Helen Georgia - Trout Fishing
I have been a fishing guide in Helen Georgia for many years, and I give the same tips to every one that I have taken out for a day on the river.
For starters, there are really no secret holes. Essentially trout are everywhere in the Chattahoochee River running through the City of Helen. Now with that said, there are some places along the river that trout tend to congregate more depending on water and air temperatures. On really hot days the trout tend to congregate in the areas of deepest water just before, and just after any rushing or cascading waters. Trout also will tend to swim against even heavy currents in rapids too feed on hot days.
Probably the most important tip I can give anyone is what to use for bait. The real answer is just about everything. There are times that I will go out and trout fish for the entire day, and just use a couple o different spinners all day, this approach is effective some days, and some days, not so much. If I’m out on the river with the intent to catch my limit, which is eight, and bring home enough for a nice big dinner, I will carry a variety of baits. Corn, night crawlers, crickets, and spinners, will almost insure your chances of pinning down something the trout are hungry for.
Like humans, trout eat all through the day, and dependent in part on whet is presented to them. A trout being a opportunistic feeder will often times when presented with an easy meal that appeals it will feed even if not necessarily hungry. So carrying a variety of food choices will almost insure a successful day even with not so favorable conditions.
If I’m really after catching my limit for the day, I will typically start off with night crawlers. Most of the time, this is highly effective along the river that stretches through Helen, Ga. If they don’t hit that, I got next to corn, then crickets, then spinners, in that order.
Having the right gear is a must also. If your serious about getting out here, learning the river, and catching a lot of trout, putting on a set of waders, and being willing to walk the river is a must. Chest high waders will give you safe access to even some of the deepest parts of the river, and to areas one would find very difficult to approach especially just attempting to fish from the shoreline. A trout vest with ample pockets is a must. You need to carry small plastic bait boxes with ample tackle. Staple supplies are a good steel hook type fish stringer, needle nose pliers, and a knife.
Now when fishing through Helen, Ga., the route I always take, is to park at the East side of the bridge next to the Hafbrau Hotel, walk down beside the bridge, and head South downstream as far as you desire to go until either your tired or you catch your limit. Typically even on a decent day, you will have aught your limit by the time you reach the wall behind the Riverbend Hotel, or another option is to park at the parking area next door to the Riverbend Hotel for a all day fee of $2.00, and go South downstream to the bridge at the North Ga. BBQ restaurant.
If you enjoy being outdoors in nature, need a low impact form of great exercise, but aren’t really into getting out into deep rugged forest areas, and being in a area that’s commercial enough to be able to get out of the river after a few hours of fishing and eat a nice lunch on a patio restaurant, then you really need to look at trout fishing in Helen, Ga.
