tnhiker44

You know... you guys at Troy got it going on. Guntersville right up the road. The 'Hooch chain (West Point, Eufala and Seminole) right next door and lets not forget the Coosa chain (Weiss, Neely Henry, Logan Martin, etc.). I am wondering if it is possible to pick a better location for a college bass fishing team. Seriously. Maybe somewhere in Texas, but I doubt it. (I had to sneak away from college to fish. My have times changed)

You took the words right out of my mouth!! Rising waters in spring probably has the fish freaked out. They want to bed shallow but shallow keeps changing. Good luck with that.

Nice site. Couldn't help but notice that a Roland Martin 6'6" wormin' rod was only 1.00 oz.. Man that Roland sure makes a light rod.

Unfortunately I do not have any advise for you. But I too have an upcoming club tournament on Lanier, and I have never fished it. So I will be watching for any responses you may get! From what I have heard and the bit of research I have done, the lake is about three feet below 'normal' pool right now. Normally a lower than normal pool means receding water, but that is not the case with Lanier. It is up something like thirteen feet from just a couple of months ago! The info I have found on this rapid rise in water level was that it did not get really muddy (all things considered) and has already cleared up nicely. I have read reports of folks catching them on drop shots, shaky heads, rattle traps and topwater. And as I was told on here one time, if you are fishing for spots, any color will do.... as long as it is green pumpkin. Good luck and please report how you did.

Based on your description, my guess is that the fish are there all the time. The difference being that most of the time you go there you are fishing... and then for a few visits you are catching. I witnessed a really cool fish shocking event on Watts Bar Lake many years a go. The DNR closed off a small cove with nets and invited a few fisherman (one group at a time) to fish inside the nets. I think they were given 20 minutes each group. We were not chosen, but we watched nonetheless. They weighed and measured all the fish that the fishermen caught, which wasn't many. A group or two got skunked. They then went in there with the shocking equipment and the amount of bass that were in there was simply amazing. The whole experience did not make me feel like a better fisherman, probably just the opposite, but it taught me to not be so quick to give up on a fishy spot.

I would forget all about temperatures and just go fish. Really. I almost always start out first thing in the morning searching the shallows. In all three seasons (hot, warm and cool). But my weather is different than yours... the surface temperatures here are near the 80 degree mark and our low today was 59 degrees. You guys up there actually get four seasons. And ice. And snow. And sub zero wind chills. Brrrrr Bottom line, I would let the fish dictate your fishing, not the thermometer. If they are not in the shallows then fish deeper. If they won't chase something fast then slow down.

My experience with my hand held GPS is good and bad. For using as a "where have I been... how do I get back" tool it is awesome. It is also fantastic for marking spots that I find. I get right back to the spots I marked... within the EPE (estimated position error). Where I have had no luck whatsoever is putting in GPS way points from a map/guide and finding them. Using datum data from the various maps/guides still does not get me within reasonable range. As I near an entered spot I zoom way in to find that submerged bridge to be about a 1/4 mile inland... in the middle of the woods. But finding and revisiting spots is very accurate. Go figure.

You are about to lay your eyes on one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever fished. It is also a relatively difficult lake. Go in with an open mind, forget about the dinks in Allatoona and enjoy the view. Good luck.

Thanks Simp! That was from an outing last weekend. Here are a couple more from last Saturday along that same line (fog-ish silhouettes/profiles)

Awesome pictures everyone!! Here are a few I have taken this year.

I spent several months in Marathon (for work) a few years back and fished my tail off... but not for bass! You will certainly have to get to the mainland to find any freshwater fish (in numbers). The canals of the Everglades are simply full of bass, oscars and even peacocks. I got to ask, however, why think freshwater when you are in one of the best inshore saltwater fishing areas of the entire country? There are several tidal pools/inlets/basins in the Marathon area that offer superb shoreline fishing. Barracuda, snook, permit, trout, bonefish and tarpon live in those waters. And plenty of 'em. If you want to see a spectacular site try visiting Bogie Pass bridge near No Name Key (just on the other side of the seven mile bridge, leaving Big Pine Key). The tarpon with often line up side by side in the shade of that bridge. I have seen twenty to thirty lined up before, like fence posts, facing into the current and just chillin' out. A sight you have to see for yourself!! Oh, and while you are there, just hang out a bit, quietly, and the very tiny key deer will certainly show up and beg for food. These deer are about three feet tall fully grown and exist no where else on the planet. Do not feed them though... it is against the law. The brave ones will even put their hooves on your car door and look in on you. (The wife and kids will love it.)

