November Fleeing

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Ott Defoe with pretty Pickwick bass
he caught during a TH Marine media event a couple of weeks ago.

Could it really be that November is on it's way out the door? It doesn't seem long ago that I was anticipating fall, and now the leaves are almost gone from the deciduous trees, even in Georgia. Of course, up north, they not only are walking on the ice to fish but a few resorts have begun rolling out the wheelhouses. Early for that sort of stuff, but it tells me that autumn has truly given way to winter.

November was a productive month for Jeff Samsel Fishing. I spent time on Tennessee's Dale Hollow, Illinois' Rend Lake and Alabama's Pickwick Lake, blending fishing with story and photo gathering with guides and pro anglers. I got to work with several pros I'd never spent significant time with before, along with seeing long-time friends from the industry.

I didn't spend as much time in trout streams as I would have liked to have during November, which is normally one of my favorite months for trout fishing. Maybe I can rectify that a bit next month. I certainly have some possible plans circling in my head. Whether weather, deadlines and other practical matters will actually allow those to materialize, only time will tell. My only solid fishing plans for next month, as of now, involve Minnesota ice, bluegills, crappie and walleyes.

Brisk Autumn Morning

Gloves would have felt good on the pond yesterday morning. It was pretty cold for early November in Georgia, and the chill in the air was magnified by the fog settled over the pond. I'm not complaining, though. We were there because we wanted to be there, and I certainly could have worn gloves.

The pond was beautiful, as things around here tend to be this time of year, especially in the early morning sunshine. The fish also bit pretty well. We didn't count our fish, but Nathaniel and I caught quite a few bream and bass in just a couple of laps around the pond. The bass were all small, but the bream were decent sized, and we mostly fished with panfish tackle.

We called it quits relatively early because of other Saturday plans, but neither of us really minded that because the chill sort of dug deeper as we fished. The warm truck and hot coffee at home were both nice after a brisk but fun morning outing.

Fishing Without Me

The stuff is gathered beside my truck, but I'm not part of the afternoon plan. A friend of Nathaniel's is coming to pick him up, and then they're going to get his boat and taking it to a little lake near town for a few hours of afternoon fishing. In fairness, it's not that they're leaving me out. I just need to stay here and write fish stories instead -- and since fish stories equate to groceries for the family, I suppose that's not a bad thing. It's a warm cloudy November day, though, and seems like a great day for fishing. I suppose in a few hours I'll get the report, hopefully accompanied by photos and video clips that help tell the stories.

Thanksgiving Tree

Our Thanksgiving Tree truly is one of my favorite things about this time of year. We start it each year near the end of October or beginning of November with a leafless branch from the yard. Each day, from then until Thanksgiving, every family member (except 4-month-old Holly this year) writes something they are thankful for on a paper leaf and hangs it on the tree.

On Thanksgiving Day we all sit around the dining room table and take turns reading leaves.

As the trees outside are shedding leaves, our Thanksgiving Tree is just beginning to put on its fall colors. I try not to peek ahead too much, but I sure do enjoy reading all the stuff that ends up being written on those colorful leaves.

Fall's Forgotten Final Days

October must be better than November at public relations campaigns. Most North Georgia travelers seemingly think that fall begins Oct. 1 and ends Oct. 31. Many people visit the mountains in early October and are disappointed to find minimal color. In early November, when our hillsides are blazing, few folks come to visit. The first week or so of November is actually my favorite time to hike waterfall trails and otherwise explore around here because the landscapes are spectacular and I can pretty much have a trail to myself.

By now, more leaves have fallen than remain on the trees. I'll acknowledge that. Those that remain attached have almost all changed colors, though, and some of the deepest reds and oranges seem to come late. The ground is also covered with leaves -- some bright and some brown. Landscape vistas offer beautiful blends of Crayola-bight colors and muted bronze tones.

In another couple of weeks, virtually all the leaves will have fallen from our deciduous trees, and those still clinging to branches will be brown. That creates an openness and a rugged, stark beauty, but by then it no longer looks like fall. Right now it still does, but most folk will miss it because they believe autumn ended with the turning of the calendar page.

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.