Great Time to Catch Georgia Trout

If you don't mind releasing the fish you catch and being restricted to using single-hook artificial lures, some of the best opportunities of the year to catch trout in Georgia begin tomorrow. Nov. 1 is the official opening day for Georgia's five delayed harvest streams, and all five streams are sure to be well stocked with trout (including a few big ones). From tomorrow morning through mid-May, no harvest will be permitted and only single-hook artificial lures may be used or possessed, but the Georgia WRD will continue stocking trout from time to time throughout the season.

All five streams in the program offer excellent trout habitat during the cool season and are therefore perfect for DH designation. Adding interest, they vary dramatically in character and range from Chattahoochee, which is a big urban tailwater, to Smith Creek, which is a fairly small mountain creek. Two of the stream sections, along the Chattooga and Amicalola rivers, offer only walking access to most of their combined 6 miles.

November is prime time to hit DH waters because temperatures tend to be mild, the rivers are beautiful, and the fish are freshly stocked and typically a little less educated than they will be later in the DH season. Don't  expect to have any of these waters to yourself, though. Folks have figured out that they offer very good opportunities to catch trout and they are therefore quite popular.

Cool New Headgear

Nathaniel is spending increasing amounts of fishing time with extra hardware strapped to his head. He likes the "head cam" option for our GoPro Hero2 not only because it makes him look cool but because it looks wherever he does and captures whatever is around him while keeping his hands free for fishing and doing other stuff.

Nathaniel's most recently produced video, "Life From the Top of My Head," brings together a few fun clips he has gotten with the head-mounted GoPro, including his own loss of footing as he descended a seriously steep slope and Asher making the term "backcast" extra literal by hooking me in the back. It also includes the GoPro video that was being shot in the photo above. The video is well worth the couple of minutes it takes to watch.

To see more of the videos that Nathaniel has produced, please visit our YouTube Channel.

Of Boys and Boulders

All the boys in camp reacted the same way upon arrival. Their eyes went straight to the boulder that towered behind our campsites, and they really couldn't think about doing anything else until they had ascended its sides and stood atop it as conquerors, looking down.

Five dads brought eleven boys, ages 3 to 15, and at times all the boys were on the rock. As dads, we couldn't have asked for anything better than to have such a feature at the edge of our camping area. We needed not ever wonder where our boys were. If they weren't around the campfire (which, of course, had its own draw to the men and boys alike), they were atop the rock. Simple as that. It was far more interesting than any playground that any man could have built in the same space, and its appeal was the same for every age of boy in the group.

When I think about it, any time Nathaniel and I go trout fishing and he disappears from view, all I have to do to find him is look to the top of the biggest rock that's nearby. Of course, my yearning to climb a big rock hasn't gone away. I just can't run up the sides of them the way Nathaniel or Asher can. I have to climb carefully, taking care that my glasses don't fall off and planning my entire route so I don't end up like a cat, stuck in a place where I can't get down!

It would seem God made boulders for boys to climb because it's obvious he's put within boys a desire to climb to the top of a really big rock.

Trying Out Trout

Nathaniel, Asher and I camped with the men and boys from our church this weekend, and I had the opportunity to share a bit about North Georgia trout fishing at the campsite and then to spend a couple of hours astream with the crew. We camped beside the Tallulah River, which is a popular stocked stream, and fished the big bend in the river that wraps around the campground.

Between it being well past the normal stocking season for a Georgia put-and-take stream and us choosing a highly accessible run just footsteps from a popular campground, I'm guessing we were not around many trout. Still, the boys managed to catch one nice stocker that had surprisingly good colors, one pretty little wild rainbow, and a few willing chubs. More importantly, the crew seemed to enjoy casting into the creek's cool, clear waters and hopefully discovered something they'll want to try more of in the future. And while that bend in the river probably wasn't the fishiest place in the North Georgia, a flat gravel bar that fronted a long, deep run created a perfect setting for new anglers of a range of ages to fish together without crossing each other's lines too much or having to battle too many complicated currents.

At times we had lines going in every direction, and together we caught more than a few rocks and rhododendron branches. That's all part of the adventure, though, and I believe all the boys enjoyed themselves. Nathaniel was a big help tying knot, freeing snags and such, and Asher was impressively self-sufficient for an 8-year-old who has fished a fair amount but had spent any time in a trout stream.

