ATLANTA-LONG BRANCH GOOD HUNTING, FISHING AREA

MACON -- The Atlanta-Long Branch Wildlife Area has 4,474 acres of public hunting land in one of Missouri's most productive deer hunting region.

It has a rifle range and excellent fishing for walleye and catfish.

It even has marshes where you can hunt ducks.

There's only one hurdle you have to clear if you'd like to hunt and fish at Atlanta-Long Branch Wildlife Area You have to stop thinking that all Missouri's best outdoor sports action lies south of the Missouri River.

Atlanta-Long Branch area is located at the upper end of Long Branch Lake, two miles west of Atlanta. It's in Macon County, where hunters bagged 433 deer last year. That's the fourth-highest county total in the state. Turkey hunters like Macon County, too. They checked 617 birds last spring, making it the top county in the north-central region and one of the top counties statewide.

The area's strong game populations result from a mix of about 40 percent field and pasture land with 60 percent forest. Because it lies in the midst of thousands of acres of excellent private hunting land, Atlanta-Long Branch is heavily used by hunters. Deer and turkey aren't the area's only claims to fame. Quail hunting at Atlanta-Long Branch has been improving for several years. There's plenty of timber where squirrel hunters will feel at home, and the area has fair rabbit hunting, too.

The upper arms of Long Branch Lake offer waterfowl hunters an excellent place to ply their craft. A boat blind is needed for duck hunting on the lake. Walk-in hunting is possible on three marshes farther up Long Branch Creek and the East Fork of the Little Chaton River. Ducks desert the marshes if hunted all day, so regulations require hunters to quit shooting at 1 p.m. daily.

Long Branch Lake contains largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, walleye, bluegill and carp. Chronic muddiness in the early 1980s resulted in a large population of small crappies and bluegills, but bass fare better. Fisheries District Supervisor Dave Neuswanger says the lake's largemouths aren't numerous, but their size is far above average, and bassing can be excellent if you know where to go.

According to Neuswanger, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built several large brush piles during the lake's construction in the late 1970s. Experienced anglers concentrate on these spots. Other areas worth bassers' notice include large coves with standing timber and old creek channels.

Long Branch's biggest fishing asset is catfish, says Neuswanger. The greatest draw is large channel and blue catfish, which provide good trotline action throughout the year.

Neuswanger says walleye fishing is a sleeper at Long Branch Lake. He says walleye numbers are above average, and a quarter to half of the walleyes in the lake exceed the 18-inch minimum length limit. An experienced angler who knows the lake can catch a limit of four. That may not sound like a lot, but a limit of four 'eyes weighing 2 to 4 pounds makes mighty fine eating.

Fishing at Atlanta-Long Branch isn't confined to Long Branch Lake. Eight ponds scattered around the northern half of the area have been stocked with bass, bluegill and catfish. A few have grass carp to control vegetation.

Details concerning hunting and fishing seasons, limits and other area regulations are contained in the brochure, "Atlanta-Long Branch Wildlife Area," available by writing to: Missouri Department of Conservation, 2500 S. Halliburton, Kirksville, Mo., 63501.