The Georgia Bass Slam
 |
| Georgia's Ten Black Bass Species. Photo from GA DNR website. |
To many people not familiar with bass fishing, they may only know of the widespread largemouth, spotted and smallmouth species when it comes to black bass. But there are many more than that - at least 14 known species!
Georgia is lucky to host the largest percentage of black bass species with 10 of the 14. In fact, all but one species (the Guadalupe bass, native to Texas) can be caught by traveling Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Georgia's geography of mountains, piedmont, and coastal plain allow for a very diverse system of waterways, and good habitat for hundreds of freshwater species.
At least four of these black bass species could be caught in the lakes and rivers I knew I'd be fishing in tournaments this year, so I set a goal for myself to complete a 5-fish slam in 2017.
Before I could embark on the mission to get the slam, it was going to take some studying. In my local fishing holes, I'm used to catching largemouth, spots, and the occasional redeye. I knew how to identify those fish, as well as the shoal bass and the smallmouth. Some of the others, however, were quite new to me. The Chattahoochee, Bartram, Altamaha, and Tallapoosa bass are very closely related to the redeye, but it takes some knowledge to know what to look for if you catch one. The DNR website had good descriptions and illustrations, as well as indigenous ranges listed. So, on top of some biology knowledge, a refresher on my state's geography was in order as well. Knowing my river basins, and where the fall line is, were both important factors in determining where to fish for certain species.
 |
| Photo credit: Georgia River Network |
Keep in mind that g. Micropterus do not include the lineside species (striped bass, hybrids, and white bass). If you remember your taxonomy lessons from biology class (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species), you have to go all the way up to the Perciformes Order before linesides and black bass are actually related.
Below is a full rundown of all the black bass species:
Species Found in Georgia
1. Largemouth Bass (Northern Strain, Florida Strain, and hybrids thereof, were not differentiated for purposes of the Slam).
2. Smallmouth Bass
3. Spotted Bass (Alabama and Kentucky strains were not differentiated for purposes of the Slam).
4. Shoal Bass (Native to Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint basin, but introduced to Ocmulgee River as well. Also found in Florida panhandle and a few of Alabama's Chattahoochee tribs)
5. Redeye (aka Coosa) Bass (Found in Coosa River basin above the fall line - GA/AL)
6. Chattahoochee Bass (Found in Chattahoochee Basin above the fall line)
7. Tallapoosa Bass (Found in the Tallapoosa River and its tributaries - GA/AL)
8. Altamaha Bass (Found above the fall line in Oconee, Ocmulgee, and Ogeechee Rivers, and their tributaries)
9. Bartram Bass (Found in the Savannah River basin above the fall line - GA/Upstate SC)
10. Suwannee Bass (Found in several river basins along the GA/FL border, most notably in the Ochlocknee and Withlacoochee Rivers on the Georgia side. More populous in Florida.)
Species Found Outside Georgia
11. Choctaw Bass (Found in Florida panhandle & southern Alabama; possibly also in MS & LA)
12. Cahaba Bass (Found in Alabama's Cahaba Basin)
13. Warrior Bass (Found in Alabama's Black Warrior Basin)
14. Guadalupe Bass (Found in the Texas Hill Country)
The Mission Begins
I knew I could have spotted & largemouth bass crossed off the list quickly. Before I even knew about the DNR's Bass Slam initiative, I had both of those species caught and photographed. The largemouth I sent in for my slam was actually a personal-best at 24" and 7.5 pounds, caught in Lake Varner, on a rainy March morning.
Blue Ridge Lake holds largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass, but the overwhelming majority of fish are spots. They were illegally introduced years ago, and have nearly decimated the smallmouth population. According to a survey, the spot-to-smallmouth ratio is about 20:1. March brought an early-season opportunity to land the elusive Blue Ridge Lake smallmouth at a Peach State Kayak Anglers tournament, but unfortunately I did not catch any fish at all - my first tournament skunk since 2015.
Fortunately, native Alabama spots are abundant in the Coosa basin, and I catch quite a few of those on my trips to the Etowah River and Lake Allatoona.
 |
| An Etowah River Spot |
May through September brings lots of river tournaments to the schedule. Around here, that means ample opportunities to add redeye, shoal, and Chattahoochee bass to the list. July trips to the Soque and Upper Chattahoochee rivers produced lots of shoal bass, but unfortunately no Chattahoochee bass. A tournament on the Lower Etowah gave me a chance to boat a little redeye.
 |
| A Soque River Shoalie |
 |
| Redeye Bass, Lower Etowah River |
The Quest for the Brown Fish
By mid-August, I had four out of the five species needed for the slam. By then, I was bound and determined to finish it with a smallmouth from the Savannah River. A few fellow kayak anglers and I finally got it on the schedule to hit the river on November 4th.
We launched early, and it didn't take long for me to land a few largemouth. I was happy to be catching fish, but it really wasn't the target species. It wasn't until mid-morning when I eddied out and pulled up onto a rock in the middle of a big S-Turn shoal. I was rolling a Nichols Pulsator spinnerbait in Bombshell Shad through the fastest part of the chute when I felt the thump. The little smallie put up a valiant fight, but I was able to hoist him into the kayak and get the requisite photos. My slam was complete!
Later that day I would go on to get a big bonus - A Bartram Bass. I tossed my shaky head into a brushpile in some slack water near a small shoal, and out came this little beauty. I now had six fish in my slam instead of the requisite five! What these little Bartrams lack in size, they make up for in looks. What a cool little fish.
By mid-August, I had four out of the five species needed for the slam. By then, I was bound and determined to finish it with a smallmouth from the Savannah River. A few fellow kayak anglers and I finally got it on the schedule to hit the river on November 4th.
We launched early, and it didn't take long for me to land a few largemouth. I was happy to be catching fish, but it really wasn't the target species. It wasn't until mid-morning when I eddied out and pulled up onto a rock in the middle of a big S-Turn shoal. I was rolling a Nichols Pulsator spinnerbait in Bombshell Shad through the fastest part of the chute when I felt the thump. The little smallie put up a valiant fight, but I was able to hoist him into the kayak and get the requisite photos. My slam was complete!
 |
| Savannah River bronzeback |
 |
| The Nichols Pulsator gets it done |
Later that day I would go on to get a big bonus - A Bartram Bass. I tossed my shaky head into a brushpile in some slack water near a small shoal, and out came this little beauty. I now had six fish in my slam instead of the requisite five! What these little Bartrams lack in size, they make up for in looks. What a cool little fish.
 |
| The Bartram Bass |
Looking back, the Georgia Bass Slam was a very rewarding accomplishment. It forced me to explore new waters in my own state, and in the process I got to fish with some new friends as well as old. In fact, it was so rewarding that I'm going for a repeat in 2018 - except with all ten species. And I won't be the only one. Stay tuned...
...Tight lines, y'all!
No comments:
Post a Comment