Prime Fishing Spot

Published: 08/30/2008

By Ashley Hungerford
Cherokee Tribune Staff Writer

Fishermen rejoice - Lake Acworth is a prime fishing spot to nab largemouth bass.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Division Fisheries Section conducted a study of the fish community in Lake Acworth, taking samples in December 2007 and May of this year.

John Damer, a fisheries biologist with DNR, coordinated the study.

He found that the lake "supports an exceptional fishery for largemouth bass, as well as providing opportunities for quality crappie, catfish and bream fishing."

The most abundant fish in Lake Acworth are bluegill and largemouth bass, he said.

But the most notable find in the entire study is a 62-pound, flathead catfish that was 39 inches long.

Peter Jezerinac, operations manager for Acworth Parks and Recreation, said the city contacted the DNR to do a study to see if the city needed to have a fish hatchery. He said he doesn't believe the city has conducted a study like this before on Lake Acworth.

"They did the study and found that everything was looking good," he said.

Jezerinac said he's not too surprised by the study results.

"We have a lot of fisherman who come back regularly," he said. "But I had no idea that the largemouth bass was as prominent in the lake."

Of the more than 400 samples the DNR caught, Jezerinac said more than 100 were largemouth bass.

Jeff Albright, the warehouse coordinator with Acworth Power, is a frequent fisherman at Lake Acworth.

Between February and March, he said he goes crappie fishing about four times a week, usually with 14 poles cast from his Ranger bass boat.

Albright said, besides the large catfish, nothing in the study was a big surprise to him. He said most of the regular fishermen at the lake practice a catch and release policy so that the lake remains full of fish.

"If everybody catches them and keeps them, then it will be fished out," he said.

The study also found that the city's management practices of the lake are good for the fishing population.

Gasoline motors are prohibited on the 260-acre lake; only trolling motors can be used. The parks and recreation department also tests the water regularly.

Albright said he likes that only trolling motors are allowed on Lake Acworth. He said he sometimes fishes over at Allatoona Lake, but the fishing is not good when the lake gets full of gas-powered boats.

"We're not going to do a whole lot to change what we do, except we might try to promote fishing on the lake more," Jezerinac said. "We're basically going to just let the lake do what it's supposed to do."

Damer agrees.

"The fishery is in pretty good shape, so why mess with a good thing?" he said.

And with the study, he said DNR now has current data on Lake Acworth.

Damer said the 62-pound catfish was an unusual find for a lake this size.

It was an "exceptional surprise," he said, since the gear they use usually doesn't test catfish that well because catfish are bottom dwellers. Most of the fish they collect are only about seven to eight feet below the surface.

Because they found a good number of decent size catfish, Damer said the lake has a good supply of fish for predator fish, like catfish, to eat.

To test the lake, Damer said they put a mild electric current in the water that attracts the fish. The current knocks the fish out long enough for biologist to weigh and measure them before returning them to the water.

And yes, Damer said all the fish were returned to the lake - including the 62-pound catfish.

"On Lake Acworth, there aren't a lot of boats and the waters stay calm," Albright said. "You can be in no hurry, and it's good fishing."

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