About The Sylvania times. (Sylvania, Ga.) 2022-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2024)
Page 12 - Wednesday, April 24, 2024 The Sylvania Times thesy lvaniatimes .com -Farm and Land- 2 Best Bets for April Fishing in Georgia Good week everyone. Man, have the fish been good to us this week. I recently went fishing with some friends and we caught over 150 fish and decided to have a big fish fry. Boy! was that good! Hope fishing has been good to you too, these past weeks. April fishing is usually good for all of us anglers. With hundreds of lakes, rivers and streams from which to choose, all of us can easily find some great Georgia April fishing. Here are tow of the five outstanding ones to check out that I will feature in the next few weeks. Some anglers love streaming down a lake in a bass boat, stopping to quickly cast to cover before flying to the next hot spot, while others prefer kicking back on a river sandbar watching rods propped in a forked stick. Even more enjoy quietly easing around a cove, dabbling minnows beside button bushes in search of crappie. Thankfully, Georgia provides all these options and more in April. However, from reservoirs to rivers, ponds to creeks, April fishing is fantastic for every kind of fish that swims, allowing anglers to choose their favorite or sample from the many different kinds of fishing available. In fact, choosing what to pursue can be difficult at times for all of us. 1. LAKE THURMOND CRAPPIE In late March, crappie move into coves all over huge Lake Thumiond. They spawn around shallow cover in these coves all during April also, and will hit live shiner minnows and small jigs. When the lake is full, button bushes line many of the coves in Germany Creek, Hart Creek and Soap Creek. Bushes and small pine trees that grew when the water was down fill the shallows and hold fish. Trees in the water concentrate schools, too. Easing around the shoreline dabbling baits beside any wood cover will catch fish. A cane pole or fly rod is a good choice. Tie a crappie hook 18 inches to 2 feet below a cork, pinch a small split shot 6 inches from the hook and flip a lively minnow down beside bushes or tree limbs. Or tie a 3/16-ounce Hal Fly or other small jig below the cork and drop it into the same places. A combination of red, green and yellow is a good starting place. 2. LAKE OCONEE BASS Bass move into spawning pockets and feed heavily during April. They hold on dock post, grass beds and rocks in shallow water and feed before and after bedding, and can be caught all day long on a variety of baits. A cove with shallow flats along the sides is where the bass spawn and those protected from the prevailing west wind are favorites. Go into a cove running north and south and start about half way back. Fish to the very back then back out the other side. A faster moving bait, like a spinnerbait, cover waters to find active fish. A 3/8-ounce bait with one gold and one silver willow leaf blade and a chartreuse and white skirt is a good choice. Run the bait just under the surface through water willow grass beds and beside docks. On deeper docks, mn it up to a post then let if fall a foot or so, fluttering down like an injured baitfish. Do the same at the edge of the grass beds. After finding a concentration of fish, slow down and work a bright-colored weightless trick worm in the same places. Cast it into grass beds and pitch it under docks and slowly twitch it with pauses to let it sink a few inches. Keep it just shallow enough to keep it in sight, which is where bright colors help. Let if fall a little deeper at the edge of the grass and beside dock posts, watching the line for movement indicating a bite. Next week, we will take a look at two or three more best bets for April Fishing in Georgia. These tricks and bets really helped me and I am sure they will help you too. Happy fishing guys! Happy trails to you! Q$ack Please be patient with me, I’m from the 1900’s Debbie Hearn Layout & Design EXPERIENCE MAGNOLIA SPRINGS mLAmPAB WW&FEN 9A.M-6RM. EVERYDAY! May 11,2024 Camp Lawton Guided Tour Saturday, May 11, 2024 10 AM to 11 AM Magnolia Springs State Park - Millen, GA Explore the grounds of what was once the largest prison in the world! Admission to the History Center is included. Gather on the Camp Lawton History Center front porch. $5 plus $5 parking. 