tnhiker44

I am heading to Sinclair in an hour or so to do some scouting for a tournament I am fishing on Saturday. I will let you know how I do. High barometric pressure, bright sun, clearing water... I am thinking docks, probably deeper docks... but we shall see. You know, the top water bite should be on during early morning conditions like that!

Yea, it is pretty close. In fact, much closer than Blackshear. Oconee is just a few miles further. But both Sinclair and Oconee are hit pretty hard by the clubs and trails in the area, which makes for a bit tougher fishing for someone not experienced with those lakes.

Unknownwaters, I live near Macon and have fished all the waters you mentioned, with the exception of Houston Lake. Lake Tobesofkee is a tough place for me. Blackshear is one of those places that really looks fishy... with a bunch of grass and Cypress trees, but I have only really had one good outing on that lake. Lake Juliette is a nice lake, Wildwood looks good from afar(never fished it), and the further down stream you go on the Ocmulgee River the better it fishes. There are also a couple of Public Fishing Areas (PFA's) besides Flat Creek in the area. Hugh Gillis PFA in the Dublin area and Ocmulgee PFA near Hawkinsville, the later has been groomed as a trophy lake. You can also try Lake Joy in Warner Robins/Perry and the Flint River out west (Shoal Bass). Good luck

Years ago there was a park near the corner of Dale Mabry and Vandyke I used to do quite well at. Some small lakes/ponds in the subdivisions around there too... like Northlakes and Northdale.

A co-worker of mine fishes a club trail based out of Weiss. In fact he fished yesterday... he caught 7 pounds, it took 19 to win. He never seems to do well there, but someone in his club has that lake dialed in. Personally, I have only fished Logan Martin on the Coosa chain.

Thanx, I appreciate the info.

Although I live right in the very middle of Georgia I will be fishing a couple of border waters this year with the club... first Russell and second Hartwell. Never fished either, and I have only glanced at Hartwell as I passed over it on I-85. Russell I will see for the first time towards the end of this month, when our first two day tournament for the year starts. We will be launching out of Beaver Dam Creek, is that a productive part of the lake this early in the season? I bought a map and that area looks good on paper, as does Coldwater Creek and the Rocky River arm. Am I headed to all the wrong places??

And you live there on purpose? Wow... not for me!!!

RedhookRR, I think it is all relative. Down in my neck of the woods we have already had some 60 degree days, but the water temperature is still 5, 8 maybe 10 degrees cooler than normal. Granted we do not have to deal with ice, but the fish are still very mellow for the beginning edge of spring. And we have had shad kills on most local lakes which makes the fishing even tougher. There is hope though... in my back yard I have trees with new growth buds on them. In a week or two the Bradford Pears will be blooming, followed by the Red Buds... and then the heralded Dogwoods (rumor has it when the Dogwoods bloom the spawn is on!).

In reflection, the shaky head was my best producing bait last year. It almost pains me to say that... as I always considered myself more of a power fisherman. But because of last year I will no doubt have one tied on at all times this year.

Ben, This is I. Dean. The actual first person to touch that beautiful piece of plastic on your mantle. And please be careful with that thing... it was a whopping $5.75 plus shipping (which was $6.95 by the way!). Keep that new fishing partner of yours from knocking it down with its tail! The mini-me is a no go for me, but the Charlie Elliott thing would be good if it does not fall on a club tourney date. That was an awesome turn of events, by the way. You travel all that way, made it on time (when other local guys did not), and walked away with the trophy. It could not have been scripted any better. Well except for if I won it that is... but I was happy doing the event photographer thing. Good luck on Dream Lake... and if I can make it to Charlie Elliott you are gonna have to work to keep that glittering piece of bass plastic!!!!

I have never heard of Dream Lake so I have nothing to add, but I would like to ask a question. Is this the same Benito who holds the big fish trophy for the Dodge Co. P.F.A. fishing get together? If not then never mind, stop reading here. If so, well, you are gonna have to put that trophy on the line soon. We all agreed that that trophy was going to be a floating trophy and here you are planning a trip to a Bill Dance type lake before you gave anyone a chance to win that monster trophy. Whats up with that??!!! ;D

This is why I do not like the way the regions are set up on this board. I live in the south east, have not seen a flake of snow this year and other than a thin layer of ice on our yard fountain I have not seen one sliver of natural ice on any body of water in eight years. On the 17th of January I saw water temps of 45 degrees... by far the coldest water I have noticed in years. For the record, last Sunday (31st) water temps were a balmy 52 degrees. As active as you Virginians are on this board you should have your own state board. On second thought, never mind... I like reading about you guys shoveling your driveways as I head out to fish the post spawn.

