Wait, what? It was JUST November…now, we are less than 20 days until Christmas? How did the year go so fast? 

Good thing I have a day planner so I know how to plan what to do everyday.

Quick News:

• Need Holiday gift ideas? Look for some ideas HERE and HERE.
• Are you in middle Georgia and want to catch a trout, but can’t get to a North Georgia stream? No problem. Head to the Go Fish Education Center for trout fishing.

Reports this week come from Central, North and Southeast Georgia. Plan your day right, and every day can be fishing day – now, Go Fish Georgia!

CENTRAL GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Steve Schleiger, fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

Reservoir Fishing Reports Courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant.   

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN .84 FEET CLEAR 60’S

Bass fishing is good.  The top baits are either a spinnerbait or a jig ½ or the 3/8 ounce size in green pumpkin with a matching zoom trailer.  Bass are roaming the shore line in 2 to 10 foot of water in the coves off the main lake.  Fish any blown down trees and hit the corners of the points to get that extra bite.  A small crank bait similar to a ¼ ounce chrome and black Rat L Trap fished in the same areas will work.  A Texas Rigged Zoom Trick worm fished on the main lake humps and bridges is also catching some fish.  Adding some J.J.’S Magic on your bait will help get a few more good bites. 

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 5.9 FEET 60’S

Bass fishing is fair.  The up-lake fish are more active.  The bass are moving up to the shallows on and off all during the day feeding on shad and crawfish.  Up the river, the water has been stained and red shad is working best on the plastic worms.  Use the Ito Vision 110 jerk baits on rip rap early in the morning and then again just before dark.  The main lake points and the flats on the sides are worth some time.  The Rapala DT6 will work on the sharper points that drop off to really deep water.  Use a Deep Wee R in bone and a DT6’s in hot mustard.  When the fishing is slow, go to short Carolina rig and a small Zoom lizard in green pumpkin and small jigs fished around the wood.  The fish are holding tight to cover during the off peak hours. 

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, CLEAR, 60’S

(Report from Captain Mark Smith at Reel Time Guide Service) —

Bass: Bass fishing is fair.  The fish have moved into the creeks like Sugar Creek and Lick Creek.  They are found from the mouth of the creeks to the middle.  Small crank baits and rattle traps fished around wood like dock poles, downed trees etc. will catch some fish.   Match the color to the water color.  Soft plastics fished under docks will also produce.  Some of the bigger fish have come on larger crank baits fished off of secondary points in the bigger creeks and coves.

Striper: Striper fishing is very good.  Live bait fished mid-lake (river bend) on down lines has been the best producer in the last few days.  Use your Lowrance to locate the schools of bait and the fish will be close by.  Drop your live bait down to the fish and hang on.  A lot of fish have been taking spoons fished in the same locations.

Crappie: Crappie fishing is good.  The long line bite is the best way to target the crappie. You will need to cover a lot of ground, as the fish have moved out of the trees.  Start looking in the mouths of the creeks and work your way to the back of the creeks. 

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 3.2 FEET, CLEAR, 60’S

Bass fishing is good.  Early in the morning and just before dark use the Spro McStick jerk baits both with a straight retrieve and a jerk and pause technique.  They are also hitting buck tail jigs on some of the main river points fishing a Zoom watermelon candy or watermelon finesse worm on a drop rig with 8-pound Trilene line and a 1/0 Gamakatsu offset shank hook set about 12 inches above the weight.  Using a worm will also bring a few bites but you need to fish very slowly.  A few fish are still being caught under docks on a Zoom green pumpkin finesse worm.  It’s hard to beat a #5 Shad Rap in the shad pattern. 

