PROLOGUE: An anonymous Augusta area fisherman years ago decided the upper Savannah River shoals above Augusta would be just the place for smallmouth bass. He caught several of both sexes in a north Georgia lake, transported them alive and released them in that section of the river. A couple of years later, anglers fishing for other species began catching smallmouths, much to their delight. They thought the shoals area was the only section of the river where the fish lived.

THE PRESENT DAY: North Augustan Nick Hobbs has fished the river since he was a kid, but he had never caught a smallmouth, although he had heard of them. “About six months ago, I was determined to catch a smallmouth so I went on the hunt and found them, lots of them, but in an area of the river that can be reached only by kayak,” he said. “Then last month I was fishing for largemouth bass around the 13th Street Bridge and I caught a few more smallmouths. That was surprising because I believed smallmouth were to be found only between North Augusta and the Savannah Rapids Pavillion. I was wrong!”

To read the entire article, please click on https://www.augustachronicle.com/sports/20201022/13-year-old-fisherman-enjoys-lsquosmallmouth-surprisersquo