Pickens County Enjoys a Great Day of Fishing

By: David Gregory, Wildlife Resources Division Senior Wildlife Biologist

Georgia DNR staff assist the senior participants in last year’s Pickens County event.

The Wildlife Resources Division hosted its Pickens County Sportsmans Club Kids Fishing Event this past weekend.  This 3-day fishing rodeo was started in 1987 by now Game Management Tech IV Mitch Yeargin, and reaches kids both young and old.  Still coordinated by Mitch, the Division pulls together with several folks from Game Management, Law Enforcement and Fisheries Management to host the event.

Mitch works with the local community to invite mentally challenged individuals to fish on the first day (Thursday).  On day two, nursing homes from both Pickens and Cherokee Counties bring van and bus loads of their elderly residents to fish.  On Saturday (day three) kids are invited to fish.  Over 750 participated over the course of the event, and nearly 100 people are introduced to the sport of fishing for the first time every year!  The site is well stocked, to ensure everyone catches a fish and has a great time.  The therapy of getting outdoors and fishing is priceless.  As such, Mitch and the rest of WRD has taken a large group of people who are experiencing some difficulties in their lives, and created a positive opportunity to heal and grow.

Great stories are shared every year.  One story from this year’s nursing home day on May 11th included meeting 91-year old Jim Robinson.  Jim started his career as a State Game Warden for Wisconsin, before retiring as a Federal Game Warden in 1970, where he was in charge of the state of Kansas.  One of his best stories involved the arrest of a well known Chicago mobster for a Lacey violation involving transport of 150 illegally taken white wing doves from the State of Texas. The picture attached is of Cpl. James Keener and 91 year old Jim Robinson. Goes to show you never know who you will meet.

Increasing Fish Habitat on Lake Allatoona

Angler volunteer, Russ Avery, securing a sweet gum tree to the bank with a steel cable so it doesn’t float away.

Blog post by: Jim Hakala, Wildlife Resources Division Fisheries Biologist

A group of angler volunteers, under the direction of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and US Army Corps of Engineers, were working hard this past Saturday to enhance fishing opportunities on Lake Allatoona. The group toppled and secured 136 shoreline trees that will provide underwater fish habitat for a number of game fish such as spotted and largemouth bass, sunfish, crappie and catfish.

Since 2008, the shoreline tree cutting program has toppled more than 1,000 trees along the shores of this aging reservoir. The trees are all carefully selected and approved for cutting by the Corps of Engineers, and have exposed root structures that eventually break away from the bank over time.  By cutting them before they topple into the lake, the stump and rootwad left on the bank stabilizes the soil and prevents sediment from ending up in the reservoir.

This is just the latest of many projects of the fish habitat program, and continues to be well received by Allatoona anglers.

Remember to have a fishing license before taking advantage of the fishing opportunities at Lake Allatoona and other reservoirs, rivers and public fishing areas across the state.  CLICK HERE to purchase your fishing license today!

Lake Sturgeon Inhabiting Native Waters Again

Fisheries Technician Tracy Feltman holds a lake sturgeon recently collected on the Coosa River. This particular individual was 7 years old, almost 30 inches long and weighed 7 lbs.

Thanks to Georgia Department of Natural Resources stocking efforts, lake sturgeon are once again inhabiting their native waters in the Coosa River basin.

Wiped out in the 1960s, this prehistoric looking, shark-like fish made its return to Georgia waters in 2002 when the DNR began the re-stocking effort. When fully-grown, these fish can be over 6 feet long and weigh 50-100 lbs. or more!

Last year, Georgia received national recognition when awarded a “2010 Outstanding Sport Fish Restoration Access Award-Lake Sturgeon Reintroduction in Georgia” by the American Fisheries Society’s Fisheries Administrator’s Section. The project will benefit anglers in Georgia and Alabama with its far sighted and far reaching efforts to re-establish lake sturgeon.

Sturgeon have a slow growth rate, so biologists do not expect allowable harvest of these fish until at least 2027. However, ongoing monitoring on the Coosa River indicates that these fish seem to be doing well, and as the picture shows, some of the sturgeon are beginning to grow to a decent size!

If you catch a sturgeon, please contact the Calhoun Wildlife Resources Division office at 706-642-1161 to report the location from which the sturgeon was caught. Such information is helpful to biologists assessing the survival of these magnificent sport fish.

For more information on lake sturgeon, visit www.georgiawildife.com/Fisheries/LakeSturgeon.