Macon Bass club, huh? I heard you guys couldn't fish your way out of a wet paper bag. Just kidding ImaRapalabeliever, good luck on Tobo... I am not gonna end up behind you in the points this year. ;D

I have never asked for nor accepted one thin dime from any non-boater for any expense. I guess I have been lucky because when it was my non-boaters time to either fish from the front or fish his water he has never asked to go somewhere I did not want to fish. In fact, I will take it one step further. I travel a lot for work and build up points from a hotel chain that I use. During our out-of-town tourneys my non-boaters have not paid one cent for lodging either. I have already reserved four free nights for our upcoming travel tourneys with two double beds and we have not even drawn partners yet... I may be fishing alone for both tourneys. My take on it is this; Firstly, this is all about fun and fellowship for me. If it gets to the point that 20 to 40 dollars for a fishing trip is the make or break point it is defiantly time I pick up another past time. Secondly, I will be fishing whether I have a non-boater or not. Often my non-boaters are non-boaters because financially they are strapped. I have enjoyed fishing with all of them, learned some from most of them and want to continue to do so. The second this was forced onto one of my non-boaters is the second I would quit the Florida Bass Federation.

ttufishinman, Is that the TTU in Cookeville? I have never fished it, but know many who have. From what I am told the channels are not marked well and you must be careful on that lake. That being said, I have heard of at least two tournament sacks from that lake in the past year that were over 30 pounds. That is a six pound average!!! Not sure how the fishing is on Center Hill or Percy Priest, but around here 6 pounds will win you big fish practically every tourney. A 6 pound average and folks will acuse you of cheating!!! Good luck, be careful.

I find it interesting how if a species is desirable (largemouth) 'we' do not seem to care that it is non-native to our area, or what impact it might have had on the fishery. The snakeheads show up and we are collectively out to kill every last one of 'em. We really are selfish creatures that are in way over our heads.

I have been watching this family of Otters for over a year now, and have seen no effect on the fishing. Personally, I am more concerned with these eating machines

On several of the lakes I fish (Oconee, Jackson, Sinclair), I think the sea walls provide a 'trap' for bait fish. The bass seem to corner bait up against these walls where they have no where to go. Same holds true for steep drop off banks. A Zara Spook thrown so that one of its 'zigs' (or maybe zags) nearly touches these walls is an excellent way to catch fish on these lakes.

At my last club tourney held on Oconee I managed to get second place pitching to deeper docks with small plastics. The winner threw a Carolina rig all day. For me it is either hit or miss on that lake. Either I catch fish all day long or I struggle to get any in the livewell. I have never caught any of the big fish that come out of Oconee... but I have seen a few for sure. Besides maybe West Point, the biggest fish caught in our club seem to come from Oconee. Good luck

The original posters question was about the proper drag setting on a reel. It seems as if someone has taken that original question out of context, and is trying to turn this into a hook set debate. Good point. Sounds a little like what I wrote earlier. Certainly you must also fish for Trout, Pike or Musky... you know, those fish that do not have soft fleshy mouths. For bass there is really no need to set the hook, it is the latest rage I am told. Just reel in and put pressure on, the hooks are sharp and small enough... all the pro's do it that way.

Its relative. You took my comment out of context. I would hardly call that taking your comment out of context. Seriously, that is what you wrote. Perhaps the bass in N.Y. have soft fleshy jaws... but not the larger ones I catch down here in Ga. and Fl.. In fact, I have never heard another single soul say they had soft fleshy mouths. Ever.

I think I keep my drag looser than most folks do. For the average fish I catch (one, two, up to five pounds) I do not mind some slippage on their power runs. If I do hook a larger fish I thumb the spool some and tighten if necessary (that line gets real hot against your thumb!). And I am not so sure I agree with soft mouth comment made about bass earlier. A six, seven, ten pound bass around these parts have a tough, hard mouth. I do not know how many times I have hooked a bass on a Rattle Trap and reached into her mouth to unhook only to see that the hooks had not penetrated to the barbs. Sharp hooks too. The Rattle Trap almost falls out of her mouth. (But just try to get that out of your box with two other Traps sitting next to it... those things grab onto each other and almost never let go.)

Now it is my turn to ask... any new info out there? From what I have read the lake is pretty much in a state of chaos right now. Its up to near normal... and they are talking about dropping it a foot and a half, in anticipation of rains I guess. With the cool snap we have had recently I would guess any turnover that might happen has got to be near or happening even as I write this. Not one single report I have read was a positive one. Not even the striper guides do not say much (or is that stripper? Think poles... uh...think line, not poles... totally forget about cranks and tiny beavers... ah nevermind). Anyone??

Aunts Creek is an excellent area. Most anything out on Indian Point or Stormy Point (point 1) would be good (for boat rentals) and be sure to look in the Kimberling City area. If memory serves me right... the 'quiet' part of the lake is near Shell Knob. Unless it has changed drastically (and it could have), the Kimberling City to Shell Knob area was far removed from the whole Branson/Silver Dollar City scene.