Wednesday afternoon, 2:40PM. the lake MSL is 823.62 and slowly dropping. I went to Gatewood on the way back from Roswell and watched a man and his grandson launching, it wasn't pretty. The water was at the yellow line and over the next couple of days the odds are that it will be closed. With no significant rain in the forecast, looks like Gatewood is out for this weekend. I talked to the COE and got the Blockhouse ramp, for this weekend (have a club tourney on Saturday then my Sunday Afternoon on Sunday). Bundle up warm and spread the word. I will also call a few folks to get the word out.

Now that what was a pretty afternoon!! light breeze occasionally, air temps in the 60s, Water temps around 51degrees, water on the Etowah side was pretty muddy, but decent in the creeks. The Allatoona side was cleaner. The lake was at 833.68 and dropping (a full 10' above where it should normally be this time of year!). We had a very nice turn out today and I pretty much expected that, I am also very happy to see you guys bringing the young'uns with you, I always enjoy them!
Well here are the numbers: We had 42 paid entries (43 boats including mine), a total of 79 anglers. There were 63 fish brought to the scales for a total weight of 107.84lbs (average of 1.71lbs per fish). Of that number we had 7 largemouth bass including Big Bass (3.99lbs)
Here's how the money paid out:
6th place went to Ricky W. with 3 fish for 5.83lbs and $32
5th place for $65 went to Nick and Zack T. with 3 fish for 6.63lbs
4th place for $110 was Jiles and Rance with 3 fish for 6.95lbs (thanks for doing the blast off!! Good job)
3rd place for $126 was David W. and Kevin with 3 fish for 7.08lbs
2nd place went to Mike and Jake Fitzpatrick with 3 fish for 7.09lbs for $148
1st place for $161 and the side pot of $430 was Wayne I with 3 fish for 9.61lbs, He also had Big Bass with a 3.99lb Largemouth for $215 (Awesome payday for a 4 hour Sunday afternoon!!)
That was a great tournament. I apologize for the scale issues, hopefully we will be getting a new one very soon. In the meanwhile I will try to nurse this one back to health!
We'll see you guys next Sunday, until then don't work too hard and be safe!

Gustafson shares his secret weapon—a ChatterBait JackHammer— during a 2018 FLW Tour event.” (Photo by Charles Waldorf)



Ultimate Tackle Testimonial
Z-Man Retains New Bassmaster Elite Series Star Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson

You might call it the ultimate tackle testimonial.

Long before Jeff “Gussy” Gustafson flashed the Z-Man logo—or cashed a sponsor check from the cutting-edge South Carolina tackle company— the versatile tournament angler was already boating big sacks of bass with7 ChatterBaits and other Z-Man creations, under the radar.

Actually, at the March 2018 FLW Tour event at Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes, Gussy made no secret of the fact he and fellow Ontario angler Chris Johnston wielded identical Z-Man ChatterBait JackHammers to finish 2nd and 1st, respectively. (In truth, Johnston’ tourney-winning ChatterBait came from Gustafson’s personal stash.) At the time, neither angler was sponsored by the company whose lure earned them a cool, collective $155,000.


The lure Gustafson calls the ‘crankbait of grass fishing'.

On the heels of the 2019 season, Gustafson’s first in the Bassmaster Elite Series, Z-Man has legitimized the alliance, inking an endorsement deal with the popular Canadian angler.

“Formally linking up with Z-Man is especially cool because I’ve been friends with these guys and have fished their baits for years,” said Gustafson, while packing for inaugural Elite Series events, two-thousand miles from his Keewatin, Ontario home. “These days, you almost have to fish ElaZtech softbaits and ChatterBaits to stay competitive. Z-Man makes some high-level stuff that helps a lot of guys cash checks.”

“First time I fished with Gussy about five years ago, I immediately knew we needed to have him on the Z-Man team,” said company president, Daniel Nussbaum. “Gussy’s genuine, engaging personality perfectly matches his intense passion for the outdoors. But what also stood out to me was his ability to succeed in tournaments from Ontario all the way to Florida. That level of fishing intuition and versatility is a special gift.”

Beginning almost two decades ago, Gustafson began an incredible run of tournament success, winning the ultra-competitive Kenora Bass International in 2000 and 2008. He also claimed first place at the 2005, 2010, 2011, 2017 and 2018 International Falls Bass Championship and won the Fort Francis Canadian Bass Championship in 2013 and 2014. For the past six seasons, the star Canadian angler has achieved success on the nationwide FLW Tour, claiming numerous top-10 finishes.



“Around 2016, Z-Man confidant Drew Reese, who spends his summers near my home on Lake of the Woods, introduced me to a bait called the Hula StickZ,” recalls Gustafson. Reese, who finished seventh in the very first Bassmaster Classic in 1971, has been called one of the top finesse bass anglers in America.

