About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 23, 2023)
2C Weekend Edition-June 23-24, 2023 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com SPORTS L0\KE L0\NIER FISHING REPORT Bass biting well with topwater action ZION ■ Continued from 1C this season,” said Ferguson. “We don’t want to be close (to a champi onship) again this season.” Since enrolling at Gainesville midway through his junior year, Ferguson has diligently been at work fine-tuning his craft as one of the nation’s top defensive back prospects. “Everything has been great here at Gainesville,” said Fer guson, who also has offers from Georgia, Florida State, Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, Penn State, South Carolina, Texas and Oregon, among many other Power Five programs. “Coach (Josh) Niblett has a system in place (at Gaines ville) for us to become great and win championships.” And even in a Red Elephants program with many new players, Ferguson stands out for his play making ability. In 2022, Ferguson was one of the top players at his position in Gwinnett County, recording 45 tackles, while steadily stacking up more offers from major Division-I programs. When it came decision time for his final high-school season, Fer guson had to weigh the pros and cons of staying at one powerhouse, Grayson, or moving to another, Gainesville. The Red Elephants’ newest star said he took his time, talking it over with family before deciding where to play his senior season. “(Grayson and Gainesville) both get you ready to play in college,” Ferguson said. “But, I felt Gaines ville was better for me.” Adding Ferguson fills a big need for the Red Elephants in the defen sive backfield. Since enrolling at Gainesville, Ferguson has been able to take advantage of the state’s premier on-campus athletic facilities. “Everything at Gainesville is top notch,” Ferguson said. “The facili ties are like a mini college.” Also on defense, the Red Ele phants have added senior interior lineman Champ Thompson, who is committed to Clemson. However, the offense appears to have just as many, if not more, elite talents. Since the end of 2022, Gaines ville has picked up senior running back Gavin Hall, who accounted for more than 4,000 yards of offense as an All-State quarterback at Hebron Christian last season. The Red Elephants’ offense is in solid hands with returning quar terback Baxter Wright, a four-year starter, leading the way. In 2022, he topped 3,000 yards passing. On Aug. 18, Gainesville opens the season against Marist at City Park Stadium. BY BILL MURPHY bmurphy@gainesvilletimes.com The recent rains should come to an end for the weekend, but there is still quite a lot of runoff flowing into the lake. Currently, the lake level is at 1,069.23 and rising or 1.77-feet below above the full-pool mark of 1,071. Lake temperatures remain in the in the upper 70s. The water down in mid and main lake and in the major creek mouths remains clear. There is some stained-to-muddy water entering the backs of the creeks, as well as flowing into the Chestatee and Chattahoochee riv ers from rain inflow. Look for these areas to be less clear. The Chattahoochee River is flowing clear below Buford Dam because it doesn’t take long for the rain run-off to clear directly below Buford Dam, but the river will get more stained the further south you travel from Buford Dam. Check generation schedules before heading out to the river at 770-945-1466. Bass fishing is improving. Usually our local water tem peratures are in the low 80s by this point, but we had an unusu ally mild spring and now start to the summer. Water temps are still hovering around the mid-to-upper 70s. The good news is that the top- water action that had been rather sporadic throughout this spring and seems to be more stable as we go through these first weeks of summer. The spotted bass, along with a few large mouth bass, have start ing to get locked into the main lake and creek-mouth brush pile patterns that power fisherman seek. When you figure that a brand new 20-foot bass boat with a 250 horsepower motor averages around $80,000 (and that may or may not include basic electron ics), it’s easy for a serious bass angler to drop $100,000 or more on a new rig. And that’s before tax! You may think that only rich people or professional anglers are buying and using these shiny new boats, but I know several very humble people who get a new rig yearly. I prefer to keep my older Nitro and keep it maintained and change out the electronics as tech nology advances because the rest is just a flat platform with a 250 rocket strapped to the back. So why do anglers need these fast, efficient speed boats to go fishing? That is easy! If you are a professional bass angler, then you want to make it to your best spot first. Then you need all the speed you can get so that you can travel long distances and maximize your fishing time. It only takes five minutes to catch a five-bass limit. If you are a weekend angler, you still want to maximize your time. Even if you fish from the banks, I bet you still try to get to your best spots as quickly as possible. All anglers have the same thing in common: we all want to fish as long as possible. Local anglers with the nice boats and a million waypoints are set up and ready to run and gun. This type of fishing is not for the bobber and live-worm crowd. This is a game where anglers are ready to run to multiple areas, fish them quickly and efficiently with the hope or knowledge that they will eventually collide with at least one school of bass that are biting. Once you have success in one area, then you develop a pattern or plan. Then you can also gauge the type of spots where you were suc cessful and look for other similar areas on your lake maps. Be sure to gas up, add oil (if needed), charge your batteries and take along a variety of lures and tackle. Get to your best stops early and exploit the early-morning feeding period. We have been starting our days a little bit shallow on the inside of brush piles located in 20-30 feet of water. There is still a decent amount of bait up shallow, so we will make a couple of casts to the bank and then turn the boat around to cast out toward the brush. We continue to use this same approach