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Outdoors \g"«JLJI P—i—■ Lake Seminole dying from grass It s been a little while since we had been on Lake Seminole. On our last trip to Seminole we saw where grass has virtually taken over everything except the main river channels and a few creek channels that are deep enough that the grass will not grow to the top and mat over. Now, there are a lot of pros and and cons about the benefits of grass to fishing. Quite hon estly, I feel that grass helps the fish; but, it hurts the fishing. The grass is almost impenetrable with normal boats. You either have to use an air boat or the new grass devils. Short of polling, they are the only way to get about in the grass. The rest of us with normal boats have to fish the edges. The fish population in the lake has really in creased, especially bream and crappie. these species have a lot more hiding places, and can spawn unmolested for the most part. Anglers that love to fish for crappie and bream have been catching some record numbers and sizes over the last couple of years. Even a new bait, at least to us, has come out for crappie and bream. Anglers use grass shrimp to catch the big bream and crappie. Up until re cently, I don't guess that I've heard of shrimp raising in Lake Seminole. While visiting the lake, I talked with my cousin, who lives just around the comer from Wingate’s Lunker Lodge, about the problems the The right knot to keep fish on the line The weakest point of a chain breaks You don't have to be a veteran sailor to tie a usable fishing knot. Just as perfecting certain angling techniques is essential to filling a livewell, knowing what knot to tie and how to tie it takes practice and knowing the basics. First of all, a knot should be tied in 30 seconds or less, the old rule of keeping things simple applies here. If anyone can tie the knot in 30 seconds, it would be classified as simple. Next, the knot should test at least 75 percent of the line strength. A good knot becomes even more essential when you consider that even the best monofilaments lose and average of 15 percent of their strength when wet. It is important to note, however, that quality monofilaments test stronger than the pound test shown on the label. Another rule to follow in knot tying is that the knot you select should be able to work efficiently with small diameter monofilament and cofilament lines. Remember, the old rule of " a chain is only as good as its wetikest link” really applies to knot tying. The strongest line in the world will not hold a fighting fish that is snagged with a lure tied with a bad knot. Finally, when you have tied the knot correctly, wet the line with your lips. It is important to pull every knot tight and the moisture makes the line slip easier and puli tight. You don't want slippage when that lunker decides to give you a fight Many experts recommend using either the improved clinch or Palomar knots. These are simple knots to tie, retain almost 100 per- For those with who can't there is always glue One of the most important aspects of fishing is also the most basic —the ability to tie a knot that will keep your fishing line con nected to your bait long enough to bring a fish to the boat or dock. Knot tying is not as simple as many anglers think. There are dozens of knots for different fishing applications, and regardless of how simple or complex a knot might be, it can weakened when tied Hurricane Tour impressed with H.L.C.C. By VETO F. ROLEY Sports Editor Hurricane Tour players and offi cials were generally impressed by grass was causing the landowners who live around the lake. Up until last year, the Corps of Engineers— who control Lake Seminole—had kept at least the boat runs and some of the shoreline grass sprayed. The Corps also introduced a beetle that was supposed to keep the grass controlled. But, no one knew the beetle couldn't survive cold weather very well. Consequently, all, or most, of the bee tles died the first winter they were in the lake. Now, about all the Corps will do is make a feeble attempt to keep some of the marina canals open. Realizing the astronomical cost of such main tenance and that this type of maintenance is one of the first things to go when budget cuts are made, there has to be something done to save the lake as well as keep some of the grass for fish production. This is where everyone who fishes or lives on the lake, and maybe every fisherman in the state, Improved Clinch Knot This is a good knot for making tarminal-tackle connections and is best used for lines up to 20-pound test. It is a preferred knot by profes sional fishermen and angling au thorities. 