What Is the Real Alabama Red Snapper Tally?

Alabama Red Snapper Tally 56 Percent less than Feds Report

EDITOR’s NOTE: Today’s feature, written by Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ David Rainer, is yet another example of the continuing conflict between the five states that comprise the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and federal authorities when it comes to managing the Gulf’s fisheries. As you’ll read, the results don’t seem to surprise anyone- but the fight continues.
from The Fishing Wire

As many Alabama offshore anglers will attest, the results from the red snapper catch data is the same old song, second verse.

When the mandatory Red Snapper Reporting System was implemented for the 2014 season, the Alabama Marine Resources Division had a pretty good idea that the catch numbers compiled by the NOAA Fisheries was significantly inflated. The catch data for the 9-day 2014 season reported through Alabama’s “Snapper Check” was 455,522 pounds, while the feds estimated the catch at a whopping 1,227,469 pounds.

The discrepancy between the Alabama red snapper catch data and the federal catch data was recently confirmed with the 2015 numbers.

Keep in mind the 2015 season was different because of sector separation. The private recreational anglers had a 10-day season. The charter boats with a federal reef fish permit were allowed to fish 44 days.

Still, the discrepancy was significant. The federal catch estimate was 2,355,481 pounds. Marine Resources estimated the catch off Alabama at 56 percent less than the federal estimate at 1,045,042. The average-size red snapper landed was more than 8 pounds.

“We continued the Red Snapper Reporting Program for a second year to compare it to the federal MRIP (Marine Recreational Information Program),” said Chris Blankenship, Director of the Alabama Marine Resources Division. “Last year, the results showed that Alabama caught about two-and-a-half times less red snapper than the federal government estimated we caught.

“Where that’s important is the quota is set before the season, and that’s how they determine the number of days for the season. If they are overestimating what’s been landed, our snapper season potentially could have been two-and-a-half times longer if they had used Alabama’s information.”

Red Snapper

Anglers who pursue red snapper off the Alabama Gulf Coast have had no problem at all landing nice red snapper during the short seasons (above). Ongoing research on the red snapper population off of Alabama indicates a healthy, vibrant stock (Below). Photos by David Rainer, with permission.

Red Snapper Research

Blankenship said even though the parameters changed because of the sector separation, Marine Resources was interested to see if that discrepancy between Alabama numbers and federal numbers would be similar for 2015.

“This year, the federal program estimated there was more than twice the number of red snapper landed than what the Alabama program estimated,” he said.

The reason Blankenship is confident in the Alabama numbers is because of the collection of data through the mandatory Red Snapper Reporting Program and the deployment of Marine Resources personnel to conduct checks at the public boat ramps and marinas, as well as on-the-water checks by enforcement personnel.

“We end up with a correction factor for the ones that were not reported,” he said. “We use that to come up with the final numbers. It’s a much less complicated system than what the federal government uses, and we feel ours is much more accurate.

“We have cameras at the public boat launches; we do vessel counts on how many boats launched during red snapper season. We do this to compare the numbers used by the Alabama reporting program or the MRIP data. What we found was the number of vessels launched very closely corresponds with what the Alabama red snapper program reported. We think that is important validation for our program.”

Blankenship also said the MRIP system is still using a telephone survey of coastal households and extrapolating the data.

“It’s obvious to us when we look at the results from that telephone survey that they are overestimating the amount of effort, the number of fishing trips for the state of Alabama,” Blankenship said. “We are attempting to work with the MRIP team to see what’s causing the difference in data.

“They have been very anxious to see how we have calculated our results from the Alabama Snapper Check, but they have not been as open to show how they come up with their numbers. We’re trying to work through those difficulties. We don’t have anything to hide. We are glad to show how our system works and how we came up with our numbers. It’s not complicated, and we feel it’s very accurate. We want to be able to look under the hood of the MRIP program, and we think it will help them develop a more accurate estimate of the catch, not only in Alabama but nationwide.”

Blankenship said one example of MRIP data that cannot be accurate came from Mississippi.

“When you look at the landings on the NOAA MRIP website for the private recreational season in Mississippi and the federal estimate of their catch, for the 10-day red snapper season in June, the federal MRIP system estimated there was not a single red snapper landed in the state of Mississippi,” Blankenship said. “So in Alabama, the feds estimated we caught more than 2 million pounds of red snapper, and in Mississippi, they estimated they caught zero red snapper during the same time period. This just shows the MRIP system obviously has some flaws.

“That’s why we feel it is so important for the feds to use numbers from Alabama Snapper Check because our numbers are much more accurate.”

The current federal quota for the recreational sector has a 20-percent buffer built in to account for overages. Blankenship said the best way to get rid of that ridiculously large buffer is to have more accurate catch data.

“The best way to get that 20-percent buffer back is to have regional management for either a portion of the quota or true management of red snapper where we do the stock assessment and set the quota,” he said. “We feel like with regional management we can get more days for the private recreational anglers and more days for the charter boats.”

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is considering Amendment 39 that would give the five Gulf States regional management of the red snapper fishery.

A public hearing on the amendment was held in Mobile Tuesday night. The full Gulf Council will consider Amendment 39 at its next meeting, which is scheduled for January 25-29, 2016, at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach, Ala.

“The reason Amendment 39 is important is evident in our red snapper reporting numbers,” said Blankenship. “Alabama currently supports Amendment 39 because we feel like we can do a much better job managing this red snapper fishery than is currently being done by the federal government and get our anglers more days to fish.”

Blankenship said Marine Resources is in the process of doing a stock assessment off the coast of Alabama and will hopefully have the results by the end of the year. The early numbers look good.

“The snapper stock seems to be very healthy even after the season,” he said. “Whether we caught a million pounds as Alabama estimates or 2.3 million pounds as the federal government estimates, we’ve been out there doing research since the season ended.

“I can say there is no shortage of legal-size red snapper off the coast of Alabama.”

—DAVID RAINER, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Where Can I Fish from the Bank Near Atlanta?

Do you find it funny that folks fishing from a boat usually try to cast as close to the bank as possible, while those fishing from the bank usually try to cast as far out in the water as they can? Fishing from a boat definitely gives you some advantages, but so does bank fishing.

Fortunately there are a lot of places where you can fish from the bank near Atlanta. You can drive to them in an hour or so and enjoy good catches. And you have a lot of options for catching bass, from lakes and ponds to rivers and creeks.

Fishing from the bank usually makes you fish slower. There is no pressure to run to another spot to try to catch a fish and leave the ones you could catch if you slowed down and fished carefully. Patience often pays off in better bass catches. You can concentrate on covering a piece of cover carefully and get the bass to bite.

You can fish from the bank much more efficiently if you are willing to wade in shallow water. At times you will need to go around obstacles on the bank by getting into the edge of the water and other times easing out to a couple of feet of water will allow you to reach cover a little too far away from the bank, or to get a better angle on shoreline cover. And fishing streams often requires wading.

Invest in a pair of rubber boots if you don’t like getting your feet wet. You can get a pair that come up almost to your knees for less than $20 and they will really pay off. If you wade in tennis shoes, carry a dry pair of sox and shoes for the ride home.

Keep your tackle simple. A couple of rods and reels, one for casting light finesse type baits and one for casting heavier baits is all you need. On the light outfit spool eight or ten pound line. For heavier baits or fishing thick cover go to fourteen pound test on the other outfit.

A small plastic tackle box that fits in your pocket makes fishing easier. Have some spare hooks and sinkers, a top water plug, a crankbait, a spinnerbait, a few jigs and some plastics. Be able to rig the plastics either weighless on the light outfit or with a one-sixteenths ounce sinker. On the heavier out a three sixteenths to one quarter ounce bullet weight for longer casts and deeper water will work.

