In just a few short weeks, anglers across the United States will be gearing up for one of our favorite pastimes: spring largemouth bass fishing. Depending on where you are located, spring bassing could mean cool, crisp mornings, long days in the sun and rod-bending action for hours. No matter if you’re flipping soft plastics into heavy cover, casting buzzbaits or just plugging the shoreline of your favorite lake or reservoir, you’ll benefit from a good pair of fishing gloves.
Just as you’d wear a glove for golf or baseball batting practice, fishing gloves can help your game on the water by greatly reducing hand fatigue. Fish Monkey gloves have just the right amount of padding in all the right places plus a superb grip area that works as well when wet as it does dry to help relieve the pressure on your hands from making hundreds of casts every day. Another benefit: They offer good hand protection and reduce those fin pricks, scrapes and small cuts from hooks, gill plates, braided line and more. You can also virtually eliminate “bass thumb” —those scrapes on your thumbs from lipping and releasing largemouths—with a good pair of gloves as well.
One of the most popular options is the Stubby from Fish Monkey. This design has been a best-seller since the first season it was introduced, and for some very good reasons. First, it was crafted for comfort and all-day wearability, with ultra-lightweight, quick-drying fabric and a second-skin fit, plus shorter fingers and cuffs (hence the name). The Stubby offers UPF 50-plus sun protection for the sensitive skin on the backs of your hands and has a non-slip silicone palm print.
For those who want a bit more protection, check out the Half Finger Guide glove. It differs from the Stubby in that the fingers and cuffs are a bit longer. It also retains the same qualities of quick-drying fabrics, second-skin fit and UPF 50-plus sun protection too.
And for something that’s a bit of both, there’s the Pro 365 Guide glove. It has a bit less coverage than the Half Finger but a little more than the Stubby—it’s just right. Designed for those guides, captains and professional anglers who spend long hours in the sun, it has unparalleled comfort, UPF 50-plus sun protection, padding where you need it and a wet-or-dry grip that won’t quit.
Make the most of your spring bass fishing this year with Fish Monkey performance fishing gloves. Interested in becoming a Fish Monkey Hunt Monkey dealer? Click here for more information!
Last Sunday at West Point for me was like the Herman’s Hermits song “Henry the Eighth” “Second verse, same as the first” refrain. I ended up almost dead last in the tournament, but at least I did catch a limit.
In the Spalding County Sportsman Club February tournament at West Point 15 members and guests fished eight hours, from 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM. We landed 65 keeper bass, mostly spots longer than the minimum 12-inch limit and a few largemouth longer than the 14 inch limit. There were 13 five fish limits but two fishermen did not weigh in a fish.
Lee Hancock repeated his win the week before with five weighing 10.88 pounds and had a 4.48 pound largemouth for big fish. Doug Acree came in second with five weighing 10.65 pounds, Raymond English was third with five weighing 9.45 pounds and Glenn Anderson came back from a zero last week to place fourth with five at 9.45 pounds.
One of the fishermen that zeroed had boat problems, a live well hose leaked and almost sank his boat so he went home. The other zero said he was fishing behind a “vacuum cleaner,” meaning his partner caught all the fish. Reminded me of me last week, but I was in front of the boat!!
I started out pretty good, landing a good keeper spot before 8:00 AM then caught short fish and another barely keeper spot. I put the small spots in the other livewell. Since there is no size limit on spots they are legal to keep under 12 inches, but club rules require them to be 12 inches long to weigh in.
Small spots 10 to 12 inches long are easy to filet and are delicious when fried, baked in mustard/parmesan crust or just baked with a little lemon. I was able to keep five after the tournament, a couple of them just over 12 inches long, since I didn’t weigh them so there was not penalty for not releasing them alive.
After catching those three early I tried several places Robert caught fish last week but never had a bite. I don’t know if there were no fish there or they just would not bite for me again. Many of the places I wanted to fish had other fishermen already fishing there. At noon I still had the one decent keeper spot and one barely weigh-in size in the boat.
