Spring time fishing

[Sam]

Spring has come and the daylight-saving time change has occurred, making it easy to find an hour or two before sunset to pursue outdoor activities. Many people will be grooming the yard and flowers and others will be planting the vegetable gardens. There are others who find this as the perfect time to slip away and attempt to bring home some fish for the dinner table.


This is not only the time of year that people start getting active; it is definitely the time that fish get active. During the winter, many of the fish species just seem to disappear. Some of the species migrate downstream into reservoirs or the main rivers and some just find sheltered areas where they can hide and wait for their metabolism to increase. The longer hours of daylight along with the warming of the water triggers fish to start feeding and preparing for the spring spawning.


The varieties of fish that can be caught this time of year are almost limitless and the techniques to catch them can be just as varied. Right now the crappie and white bass are in the creeks and rivers and can be caught on jigs, minnows, spinners, spoons and by fly fishermen on streamers. In fact, I caught a crappie two weeks ago on a small popping bug. Some of the crappie being caught in the Coosa River weighed more than two pounds and the whites are just as large.


Now that trout season is open there is no excuse not to try for a few stocked rainbows. The methods for catching trout are just as varied as the fishermen who catch them. Anyone who knows me will tell you that No. 3 gold Mepps spinner exclusively but trout can be caught on worms, crickets, dough balls, power bait, flies, lures and the old standby, corn.


Bream, the all-inclusive term for small sunfish, are becoming more active and can be found in almost every body of water in the South. Sunfish will congregate near the shoreline and build bowl shaped nests for spawning. The first spawn of the year will probably take place in northwest Georgia around the full moon that occurs May 2. The bream can be caught on almost any bait or tackle and are the best fish in the world to introduce a kid to fishing.


Steve Peace has been catching quite a good variety of fish in the Etowah River lately. Using nightcrawlers, large numbers of spotted bass, drum and catfish along with a few smallmouth buffalo can be caught. Jigs, spoons and spinners will catch the bass and drum, but the best bet for the catfish and small drum is live bait.


Fish that are suitable to light lines and delicate rods, but the big striped bass are beginning to show up. Striped bass can be taken on light tackle, in fact, the world record for two-pound test is 32 pounds. In the rivers and streams of north Georgia the minimum line would be ten pound test and a stout rod is necessary. Medium saltwater type rods work very well.


The stripers in the rivers around Rome average four to 10 pounds, and stripers over 20 are common. My largest to date was about 40 pounds. The most dependable bait for stripers is a live shad, although dead and cut bait work fairly well also. Personally I prefer to use lures such as a Redfin, peacock bass lures and spoons.

Striped bass were hitting well the first week of April at the lock and dam. The average fish were five to 10 pounds, and according to the store manager, the largest so far was 21 pounds. The current cold front may slow the action, but as soon as it warms again grab your heavy tackle.


Rome New-Tribune