Dodge Co. PFA. Not sure if we are allowed to link to other sites, but here goes anyways. http://www.georgiawildlife.org/documentdetail.aspx?docid=144&pageid=8&category=fishing It is located right off of Hwy. 341 as you leave Eastman heading towards McRae (see map on link). Be sure to click on the information sheet with full details link to see some decent Georgia bass caught on this lake. A bunch of us got together (from another forum) just last weekend and had a big fish tourney and cookout at Dodge Co. PFA. Most of us had never met anyone else in person (sotra like on here). A great time was had by all. We are already planning the next one for September, this time on the big fish waters of Ocmulgee PFA. If anyone is interested in joining in just send me a message and I will give you the details.

Unknownwaters, There are four Public Fishing Areas (PFA's) within reasonable driving distance of Macon. The closest would be Flat Creek, just south of Macon in Perry. It is basically brand new... and full of small bass. The next closest one would be Ocmulgee, near Cochran. This is a trophy lake that is catch and release only. Per the DNR guys, average size bass is six and a half pounds. I have personally caught a ten point two pound fish and well over ten larger than seven on this lake. Tough little lake though. The third furthest away is Dodge Co., near Eastman. Good balance of small to large bass in this lake. And the last one would be Gillis, just outside of Dublin. All four of these PFA's are further than Tobosofkee, which is a recreational lake pretty much right there in Macon. Then there is Julliette just to the north of Macon. Within an hour or so drive from Macon you can get to the Flint River and to lakes Jackson, Sinclair, Oconee, Joy, Houston and High Falls. The Flint River is well known for Shoal bass, one of the hardest fighting bass (pound for pound) out there. For all the above mentioned fishing spots there is at least some bank access to all of them. Oh, and if you like to Catfish, the Ocmulgee River runs right through Macon. A guy recently caught a 103 pound cat out of there. Oh, and just so you know, the Ocmulgee is where George Perry caught his world record bass way back when. No excuses now... get out there and fish!! The surface water temperatures have finally gotten into the low eighties and the fishing will soon turn on. Good luck.

I was thinking the exact thing. It has got to be a money thing.

Well here in central Georgia most of our lakes are lined with coffee bushes. Well, some are lined with licorice trees. Oh, and some are lined with garlic bushes too. I wonder who believes in talking gecko's or that some lady's son, named Rip, is on line toot...... Ain't marketing grand?

Which chemicals, Doc? I am trying to figure out what your stance is on this subject. By default I have more respect for your insight and input than the dirty guy... but your consecutive responses leave me wondering. I agree that we can manipulate fish... but are we making he-shes on accident? Do you believe in the birth control leaching theory?

Dude, where in my post did I disagree with deliberate manipulation of the reproduction of fish? Again, dude, just where in my post did you find the spot from which to leap to this conclusion from? Just where did I doubt those statements? The linked article (and again in today's USA Today) made the assumption that this event was naturally occurring due to birth control use. My point, which was rather simple (even for a veterinarian), was that we know much less than we think we do in regards to our effect on nature. DDT causing the decline of Bald Eagles? I can buy into that... the stuff not only causes some types of cancer in humans it contributes other types of cancer as well. Agent Orange causing cancer in Veterans that were exposed to it? I certainly can buy into that... it is one of the most toxic chemicals known to man. But urine with traces of birth control leaching into the groundwater and causing bass to be she-males? Not saying it is impossible, but I think it is very unlikely. Are fish drunk? Stoned? High on prescription meds? Its just as easy to make that assumption as the birth control assumption. (But I am no vet.)