A little after noon and stopped on a bank where I have caught fish in the past this time of year. I saw a small stick just above the water, cast a jig to it and got a bite but missed it. I did feel more brush under the water but it was only five feet deep.
The next two casts to it resulted in two more missed bites. Then I caught six keeper spots, a keeper largemouth and several short spots in the next 20 minutes! I had put the spot lock down on my boat and the trolling motor keep the boat in one place while I caught nine or ten fish! All hit a small jig or shaky head worm.
That was it, in never got another bite. And my weight of 7.21 was good for only 12th place!
Roku Becomes The Streaming Hub Of Bassmaster Tournaments So Tune in There
By The Fishing Wire
Birmingham, AL —Audiences can soon hook free access to live coverage of Bassmaster professional bass fishing tournaments thanks to a new streaming rights partnership betweenRoku, America’s No. 1 TV streaming platform, and Bassmaster, the world’s leading authority on sportfishing. Upcoming Bassmaster LIVE events will include action from the brand-new Elite Qualifiers (EQ) Series, five Bassmaster Open Series events, which set the field for the EQs, select coverage of all nine Bassmaster Elite Series events, Friday coverage of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour and a special prime time production of the Progressive Insurance Bassmaster Classic Celebrity Pro-Am presented by Yokohama, all streaming for free on The Roku Channel.
Kicking off with Thursday and Friday coverage of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Series season on Feb. 20, the Bassmaster tournaments will stream live on The Roku Channel’s Roku Sports Channel. Professional fishing fans can also enjoy replays of the live stream alongside additional on-demand content, clips and highlights across The Roku Channel, Roku Sports Channel and Roku’s Sports Zone, plus a dedicated Bassmaster FAST channel launching later this year. The partnership will expand coverage availability of Bassmaster LIVE properties and further bolster Roku’s free lineup of exclusive live sports.
“It’s an honor to call Roku the streaming home of Bassmaster, an iconic brand with a decades-spanning history of producing best-in-class professional fishing tournaments,” said Joe Franzetta, head of sports, Roku Media. “We look forward to bringing these events for free to the passionate fanbase of this top outdoor sport, as well as introducing Bassmaster to new audiences, expanding the tournaments’ reach to millions of streaming households in the U.S.”
“We are proud to bring so much live programming to Roku’s fast-growing sports channel, and we’re very excited about the creation of a new outlet for posted video content on a dedicated Bassmaster FAST channel on Roku. It’s thrilling to have one of the first streaming-rights partnerships in outdoor sports and the first for professional fishing on America’s No. 1 streaming platform,”said B.A.S.S. Chief Operations Officer Phillip Johnson. “This partnership will allow Bassmaster to bring our exciting coverage of the highest level of professional bass fishing to Roku’s enormous audience and introduce our sport to a new fan base.”
Viewers not familiar with Bassmaster events are in for a real treat, as the show follows the best bass anglers on the planet racing against the clock to catch the five biggest bass they can wrangle to end the multiday tournaments with the heaviest weight. Of course, high winds, rainstorms, intense heat waves and the drama of tricking largemouth and smallmouth bass into biting leads to intense moments, as the competitors vie for the coveted trophy and millions of dollars in prize money. New viewers and die-hard fishing fans alike can expect world-class coverage of each storyline as the catches unfold across the competitions.
David Katz and Mike Kelly of ThePostGame, a leading sports media consultancy and content production company, represented Bassmaster in its recent third-party media negotiations and helped secure the partnership with Roku.
The Roku Channel is available to stream for free — no subscription or sign-up required. Audiences can watch it on Roku devices or TVs, and it’s also easily accessible online at TheRokuChannel.com, iOS and Android devices, Amazon Fire TVs, Samsung TVs, Google TVs and other Android TV OS devices.
*By hours streamed (Hypothesis Group: Dec 2024)
About The Roku Channel
Launched in 2017, The Roku Channel is the home of free ad-supported streaming television on Roku, and features a diverse lineup of more than 80,000 on-demand movies and programs, more than 500 live linear television channels, and premium subscription offerings in the U.S. It licenses and distributes content from more than 250 partners and features a growing library of Roku Originals. In Q3 2024, The Roku Channel was the #3 app on Roku’s platform by both reach and engagement.