Video Tip: Keeping Rods Untangled

When you routinely fish with spreads of eight rods, and you keep two or three sets of rods rigged and ready in your boat, it's critical to have a good system for wrapping your rods. Legendary crappie fisherman Ronnie Capps shares his system.

For more video tips and fishing clips, please visit the Samsel Communications YouTube Channel.

Different Streams for Different Folks

My favorite trout stream has a polarizing effect. Most people I take there have one of two reactions. Either they too add it to a short list of absolute favorite places or they vow to never go there again and maybe even to never commit to any stream trip where I'm the person making the plans.

A little of that has to do with the fish because the West Fork's trout are very fickle. Some days it seems like there are virtually no trout in the river; Other days you can't do anything wrong. We caught a few trout on yesterday's West Fork adventure (10 collectively, I believe), but it was a pretty slow bite.

More has to do with the length and ruggedness of the trip. It's 1 1/2 miles by trail and 2 1/2 miles by river, with a lot of wading thigh-deep in swift current atop slick and uneven rocks and some need to climb boulders and steep banks. You have to cross the river a bunch of times, and a few spots are pretty tough to get through at all. Also, once you descend 350 vertical feet into the river gorge and start down the river, the only reasonable way out is to wade the whole thing.

The water level and temperature also impact perspectives. When it is very low, it's far easier to navigate. There was a surprising amount of water in the river yesterday given the season and the lack of any big recent rains.

Interestingly, the West Fork's greatest virtues and banes are largely one in the same. Folks who like the river best typically don't even care if the fish don't bite because they love the game of negotiating the gorge and think that climbing rocks and wading through rapids is fun. I'm in that camp, but I certainly understand the opposite perspective.

Something no one ever argues is that the scenery is spectacular, and with fall colors in full splendor, the river gorge is about as pretty as it will every be right now.

My legs and back are both a little sore this morning, but I'd be back in the West Fork gorge tomorrow if time would allow!

Georgia Ice Lures & Birthday Bream

When birthday plans allow, we often find ourselves on the way to the pond for a little Samsel-style celebration. Today, which is Asher's 8th birthday, proved no exception. If possible, he wanted to spend some time fishing, and as it turned out, a few hours at the pond were possible.

Lap one yielded noting, despite three of us throwing some pretty dependable producers around shoreline cover. Nathaniel had gotten Asher to dig some worms while we were still at home, so we decided to see if the fish were still in summer mode and holding away from the banks. We figured out last winter that when the fish are offshore in the little ponds where we fish, we often can catch them by positioning the boat in the middle of the pond and presenting ice lures straight down, right at the bottom.

The ice lures worked beautifully today, and we caught more than 20 fish, all from the middle of the pond. Most were bluegills, but we also caught a few bass. Ice lures that produced included Lindy Toads, Bugs and Micro Slick Jigs, plus a Darter, which produced a nice bass for Nathaniel. We often use rattling spoons for bass when we "ice fish" around here. Nathaniel tied on the Darter when he didn't see any spoons, figuring it might work just as well for a noisy vertical presentation, and sure enough it produced the best fish of the day. The only other lure that produced today was a Watsit Grub, which I fished tight to the bottom, just like the traditional ice lures.

More Videos Coming Soon

Nathaniel is still busy editing video clips from our recent trip to Louisiana. The second video from the trip, which you can view above, delivers practical advice about fishing locations from Capt. David Iverson, a veteran Venice area guide. The third "Cajun County" video will mesh some fun clips of the sometimes-frantic action I mentioned in a previous blog.

Upcoming videos will include crappie tips from Ronnie Capps and whatever stuff Nathaniel can gather from next week's Georgia fishing adventures at the pond and a couple of different North Georgia trout streams.

Keep an eye our YouTube channel, and we'll do our best to deliver videos that are worth watching.

Sweet Georgia Brown

A 9-pound Chattahoochee River brown captured and then released during recent sampling efforts. Photo courtesy of the Georgia WRD.

