Lake Burton Fishing Report – November 2008

Burton: Level: Full pool. Temp: 68-70 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: More smallmouths have shown up at Burton, a lake where they have never been officially stocked. On Oct. 15, Jeff Blair of Gainesville was fishing with Burton fishing guide Wes Carlton and downlining bluebacks when he caught a 4.0-lb, 19.75-inch-long smallmouth bass. The fish edges out another recent lake-record smallie. “I have caught three or four smallmouths this year,” said Wes. “I’ll tell you, they are a hard-fighting fish. Spots are biting good off the humps and over structure. These fish have been in the 17 to 22 foot range with a few schooling early in the morning. We have been catching a lot of fish and have had several in the 6-lb. range on a Sworming Hornet. November will be a great month with some herring-gorged fat fish.”

Largemouths: This has been the best year for big largemouths, said Wes. “We have had four fish over eight this month alone. Live bait — shiners — have worked the best, but you can catch them on a fluke, too. These fish have been in 16 to 21 feet of water laying on the bottom.”

Brown Trout: “The bluebacks are moving into the creeks,” said biologist Anthony Rabern. “Brown trout up to 4 pounds are showing up in Moccasin Creek next to Lake Burton Trout Hatchery. Anglers can also expect to catch trout near the dam and in Murray Cove on small spinners.” The trout fishing has been a little slow this month with the unseasonal temperatures, although the cold front that pushed through this weekend should turn the fishing on. Wes said, “Saturday we had eight browns 16 to 20 inches long. Sunday we caught 10 in the 14- to 18-inch range on Rooster Tails and small Rapalas. I expect the trout fishing will be on fire for the next couple of months. The larger trout will be found in the mouths of the creeks, especially Dicks Creek.”