Hi all,

 

I'm in NY and itching to get out, tired of the ice and cold! I have a chance to go somewhere in the southeast region in early April, will be traveling through Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee area and will have a free day with a few buddies to fish...If you could go to any lake in those areas to fish in early April where would you go?  Ideally we would rent a boat and explore and fish on our own....anybody have any recommendations ? Lake, areas to fish, boat rental location?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=chickamauga+lake&rlz=1CAFQZI_enUS802&oq=chickam&aqs=chrome.2.69i57j0l2j69i60l2j0.9133j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

April? I'd skip the lake and be fishing a freestone river for smallmouth. Weather between now and then will play a major role 

Just now, TnRiver46 said:

April? I'd skip the lake and be fishing a freestone river for smallmouth

Yeah I really like the rivers in late winter and early spring over anything else. The SMB are much more active when it's colder than the LMB are. But LMB in rivers behave differently than lake and pond LMB too. Traditionally they have always been way ahead of their lake and pond siblings. The last week of March some 10 years ago or so produced my best river day ever and it was all LMB here in IL. I stopped counting after 40 something. 3/16oz spinnerbait.

I’ll be fishing the New River!!

Thanks guys, much appreciated!

Forget the boat. Go down to Hilton Head Island, SC and do some bank fishing in any of the THOUSANDS of lagoons. Whether you stay in Sea Pines, Hilton Head Plantation, Palmetto Dunes, Shipyard, or anywhere else there are tons of stormwater lagoons with big bass.

 

How big? If you're not regularly pulling out 3 and 4 pounders you're not trying hard enough. Lots of 5 and 6 pounders around and you can even run into double digit bass.

 

There are a few things to be aware of. First, you cannot fish on the golf courses but there are still thousands of lagoons to choose from. Second, you can't always park your car next to lagoons. You may have to park down the road. My suggestion is to rent a bike so you can cover a ton of ground.

 

Last, there are alligators. You need to be cautious, especially around high grassy areas. The good news is that the grass around most lagoons is cut down. Just keep your head on a swivel when fishing and you should be fine. Don't wade into the lagoons and fish in open areas instead of tight spaces.

Fontana in NC, or Murray, Clarks HIll, Moultrie, or Marion in SC.

Marion and Moultrie aren't known for giving up big fish on a regular basis, but you'll have a good time catching 3lb-5lb fish while trying.  If you choose Moultrie, be aware there is a lot of submerged timber that can pose a hazard if you don't know where it is. On the other hand, those spots are great pre and post spawn habitat.

Southeast Toledo Bend ?