By Capt. Keith Hudson
LARGEMOUTH & SPOTS: GOOD–The fishing in general continues to run behind normal. Although a few fish have already bedded, as water temps continue to rise, expect the bulk of the largemouth & spotted bass to quickly move shallow and feed like crazy before the spawn peaks. Try throwing spinnerbaits in stained water, or if you see any schooling activity at all. As we move closer to the spawn, I love to throw a lizard and fish them on a Carolina rig with a 18-24 inch leader and a 1/2 oz. weight. Jerkbaits and chatterbaits can also be good choices right now, especially if it is windy. Also try fishing rip rap or red clay banks that are in the sun for most of the day and look for the shad spawn to start in those areas very soon. By mid-May expect to find most largemouth on the bed. The spotted bass are showing up in good numbers and are bedding now. A Carolina rigged green pumpkin Zoom finesse worm or a small crankbait fished on any gravel banks should result in a quick limit.
STRIPERS, HYBRIDS, & WHITE BASS: GOOD — The spawning run up the Chattahoochee River is on. As a general rule, the section from Ringer to around Gloverâs Creek is the best during the first part of the month. Later in the month, from Gloverâs Creek to the shoals above Franklin seems to be the key area. Itâs pretty easy fishing, especially if you have live or frozen shad. Try anchoring out and throwing downstream from the boat. In water temps below 60 degrees, cut shad will sometimes work even better than live shad. One trick I recommend is using a garlic spray. They seem to hit it much better with the spray, especially in stained water. In water temps over 60 degrees, live bait seems to be a little better. If you want to try artificials, white curly tail grubs or Sassy Shads on a lead head will produce. If youâre not familiar with this section of the river, take it easy because there are sandbars and rocks that will tear off your lower unit. Down lake, casting with baits such as the Berkley Schooling Rig, Russ’ hand- tied bucktail jigs and the Storm Swim Shad has still been working at times on surfacing fish. Some fish are also being caught trolling with Shad Raps or bucktail jigs. The best areas lately have been at the mouths of Maple, Yellow Jacket & Whitewater Creeks. As usual keep your eyes open for gulls or loons diving as they will often tip you off to the location of an entire school.
CRAPPIE: GOODâ —Although many of the crappie have spawned already, there are still good numbers of them moving up to spawn. A small minnow under a float will work very well. Concentrate on trees, boat docks or brush piles that are close to the backs of pockets as the fish continue to move up for the spawn. Try using a chartreuse/white or blue/white feather tail Jiffy Jig about 3 feet under a weighted float and cast to the banks. Just slowly reel it in & pause to twitch it occasionally. In May, the night fishing will improve drastically as more hungry spawned out fish try to fatten themselves back up.
FATHER’S DAY GIFT CERTIFICATES NOW AVAILABLE! IT IS TIME NOW to BOOK for the SPRING 2014 Fishing Season. For more information on booking a trip or purchasing a gift certificate, email me at hudsonsprobass@gmail.com or you can call Keith Hudson Guide Service at 706-884-1483 or706-882-1743 to insure you don’t miss out.
Capt. Keith Hudson
Keith Hudson Guide Service
hudsonsprobass@gmail.com
(706) 884-1483 or (706)-882-1743