Too bad we’re not all back in Luckenbach or Mayberry where we don’t need fishing licenses and we can fish with any kind of bait any time of the year.
But we live in Georgia. Where fishing laws keep banditos and desperadoes from taking too many fish and shooting anything that moves after a couple of beers in the old F-150.
That’s why we have rangers. God bless them all.
Here are a few highlights from their recent Law Enforcement Report:
Illegal bait, unlawful harvest of trout – Fannin County
Warrant issued for fishing without a license, fleeing and possession of marijuana – Banks County
Violation citations – several counties
The Wildlife Resource Division protects Georgia’s wildlife by enforcing laws, rules and regulations pertaining to:
game and nongame animals
threatened and endangered plants and animals
exotic animals
boating safety
litter and waste control
and other natural resource issues.
We appreciate DNR’s efforts to keep the wild outdoors as tame as possible.
Robert Eidson’s Lake Allatoona Fishing Guide Report is provided by First Bite Guide Service of Lake Allatoona. When you’re ready to catch stripers and hybrids, contact Robert at 770-827-6282 or by e-mail: eidson6260@gmail.com.
Water Temp: 68 Visibility: 2-4 feet
Lines-sides fishing is Decent!!
The run we had this past weekend blew the rivers out. They are running fast.
There is plenty of debris floating down both the Etowah and Little Rivers right now. The main lake is still clear, but there is also a lot of debris floating on the main lake as well as the rivers. If you’re heading out in the next few days be very careful. The fishing this past week has been decent. Finding water that is debris free, and holding bait and fish is the key to catching fish right now.
The fish on the main lake are up in the water column and are very hard to mark on 2 D sonar. If you have a Lowrance with side-scan you can locate these fish by running your side scan setting on 60 feet on both sides. That’s been working great for me on my Lowrance 12 in Touch. If you don’t have side-scan, the best way to find these fish is to put out a spread of planer boards and free-lines. Pull the banks and open water until you get bit.
Planer boards and freeing live shad on the main lake has been our best bite and are accounting for at least 95% of our catch on both Lake Allatoona and Carters Lake.
Small to middle-size gizzard shad has been the ticket. If throwing the net isn’t your cup of tea, Striper Soup Bait and Tackle in ACTH has plenty on hand.
The river bite is a different story. Cut bait seems to be fishing best right now. But cut shad and chicken liver fished in any bend of the river or near anything blown down will catch you fish.
There have also been a lot of big cats caught up the river the last few weeks. The lake record for Blue cats was broken recently with a nice 36 pounder. Congrats to the angler for a great catch.
Trolling has been decent but should get really good once the water temperature hits 70 degrees.
Overall the bite on Allatoona is very good for almost the entire lake. Spring is an awesome time to be on the water. Grab the kids give us a call 770 827-6282 and let’s go fishing.
“Really? You actually believe I’d rather eat soggy grass instead of what you’re cooking? How stupid is that?” said every bear everywhere.
How many bears live and prowl in the vicinity of Lake Allatoona? More than the number of people who think pink hair, eyeball piercings and who refuse to wear deodorant in order to save the environment (but not friendships) combined.
Let me break this to you gently: bears live in the woods.
Don’t be surprised if you see a few or a flock when you go to their place for the weekend.
The US Forest Service in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest says there was a recent pantry raid by a hungry bear going for food hanging from a tree. Probably thought it was a piñata.
Final score: Bear – one. Food in the Tree – zero.
Just another friendly bear who was invited to lunch by some city slickers. Bears — like guys with their wallets chained to their jeans shooting pool in roadhouse bars — are not as friendly as they look. Bears have great big teeth and nails longer than the weird ladies at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
There were no injuries reported and no damage that couldn’t be rectified with some hot water and a few squirts of Kaboom!
Our pals at the Pisgah Forest encourage you to avoid bear interactions by taking the following steps:
• Do not store food in tents.
• Properly store food by hanging it in a tree or in another secure container 150 feet away from camp. (Hint: That’s half the length of a football field.)
• Clean up food or garbage around fire rings, grills or other areas of your campsite.
• Do not leave food unattended.
Never invite strange bears into your campsite for a dinner.
The meal might end up being you.
More Fear the Bear Stuff from the Forest Service
Avoid camping and hiking alone in the backcountry.
Make noise to avoid surprising a bear.
Never tick off bears by making too much noise. (Just kidding!)
Never approach a bear or other wild animal — including thru-hikers with bizarre Trail Names.
Do not hike in the dark.
Carry EPA registered bear pepper spray.
Keep a clean campsite by properly disposing of food scraps and garbage.
Do not leave food or garbage inside fire rings, grills or around your site.
