Been meaning to post on the hooch for a while, so will mix in a couple of separate reports:

Stripers: they've been in the river for the better part of a month now; hearing about quite a few caught at morgan falls; haven't been much further below there but i assume they're in the usual runs from I-285 to Rt 41. Will try to get out this weekend and post with results. Have caught a few small ones at morgan and several decent long but thin brown trout. The stripes are almost always grouped in the one or two running outflows below the dam, and they get hammered pretty hard during the day, so first in when the gate opens is the best bet. Check the corps website for flow-- if they're generating power don't bother.

Trout: The river is PACKED with stocked fish from Buford Dam down to jones br at least. We did a canoe trip from the dam to settles bridge 2 weeks ago and caught a couple of dozen....mostly beautiful little 8-12 in browns, which surprised me. Saw literally hundreds of fish-- the morning is best, and they were hitting small rapalas, rooster tails and little spoons (gold phoebes). In the afternoon, the same lure requires 10 times the casting to get a hit; slow, erratic, anything to get the followers to commit. I like cussing at them until they get angry. The dam store rents kayaks or canoes pretty cheap with drop off and pickup included-- canoe, float, or kayak are the best way to access the places that don't get cleaned out by wading fishermen.

They're running power nearly all the time during the week, but usually stop on the weekends, so sunday is probably best for everything to be settled and the bite to be more predictable. For fly fishing: I'd generally stick with wooly buggers and other streamers for numbers, but lots of surface action in later afternoon, so dry flies (adams, caddis, or other searching patterns) ought to also produce. Some of the groups of fish would probably fight over any hare's ear or pheasant tail drifted thru them, too. I love trout fishing....often wish these durn stripers hadn't ruined me......

I often wonder why you speak so highly of bait! I have my river boat ready to give it a try pretty soon. I saw a youtube video of some guys on the river below morgan falls catching nices stripes. Do you know if I can launch a little boat and come up to the dam there? I have a little bomber boat with a 35 on it. I just don't know of a ramp to launch at.

There is a boat ramp at Morgan Falls. If you want to catch "bait", Jone Bridge (Fulton), Abbotts Bridge, Medlock Bridge have ramps. Of course, at Buford Dam (Island Ford?). Last year someone caught a 16lb brown trout somewhere in that stretch of water between Medlock Bridge and Rogers Bridge.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/20763302/detail.html

where is the ramp at morgan falls? I do not know where it is.

I thought there was a boat ramp at the end of the parking lot, but things may have changed. It may be a canoe launch now.

South of Morgan Falls Dam the river is accessible by boat at Morgan Falls Park, Johnson Ferry, Powers Island and Paces Mill.

http://www.nps.gov/archive/chat/boating.htm

Actually if you look at the NPS map, the only park bellow Morgan Falls with a boat ramp is Morgan Falls. The other parks show canoe launch icons and Morgan Falls shows a boat ramp icon.

http://home.nps.gov/applications/parks/chat/ppMaps/UPDATED%20Chat%20Map.pdf


I haven't been down there in a long time, so I'm not sure what the story is now

Johnson's Ferry looks like it has a boat launch on Google Maps.

I will go over there and see. looks like those ramps are pretty good.I have not been to morganfalls in a long time. Did go to abbotts bridge and go upstream a mile or so over the weekend. the water was pretty stained but we did get a few bites. Thanks for the maps Kepler!

sorry-- been traveling.
the launch at morgan falls is paved and can be used to launch a river or john boat, but it takes practice and more than one person--- the current is strong, so when you launch the whole thing wants to go downstream, trailer and all. Even in a canoe you have to be ready to paddle right way. The stripers are up in the current where the water's being released, on the right side of the dam in the pix above.
also-- for o/b motors, there's plenty of rocks around so be careful. i've seen guys in there with bass boats, but never watched how they launched.

the wide area above the dam-- bull sluice lake-- is supposed to be a good place for monster trout; but i'm not sure how deep or cold the water's been lately. at one time i've heard of walleyes being in there; worms and minnows being the bait of choice, apparently.

the only place to launch for that area is probably upstream at azalea park. plenty of water for o/b's in that stretch of the river. once i get my other trolling motor fixed and mounted to my canoe, that's when i'll give bull sluice a shot..... no way i'm going to paddle back up to the ramp from there!