Tom Logan introduced Mr. Les Ager as the evening’s guest speaker. Mr. Ager is a Georgia native and fisheries biologist who currently works for The Georgia Department of Natural Resources as a Regional Supervisor for Region 2. Mr. Ager’s topic of discussion was the "Biology of Central Georgia Streams and Rivers and Their Fishing Opportunities".

Mr. Ager began his presentation by describing the many recreational fishing opportunities that exist in Georgia. He indicated that: "That there are big largemouths in all manner of water bodies from our coastal plain river, small ponds, and big reservoirs. Striped bass and hybrids, while mostly in the northern half of the state, get the biggest near our southern border with Florida. North Georgia trout fishing is fast becoming known as one of the east’s best-kept secrets. Big bluegills and shellcrackers are common statewide, with the biggest coming from the myriad of smaller privately managed ponds. Lastly, Georgia’s redbreast bream fishing in any of the small rivers of the southern part of the state, is some of the best stream fishing anywhere."

According to Mr. Ager, excellent fishing opportunities for shoal bass exist on the Flint River. The fishing on the Flint River is an almost perfect combination for the fly fisherman. While the current may be fast and the rock ledges unpredictable and slippery, it is at least shallow and wadeable. The moss covered rocks and shallow grassbeds are rich in insects and small fish, making a rich and varied diet for a diverse fish population.

He added that shoal bass are the most unique inhabitants of the area. While the record keeping organizations continue to recognize them only as redeye bass, biologists have long recognized them as a separate species, distinct from their smaller cousins.

Mr. Ager said that shoal bass are very difficult to distinguish from redeye bass. Unlike their redeye cousins, shoal bass typically lack teeth on their tongues and they don’t have the white margin along the outside edges of their caudal fins, as do redeye’s. They also reach much larger size. Three and four pound fish are common throughout their range and the state and former world record is an eight pound three ounce fish caught from the Flint River in 1977. Shoal bass are found in the Chattahoochee drainage from the Georgia mountains to the southern border of the state. The Flint River contains the most abundant population and they are often called simply, Flint River bass.

Mr. Ager explained that the only difficulty with this great fishery is actually reaching it. Due to the shallow water and rocky shoals, it’s almost impossible to fish from a motor boat and return to the ramp where you launched. Unless you have access across private property, the best way to reach the shoals is floating in by canoe or by kayak from one of the access points available. A kayak allows you the flexibility to approach a shoal from either upstream or down. Except in the swiftest currents, it is relatively easy to paddle one of these sleek craft upstream for several miles if necessary. And once you reach a shoal you can either abandon the banana boat or tow it along behind as you fish.

Mr. Ager stated that shoal bass are "creatures of the rocks". What he means is that they hide under and even in the crack in the rocks that are the basis of the shoals. Don’t overestimate their need for water depth. It’s not unusual to catch lots of shoal bass from water less than a foot deep if there are plenty of crevices or overhanging rocks under and in which they can hide.

Mr. Ager added that almost nothing can top the excitement of fishing for shoal bass with a topwater bug. Deer hair poppers can work well and offer several advantages. Because they are somewhat soft-textured bass may tend to hold on to them a little longer than a hard-bodied bug. Most are offered commercially with weedguards, an attribute lacking on most commercially available hard bugs. Deer hair buds are generally lighter and easier to cast than a comparably sized hard bug. On the negative side, they tend to absorb water over time, especially if you catch a few fish. Within an hour or less, they will no longer be as light on your leader when you cast, nor will they float as high or have the same action in the water.

Mr. Ager’s favorite popping bug is foam-bodied model that he ties himself. It’s tied on a #2 hook and he usually ties in some white hackle feathers or marabou for a tail. Because he ties it himself he can easily add a 20-30 lb. mono weedguard. He generally leaves the body plain white but if you desire you can color it with permanent felt-tipped markers. He likes the finished product to be about 1-1/2 inches long and to have a profile or width of no more than ¾ to 1". This roughly matches the profile of the small shiners and silversides that are an important component of the shoal bass’s diet in the river.