The following spots give you several options for catching bass from the shore, so choose one and learn all the cover around it, or try them all.

Lake Lanier

Lanier is a big lake and you might think you can’t cover it without a boat, but go to one of the parks and you can catch fish from the bank. A good one is Buford Dam Park on the south side of the lake right beside the dam.

Both spotted and largemouth bass bed in the pockets in the park on hard bottoms. Sand and gravel are the best bottoms to find bedding fish. Largemouth will bed in more shallow water and further back in the coves than the spots. You can often see the beds or the bass on them.

Cast a worm or lizard into the bed and watch your line for a bite. If you can’t see any beds, drag a Carolina rigged lizard on the sand and gravel bottoms. Move it very slowly to make the fish bite.

Rocks on the dam and in the park are favorite feeding areas. You can cast to the riprap on the dam but be careful walking on the rocks. There is also some riprap in the park to fish. Try a topwater bait, spinnerbait and crankbait over the rocks.

The main lake point past the parking lot is good later in the spring and in the summer as the bass move out to deeper water. A jig and pig or worm works well on the point. Also try fishing from the dock in the park, but bass often hold under it. Walk to the edge of the water near the dock and cast a worm or jig under it in the shade.

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center/Marben Public Fishing Area

For a good variety of options in one area, drive out I-20 East past Covington to Highway 11, turn south and follow the signs to Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center/Marben PFA. There are 27 different ponds you can fish here but you will need a special license to fish them.

One of the best ponds for largemouth bass is 49 acre Lake Margery. From the shore you can fish the PVC fish attractors, standing timber and brush, riprap and there is a fishing pier, too. The lake is managed to make shoreline fishing easier.

Early in the morning cast a topwater plug over brush and riprap and try the standing timber, too. As the sun gets up work a jig and pig or Texas rigged worm through the brush and timber. In the middle of the day work a crankbait or worm through the standing timber.

Look for bedding bass on this lake, too. And if you can fish the boat ramp without getting into a no fishing area around it, cast a worm to the end of it. Also try the dock on Lake Margery.

If you don’t have good luck on this lake you do have other options to try. Lake Bennett at 69 acres and Lake Fox with 95 acres both offer the same kind of cover and good fishing as Lake Margery.

Sweetwater Creek State Park

Head out I-20 West past I-285 to Exit 44 at Thornton Road and follow the signs. Sweetwater Creek State Park offers a lake to fish, where you can rent a boat if you want to go out on the lake, and a stream that empties into the Chattahoochee River not far from the park. Both the lake and stream offer good fishing.

On the lake don’t hesitate to fish around the heavily used areas where folks like to feed the ducks, if there are not any no-fishing signs. The food for the ducks attracts bream that attract bass. A weighless worm sinking slowly to the bottom is a good pattern to try.

Also try both bridges. There is riprap to fish on both. Try topwater early then switch to a crankbait or spinnerbait. Both the big bridge and the smaller one where Mount Vernon Road crosses the lake and a smaller pocket have a culvert under the road.

Around the culverts try a Texas rigged worm fished near their mouths then cast to deeper water out from the pipe. The culverts mark the channels and bass will often hold on the edge of them so work your worm along the bottom probing for cover.

Sweetwater Creek has shoal, spotted and largemouth bass living in it and they are all fun to catch, but shoal bass and spots will give you the best fight. Shoal bass are not common in most waters so they are usually the targets here. There is a trail along the creek but you will want to wade to catch more fish. Be careful on the slippery rocks.

Shoal bass hold in the deeper pools and can be caught on Texas rigged worms. Rig them behind a one-eighth ounce sinker and cast where the current enters the pool, working your bait with the current. Try the deepest parts of the pool as well as the tail end where the water leaves it.

A small shallow running crawfish colored crankbait is also good. Fish it with the current in the pools. Also try both baits around any rocks breaking the current. Bass often hold behind the rock so cast upstream of it and fish your bait with the current slowly, letting it move at the speed of the current to offer a natural action to the fish.

Fish both baits on light tackle. The bass are not big, with a two pounder a nice fish, but they fight extremely well in the current. Many people say the creek is polluted and will not eat the fish from it, which means more to catch. The state does not list any restrictions on eating fish from Sweetwater Creek but catch and release is the way to go there for safety and the fish population.

Flint River

The Flint River is home of the shoal bass and you can catch a lot of fish, and some quality ones too, in the river. The record shoal bass, an eight pound, three ounce monster, was caught in the Flint River in 1977. They are often called “Flint River Smallmouth” because of the way they look and fight.

Access to the river is limited but the river itself is public waters. The best way to fish the Flint River is to float it in a canoe or small jon boat but there are some places you can drive to and wade the shoals. Sprewell Bluff State Park is a good place to try.

Sprewell Bluff State Park is south west of Thomaston. Take Highway 74 West out of Thomaston, turn left on Old Alabama Road to Sprewell Bluff Road and turn left on it. It dead ends in the park.
Wading is definitely the way to go here. You can cast from the bank but the river is wide and some of the best fishing is upstream of the parking area at the park and you will have to wade to get to it. Be extremely careful on the slippery rocks and the deeper spots. The current can be strong. Wading is best when the river is low.

When you get to the park turn right on the dirt access road going upstream until it ends. If you park there and follow the edge of the river you will come to a big rock bluff and need to wade to get around it. Then start fishing the shoals.

Small baits are best even though you have a good chance of catching a quality shoal bass. Eight or ten pound test line is heavy enough but check your line often since it will get frayed on the rocks.

Shoal bass feed heavily on “rock worms,” the local name for hellgrammites, and a four or six inch black worm imitates them, so it is a good bait. Texas rig it on a one sixteenths ounce sinker and fish it slowly with the current.

Crawfish are another main target of shoal bass so a small, shallow running crawfish colored crankbait is good. Cast it and the worm upstream and work with the current. Target deeper pools and riffs where the current is broken by rocks. The bass hold downstream of the rocks in the eddies created by them.

Topwater baits like a small popper can be excellent for shoal bass, too. Try them in slower moving pools and start with a fast retrieve. If that doesn’t work slow down. Early in the morning and late in the day when shade is on the water is best for topwater, but the bass will hit on top all day long.

You can wade a good ways upstream of the park parking lot and there are excellent shoals to fish. It is not unusual to catch several bass from one rock in a good run, or from a deeper pool. If you catch fish going upstream but sure to hit that same spot coming back downstream.

There is a big deep pool just downstream of the parking lot but past it are more good shoals. The river is split by a big island and both sides of it can be good.

If you don’t have a suitable boat for fishing the river but want to try it, Flint River Outdoor Center at the Highway 36 Bridge will rent you a canoe, take you to Sprewell Bluff and put you in. You can fish back down to the Center where your vehicle is parked.

If you rent a canoe it allows you to fish the deeper water in pools. You an also tie up at the shoals and wade them. Just watch your time, this is a half day trip and it is easy to lose track of time while fishing.

All these spots offer fun fishing from the bank or a boat. Try them all, pick your favorite and you can spend many hours fishing close to the big city.

Good seafood in Thomaston

If you like fresh steamed or boiled seafood, plan your trip to the Flint River on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Stop at the Fish Peddler on your way back home for some of the best seafood in the area.

The Fish Peddler is a fish market as well as a restaurant. Their seafood is trucked in each week from the Gulf Coast, so it is always fresh. It looks like a dump, with ramshackle buildings but don’t let that stop you. It is a local favorite and you will be eating in a rustic setting with a lot of folks. And the prices are very reasonable.

