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Delayed harvest trout season underway
From staff reports
TownNews Content Exchange
Updated
Georgia anglers can start fishing in five delayed harvest trout
streams.
Special Photo: Georgia DNR/TownNews.com Content Exchange
SOCIAL CIRCLE — As of Nov. 1, Georgia anglers can visit one of five delayed harvest trout streams. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division assures anglers these streams provide exceptional chances to catch some impressive trout.
“Trout fishing is available year-round in Georgia, but there are five special streams that follow delayed harvest regulations to enhance angler success,” WRD Trout Stocking Coordinator John Lee Thompson said. “From Nov. 1 to May 14, these streams operate under catch-and-release rules, and anglers must also use single-hook, artificial lures. These streams are stocked monthly by WRD, alongside partners like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and South Carolina DNR. This approach of regular stocking and catch-and-release ensures great trout catch rates and boosts angler satisfaction.”
Delayed harvest trout streams include the following waterways:
♦ Chattahoochee River from Sope Creek to U.S. Highway 41 (Cobb Parkway);
♦ Toccoa River located on U.S. Forest Service land upstream of Lake Blue Ridge in Fannin County;
♦ Amicalola Creek on the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area;
♦ Smith Creek downstream of Unicoi Lake (Unicoi State Park).
♦ A portion of the Chattooga River (from State Highway 28 upstream to the mouth of Reed Creek) on U.S. Forest Service land bordering South Carolina.
Other Georgia streams offer ample year-round trout fishing.
Trout anglers must possess a current Georgia fishing license and a trout license. By purchasing a license, fishing equipment, or a trout vehicle tag, anglers make a difference in the future of fishing. The Sport Fish Restoration Act and Trout Unlimited license plate funds help WRD manage sport fish populations, raise freshwater fish in hatcheries and stock them in public waters, maintain and operate public fishing areas, and build boat ramps, fishing piers, and more.
Get a fishing license online or find a list of retail license vendors at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, buy it by phone at 1-800-366-2661, or get it through the Go Outdoors Georgia app.
To view the interactive trout fishing map, see trout stocking info, trout fishing tips and more, visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.
State Providing $100M in Disaster Relief to Helene Victims
By Dave Williams
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA — Help is on the way for Georgia farmers and timber producers who suffered losses from Hurricane Helene.
The Georgia State Financing and Reinvestment Commission voted Friday, Nov. 1, to redirect $100 million from a state capital projects fund to provide financial support for farmers affected by the massive storm and debris cleanup for owners of damaged timberland.
“As Georgia’s No. 1 industry continues on the road to recovery from Hurricane Helene, I’m thankful our partners on all levels, including the GSFIC board, are working with us to provide relief to those who put food on our tables and provide the materials that build our communities,” Kemp said following Friday’s vote.
“This measure is the latest we’ve taken to help them rebuild their livelihoods, but it will not be the last. We’ll continue to work with stakeholders on all levels to direct resources and support to the hardworking Georgians devastated by this storm.”
Helene cut a wide swath of destruction through southeast Georgia in late September before heading into the Carolinas. The storm left 34 dead in Georgia and caused catastrophic damage to homes, businesses, crops, and timberland.
A preliminary report from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences estimates agricultural damages from Hurricane Helene will cost the state’s economy at least $6.46 billion, representing the sum of direct crop losses, losses to businesses that support agriculture and forestry, losses to workers in those related industries, and estimated recovery and restoration costs that agricultural businesses will face.
The $6.46 billion impact is more than double the estimated losses caused by Hurricane Michael in 2018, the most devastating storm in recent history at that time.
Of the $100 million approved by the GSFIC board, $75 million will provide disaster relief loans to those in the agriculture industry, while $25 million will go to those in the timber industry.
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