COOSA RIVER
The best North Georgia catfishing has to be on the Coosa River from Mayo's Bar Lock and Dam near Rome to Lake Weiss on the Alabama border. Blue, flathead and channel catfish are all native to the river, and there are plenty of them. Thirty-pound fish aren't uncommon, and there are numerous monsters topping 50 pounds swimming in the Coosa's fertile waters.

Shad are the favorite bait on the Coosa. A few throws with a cast net in any of the backwater sloughs should result in plenty of bait. Good anglers fish several rods and mix up their presentation between live bait and cut bait until they find what the fish prefer. Flatheads are the least common of the three species, and if targeting them, it's probably best to lean toward live bait.

Good places to try include creek mouths, outside bends and bluff banks. The section of the river around the Georgia State Route 100 crossing has plenty of these areas. The Coosa has several good access points. Anglers can find them by downloading a free Guide to Fishing the Coosa River map at www.gofishgeorgia.com.

BLUE RIDGE LAKE
Illustrating the diversity of Georgia catfishing, one can't find two more different bodies of water than the one just described, and our next choice. Blue Ridge Lake offers overlooked catfishing for channel cats and flatheads. This deep, rocky 3,290-acre Tennessee Valley Authority reservoir on the Toccoa River near Blue Ridge in Fannin County is more known for walleyes and smallmouth bass than anything with whiskers.

But according to Wildlife Resources Division surveys, a good population of channel catfish and even some large flatheads are out there for anglers to catch. Target fiddler-size channel cats with chicken livers, cut bait or commercial stink bait. For large flatheads, stick with large bream for probing deep ledges and dropoffs.

The WRD working in conjunction with the TVA has also constructed numerous deep-water fish attractors on the lake that should draw catfish along with other species. A map showing their locations can be found at www.gofishgeorgia.com.

LAKE JACKSON
Moving into central Georgia, Lake Jackson is a 4,750-acre Georgia Power Company impoundment located in Jasper, Butts and Newton counties. Catfish are popular with lake regulars, and while there are plenty of the smaller catfish species like bullheads and white catfish, channel catfish are the real attraction. According to WRD surveys, the lake has one of the best populations of large channel cats in central Georgia.

Anglers wanting a stringer of fish for the table should do well with night crawlers or stink bait. Nearly anywhere on the lake should produce some fish. For larger cats, use heavier tackle with cut shad or bream. Target main lake points, dropoffs and channels near where the lake's three main tributaries enter.

ALTAMAHA RIVER
One would be derelict not to talk about Georgia catfishing without mentioning the Altamaha River and flathead catfish. Although several places in Georgia offer good fishing for flatheads, they all pale in comparison to the Altamaha. Over the past decade, every year brings reports of monster fish from this large coastal river.