Don’t ask for fried seafood, they don’t fry anything. Boiled shrimp and steamed oysters are favorites but they have a variety of Gulf seafood.

The Fish Peddler is on the right side of Highway 19 headed north, just past the bridge over Potato Creek. Watch carefully, it is easy to miss. Look for a bunch of cars around a very rustic building and a small sign identifying the restaurant.

Fish on Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound

“Bugging” the Fish on Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound

Today’s feature comes to us from David Rainer of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
from The Fishing Wire

Hydrophone locations in Alabama

Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound are bugged, but the listening devices aren’t snooping to hear the inshore anglers’ big-fish tales or locate their favorite fishing holes.

The microphones, known as hydrophones, are strategically positioned around the Bay and Sound to listen for the fish themselves – a select group of fish.

In a study sanctioned by the Alabama Marine Resources Division (MRD), several inshore fish are being fitted with sonic devices that will be picked up by the hydrophones to get a better idea of where and how much they travel during the year.

Chris Blankenship, MRD Director, said the project is in collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, which has hydrophone stations on the west side of Mississippi Sound.

“This should give us a better picture of the movement of those inshore fish,” Blankenship said. “It started as a tarpon project because that’s Alabama’s state saltwater fish, but we had very little information about the movement of tarpon in our area. Once the hydrophones were out, we had the opportunity to include other species, so we added red drum (redfish) and spotted seatrout (speckled trout) to learn about those fish movements at the same time.

“The interesting thing is that for any fish with an acoustic tag that we pick up, we share that information. Like sturgeon. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has tagged some sturgeon in some of the creeks and rivers in Florida. Occasionally, we’ll pick up some of those fish in our array, and we’ll share that with the people who are gathering data on those fish.”

Dr. Sean Powers and the University of South Alabama Marine Sciences Department are conducting the study, which has been dubbed CAAMP, the Coastal Alabama Acoustic Monitoring Program. There is an array of 40 listening stations with hydrophones strategically placed around Mobile Bay and Mississippi Sound.

“The hydrophones were placed around the bay to cover the entry and exit points of fish, and in this instance, we’re talking about a red drum or speckled trout,” Powers said. “We have all the rivers covered in the (Mobile/Tensaw) Delta. We have a string of them along the Causeway, at Fowl River and Dog River. We also have them in Mississippi Sound.

“Our colleagues in Mississippi and Florida are using same type hydrophones, and we share data. So although we only cover Alabama with our 40 hydrophones, we have partnerships that cover the Gulf from Louisiana to Tampa.”

The hydrophones are designed to pick up acoustic signals with unique codes that identify individual fish. The acoustic tag sends a series of sound pulses in a few seconds. The hydrophone interprets that signal and identifies the fish. If it was a fish from Alabama, the identification of the fish gives researchers data on where the fish was tagged and where it was located when the signal was picked up at different times. If the hydrophone identifies an unknown code, the other states involved in the program are notified.

Inserting probe into fish

Each fish in the study is caught by researchers or other anglers and the small tag is attached.

“We do a little surgery on the fish,” Powers said. “We insert a little tag. It’s about half the size of a AAA battery. Sound travels really well in saltwater, so we don’t need that big of an amplifier. A little tag can do a whole lot. It sends that pulse out every minute. The tags will last a year. When it swims within 500 meters of a hydrophone, the signal is picked up and will tell us the fish was alive in that location. With our array of hydrophones and collaboration with the other states, we get good information on movement of fish, the seasonal movement of fish.”

The Mobile/Tensaw Delta and its role in the movement of inshore species is of particular interest to the researchers. Typically, the inshore species follow the migration of shrimp and other food sources into the rivers and creeks in the fall, depending somewhat on water salinity and flow.

“One thing we’re really interested in is how the saltwater fish use that Delta – when, and potentially why, they use that Delta area,” Powers said. “Although we have hydrophones all around the Bay, it’s a little more weighted toward the Delta, Fowl River and Dog River.”

The acoustic study is being done in stages, according to species. The first year is red drum. Powers said about 100 redfish have already been tagged.

Bugged fish released

“That was the fun part,” he said. “We went out and tagged them all around the Bay, some in the Delta and some off Fairhope, some off Bon Secour and some off Dauphin Island.

“What we will get is very important information on movement, and we’ll get important information on survivorship. We know how many fished we tagged. We have rewards so fishermen can call the information in to us if they catch one. That way we’ll be able to tell how many survived.”

That rate of survival, or escapement, plays a crucial role in the management of red drum, Powers said. Current management models are based on 30-percent escapement.

“What that means is 30 percent survive to go offshore and spawn,” he said. “The fish we tagged are within the state slot limit of 16 to 26 inches. What we would like to see is verification that at least 30 percent of those survive.”

The red drum study will be expanded next year with different parameters. Half the fish tagged will be wild fish, and half will be fished raised at the Marine Resources Division’s Claude Peteet Mariculture Center in Gulf Shores.

“We’re really interested to see if there is a difference in movement in wild red drum versus hatchery-raised red drum,” Blankenship said.

Speckled trout will be added to the study in year three; however, several speckled trout that were part of the live weigh-in for the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo were tagged and released as well. Powers said the species for years four and five are undecided but could include flounder and/or sheepshead.

Before CAAMP came into existence, Powers said a tarpon study had been underway for a couple of years.

“We worked with fishermen on the tarpon, because you’ve got to be pretty good to catch a tarpon,” he said. “We tagged about a dozen tarpon, and we’ve also got satellite tags on a couple of fish that will pop off and float. We also have one receiver off Gulf State Park Pier, so we expect to hear a few tarpon ticking off Gulf State Pier.”

Powers said the information from the hydrophones is downloaded about every six months.

“Sometime next year we should have some good information,” he said. “We know that we’ve already heard from some of the tarpon and some of the red drum. The good thing about the red drum tags is some of the freshwater folks have receivers out to listen for sturgeon, and they’ve already heard some of our redfish up in the rivers.”

PHOTOS: (Crystal Hightower, tarpon by Andrea Kroetz) As part of the CAAMP array, hydrophones are stationed in Alabama coastal waters to pick up the signals from the tagged fish to study seasonal movements and escapement rates. A small acoustic device is inserted by Reid Nelson into the body cavity of the red drum in the study. Larger tags are attached near the dorsal fin on tarpon.

Bad Luck Fishing Lake Martin

I look forward to the three club tournament at Lake Martin in October all year long. The weather is usually beautiful, the lake very pretty and the fish bite. For the past 12 months I have been anticipating the trip this year. But this year I had bad luck fishing Lake Martin.

I went over on Wednesday and got a campsite at Wind Creek State Park. A

Several were and I caught a couple of fish on a drop shot worm. Everything was great, it was warm but not too hot and, as usual, the clear lake surrounded by trees just starting to get a little color were set off by the white sandy and rocky shoreline.

Thursday morning I got up before daylight and headed out to check some more places. I was disappointed when I went to a bank where I had caught 17 bass on topwater last year on Thursday and got only one bite. During the day I caught a few fish but nothing to get excited about.

Friday morning I started with topwater in a place I fished a lot years ago but did not plan on fishing in the tournament, and caught two nice spots on topwater. Then I decided to make a long run to the other end of the lake to check some places a guide showed me. I landed a 2.5 pound spot and a three pound largemouth on two of them on topwater so was pretty excited.

