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July 2008
Not too early to think fall hunting
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hunters get to scratch their itch for the upcoming season with the help of the Georgia Wildlife Federation, which has scheduled its popular Buckarama trade shows (Thursday-Sunday in Atlanta and Aug. 15-17 in Perry) in the next few weeks.
The Atlanta show begins at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Atlanta Expo Center on Jonesboro Road (take exit 55 off I-285).
The four-day show offers the latest in gear, advice from experts and a deer-mount competition that showcases some of the biggest bucks taken in Georgia and the Southeast.
“It’s the greatest show in this part of the country,” said show organizer Doug Rithmire. “If you want something about camping, hunting, fishing, it’s here this weekend.”
Admission this week is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors 65 and over and free to kids 12 and under. Show times: Today, 1-8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. For information and a $1 off coupon go to gwf.org.
So, are you ready for the fall hunt?
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Hot spots: Horton a small-lake alternative
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Fishing guide Randall Kirkpatrick, who takes his clients to some of metro Atlanta’s productive small bass lakes, says one lake not to overlook is Lake Horton in Fayette County.
The 780-acre drinking-water reservoir has a healthy population of largemouth bass — “They’re like footballs,” he said. — and lots of places to fish for them.
Kirkpatrick, who operates Fish Atlanta Guide Service, says 25 pounds (for five fish) won a recent tournament at Horton.
Horton has abundant grass and timber and targeting either or both will be you bit. Especially look for deep timber this time of year.
Deep crankbaits (10 to 15 feet), jighead/worm combos, jigs and swimbaits have been catching Horton bass lately. There is a topwater bite early and on cloudy days.
Updated fishing reports as of July 24:
LAKE ALLATOONA
Stripers/hybrids: Guide Robert Eidson (First Bite Guide Service) reports his clients have been catching between 25-50 fish on half-day trips. The summer pattern is in full swing. The fish are out over the channels and are eating shad, shiners and bream on down lines fished between 19-30 feet deep. The best bite on the lake right now is in eye site of the dam. Not much top water action this week. Don’t look for it to really heat up for another two weeks.
Trolling: The umbrella rig bite is still good. Eidson has been pulling the Mack Farr four-arm rig loaded with nine half-ounce jigs at 3.1 mph and have been doing very well after the sun comes up.
White bass: The white bass bite that was going on in the afternoon at HarborTown has really slowed down.
LAKE LANIER
Stripers: Guide Doug Youngblood says the striper fishing remains very good on Lanier.
Downlining is the still the way to go, with 50 to 60 feet the magic numbers. Use a 2-ounce sinker, with a No. 2 circle hook bait with live herring. Spool your reel with 20-pound test, and tie on a 7-foot leader of 15-pound flourocarbon. Look south of Brown’s Bridge. If you troll, use lead core line with 1-ounce bucktails.
Bass: Move out to brushpiles in 20-22 feet for the best spotted bass bite.
CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER
Trout: No change to the report. Guide Rob Smith at the Fish Hawk in Atlanta says numbers of fish caught and released have been high. Two of the best flies have been blue lightning bugs and zebra midges, both fished under strike indicators.
Shoal bass: Below Morgan Falls Dam, shoal bass fishing is strong as long as the water is pretty clear. Use a super fluke junior.
Stripers: Striper fishing also is strong below Morgan Falls. Use a Shadalicious, a paddle-tailed soft plastic bait made by Strike King.
If you have a tip or report, please share.
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Hot Spots: Getting down for Lanier stripers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lake Lanier guide Doug Youngblood says striper fishing on the big lake northeast of Atlanta is as good as it gets.
“And that’s not an exaggeration,” he said.
Because of the the hot fishing, Youngblood says he has stayed booked, with two client trips planned most days.
The striper fishing should remain hot through September, he says.
Updated fishing reports as of July 18:
LAKE LANIER
Water temp: 84
Stripers: Downlining is the way to go for the stripers, according to Youngblood. Straight down 40 to 70 feet. If you mark fish on your sonar, stop and drop.
Use a 2-ounce sinker, with a No. 2 circle hook bait with live herring. Spool your reel with 20-pound test, and tie on a 7-foot leader of 15-pound flourocarbon.
Look south of Brown’s Bridge. The fish will continue migrating south as the summer continues. If you troll, use lead core line with 1-ounce bucktails.
Bass: Spots are still hitting topwaters, but that won’t last long. Try topwaters early, then move out to brushpiles in 20-22 feet, Youngblood says.
LAKE ALLATOONA
Water Temp: 85
Stripers/Hybrids: Allatoona guide Robert Eidson (First Bite Guide Service) says lineside fishing remains “great,” much like it was last week.
Fishing Tuesday with client Fred Womack and his two grandsons, Eidson reports the group caught 33 fish, most of them big hybrids and a few stripers in the 10-pound range.
