December Bass Fishing in Georgia

Both bass clubs in am in join together for a end of the year tournament the
first Sunday in December. Going into it I was tied for second place for the
year in one club and way down the list in the other.

The tournament is on Jackson Lake, a small cabin-lined lake near Atlanta that
used to have huge bass before they cleaned up all the sewage that runs into it.
Now it is full of spotted bass but not as many quality largemouth. I caught my
first and second 8 pound bass there in club tournaments, both in Januarys in
years past, and caught my biggest ever, a 9-8 there in an early February club
tournament in 1991.

Monday, Dec 1 I took my old Stratos down to run it some and fish. My first stop
was on the deep rocky point near the dam where I caught the 9-8. Nothing hit
my crankbaits, but the first cast with a jig and pig got a 13 inch spot, and I
missed one on the next cast. Decided to leave them alone and look for something
else.

Over the next four hours I landed three more keepers, two more spots of 13 to14
inches, both on crankbaits, and a 2 pound largemouth on a Shadrap. My back was
bothering me pretty bad by 2 pm and I was about ready to go, but I stopped on a
point headed in. My first cast with a #7 Shadrap fished on 10 pound line and a
spinning rod produced a hard thump, but I knew pretty quick it was not a bass.
The fish was way too heavy and I could feel it shaking its head as it slowly
headed to deep water. I glanced at my watch and it was 2:10.

After a few minutes I got a look at the huge carp I had hooked - looked 3 feet
long! It dove but a little later I got it to the top and headed to the boat
and could see the back hooks of the shadrap in its mouth - don' t know if it
hit the plug or I foul hooked it, but it was hooked in the mouth. It dove
again and I fought it back to the surface, getting another good look at it.
Looked more like a grass carp than a regular carp.

By now the wind had blown us out over deep water and the fish dove down about
20 feet, and I could not pull it back up. It was like being hooked to a stump!
My plug pulled loose and I checked my watch - 2:25 - my whole arm ached from
the fight.

The water temp was 58 and the lake was full. Ther was bright sun that day and
a fairly strong wind. All the bass hit on rocky, windblown points.

On Wednesday I went back with a guy I met through the clerk at a local store.
We fished from 9 AM till 3 PM and landed 3 keeper bass, all spots. He got one
on a Shadrap from the point where I had caught the one on a jig on Monday and I
got two on crankbaits on rocky points with some wind blowing on them.

The lake had dropped 2 feet and was 55 degrees. The day was cloudy with some
wind.

On Sunday in the tournament I went straight to the point, just knowing I could
pick up a couple of spots. After 45 minutes I gave up - not a bite on
crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jig and pig or a Carolina rig. The water was very
stained and the lake had dropped anothter two feet and the temperature was now
51 degrees. There was no wind at all that day.

I fished every rocky point I could during the 8 hour tournament. At about 9 AM
I hooked a 14 inch spot and landed it - it was barely hooked by one back hook
of the fat free fry. A few minutes later one hit the crankbait and I got it
about 8 feet from the boat. It came to the top and I could see it was barely
hooked, just before it pulled off.

About noon I missed a fish twice on a Senko and left the point, coming back
after about 20 minutes. This time I hooked it and it came up and threw the
hook, might have been a 12 inch spot, but it would have been close.

I fished the rest of the day without another bite, ending up back on the rocky
point at the dam. All day I kept seeing another boat in the tournament fishing
the same places as me.

At weigh-in those two guys won - the boater had four weighing 9.7 pounds
including a 4.97 largemouth. His partner had 5 weighing 7.6 pounds. I placed
sixth with one bass weighing 1.06 pounds, and over half the 27 fishermen
zeroed! There were two more 4 pound bass weighed in.

My one little bass gave me first for the year in the club - the guy I was tied
with had one weighing 15 ounces so I beat him, and the first place guy did not
fish.

Yesterday I went back to Jackson with the guy the won. He and I fished from 10
AM till 6 PM and landed four keepers, including a 2 pound largemouth and three
small spots. I also lost another small spot. We had two each - and I had the
biggest.

Water was now 49 degrees and there was no wind again. Strange thing was he said
they fished the exact same places I had fished but they had 10 keepers during
the day and I landed only one. They caught fish on the places I fished, before
and after I fished them! They were using Bandit and Suddeth crankbaits while I
threw Shadraps, Fat Free Fry , Bomber and Norman's baits. Still don't know
what the difference was!.

Guess it could be worse - the water could be hard on top!
Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Thanks for that story Ronnie and congratulations on 1st in the club.Your
story got me to reminiscing about my history on Jackson,seems like I was
either catching them like crazy or not at all.This time of year I would have
been throwing the same things as you were though.
I am planning on a trip to Lanier to striper fish in early January,before
the baby is born.Maybe we can "hook up".

"RGarri7470" wrote in messageSNIP

My one little bass gave me first for the year in the club - the guy I was tied
with had one weighing 15 ounces so I beat him, and the first place guy did not
fish.

Congratulations Ronnie,

Now I suppose you have another plaque to figure out where you're going to put it!
--
Steve
OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

Way to go Ronnie!