The good folks who manage our fisheries occasionally share photos that remind us what might be looking at our lures any given day -- like this beautiful hook-jawed brown trout that a Georgia Wildlife Resources Division crew shocked up while doing sampling work in the Chattahoochee River. Of course, Georgia's state record brown trout, which also came from the the 'Hooch, was twice the size of this one, so you know there are some other big ones swimming around down there.

I'm excited about the fact that I'll get to do at least a bit of fishing on three or four days next week, and all will be in Georgia. The only bad part about getting to fish so many cool places as part of my work is that I really don't get to spend as much time as I'd like fishing home waters. However, Monday is Asher's 8th birthday, and we're likely to at least spend a couple of hours at the pond. Then on Tuesday, Nathaniel and I are meeting two friends to hike and fish in the mountains. Then, next weekend, Nathaniel, Asher and I are camping with friends from church along the Tallulah, where we'll definitely do some trout fishing.

I'll keep you posted on what we find!

Fast Action Cats at Reelfoot

Reelfoot Lake is nationally known as a panfishing destination, and most Tennessee bass anglers also know about it's stout and strong largemouths. Sometimes overlooked are the lake's abundant channel cats, which serve up fast action all summer long.

Blue Bank Resort guide Billy Blakley keeps thing simple when he targets Reelfoot cats. Focusing on shallow flats that are littered with downed trees, he moves from one downed tree to the next, fishing each with a night crawler under a Thill slip float that is set to suspend the worm just off the bottom. He'll anchor 20 or 30 feet from a tree on the upwind side, pitch his float rig next to the cover and wait for the float to dart under. Most trees have at least one willing cat sitting beside them. Some have three or four.

As long as it's not too windy to keep a float rig in place, Blakley can almost always fill a cooler with cats. Most are channel cats in the 1- 5-pound range. A few, though, are notably larger, and occasionally one of his clients will set the hook and find a big flathead catfish at the other end.

During the fall, the cats get under groups of cypress trees where water turkeys roost and Blakley targets them with shad, but that's another story for another day!

Reelfoot Crappie Legends

 I can't imagine a better way to learn about crappie fishing on Reelfoot Lake than to spend the morning in Ronnie Capps' boat and then spend the afternoon with Billy Blakley. That's exactly what I got to do today, and the education and fishing action if anything exceeded expectations. Ronnie, who grew up on Reelfoot's banks, is the winningest angler in the history of tournament crappie fishing, and Billy is the longtime head guide at Blue Bank Resort. Both are legends at Reelfoot.

We spent the day working stumps in the "deep water" (10-foot range), mostly fishing spreads of minnow rigs, also known as Reelfoot Rigs. Ronnie and I actually began the day fishing eight jig rods, and I was amazed how he wove through the thick stumps with all those jig rods out and presented his jigs with precision against the cover. The fish clearly wanted straight minnows, though, and the action almost immediately turned furious after we switched to minnow rigs.

Reelfoot supports one of Tennessee's most consistently strong crappie populations, with a nice mix of black and white crappie available and plentiful opportunities to catch fish a lot of different ways during the year. The current population contains the most big fish that Ronnie Capps ever remembers seeing in the lake. October marks the beginning of the fall bite, which in the minds of many local anglers is the best bite of the year. After today, I surely won't argue.

Catfishing is at the top of tomorrow's list of plans, although bass fishing isn't far down the list.

Places to Plan & Swap Stories

Fishing plans made from spots with views of the water probably aren't any more sound than plans made in a motel room. They somehow seem better, though, and an added sense of anticipation clearly comes from sitting in comfortable chairs, breathing in the open air and staring at the lake. Of course, at day's end you get to return to the same chairs to trade tales from the day and make plans for the following day.

Blue Bank Resort has several spots that overlook Reelfoot Lake and that are ideally suited for sitting back and planning the strategies you'll use to catch bass, bluegills, crappie or catfish. I'm admittedly be riding along tomorrow, and I trust Blue Bank's veteran guides do the planning; however, I still enjoyed relaxing a while in a chair outside my room, looking across Reelfoot Lake and anticipating tomorrow's fishing. And I suspect I'll return to the same chair tomorrow afternoon to look back at my day on the water.