The best bite going right now is south of Bartow Carver. The mouth of all the southend creeks are holding big schools of hybrids. There is a very good bite at the dam right at sun up as well.
These fish can be caught on flat lines and topwater plugs for the first 30 minutes of sun-up. After that the downline bite really picks up. Look for these fish to be out over open water and at depths of 20 to 50 feet.
Shiners, shad and bream are all working well for these schooling fish. If live bait isn’t your thing, try the umbrella rigs. The umbrella rig bite is really getting good right now. Pull your rigs at 3.1 mph 130 feet behind the boat
White bass: Fishing is great in the evening in the Harbortown Marina area. Throw a roostertail.
CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER
Trout: The Georgia DNR stocked 8,000 rainbows on the upper part of the tailwater this past week, and it’s been noticed.
Guide Rob Smith at the Fish Hawk in Atlanta says numbers of fish caught and released have been high. Two of the best flies have been blue lightning bugs and zebra midges, both fished under strike indicators.
Shoal bass: Below Morgan Falls Dam, shoal bass fishing is strong as long as the water is pretty clear, Smith says. Use a super fluke junior.
Stripers: Striper fishing also is strong below Morgan Falls. Use a Shadalicious, a paddle-tailed soft plastic bait made by Strike King, Smith said. The bait uses special weighted hooks. “Throw it out and reel it in,” he said. “It’s very, very simple. You will catch fish.”
If you have a tip or report, please share.
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Hot spots: Allatoona fishing ‘off the charts’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
You asked for it. You get it.
Beginning this week, and updated each Thursday, I’ll try to help you catch more fish with the help of some experts who make a living on the water.
But I’ll need your help, too.
Got a report? Share it here. Got a tip? Share it here. Every Thursday.
Report for weekend of July 11:
LAKE ALLATOONA
Striper guide Robert Eidson (First Bite Guide Service) says hybrid and striper fishing is “off the charts … I don’t think the fishing can get any better than it is now.” Eidson captained a party boat charter on July 4 that boated over 50 hybrids and stripers and had at least 30 more get away.
The best bite going right now is south of Bartow Carver. The mouth of all the south-end creeks are holding big schools of hybrids. There is a very good bite at the dam right at sun up as well. These fish can be caught on flat lines and topwater plugs for the first 30 minutes after sunrise. After that, the down line bite really picks up.
Look for these fish to be out over open water and at depths of 20 to 50 feet deep. Shiners, shad and bream are all working well for these schooling fish. If live bait isn’t your thing try umbrella rigs. The u-rig bite is really getting good right now. Pull your rigs at 3.1 mph 130 feet behind the boat.
White bass: For lots of action for small white bass, go to the Harbortown Marina area in the evenings and throw a Rooster Tail.
LAKE LANIER
Guide Doug Youngblood (Fish Lanier Guide Service) reports striper fishing has been good, with a strong morning bite (9 a.m.-1 p.m.) on live blueback herring downrodded in 40 to 50 feet of water. Go above Brown’s Bridge, but the fish are moving south. You can find stripers on the creeks on the lower end of the lake.
In the afternoon, when the power is being generated through the Buford Dam, use the same techniques in deep creeks, such as Six-Mile and Four-Mile. Youngblood has been catching 10 to 15 stripers on half-day trips with sizes in the 20s. Bob Lynn pulled in a 26-pounder last week.
Bass: The spots are schooling like crazy, making it a topwater bite. Use flukes, Sammy’s, Spooks and other topwater baits.
Crappie: Your best bet is fishing at night (with submerged lights) under bridges.
CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER
Rob Smith at the Fish Hawk in Atlanta says fishing has been good for trout on the upper end (the tailwaters below Buford Dam) and shoal bass on the lower end (below Morgan Falls).
Trout: For fly fishing, use lightning bugs, prince nymphs, woolly buggers and zebra midges. Strip retrieve the wolly bugger; use a strike indicator for the others. For spin fishermen, use rooster tails and rapalas.
Shoal bass: Use spinnerbaits, flukes and other bass lures on the lower end (below Morgan Falls).
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Survey: Gas prices keeping anglers off water
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Angler reluctance to burn gas on the lake is rising as quickly as the prices at the pump, according to a survey last month.
AnglerSurvey.com, which conducts monthly surveys to track consumer activities and expenditure trends, concluded that the impact of fuel prices among anglers has risen dramatically since last summer.
In the most recent survey, 22 percent of anglers participating said that fuel prices had no impact on their fishing plans. Last summer, 35 percent responded with a “no effect” answer to the question.
On the flipside, 32 percent of the respondents said gas prices would affect their fishing plans, up from 22 percent last summer.
What’s your take?
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