Although it’s difficult, Mr. Ager tries to fish his poppers with the current, generally casting upstream. It takes constant attention, particularly with your line hand after the cast, to maintain good action on the bug and keep a tight line in preparation for a strike. And just as soon as you relax your concentration, you’ll look back to your bug and it will have disappeared in a large boil.

Streamers are often the most effective offering that the fly fisherman can use. And the versatile woolly bugger is really the only streamer you need. A size 6, tied weighted or with a bead head, using crystal chenille for added flash, and some krystal flash with the marabou tail sums up his typical tie. Mr. Ager’s favorite color is all black but he catches plenty of fish on black/chartreuse and root beer patterns too.

He generally fishes a woolly bugger on a sinking tip line and very short leader, no more than 3 feet. He generally casts upstream and fish them with a dead drift behind rocks and shoals as well as along the seams between the faster currents in the runs and slower waters in adjacent pools. If a dead drift doesn’t produce, he will often add just a little bit of action with some short strips as the streamer drifts downstream. Always watch your line carefully since any hesitation or change in angle can indicate a strike.

It’s not unusual for Mr. Ager to fish an entire season for shoal bass on the Flint and never see another fly fisherman. Yet this middle Georgia treasure offers the fly fisherman as much or more than any other fishery in the state.

Access to the Flint- ( A map provided at the meeting by Mr. Ager assisted in this discussion.)

The uppermost public access point is at Flat Shoals road just east of Gay, Georgia. There is no ramp here, just a place off the road shoulder by the bridge where you can unload and launch. Parking is on the road right-of-way. The stretch of river downstream of here is characterized by a lot of bedrock shoals that make for relatively easy wading but is not quite as productive a habitat for shoal bass as that farther downstream. The river drops through this section about 3 feet per mile and this makes for pretty easy canoeing. It’s about 7 miles downstream to the next access.

The next access downstream of Flat Shoals is the boat ramp located at the Highway 18 bridge between Woodbury and Molena. The river downstream of 18 is probably the best fishing per mile of any float on the river. The river falls on average over 7 feet per mile through this section and in addition to some bedrock there is more gravel and boulders than on the previous section. Based on his sampling, this is the most productive section of the river for shoal bass. The only disadvantage to fishing this section is the distance of travel necessary to reach the next access point. It is over 14 miles downstream. In order to make this trip in a single day, you must restrict your fishing to no more than 3-5 hours.

The next access point is Spewrell Bluff State Park and there is an excellent facility here for floaters, a wide sandy beach, good parking and excellent security. This is also the most crowded facility on the river and on pretty weekends parking can be at a premium. The river downstream at this point is very similar to the section above but the gradient is almost 10 feet per mile and the canoeing can be somewhat more treacherous. This is undoubtedly the most popular stretch of river for recreation and the water can be crowded with floaters and fishermen on most pretty weekends. Because of the heavier fishing pressure in this section, larger shoal bass may be somewhat more scarce here than in other sections of the river. It’s only about 6 miles downstream to the next access point.

At the crossing of State Route 36 over the Flint, you will find the only commercial establishment catering to fishermen and other users on the river. Flint River Outdoors has a full service canoe livery and shuttle service and can offer floaters access to the river at points not available to the general public. Jimmy McDaniel is the owner and operator and is very knowledgeable about shoal bass fishing on the river. The river below here is the most treacherous section and should not be attempted during high water by anyone other than an expert canoeist. The river gradient averages over 16 feet per mile. But the shoal bass habitat is great in this area as well. The next public access point is about 6 miles downstream.