478-982-1660. Archery Saturday, May 11, 2024 3 PM to 4 PM Magnolia Springs State Park - Millen, GA Learn archery from a certified instructor with all equipment provided. This is a great opportunity for experienced archers to improve your skills. Meet at the archery range. $10 plus $5 parking. 478-982- 1660. May 18,2024 Family Fun Day Saturday, May 18, 2024 10 AM to 2 PM Magnolia Springs State Park - Millen, GA Come bring your kids for a wonderful family day at the park. Join us for yard games, bouncy houses, educational programs, crafts, and more! $2 per child $5 parking. 478-982-1660. May 25, 2024 Camp Lawton Guided Tour Saturday, May 25, 2024 10 AM to 11 AM Magnolia Springs State Park - Millen, GA Explore the grounds of what was once the largest prison in the world! Admission to the History Center is included. Gather on the Camp Lawton History Center front porch. $5 plus $5 parking. 478-982- 1660. Archery Saturday, May 25, 2024 3 PM to 4 PM Magnolia Springs State Park - Millen, GA Learn archery from a certified instructor with all equipment provided. This is a great opportunity for experienced archers to improve your skills Meet at the archery range. $10 plus $5 parking. 478- 982-1660 Local Organizations Donate To Local Library -Beth Reddick, Special Contributor The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, Georgia Farm Bureau and Georgia Electric Membership Corporation (EMC) are jointly promoting agricultural literacy by donating copies of the children’s book “My Grandpa, My Tree and Me” to nearly 400 libraries in the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS). The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture (GFA) and Georgia EMC have given each county Farm Bureau in Georgia enough books for every public library in the county. Planters EMC and Screven County Farm Bureau recently delivered a copy of the book to the Screven County Library. “My Grandpa, My Tree and Me,” written by Roxanne Troup and illustrated by Kendra Binney, tells the story of a grandfather planting a pecan tree for his granddaughter on the day she was bom. As the tree and the little girl grow, the grandfather teaches her how to care for the tree year-round to have a bountiful harvest of nuts in the fall. The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture selected the book as its 2024 Book of the Year for its accurate and positive portrayal of agriculture. The GFA is thrilled to partner with Georgia EMC and Georgia Farm Bureau to donate the book. The GFA began donating accurate books about agriculture to each public library in Georgia in 2016. Georgia EMC joined the foundation as a sponsor of this endeavor in 2018. Planters EMC Member Services Representative, Whitney Zeagler (left), Screven County Farm Bureau Board Member Justin Smith (second from right), and Screven County Farm Bureau Office Manager Beth Reddick (right), recently presented a copy of the children’s ag book “My Grandpa, My Tree and Me” to Screven County Library in Sylvania. Accepting the book on behalf of the library is Belinda Waters (second from left). The donation was made on behalf of the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and Georgia EMC. @GaF oundationAg @GeorgiaElectricMembershipCorp #CelebrateAgLiteracy Photo courtesy of Randy Hill of Planters EMC. 71/ei/i/ Year Join our Fitness Gym and Loose that unwanted Weight! * A, Personal T raining Yourth T ranining Silver Sneakers Senior Adult T raining TANNING BEDS Group Classes ; lOl North Main Street Sylvania, Ga. 30467 ft ft *s r Bay Branch Baptist Churclv hosts a * Rabies Clinic: May 18th 8:30am to 9:30am $10.00/vaccination Services by Ogeechee Veterinary Associates Mease leash or crate your animals (or safety! Keep them in the vehicle, unless Vet instructs otherwise! flay Branch Is located at 4029 Millen Hwy, Sylvania, GA 3046? PruHister at https//(orm.i«focm »m/2*09452991?6l66 J LOOKING FOR A NEW PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER? CALL 912.303.7533 TO SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH DR. MORGAN! DR. SIDNEY MORGAN KAREN ANDERSON, FNP (Qj optim medical center I screven
