So you decided to go fishing on Thurmond Lake this morning, heading to a favorite spot up the lake, but upon arrival you note some "No Fishing" signs posted around the area on buoys. What's going on?

That scenario might not ever take place on our lake, but legislation permitting off-limits zones in fresh and salt water is being drawn up as you read this.

Last June 12, President Obama created an Interagency Oceans Task Force with the objective of establishing a national policy to govern the management and use of our oceans, coastal waters and Great Lakes. It marks the first time that fresh water systems like the Great Lakes have been included in the context of "spatial zoning," according to a story written by Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) staffers.

Some months ago, representatives of recreational fishing met with members of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the lead federal agency. Recreational fishing interests provided detailed input, but when the CEQ issued its interim report, none of their comments were included.

Recreational fishing in which some 60 million Americans participate provides thousands of jobs and stimulates the economy annually to the tune of billions of dollars. There also doesn't seem to be any congressional oversight on this legislation, either.

It's time for all fishermen to renounce their "membership" in the Silent Majority and speak out.

"Now is the time (for all anglers) to step up and ensure that recreational fishing has its rightful place in the policy process," said Gordon Robertson, vice president of the American Sportfishing Association.

You can send that message to the CEQ and members of Congress by going to www.keep americafishing.org and following instructions. Or, you can contact the Congressmen and senators who represent Georgia and South Carolina.

THURMOND LAKE

Capt. David Willard, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed full-time professional fishing guide specializing in hybrids and stripers and trophy largemouth bass. (Boat phone: (706) 214-0236. (803) 637-6379 (www.crockett rocketstriperfishing.com) -- Water temperature is 70 degrees and the lake is slightly stained as this last rain brought the lake to less than 2 feet below normal pool. Also, the lake has completed the fall turnover, bringing up some bottom material that has added to the turbidity. These are a couple of factors that caused the fish to scatter this week and caused surface action to diminish, at least temporarily. We are still having some great fall days and catching lots of fish. We've just had to work a little harder. Most of our fish came on downlines and the surface schools -- what few there were -- were moving fast. George Atkins brought up a group of family members who slaughtered the fish. Most of their fish came in 24 to 30 feet of water on live herring. Their timing was perfect, limiting out right before the rains. Catching fish were three generations of Atkinses: Dr. Jim, who was fishing in the rain at 90 years of age; George, Jim Jr., Tom, Ben and Andy. Mike Taylor, Corey Geisler, Mo Levesque and Wayne Weatherington, all from Augusta, caught a nice mess of fish on Wednesday. The fish were scattered compared to what they had been and we had to pick them off one at a time. Their patience and skill were appreciated by the guide and they turned what normally would have been a slow day into a decent day. This weekend should be good if you don't mind a little rain.

Check out my Web site for some recent catches.

Ralph Barbee Jr., professional guide, (706) 860-7373 -- I caught 10 bass earlier this week on a Little Earl crankbait. One bass weighed close to 7 pounds and the rest were all small. Danny Sheehan and I fished on Wednesday and caught five bass. I used a small Japanese-made jerk bait called a Ito Vision Ho High Floater. Danny caught two of the bass on a shallow-running crank bait. I caught three bass on Thursday all on the Little Earl. Mike Tyler joined me for a late afternoon of fishing. My new show features Capt. Mack of umbrella rig fame, fishing in Lake Lanier for striped bass. It airs Saturdays at 11 a.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Stations are Comcast Ch. 21, Knology Ch. 7, G-Force, Ch. 7 (Aiken), Northland Ch. 9 Statesboro-Swainsboro) and Ft. Gordon Ch. 9. You must have a special box from Comcast to view my show. The box is free.

Capt. William Sasser, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in crappies, hybrids and striped bass. (706) 589-5468 -- William and Teresa Powell, of Martinez, caught their limit and mine in about 40 minutes. The catch was composed of 3-pound hybrids. After that, we fished for catfish, but didn't catch any. Jerry Thomas and his sons, Eddie and Kenny, and Jerry's grandsons, Ford, 8, Bryson, 5, and Elizabeth, 5, all of Chesnee, S.C. braved a cold, windblown morning and caught 30 nice fish. A group representing Sherwin-Williams including Eric Clark, of Martinez; Jason Wren, of Martinez; Tim Geisler, of Grovetown, and David Jewusiak, of Charleston, S.C., fished with me. We wound up with 56 fish between the two boats. Check out my Web site at www.williamsasser fishing.com.

Capt. Tommy Dudley, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in stripers and hybrids. (706) 833-4807 -- I took my mother on a ride into the mountains so she could enjoy the colorful leaf changes. Earlier, we had four boats out to accommodate a large party and all of us limited out. Richard Butler, Jay Leatherman and Buddy Edge were the other guides involved. Most of my fish are coming from 20 to 40 feet down.

My VHF radio handle is Boat Racer and I can be reached on Channel 68. My Web site is www.fishlakethurmond.com.

Albert Moody, Clark Hill Herring Hut, Clarks Hill, S.C. (864) 333-2000 -- Gilbert Sheppard caught 27 shellcrackers and bream in the river. The fish weighed a half-pound to a pound. One half-pound yellow perch also was caught. The fish bit worms.

SAVANNAH RIVER

NEW SAVANNAH BLUFF LOCK & DAM

Lock and Dam Bait and Tackle (Bob Baurle, Billy Hambrick), (706) 496-1173 -- Crappie fishing is red hot at the mouth of Butler's Creek and the river. Largemouth bass also are hot upriver. One man brought in blue catfish weighing 10, 6 and 5 pounds. Bream are biting crickets.

MERRY LAND BRICKYARD PONDS

Harrison Sears (706) 722-8263 (www.brickyardponds.com) -- Robert Hughes caught a 5.02-pound bass in the Membership Pond on a crank bait. He is leading our big fish of the month contest. Frankie Franklin caught 12 catfish in the Bradford Pond on nightcrawlers. Wallace Burns caught 20 catfish in the Bradford Pond on chicken livers. Ralph Oglesby caught nine crappies on minnows in the White Elephant Pond. No license is needed to fish in our ponds.

SAVANNAH

Miss Judy Charters, Capt. Judy Helmey, (912) 897-4921 (www.missjudycharters.com.) P.O. Box 30771, Savannah, Ga. 31410-0771 -- Fish are where you find them, even in unexpected places. Capt. Ray Crawley was riding out to his fishing area when he saw birds feeding at the mouth of a slough. He stopped and started casting Strike King fluke in "baby bass" colors on a quarter-ounce jig head, catching some nice spotted sea trout in less than 30 minutes. So you can see it pays to be a birdwatcher.