Memorial Day is almost here, and we want to honor and remember the heroes that died protecting our country.  We hope you get to spend part of your weekend time on the water giving thanks for that freedom!

NEWS TO KNOW

This week, we have some stellar fishing reports from Central, Southeast and North Georgia. We are thankful that you Go Fish Georgia!  

CENTRAL GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Hunter Roop, Fisheries Biologist and Region Supervisor for Central Georgia with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts) 

This Memorial Day weekend is shaping up to be one to truly remember, if you’re into memory making (which, all anglers are). While we’re honoring our nation’s fallen heroes and those that have served or currently serve this great country, we can also create new memories with friends, family, and loved ones by getting outside, firing the grill up, and hopefully setting up shop close to a favorite fishing spot. Don’t let the current 40% chance of rain forecast put a damper on your weekend plans, because central Georgia’s reservoirs are full, the rivers are low and fishable, and there are few better times of the year to pursue the wide array of species available here in Georgia’s Piedmont region. We’ve got some fresh intel from a few new faces, some old reliable ones, and we’re excited to help you increase your chances of successful memory making this Memorial Day weekend.

RESERVOIR REPORT

Reservoir reports below are courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing report and other contributions by WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 70’S

Bass fishing is good. Downsizing all the baits and even the line sizes will be the key during the warmer months. Smaller crank baits like the #5 Shad Raps, small Flukes and small framed spinner baits will take the fish. As the water temperature gets warmer, the bass will become less active and hold a little tighter to cover. Any form of wood will be a good place to locate bass during the day. Rocky points and steep rocky banks are excellent places to catch spotted bass during the dark of the night. All black spinner baits and dark crank baits will be best after the sun sets. Look on points in the creeks and the docks that are close and use the Lowrance Structure Scan to find the schools of fish. Flipping worms or jigs around and in heavy brush can draw a strike. The gourd green u tail Zoom worms on a Texas rig is fair just fish these baits slowly. Add scent using Jack’s Juice in the garlic flavor and work the lures in the same locations often. Most crank baits are slow but up the river use the 3/8-ounce Hildebrandt spinner bait with all silver blades and slow this bait on the wood on the banks.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70’S

Oconee Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Many bass are in the summer areas in the ditches. Red Eye Shad crank baits and Shad Raps are excellent baits to use. Spinner baits, worms and lizards are catching the fish and live bull head minnows around docks and blow downs will get a big bite. Look on points in the creeks and the docks that are close and use the Lowrance Structure Scan to find the schools of fish. Flipping worms or jigs around and in heavy brush can draw a strike. The gourd green u tail Zoom worms on a Texas rig is fair just fish these baits slowly. Add scent using Jack’s Juice in the garlic flavor and work the lures in the same locations often. Most crank baits are slow but up the river use the 3/8-ounce Hildebrandt spinner bait with all silver blades and slow this bait on the wood on the banks. Shad Raps in the #7 size in shad color right on the banks cover later each day can draw strikes. The Strike King spinner baits are working as well.

Flathead Catfish caught on Oconee.

Claude Spires with a 55 lb+ flathead from Oconee.

Flathead Catfish.

Claude Spires Lake Oconee Flathead Catfish Catch.

Lake Oconee Crappie.

Tip: Crappie are being caught on Oconee while suspended in brush.

Oconee Crappie: (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Jamie Dowd): Anglers are catching crappie suspended over brush. Jig color seems less important than placement, which should be just above those suspended schools. Look for crappie to move deeper into the creek mouths as the summer heat really turns on.

Oconee Catfish: Oconee angler Claude Spires once held the lake record for his 45 lb, 12 oz flathead that was caught back in April of 2013. He was on the hunt to reclaim his title once again this late spring when he landed this 55 lb, 14 oz monster on cut bait. Though he was just under 7 lb shy of breaking the lake record with this impressive catch, it was certainly enough to earn him a Georgia Angler Award. Congrats to a fine flathead hunter and continue the mission, Mr. Spires!