Never leave food or coolers unattended, even in developed picnic areas.
If bear-proof containers are not available, store food and garbage inside a hardtop vehicle or trailer.
Do not break into other people’s hardtop vehicles or trailers to store your food.
Never store food inside of a tent.
Never drip honey on the feet or forehead of annoying people at your campsite, even if they “deserve it.”
Wipe tabletops clean before vacating a camp or picnic site.
If a bear is observed nearby, pack up your food and trash immediately and vacate the area ASAP.
If necessary, attempt to scare the animal away with loud shouts, by banging pans together, or throwing rocks and sticks at it.
If a bear approaches, move away slowly; do not run. Get into a vehicle or a secure building.
Remember to carry a vehicle or secure building in your backpack for emergencies.
Never run away from a bear — back away slowly and make lots of noise, like teenagers asked to do their homework.
If you are attacked by a black bear, try to fight back using any object available. Act aggressively and intimidate the bear by yelling and waving your arms. Playing dead is not as clever as you think. You’ll just be easier to catch.
If I told you that black bears come in different colors … like white … you wouldn’t believe me. Right? Click on the link.
Robert Eidson’s Lake Allatoona Fishing Guide Report is provided by First Bite Guide Service of Lake Allatoona. When you’re ready to catch stripers and hybrids, contact Robert at 770-827-6282 or by e-mail: eidson6260@gmail.com.
Line-side fishing is Good!
The fish are biting from one end of the lake to the other. The Hybrids have started their spawn runs up both the Etowah River and Little River. Most of the fish that are being caught are already spawned out. The river bite should stay decent into the middle of May. The main lake is also fishing well.
The fish that are returning out of the rivers are starting to school up from the Little River Bridge up to the delta, and from the S-Turns to Kelloggs Creek. There is also a decent south-end bite going on right now from Iron Hill to the bay out in front of 3rd Army.
The fish on the main lake are up in the water column and are very hard to mark on 2 D sonar. If you have a Lowrance with side-scan, you can locate these fish by running your side-scan setting on 60 feet on both sides. That has been working Great for me on my Lowrance 12 in Touch. If you don’t have side-scan, the best way to find these fish is to put out a spread of planer boards and free-lines and pull the banks and open water until you get bit.
Planer boards and freeing live shad on the main lake has been our best bite. They account for at least 95% of our catch on both Lake Allatoona and Carters Lake.
Small to middle-size gizzard shad are the ticket. If throwing the net isn’t your cup of tea, Striper Soup Bait and Tackle in Acworth has plenty on hand.
The river bite is a different story. Cut bait seems to be fishing best right now. But, cut shad and chicken liver fished in any bend of the river or near anything blown down will catch you fish.
There have also been a lot of big cats caught up the river the last few weeks. The lake record for Blue cats was broken this week with a nice 36 pounder. Congrats to the angler for a great catch.
Trolling has been decent, but should get really good once the water temperature hits 70 degrees.
Overall, the bite on Allatoona is very good for almost the entire lake.
Spring is an awesome time to be on the water. Grab the kids, give us a call and let’s go fishing!
Governor Deal signs Senate Bill 136 into law on April 23, 2013. ~~ Photograph by Robert Sutherland
Governor Nathan Deal signed Senate Bill 136 which lowers the legal blood-alcohol limit for boaters and hunters from the former level of .10 to .08.
The new law also increases penalties for those caught boating while intoxicated. Other provisions in the law will educate the public on boater safety guidelines.
The signing ceremony took place at Holiday Marina at Lake Lanier on a day more fitting for a photo shoot than enacting somber legislation named after youths killed on Lanier in boating accidents.
Governor Deal said, “Far too many tragedies have occurred as a result of boating under the influence and inadequate boater education. Last June, I vowed to work with the General Assembly to pass legislation in honor of Jake and Griffin Prince, who lost their lives last summer in a tragic accident. As I have said, if you are too drunk to drive an automobile, you are too drunk to drive a boat.”
The Jake and Griffin Prince Boating Under the Influence (BUI) Law is the portion of the bill that lowers the blood-alcohol content limit to the same level as for Georgia’s automobile drivers. Previously, Georgia was one of only eight states that allowed a higher blood alcohol limit for boating than for driving.
The portion of the legislation known as the Kile Glover Boat Education Law honors the child who died after he was struck and killed by a jet watercraft last summer on Lanier. The new statute requires a boater safety education course for all motorized vessel operators born on or after January 1, 1998. Now, the law requires all youths 13 years old and under to wear life jackets on a moving boat.
