By Darren Hughes
September was a crazy month for fishing on Lake Chatuge. I mean crazy in a good way. The picture with this article is from a morning where we boated almost 50 hybrids in less than two hours. No worries, every fish is still swimming today. We very rarely keep any fish. However, the fish bite on this lake seems to never stop. We’ve been absolutely wearing the hybrids and spots out and October should remain about the same. It’s definitely one of the best fisheries in the North Georgia and Western North Carolina Mountains.
Currently, Lake Chatuge is 3 feet below full pool. Water temps are in the low 80s, and water clarity is clear throughout the lake.
Hybrid fishing remains excellent. The fish are still schooling in large numbers. Our average trips are still consisting of 30 to 50 fish in just a few hours. Most of our hybrids are averaging 5-10 pounds. These are some of Lake Chatuge’s hardest-fighting fish, and we’re having a blast wearing them out. The early morning and mid-afternoon bite has been prime. Look for schools of fish along the main channel and off points. Down lining live blueback herring has been the best technique. Search out your areas and watch your electronics. When you mark fish, drop your lines. Fish will be slightly shallower in the early morning hours and will move to deeper water by mid-morning. Top-water bite has slowed down considerably but you can still find a few busting. When these fish start busting on bait, it’s always a good idea to have a plug, spook, or red fin at the ready.
The spotted bass bite also remains excellent. We have been catching some huge spots throughout the day, and it’s not uncommon to put 30-40 of these feisty fish in the boat in one trip. Early morning top-water bite has been strong. Top-water plugs, spooks, and jerk baits have worked well. Our downline bite has also been very productive, especially in the early to mid-morning hours. Look for fish to be schooled up on shallow clay banks, humps, and off points. In terms of location, the upper end of the lake has been producing slightly better numbers than the lower end.
October fishing on Lake Chatuge is always exciting. Remember, live bait on this lake can be the difference between a successful day of fishing and a horrid one. For all of your bait and tackle needs, come visit us at Hughes General Store in Blairsville, GA–it’s the best place around for quality live blueback herring. We also carry ethanol-free gas and have some of the best hot, made-from-scratch biscuits in North GA. For guided fishing trips on Lakes Chatuge, Apalachia, Hiwassee, or Nottely, or questions about the bait shop, call me, Darren Hughes, at Hughes General Store. And whether you’re a seasoned angler or just starting out, give Chatuge a shot for some of the best spotted bass and hybrids in the area. Good luck, and get hooked!
Darren Hughes is the Owner of Hughes General Store & Bait Shop and a member of The Angler Magazine Fishing Team and Guide for Big Ol’ Fish Guiding Service. Look him up at www.bigolfish.com or give him a call, (706) 745-6569 or (828) 361-2021.