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 80’S

The lake is full, and the first stage of bedding bass has begun. Anglers are still holding to their spinnerbaits in the backs of creeks and pockets. The Husky Jerks and flukes are catching the bass out on the points and midway back in the creeks. Long casts and a varied retrieve seem to be the favorite way to work these baits this week. The first stage of spawning blue backs is over, so they are on the prowl off the shallower rocky points and banks in search for food. Now is a good time to sharpen those hooks on the Chug Bugs and start throwing the top water baits. Start off slow with the retrieve and watch for any signs of the sea gulls working the water. This might occur out in the deeper water and don’t hesitate to make a cast there. For those sight fishermen, go to the backs of coves and the large flats to find bass on bed. Find a big 10-inch lizard in the tackle box and throw it right past the bed and slowly bring it in the middle. Patience will be the key here. Let it rest and stay still for a few moments before moving or shaking the bait. The bigger the bait the better. Several attempts may be necessary before they strike. For those crank bait fishermen, the Shad Raps in the balsa wood and suspending models is still a good choice. Also try lipless cranks like the Rattlin Raps. There are still a lot of bass staging up to go on bed as well as a good many males waiting and hanging around off the points. Keep the Shad Raps just off the bottom and keep them moving.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 70’S

Sinclair Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Use a small all black buzz baits on the sea walls early. Bass then head to the deeper waters off the deep points and it’s best to stay on the lower lake in the creeks. Use the 1/2-ounce Stanley spinner bait with large silver willow leaf blades. Slow roll this lure on the points and use a single Colorado blade and a chartreuse and white skirt. Also, up lake, work this same lure on thick bank cover. The Zoom blue pumpkin lizard on a Texas rig has been fair on deep docks and points. Add a glass rattle in the lizard. Afternoons are better as the water warms up. Later each day, use a trick worm in greens and cast around docks down lake and let it sink out of sight. Also, a dark Bulldog Rattle Back jig in black or browns and a crawfish Uncle Josh trailer, in matching colors can get strikes, but fish the baits slowly.

Side Scan Sonar on Sinclair.

Side Scan Sonar on Sinclair.

Striped Bass on Lake Sinclair.

Striper Catching on Sinclair with Dillon Greeson Fishing.

Lake Sinclair Striped Bass.

Striper Catching on Sinclair with Dillon Greeson Fishing.

Sinclair Linesides (courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing): Dillan reports that the water temperatures on Sinclair are still in the mid-to-upper 70s this week. He’s still marking the linesides at a variety of depths, but mostly in the 15’ – 30’ range in the creek mouths and main lake points. Downlines and flatlines with threadfin shad and gizzard shad are producing the bites. Trolling artificials like the mini Mack or Captain Mack’s u-rig on points is also an effective way to cover more water when the bait are scattered.

LAKE JACKSON IS 1.1 FEET OVER FULL, 80’S

Jackson Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Some fish are active early and late. Fish the docks and channel ledges with anything that resembles a crawfish. Start of the morning with the crawfish crank bait. Rapala DT10 or the Fat Rap in the brown crawdad and the smaller number five size for best results. While cranking the channel ledges use the Rapala OG8 crank baits on the docks and shallow water. Perch and shad are great colors and it’s just about time for these fish to be in the shallows again soon. Later on in the day if the boat traffic will allow, move out and throw a Texas rig and a small 4 inch worm in the green pumpkin or pumpkin seed color. Added scent will help the bass to hold on to the bait a little longer so use it often. Use some JJ’s Magic on the tail of any soft plastic in the chartreuse color.

RIVER REPORT 

Ocmulgee River Shoal Bass.

Shoal Bass Sample from Ocmulgee River.

Bowfin from Ocmulgee River.

Good numbers of bowfin and shoal bass seen during sampling.

Ocmulgee River Discharge Levels.

Viewing River Levels for Ocmulgee.