Jordan McDonald joined me Friday night and Saturday morning we took off with great hopes. The first place we stopped was a deep bank where I had lost count after landing 20 bass the first hour of the tournament last year, but I caught only two fish. One was a two pound largemouth that turned out to be my biggest fish of the day.

We started fishing “memories,” places I had caught fish in the past, and by noon we both had limits of small fish. In the past I have been able to catch a kicker fish, a bigger fish to help my weight, up the river so we decided to make the ten mile run just after noon.

We were running at about 55 mph and within a mile of where I wanted to start fishing when my motor made an odd sound and lost power. After we settled in the water I cranked the motor again and it cranked, but rattled. Something was broke.

Jordan called Russell Prevatt since we knew he was fishing fairly close to us and he said he would either tow us in or get Jordan and our fish and take them to the weigh-in. We started fishing back down the river with the trolling motor, knowing our day was ruined.

I decided to call BoatsUs, an organization I have been a member of for about 20 years. They offer free on-the-road towing, the reason I was a member since they will get someone to you that can tow your vehicle and boat if you break down on the road. Most tow services won’t tow a boat so you have to leave it by the road, not a good thing.

They also offer on-the-water towing on most lakes. I didn’t pay the additional $48 a year to have it covered but with basic membership they cover $50 of it. I called the 800 number on my card and the woman I talked with was great, getting my location and connecting me with their tow service on Martin.

The two boat driver told me it would take him about 30 minutes to get to me, he was located at a marina way down the lake. Sure enough, he got to us right at 30 minutes later, tied us to his boat and towed us in at 25 mph on plane!

They charge $160 an hour and my bill was $240 total. I had to pay all but $50 of it but it was well worth it to get in that fast and not inconvenience anyone else in the tournament. Jordan and I fished around the marina the last two hours of the tournament and I did catch my second biggest fish of the day, a spot weighing almost two pounds.

The next day Jordan fished with Russell and I, being hardheaded, turned down Javin English’s invitation to fish with him. I thought I could catch some fish around the marina but I landed only two small keepers all day, fishing very slowly since all I had was my trolling motor.

In the tournament 30 fishermen landed 209 bass weighing about 223 pounds in the 17 hours we fished. There were 37 five-fish limits weighed in and two people didn’t catch a keeper either day.

The first day Russell Prevatt won with five weighing 8.29 pounds, Kwong Yu was second with five at 7.89 pounds, Donnie Willis placed third with five weighing 7.82 pounds and William Scott had five for 7.81 pounds for fourth and big fish at 3.68.

On Sunday Javin English won with five at 9.50 pounds, Billy Roberts placed second with five at 7.31 pounds and big fish at 3.0 pounds, third was Wesley Gunnels with five at 7.59 and fourth was Bobby Ferris with five weighing 7.14 pounds.

I thought I had broken rings or melted bearings in my motor but B and B Marine in Jackson said it was my lower unit. That was good news, a rebuild on a power head is about $6000 and a new lower unit is only $3000. I did price a completely new motor but at $20,000 I think I will have this one repaired!

I’m already looking forward to going to Martin next year, I just hope my luck is better.

Who Pays for Conservation?

Anglers, Hunters and Boaters Pay for Conservation
Now you know who pays for conservation

By Cliff Schleusner
from The Fishing Wire

Salmon

Early autumn in the Southwest may be the best time of year for anglers and hunters. Upland bird seasons are in full swing, waterfowl are on their way back south perhaps to intersect with you on a duck marsh somewhere. It’s not too cold to catch trout in the high country while elk bugle beyond the next aspen glade.

All of these pursuits have something in common, aside from the obvious. As a hunter and angler and boater you are paying for conservation. Next time you gas up your boat, buy a spool of 10-lb test monofilament fishing line, or a box of bird load for your 12-gauge pump, keep this in mind: a portion of what you pull out of your wallet is invested back into conservation.

Here’s how. Two acts of Congress, laws originally enacted in 1937 and 1950, laid the path for a user pay-user benefit system where the end outcome is improved hunting and fishing and boating. While your hunting and fishing licenses help pay for the wonderful work performed by biologists, conservation officers, and support staff in you state game and fish department, a tax on your sporting goods takes your commitment to conservation a step further.

Manufacturers and importers of firearms, ammo, archery gear, boats and motors and fuel, and fishing gear pay excise taxes to the federal government. That tax is passed on to you in the price you pay at the cash register. That little bit extra is held in trust by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. That money is reapportioned in grants back to state agencies, but with a catch; the money must be used on projects that benefit fish and wildlife in some measure, boating access or research and education.

These recent projects exemplify the benefits accrued to hunters and anglers and boaters in the Southwest.

Arizona:

Arizonans are rightfully proud of their world-class Ben Avery Shooting Facility in north Phoenix. More than 120,000 shooters of all ages use it each year. It is home to regional- and national-class shooting competitions. Hunters hone their skills there and young shooters might pull their first trigger on the firing line with trained safety officers nearby.

A new boat ramp, parking area and access road brought quality striped bass and white bass fishing within reach of anglers in the Agua Fria arm of Lake Pleasant after a seven-year closure. What is fish habitat is also attractive to nesting bald eagles in spring. To overcome a conflict in protecting the birds, the Arizona Game and Fish Department made the site accessible to anglers willing to travel to the remote area.

New Mexico:

Ram

Prescribed burns and forest thinning in the Guadalupe Mountains by Lincoln National Forest personnel improved habitat for Merriam’s turkey. Along with new water catchments, the area is now expected to hold more wildlife. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) trapped 47 wild turkeys near Cimarron, New Mexico, and released them in the Guadalupe Mountains. The delicate and labor-intensive operation returned native New Mexican wildlife back into its former natural range.

Anglers and boaters should be pleased to know that Lake Roberts, nestled in the Gila National Forest, now has an improved dam and spillway. The renovated structure is more secure ensuring that fish habitat remains intact, and that anglers continue to enjoy quality trout fishing in the prettiest of places. The fishery is managed by the NMDGF.

Texas:

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) used Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration dollars at the Sea Center Texas, at Lake Jackson; CCA Marine Development Center, Corpus Christi; and the Perry R. Bass Marine Fisheries Research Station in Palacios, Texas. Scientists there research and raise red drum, spotted seatrout and southern flounder—sport fish species important to the economy and coastal ecology. The red drum population in Texas bays has rebounded to near-record highs. Red drum are stocked in nine bays along the Texas coast.

Anglers can get to those red drum easier, too, thanks to other work completed by TPWD. Fish cleaning stations, boat ramps, lighted parking areas and restrooms built on the Mission River and Copano Bay access points near Gulf waters improved boating.

Oklahoma:

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) recently used Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration dollars at Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees near Tulsa, improving boat ramps, docks, lighting and fish cleaning stations. It will be the site of the hugely popular Bassmaster Classic in 2016.

And there’s the Grady County Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Rush Springs, Oklahoma. This year the ODWC built two ponds for fish and waterfowl. The 1,036-acre woodland and tall-grass prairie WMA already supports deer, turkey and rabbits. Public access was enhanced with a road and fencing.

All of these projects, making a real difference on the ground and in the water, were funded by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program—that is, funded by you—hunters and anglers and boaters.

It’s your wildlife, your public lands. We as Americans are fortunate in that our natural resources are held in trust, for us, by us. I hope that you will be encouraged to get outdoors now and in the future and that you take some pleasure in knowing that you are paying your way. Take someone with you, too, so that you can have the full measure of joy outdoors.

Cliff Schleusner is an ardent angler and hunter, and Chief of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Southwest Region. He is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. See www.fws.gov/southwest/federal_assistance

Where Can I Catch Fish In Georgia Each Month of the Year?

