1-22-12 Fontana Just had a couple of hours before dark and didn't see lightning, wind, rain or ice so jumped at the chance to fish in relative comfort. Found more fish in the general areas I've been fishing, but they are changing and I think they are moving towards the banks and scattering, not bunching up like earlier in the fall. Both spots and eyes ate real well today all at 60' trolling the small Rapala's. Included a shot from this fall and today so you can see how their positioning changes. Females eggs are well developed and males are filling their sacks, but not yet leaking, but it won't be long if this temp. holds. If you can hit their feeding periods it is about as easy as it gets right now. If you fail to be there when they are feeding you can get frustrated, marking the same fish, but not getting bit. The moral of that story is just go more often. Later Capt. James
153 Charters
Capt. James McManus
Capt. James McManus
BLOG.153CHARTERS.COM
1-22-12 Fontana
1-21-12 Fontana
1-21-12 Fontana Got the boat and my two guys Greg and John launched about 10 min. before the bottom fell out. Got to my spot in driving rain and wind and just as we got set up the lightning came and so adjourned back to the ramp loaded the boat and sat and talked for an hour as father pushed through the leading edge of the front with pops and cracks all around. Lightened a little so relaunched and found scattered fish in 70-100' with most caught at 60' which is a little shallower than last few trips for the eyes. Fish are in small scattered schools and seems when you catch one they just shut down although we missed several fish today, just not real aggressive.. Got all fish trolling and tried downlake for some smallies just to see if they were there and had no luck. A family crisis and we had to cut trip short, but the fish continue to come, if a little slower, and they are getting filled out with eggs. Area around Tsali is still where they are, didn't make it to the Tuck, but did on a trip yesterday and they have moved from being so thick at Forney. Will gladly accept a change in the weather, the last couple of days have been brutal. Later Capt. James
1-14-12 Fontana
1-14-12 Fontana After unsuccessfully trying to talk two friends into joining me, decided to go it alone. The temp. this morning was around 20 and they were calling for 20+ mph winds and bright skies, not exactly ideal conditions, but hey it beats not going. Have consciously tried to fish Fontana more regularly and not drive all over SC, Ga, and surrounding areas. Being poor has kept me closer to home and it is starting to pay off. A day like this a year or so ago and I could almost smell the skunk coming. Now I am more and more confident about finding fish even in awful weather. Guess I'm setting myself up for some major skunking, but the fish are still in the lake, and they are still eating. Didn't fish all that long and they weren't really hot, but managed some whites trolling in a couple of places up the Tuck and some spots around Forney. Spots came on small fluke, when I could hold the boat and get it to bottom. Whites have moved up and caught some at 21' and some at 40'. Water is finally at 48 deg and tried the fnf, but had no takers. Spots are still a little deep, but stuff is moving up so shouldn't be too much longer. Coming week is warming a little so should be good. Later Capt. James
1-7-12 Fontana
1-7-12 Fontana Had a trip today with an old friend Greg and cannot believe the weather we had. Overcast, an occasional shower, 50ish temps and perfectly calm. Sets the stage for some light fluke fishing. Still throwing the small clear sparkle fluke on an eighth oz. chartruse head. You had to let it get deep, but the fish were shallower with the water temp. down to 50-52. Almost any shale bank up the Tuck held fish and we caught them most of the day. Only felt a few hits, would just feel weight on line or nothing at all, then set the hook. Found a school of deep fish early and again late that I'm sure were eyes, but could not get them to eat. Ended up with 30 some fish and a few nice smallies, but mostly spots This lake is absolutely full of spots, just wish they got a little bigger, but they are awfully fun and if this weather holds, should continue to be hot. Later Capt. James
1-1-12 Fontana
1-1-12 Fontana Just had a couple of hours, but like to get that first of the year fish out of the way early. Beautiful day with a little wind, but went to point 9 and with the wind so strong decided to troll and they are still in the general area and still finding them deep. Just hit a couple of points and had some nice spots and no walleye this time. Water 52 deg. with most fish showing 60 to 70 feet. Here's to a great 2012 for everyone! Happy New Years!