“I was prefishing a tournament down in Arkansas, and Reese drove a couple hours and met me over on Table Rock Lake. He showed me how to fish the Hula StickZ on a Z-Man Finesse ShroomZ head—basically what we know today as the Ned Rig. At the tournament, I fished behind other boats and caught all kinds of bass in used water; the bait propelled me to a nice 11th place finish. It’s been so good to me all over North America now that I always keep a Hula StickZ rigged up.”

Gussy offers further perspective on the emergence of Z-Man baits among his professional peeps: “Z-Man ElaZtech baits have become big players on the BASS and FLW circuits. The baits are as soft and consistent as some of the best hand-pours. Their durability and buoyancy give me a ton of other advantages, too.


Gussy’s favorite finesse bait, the Z-Man Hula StickZ.

“When I’m chasing smallmouths in Canadian lakes—places full of pike and walleyes—durability is huge. I can catch 40 or 50 bass on a single ElaZtech bait. And the buoyancy of a bait like the StreakZ makes it sit horizontal in the water, so bass see a totally natural presentation.

“Of course, everyone knows about the ChatterBait and its success in tournaments across the country.

Even my buddy Brandon McMillan, who’s a lifelong flipper on Okeechobee, admits the ChatterBait is now the superior presentation; it’s become the crankbait of grass fishing.”

“Working with pros like Gussy who come in with a pre-existing belief in our baits is a dream scenario,” summarizes Nussbaum. “His passion is authentic; it makes him the ideal person to help us spread the word about our baits and to expand our product line even further.”


About Z-Man Fishing Products: Z-Man Fishing Products

Happy New Year! I hope everyone is doing well and had a safe holiday season. The next ABA Division 125 Tournament will be January 19, 2019 launching from Galts Ferry Ramp on Lake Allatoona. On-site registration will begin at 5:30 AM. The mandatory safety meeting will be at 6:30 AM. Tournament launch will take place immediately after the safety meeting at safe light. Launch order will be randomly generated this season so no need to arrive to the ramp too early. Weigh-in for this tournament will be at 3:00 PM.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call Matt West at (404)641-6345 or Keith Ridenhour at (770)241-5475. Also, checkout our local ABA website at www.ABANGeorgia.com or the national website at www.AmericanBassAnglers.com for further information. For the current Division 125, Top 25 point leaders, CLICK HERE.

As a quick reminder, use of the A-rig/umbrella rig is now permitted. Below is the schedule for the remainder of the 2018 - 2019 Division 125 Bass Pro Shops Fishing Tour Season. ALL tournaments will be located on Lake Allatoona launching from Galts Ferry Ramp:

JANUARY 19, 2019

FEBRUARY 16, 2019

MARCH 16, 2019

APRIL 13, 2019

MAY 4 & 5, 2019 (Two-day Championship)


Hope to see you out there!

Matt West
Director, ABA Division 125 Georgia North
American Bass Anglers
(404)641-6345
Mwest48@bellsouth.net
www.ABANGeorgia.com

The lake is definitely back up, like 8' since Thursday night at Midnight!! The Park manager opened both ramps up at Gatewood. He also has the annual launch passes available in case you want one! The weather actually cooperated pretty well with temps steady in the low 50s, overcast and no rain!! Water temps are around 47 degrees, pretty dingy at Gatewood, but much cleaner up the Allatoona Creek side (not sure how far but at least in the Allatoona Pass area). I heard from one source that the further you went back in Stamps, it actually clears up. Nothing reported for the Etowah side but I would imagine the Sweet water Little River area is probably pretty dirty?
We had 28 paid entries with a total 52 anglers. There were only 26 fish weighed in and only 2 largemouth bass out of that. 18 boats did not weigh in today.
here's how the money paid out:
6th place for $21 went to Albert with 3 fish for 3.85lbs (four weeks in a row to be in the money!)
5th place went to Bob A. and Jason with 3 fish for 4.16lbs for $42
4th place for $71 went to Nick and Zack T. with 3 fish for 4.31lbs
3rd place for $84 was Mike M. and Jarrod with 3 fish for 4.76lbs
2nd place was Ken H. and myself with 3 fish for 5.28lbs for $97, we also had Big Bass with a 2.92lb spot for $140
1st place for $105 and the side pot for $290 went to Chuck and Caden Moore with 3 fish for 6.03lbs!! (Great Job!!)

Here's wishing all of you a Happy (and safe) New Years celebration. We will be right back at it again next Sunday if they don't suck the bottom out of the lake!

"SOMETHING A "LITTLE DIFFERENT"

Just put these in my store www.jigs4bass.com flipn/pitchn jigs (stand up head) and $2.99 each!

Mustad, ultra-point , black nickel hook(4\0 in 1\4 oz & 5/0 in the rest.) Constructed with 2X heavy duty wire and round bend.

Available in weights: 1/4, 3/8, 1\2, ¾ & 1 oz.

Wedge shape head to find its way through brush, cables, rocks .. You name it!

Powder painted and baked for durability.

50 strand, all silicone skirt, banded and HAND TIED WITH WIRE!

Trailer keeper and weed guard.