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.6 FEET, STAINED 60’S

Bass fishing is good.  Most of the bass are small.  Cooler temperatures have activated the bait fish and this has sparked a feeding frenzy.  A fall pattern has set in here and should remain constant for at least the next couple of weeks.  Stained water can be found up in the creeks and rivers.  Small rock outcrops along the bank and around the islands are producing bass in the rivers.  The 3/8 ounce Rattlin Rapala’s in the red fire crawdad, the fire tiger with black heads and the silver Tennessee Shad are excellent colors this week.  On the main lake and off any sharp points use the Rapala DT10 and the Husky Jerks.  On the sharp drop offs, the Down Deep Husky Jerks can be used to catch the suspended bass hanging out on the ledges.  The Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology will make finding the bait, the structure and the bass easier.  Also, slow crank the jerk baits on the sides of the points.  Use the crank bait during the fall to add a few extra fish. 

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN .7483 FEET, CLEAR 60’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Anglers fishing docks should experiment with several baits including jigs, Texas rigs (various sizes with straight and curl tails), tubes, and creature baits.  Crank baits should also be tried, especially during windy conditions.  Spinner baits produced success several days ago and could again any day.  Some bass are moving to the backs of coves in small groups following shad.  Shallow crank baits like a Mann’s Baby One Minus and ¼ ounce Rat L Traps are good lures for this scenario.  A few bass are briefly holding on secondary points and flats in the creeks and coves at 6 to 15 feet deep.  They may hold on these structures for only a day or two as they migrate to or from more shallow water.  Crank baits and Carolina rigs are the primary baits here, although other choices can be better.  Top water baits or Rat L Traps can be good during early morning or when these fish are surface feeding. The Atlanta Boat Show is January 16 thru 19, 2020 at the Georgia World Congress Center on Northside Drive in building C.  Meet Lowrance Ken Sturdivant, Captain Mark Smith, Captain Cefus McRae, Nathan Martin, Rick Burns, Captain John McCalpin, Captain Josh Thornton, Phil Johnson, Stephen Knight AKA Striper Steve, Chris Scalley and Kathy and Jimmy Harris in the “Let’s Go Fishing” Seminar area. 

FLAT CREEK PFA (More Info HERE)

• Surface Temperature: 55.2˚ F (12.9˚ C)
• Water Level: 4’3” Below Full Pool
• Water Visibility: 15”
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Although winter won’t officially be here until December 21^st, the cold nights that Flat Creek has experienced lately have caused the water temperatures to drop, and the anglers at Flat Creek are really starting to see the difference.  The crappie fishing has improved with good reports of fish being caught while trolling, fishing tree tops and fish attractors.  There have also been reports of bass being more aggressive as the water has cooled.  Catfish were also being caught while fishing the bottom.  Here’s a list of what the anglers are reporting to have had success using for each of the following: 

Bass: A Finesse Jig with Strike King’s Rage Tail Craw in a Green Pumpkinseed, White spinnerbait or Flukes. Shad Live Target Swimbaits.  Plum or June Bug colored ‘Ol Monster worms by Zoom.  Watermelon or Pumpkinseed Culprit worms.  Savage Gear 3D Bluegill. Buzz bait.

Bream: Worms (Red Wigglers and Pinks)

Channel Catfish: Worms, or chicken livers fished deep with sewing thread to keep the livers secured.  Those fishing without the thread to secure the liver were making the catfish happy and were leaving with empty stringers. 

Crappie: Fishing at night near the green lights of the fishing pier and casting to the dark edge of the water lit by the lights while using light, live-action jigs fished with light tackle to feel the slightest bite.  Jigs trolled by boat have reported to work very well!

MARBEN PFA (More info HERE)

• Water temps. : Mid 50’s
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide 

Bass: December brings cold temperatures and shorter days.  Despite our best efforts at Marben, fishing really slows down this time of year.  Anglers should try crank baits or rattle traps in the 6 to 10 feet of water.  Do not be afraid to try a Texas rig in the same depth.  Mid-day will be the best times to target bass giving the sun a little time to warm the water just a touch.  Submerged timber and rock beds are good habitats to target when seeking bass at Marben PFA.   Fishing slow and patience is needed this time of year.  

