot at living his dream. His dad first introduced him to fishing when he was 7 years old. “I didn’t like fishing at all,” Trent recalled. Later, though, he went with friends and realized he had found his passion.

He started fishing every week at a nearby farm pond. Eventually, a family friend introduced him to Lake Norman, north of Charlotte, N.C. From there, Trent knew he wanted to become a professional bass fisherman. He has set the course to make it happen. The bass fishing industry is tough. For most, the dream of fishing professionally is just that, a dream. Trent’s determination and confidence in his ability has kept him forging ahead. Trent’s high school did not have a fishing team, so he joined Patrick County High School’s team less than an hour from his home, but across the state line in Virginia. They welcomed him. Already well into their season, the team had one more qualifying event left. Trent and his teammate qualified for the Bassmasters High School Championship in Virginia and placed sixth in the state championship series. Trent also competes outside of school in other tournament trails. He has amassed at least 20 wins and numerous top-10 finishes. He is sponsored by Fishing Complete, the parent company of some of the industry’s top baits and terminal tackle. He also has a YouTube channel called “The Fish Nemesis,” where you can watch and learn from his fishing techniques. Not only is Trent intelligent at fishing, he is an honor roll student. He understands the difficult road of becoming a pro and values a good education. He needed to find a college with a fishing team. Trent’s dad contacted the fishing coach at Tennessee’s Bethel University to seek advice on scholarships and the fishing team. Bethel University was the first school to recognize bass fishing as an organized sport. The coach asked for Trent’s resume, offered his cell phone number and advised Trent to keep him posted. Trent texted his fishing accomplishments every week. Trent’s perseverance, hard work and excellent grades have resulted in a bass fishing scholarship offer from Bethel University. Trent plans to major in business and marketing. If he doesn’t become a professional angler, he intends to use his knowledge to possibly work in marketing for a bait company or start his own business. Remember the name Trent Lawson. He is on the path to bring his dream to fruition.

FLY OF THE MONTH

By Eli Crumley

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Pat’s Rubber Legs

his is a great stonefly/hellgrammite pattern that has become extremely popular all over the country for its ability to catch fish. It is simple to tie and works great as an attractor fly when fishing a double-nymph rig for trout. It’s also a fantastic fly for bass and big bream, carp and anything else that eats bugs. Keep various colors of this pattern in your fly box for some great days on the water. Recipe: Hook: Tiemco TMC5262 size 6-8-10 Thread: UTC 140 Denier (color) black Body: Variegated Chenille (size) medium (color) black Legs: Hairline Round Rubber Legs (color) black

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DEXTER: THE PERFECT KNIFE;

TWO CENTURIES IN THE MAKING

In October, Dexter will release its new EDGE GUARD blade guard, which is specifically designed to protect the blades of Dexter knives.

ext time you’re on a charter boat, notice the knife the captain uses to cut bait. When you’re on the docks, stop at the cleaning table to see what the mates use to fillet fish. Chances are you’ll see the pros using Dexter knives. The iconic white handle is a dead giveaway. Dexter has been making purpose-built knives for more than 200 years. Steeped in the traditions of New England and its historic fisheries, the Southbridge, Massachusetts company produces American-made quality that is legendary among those who rely on Capt. Steve Nagy, who guides their equipment to make a living. For more than two centuries, Dex- out of Bonita Springs, Fla., uses Dexter knives daily and ter has created solid tools that perform considers them the perfect their intended functions better than knives for the job. anything else on the market. There’s no need to rely on flashy looks or gimmicks when the knife you offer is simply the best. “Dexter might not be glitzy like some products out there on the market today,” said Dexter National Sales Manager Carl Abissi. “Dexter knives are designed to perform. They have stood the test of time. They are the choice of charter captains and commercial fishermen. If you want a knife that performs like a charter captain’s, you choose a Dexter.” DEXSTEEL, the proprietary steel used in Dexter knife blades is high-carbon, high-alloy, stain-resistant steel. Dexter helped create the formula for a blade that stays sharp with extensive use and sharpens easily. Each blade is individually ground to the perfect angle with the perfect amount of flex to glide through meat and over bones. “They’re made in the U.S.A., and they’re always sharp,” said Steve Nagy, of Bonita Springs Fishing (bonitaspringsfishing.com), who runs inshore, offshore and Keys tarpon trips. “I grew up with Dexter. I worked in a grocery store as a kid. Dexter knives were the only knives we used in the meat market, and it’s still the only knife I use today. They feel good in your hand, and they’re always sharp.” The handle is as important as the blade when it comes to performance. Years ago, Dexter found perfection in ergonomics with its SOFGRIP white handle. It is soft to the grip and provides exceptional nonslip comfort and precise control, even with wet hands. More recently, they developed an orange Ur-Cut handle that custom molds to your hand for an exact fit, and that’s about as gimmicky as Dexter is likely to get. In October, Dexter will release the new SOFGRIP with EDGE GUARD, a new and improved blade guard that protects the edge and provides airflow to protect the blade. The product will feature the iconic SOFGRIP white handle and a DEXSTEEL blade. For more information, go to dexteroutdoors.com. COASTALANGLERMAG.COM • THEANGLERMAG.COM