You can catch fish in Georgia each month of the year – Angling Calendar

If Larry the Cable Guy asked “What is great about Georgia fishing” it would be a trick question. The only sensible answer is “Everything!”
We can fish from small streams to wide open oceans. Rivers and lakes as well as saltwater bays and inlets are open to the public and full of a huge variety of game fish. And our water never gets hard on top, so we can fish year round without chopping holes to get to the water.
Try these places and species this year for some fun and great eating, too.
January
Species: Largemouth Bass
What To Expect
Jackson Lake is a very old Georgia Power reservoir in the middle of the state. It has many rocky shorelines and points, shallow flats and docks around the lake.
How To
Shad are the most common baitfish and there are lots of crawfish in the lake, too. Jackson is known for its trophy largemouth and you have a good chance of a five pound plus fish in January. Fish a shad colored crankbait like the Series 5 Sexy Shad from Strike King around docks, rocks and seawalls with sand. Also try a big jig and pig in the same locations.
I landed an eight pound, thirteen ounce largemouth in a club tournament three years ago in January on this pattern. You won’t catch a lot of largemouth but every cast could produce a trophy.
Contact : Berrys Sporting Goods in Griffin – 770-227-3048
Trout on the coast are in deep holes in the bays and rivers. Work a small curly tail jig very slowly in these holes or use live shrimp fished on the bottom, crawling it along close to the bottom. For big spotted bass try a float and fly on bluff walls at Carters Lake, or jig a spoon under schools of baitfish.
February
Species: Crappie
What To Expect
Lake Walter F. George is a big, shallow Corps of Engineers lake south of Columbus on the Chattahoochee River. Many of its creeks and sloughs are full of standing timber and crappie hold in the tops of it.
How To
Drift or troll small jigs and minnows from near the mouths of creeks and sloughs toward the backs until you find the schools of crappie. Keep trolling the area or stop and work a concentration of fish carefully.
You can also tie up to stumps sticking above the water near channels in the creeks and drop your baits down to wait on passing schools of crappie. Try different depths until you find the depth the fish are holding. You will catch lots of crappie and most are a good size.
Contact Capt. Sam Williams’ guide service (334) 687-6266 or (334) 355-5057.
Walleye are not common in Georgia but you can catch some with a chance at a big fish on Lake Blue Ridge. Fish rocky points at night with earthworms or small jigs. Try the Savannah River below the Thurmond dam for large numbers of good size yellow perch. Drift in deeper water and fish small live minnows or jigs tipped with minnows.

March
Species: Stripers
What To Expect
Lake Hartwell is a big Corps of Engineers lake on the upper end of the Savannah River. There are many good boat ramps and campgrounds on the lake, making it easily accessible. The lower lake usually stays clear in the spring and schools of stripers roam it.
How To
Stripers congregate and feed on wind blown banks in March. Cast bucktail jigs or Zoom Flukes to any stained water and mud lines caused by the wind in the lower lake, especially in major creeks on secondary points. If there is no wind, fish live blueback herring in deeper water along creek channels in the same areas.
Check out Lightwood Log Creek, Eastanollee Creek and Little Beaverdam Creek on the Tugaloo River arm of the lake for concentrations of stripers.
Contact: Ricks Guide Service 864-356-7271.
Go to West Point Lake and fish jig head worms on gravel points near creek mouths for large numbers of spotted bass. Try the lower parts of Rock Creek in Fannin County with flies for stocked rainbows.

April
Species: Largemouths
What To Expect
Thurmond is the biggest lake in Georgia and it produces huge numbers of bass. Located on the Savannah River near Augusta, some of the lake is in South Carolina but a Georgia fishing license is good anywhere on the lake.
Last year in the Georgia Bass Chapter Federation Top Six tournament in April, 250 fishermen weighed in 2239 bass over 12 inches long weighing 4172 pounds in two days. There were many reports of 30 plus keepers per fisherman per day.
How To
The lake has been down several feet for several years. Bass stack up on clay and rock secondary points in coves and can be caught on Carolina rigs, jig head worms and crankbaits. Try watermelon worms if the water is clear and green pumpkin if stained. Contact Dave Willard, Crockett Rocket Guide Service – (803) 637-6379 Boat: (706) 214-0236
Troll crappie jigs at Lake Oconee up the Apalachee River or the back of Lick Creek. Follow the creek and river channel. Put a small boat in the Etowah River upstream of Rome, motor up above its junction with the Oostanaula River and fish small spinners and jigs for the white bass spawning run. Cast to trees, rocks and the mouths of creeks.

May
Species: Smallmouth Bass
What To Expect
Lake Blue Ridge is a Tennessee Valley Authority lake on the Toccoa River in Fannin County. This small lake has rocky shorelines and deep bluff banks. It is the one lake in Georgia where you have a good chance to catch a smallmouth bass.
How To
Fish Zoom Flukes and topwater poppers on rocky points and pockets early and late in the day. In the morning watch for any shad spawning on the shoreline and fish it hard with the Fluke or spinnerbait.
After the sun gets on the water back off the points in deep water and fish a jig head worm or drop shot rig. Watch for schools of shad with bigger fish under them on your depthfinder and fish them.
Contact: Bob Borgwat, Reel Angling Adventures – 866-899-5259
Sight fish for triple tail off the coast of Jekyll Island this month. Look for fish floating on the surface or holding under anything that will cast a shadow, like a floating palmetto frond. Cast a live shrimp in front of the fish. Bluegill will bed on West Point on the full moon this month. Find the beds in protected sandy pockets and fish them with crickets
June
Species: Shellcracker
What To Expect
Lake Seminole is a sprawling grass filled Corps of Engineers lake in the corner of Georgia, Florida and Alabama. It is very shallow with miles of sand and mud flats less than five feet deep. Stumps and standing trees cover the lake, too.
How To
Shellcracker spawn late April through May and they grow big on Seminole, with fish weighing a full pound common. Beds are easy to spot in the shallow water. Look for saucer shaped marks on the bottom one to four feet deep in protected areas.
Cast a red wiggler near the beds on light tackle or use a cane pole to dabble them over the beds. Use a cork to suspend the worm off the bottom and a small split shot above a #6 hook will work well. Contact: Wingates Lunker Lodge – 229-246-0658
Take a wade/float trip on the upper Flint River for shoal bass. Put in at the Highway 36 Bridge and arrange for a pickup at the next ramp. Fish small worms, topwater plugs and small spinnerbaits in the shoals. For giant flatheads, fish deep holes with heavy tackle and live bream in the Altamaha River near Jesup.
July
Species: Tarpon
What To Expect
The bays and inlets on the coast around Brunswick are cut by river channels, sloughs and creeks. Oyster beds attract baitfish and many species move into them to spawn.
How To
Tarpon move into the bays and rivers in the summer and offer the chance to hook into some big fish. They feed on mullet and menhaden, locally called pogies. You can see the tarpon rolling on the surface as they feed, making this exciting fishing.
Use a cast net to catch pogies and small mullet and fish several live baits when you see feeding fish. Freeline a couple of baits and suspend a couple more under big corks. An incoming or outgoing tide is best.
Contact: Captain Mark Noble – 912-638-7673
Lake Andrews between Walter F. George and Seminole produced the state record 80 pound, 4 ounce blue cat. Fish live bream and cut bait on heavy tackle in riffs and current breaks below the George dam. Blueback herring in Hartwell draw topwater schooling action on sunny summer days. Cast a big topwater plug over shoals and points on the lower lake and watch for surface activity.
August
Species: Blue Catfish
What To Expect
Lake Oconee is a Georgia Power lake near Madison. It has current moving both ways most summer days due to power generation at the dam and a pumpback system. The catfish population has exploded in the past few years and there are many big blue cats in the lake.
How To
Anchor in 15 feet of water off river channels, humps and points on the main lake. Current moving across these areas makes the bite much better. Cast out a variety of live bream and cut or whole shad on a slip sinker rig. Use a heavy enough sinker to keep your bait near the bottom.
Put out several heavy rods and reels with 20 pound line, casting down current of your anchored boat. Put them in rod holders and watch for a catfish to pull the rod tip down as it swims off with the bait. Circle hooks will hook the fish better.
Contact: Chad Smith Guide Service 706–207-2411
The Chatthoochee River upstream of Poor Boy Ramp on Lake Harding is lined with grass beds. Fish a buzzbait or jig head worm around the edges of them for large numbers of bass. Bait a point at the mouth of a cove on Lake Thurmond with sinking catfish food and fish on the bottom with earthworms or kernel corn on a short shank hook for fast action from some big fish.
September
Species: Spotted Bass
What To Expect
Lake Russell is a Corps of Engineers lake on the Savannah River between Hartwell and Thurmond. It is undeveloped with a natural shoreline but crossed by many bridges. Spotted bass are plentiful and hit well in September.
How To
Riprap holds large numbers of spotted bass in September. Start early in the mornings with topwater baits like a Pop-R around the rocks and pilings. Also run a big crankbait parallel to the rocks and beside pilings.
When the sun is on the water fish a light jig head worm in the same areas. Also find brush piles and rocks around the pole channel markers and fish them with topwater baits and jig head worms. Spots will come to the top to hit topwater all day long on some days.
Contact: 72 Marine – 866-575-8847
For grouper, fish live cigar minnows or Spanish Sardines on the bottom on ledges surrounded by sand on the Savannah Live Banks. At Allatoona, follow the shad as they migrate into creeks with the bass following them. Throw a square bill crankbait or spinnerbait on points going into the creeks.
October
Species: Rainbow Trout
What To Expect
The Toccoa River below Lake Blue Ridge dam is very scenic and offers several good access points. It is stocked with Rainbow and Brown trout and high catch rates are normal, with a good chance for a trophy trout.
How To
You can use live bait, artificial lures and flies on the river. Live nightcrawlers are good choices for live bait but minnows are illegal. Rooster tails and small spoons are good minnow imitations for bigger trout. Fly fishermen should match the hatch when trout are rising, otherwise use nymphs and streamers.
Fish your choice of baits anywhere there is a current break. Boulders, riffs, logs and trees in the water all provide feeding stations for trout. Also drift bait through deeper pools for trout holding there.
Contact: Kent Klewin – 770-330-7583
Fish live minnows straight under the boat beside standing trees along the river channel on the upper end of Lake Blackshear for large numbers of good size crappie. Fish buzzbaits around grassbeds on Lake Sinclair early and late. During the day run a crankbait or jig head worm around seawalls and rocky points.