Crappie: Crappie are probably the most aggressive fish anglers will find at Marben this time year.  However, do not expect to hook one with every cast.  Finding them may require a little effort.  Remember though, the crappie bite can turn on at any moment in these small lakes.  Flooded timber is the preferred habitat and the most popular bait is live minnows and yellow/white jigs.  Try fishing cover approximately 10-12 feet throughout the day.  Expect crappie to move into shallower water on warmer days in December.     

Bream:  Bream fishing will be slow at Marben.  Cold water temperatures and shorter days all play a factor with the decrease in activity.  Anglers should expect bream fishing to be best with mid-day temperatures.  Remember that bream are deeper this time of year so to be successful anglers will have to target deeper water in order to increase your chances.  

Catfish:  Look for catfish to be extremely sluggish this time of year.  Patience is necessary if anglers are in pursuit of this fish.  Anglers should target days when it is sunny which should warm the water in order to get catfish moving.  Livers, worms and stink bait are the preferred choices if targeting catfish at Marben.

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORTS 

Alabama “Spotted” Bass Invasions: Here is a great article from B.A.S.S. about the negative consequences of moving black bass around from one waterbody to another.  As mentioned in the article, illegal introductions of Alabama (spotted) have ruined our native smallmouth bass fisheries in Blue Ridge, Chatuge, and Nottely, along with many examples of impacts on other species.  PLEASE do not intentionally move fish (of any species) from one lake or river to another!  

Lake Hartwell Report: (This report Courtesy of Southern Fishing With Ken Sturdivant) — Lake Hartwell is down 4.6 feet and in the 50s. Bass fishing is good. Swim baits over the brush in 15 to 25 feet of water is producing. A Swarming Hornet Bite sized herring and a Sebile have been our best choices on the swim baits and a Gun Fish, a Chug Bug, and a sexy dawg have been best on the top water side. Any breeze or light wind helps. The jerk bait is still good at times and is a great follow up to the top water presentations. There are definitely more fish and bait moving shallow and a Davis Shaky Head as well as a jig around rocky points are producing a few bites now. Keep a Zoom Super Fluke in pearl ready anytime of the day when the shad start popping on top. Humps have been the best areas and there are several across the lake where this is going on. Getting the fish to bite somewhat random so make very accurate casts to the schools.

Lake Allatoona “Heron” Report: (This report Courtesy of Joseph Martinelli with Heron Outdoor Adventures) — Lake Allatoona Fishing Report for December 5, 2019.  It’s starting to feel a lot like winter. Bundle up and let’s go fishing!  Lake Allatoona was at 828.88′ on Thursday (11″+ below full pool) with current water temps between 52-56. While December rains are the norm, we shall see what the good Lord brings forth and just fish on with a thankful heart.  The Stripers, Hybrids, Spots, Crappie and White-Bass are biting being pretty good right now. While the fish can sometimes have a little lockjaw, persistence will pay off while we find what they like on any given day.  There are good concentrations of bait and fish (all species) from Bartow Carver to Kellogg Creek and all the way along the route to Little River. Every stretch has its own great holding and transition holes, but overall you will be working the channels for locating the fish. While scouting the South end this week, I can only say we did not see much bait and fish are seen down deeper overall.  Downlines and freelines are producing and the fish are foraging on smaller baits consistently. We still like to pull a big bait or two when committing to a stretch. The threadfins are thick in places along with the baby-small gizzards in the mix. You have to dig a little deeper for the bait or pick them up at your favorite bait shop. Minnows are also hearty and can be dynamite.  Trolling has been effective, especially when you find a hole or channel ledge holding fish and get that mini school of shad down to them. Mini Macks and 2-3 oz. total weight rigs at 100+ back and bigger U-rigs at 60+ feet back might be a good starting point. Adjust for your boats’ idle speed, wind conditions and so on as needed.  Casting the A-Rigs into these same fish holding holes as well as working an area fan-casting Spoons or Rigs can be very productive when the fish are active. Vertical jigging a flexi-spoon or similar spoon might just trigger the bite even when a slow rolling shad might not. Your Adventure awaits. Call any time: 404-919-4918 Tightlines!

