Altamaha River - Time to be Fishing
The Altamaha is finally at a good fishing level. After months of waiting I headed out and was in the water at 6 a m. I missed the best Crappie and Shellcracker fishing due to high water on the lake. Anyway, I headed to my favorite fishing spot and droped in a cricket. Within 2 min. I had a nice big bream in the boat. I knew the day was going to be a good one. I guess I was at the right place at the right time. I didn't get another bite for over 30 min. I am not a cricket fisherman, I prefer worms, but everyone told me they were catching fish on crickets so I got me a 100. I didn't think to ask where they were fishing. Come to find out they were fishing in local ponds, not the river. I sent the next 3 hours fishing the lake and finally had 17 nice keepers, all better than hand size.
Everyone putting in was heading out to the river so I headed that way too. The only problem was I had planned on fishing the lake so I didn't carry any reels. Fishing the river with poles can be done but I prefer reels. The holes I like to fish are to swift for pole fishing. Anyway, I pulled up behind the gator slide and fished the eddy below the willows. Right off the bat I had a nice channel about 10 in. long. I throw him back wanting something bigger. About 5 min later I had one a little bigger, not much, I threw him back. Then I felt a tug on the pole and as I pulled the pole up the fight was on. I knew I had a big one, I just hoped the hook didn't straighten or the line break. I worked the fish to the boat as best I could I realized I had forgotten my dip net. Oh well I would have to do the best I could. By the way the fish was fighting I knew it had to be a big one. I have caught many a big cat, both channel and flathead here. I was working as hard as I could not to break the line. It was coming up, my mouth fell open as I saw it. Would you believe, and ell. Yes and ell about 3 ft. long and as big as my arm. What the heck, they do eat good, I have eaten them a number of times in years pasted, another story I'll have to tell you one day. What was I going to do to get him off my line? Well to make a long story short, I grabbed the line with one hand, lifted his head just out of the water, with the other picked up my trusty 10-22 and put a shot through his head. I thought about putting him in the cooler, but they make such a mess and my wife don't like to see them let along cooking them. I dropped him back in the water. Turtle Food.
Well then it was back to fishing. I cut the line off the pole and retied everything and went back to fishing. Another cricket on the line and I was in business. I checked my watch and it was near dinner, I said I would go after the next bite. Well, you guessed it, another bite and a good fight with another ell. People always ask why I carry a 10-22 in the boat, ells.
Good Luck, and by the way ells do eat good.