Arrived at Reelfoot

Ten hours later I'm at Reelfoot safe and sound and am looking forward to a few days of fun fishing. The wind is howling and the lake is as low as I recall seeing it, but the rain passed through this morning, and reports and photos both suggested that the fish are biting well. Blue Bank Resort, always welcoming, seems even more so than ever with fall decorations in place. Fish stories to follow.

Jack be Powerful; Jack be Quick

You usually won't spend many days targeting redfish in the fertile waters around Venice, Louisiana without someone in your group hooking into at least one whopper jack crevalle. Many anglers curse jacks, once they figure out what's on the line. I think jacks' brutal battles are seriously fun, and any jack is welcome to wallop my lure any time. Our group landed a few jacks last week. Lawrence Taylor landed his first jack ever, and Capt. Carl Smith landed a 24-pounder while Nathaniel and I were in the boat. Nathaniel captured the whole battle with a GoPro, including some cool "hat-cam" footage while he was netting the fish for Capt. Smith, He edited the whole fight down to a cool little 2 1/2-minute video.

Check it out.

The video is the first of three Nathaniel plans to produce from the Louisiana trip and the first of many for a new YouTube Channel he just set up for us. I usually forget to shoot video on trips (altough I'm going to try to do better), and I've never taken time to learn the editing side of things, so Nathaniel s taking over the video end of things for us and hopefully in time will also be doing some free-lance video work as he begins building his own place in the outdoor communications world.

If you haven't visited Nathaniel Samsel Outdoors lately, be sure to stop by and take a look.

Favorite Places - Blue Bank Resort

Everything about Blue Bank Resort says "fishing destination," and when you slip out the boat harbor and onto Reelfoot Lake, it typically doesn't take long for the fish to add affirmation. Fertile, shallow, weedy, and loaded with stumps and cypress trees, Reelfoot has always reminded me of a giant farm ponds. And it fishes like a pond, with jumbo bluegills, thick-bodied largemouths, plentiful crappie and fat channel catfish usually relating to obvious, visible cover. The crappie, which bite well during the fall, will be the main attraction when I visit Reelfoot next week.

Back at the resort, johnboats in the harbor provide handy access to the lake, and footpath-connected fishing platforms provide good foot access. Inside the lodge's common area, guides and guests trade fish stories around the pool table, over cups of coffee and in the tackle shop. Breaking "fish camp" stereotypes, Blue Bank always stays super clean and caters to non-fishing family members with comfortable cabins, a beautiful pool and hot tub, Wi-Fi floating about and amazing food that ranges from fresh fish to thick steaks to fried pickle appetizers that will draw you back repeatedly.

Of course, a good argument could be made that the biggest draw of Blue Bank has nothing to do with the fishing or the facilities. Much like many of my other favorite places to visit, Blue Bank is Blue Bank because of the folks who own and operate the resort and the guides who take visitors out on the lake. I'm Reelfoot-bound Sunday morning and am really looking forward to a couple of days of fall fishing and to time spend sitting around the dinner table and on the back deck with friends.

Color Peak Myth?

As Nathaniel and I crossed the Smokies on I-40 this morning I noticed a few oranges and yellows but mostly green hues on the mountains. That got me thinking about the "color peak" which I believe is somewhat of a myth in our part of the country.
When folks go "leaf peeping" in Southern Appalachia, no matter how much they enjoy the colors and the vistas, I believe most people end up with a perception that they were either early or late. Instead, I'd contend that the peak they think they missed never truly existed.
I see two main reasons for that. First, Southern Appalachian forests are exceptionally diverse, with many varieties of deciduous trees that all change at different times. In addition, it's not uncommon around here to change elevation by a few thousand feet as you drive along a road and to look up mountainsides that rise a couple thousand more feet. Because of those factors, some leaves are changing from late September through some time in November, and I'm not convinced that we have much of a peak. 
My personal favorite time is November, when all the leaves have changed but a lot have fallen. The mountains look scarlet from a distance and the landscapes are striking, but most people would consider the best time as having passed.
When do you like fall best?

