It’s that time of year again! It’s amazing! It’s stupendous! It’s the Jim Ellis Mall of Georgia Spring Fishing Classic with Capt. Mack Farr!See, I knew you would get excited!

Once again Capt. Mack is putting on this great event. If you didn’t go last year, you missed it but this year is even better. Why, might you ask? Well, I’m humble but not humble enough to not tell you it’s because I am speaking there! About what? Well, my favorite topic besides food, spoon fishing. Indeed, I was honored to be asked by Mack to speak and I am also bringing a new boat to the area for you all to look at and purchase! You can also hear speakers like my buddies Capt. Brandon Davis and the big Irishman Terry O’Shaughnessy, along with Capt. Mack. Seriously, if you like to striper and hybrid fish in our lakes, then this is a day and a lot of seminars and vendors that can and will help you catch fish.

Next up is this a small fishing tip for the month. How many of you know Aaron Batson? Aaron is a local tournament angler that is a real threat all the time, but in particular, the fish start to tremble this time of year when the water is cold and muddy! Aaron can truly put together some amazing weights in tournaments when no one else can even catch a minnow. Recently on Lake Sinclair, for instance, Aaron landed a 9.5-pound largemouth bass in a tournament in water so muddy I saw a squirrel burying acorns in it. Aaron fishes a Falcon Bass boat and is a great guy.

His tip for this month is simple and effective:

Slow down. Even if throwing a crank bait. SLOW DOWN! Make multiple casts to the structure you are fishing or the area. Don’t move the bait in quick jerks or at speed. Be careful and purposeful. So again. Slow down and if you think you are slow enough… Slow down some more. Just think of how a bluegill or crawfish is moving in this water. They are slow, they are methodical. They are moving but it isn’t fast. The fish are eating right now. They are getting ready for the spawn. Unlike the common thread on the internet, they are binging. This is one of the best times of the year to catch a monster. So, bundle up, put on good rain gear and get out there.

Now for a quick tip on stripers and hybrids:

Spoons! Look for pods of bait and drop spoons down to them. This is a great method and time of year to catch a bunch. So buy some Capt. Mack Super Spoons, some Flex-It spoons or War Eagle spoons and get out there.

—Outdoors columnist James Pressley can be reached at jameskpressley@gmail.com .