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bassmaster Junior Series, Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Bassmaster College Kayak Series, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.
“Karma. Bad luck. You weren’t holding your mouth right. Just not your day. Wrong side of the boat. Different baits. Different techniques.” Those are just a few of the comments I got about my fishing last Saturday.
I had posted “How is it possible to fish 7. 5 hours, get three bites and land one fish while your partner using same baits throwing at rock banks and points catches 12 keepers?????? And caught them on four different baits!!”
Ignoring the comments that apparently did not see that we were fishing the same way with the same baits, that basically leaves “luck.” There is some amount of luck when fishing a club tournament. Although I was obviously around fish all day, they just did not hit my baits, waiting on my partner’s baits, apparently.
In the Potato Creek Bassmasters February tournament at West Point last Saturday, 21 members fished from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM to land 73 bass weighing about 143 pounds. Most of the bass were spots with a 12-inch size limit but there were some largemouth over the 14-inch minimum length. One person did not catch a keeper but eight members landed a five bass limit.
Lee Hancock won with five weighing 11.25 pounds and his 4.16 pound largemouth was big fish. My partner Robert Howell, insulting me from the back of my boat, had five weighing 10.66 for second. Third place was taken by Russell Prevatt with five at 10.20 pounds and Doug Acree rounded out the top four with five weighing 9.02 pounds.
I came in 19th out of 21 with one fish weighing 1.55 pounds. Fishing will definitely keep you humble!
When Robert caught his first keeper, a small spot that hit an underspin on the first place we stopped, I thought it was a bad start for me. Then an hour or so later we went around a small rock point and he caught his second fish on a shaky head worm. That got me worried.
We went back around that point and I caught my one keeper on a shaky head then Robert got another keeper on his shaky head. The third pass around that point Robert got his fourth keeper, his biggest at 3.79 pounds, on his shaky head.
Robert and I were fishing the same bait the same way, but he was using lighter line, something I did not think would matter in the stained water, but I dropped back to the same weight line just in case.
On one rocky bank we fished about 150 yards and Robert got his fifth keeper on his shaky head then culled with another keeper. He switched to a wacky rigged Senko and caught three more! I never had a bite.
A little later Robert caught three more on a Carolina rig, a method and bait I had tried off and on all day. I fished a wacky rigged Senko some, too. He even caught a four pound blue catfish!
It did not seem to matter what I did. I guess it was just “one of those days” for me, for whatever reason. I just hope it does not stay the same for me in the Sportsman Club tournament at West Point this weekend and I am not making excused for not catching fish!
The Georgia Bass Slam 2024 Grand Prize Winner and how to enter this year
By The Fishing Wire
Winner, winner, fish for dinner! Congratulations to Michael Mooney of Grovetown, GA (Columbia County) on winning the Grand Prize for the 2024 Georgia Bass Slam.
Mr. Mooney was one of 67 anglers that got a Georgia Bass Slam in 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).
“What a surprise! This is the first time I have ever won anything,” said Michael Mooney, who has been participating in the program since 2018 and gotten 4 total Bass Slams. “These programs are a lot of fun every year and I appreciate the opportunity to participate.”
The Bass Slam Grand Prize Winner receives a cooler, camp chair, tackle box and a beautifully framed bass print. Are you working on your 2025 Slam?
Georgia Bass Slam: Catch (at least) five of the different black bass species found in Georgia within a calendar year and you have a Georgia Bass Slam! This program recognizes anglers with the knowledge and skill to catch different species of bass in a variety of habitats across the state, while also stimulating interest in the conservation and management of black bass and their habitats. For complete rules and more info, visit BassSlam.com.
Other Fishing Recognition Programs:
Angler Award Program: This program recognizes those who catch fish that meet or exceed a specific weight or length for that species. There is an adult, youth, public fishing area and trophy bass angler award program category. For complete rules and more info, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/anglerawards.