“To Tameka Raymond, Kile Glover’s mother, and the members of the Prince family, I want to thank you for your support of these important laws,” added Deal. “I also want to express my gratitude to Sen. Butch Miller and the other legislators involved in drafting and sponsoring this bill, as well as DNR Commissioner Mark Williams, his staff, law enforcement officials, and anyone else who played a role in ensuring that this bill became law. I sign this bill for all the Kiles, all the Jakes and all the Griffins in our state. And, ultimately, I sign this bill for a safer Georgia.”
We express our most heartfelt and sincere condolences to those whose families were so tragically impacted by these accidents. We pray this new legislation will help save many lives in the years ahead.
North Atlantic right whales are rare and imperiled. Right whales swim from Canada and New England each year to bear their young in the Southeast’s warmer waters. They commonly give birth off the coasts of Georgia, Florida and South Carolina.
Biologists monitoring right whales sighted 19 cow/calf pairs this winter in the Southeast.
That’s about average … which is great. Last year only seven calves were born.
Clay George heads right whale research for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. He says the population is increasing at an estimated 2 percent per year. Although calf production can vary widely year to year, a string of poor calving seasons could reverse the upward trend.
There are only about 450 North Atlantic right whales left and fewer than 100 breeding females.
Wrong Whale
Evidently wrong whales are not counted at all. Serves them right.
According to George, a wildlife biologist with the DNR Wildlife Resources Division’s Nongame Conservation Section, “It was another average season, which is just what we needed after such a poor showing last season.”
DNR’s Nongame Conservation and Law Enforcement sections team up with other groups to:
monitor whales
respond to injured, entangled or dead whales
collect genetic samples for research and
protect right whale habitats.
Right whales can weigh up to 70 tons and reach 50 feet in length, yet they often swim and rest just below the surface, making them difficult to spot by oncoming watercraft.
Large vessels face speed limits in right whale areas along the U.S. Atlantic coast. Speed restrictions appear to be reducing the right whale vessel strikes, but more time is needed to know for sure. George said there is also a growing emphasis on educating recreational boaters to slow down during the right whale season – for their safety and for the whales.
Researchers from Sea to Shore Alliance, NOAA and Florida Fish and Wildlife conduct aerial surveys along the South Carolina, Georgia and Florida coast during the cooler months.
Survey teams send sighting information to the shipping industry, military vessels, and biologists conducting research from boats.
The goal is to monitor the right whale population and reduce the risk of vessel collisions, a common cause of right whale mortality.
The season’s last flight off South Carolina was April 15.
So far, six of the mom/calf pairs seen this winter in the Southeast have been documented in Cape Cod Bay, Massachusetts, according to researchers with the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies. Cape Cod Bay is a key feeding habitat for right whales.
In other news from this season:
Three of the whales with calves had previously been entangled in fishing gear — including a mom named “Equator” that DNR and others disentangled from trap/pot fishing gear in 2008. Entanglement in fishing gear and vessel collisions are the leading causes of death and injury for this endangered species.
One previously entangled whale, nicknamed “Wart,” was seen in Cape Cod Bay with a new calf. The pair was not seen in the Southeast this winter.
Only 15 non-breeding right whales were observed in the Southeast, mainly juveniles and adult males. For comparison, 45 and 99 non-breeding whales were spotted during the 2011-2012 and 2010-2011 seasons, respectively. George said it’s not known why those numbers have declined in recent years.
Seventeen of the 19 calves seen in the Southeast were sampled for genetics.
Twelve humpback whales and two fin whales were also spotted.
A 2-year-old right whale washed up dead on a north Florida beach Dec. 18. Preliminary findings suggest it died from entanglement. A length of rope more than two football fields long was wrapped around its tail. No other entangled whales were seen.
The operator of a recreational boat reported hitting what he thought was a right whale on Dec. 7th. No injured or dead whale was found. Also, a calf was photographed in January with skeg and propeller wounds indicative of being struck by a recreational boat.
There have been no verified reports of right whale sightings in Lake Allatoona.
DNR’s right whale work is funded largely by NOAA Fisheries. But monitoring these and other rare creatures is also an example of how buying a wildlife license plate or donating directly to the Georgia Wildlife Conservation Fund supports wildlife conservation.
Those contributions benefit the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state general funds to conserve native Georgia wildlife not hunted or fished for, as well as rare plants and natural habitats.
You’re probably a nice person. You brush your teeth and say “Thank you” to strangers.
But that wouldn’t be enough for me to go out alone into the semi-wilderness to face down hunters — loaded with ammo or whatever else they’re loaded with or on — for you.
Somebody has to be a ranger. I’m just glad it isn’t me.