Ocmulgee River: WRD staff sampled the Ocmulgee River this week and saw good numbers of shoal bass and even some nice mudfish, among other popular targets. River flows are relatively low, and water is stained—these are great conditions for targeting Georgia’s Riverine Sportfish during the best annual window for shoal bass fishing on the Ocmulgee. The ongoing cicada hatch should induce bites on topwater poppers and dry flies for those seeking the ultimate hookup, although swimbaits and spinnerbaits will also be effective this time of year. We recommend homing in on the shoals from Hwy 16 and Wise Creek to increase your chances of success.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT 

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Amory Cook; More Info HERE)

Anglers are reporting success catching catfish from the bank to the left of the fishing pier and from the headwall of the dam. The crappie bite is fair early in the morning. Bream continue to be caught most frequently from the fishing pier but also by boaters targeting shallow waters with attractors.  Here’s a list of successful tactics for each of the following species/groups:

Bass: Crankbaits and Carolina-rigged soft plastics are good producers. Target fish attractors in depths of 8 – 10 feet of water for success on post-spawn bass. Live minnows also reported effective. 

Bream: As usual, live bait is the best go-to, and red wigglers or crickets are producing some nice bream. 

Channel Catfish: The last anglers to report catches were using chicken livers, live baitfish, and cut baitfish.  

Crappie: Live minnows are the ticket right now. Set your bobber about 4 ft over your minnow and slowly retrieve from shore.

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of McDuffie PFA Manager Chalisa Fabillar; More Info HERE) 

Largemouth Bass from McDuffie PFA.

Kyle Reece with a Largemouth Bass catch at McDuffie PFA.

Largemouth Bass from McDuffie PFA.

Largemouth Bass from McDuffie PFA.

Waters are still warming up and bass are becoming more mobile as the days grow longer. In the shaded shorelines of morning, look for largemouth lurking in the cool shallows. Look for bass cruising the bream beds, which have been active recently thanks to the full moon. Bream beds can be found in about 4-5 ft of water and will look like sand bowls. They are great for both bass and bream anglers. For bass fishing near the beds, use swimming lures, spinnerbaits, and creature baits sunk on light weights. Anything that resembles a small fish and/or creature could entice a bite. For the bream, live baits such as crickets and worms are solid and trusted baits. Sink the baits about 2/3 of the way down the water column. Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed on our PFA’s!

As the summer days wear on and the sun warms the surface waters, the ponds will stratify more strongly, and the bass can be expected to move into cooler, deeper water. While the upper area of Bridge Lake isn’t as deep as the lower area near Bream Buster, there is a constant flow of cool water to attract bass seeking a respite from the summer heat. There is also enough structure to provide habitat for some forage fish. Willow Lake is always a solid choice for bass fishing. There are several brush piles and structures in the deeper waters closest to the dam between Rodbender and Willow. Recent advice from area anglers: “Be creative and be flexible. Bring a few different lures and try each one a few times. If they aren’t producing, move on until you find a winner.”

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

  • Water Level: All ponds and lakes are full.
  • Water Clarity: Most ponds have 20” visibility.  However, Fox is clearer and has a visibility near 3’.  Heavy rainfall will reduce visibilities.
  • Surface Temp: 72 – 84 degrees.
  • Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass:  The warm temperatures have pushed the bass back out to deeper water—a typical pattern for a warm May like we’ve experienced so far. However, we are still seeing a few bass harvested from 6-10’ water.  The shad spawn is in full swing so take advantage of the first half of May.  Early morning shad schools create a bass feeding frenzy. 

Crappie:  The crappie bite has slowed but several anglers have picked up a few fishing from the bank at daylight.  Boaters seem to do well fishing over deep brush piles.  As always, jigs and minnows are the best bait. 

Bream:   The bluegill bite is hot right now.  The usual pink worms and wax worms are the ticket. You may pick up a few shellcracker as well. 

Hybrid Bass: Look for shad schooling early morning and late afternoon.  Put your bait right in the school and hold on. Hybrid bass pack a punch. 