State Records: In addition to the angler award program, the division also maintains a freshwater fish state-record program for anglers who land a catch that exceeds the existing record catch weight by one ounce or more. More information at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/recordprogram/rules.
Trout Slam: Catch all 3 species of trout available in Georgia waters and earn a Trout Slam! More info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/trout-slam.
Kids First Fish Certificate: The division wants to recognize children across the state for catching their first fish with an online kid’s “first fish award” certificate available at GeorgiaWildlife.com/my-first.
Georgia Wildlife Resources thanks anglers that took part in these programs and appreciates all anglers that head out to state waters throughout the year to wet a line. For more information about fishing in Georgia, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/angler-resources.
Rain rain go away – and it did just to come another day for the Flint River Bass Club tournament this past Sunday. I camped at Don Carter State Park Wednesday through Monday and had no rain until late Saturday afternoon, although Linda said it rained a good bit here in Griffin. I guess 100 miles can make a big difference!
Three members of the club were brave, or dumb, enough to show up on a cold, windy, cold, rainy, cold day. Did I mention it was cold as well as rainy? Thank goodness for good rain gear and insulated clothes. My three layers on the bottom, including flannel lined jeans, and seven layers on top, kept me dry and warm enough to fish the eight hours.
In the tournament we landed four 14-inch keeper spotted bass weighing 7.58 pounds. One person zeroed but he had to leave at 11:00 due to a problem at home.
My three weighing 5.68 pounds was first and my 2.14 pound spot was big fish. Brent Drake’s one weighing 1.58 pounds was second.
Due to the cold and rain and wind I stayed in sight of the ramp most of the day, fishing banks protected from the wind. After all, I knew if I caught one keeper I would place at least in the top three, and when I saw Zane leave I knew I had at least second place points wrapped up!
I missed one small tap on a jig in a treetop in the first hour but I think it may have been a crappie or bream. Then at about 8:30 I missed a bite on the jig on a rocky hump but on the next cast caught a 14.5 inch keeper.
About 30 minutes later I saw a group of fish swimming out in 30 feet of water on my Panoptix Livescope. They acted like bass so I cast a shaky head worm toward them and watched them follow it to the bottom. But then bait and bass disappeared.
I figured like happens so often they followed my bait then ignored it. But when I raised my rod top there was weight on it and I set the hook and landed the 2.14 pound spot. I would have never known that bass was there without my electronics.
That was it for the next three hours, no more bites. And the fish I had seen suspended and moving around off the bank disappeared. I have no idea where they went unless they went to the bottom and held right against it. I did see one fish come up off the bottom and move off on my sonar as my boat went over it, so that may have been it.
At 12:00 I had fished back to the tree in the water where I missed the bite earlier. Dragging my jig through it I felt it get heavy and set the hook, half way expecting to hook a limb. Instead another two pound spot pulled back and I landed it.
That was it for the day. Even though it was cold, wet and rainy, it was fun catching those spots. It was a lot better than sitting around watching a football game to me, anyway!
BOOYAH Bait Co, which forever changed jerkbait fishing with the Flash Point jerkbait, is taking this innovation deeper with the new Flash Point Deep. Like the original, the Flash Point Deep features a blade atop its head, which serves two critical functions. First, it creates a dramatically better return on forward facing sonar. In addition, it sends out subtle flash to enhance visibility and create a defined aiming point for fish.
The BOOYAH Flash Point quickly became the go-to jerkbait for countless anglers after last year’s introduction, and it took top new product honors in the Hard Baits category at the Pittman Creek Dealer Show. With success came requests for a deeper-diving version to reach fish that suspend a bit deeper.
The new Flash Point Deep dives to 10 feet, 4 feet deeper than the original, but everything else remains unchanged. Same profile, finish, colors, swimming action, suspending posture, hooks…
The Flash Point and Flash Point Deep feature a narrow profile that facilitates a highly responsive action and suggests an easy target. A broader rounded back and belly accurately mimic shad or herring. Etched scales and fins, along with intricate painting, create an exceptionally lifelike appearance.