November
Species: Redfish
What To Expect
The Georgia coast is lined with barrier islands and shallow sand bars are everywhere. Bull red drum, usually called redfish, come in to feed on those sandbars in the fall. They are big, with some up to seventy and eighty pounds.
How To
Anchor on shallow sand bars so the current takes your bait out across the bar. Let your bait drift into deeper holes just off the sandbars. Cut and live menhaden and mullet work well.
This is sport fishing since you can not keep the big redfish. Use heavy tackle and a big 7/0 to 9/0 circle hook to help release fish alive to spawn again. They are exciting to catch and will offer you all the fight you can handle.
Contact: Captain Bob Barnett – 912-727-5335
Cast in-line spinners around the Lake Burton dam, the Murray’s Cove boat ramp and Moccasin Creek boat ramp to catch recently stocked ten inch brown trout and some bigger ones that come to feed. For fliers, fish a Yellow Sallie fly in backwaters and sloughs on the upper reaches of the Suwannee River near the Okefenokee Swamp.
December
Species: Rainbow Trout
What To Expect
The Chattahoochee River from the Lake Lanier Dam to Peachtree Creek is cold enough to support trout. Trout are stocked in the river and fishing can be excellent, especially in the delayed harvest area from Sope Creek to U.S. Highway 41, with catches of 30 trout a day reported.
How To
Access the river at Cochran Shoals, Whitewater Creek and Paces Mill and fish single-hook artificial lures and flies only. This is during the delayed harvest time and lures are restricted, and all trout must be released. About 50,000 trout are released into the river between November 1 and April each year, so there are large numbers of fish here.
Fly fishermen use black or olive wooly buggers and #18 – #20 Parachute Adams. For recently stocked fish high visibility flies like the Y2K purple warrior are good. For spinning tackle, use a small yellow Rooster Tail or the smallest yellow Rapalas on two to four pound test line.
Contact: Chris Scalley – 770-650-8630
Fish Lake Lanier brush piles in 30 feet of water with four inch fruit colored worms on a drop shot rig. Fish near the pump outlet and the dam on Lake Juliette with cut or live shad in deep water for some trophy size stripers.
If you want to go fishing this year, you will find something hitting near you every month of the year.

Bull Trout Recovery Plan

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Completes Final Bull Trout Recovery Plan

Today’s feature comes to us from the Boise office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
from The Fishing Wire

Focus of Plan is Effective Management of Threats to Native Fish

Bull Trout

Bull Trout Credit: Joel Sartore/ National Geographic & Wade Fredenberg/ USFWS

BOISE, Idaho – Efforts to conserve a key cold-water fish species got a boost recently when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) released the final Bull Trout Recovery Plan, which outlines the conservation actions needed to recover bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus).

Bull trout occupy cold-water stream and lake habitats in western North America. Once abundant in Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Idaho and Montana, bull trout are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the lower 48 states.

The final recovery plan was developed after more than a year of collaboration with interested and knowledgeable federal, tribal, state, private, and other parties. At the core of the plan’s strategy are six geographically specific implementation plans, which identify specific conservation actions needed to address threats such as loss of habitat connectivity and passage barriers, non-native fish competition and predation, and the effects of poor land-management practices.

“The final recovery plan is a conservation compass to guide the recovery of bull trout, especially in places where the threatened fish has the best chance to persist for years to come. The focus is now on the threats to bull trout at the local scale and how we can abate them to stabilize or increase populations,” said Mike Carrier, state supervisor for the Service’s Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office. The Idaho office led the Service’s five-state planning effort.

The overarching goal of the recovery plan is to conserve bull trout so that the fish are geographically widespread with stable populations in each of the six recovery units. Accordingly, the plan’s recovery criteria focus on effective management of known threats to bull trout. The Coastal, Columbia Headwaters, Klamath, Mid-Columbia, Saint Mary and Upper Snake are the six designated recovery units that are home to the threatened population in the lower 48 states.

Bull trout were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1999. Recovery plan drafts were completed, but never finalized in 2002 and 2004. However, those draft recovery plans helped guide past recovery efforts and laid the foundation for the final plan adopted today.

To view the recovery plan, including the six Recovery Unit Implementation Plans, and learn more about bull trout conservation, visit: http://www.fws.gov/pacific/bulltrout/.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service.

For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/. Connect with our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/USFWSMountainPrairie, follow our tweets at http://twitter.com/USFWSMtnPrairie, watch our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/.

