Chattahoochee River Below Buford Dam 1/8/06

[Jhillwrx]

Weather-Sunny w/slight wind
Water-Crystal Clear
People on water-Lots
Number of fish caught-0!

Why does this always happen to me? I think that their is a curse placed on my ability to catch trout. They must not like me. :bang:

[gibby391]

Is Buford Dam the one off Rosewell Road by the power plant?

[Jhillwrx]

No, that one is Morgan Falls Dam.

Dam release info line
404-329-1455

Buford Dam is where lake lanier releases into the tailwater starting the southern decent of the chattahoochee.

Buford Dam info line
770-945-1466

I haven't fished up by Morgan Falls yet. We should go sometime.

[gibby391]

Thanks, hope I didnt highjack your thread. Trying to learn a little more about the Hooch, been going to Blueridge and trying to find some closer places.

[threejack]

i'm the same way, i see you're from senoia, me being from over here in jackson i can be at buford dam in an hour and a half if i don't hit traffic but i have never fished the hooch below the dam. i have fished the upper hooch a few times but not the lower. need to check it out.

[Jhillwrx]

It is fished pretty heavily, but the good thing is that it is always crystal clear up by the dam because it clears up when they are generating.

[Windknot]

Gibby & Threejack - Another resource is a posting under the Chattahoochee River forum, listed as an Announcement. It shows the generating schedule for the current day and next day. You can plan accordingly.

Oh, yeah! The rocks are slicker than owl snot. All the minerals that pass thru from the lake bottom feed some genuine, butt-busting alge that coats the rocks. Be careful.

And PFDs MUST be worn, even if you are only wading. That runs from the dam to Hwy 20.

[NickelCigar]

no curse....just uncooperative fish...I didn't even get a bump all day. I've found that in the winter the trout,mostly hold overs and natives, below the dam will feed in spurts anytime any conditions during the day, they turn on for no apparent reason(to me) and turn off just as quickly. :confused: Pretty much have to be shure your on fish and hit a spurt. Thought Sunday's falling water and warm temps would have been ideal conditions but I was definetly wrong, saw one fish hit top all day, deer were active on Bowmans though. Nice to see the browns are getting some size to them and have fat little bellies. Don't get discouraged, some days are just phenomenal!

[Jhillwrx]

I have a tube and was thinking about bringing it up there to the dam. What is a good place to get out of the water at. I don't want to fly down the riverand not focus on some good holes. What I really want to do is focus on the south end of Bowman's Island.

[speechless]

I was out there later at 3-5 pm and didn't see much action from anyone. I noticed there were a bunch of midges hovering over by the boat landing but no rises at all. I did manage to elicit some strikes by using a small crankbait. I even caught a small rainbow on the crankbait...seems like they're eating minnows rather than the typical nymphs, midges, and dries we throw at them. Threw a roostertail and you could see the trout follow, but never a take. Pretty hard fishing up there!

[merganser]

Jhillwrx, there are several of good places to get out with your tube, it just depends on how far you want to carry it. The bank gets steep in a lot of spots. Where the feeder creeks come in it's pretty easy to get out. There is a feeder that comes in about even with the S. end of the island.

The trail on the west side goes all the way down to the hatchery. Not sure about the trail below the hatchery, but it does pick up again when you get down near 20 Bridge.

[Jhillwrx]

Thanks for the info!

[Chuckwalla]

I fished around Bowman today and had action all day. I got there about an hour after generation stopped. There was a large (for the hooch) midge hatch and little browns jumping everywhere. I tried for about an hour to match the hatch, but only got one on top. As the day got warmer, I saw quite a few caddis coming off and put on a brown emerger and had a taker. The real fun didn't start until I stopped trying to match the hatch and put on a BH Hare's Ear. They loved it. Had good luck with a PT too. Those little browns have awesome colors.

[Jhillwrx]

I agree, the little browns that I have caught around bowmans all have bright red spots. Let me know the next time you are out there and I will try to join you.