Christmas Trees Create Bass Fishing Opportunities

Did you ever think your old Christmas tree could help you catch more bass?  Christmas trees can be used to improve near-shore fish habitats, which is why the Marietta Bassmasters installed around 250 Christmas trees at the Victoria fishing jetty on Allatoona Reservoir this past Saturday.

The work day, headed by member Chris Welchel, drew 24 members for the club’s conservation project.  The project is designed to give bank anglers a better fishing experience.  Over the last 5 years, hundreds of Christmas trees have been placed around nearly half a dozen public fishing jetties on Allatoona – most by dedicated local volunteers. Who knew Christmas trees could be so useful after the holidays?

Learn more about fishing opportunities at Allatoona Reservoir, and other reservoirs in Georgia, at: http://www.georgiawildlife.com/Fishing/Reservoirs.

These Christmas trees will help improve fish habitats along the banks of Allatoona Reservoir.

Volunteers prepare to place Christmas trees in Allatoona Reservoir.

Fishing Report from Region II (Northeast Georgia)

Our north Georgia streams are low and clear and hot!  However, some good fishing opportunities are still out there for your holiday weekend fun; just pick carefully.

River Bass and Bream

This is a best bet, especially for kids.  Wet-wading with small jig/curly-tail grubs, spinners, or even poppers on a fly rod is a lot of fun.  The best bite is at dusk, so plan to be on the water from 6 or 7 until dark, which happens a bit earlier (8:30) these days.  We’ve had fun on river bass and bream the last two weekends, especially from 8 to 8:30.  Tip: the big pools are low and clear and the fish are spooky. Don’t push a wake at them or you’ll shut down the whole pool.  Stalk very slowly or, better yet, cast from the bank. Be the blue heron.

An even easier method is to fish some moving water.  Fish in an upstream direction so that your outline and your wake don’t spook your quarry. Stand in the riffle and cast upstream, into the tail ends of pools that are formed just above rock ledges, log jams, and boulder fields. Be ready for a quick, smashing strike.

Stocked Trout Best Bets

Take advantage of the cooler nights coming up and maybe you'll catch a fish like this in one of Georgia's many trout streams!

Cooler nights are allowing DNR staff to stock a few more trout streams for your holiday weekend.  Best bets: Hooch and Blue Ridge tailwaters, Holly Creek, Mountaintown Creek, Hooch on the WMA, Smith Creek above Unicoi lake, Wildcat, Tallulah, Holcomb, Rock and Cooper.

Wild Trout

High elevation streams, although low, can still fish well if you practice stealth.

Lake Lanier

Check out Lake Lanier reports here!

Shane Watson Guide Service provided the following for us:

Date Fished: 8/30/2011

Water Temperature: 86

Water Clarity: 4 feet or greater

The striper fishing has been great most days on Lake Lanier. Your best bet is to fish a 1 oz white Spro or Capt. Mack jig with a Shadalicious trailer 9 colors out at 3.0 mph. Downlined bluebacks fished 40 to 100 feet deep over the main channel and in deep creek channels have also been working well on our boats. Capt. Mack’s 4 arm u-rigs are also producing. There are smaller stripers over a 35 to 50 foot bottom around points and humps, but all of the 15 to 25 pound fish we’ve caught the last two weeks have been out over deeper water and over deep timber.

And, Jimbo On Lanier – Jimbo’s Spotted Bass Guide Service offers this:

Date Fished: 8/27/2011

Water Temperature: 86

Water Clarity: 2-3 feet

I was out on a full day trip today … (we) did pretty well, and sacked about 13 lbs with our best five and caught somewhere over a dozen fish — not too bad for August. We caught fish on jigs, topwater, dropshot, and, of course, the Fish Head Spin. Most of our fish were over deep water, but we did catch some solid fish in 25-30 as well as shallow. Scott did great in learning the dropshot and caught several through the day. We were able to drop straight down and catch them today. Previously I have had to cast to them to get bit in most cases, so that was a pleasant surprise.

Free Fishing Days Coming Up

September 24 is a Free Fishing Day in Georgia. No fishing or trout license is required. This applies to all waters in the state, but you must be a Georgia resident. Help us get the word out to families with kids about the Buford Dam Kids Fishing event  and the Unicoi State Park Outdoor Adventure Day. There are kids events throughout the state as well.

Note: Thank you to Jeff Durniak for his report. Jeff Durniak is the regional fisheries supervisor for Wildlife Resources Division’s Region II.