Give them something different to look at! Thanks, Michael

www.jigs4bass.com

Overcast, cool with occasional sprinkles and little to no wind. The water was stained in the main lake with temps around 45 to 46 degrees. Really not a bad afternoon to be on the water!! In fact we had 21 entries again for 35 anglers, I noticed that only a couple of boats left early, but 16 boats weighed fish. We had 46 fish brought to the scales for a total of 91.93lbs (average 2.00lbs per fish), of those we had 8 largemouth weighed in including the Big Bass @ 5.06lbs.
5th place money of $32 went to Ronald H and Ray Nalls with 3 fish for 7.38lbs
4th place was $47 was Ricky Worthey and his compadre with 3 fish for 7.39lbs
3rd place for $63 went to Albert Little with 3 fish for 7.53lbs (nice consistency there, Albert. 3 weeks in the 7lb class)
2nd place at $79 went to Jeff Gravely with 3 fish for 8.95lbs
1st place went to Rick and Danny with 3 fish for 11.77lbs and Big Bass for 5.06lbs!!! Awesome job!! Their winnings were $94 for first, $220 Side-pot, and $105 for Big Bass!!

I would like wish you all a Merry Christmas. I hope and pray that is safe and enjoyable. We will be back out there next Sunday so we will hold the Happy New Year wishes till next weekend!

10% OFF all items now thru Christmas.

http://shallowwatersolutions.com/home
http://shallowwatersolutions.com/contact

St. Croix's Award-Winning Fly Rods Now Available

Mojo Trout’s eleven models cover beginning to advanced fly anglers in any fishing situation

Good trout fishing isn’t too hard to find. Affordable, versatile and smooth-casting fly rods designed for a myriad of trout fishing applications and techniques shouldn’t be either. This line of thinking is the inspiration behind St. Croix’s all-new series of Mojo Trout fly rods.

Now available, the Mojo Trout series consists of 11 new beautiful and dutiful two- and four-piece models ranging from 6’ to 9’ in length and covering the all-important 2-7 trout line weights. The result is a full quiver of premium, high-modulus SCIII graphite fly rods to cover all trout-specific applications - without breaking the bank.







A passionate, lifelong fly fisherman, St. Croix National Accounts Manager Dan Johnston expects the new Mojo Trout rods to be extremely popular with beginning and intermediate anglers, but believes they’ll find homes in the arsenals of fly anglers of all experience levels. “Yeah, they’re that good!” says Johnston. “These are extremely smooth-casting, versatile fly rods that will definitely be appreciated by beginning to mid-level anglers. But their quality components, medium-fast actions, St. Croix Superstar Service warranty and moderate pricing make them an appealing choice for anyone,” he continues, “including seasoned anglers looking to add niche rods to their collections as well as fishing guides.”


MOJO TROUT MODELS

• MT602.2 (6’, 2-Wt, 2 Pc.)
• MT663.2 (6’6”, 3-Wt, 2 Pc.)
• MT703.4 (7’, 3-Wt, 4 Pc.)
• MT793.4 (7’9”, 3-Wt, 4 Pc.)
• MT804.4 (8’, 4-Wt, 4 Pc.)
• MT864.4 (8’6”, 4-Wt, 4 Pc.)
• MT904.4 (9’, 4-Wt, 4 Pc.)
• MT865.4 (8’6”, 5-Wt, 4 Pc.)
• MT905.4 (9’, 5-Wt, 4 Pc.)
• MT906.4 (9’, 6-Wt, 4 Pc.)
• MT907.4 (9’, 7-Wt, 4 Pc.)

MOJO TROUT FEATURES

• Premium, high-modulus SCIII graphite.
• Slim-profile ferrules.
• Kigan Master Hand 3D stripper guides with aluminum-oxide rings and black frames.
• Sea Guide® snake guides with black PVD coating for extra hardness and increased smoothness.
• Uplocking, machined-aluminum reel seat.
• Premium-grade cork handle.
• Kigan hook-keeper.
• Two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish.
• Includes cloth rod sack.
• Smooth and versatile moderate-fast action.
• Designed in Park Falls and handcrafted in Fresnillo, Mexico.
• 5-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.

Renowned outfitter, author, instructor and industry influencer Kelly Galloup has lived on fly fishing’s leading edge for over 40 years and takes a keen and critical interest in any new fly-fishing product. “These new Mojo Trout rods are super light in the hand, true to their weights, look great and cast as smooth as silk,” says Galloup, who doesn’t believe in judging any rod by its price tag. “A rod should be judged by its performance, not by how much it costs. These affordable new Mojo Trout rods will perform favorably against any other rods at any price.”

Galloup drills down on what makes a truly great trout rod. “When it comes to a trout rod, I don’t want one that will cast across the parking lot; I want one that is light in the hand, loads efficiently and casts smoothly without being too slow. That’s all I ask. Mojo Trout does all of this and looks great, too.”

New St. Croix Mojo Trout fly rods will be available through established St. Croix retailers in September 2018 at a retail price of $180-$210.
Learn more at: St. Croix Rods

Thank you sir. I am planning on arriving a littler earlier next sunday.