as long as it’s early or on overcast days. Subtle lures like smaller topwa ter plugs, a Lanier Baits Jerk Shad or even a spy bait seem to work best when it’s calm, while noisier lures like a Whopper Plopper or McStick 110 worked aggressively seem to work best if the wind is blowing. As the sun rises, the fish have been moving back around the brush in that 20-30 foot range. Sunlight actually helps you pat tern the bass as you can make stops and cast directly over and to the sides of the brush, and quickly determine if there are catchable fish in that area. If you have forward-scanning sonar, you should also make a sweep of the area to look for any schooling fish that are out away from the brush. Anglers with tradition down scanning can also see these same roamers with their 2/D when they swim below your boat. If not, it’s on the next stop. While you run and gun, pay attention to details about the areas. Try and figure out both what’s working and what’s not working. When you catch a fish, think about if it was over, in or away from the brush. Was that brush pile on a point leading into a cove or was it way away from anything out on a hump? Were you in a creek or out on main lake? Was it caught on the shallow side of the brush facing the shore or was it on the deeper side closer out into the lake? Pay attention and duplicate the casts and conditions in other similar areas. If nothing is work ing, evaluate where and how you have been fishing and try to make changes. While the topwater bite has picked up, there are still lulls in the days or times where the fish you are marking are deeper in the water column. Keep a dropshot ready at all times, even if you are catching fish power fishing. We usually pick up several extra fish a day by dropping a lure down to fish we see on sonar, directly below the boat. I use a tri-colored Lanier Baits Fruity Worm rigged on a No. 1 Gamakatsu Aberdeen Style Hook. You can also use a Ned Rig or even a standard Texas Rig, but I personally prefer the drop shot. Because the water temperature is so mild, there are still plenty of fish around the docks that will eat a Lanier Baits Finesse Worm on a 3/16-ounce Gamakatsu Alien Head. Other lures will also get bites up shallow. Try a Little John MD, a Little Swimmer on a jig head (small swim bait) or even small topwa ter plugs will work to catch a few around the docks. Striper fishing is good and the fish are kind of hovering between their shallow-spring areas and their deeper-summer haunts. There are still some fish up shallow, so keep a casting rod ready with a topwater plug or your favorite sub-surface lures. Remember if you do see a small school on the surface, there is often a bigger school below. That is why I prefer to cast a SPRO Bucktail to cast toward schooling stripers. While the hot summer heat seems to be a little later this year, it does look like we will be in the mid-to-upper 80s, which means we need to take extra precautions with our live baits. Herring need cold water and salt or bait-fish chemicals to ensure they stay lively for your fishing outing. Make sure to check with your bait supplier when you purchase bait for suggestions on the proper amounts needed to keep your her ring lively. Buy several dozens because you don’t want to run out if you get on a school of fish. The stripers have been in many areas, both up and down lake. These fish are following the schools of herring and shad that have migrated out into the creek mouths or deeper pools in the rivers. Anglers should start out idling and watching the surface, as well as their electronics and only deploy live baits when they have an indication that the fish are in that area. Once you see stripers on the surface or with your electronics, then deploy a combination of flat and down lines. Pay attention to which rods get bit and change over to what works. The stripers can still be located at any level in the water column, even if they are out deep over open water. Once you find the fish, it’s the same rule as usual. If the fish are showing on the surface, or shallower than 25 feet on your electronics, then deploy mostly flat lines and flat lines on planner boards. If the fish are out deeper than 25 feet, then deploy your weighted down lines. Even if all my fish hit on down lines, I still may keep a flat line out to the back of the boat. Crappie fishing is good for anglers proficient at shooting small crappie jigs under the docks. Target docks with brush around 25 feet deep. If you have forward-scan or side-scan technology, then use these tools to pick out the best docks. If you do not have modern elec tronics, then target the docks that have rod holders. You can email Eric Aldrich at esaldrich@yahoo.com with comments or questions. JUSTUS ■ Continued from 1C His trophy for the runner-up finish will go right beside the 2021 championship tro phy from the 10-and-under division at the most prominent junior tournament. In 2022, Justus finished tied for 11th overall. This year, Justus was methodical in his approach, given the adverse weather conditions. Over the course of three days, Justus consistently kept the ball in the fairway (hitting 51 of 54) and gave himself a chance for birdies. “He hit his irons really well,” his father, Scott Justus, said. “He was inside 20 feet on the green (for birdies) all weekend.” During his second round, Justus posted six birdies to offset a double bogey on the front side. At Highland Oaks, the greens are one of the biggest challenges with an undulating feature on most of the putting surfaces, his father said. On the first and third day of the Future Masters, Justus recorded three birdies each day. Up next, Justus will compete in the Notah Begay Junior qualifier July 1-2 at the University of Georgia course in Athens. NIBLETT ■ Continued from 1C for, how he conducts himself, how he carries himself. “This wasn’t an easy transi tion for him - a kid who grew up for 14 years in one place, and all the sudden, you up and move your junior year. The one thing he’s talked about is that he’s felt like he had the best year of his life last year, and he wants to take that to another level. ” With his new team in Gaines ville, the younger Niblett carved out a niche for himself in both roles as a