The action, triggered by every snap of the rod tip, is quick and highly erratic. The Flash Point Deep is engineered to suspend at a 45-degree nose-down angle when paused to imitate a dying baitfish. A weight-transfer system, which utilizes tungsten beads, allows for long casts, which can be critical for fishing jerkbaits, especially in clear water.
The Flash Point Deep jerkbait is 4.25 inches long and weighs 1/2 ounce. It comes armed with three No 6 ultra-sharp carbon steel SS finish treble hooks. It is available in the 12 colors that were developed for the original Flash Point, which include highly natural baitfish imitations and attractor patterns.
My fishing career started with me trying to catch panfish like crappies and bluegills and chasing bullheads from the local river near the small North Dakota town where I grew up. That’s right, bullheads! As I got older, I graduated to the more sophisticated walleye as my species of choice and later became intrigued by largemouth and smallmouth bass.
As a former fishing guide, I dealt with lots of people who might only fish a time or two a year and that made me realize more and more that it really doesn’t matter what species of fish it is on the end of the line for most anglers. In fact, many just want “something that pulls back.”
Because like my former guide clients I just want to “get bit,” I have developed more of an open mind when it comes to fishing. Rather than always targeting my “favorite” fish species, I find myself looking at time of year and what species is at peak bite for that particular time frame. Not only has this change increased the number of fish I catch, but it’s made me a better overall angler.
For example, early spring is peak panfish time and often my fishing involves simple slip-bobber fishing trips to shallow water areas where panfish congregate to feed. Not only is this easy fishing, but it also offers the first open-water fishing of the year as it often peaks before the actual game fish season opens.
Once gamefish like walleyes and northern pike become legal, walleyes are often a focus as they are usually easily accessible in the shallows to mid-depths at this time and often are on a post-spawn feeding frenzy. Fishing a small jig tipped with a shiner or fathead minnow is a simple, but lethal way to feel a walleye pull back during this time.
Panfish and walleyes offer good fishing during spring and early summer. Once the water warms and weed growth begins in earnest, these fish are often a bit tougher to find and catch. At this time, however, largemouth bass are often schooled along weedy cover and are fairly easy to catch.
A simple jig-worm combination featuring a small jig and small soft worm trailer catches bass during this time. Back when I guided we called this a “jig/worm,” now it’s often referred to as a Ned Rig. I often write about the Ned Rig for two reasons. First, it’s an easy combination to fish and, second, it catches lots of fish! Not just bass, but big panfish, northern pike, and the occasional walleye will often readily bite a small worm fished on a light jighead.
A few years back, my Ned Rigging success got even better with the introduction of a bait called a Ned Ocho. This 2.5” coffee-scented bait flat out catches bass, largemouth and smallmouth. Plus, pike, walleyes, and big panfish all eat it frequently too!
Once summer wanes and fall patterns begin taking hold, walleyes often take the spotlight again. Now I go back to the simple jig and minnow presentation a great deal. A small sucker minnow on a jig fished along weedlines catches walleyes, but it is sure to draw the attention of any nearby northern pike or bass as well!
The excitement of a fish biting and pulling back is a big reason many people fish. While some are died-in-the-wool “walleye guys” and others are “bassheads,” there are those who just want to feel something “pull back,” regardless the species. Keying in on some of the patterns presented here can hopefully help anglers do just that. As always, good luck on the water and remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure!
Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series on Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and FanDuel Sports. Visit fishingthemidwest.com to see TV schedules and all things Fishing the Midwest!
PHOTO – The Ned Ocho shown here is a dynamite multi-species bait!
You may have noticed a lot of dead deer beside the roads lately. There are two times of year that hitting a deer with your car is more likely. In November during the rut bucks lose their minds and will chase does out into the road. And the does run without being as carful as usual.
This time of year making a living in the woods is tough for herbivores. There is very little green stuff to eat. But if you look, grass often greens up along road right of ways in the winter long before it does in the woods since the road shoulders get a lot of direct sun. That is a meal hungry deer often can’t refuse.
Be extra careful driving during low light conditions early in the morning and at dusk. And watch out all night long. Don’t disturb a deer’s meal and don’t disturb your day with a call to your insurance agent.
