Lake Burton Fishing Report – June 2007

Burton: Level: Full pool. Temp: 75 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: In June I concentrate on fishing around brushpiles and grassbeds, said Daniel Workman. Early and late there is a good topwater bite over brush and near the grassbeds. Daniel recommends Sammys and Pop-Rs and gives the nod to smaller-profile baits like a Tiny Torpedo. Later in the day a light Carolina rig or Texas rig near grass or brush is a good bet, said Daniel. He fishes the Carolina or Texas rig on a 1/8- or 3/16-oz. weight — and you can still expect to be pulling grass off your rig regularly. Daniel likes a Senko first thing in the morning before switching to a smaller worm, like a V&M Needle Worm for their slender profile, or Zoom Finesse worms. He likes a little contrast in color, like a watermelon/chartreuse or green pumpkin chartreuse. Lizards are always a good choice, too. “I always start with a bigger bait — a 6-inch lizard — then downsize if they don’t want the bigger bait,” he said. Finding brushpiles is the key to catching fish on Burton, said Daniel, and he said nearly every point on the lake will have at least one brushpile on it.

Brown Trout: Water temperatures are rising and the fish are starting to go a bit deeper, but they have not set up in front of the dam, yet, said WRD Fisheries Biologist Anthony Rabern. “The fish should be holding in about the 15- to 20-foot depth, and in the evenings they will come up to feed on bluebacks that are spawning on any rock wall. I’d recommend trolling along any rock wall with a herring imitation.” Early in the day you may find trout back in the coves running herring, too. Anthony said Mocassin Creek is one of the best for holding trout. The fish are running 18- to 20-inches long and are mostly in the 2- to 3-lb. range.

Perch: Yellow perch are beginning to bunch up on their summertime pattern, said Anthony. In June the fish should be about 20 feet deep over rocky bottoms or over weed patches. Look for a rocky bottom on a main-lake point and drop red wigglers, nightcrawlers or crappie minnows.

Walleye: Anthony said the state has put a lot of effort into enhancing the walleye population of the Tugaloo chain of lakes, and those fish populations are growing. Anthony has produced a fishing guide called Walleye Fishing in Georgia to help anglers tap into this growing fishery. “It is a seasonal approach to walleye fishing,” said Anthony. “It will give the beginner some ideas about where to go to find walleye and how to catch them.” The publication is available on the WRD Web site at <www.gofishgeorgia.com>.