blocker amid a group of much bigger linemen and as a receiver among a group of skill players that featured plenty of speedsters and big-play threats. “My freshman and sopho more year(s at Hoover), I played tight end, but we always had another guy on the team where he was the guy and I was his back-up,” Sky Niblett said. “Last year was my first year where I really got to be a No. 1 (type receiver). I think that helps me coming into this year because I finally have a full year of me getting (a lot of) reps.” He was a particularly depend able target for quarterback Baxter Wright any time the Red Elephants drove inside the red zone, where many of his touch down catches occurred. Now, however, both he and his father are looking for him to branch out more during his senior season this fall. Part of that involves the phys ical part of the game, and to that end, Sky Niblett has worked hard to make his 6-foot frame leaner and faster so that he can move beyond his normal tight end position, be split out wider and run deeper routes. “At the end of last football season, I weighed around 221 (pounds),” Sky Niblett said. “Right now, I’m more around 209. So, I’m just focusing on my speed work right now. “In our offense, you need to be able to have your hand down (on the ground) and be able to be .. up in a two-point stance and also be able to go out wide and go catch the ball.” The other part is the men tal aspect of football, and Sky Niblett is attacking with the same zeal as he uses in remak ing his body. That comes as no surprise to Josh Niblett, who has always known his son to be a good student, not only on the field, but in the classroom, where he carries a 4.0 grade point average. “I think it just reverts back (to the fact) he’s just a conscientious guy,” Josh Niblett said. “He has a plan. He’s not a procrastina tor. He knows what he’s got to get done. He’s going to try to get it done. That’s kind of the way he was growing up - looking for way to get ahead. .. He’s a smart kid, and he studies his tail off, too.” That conscientiousness both on the field and in the class room figures to help Sky Niblett when it comes to college recruit ing, and he already has offers from Reinhardt University and Shorter University, and is also receiving interest from Divi sion I programs at Kennesaw State and Tennessee Tech. But while Sky Niblett’s future looks bright, he’s more focused on the present. “We’re focused on winning (the state championship) this year,” he said. “That’s why I didn’t go to any camps this summer. .. I know those won’t help me. I have to let my play on the field prove to the college scouts that I can actually play .. at the next level.” It’s an approach that Josh Niblett has come to appreciate. “He’s got some different things, but it’s like I told him, I’m just trying to get him to enjoy his senior year because he only gets one,” Josh Niblett said. “We’ll find him a place to go play ball. I’m not worried about that. And I want him to decide where he wants to go because I’m not the one that’s going to be attending that (school). It’s going to be him, so I’m just here to support him. Niblett GOLF Massive purse up for grabs at the Travelers Championship Associated Press Nathan Grube, the tournament director of the Travelers Cham pionship, used to worry about the years when the U.S. Open took place on the West Coast. Many of the world’s top golfers would make a decision to take a break the week following the major or head to Europe to begin preparing for the Open Champion ship, rather than travel across the country to play at TPC River High lands in Connecticut. But this year, in response to LIV Golf, the Travelers was elevated to one of 17 so-called “designated” PGA Tour events, with a much big ger purse and a near mandate for top golfers to play, giving the tour nament the guarantee of a strong field. “I can tell you with certain con fidence that I probably wouldn’t have been here even though I love the tournament so much,” Masters champion Jon Rahm said Tuesday. “With that said, they’ve done a great job making players comfortable. Having a charter flight always makes it a lot easier, maybe not for the best two or three players in the world, but for other people that are high quality play ers as well that come and compete in this event.” This week’s tournament field includes the top eight golfers in the world rankings and 38 of the top 50. Grube and his team have gotten a reputation of pampering golfers in an effort to get them to Connecti cut, including running those free charter flights for players from the Open. Once in the state, there are perks including free laundry and hair cuts for caddies, day care on site, and day trips for spouses and children to amusement parks. This year, the tournament added a cof fee and ice cream bar and lounge on the driving range. Grube said it was in part because of its player-friendly reputation that the Travelers was chosen last fall to be among the first events to win elevated status. “We’ve been auditioning for this for 16 years,” Grube said, a reference to the length of time Travelers has been the event’s title sponsor. ’’And when it came time to go... We showed up.” The designated status means the total purse has increased from $8.3 FRANK FRANKLIN III The Associated Press Jon Rahm hits out of a bunker on the 18th hole during the Travelers Championship golf tournament Pro-Am on Wednesday at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. to $20 million, with the winner tak ing home $3.6 million rather than the just under $1.5 million Xander Schauffele took home last June. The top PGA Tour players are required to play in 16 of the 17 des ignated events. “It almost feels like we’re at the playoffs every time we’re at these elevated events,” Schauffele said during the Traveler’s media day news conference last month.” Thirteen of the 17 designated tournaments, including the four majors, have that status in perpe tuity. The other four events, such as the Travelers, were originally expected to rotate from year to year. Andy Bessette, the executive vice president and chief adminis trative officer for Travelers, said the Connecticut tournament has been in talks to keep its designated status for the foreseeable future.