1. Pass line through eye of hook, swivel or lure. Double back and make five turns around the stand ing line. Hold coils in place; thread end of line around first loop above the eye, then through big loop as shown. = ==<HP3igQ€).. 2. Hold tag end and standing line while coils are pulled up. Take care that coils are in spiral, not lapping over each other. Slide tight against eye Clip tag end. cent of the line strength, and are perfect for terminal tackle connec tions with line under 20 pound test. They are the preferred knots by pro fessional fishermen and angling au thorities. Palomar Knot This knot is equally as good as the Improved Clinch for terminal tackle connections and is easier to tie, except when using large plugs. It, too, is used by most of the pros. 1 Double about 4 inches of line 3. Pull loop of line far enough to and pass loop through eye. Pass it over hook, swivel or lure. f , | Make sure loop passes completely vl j nJJ over this attachment. ' _. 2. Let hook hang loose and tie overhand knot in doubled line. Avoid t ) 4. Pull both tag end and standing twisting the lines and don’t tighten. line to tighten. Clip tag end. hastily or incorrectly. Even experi enced anglers occasionally lose fish to knot failure. However, for those who are all thumbs when it comes to tying knots or who never got around to reading the Boy Scout manual, there is a solution. The new Lok-Knot® system from Stren Fishing Lines guaran tees that any angler can tie a knot that yields 100 percent of the fish Houston Lake Country Club after the three day Perry Open tourna ment conducted at the club, May 10-12. Help Keep Water Clean And Safe! Recycle, A Small Gift To The Earth! Clinch knot and Palomar knot The most important link be tween an angler and a fish is the knot at the end of his fishing line. No matter what kind of fishing you do, you need the best fishing knot—one that holds fast while putting as little stress on your line as possible. Even the strongest knots can fail if they are tied hastily or improp erly. It's easy to make mistakes when your fingers are cold or the fishing is so hot that you can’t wait long enough to wet a ljne. That's why practice and patience will pay off in the long run. Experts at Stren Fishing Lines recommend two basic knots that are quick and easy to tie under any con ditions. They will work for almost any fishing applications. These are the improved clinch knot and the Palomar knot. The improved clinch knot is an all-purpose classic, giving a reliable hold on lines up to 20-pound test. The Palomar is easy to tie, and has been found by researchers to be sur prisingly strong. Both knots offer similar perfor ing line's rated strength. Lok-Knot is a specially formu lated super adhesive that solves knot tying problems in two ways. First, anglers can apply the adhe sive directly to a knot. Just a drop will reinforce it for fewer knot fail ures and more efficient performance. Or, anglers can eliminate knot tying altogether by using the sys tem's special plastic tubing for making knotless connections. All a The Hurricane Tour follows the Nike Tour, giving players who did not make the cut on Nike Tour events a chance to play, and perhaps should get involved. This grass problem is solely in Lake Seminole now, but it’s just a matter of time before it's in Lake Eufaula and Lake Blacks hear. We saw evidence of the grass slowly creeping up both rivers. On the Flint River arm, the grass is almost to Bainbridge. On the "hootch," grass is well past Ridley's Landing. So just look for it 'cause it's coming. Now is the time to have some kind of control device set in motion —whether it be spraying, lowering the lake in the winter to expose the grass or figuring some commercial value of the grass such as feed for cows or fertilizer. I don’t have any answers, just ideas. And, those ideas may be just as fool hearted as trying to control the grass. I do know Lake Seminole is one of the most beautiful and intriguing lakes I've ever been on, and to see it die a slow death by becoming en trapped in itself is an injustice. The people in and around the area have fought, and are