Sometimes Frantic Action

I've heard people joke about not hanging rods out of sides of the boat because the fishing was so good, but today that was played out -- twice. Lawrence Taylor and Capt. David Iverson scored a day-ending double when both of them laid down rods with dangling Bomber Pogies on them and turned to other tasks, only to have redfish attack both baits.
That finale was par for the courses on a day filled with doubles, break-offs, shark appearances and huge schools of redfish. We caught several "eaters" early but never could quite fill our limits because almost all the fish we caught this afternoon were more than 27 inches long and therefore above the slot.
One of many highlights for me was catching the most uniquely marked redfish I've ever seen. Really, though, the whole day was one giant highlight reel.

Why You Come to Louisiana

"That's why you come to Louisiana," David Iverson said with a grin as he, Nathaniel and I all battled redfish. We'd found a big group by a jetty and every time someone would reel up one fish several others would follow. When that would happen, whoever didn't have one on needed only to drop a lure among then to hook up.  We had multiple doubles and triples within a few hours.
Top baits today were a Bomber Mud Minnow Curltail and Super Pogy. I fished mostly with the Pogy and caught fish by working it several different ways. The most productive technique overall was to let the bait fall a few seconds after casting it and then work it back with a series of rod lifts and pauses.
We have one more day remaining, and I suspect we'll start in the  area where we caught most of our fish this afternoon. It'll be interesting to see if the fish are still there and how they act.

Marsh Play

The afternoon plan was to sight-fish in the marsh, but heavy winds and very dark skies said otherwise. Instead we fished blind in areas the reds have been using in recent days, throwing Bomber Mud Minnows under Paradise Poppers. The bite was slow for Louisiana, but we did manage a few, which might end up being part of tonight's dinner. Thank you to Barnie White and contending with mountain boys in the marsh.
Nathaniel caught two redfish, which I believe might have doubled his lifelong catch. Maybe he'll crank that total up a big notch tomorrow! Tomorrow's plan is to start around Southwest Pass, which is expected to be less impacted by wind than areas we worked today.

Sharks and Redfish

We started the morning targeting bull reds, with the knowledge thar the sharks have been thick around South Pass, making the big redfish tougher than normal to come by for this time of year. Sure enough, when Lawrence Taylor hooked up with thw first big fish of the morning, it turned out to be about a 70-pound shark, which he landed.  No complaints from Lawrence or the rest of our group.  The shark provided big fun for him and great photos and video for everyone. It seems Lawrence had the hot hand early because by the time our boat left the pass to fish the marsh he'd caught three sharks and one red of about 20 pounds. He caught all his fish on a black and chartreuse Bomber Mud Minnow fished beneath a Paradise Popper
Photos and afternoon report to follow

Redfish Dinner

The main course tonight was baked redfish topped with crab meat. Appetizers included fried shrimp and oysters, followed by a little gumbo. Outstanding!  Now I feel like I'm in Louisiana. 
We'll start tomorrow targeting bull reds and then will sight fish marsh fish after the sun climbs farther up and the tide goes down. I'd better nap awhile I suppose. It hardly seems like today when we left Georgia.

Arrived in Louisiana

Eleven or so hours after leaving Clarkesville we're settled in at Woodland Plantation, about a half hour south of New Orleans, and ready to Hit the marsh first thing tomorrow morning. First, though, we night need to eat a little Cajun food.

Smith Lake Bassmaster Open Underway

Kevin Hawk leads the Bassmaster Southern Open at Smith Lake after the first day. B.A.S.S. photo by James Overstreet.

The final B.A.S.S. Open of 2012 began yesterday at Smith Lake in Jasper, Alabama. Like the final Northern and Central Open events before it, this Southern Open finale has major ramifications for various anglers in terms of 2013 Bassmaster Classic qualifications and invitations to fish the Bassmaster Elite Series next year.

Kevin Hawk, who sprang into prominence in the bass fishing world in 2010 when he won the Forrest Wood Cub at Lake Lanier, leads the three-day event after one day of fishing. Hawk, who said he caught his fish a variety of ways, brought 16 pounds, 7 ounces to the scales on Day 1. Hawk has fished all three Southern Opens, so a win would earn him a berth in the Bassmaster Classic. Going into this weekend, he was second in the Southern Opens points race. Whether or not he notches the win, it will be interesting to see whether he takes a shot at the Elites in 2013 if he finishes high enough in the standings to get an invitation. He has fished the FLW Tour for the past four years (two as a pro and two before that as a co-angler).

