Newbie Also to the forum.
Took me a bit, but I finally got my password and username together and got on the forum. I have fished Georgia waters since the early 70's with an 11 year hiatus while I was in North Carolina. I will fish in a bucket if that is the only water available :D. My first love is saltwater, but Lanier and Oconee are much closer, especially Lanier. And of course hunting seasons are vying for an equal slice of the pie.
But, now that I am retired, I seem to have almost as much trouble arranging my schedule and allowance $ as I did when I was working. That is a bummer of a problem to have.
My latest interest is trying to learn the pattern and techniques for walleyes on Lanier. I caught my first Lanier walleye back in the early 70's when it was common to catch trout, bass, white bass, crappie and the ocassional walleye all on the same day. My B-i-L (RIP) and I would fish mostly from Gainesville Marina north all the way to Clark's Bridge. One day during a solar eclipse, every fish in the lake seemed hungry. That was quite a day.
There have been a lot of changes to the fishery in Lanier since then. White bass have all but disappeared. Bluebacks have nearly replaced the shad populations. Striped bass grew big from the initial stockings. I netted my first blueback in the mouth of Balas Cr. waaayyy before they were supposed [or known] to be in Lanier back in the late '80s.
Stripers occupied my falls for several years. Nothing humongous, but I did get an 18 lb. on 4 lb. test on a crappie jig and 3 in. chartruse Mr. Twister (on purpose!) in the back of Ada Cr. You should try that area if you haven't.
This fall, my interest has turned to walleyes. I caught a lot of them as a youngster when I lived in the midwest back in the 50s and 60s [Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri]. With the good work by the DNR, I am anxous to eat some of those tasty critters again. I have just begun my quest on the lower end of the lake, so if there are any walleye addicts out there, or accidental bycatches, area and structure information (and lure or bait presentation) information would be gladly accepted.
It is rather fun to dig back in the old tackle boxes and recreate tackle used so long ago. Of course, I am making the assumption that what worked then will work again. Time will tell.
Good fishing!
Tigerbeetle :)