The Chick; fished 12/17

[Jmax]

Thought it would be a good day with the temp at 34 degrees when I got up and no wind, sure seemed better than last week but the water was a lot colder. Last week the water was 52 in the warmest I found than today the warmest was 47.2.

Started with crappie but only managed two small ones on yellow jigs. Never could get anything going. Changed over to bass and didn't fair much better, caught a 5 lb+ drum, 3 whites, and managed to bass one 14 1/2 inches and the other 15 1/4 inches. Caught the whites and drum on a silver buddy and the bass, one on a white grub and the other on a green finese 4 inch worm. All in all a pot luck of eight fish boated. By far the slowest day I have had in a long time.

Still a very nice day on the lake and made me appreciate what the lord has done for us.
Keep your hooks wet.
emoCool Jmax

 

[jason]

I could not go today but I marked several locations for my father-in-law to hit on the Hiawassee. Last night I set up a drop-shot rig on my spinning rod for him to use and also selected which of my soft plastics would work best. He called earlier to give me the results of his trip and he did surprisingly well for a newbie to the drop-shot. At two out of the three bluffs I marked for him, he found schooling spots in 12'-15'. He ended up with a total of 21 fish: 14 spots, 5 whites, and 2 slabs. All fish were caught on a Zoom 4" Dead Ringer in junebug.

 

[polo-dog]

Jason, great post. I too just love to put others onto fish, or at least see them "get lucky" in the spots that have done well for me or where from experience I think they should be. I know that you'd rather be there but I can tell it made your day to get someone else some confidence in something new. Great job!!!!!!!!! 14 bass in mid December is a good day in anyone's book I would say.

 

[ranman]

which bluffs?

 

[Fishheadspin]

JMAX, do you havea teal ranger? Noticed a red pick up at wolftever with CFF sticker. Noticed one guy in a teal ranger spooning over near island cove.

 

[Jmax]

Yep, that t'was me. I drive a red Z71 and I proudly display Bass, Ranger, and my CFF stickers on the back of my truck. I have a forest green ranger with teal strips.emoBigsmile You should have stopped and said something. To tell you the truth I would not have been much help yesterday I had an off day. How did you do? Were you the boat that came by and started jigging on the rock point about 100 yards down? There were several boats working that area but I didn't see anyone do any good except some commercial guys ran three gill nets and must of had 50 cats in them and a couple looked over 20lbs at least. I talked to a warden yesterday afternoon who had checked them later and he said they had a great day of around 1500 pounds. It is humbling to hear those guys get 1500 pounds in a day and we are happy with just a few. Not much sport in putting out gill nets and them swimming into them. I also saw them have a couple nice bass one of which looked around 5 lbs but it was alive and swam off (They have to release sport fish.). Out of the three gill nets they ran I only saw two fish floating on the surface out of a bunch I saw them throw back. One bass that was about 2 1/2 lbs and a shad. I guess they have to make money somehow. I don't like those gill nets but the warden told me that there are less of them every year and they do keep the cats in check but he feels there needs to be more of those guys becuase of fears of too many cats in the river system at the chick.emoScratch I guess we need to cat fish and keep them or give them to someone needing. Never really had thought about it until I talked to him. He also defended them by saying they are regulated very heavily by them and have to buy an expensive commercial license.emoCool Jmax

 

[Fishheadspin]

yes that was me. I was just following minnow schools and really only stopped to watch the gill netters. I saw a couple of 4+ size bass in the nets too.

I actually saw game wardens write a ticket to a guy under wolftever bridge for having 3 really small crappie. I am not sure what the guy was thinking because the wardens pulled up and checked the guys on the other side of the creek first then went over to him. He had plenty of time to release them.
I did not do to well Saturday either. That was my first time to ever pick up a jigging spoon and i never tried anything else. Caught some big bluegill and several white bass. No other bass at all!

 

[RangerRob]

Now that you know who drives that truck Fishhead, maybe you can steal his hubcaps the next time you see it!!emoLaugh emoLaugh

If you guys ever go back and dig thru the archives on BFHP ... there was a HUGE uproar about this topic on the Big G last spring. Some of the bass guides began pulling up and photographing gill nets - "legal" and otherwise - after one of the "legal" gillnetters pulled a shotgun on a guide who'd gotten a jig hung in one of the nets and was trying to get it free. The photos were enough to make you vomit. There were scores of 4-9 lb bass dead in the nets that were heavy with eggs. Even dead loons were in them. Bass Center even did a special on it during their coverage of the B.A.S.S. Guntersville event. One of their pro's - Dustin Wilks - was even arrested during the tournament b/c his Tmotor got hung in an unmarked gill net and he cut it out. I think they should be banned. Period. I'd be interested to get RSimms take on them since he has a background in fisheries mgt.

 

[jason]

Ranman; the first two on the left below the 58 bridge. One is a little ways past Gunstocker (does not have a visible "bluff" above water) and the other is just prior to the Hiawassee/Tennessee junction. Both are on outside bends in the main river channel.

 

[ranman]

thanks Jason. I drove over to gunstocker yesterday to look around and saw some things I havn't seen before.Back by the bridge there is a stump row right next to the main creek channel before you get to the bridge thats looks really good, also drove over the sugar creek bridge and found where two creek channels come together with a big ol' stump nearby that I'll have to remember.I love to drive around and look at some of the places I fish with the water this low and see things I don't see during the summer.I find out why I catch fish in certain places and don't catch fish in other places.