bank fishing help.

[UrbanAngler]

hey newbie here i love to fish for cats. i moved here from california about 3 years ago and i have not found a place that has good cats. yeah the pay lakes are ok but crowded. i do not have a boat yet so i am fishing from the bank. i live on the border of rockdale and qwinnett county, please tell me some places i can go to at least get some eater size cats.

p.s. I dont eat fish just Catch 'n' release. it does not matter if the lake is the cleanest or not

[jerseycat9]

Heck I guess the chatahoochie down around Atlanta holds some decent fish. I really havent fished any other lake except Lake Lanier. Oh and welcome to Georgia and the BOC Rasheed what part of Cali are ya from? I lived in Sacramento for a few years myself.

[Jighead07]

Hey Rasheed, youmight can try Stone Mtn lake, Im sure it would have catfish. Good luck!

[Slime of the South]

Welcome to the club Rasheed! I run a guide service on West Point Lake one hour south of Atlanta. I'd be more than happy to put you on some catfish. Check out my website. Thanks, Paul

[Jack Herber]

Hey, Ya'll
Welcome to the BOC. I spent 15 years in CA. myself. San bernardino area. I can say I've done my time in hell. Wthout a boat it can be tough for a new transplant but there are a lot of spots where you can bank fish. It sounds like Lake Lanier is your closest body of water. Best bet is to go to Wal Mart and get a hydro map of Lanier from the sporting goods dept. Around $6 to $8 bucks. These maps are really good in that they also show all the roads to get to some of those back areas. Start with the public boat ramps. Many of these are part of the Army Corps. of Engineers "Day Use Areas". The ramps are definitely for launching but with a little care you can usually fit a rod in there some where. The rules state that there is no fishing from the boat rafts - BUT - if you do any night fishing there is usually no one around to complain. Just be ready to move when the launching picks up at dawn.
Another tip. Although it definitely works, don't focus in on chicken livers. Chicken livers pretty much only attract channel cats. Same with stink baits. Invest in some worms and catch some bream. Fresh cut bait will open your catch up to all cats. Wal Mart shrimp also work. Hope this helps. I know it's tough when you're starting up but hang in there. Once you get a few spots you will become a "damn Yankee" (that's a yankee that stays) just like me. You couldn't get me out of Georgia with dynamite.

[UrbanAngler]

i use to live in lancaster california(high desert). i lived there for about 6 years. i was born and raised in new york. Now as for you guys thanks for all the info. i will try to use all of it. You guys are great.

[bradley_G]

seems like a bunch of us California transplants here on the BOC. I was born and raised in sacramento area, and spent 5 years in southern california before I moved here to Georgia. If you are near, I've always spotted below the morgan falls dam as a good spot, just havent gotten around to fishing there. There is a park and they are working to (dont know current status) on remodeling it to actually have a fishing pier. either way you can fish that area from the bank and might find a decent fish up there. I definately agree with Jack on the fresh cut bait vs. chicken liver anyday, and your hands are'nt covered in liver slime.

[Slime of the South]

There are lots of stripers from West Point below that dam in the summertime.