Located about two hours north of Atlanta, Blue Ridge Lake in Fannin County and Lake Chatuge in Towns County are standouts when it comes to bream fishing in Georgia's mountainous northern tier of counties. Not only are these mountain reservoirs among the most scenic Georgia lakes, these impoundments have provided me with almost 20 years of outstanding fishing for "pounder" bluegills and redbreast sunfish. Both lakes' bream-fishing reputations stand on these species, but each impoundment holds unique personalities in how and where their biggest bream are found.

GEARING UP
Without doubt, the best bream fishing on these lakes takes place during the spawning season on and between the full moons of May and June. Lesser periods of spawning continues through August.

The beds with the biggest bream are located in deep water, 6 to 15 feet deep. Hence, the key to catching big bluegills and redears during this period is placing the bait -- crickets, red worms and such -- on or near those deep-water spawning beds. Not only do bream feed aggressively during the spawn, but also both males and females aggressively defend their nests, snapping at almost anything that skips and slides toward their staked-out domains.

Put away the bobber-rig you've used for years to catch bream, but keep your 5 1/2-foot ultralight rod handy. Arm it with 4-pound mono­filament, a No. 8 long-shank wire bait hook tied to the mainline, and a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce split shot squeezed onto the line 12 to 18 inches ahead of the hook.

This simple rig provides the "real feel" you need to bounce the bait directly on the bottom near bream beds that are often located on ledges of 45 degrees or more. Let the bait fall on an open spool where you cast it. Once it's on the bottom, work it toward deep water with short, light snaps of the rod executed on a limp line. Don't tight-line the rig.

Following each snap of the rig, make sure the line goes limp, indicating it's on the bottom again. Bites are usually quick, sharp and sudden.

BLUE RIDGE LAKE
Blue Ridge Lake's monster bluegills are overshadowed only by the scenic beauty of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. The 3,300-acre reservoir spreads out for about 4 miles at its lower end. Its upper 8-mile reach is characterized by numerous creek channels and coves that cut into the high hillsides above the deep, narrow and rocky Toccoa River channel.

The lake's cold water prevents an establishment of a baitfish population. Thus, the lake's bass and other predators feed primarily on the small individuals among the lake's sunfish populations. Those that escape get plenty to eat and eventually grow large. There are enough of them to make several late-spring/early-sum­mer fishing trips of the best bream action in Georgia!

Two boating anglers on a bream-fishing outing on Blue Ridge Lake can usually round up 30 to 40 bluegills and redbreasts in the 9- to 12-inch range, and perhaps even bigger! You won't find them gathered in large schools. The biggest fish seem to lie scattered throughout their preferred habitat.