12-26-11 Fontana
12-26-11 Had a couple of hours this afternoon so started about 2:30 at Lemmons Br. Have been trolling and jigging lately so started off looking for fishable schools. After about an hour of looking and not finding decided to try something different. Went across from point 9 to some points and marked a few fish, but never more than one or two, so tried a fnf off the bank and then a crankbait with no luck. Switched to a small fluke on an eighth oz head and put her 30 feet deep. Took forever for it to get to bottom, but then just bounce it back out to 50-60 feet and at some point you'd feel that tick, just like a crappie. Had time to fish three points and caught 10 fish with 3 then 3 then 4 off consecutive points. Couple of nice fish with equal numbers of spots and smallies. Hooked and lost half again that many, would just lose feel of jig and couldn't catch up for a good hookset. Was good to cast to fish for a change so will plan on this for the next couple of trips. Never saw any bait schools, must be down lake. Water at 55 deg. and it's come back up a few feet. Later, Capt. James
12-17-11 Fontana
12-17-11 Fontana
Had a trip with three guys from Black Mtn. Children's Home and was hoping to wear them out. Instead the front pushed through the night before and the fish shut down. Marked plenty of fish around the junction of Tsali and caught a few, but nothing like we've been catching. Mike, Richard and Tom and I had a beautiful day with some lost along with those boated, but that's just the way some days go. Still most fish showing at 70-80 feet, may head to the lower lake next trip, but it is hard when you are marking lots of fish. Smallies may be more cooperative than the spots and walleye, just haven.t targeted them lately.
12-15-11 Fontana
12-15-11 Fontana Weather continues to be mild, so took friend , mild-mannered John to try for some walleye. Fish are moving, but when you find them they are bunched up. We started at Lemmons Br. and checked out Alarka, then Greasy Br. then on to the Tuck and found fish at Forney Ck. Several boats working the area, so we trolled a bit with no luck and realized we had forgotten the sandwiches, so back to the landing and a start over. This time saw a fish break just past Tsali and that is all it took. Find the bait and find the fish..... all the fish. Caught spots chasing schools deep, smallies chasing schools against the bank and whites and walleye deep, below the pods on the surface. Keep your eyes open and when you see even one break, check out the area good. Fish weren't quite as eager to bite as they have been, but still ended up with a nice mess, and a Fontana slam. John is mild mannered til he gets on fish, then he loosens the clerical collar and you don't want to be a finned creature. Most fish still at 60-70 feet and water at 56 deg. Later Capt. James
12-7-11 Fontana
12-7-11 Fontana walleye
12-7-11 Couldn't work because of the rain and didn't have a trip so decided to don the rain suit and hit the lake for a few hours. From Lemmons Br. barely got on plane and saw a few whites busting so stopped and started marking fish in 80 feet of water mostly in the channel where Alarka comes in. Put out the trolling rigs and the fish were really cooperative. Would get a white or walleye almost every pass. Fish stayed in an area the size of a baseball infield and if you got outside of that there was only the occasional bait pod. After catching some trolling stopped and got some jigging ice jigs. Tried jigging 3 or 4 spoon types, several colors of ice jigs and until I put on a brook trout colored jig got nothing. They were dialed in to that one color, period. Wind picked up and blew snow for a while, but those eyes will warm from within so took a mess home to fry up. Several of the fish had pretty well defined egg sacks so may spawn early, don't know a lot about their biology, but they were pretty well filled out. Later, capt. James
12-3-11
12-3-11 Fontana is still hot as a pistol. There are schools of fish in a
lot of places right now. The only thing is that you have to be willing
to fish deep for them. Left Lemmon Br. and stopped in the middle of
Greasy Br. flats first and the schools of shad were thick around 70
feet, scattered all around the flat with schools of spots mixed in.
Moved to the Tuck and after a few stops found massive schools of fish
from the surface down to 85 feet with most biting at 75. There were
smallies, spots and whites all mixed in, and the easiest way to get them
is to troll with small crankbaits. Stopped and tried jigging for a
minute, but didn't have the patience to stay with it seemed they were
moving around and trolling was the best way to stay on them. Have fished
way deeper lately than I ever have and there are just so many fish deep
it's been fun. Later Capt. James