Fishing Alabama’s Lewis Smith Lake and Georgia’s Lake Lanier

I got to fish two very similar lakes last week, one in Georgia and one in Alabama. On Friday I drove the four hours to Smith Lake north of Birmingham and met David Kilgore to get information for an Alabama Outdoor News article. Then on Saturday I got up and drove to Lanier to fish a charity tournament. So in two days I was fishing Alabama’s Lewis Smith Lake and Georgia’s Lake Lanier

David Kilgore impresses me. He is an excellent bass fisherman and has qualified to fish the last two Bassmasters Classics. I got to ride with him on the practice day and be his “Marshall” at Hartwell last February. And he has qualified to fish the BASS Elite trail the last three years. That is the top trail and the dream of many fishermen.

But David chose not to fish the trail. He has a couple of fairly young kids and knew how traveling to fish the Elite trail would disrupt his family life, so he did not do it. He does fish almost all tournaments on Smith and does well in them. He finished sixth in a 248 boat tournament there on Saturday.

Smith is a deep, clear lake with a very rocky shoreline, much like Lanier. He showed me ten spots that will be good places to catch bass in November and explained how to fish each spot and which baits to use.

Those tips would help anyone not familiar with the lake catch fish. Once they see David’s patterns they can use that information to find similar places to catch fish all over the lake.

Jennifer Sell is a member of the Flint River Bass Club and helps run the Georgia Outdoor News forum under the name Bayou Betty. She loves to fish and for the past few years has organized and run a charity tournament,

This year it was for The Center for Children & Young Adults a nonprofit organization that takes care of homeless children 12-20 years old in the Atlanta area. Entry fee was $100 and a local business donated $1000 for first place. Second place was $500. With that much money the tournament attracted 25 teams to fish.

Many other businesses also donated items for prizes for lower place teams and a raffle held at the end of the tournament. Most of the fishermen bought at least $10 in tickets, more money for the charity.

I don’t know Lanier very well and knew we had little chance of winning, so I went with the idea to enjoy the day, explore the lake a little and try to catch a few fish. It poured rain all day on us but that didn’t dampen the attitude of the fishermen.

Jenifer and I decided to not run all over the lake since the rain would make riding in a boat miserable. So we stayed near the ramp, fishing one creek. I like to fish that way anyway, picking apart a small area, trying to find some key spots where bass are feeding.

The first couple of hours were frustrating and we got no bites. Then I decided to try a spinnerbait. The cloudy, rainy day seemed to call for that bait. Within a few minutes I landed two keeper spotted bass on it.

We had a lull in catching until about 11:00 then our biggest spot, one a little over 2.5 pounds, hit a jig head worm under a dock. About an hour later we found the key spot, a rocky bank with a lot of baitfish holding on it.

I landed our fourth keeper there on a jig head worm then Jennifer filled our limit with a keeper on the same bait. Then she caught two more in a row that culled two smaller bass, so we had what for me is a decent limit on Lanier.

Our five bass weighed 8.87 pounds and I knew there would be some big stringers brought to the scales. And I was right. It took five weighing over 18 pounds to win and five over 14 pounds for second and third. There were a lot of limits in the 11 to 12 pound range weighed in.

I was not too surprised the winning team had a spot weighing well over four pounds, and there were five or six more weighing between four and five pounds. But big fish was a largemouth weighing almost six pounds!

Bass fishing at Lanier is good right now and will get better and better until late November. Five pound spotted bass are not uncommon and seven pounders are caught. And some local fishermen say they have lost spots that would set a new state record. They say there are nine pound spots in the lake, but spots fight so hard they are very hard to land, even if you are lucky enough to catch them.

The rocky points on the main lake and back in creeks are all good. And you can ride any point or hump with a depthfinder and find brush piles put out by fishermen. I did an article with one local fisherman a couple of years ago and he told me he had 1100 brush piles marked on his GPS!

Give Lanier a try. Or if you want to drive for four hours head to Smith. Both will be a lot of fun to fish this fall.

What Are Albies?

Yamaha Fishing Feature: Fall Light-Tackle Brawl
from The Fishing Wire

Albies are false albacore tuna

It’s That Time of Year When Albies Are Back in Town. So what are Albies?

Inshore anglers along the East Coast, from Florida to New England, look forward to fall for a lot of reasons. But those among us who enjoy a really good fight on very light tackle tend to rejoice more than our brethren. That’s because fall is when one of our favorite adversaries moves inshore, often right along the beach fronts, offering us some fast-and-furious, run-and-gun fishing with the lightest of tackle. It’s albie time!

False albacore, also called little tunny, albies or bonito in southern waters, are one of the smallest of the true tunas. While most encountered inshore are in the three-to-10 pound range, they can grow to weights in excess of 30 pounds. The world record, according to the International Game Fish Association, was caught on the edge of the Continental Shelf in the Washington Canyon, 80 miles off southern Maryland, and tipped the scales at a remarkable 36 pounds! They are relatives of the yellowfin, bigeye and bluefin tuna and when you hook one, you’ll realize they possess the same strength and fighting spirit as their much larger cousins, just on a scaled down level. So the trick to getting the most out of fishing for them is to scale down your tackle, hang on and enjoy the ride.

Albies, fishery biologists tell us, are the most abundant tuna species in the Atlantic where they range throughout temperate and subtropical waters, but if you chase them on a regular basis, you might sometimes question that statistic. At times, they appear to be everywhere at once crashing bait on the surface and at others, they can be almost impossible to find. In U.S. waters, they range as far north as Maine and as far south as the Florida Keys and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. We’ve personally caught them from Narragansett Bay to the Marquesas to the Mississippi Delta, and pretty much everywhere in between!

Fighting an Albie

Albies feed on a wide range of small schooling baitfish including silversides, bay anchovies, sardines, small menhaden and herring. Anything shiny and moving fast with lots of company is a target for these speedy predators. When they key in on large schools of small baitfish they usually travel in wolf packs, so if you find one, you’ve found a lot. How long they stay in one place is always a contributing factor to how many you’ll catch because they tend to move quickly from one school of bait to the next, popping up in a confusion of surface splashes only to disappear almost as quickly as they surfaced. Albies are aggressive when feeding and quick to hit artificial lures, particularly small, shiny metal jigs and flies. What makes them so much fun to catch is their speed and stamina.

If fall is albie time in southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic states, then you might guess that they are migratory and you would be correct, although their migratory habits can be difficult to predict from year to year. They tend to spend much of the winter in their southern haunts, and then begin a northward migration that takes them up the Eastern Seaboard where they provide loads of fishing fun for anglers in Northern Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. But as they move further north, they tend to push well offshore. It is also thought that large schools transit the North Atlantic, but little research has been done to test that theory. By late summer, they will start to move inshore off Massachusetts and Rhode Island where they will hunt bait schools in bays and sounds, around inlets and areas where currents collide. As they begin the fall run southward, they tend to stay closer to shore moving into the Long Island Sound, where they take advantage of massive schools of small baitfish moving out of the many estuaries into the Sound proper.

October, along the eastern end of Long Island, offers some of the best albie fishing to be found anywhere, as millions of bay anchovies in massive schools make their way around the Point at Montauk right into the path and hungry mouths of thousands of albies and small striped bass. They are so close to the beach surf fishermen catch their share standing on the rocks, but boat fishermen really cash in on the fast-paced action.

A little later in October, albies show en mass along the south shore of Long Island and the Jersey Coast. The fishing is different, but can be just as frenetic when a school of albacore finds a school of small baitfish, and there are plenty of those exiting the estuaries in both locales. The parade just keeps happening slowly, moving to the south. At the same time this is all going on, albies show up off Harkers Island, North Carolina, where they do a repeat of performance similar to that in Montauk. By this time, the action takes place around Cape Lookout National Seashore around the southern-most barrier island, Shackleford Banks, and around the inner waters of the island itself. The key to their presence is always the same—massive schools of small baitfish.