Channel catfish: Catfish should be bedding now. Fox Lake along the rip rap are good targets this time of year. Cut baits like livers and hearts, or nightcrawlers patiently fished along the bottom will produce.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Capt. Bert Deener, Retired Georgia WRD Region Supervisor, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

Fishing has been great in the flatwaters of southeast Georgia this week. Our rivers are mostly still high, but we have a dry forecast for the next week. I hope you have a great holiday weekend and are able to work some fishing into your plans.

River gages on May 23rd were:

  • Clyo on the Savannah River – 11.1 feet and falling
  • Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 6.5 feet and falling
  • Doctortown on the Altamaha – 9.4 feet and rising
  • Waycross on the Satilla – 16.4 feet and falling (record high for the date)
  • Atkinson on the Satilla – 14.3 feet and rising
  • Statenville on the Alapaha – 20.7 feet and rising (record high for the date)
  • Macclenny on the St Marys – 4.2 feet and falling
  • Fargo on the Suwannee – 11.1 feet and cresting (record high for the date)

Last quarter moon is May 30th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

Altamaha River shellcrackers.

Taylor Lee caught these giant shellcrackers on the Altamaha River this week.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

Taylor Lee had a great day on the river this week. He had several shellcrackers, including a couple monsters on crickets. The biggest was about 1.7 pounds. The river is high but fishable in the backwaters. Find places where the water is not flowing through the woods for your best chance at some fish. Bass or bluegills and shellcrackers are what I would target this weekend.

SATILLA RIVER

Nope….it’s in the floodplain and rolling! Please don’t try to paddle the upper river this weekend. It’s fine when you’re in the middle and floating along, but when you get to the edges, you’re flying past the trees, and it’s easy to flip a paddle-craft!

ST MARYS RIVER

This is the river to fish this weekend in Southeast Georgia, as far as the water level goes. But, everyone else knows that and will turn the small, blackwater river into a washing machine with the boat traffic over the holiday weekend. Cecil Jennings and Don Harrison fished with me on the St Marys on Wednesday, and we caught 44 fish during the morning and mid-day. Black/chartreuse Satilla Spins were the ticket, but we caught a few fish on bruiser, copperfield, and red/white. Most of the fish were redbreasts, and a few of them were pushing 10 inches.

Warmouth caught at Okefenokee Swamp.

Arnold came down from North Carolina and fished with me Tuesday on the west side of Okefenokee Swamp and caught 3 warmouth bigger than his personal best. He then went out Wednesday and caught one even bigger – this 1.04-pounder. Orange plastics fooled his monster.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Even with the rains over the last couple of weeks, the warmouth bite has picked up some. It’s not on fire, but you can catch some. Shannon and his daughter fished both sides of the swamp during their visit last week. They dabbled worms around cypress trees and managed 22 warmouth during their 3-day trip, a few big bowfin, and a 20 1/2-inch pickerel. On Friday, Bill Stewart fished with me on the west side, and we caught a 1-lb., 0-oz. warmouth on a crawfish-colored Warmouth Whacker Jig (bouncing it – not under a float). We caught a couple other smaller warmouth on whitetreuse Warmouth Whacker Jigs, and even one on a full-sized crawfish Dura-Spin (that one was aggressive!). Our total fish count was 22, and most of them were fliers. We had about 10 warmouth. Arnold came down from North Carolina and fished with me on Tuesday. We threw plastics and fooled a total of 19 fish. Arnold caught 3 warmouth at 14, 13, and 13 ounces (his personal best), and all 3 of the big ones ate a pro staff special-colored Keitech 2.8” Fat Swing Impact Swimbait. We caught one warmouth on live crayfish and several other small plastics. Arnold fished by himself the next day and caught a 1.04-lb. warmouth on a little orange Power-Bait plastic. He had about a dozen warmouth that second day. I heard reports of anglers catching as many as 25 warmouth during a day of fishing over the last few weeks. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.25 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

