Before heading out on a summer fishing trip, outdoor enthusiasts should head to the Forsyth County Public Library for a free workshop on fishing in Lake Lanier with professional fishing guide Ken Sturdivant, who founded Southern Fishing Schools in 1985 and is well known as a local radio and television personality.
“Ken’s passion for fishing and his enthusiasm for applying technology to the sport will make for an interesting and informative eight-part summer series on fishing for bass, striper, and crappie, as well as how to use sonar equipment to find fish,” says Programming Manager Tracy Walker.
In the first workshop on Saturday, June 2 at 2:00 p.m. at the Post Road Library, Sturdivant and special guest angler Stephen Knight from Striper Steve’s Fishing Charters will discuss the habits of striper and the most effective equipment and techniques for catching them.
“Since stripers move four to seven miles every day looking for food, finding them is the biggest challenge,” explains Sturdivant, who uses Lowrance scanning technology not to simply look straight down to the bottom of the lake, but also to look sideways in the water with a full 180-degree beam that can scan the equivalent of four football fields.
“This technology can ‘see’ the stripers, we can count them and tell exactly where they are. When anglers understand how this technology works, they can spend less time ‘fishing’ and more time ‘catching’.”
Sturdivant’s methods work, as his clients and fellow anglers can attest. Randy Hancock of Woodstock, Georgia, caught a striper in Lake Lanier that weighed 15.52 pounds on four pound test line while on a guided fishing trip with Sturdivant.
“The fish was certified on Georgia Department of Agriculture certified scales at Hammonds Fishing Center and broke a state record,” says Sturdivant.
Each of the free workshops in the Southern Fishing Series covers inside information Sturdivant shares during guided fishing expeditions, but he’ll also help fishing enthusiasts learn how to find up-to-date fishing information and connect with others who love the sport.
“Anglers are always searching for fishing information from books, from the internet, social media and yes, even the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Fishing clubs are another way anglers can learn and advance their skills from the experience of other anglers and even get daily fishing reports,” adds Sturdivant.
The next workshop will be held on Tuesday, June 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cumming Library as Phil Johnson of PJ’S Bass Guide Service joins Sturdivant to talk about fishing for largemouth bass and spotted bass on Lake Lanier. Sessions on fishing for crappie are also scheduled at the Hampton Park and Sharon Forks locations later this summer.
Two workshops on using sonar scanning equipment for fishing, a technique Sturdivant says isn’t widely understood by many consumers and fishing enthusiasts, are also included in the series.
“Our goal for this free series is to offer local anglers the best information and knowledge they can find to save money and enjoy fishing,” says Sturdivant.
Details and dates for each of the workshops in this summer’s Southern Fishing Series is available at www.forsythpl.org. The workshops are intended for adults and admission is free.