Posts by Capt. Bert Deener
They’re Not Just Bait! Rendezvous With Shad
Shad, both American and hickory, played a role as an excellent spring protein source in the early days of our country. Native Americans used to stack rocks across small streams in a v-shaped pattern and herd shad toward the point of the “v” to capture them. In today’s culture of refrigeration and ice available on…
Read MoreSavannah River Bassin’ Gets Right In April
The Savannah River chain of lakes has stolen the spotlight in recent years, with the Bassmaster Classic held on Hartwell and frequent stops at Clarks Hill by the B.A.S.S. Elite pros. With all the glamour of the upstream giant lakes, the ribbon of river between Augusta and Savannah is often overlooked by touring pros and…
Read MoreTrolling Hugh Gillis PFA Crappie In March
When Tony Allen told me the night before our early February trip that he had some new “goodies” to try out the next day, I knew I was in for a treat. As owner of A&R Jigs and More, a crap- pie-specialty business in Danville, he has access to some of the top crappie tackle…
Read MoreGuide To Fishing Jigs For Bass
My love affair with lead-headed, rubber or hair-skirted lures known as jigs started in 1987 when my girlfriend at the time gave me a jig-head mold for Christmas. Teresa is now my wife, and hundreds of thousands of jigs later there are times when she wishes she had not given me that original mold due…
Read MoreLow Water Altamaha River Bassin’
The Altamaha River is at record lows, with rarely seen sandbars and rockpiles popping up along its length. There are two primary ways to navigate the river during such low water. The first is to poke around cautiously in small, preferably aluminum, boats and motors, and fish where you can. That is how I typically…
Read MoreLight Tackle For Fall Redfish
“There’s a push. It’s a school of mullet, but maybe some reds are nearby,” Stu Apte of Islamorada, Fla. exclaimed as we quietly rounded a shallow, oyster-shell-laden point still within sight of the launch. I killed the trolling motor and my partners for the day flung flies to the shell-lined bank. My partner astern was…
Read MoreSouth Georgia Gator Hunt
The population rebound of the American alligator is one of the great wildlife stories of my lifetime. I have been applying for a permit since Georgia’s first alligator season and was finally selected for the 2006 season. As I reflect on that awesome hunt I had last year, my excitement level builds in anticipation of…
Read MoreSt. Marys River Panfish
When I think of panfishing on the St. Marys River, my friend Brentz McGhin of Blackshear immediately comes to mind. For years I have seen photos of trip after trip where he caught a mixed bag of panfish from the coffee-colored waters of this border river. The St. Marys River stretches 130 river miles from…
Read MoreCatch Catfish On Georgia PFAs
Georgia’s waters are home to great numbers of catfish, which are popular table fare. However, catfish fisheries still never seem to get their fair share of the limelight like the more glamorous bass, stripers, and crappie fisheries. The good news for Georgia anglers is that nine Public Fishing Areas (PFAs) are dotted around our great…
Read MoreSoutheast Georgia Bream Bonanza
March’s extreme weather typically gives way to a more stable weather pattern and warmer nights in April. In the southeastern part of our state, the stability brings the panfish to the shallows for their first spawn. Whether chasing bluegill, redbreasts, shellcrackers, fliers or warmouth, you can find a lake or river in southeast Georgia where…
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