still fight ing, trying to get some relief. I think it's time that everyone get involved. Like I said we don't know the answers. But, maybe some of you who have been involved or have seen other situations like Lake Seminole could offer some advice to the Corps of Engi neers. They might even listen. Until next time ... we've gone fishing. mance and both are favorites of fishing pros. However, the im proved clinch knot is a better knot for large plugs. To tie an improved clinch knot, follow the steps at the left. The il lustration below shows how to tie the Palomar knot. Many other knots exist for spe cific uses and conditions, and Stren offers a free book titled Choosing and. Using Lines and Knots. In addition to step-by-step illus trations, the book offers these sug gestions for maximum knot strength: •Avoid twisting lines when ty ing knots with a doubled line. Keep the lines parallel. •Pull loops slowly. When tight ening coils or loops be sure they pull up in a neat spiral. •Pull all knots tight. Slippage in a loose knot can cut the line and break the knot. For more information about knots, ask your tackle dealer for a copy of Stren Fishing Lines' Choosing and Using Lines and Knots booklet. fisherman has to do is cut a length of tube, insert the line through the tube, around the eye of the hook, bail or terminal tackle and back through the tube. A drop of adhesive into the tube finishes the job, producing a strong, efficient knot. So, if you want to tie knots like the pros, throw away the Boy Scout manual and slip a tube of Lok-Knot into your tackle box. make some money. With the Nike Tour playing in Macon, the Hurri cane Tour set up shop at Houston Lake Country Club. "The course was in good shape," said Dara O'Neil, founder of the Hurricane Tour. "It's a lot more fun than some of the courses we play.” One of the features that makes the course at Houston Lake fun, said O'Neil, was that the course was 500 yards shorter than most courses, giving golfers the oppor tunity to make birdies. "It's exciting for guys to make a lot of birdies," said O'Neil. "It helps them break some scoring bar riers. and build some confidence." Houston times-Journal Saturday, May 14,1994 Houston Times-Journal- The following fishing re port is compiled each week by the Houston Times-Journal. Lake, weather and fishing con ditions are reported by telephone from contacts listed at the end of the report. If you would like additional lakes or rivers listed, please call the newspaper at 987-1823. If you would like a free photo of a catch you are proud of printed in the paper, we will be happy to shoot and publish the photo. SOLUNAR TIMES LUNAR TIMES 1094 M- T. M. longitude 83.44 Latitude 33.38 -May Minor Major .Minor_M.Jgr Sunrise Synjet Moonrlae Moon Up.Mogn.pgw 1 Sun 11:47 05:35 06:00 06:47 08:13 l:3Sa 6:51a 7:17p" 2 Mon 12:15 06:27 12:30 06:51 06:47 08:14 3 Tue 01:02 07:13 01:24 07:36 06:46 08:14 2:43a 8:28a 8:50p 4 fed 01:44 07:54 02:05 08:16 06:45 08:15 3:16a 0:11a 9:33p 5 Thu 02:22 08:33 02:43 08:54 06:44 08:16 3:47a 9:54a 10:15p 6 Fri 02:59 09:09 03:20 09:30 06:43 08:17 4:17a 10:36a 10:56p 7 Sat 03:36 09:46 03:57 10:08 06:42 08:17 4:48a 11:18a 11:39p 8 Sun | 04:14 10:25 04:36 10:47 08:41 08:18 5:21a 12:01p 9 Mon | 04:55 11:06 05:18 11:29 06:40 08:19 5:56a 12:46p 12:23a 10 Tue • 05:39 11:51 06:03 06:40 08:19 6:34a 1:32p 1:09a 11 Wed | 06:27 12:15 06:51 12:39 06:39 08:20 7:15a 2:20p 1:56a 12 Thu | 07:18 01:06 07:43 01:30 06:38 08:21 8:01a 3:09p 2:45a 13 Fri 08:12 01:59 08:36 02:24 06:37 08:22 8:49a 3:59p 3:34a 14 Sat 09:06 02:54 09:31 03:19 06:37 08:22 9:42a 4:48p 4:24a 15 Sun 10:01 03:40 10:26 04:14 06:36 08:23 10:37a 5:38p 5:13a 16 Mon 10:55 04:43 11:20 05:08 06:35 08:24 ll:Ssa 6:27p 6:02a 17 Tue 11:48 05:36 06:00 06:35 08:24 12:34p 7:15p 6:51a 18 Wed 12:14 06:26 12:38 06:50 08:34 08:25 1:35p 8:04p 7:40a 19 Thu 01:01 07:14 01:26 07:38 06:33 08:26 2:38p 8:54p 8:29a 20 Fri 01:47 08:00 02:13 08:26 06:33 08:27 3:42p 9:45p 9:19a 21 Sat 02:33 08:47 03:00 09:13 06:32 08:27 4:49p !0:39p 10:12a 22 Sun | 03:21 09:35 03:49 10:03 06:32 08:28 5:50p 11:37p !l:08a 23 Mon ■ 04:12 10:27 04:42 10:57 06:31 08:29 7:00p 12:06p 24 Tue I 05:08 11:24 05:39 11:55 06:31 08:29 8:19p 12:37a l:08p 25 Wed O 06:10 12:01 06:41 12:25 06:30 08:30 9:24p 1:39a 2:10p 26 Thu ■ 07:14 12:59 07:45 01:30 06:30 08:30 10:24p 2:41a 3:12p 27 Fri ■ 08:20 02:05 08:40 02:34 06:30 08:31 ll:16p 3:42n 