Nice to hear others are catching carp too!

"RGarri7470" wrote in message
...
Both bass clubs in am in join together for a end of the year tournament
the
first Sunday in December. Going into it I was tied for second place for
the
year in one club and way down the list in the other.

The tournament is on Jackson Lake, a small cabin-lined lake near Atlanta
that
used to have huge bass before they cleaned up all the sewage that runs
into it.
Now it is full of spotted bass but not as many quality largemouth. I
caught my
first and second 8 pound bass there in club tournaments, both in Januarys
in
years past, and caught my biggest ever, a 9-8 there in an early February
club
tournament in 1991.

Monday, Dec 1 I took my old Stratos down to run it some and fish. My first
stop
was on the deep rocky point near the dam where I caught the 9-8. Nothing
hit
my crankbaits, but the first cast with a jig and pig got a 13 inch spot,
and I
missed one on the next cast. Decided to leave them alone and look for
something
else.

Over the next four hours I landed three more keepers, two more spots of 13
to14
inches, both on crankbaits, and a 2 pound largemouth on a Shadrap. My
back was
bothering me pretty bad by 2 pm and I was about ready to go, but I stopped
on a
point headed in. My first cast with a #7 Shadrap fished on 10 pound line
and a
spinning rod produced a hard thump, but I knew pretty quick it was not a
bass.
The fish was way too heavy and I could feel it shaking its head as it
slowly
headed to deep water. I glanced at my watch and it was 2:10.

After a few minutes I got a look at the huge carp I had hooked - looked 3
feet
long! It dove but a little later I got it to the top and headed to the
boat
and could see the back hooks of the shadrap in its mouth - don' t know if
it
hit the plug or I foul hooked it, but it was hooked in the mouth. It dove
again and I fought it back to the surface, getting another good look at
it.
Looked more like a grass carp than a regular carp.

By now the wind had blown us out over deep water and the fish dove down
about
20 feet, and I could not pull it back up. It was like being hooked to a
stump!
My plug pulled loose and I checked my watch - 2:25 - my whole arm ached
from
the fight.

The water temp was 58 and the lake was full. Ther was bright sun that day
and
a fairly strong wind. All the bass hit on rocky, windblown points.

On Wednesday I went back with a guy I met through the clerk at a local
store.
We fished from 9 AM till 3 PM and landed 3 keeper bass, all spots. He got
one
on a Shadrap from the point where I had caught the one on a jig on Monday
and I
got two on crankbaits on rocky points with some wind blowing on them.

The lake had dropped 2 feet and was 55 degrees. The day was cloudy with
some
wind.

On Sunday in the tournament I went straight to the point, just knowing I
could
pick up a couple of spots. After 45 minutes I gave up - not a bite on
crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jig and pig or a Carolina rig. The water was
very
stained and the lake had dropped anothter two feet and the temperature was
now
51 degrees. There was no wind at all that day.

I fished every rocky point I could during the 8 hour tournament. At about
9 AM
I hooked a 14 inch spot and landed it - it was barely hooked by one back
hook
of the fat free fry. A few minutes later one hit the crankbait and I got
it
about 8 feet from the boat. It came to the top and I could see it was
barely
hooked, just before it pulled off.

About noon I missed a fish twice on a Senko and left the point, coming
back
after about 20 minutes. This time I hooked it and it came up and threw the
hook, might have been a 12 inch spot, but it would have been close.

I fished the rest of the day without another bite, ending up back on the
rocky
point at the dam. All day I kept seeing another boat in the tournament
fishing
the same places as me.

At weigh-in those two guys won - the boater had four weighing 9.7 pounds
including a 4.97 largemouth. His partner had 5 weighing 7.6 pounds. I
placed
sixth with one bass weighing 1.06 pounds, and over half the 27 fishermen
zeroed! There were two more 4 pound bass weighed in.

My one little bass gave me first for the year in the club - the guy I was
tied
with had one weighing 15 ounces so I beat him, and the first place guy did
not
fish.

Yesterday I went back to Jackson with the guy the won. He and I fished
from 10
AM till 6 PM and landed four keepers, including a 2 pound largemouth and
three
small spots. I also lost another small spot. We had two each - and I had
the
biggest.

Water was now 49 degrees and there was no wind again. Strange thing was he
said
they fished the exact same places I had fished but they had 10 keepers
during
the day and I landed only one. They caught fish on the places I fished,
before
and after I fished them! They were using Bandit and Suddeth crankbaits
while I
threw Shadraps, Fat Free Fry , Bomber and Norman's baits. Still don't
know
what the difference was!.

Guess it could be worse - the water could be hard on top!
Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

I am planning on a trip to Lanier to striper fish in early January,before
the baby is born.Maybe we can "hook up".

I am only available to go fishing on days that end in a "Y" - let me know!
Ronnie

http://fishing.about.com

Congrats Ronnie! I use to have almost as much enthusiasim as you do
about bass fishing...maybe I will "catch" some of that enthusiasim from
all you guys that still have it! g
JK

Until I move south . . . I will never be able to understand fishing in
December !

--
God Bless America

Josh The Bad Bear