Why? Because we (humans) have a history of making mountains out of mole hills. Chicken Little syndrome. Global warming? It's CFC's. Fish kills? Gotta be poison. Weird sex organs in fish? Gotta be birth control. We want a simple explanation for every event regardless of it's complexity. We have such a short view of nature in general... in the context of time that is. 1000 years ago we were, for the most part, living in huts and eating bugs and stuff. Now we know why the planet is warming up and why bass have some weird organs. As a whole I consider us very pretentious in regards to our environment. We may mean well, but we actually know very little... and we are darn quick to accept simple answers (especially those which fit agendas). My two cents.

I agree with you. But lets remove all the trout and other bait fish out of those California waters and I am willing to bet those big fish get dumb in a hurry. A big hurry. As mentioned, survival is the key. With nothing to eat those big Cali fish would bite a Rooster Tail on 80 pound mono thrown in 6 inches of water.

I have absolutely no data to back this up, but I am willing to bet this is a naturally occurring event. Some 'survival of the species' trait that ebbs and flows in time due to circumstances we know nothing about. Mother Nature tweaking things to ensure survival.... and we want to take a small snapshot, try to explain it as a "new" event, and wrap it up in a cause. The cause in this article was birth control pills. I ain't buying into that.

Wind speeds not known... but the waves busted welded seams on an aluminum boat. Lake Okeechobee, land barely in sight (to the west only), ten plus miles to the ramp. When we got to the ramp at 11 am we were the last team to give up. I think it was Hurricane Elaina.

An occasional Crappie or Catfish. Once, while fishing a tournament on Watts Bar, I caught a 28 pound Striper on a Rattletrap. I tried to weigh it in... but was shot down right at the scales. I was pretty sure big fish and first place was mine... until the line sider was turned away.

1. Where I hail from Wearing a PFD is optional. Clearly the captain is the only non-swimmer in the crew. The two crew members not wearing PFD's must believe that, in case of an emergency, they are better off under the water than on top of it (an obvious reflection of their Captains piloting skills). 2. Protective eye wear with a hat like that? That hat blocks out more sunlight than the Pecan trees in my yard. I was wondering why there was no flashlight clipped on the bill. 3. The kill switch has probably weakened over years of sun abuse... therefor the Captain wisely built another one made out of 200 pound test mono. That is why it is not visible. 4. Based on the size of that fella... I am not sure the back of the boat is where you want him. That is properly placed fore ballast if I have ever seen it. Actually, I find it disappointing that he did not turn around and make the classic 'Rose' pose (from the movie Titantic). (I noticed no registration numbers on the starboard side of the vessel. Not a safety issue... but around here it will get you noticed real quick like.)

The surface temperatures in my neck of the woods have been hovering in the upper 80's and even reaching the low 90's in some areas. But it sure does seem as if the fish have been shallower this year (based on my catches and those I hear about). So, after a couple of big rainfalls late in the week I go out to a local lake yesterday and find the surface temperatures to be in the low 80's... the lowest I have seen since spring. The bite was way off, not only for me but for everyone I talked to. Here I have been waiting for the temperatures to drop to turn on the fish and just the opposite happens. Perhaps the 'off' bite was because of the radical change in surface temperatures and not a gradual one (like the change of seasons bring). At any rate, I too have seen a difference in fish position/location and activity this year.

For the vast majority I am sure you are correct, Mottfia. I guess it just seems strange to me with all the "I"'s we have in team sports these days that there is not one pro fisherman who is tired of the whole sponsor run around. You know, tired of switching boat manufacturers over money or motor affiliation and such. I did a bit of research and pretty much answered my own question. I looked at Gary Klein's career for example. He has won just shy of 1.8 million in his career. And although I could not find exactly how many years he has been fishing I could find how many times he fished in the classic (27 times). If he has been fishing pro for 27 years with 1.8 million in earnings, that equals something like 66k/year. That being said... without sponsor money I could honestly say I have 'earned' more money per year than Gary Klein. So, after thinking about it like that, I can see where Triton/Mercury money is so important to him (for instance). (But even still, after 27 years, don't you think he gets tired of putting on that billboard of a uniform every single tournament?)