Cajun Country

I'm looking forward to an upcoming return to Cajun Country and a quest for jumbo redfish and speckled trout. It has been a couple of years since I've been to the Louisiana coast, which is definitely w-a-y too long. The reds, with their smashing strikes and bulldog tenacity, are the biggest draw, but it would be a mistake the to ignore the fresh, salty small of the marsh, the amazing spreads of spicy seafood delights that end up on Louisiana tables and the undeniable fun of spending time with lively Cajun folks.

From a practical standpoint, I don't do a tremendous number of saltwater trips, and the Louisiana coast is so productive that I always get a bunch of useful story material from trips. October is supposed to be prime time for big reds in the marshes south of New Orleans, and the bite is going strong based on the last word I heard.

I'm also looking forward to trying out some different baits. The guides anticipate the Bomber Who Dat Rattling Spoon and Badonk-A-Donk SS (subsurface) to be major players, and I haven't spent time working either of these baits.

Finally, I'm excited that Nathaniel gets to ride along. He's never been to the Louisiana coast, and it's always fun sharing my favorite places with him. I think he'll really like redfishing because it's a lot like bass fishing except that the fish are way bigger and stronger. He's also going to shoot a few videos for me, and I'm hoping to get some life going on my YouTube channel.

We leave home Saturday morning.

Delayed Harvest Streams Now Open

North Carolina's Delayed Harvest waters create a fine opportunity for catch-and-release trout fishing throughout the cool months. Photo by Nathaniel Samsel.

With the beginning of October at the beginning of this week came one more new beginning -- and one that is noteworthy for Southern trout fishermen. October 1 marked the beginning of another Delayed Harvest trout season on several streams in western North Carolina. From Oct. 1 through the first Saturday in June, only single-hook artificial lures may be used or possessed on these waters, and all trout caught must be immediately released. Throughout the "delay" season, the DH waters stay heavily stocked with rainbows, browns and brook trout.

North Carolina's DH program, which began on four streams in the early 1990s, makes great use of streams that offer fine trout  habitat during the cool months but suffer from summer stress. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission loads these waters with trout during the time when the habitat is best, and then allows a harvest to begin about the time the habitat quality would begin to diminish in early June. Because of its extreme popularity, the DH program has expanded dramatically and now includes 29 waterways in 16 North Carolina counties and is also used in several surrounding states, including my home state of Georgia. North Carlina 's list of DH waters includes four new stream sections this season.

Delayed Harvest waters range from creeks you could hop across to fairly large mountain rivers and vary from from tumbling and rugged to nearly pancake flat. Some have good roadside access; others require more walking. All get stocked with roughly the same density of trout based on their normal total volume, with a mix of 40 percent rainbows, 40 percent brook trout and 20 percent brown trout. And while fish average a little less than a foot in length, the NCWRC always includes some "quality fish" as a bonus to keep things extra interesting for fishermen.

I typically make at least a few trips to North Carolina's Delayed Harvest waters during the catch-and-release season, and while no plans have been set in stone, I certainly hope that this season will be no different.

Fall Color in Georgia

The calendar page turned to October this morning. In North Georgia and throughout the Southern Appalachia, that means travelers will be thinking about fall color and when to plan their visits to the mountains. With such considerations in mind, Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites maintains a seasonal webpage that they call Leafwatch, and the site will become active for another season some time today. Leafwatch, as the name suggests, tracks the seasonal changing of the leaves in Georgia, along with containing information about why leaves change colors, a list of top parks for enjoying fall color, a direct link for camping or lodging reservations for Georgia state parks and much more. In the past, the site has even included a webcam view from Black Rock Mountain, which sets the highest of any of Georgia's state park.

For now, the color is barely beginning to creep into the woods around my North Georgia town of Clarkesville. Enough leaves have turned to give mostly green woods a slight autumn cast, but we are still a couple of weeks removed from things really looking "fallish," and I think our prettiest color comes at the very end of October or even into the beginning of November. In November, a lot of leaves have fallen, but everything that remains on the trees is either a bright hue, bronze or brown, creating a very a strong look of autumn as you look across the mountains.