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Bringing The Dead (Bait) Back To life

Tim Barefoot

n case you don’t already know and do this, here’s a trick that can save a day in the absence of live bait. If you’re going bottom fishing and pinfish, sardines, pogies or the others are hard to find with a cast net or sabiki, hedge your bets by keeping a couple dozen fresh or frozen baits about the diameter of a softball, or larger, in the cooler. Even in freshwater, when live gizzard shad or skipjacks are nowhere to be found, a box of frozen baits can still entice catfish, striped bass and others. Dropping a whole dead bait down will get bites, but if you take a minute to “butterfly” them, these once dead baitfish come back to life in the current. No grouper or big snapper can resist them when presented properly. Grunts pinkies and seabass will hammer at it, and eventually get the hook, but grouper or anything else with a large enough mouth will simply inhale it. I’ve seen times when the bite would shut down, even with live bait, and a fresh butterflied beeliner (vermillion snapper) would get bit instantly. The two fillets of any given baitfish attached to the head, without the backbone and dorsal fins are just a little too much to resist for the big meat-eaters. Granted, it’s also big shark candy, but as Popeye would say, “You pays your money, you takes your chances.” Butterflying a bait is very simple. Anyone can go out and catch a pile of grunts, pinkies and seabass with small cut bait, but it’s no coincidence that the people who specifically go fishing for grouper are the ones that come home with the “brown fish” in the box. Don’t hesitate to butterfly a snapper or anything else you thought was once too large for bait. On the bottom, the smaller fish will hammer away at the two larger fillets, and out of nowhere a big gag

or red grouper will finish it off. A 1 ½-pound beeliner, pinkie or Spanish mackerel is the perfect candidate for this job. When you feel the little ones banging on it, sit tight and don’t set the hook. Wait for the big bite; there will be no question when it gets eaten instead of pecked at. Big butterflied mullet, spots and croakers are extremely effective inshore and nearshore for red or black drum. In freshwater, a butterflied bream, perch, crappie or other panfish is perfect for big catfish. To butterfly a bait, start at the tail and fillet each side up to just behind the head and out the gut area. Then grab the tail and break the backbone out just behind the head. To see a detailed video of this, visit the website and click on “Butterflying a Bait.” Learn how to butterfly a bait with a video at

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20966 CoastalAngler_M37_719.indd 1

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KEEP IT GENUINE PRECISION PROTECTION

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Meet the Watch That Shook Up Switzerland A watch that revolutionized timekeeping at a price equally as radical.

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n the history of timepieces, few moments are more important than the creation of the world’s first Piezo timepiece. First released to the public in 1969, the watch turned the entire industry on its head, ushering in a new era of timekeeping. It’s this legacy that we’re honoring with the Timemaster Watch, available only through Stauer at a price only we can offer. Prior to Piezo watches, gravity-driven Swiss watches were the standard bearer of precision timekeeping. But all that changed when the first commercially available Piezo watch came onto the market. The result of ten years of research and development by some of the world’s top engineers, they discovered that when you squeeze a certain type of crystal, it generates a tiny electric current. And, if you pass electricity through the crystal, it vibrates at a precise frequency–exactly 32,768 times each second. When it came on the market, the Piezo watch was the most dependable timepiece available, accurate to 0.2 seconds per day. Today, it’s still considered a spectacular advance in electrical engineering. “It was like a magnum bullet shot at the most sensitive spot of the mechanical watch industry... Switzerland was terrified.” —Ariel Adams of A Blog to Watch. With the Timemaster we’ve set one of the world’s most important mechanical advances inside a decidedly masculine case. A handsome prodigy in rich leather and gold-finished stainless steel. The simplicity of the watch’s case belies an ornately detailed dial, which reflects the prestige of this timepiece. Call today to secure your own marvel of timekeeping history. Because we work directly with our own craftsman we’re able to offer the Timemaster at a fraction of the price that many Piezo watches cost. But a watch like this doesn’t come along every day. Call today before time runs out and they’re gone. Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. Spend some time with this engineering masterpiece for one month. If you’re not convinced you got excellence for less, simply send it back within 30 days for a refund of the item price. But we’re betting this timekeeping pioneer is a keeper.

[

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• Precision Piezo electric movement • Stainless steel caseback and crown • Cotswold® mineral crystal • Crocodile embossed leather strap fits wrists 6 ½"–8 ½" • Date window display • Water resistant to 3 ATM

1782-18B Coastal Angler.indd 1

12/19/18 3:50 PM