4:llp 28 Sat | 09:23 03:09 09:50 03:37 06:29 08:32 4:39a 5:06p 29 Sun 10:22 04:09 10:48 04:35 06:29 08:32 12:01a 5:32a 5:58p 30 Mon 11:16 05:04 11:40 05:28 06:28 08:33 12:41a 8:22a 6:45p -3.l—T»6— ~r 05154 12:05 06:16 06:28 0.8:33 1:16a 7:08a 7:30c Major-2 hours/Mlnor-1 hour Accurate within 1 Minute O “ Full Moon ■ - New Moon | “ Peak activity period of week Times adjusted for DST Solnnar Services, Inc. Rushville, IN 46173 Predictions are from the Georgia Department of Natural Re sources, Southeast Georgia River Fishing Predictions, which is available lor no charge. Copies may obtained by contacting the Georgia DNR at Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Department of Wildlife Resources Division, 2133 U.S. Highway 278 S.E., Social Circle, Ga. 30279. Other publications available from the Georgia DNR are 1994 Georgia Reservoir Fishing Predictions and Small Georgia Lakes Open to Public Fishing. Altamaha River: The Altamaha River is considered a major largemouth bass river among Southeast Georgia anglers. Approximately half of all the sportfishing pressure exerted on the Altamaha is directed towards bass. The largemouth bass population has remained healthy and changed little over the past six years. There fore, bass anglers should encounter a bass population very similar to those in the past. There may be a slight decrease in the number of fish over three pounds; however, look for an increase in the abundance of bass less than a pound. Crappie also receive much deserved attention from Altamaha River anglers. Usually the cooler months of fall and spring are good times to fish for crappie. Lower river oxbows from Highway 84 to the Seaboard Railroad provide the better crappie fishing. The Altamaha River has always been a good catfish river, and with the substantial increase in flathead catfish numbers, it contin ues to improve. Recently, flathead catfish or appaloosa's have re ceived a good bit of attention from the media, and many anglers have started taking advantage of this fantastic fishery. Several cats in the 40-50 pound range were reported in 1993, and the Altamaha River seems poised for a new state record flat head. Remember, any potential state record which currently stands must be caught on sporting tackle. Live baits such as bream, shin ers, worms and crayfish are a must. Most of the bream fishing done on the Altamaha River is for re dear sunfish (shellcrackers) and bluegill. Most anglers fish the still water oxbows for these two species. The redbreast sunfish popula tion continues to decline in the Altamaha River, and the harvest should be down substantially in 1994. Ocmulgee River: Fishing along the Ocmulgee River, south of Highway 280, should be improved in 1994. Sampling results from fall 1993 indicated a good number of large redear sunfish (shellcrackers) present in the river. Anglers reported some nice catches of shellcracker in 1993, and the good fishing should continue into Spring, 1994. A strong year class of bluegill, approximately eight inches in length, will significantly contribute to the harvest. However, the chances of catching a bluegill over a pound should be low in 1994. The prospect for redbreast fishing in 1994 is poor. There is some indication of a slight improvement in the large mouth bass population. The number of bass collected in DNR sam ples has increased annually since 1991., The legal length limit for largemouth bass on the Ocmulgee River is 14 inches, and the number of bass this size should be about the same as previous years. There is, however, an increase in the number of bass two-to-four pounds in size, and fishing success should be better in 1994. The Ocmulgee River provides excellent fishing for catfish. The average flathead catfish will weigh about eight pounds, and fishing can be just as good in the fall and winter as it is in the summer. Most of the people who fish for flatheads look for deep holes to drop live bait into. Oconee River: The Oconee River, south of Dublin, has a good largemouth bass fishery and is comparable to other rivers such as the Altamaha and Ocmulgee. Of the three rivers that comprise the Altamaha system, the Oconee River receives the least amount of bass fishing pressure, Fishing Report , Moon Times Solunar/lunar times accurate within 1 minute SOU): VR/LIINAR TIM EJ? T' ei-i' y Ceorß t a Aren Fishing Forecast Freshwater rivers and lakes Page 7A / ~ / \