Teddy Elrod and a buddy had two awesome days this week in a Brunswick area pond. The first trip they fished offshore cover for a few hours in the evening with shad-colored crankbaits and spanked 35 bass up to 7 pounds (released them all). They also hooked a couple bigger fish that pulled off. On the other trip they fished in the middle of the day and fooled 28 bass up to 5 pounds on shad-colored crankbaits. Joshua Barber fished a couple ponds in the Manor area on Monday and fooled 10 panfish and about 25 bass up to a couple pounds. He caught them all on minnows, shiners, and gold Mepps spinners. David Montgomery fished a pond and had a great day for bass. He fooled 21 of them up to about 3 pounds with buzzbaits and vibrating jigs. A Blackshear angler has been tearing up the fliers in small backwaters around the Waycross area this week. He’s been pitching #10 yellow sallies on a bream buster and catching lots of them. He caught his personal best this week – a 9-inch, almost half-pound flier. On Sunday afternoon he caught 15 fliers from a Ware County swampy creek. Jimmy Zinker fished a southwest Georgia pond at night this week and caught 5 bass between 4 and 5 1/2 pounds on a Jitterbug. He expects the nighttime bite to pick up as we get closer to the New Moon, as he prefers dark nights. I messed up his report last week about his double-header. He caught TWO over 10 pounds before the alligator took his Jitterbug from him, not just one over 10 pounds. I mistakenly thought the gator was the second one…

Sheepshead caught in Brunswick area.

Jeremy Robertson caught these nice sheepshead and others by dabbling fiddler crabs around hard structure in the Brunswick area this week.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Quinton McMichael and Seth Carter put it on the flounder, trout and reds this week. They had 5 keeper flounder, a mess of trout, and 6 oversized reds that they released. They fooled most of them with Crush City paddle-tails rigged on Silverback Lure jigheads and others on a prototype lure that Seth has been working on. Tommy Sweeney got on a really hot flounder bite this week in the Brunswick area. He was using one of my 1/8-oz. prototype weedless jigheads with live shrimp under a popping cork. Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) said that the trout bite was good on Wednesday and Thursday. Numbers were not huge, but the size of what they caught was really good. His charters caught all of their fish on live shrimp under slip floats. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had some good trips this week. Monday’s charter had a good mix of redfish and trout. The same folks fished with him Tuesday through Thursday and did well for trout, flounder, and redfish. They released a bunch of slot and oversized reds and kept a few trout and flounder.  Gulp shrimp and swimming minnows rigged on Zombie Eye Jigheads fooled their fish this week. Robert Pitman and Jeremy Robertson whacked the sheepshead on fiddlers they got from Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle. They dabbled them around rocks and pilings in the Brunswick area for 8 keeper convictfish up to about 5 pounds. They even got on some mangrove snappers (this is early – I usually don’t catch them until late summer…).  I got a report of folks catching some blue crabs and a few flounder from a dock in the Brunswick area. The piers will be busy this weekend, but you should be able to catch whiting, flounder, a few trout, and some small sharks from the various piers on our coast. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is open Friday through Sunday from 6am to 4pm each week. They have plenty of lively shrimp and fiddler crabs and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. They’re on Hwy 303 just north of Hwy 82. For the latest information, contact them at 912-223-1379.

Blog Contributer Capt. Bert Deener guides fishing trips in southeast Georgia and makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert’s Jigs and Things on Facebook. For a copy of his latest catalog, call or text him at 912-288-3022 or e-mail him (bertdeener@yahoo.com).

NORTH GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of John Lee Thomson, Fisheries Biologist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts) 

Bass catch by Jackson Cantrell.

Jackson Cantrell caught this beauty using a chatterbait after a cool rain.

Bass catch by Jackson Cantrell.

Big Bass Catch by Jackson Cantrell.

