Bass fishing has suddenly become one of the most popular sports in town. Almost everyone is talking about it that you can’t resist not asking about it and trying it for yourself as well.
It may be the promise of fun and excitement of bass fishing that keeps many people hooked on it. There are also countless television shows today that concentrate on bass fishing a lot that is why you can’t help learning more things about it.
Learning about it is enjoyable and you can hire a guide to help you catch fish, as well as teach you about catching them, then later on you’re going to develop your own ideas and formulate theories on having the best fish.
There’s a lot of bass clubs where you can join in and numerous fishing tournaments that you can try. Lots of money awaits you especially in joining prestigious tournaments where a big deal of money is at stake.
Several states are now “hooked” and “addicted” to bass fishing and Georgia is considered to be among the best in the world in terms of this newly-found sport.
Catching a spotted bass (also called “spots”) which is about 4 pounds can already be considered to be a trophy since the average one weighs about only a pound, though spots of this kind is really that unusual in the deep waters of Georgia. Bass of this kind are often inhabiting deep and clear waters.
Spotted bass are strong fighters, and many anglers feel that spots are the most spirited black bass species. Although spotted bass do not grow as big as largemouths and are not as acrobatic as smallmouths, a good spotted bass on the end of the line gives you a fight to remember.
Lake Lanier would probably be the first thing that would come to mind when one speaks of Georgia spotted bass. In 1985, Lake Lanier was able to spot an 8 pounds, ½ ounce spotted bass. This has set a state-record in Georgia but continued to have contenders since then.
Spotted bass are common in central and North Georgia in areas drained by the Coosa, Chattahoochee and Savannah River systems. But there are still some notable exceptions.
In addition to that, spots are currently making up about 25 percent of the black bass population in Lake Jackson, and their prevalence is increasing. The first spotted bass found in biologists' shocking surveys didn't show up until 1998, so their numbers have increased quite quickly. Spotted bass only average 9 or 10 inches in length in this site. Something like 15 percent of the spotted bass in the lake are more than 15 inches long.
At first glance, spotted bass are almost impossible to differentiate from largemouths. Spotted bass usually have a sandpaper-like tooth patch on the tongue, which the latter lack. Also, the rear of the jaw does not extend behind the eye as it does in largemouths, and lastly, the spiny and soft dorsal fins are connected with a shallow notch not reaching all the way to the body.
Largemouths weighs between ¾ pound and 1 pound, but about half the bass in the population are more than 15 inches long. While the real giants are less common than they once were, the population is well balanced and fish in a good range of sizes are well represented.
In Middle Georgia, Lake Jackson is well thought-out to be one of the oldest reservoirs. The lake is an outstanding trophy bass lake. Over the years, its waters have produced countless double-digit-weight largemouths, and the lake record stands at 14 pounds, 7 ounces.
Lake Jackson lead away the waters of the Alcovy, South and Yellow rivers where they join at the head of the Ocmulgee River and is located about 45 miles southeast of Atlanta. It is no longer the trophy bass factory that it once was. Nevertheless, it remains a great place for finding good fishing for decent-sized largemouths, with a few spotted bass thrown in as a bonus. It also remains as one among the known lakes in the central part of the state, both because of its proximity to the Atlanta metropolitan area and because of its time-earned angling reputation.
In not more than 30 miles from Lake Jackson, there situated another lake known to be Oconee, which has also gained recognition and had become a favored destination of fishermen especially from the Atlanta area, and similarly serves up fast black bass action.
Georgia has really a lot to offer when it comes to bass fishing so better check it out yourself if you want to experience the beauty and fascination of being involved with bass fishing.
* Bill Dance Complete Bass Fishing Course