But there is an upside to road kills. You can take them home for dinner.
In 2010 Georgia passed a law allowing us to pick up and keep road kill deer and bears. You must report bears to the state but not deer, as I understand the law. Some people eat road kill and it is safe and good if you know what you are doing.
I would be wary of any deer I did not hit or see being hit. And the way it is hit makes a big difference. The collision will bruise and damage meat, much like the area around the bullet wound but larger. But even if you have to throw away some of the venison from a road kill, what you get is free and easy!
How long the deer had been by the road would make a big difference, too, as would time of year. When I shoot a deer I try to field dress it and get it in a cooler as fast as possible. But if the weather is cold enough, the deer will be ok longer.
Many years ago I shot a doe right at dark. Although I spent two hours looking for it, and got some other club members to help me, we never found it. The blood trail disappeared near a ditch but the deer was not in it. Based on the amount of blood and the sounds I heard after the shot, we did not think the deer had crossed the deep ditch.
The temperature was right at freezing at dark and the low that night was 22 degrees. I got to the hunting club the next morning just as the sun came up, climbed up into the stand to get a good line on where the deer was when I shot it the night before, and could see it. It was laying on the other side of the ditch, a few feet from where we had searched.
When I field dress the deer it had an “off” smell, not real bad but not quite right. I did not bother keeping the heart and liver like I usually do. When I carried the deer to the butcher he said it should be ok.
It was, the meat tasted fine when cooked, it had none of the odd taste that I smelled when cleaning it.
Eating road kill is not for everyone but it is legal and safe, if done right.
INVASIVE SNAILS CAN HARM ENVIRONMENT AND YOUR HEALTH, but are they edible?
SOCIAL CIRCLE, GA. (February 4, 2025) – Now, more than ever, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) continues to encourage anglers, boaters, and lake visitors across the State to help prevent the spread of invasive snail species, due to the recent discovery that these species can harbor a type of worm that can potentially cause illness in humans (if consumed).
In a recent cooperative study, WRD and Dr. Tyler Achatz’s parasitology lab at Middle Georgia College (MGC), examined two species of invasive aquatic snails, the apple and mystery snail, for various parasites.
In this study, apple and mystery snails were collected from multiple locations around the state and tested for the presence of various parasites. Test results confirmed a low-level presence of rat lungworm (a parasitic nematode) in both snail species. This parasite can be transmitted to people when snails or slugs are eaten raw or undercooked.
The likelihood of becoming infected with rat lungworm is very low. However, in extreme rare cases, infection may lead to eosinophilic meningitis, with complications including the possibility of death. While this newest discovery is alarming, the Centers for Disease Control website notes that the parasite does not replicate in humans and human-to-human transmission does not occur.
Prior to this study, rat lungworm had only been discovered one previous time in Georgia, in rats near the Atlanta Zoo (2019). While this parasite has been noted in invasive snails in other states, this is the first time it’s been documented in snails in Georgia.
These positive tests mean it continues to be important to remain vigilant against invasive species, to protect your health and the health of Georgia waters.
Introduction of Invasive Species is Preventable
Apple snails are originally native to South America and mystery snails are native to southeast Asia, Japan, and Russia. But both species have been introduced into several states, including Georgia.
Apple and mystery snails are illegal to possess in Georgia (since 2023). However, WRD remains concerned that people may continue to move or introduce these snail species to public waters or to handle and eat these invasive snails.
Invasive aquatic species can cause significant ecological and economic impacts across the state, from damaging vessels and other boating equipment, impeding access to waterbodies, to disrupting the natural ecosystem by displacing and out-competing native species. They can additionally cause human health concerns, as seen with this recent discovery regarding apple and mystery snails.
Prevention is the first and most important step to reducing the risk of invasive species establishing populations in Georgia waters. Taking time to thoroughly wash down your boat, trailer, and fishing gear after each outing on the water; choosing to not dump aquariums; or simply not intentionally releasing non-native species into waterbodies where they did not previously occur are just a few ways you can help.