At Lake Walter George, fishing a big spinnerbait on the old river channel ledges can produce lunkers like this one. Photo by Don Baldwin.

When we in the South hear the phrase "bass fishing," most of us doubtless think immediately of the largemouth, which, as the granddaddy species of the black bass, commands the greatest part of the bass-fishing public's attention.

And no wonder: A tough, acrobatic fighter, the magnificent largemouth is prolific, and present throughout the state. Fish in the 5-pound-plus class are relatively plentiful, and it doesn't hurt that the world record 22-pound, 4-ounce largemouth was hooked in Georgia more than 70 years ago -- and that mark still stands. So if this fish is the central focus of our angling attention, that's understandable.

In plenty of Georgia lakes, thousands of anglers ply their skills chasing Ol' Bucketmouth and his close relations every year. But, our river systems also offer some unique angling opportunities. So let's have a look at some of those waters and the fish they hold, and at the techniques needed to catch some of those Peach State bass.

UPPER CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER
The Chattahoochee River is probably the most notable flow in Georgia. Starting in the mountains of northeastern portion of the state, it meanders through the foothills of the Piedmont Plateau to Atlanta, skirts the outer edges of the city and continues south along the Georgia and Alabama border. Eventually the stream combines with the Flint River in the southeastern corner of Georgia to form the Apalachicola River, which courses through Florida to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, "the Hooch" feeds lakes Lanier, West Point, Bartletts Ferry, Goat Rock, Walter George, Andrews and Seminole. While you undoubtedly recognize some of those names as giants in bass fishing, you may not know that the river itself also produces excellent bassin', albeit a variety different from what most anglers are used to.

The Chattahoochee River north of Lake Lanier offers some especially interesting options for bass anglers. Between Helen and Buford, the river winds its way through the foothills before combining with the Chestatee River in Lake Lanier. The river in this section is full of mostly shallow shoals. This swift, clear water is excellent habitat for one of Georgia's native bass species, the shoal bass. This fish occurring naturally only in the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint river basins was not identified as a separate bass species until 1999, before which it was deemed a subspecies of the redeye bass and often referred to as the "Flint River smallmouth." These fish, true to their name, prefer moving water around shoals as their primary habitat. They are also fiercely acrobatic fighters when hooked.

"Shoalies" can be caught on natural bait like worms, crickets, and crayfish, or on a wide selection of spinners and small surface lures. Light spinning gear is the choice of most local anglers, but an increasing number of flyfishermen stalk these bass, particularly during the summer.

Jimmy Harris, of Unicoi Outfitters, describes shoal bass as great alternatives for trout fishermen on the upstream portion of the 'Hooch,' particularly when the weather gets hot during the summer months.