There is a public boat ramp adjacent to the bridge in Upson County at Po Biddy Road. The river downstream for about 4 miles is relatively calm with a few shoals made up of boulders and gravel. Snipes Shoals, one of the largest expanses of shoal water on the river, begins about 4 miles downstream of the bridge and continues almost uninterrupted by flat water for the next 2 miles. Beyond this point until the next access downstream, there is almost no shoal habitat, although there are plenty of shoal bass and largemouths in this section. The total trip downriver to the next access is about 14 miles. Because of the distance and time required to get through this section by canoe, it is probably the least floated section on the river. There is access to the lower end of Snipes Shoals by motorboat coming upstream from the boat ramp in Taylor County at the U.S. 80 bridge.

There are two other public access points to the upper river that are relatively unknown. They both can be used by floaters but are actually better suited to the angler who is interested in simply walking in to fish. One is though Spewrell Bluff Public Hunting Area in Meriwether County. The roads are rough enough to require a 4WD, especially if it has recently rained, but there are over three miles of river frontage on this property. Pigeon Creek, which enters the river in the northern tract, is also a good fishing stream for both shoal bass and redbreast sunfish. Beware, though, the remote location and the lack of security could facilitate problems with thieves and vandals.

The other point is through Big Lazer Wildlife Management and Public Fishing Area. There are detailed maps available at the checking station and one road provides access to the river near the mouth of Big Lazer Creek. Hightower Shoals on the main river and the smaller shoals in the creek both provide good wade fishing in this area. In a pinch, this would also serve as a take out point for a short trip downriver from Highway 36.

Below the U.S. 80 bridge in Taylor County, the river is far less rocky and contains no significant shoals big enough to wade in, between here and Lake Blackshear, near Cordele. There are plenty of bass, both shoal and largemouth, but fishing is strictly by boat.

The rocky shoal habitat returns to the river between Blackshear Dam and Lake Chehaw in Albany. The disruption in natural flows caused by the operation of Blackshear Dam can make wading difficult and is damaging to the shoal bass as well. Georgia WRD stocks shoal bass in this section of the river to maintain fishable numbers, but it is not nearly as good as the fishing on the upper or more lower sections.

Below Albany the river becomes more rocky and wadeable shoals can be found, although scarcer and somewhat deeper than on the upper river. Shoal bass are not quite as plentiful in this section, but plenty enough for productive fishing. And unlike the upper river, the abundance of smaller fish is less so the average size of shoalies you catch is greater.

The first access is the Georgia Power Company ramp just below the Chehaw Dam in Albany. The stretch from here down to State Route 82 bridge in Albany is almost all rocks at low water so is accessible only by wading. The second access is called the Marine Corps Ditch ramp and is located on the east side of the river off Radium Springs Road. There is a small shoal just upriver of this access that can be waded.

Punk’s is a private access that charges $3 to launch on the east side just downstream of GPC’s Plant Mitchell. This is a steep, poorly maintained ramp but provides access to a number of shoals upriver that are good shoal bass habitat. Plant Mitchell’s outfall also attracts shoal bass during the winter. Downstream from Punk’s about a mile there are a number of limestone outcrops that provide good shoal bass habitat. They can be waded or fished by boat, but either is difficult. Shoals are abundant as you proceed downstream from this area to within about 5 miles of Newton. The area can be navigated by motorboat if you are either skilled, lucky, or both.

The ramp at Newton is off SR37 on the east side of the river and provides a put in point for some of the prettiest shoals on the entire lower river. Sister Islands, located about 3 miles below Newton, begins a stretch of shoal water that extends off and on for the next 17-18 miles. This is one of the few stretches of river that even the locals find difficult to navigate upstream by motor, during periods of low water.

The next access is a nameless ramp on the west side of the river just downstream from the mouth of Ichawaynotchaway Creek. The shoals that began with Sister Islands continue past this point for a couple of miles. Then the river becomes quite a bit more navigable and some fishermen can make it all the way upriver to this point by bass boat.

For the wading angler, the last set of shoals is just a mile or so above the next access point, on the east side of the river off county line road. Downstream of this point the river is deeper and there are no shoals to wade. Shoal bass are present but largemouth are more numerous.