The temperatures are heating up and so is the fishing. The long weekend is the perfect opportunity to grab the fishing gear and have a relaxing day on the water. The weather forecast is calling for an early summertime pattern of afternoon thunderstorms so keep an eye on the sky for safety. If fishing from a boat, make sure you wear a lifejacket and watch for other boaters, as many folks are sure to head out to enjoy a day on the water. Below are tips from local guides and experts that will lead to the best success. Be safe and enjoy the holiday weekend.

SMALL LAKES REPORT

Small lakes warm up faster than large reservoirs and the fishing in these has been on fire this week. Jackson Cantrell likes to target his neighborhood pond after quick thunderstorms. Fishing a chatter bait after a cool rain landed him this beauty.

State Park Lakes: Don’t have a neighborhood pond? don’t worry, the Georgia State Parks got you covered. Small lakes can offer great fishing opportunities close to home too.  Here are a few north Georgia State Parks with small lakes you may consider fishing this holiday weekend.

LAKE ALLATOONA IS 1.71 FEET ABOVE FULL POOL 

Bass (Courtesy of Robert Edison of Southern Fishing) — Bass are chasing fast moving baits. Look for these fish up near the Little River and down near Clark Creek. Try using a Spit N King by Strike King in the gizzard shad color or pull a Strike King Spence Scout in chartreuse or Fire tiger in color for these bedding fish. The Texas rigged worm and a 1/4-ounce weight with a Zoom finesse worm in black emerald color cased on or around the bed will also catch these fish. The Texas rig worm should be fished in the speed worming method by simply casting the bait to the bed and when it hits the bottom BBB began to reel it in with a steady retrieve like it was small crank bait. 

Crappie (Courtesy of Red Rooster Baits) — Come on in the waters fine! The weather was pretty decent the 3rd week of May 2024 on beautiful Lake Allatoona and was just right for some good crappie fishing! The water temperature is mid 70’s and will soon be in the 80-degree range which means you better have some deep water brush piles or structures picked out for the summer pattern. The water level is a little over 2′ over full pool, which means that the crappie are hanging on to some shallow brush and structures for the time being. This will change as the water level returns to full pool and water temp gets in the 80’s.

This past week we found crappie suspended at 6′ to 8′ on brush and structure in depths of 14′ to 18′. We were able to catch them using two different techniques: Casting and Spider Rigging. Casting: Once we find an area with crappie, we are casting a Red Rooster Dagger with a 1/24th oz. Jig Head. We are using the 1/24th oz. Jig Head due to the slower fall rate and steady retrieve depth of around 3′ – 4′. Since the crappie are suspended in the 6′ range, the slow retrieve is working well. Spider Rigging: We had great success spider rigging with minnows. Our spider rig set up is 4 to 6 – 10′ and 12′ rods on the front of the boat. Each rod should be rigged like a “mini Carolina Rig”, which is: a 12-14” leader, 1/2 oz. egg sinker, bobber stops, bead(s) and a #2-#4 Aberdeen hook and plenty of minnows. Troll in and around the brush piles and wait for the rods to go down. Keep those minnows in the 4′ to 8′ range and you should be able to put some fine Allatoona slabs in the live well.

On a side note, we landed a Yellow Perch on the main lake this past week…don’t know how we did it…but seems like everything hits a Red Rooster crappie jig! Let’s take care of our lake and only keep the fish that you can use and put the rest back for our next day on the lake. God Bless and Lord willing the weather will cooperate and we will bring you another report next week!  

