Etowah/Coosa River
Water Temperature 48 Degrees

Hands down the best winter time fishing we have seen in a decade! The drought of 2016 was eventually relieved with some much needed rain. The rivers and area lakes got some relief, but not an over abundance of runoff that has caused poor fishing in winters passed. The fish have migrated towards their spawning grounds and have found the right water quality to stay put for a while. The Crappies, White Bass and Striper bite has been amazing since Thanks Giving 2016! Great for size and numbers. Many techniques will catch these fish, making it fun for everyone.

My go to technique has been casting 1/16 ounce jigs to shoreline structure. some days when the fish orient a bit shallower, a float positioned 2 to 4 feet above the jig is the ticket. The key is to not be too aggressive with the retrieve. As far as casting a jig without a float, allow the jig to fall with the current and most times the bite will come with no movement of the rod. When fishing the jig and float method, only a “twitch- pause- twitch” is needed to put a slab in the boat. Live minnows are always a favorite among anglers and for good reason, they catch fish. The way my clients have caught fish with live bait is by fishing a typical down-line rig. The Down-line rig consists of a 3\4 ounce sinker above a swivel, followed with a section of leader line 18 inches long with a #4 light wire hook. Try to fish on the ledges or straight down in cover. A typical half day trip has averaged 75 fish including several species.

Spring is around the corner but no need to wait, the fish are biting now!

Stop Wishing and Start Fishing
Chris Hughes
Orion Fishing Charters
(770)855-4987