Most anglers fish for them with light spinning tackle. A seven-foot light-action spinning rod loaded with six- to 12-pound test line does the trick and makes the fight loads of fun. Hook a big one and you just might find yourself cranking up the outboard to chase it, and to keep from running out of line on the reel. Albies are the ideal inshore fish for challenging with fly tackle. A nice eight- or 10-weight rod matched with a quality reel with a super smooth drag that holds at least 300 hundred yards of backing is a must. Floating lines are best for casting to surface-feeding fish, and small flies that match the baitfish will get you plenty of bites.

Fall albacore action usually takes place around a boat. The fish move fast when feeding, popping up close to the boat, then a hundred yards away a couple minutes later, so you have to have someone at the helm ready to crank up and move to stay on the fish. This is called run-and-gun fishing, using the boat to get you to where the fish are busting quickly so you can drop in a few well-placed casts and hook up. Small outboard-powered boats are at a great advantage because of their speed and maneuverability, so if you’ve got one, make the best of it.

If there are albies around, but not surface feeding, you can try chumming. This technique seems to produce best results around nearshore structure such as lumps and ridges. Anchor and cut up handfuls of whatever small baitfish you can acquire. Then start tossing a few pieces at a time into the water to create a slick scented trail for the fish to follow to your boat. Don’t chum heavily because the fish will hang back and just eat the freebies. Pin a small, light wire hook in a whole baitfish and float it back with a few pieces of chum. You usually don’t have to wait very long for the fish to find you. If you don’t get a bite, try adding a small split shot to the line a couple feet up from the hook to get your bait a little deeper.

Bait for Albies

False albacore have very keen eyesight and they use it to distinguish and track prey when in hot pursuit, so keep your terminal tackle sparse and small, including your hooks and lures. Don’t use snaps and swivels. Tie your leader directly to your running line, and your lures or hooks directly to the leader. Always use a light fluorocarbon leader, 15-pound test or lighter, which is far less visible underwater than regular monofilament. If you use braided line on your reel, use at least 10 feet of flourocarbon leader between the end of the braid and the hook or lure. And be sure to check your leader after each fish because they do have teeth and they will scuff or nick the line. Change your leader as soon as you see any damage, or you can be sure you’ll lose a fish or two as a result of not paying attention to details.

Albies are the fun fish of fall for millions of saltwater anglers. If you haven’t chanced them before, you’re in for a treat. If you have, I’m sure we’ll be seeing you on the grounds again this fall to get in on the action.

What Is Dropshotting for Crappie?

Get The Drop On Crappies – Dropshotting for crappie

Crappie caught dropshotting

Drop shot rigging not just for bass anymore

Drop shot rigging is a staple presentation of serious bass fans from coast to coast. But it remains a largely overlooked option for anglers pursuing other species of gamefish, including crappies.

That’s unfortunate, because in the right situations, drop shotting can yield banner catches, and even outfish textbook strategies.

“Drop shotting is a great choice whenever the fish are relatively close to bottom and you want to cover water a little faster, or with more precision, than you can with slip bobbers or vertical jigging,” says veteran fishing guide and lifelong panfish fanatic Scott Glorvigen.

Case in point: the late summer to early fall crappie migration.

“When crappies abandon withering shoreline weedbeds and head toward the main basin where they’ll spend the winter, they often follow bars and points that serve as travel corridors on their way out to deeper water,” he explains.

Drop shot rigs excel at presenting a tantalizing softbait or minnow at or just above the level of fish, and allow anglers to customize the speed of retrieve and amount of animation, without fear of the rig falling to bottom or drifting out of the strike zone.

Glorvigen admits his fall panfish epiphany came while chasing bass on a north-central Minnesota lake.

“I was drop shotting bass with a 6-inch worm on a long finger bar leading from a shoreline saddle straight into the basin,” he recalls. “I was catching bass, but noticed on my sonar there were a lot of crappies and bluegills mixed in with them.”

Glorvigen credits the ultra-sensitive readings from his Lowrance Elite 9 CHIRP electronics for revealing the difference between bass and panfish.

“I was also catching the occasional crappie here and there, which told me that drop shotting might be a winning presentation in this scenario,” he adds.

To tempt more crappies into biting, he traded the bass-sized worm for a more panfish-appropriate, 3-inch Impulse Angleworm from Northland Fishing Tackle.

Small crappie dropshot baits

Panfish-sized softbaits excel on drop shot rigs.

He also down-sized the business end of the setup to a size 4 VMC Spinshot Drop-Shot Hook. “The Spinshot hook is great for drop shotting because it spins around, allowing the bait to move freely, without causing line twist,” he says.

After threading on the worm so the tail remained free for maximum gyrations, he added a live crappie minnow for extra attraction.

“The plastic bait’s constant movement and water displacement makes it easy for crappies to find it, even in stained water, and the minnow is icing on the cake,” he explains. “Plus, if the minnow comes off halfway through the retrieve, I still have a chance to catch fish because the plastic is still in place.”

Glorvigen’s rigging also included a 7-foot, medium-light Lew’s spinning outfit spooled with 10-pound-test Northland Bionic Braid mainline and an 8-pound-test monofilament leader tethered to the hook’s lower line tie.

“The setup works great for crappies, and can still handle the occasional big bass that grabs the bait,” he says.

Leader length was tailored to how high crappies were above bottom. “On structure, the fish were close to bottom and an 18-inch leader worked the best,” he says. “But when they occasionally moved off to suspend over deeper water, leader lengths up to 36 inches produced fish.”

Glorvigen compulsively keeps sinker weight as light as possible when drop shotting panfish, and this was no exception. “It’s important to use the lightest weight you can get away with, so you can feel the fish but they can’t feel the sinker,” he explains.

Glorvigen says pencil-style weights ranging from 1/8- to 3/16-ounce were perfect in the 11- to 19-foot depths he was working.

Once rigged up, he’d cast out, let the sinker settle, and then tighten the line for a direct connection that allowed him to detect bottom as well as subtle bites.

“You can move the rig across by reeling, drifting or using your trolling motor to slowly cover key areas,” he notes.

No matter which means of propulsion you choose, Glorvigen recommends toning down the amount of action you give the bait.

“If the bait jumps around too fast, it’s hard for them to hit it,” he cautions. “I’ve had the best luck with a more subtle approach than what I’d use when bass fishing. Simply shaking and gently twitching the worm is enough. If you get too aggressive, the number of fish drops off dramatically.”

High-quality sonar and GPS can help you find and catch fall crappies.

Find crappie on depthfinder

Glorvigen notes that a good GPS chartplotter is a big help in mapping out structural thoroughfares and waypointing key areas that hold the most fish.

“Custom mapping systems like Lowrance’s Insight Genesis, which allow you to map structure in fine detail, can really help you get the lay of the land and learn why the crappies are attracted to certain areas over others,” he adds.

While the fall crappie transition is a great time to throw drop shot rigs, Glorvigen says there are plenty of other times it pays to keep an open mind on the water.

“Anglers get stuck in our ways and pigeonholed into certain presentations,” he says. “But it’s always good to experiment, adjust, and pay attention to what the fish are trying to tell you, all the way from early spring to last ice.”

Check out this video for more of Scott’s drop shot tricks.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Glorvigen & Glorvigen LLC – 29 County Road 63, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
sglorvigen@wired2fish.com – 218-301-9072

About Fishing

Welcome To About Fishing