LAKE LANIER IS .63 ABOVE FULL POOL, 70’S 

Lanier Bass (Courtesy of Phil Johnson pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845) — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier remains good. The lake is currently about one foot over full pool with the main lake clear but staining in the backs of the creeks and up the rivers. The water temperature has fallen back to the low seventies due to the recent cool rain. Bass fishing remains good especially when there is wind to stir things up. On the days that have wind a Slick Stick or a Lanier Baits Jerk Shad have been the main producers. On the sunny days a chrome Slick Stick will work well and on cloudy days work with the white one. A steady retrieve just under the surface has been the most productive retrieve for the Slick Stick. The FZNH20, Blue Ghost and White Jerk Shad colors have been the most productive for the week. Concentrate on working both baits over brush in the twenty-to-thirty-foot range. On windless days you will get a lot of lookers but not takers so it may be necessary to drop down a little with a bait such as a Spy Bait. Look for the fish to be suspending above and around the structure and work the bait at the matching depth. Be sure to use either six- or eight-pound fluorocarbon as larger line size will kill the action of this bait. The worm bite is still an effective way to put fish in the boat. Work the docks that are in ten to twenty feet of water and be sure to work all the shaded areas around the dock. A green pumpkin Senko worm is a steady producer on both the docks and on the rocky points. There is some top water action starting so be sure to keep a Vixen or a Gunfish on the deck ready for them. Look for this action to really pick up as the water warms back up but for right now it is just scattered and quick. It’s a fun time to out there so Go Catch ‘Em! 

Lanier Striper (Courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778) — Lanier stripers are adjusted to the heat of the water, and they are very hungry. The downlines with blue backs seem to be popular in all parts of the lake. Baits to 30 to 35 feet deep over 40-to-50-foot bottom worked today. I’ve heard of some top water activity in the back of coves and setup at the mouth and the fish will have to come out and head to cooler waters down lake. 

Lanier Crappie (Courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493) — Crappie are 4 to 10 feet deep under docks. I have been having a lot of success on shallow brush piles in about 15 feet or less water. After the rain the blue with chartreuse tails been working well also. Try bright jig color combinations.  

LAKE HARTWELL IS .78 FEET ABOVE FULL POOL 

Hybrid Bass on Lake Hartwell.

Nice hybrids to be caught on Lake Hartwell.

Hartwell Striper and Hybrids (Courtesy of Captain Chip Hamilton, 864-304-9011) — By the end of the month they may start out the day in deeper water and eventually the fish will spend a lot of time in coves where the bait frequently holds up. Depending on a variety of factors this month striper will be caught on a mixture of free-lines and down-lines, but as the month progresses typically more fish will be caught down.

Hartwell Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing) — The lake is still about a foot over full pool and the water temperature is in the excellent range with reports coming in where mid 60’s is the average temp by midafternoon. Most anglers are starting the day off by throwing spinnerbaits and buzz baits in the coves and pockets. The top water bite is still slow, but a few nice bass are being caught while searching the shallower water, three foot or less. Late morning turns the picture around a bit with most of the bites coming on the crank baits in the three-to-eight-foot range. Start on the points and secondary points and work to the back of the creeks. Look for any docks, rocks and wood along the way. Spots are killing the plastics this week but most of them are of the smaller variety. Small flats and secondary points that have rock and wood are best all day. The big bite is still far and few between. 

TROUT REPORT 

Loading the Trout Stocking Truck.

Loading up the trout to get them stocked in Georgia waters.

Stocked Trout Streams (Courtesy of John Lee Thomson, GA DNR Trout Stocking Coordinator) — This weekend is an ideal time to head out to a stocked trout stream. The DNR Wildlife Resource Division in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have stocked 50,000 trout before the holiday weekend. This will provide many quality trout fishing opportunities this Memorial Day Weekend. Fresh stockers can easily be targeted with dough baits and inline spinners. If these are not working, try half a nightcrawler or a cricket on a small #10 or #12 hook with a single bb-sized weight about 8-10 inches up from the hook. Trout can see well, and spook easily so consider moving slow and where drab colored clothing.

Headwaters report (Courtesy of Dredger, via Angler Management) — They were running clear and cool at midday today. Spoilcane was 61F and Smith was 60F above the lake and 65F in the DH section below it.  They might muddy up for a short bit after a brief, intense shower this weekend, but they always drop and clear quickly. Dry fly action should continue to be great.  Go get some resident wild trout before hot afternoons boost water temps into the upper 60’s and slow down the bite. High floating parachutes and chubbies should draw plenty of strikes.