Here are a few highlights from their recent Law Enforcement Report:
Hen turkey killed – Bartow County
Possession of firearm by a convicted felon, hunting deer out of season – Union County
Violation citations – several counties
The Wildlife Resource Division protects Georgia’s wildlife by enforcing laws, rules and regulations pertaining to:
game and nongame animals
threatened and endangered plants and animals
exotic animals
boating safety
litter and waste control
and other natural resource issues.
We appreciate DNR’s efforts to keep the wild outdoors as tame as possible.
Bringing an AK-47 to hunt turkeys? I don’t get it.
Wildlife Resources Division Rangers administer the state’s hunter education and boating safety programs. They also investigate violations of wildlife laws, and hunting and boating incidents.
Here are a few highlights from their recent Law Enforcement Report:
Hunters rescued on Ogeechee River – Washington County
Hunting turkey with an illegal weapon, AK 47 rifle – Coffee County
Violation citations – several counties
The Wildlife Resource Division protects Georgia’s wildlife by enforcing laws, rules and regulations pertaining to:
game and nongame animals
threatened and endangered plants and animals
exotic animals
boating safety
litter and waste control
and other natural resource issues.
We appreciate DNR’s efforts to keep the wild outdoors as tame as possible.
Robert Eidson’s Lake Allatoona Fishing Guide Report is provided by First Bite Guide Service of Lake Allatoona. When you’re ready to catch stripers and hybrids, contact Robert at 770-827-6282 or by e-mail: eidson6260@gmail.com.
Line-side fishing is: Good right now.
The water temperature is heating up fast and the bite is really starting to get good. The river bite finally started. The white bass have moved up and are being caught on white rooster tails and crappie jigs. I expect we are just days away before the Hybrids and Stripers move up as well.
Right now I am spending most of my time in the creeks. There are decent schools of fish in all the major creeks right now. Kellogg’s, Stamp, Clark, Tanyard and Iron Hill have all produced for my boats in the last 10 days.
There is also another bite going on from Little River all the way up to Fields Landing. If you find the baitfish, you’ll find stripers and hybrids nearby. These fish are feeding up for the upcoming spawn run.
Flat-lines in the morning and afternoon and down-lines midday is the way to go.
The topwater bite this week has been slow compared to last week’s. If you are lucky enough to come across breaking fish, Rooster tails, Flukes, Popping Corks, Jerk baits and free-lining shad will all catch you fish right now.
Trolling is working really well right now. The Mack Farr 3-arm umbrella rig has been producing best for me right now. Color doesn’t seem to matter, but speed is a factor. The best speed for me this week has been between 3.3 – 3.5 MPH.
Remember, the month April is one of the best months for line-side fishing. We still have a few days open this month and we’re offering family trips starting at $250.00.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Wildlife Resources Division wants you to know the length of the deer hunting season has not been shortened — as has been reported by some media sources.
The DNR’s Assistant Chief of the Game Management Section John Bowers put it this way, “The proposed regulations under consideration recommend a 25-day reduction only in the number of either-sex or ‘doe days,’ not in the length of the overall deer season. This proposed change is a result of scientific data and deer hunters will still be able to hunt bucks during either-sex days.”
Long-term data indicate a statewide decline in the fawn recruitment rate in all physiographic regions of the state. At the same time, does have comprised 60-65% of the annual deer harvest. Additionally, the harvest of does has increased by 13% over the past few years. In other words, there are less deer being recruited to replenish and stabilize the deer population. The broad trend of declining fawn recruitment rates coupled with high levels of doe harvest warrant a statewide regulatory action.
As the public grows more dissatisfied about the harvest of antlerless deer, declines in deer density concern many deer hunters in Georgia.
“We believe the proposed reduction in either-sex days strikes a reasonable balance between diverse hunter desires while attempting to address statewide biological concerns,” said Bowers. “There is no proposal that will satisfy everyone. The Department has done its best to develop a balanced proposal. While the proposed reduction in either-sex days reduces the opportunity to harvest does, it maintains the opportunity to deer hunt and harvest antlered bucks.”
You’re invited to express your thoughts and concerns about proposed hunting regulations. The Wildlife Resources Division has scheduled three public hearings on the proposed hunting regulation changes. All meetings will begin at 7 p.m.:
April 23, 2013: Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Health Sciences Building, 2802 Moore Highway, Tifton, GA
April 24, 2013: The Roberts Chapel Auditorium, State Offices South at Tift College, 300 Patrol Road, Forsyth, GA
April 25, 2013: Amicalola Electric, 544 Highway 15 South, Jasper, GA
Those unable to attend a meeting may submit input either electronically or in written statement form. Input must be received by 4:30 p.m. on April 30, 2013. Written statements should be mailed to:
GA DNR/Wildlife Resources Division/Game Management Section
You know what May 1st means, right?
Robert Eidson’s Lake Allatoona Fishing Guide Report is provided by 