More Allatoona Bass Info: (This report Courtesy of Matt Driver)– Lake Allatoona is down 10.5 feet, clear, and in the 60s. Bass fishing is good. Numbers are good with 15 to 20 caught being an average day. Right now you can catch fish on pretty much whatever you would like. Whether it be lipless crank baits, jerk baits, and even top water continues to be steady. If you are a worm fisherman use the Picasso Ned Rhino head with a Robo Ned rig in bull gill. The key to the Ned head is not to move it too quickly. Areas around the Delta, Little River, Galts and Illinois Creek are very productive.

Lake Allatoona Linesides Report: (This report Courtesy of Robert Eidson at First Bite Guide Service) — Linesides fishing is good. The winter bite is starting to heat up. The north end of the lake is still producing some nice stripers along with good numbers of white bass. The bigger stripers are eating gizzard shad fished on planer boards and free lines both right at sun up and again at sun down. Look for these fish from Little River up to Fields Landing and as far south as Kellogg’s. Hybrids and white bass are really starting to school and blowing up all over the lake right now. We have seen some big schools breaking the surface from the dam to the S turns. These busting fish will eat almost anything you throw at them. When these fish go down they will still bite thread fins and small gizzards fish on down lines as well as spoons. Bait is starting to get really hard to net. Almost time to start using store bought bait. The sea gulls are starting to show up and will make finding the fish a little easier for us over the upcoming holiday break. Remember Allatoona has very few loons. If you see birds diving on Allatoona this normally means there are line sides close. Trolling umbrella rigs 60 to 120 feet behind the boat at speeds between 2.4 to 3.1 miles an hour.

Lake Lanier Report: (This report Courtesy of Southern Fishing With Ken Sturdivant) — Lake Lanier is 3.6 feet below full pool.  The main lake and creeks are clear and in the 50s. Bass fishing is good. Conditions have remained stable over the last few days. But weather changes are coming and it will get cold soon. Get the spoons out as they are taking numbers fish now. Most mornings by working jerk baits, swimbaits, and top water around humps. When the bite is slow in the mornings, work a Davis Shaky Head and a trick worm combo as well as jigs and drop shots for the best success around these places. The fish often are shallow, especially in cloudy or rainy conditions. Keep running this pattern most of the morning. Later in the day move out to the brush and use shallow running jerk baits such as the Spro McStick, as well as a variety of swimbaits for some very good bites. Some of the brush is absolutely loaded now and coughing up big fish. The Lowrance Down Scan technology will provide a much wider beam so more fish are now in the view of this technology. At 30 feet deep the Down Scan beam is 40 feet wide. The stripers have moved shallow and we are starting to catch those guys now a bunch too, especially on the swimbaits.

Weiss Lake Report: (This report Courtesy of Mark Collins Service, 256-779-3387) — Weiss Lake is at 4 feet 4 inches below full pool and clear and 49-52 degrees. Bass fishing is good. A lot of fish have moved shallow in the creeks and bays, chasing shad, feeding up for the fall. Rat L Traps are working good right now, and other flat sided crank baits. The Spotted Bass are schooling up in Little River and the in the Coosa River near Riverside campground. Crappie fishing is good. A lot of fish have started to suspend in the river channels at 8 to 14 feet deep. Long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs is producing some good fishing, blue color combinations are working best right now. A float and fly technique is working well also. Pushing minnows 12 to 14 feet deep on the edges of the river channels is working also.

TROUT REPORTS 

Delayed Harvest Streams: (From Trout Stocking Coordinator John Lee Thomson) — All the streams with delayed harvest (DH) regulations have recently received a fresh dose of naive trout. These fish may not be smart, but they can be spooked easily in low clear water. Approach the stream slowly and look for places that might hold trout. Cast upstream from these locations and try to allow the current to push your fly downstream “drag free”. When this is achieved, your fly will be traveling at the same speed as a leaf or a bubble. Look for more tips HERE.

Small Stream Wild Trout Report: (From WRD Assistant Director Mark “Sautee” Whitney) — Had the opportunity to stop by a preferred small stream recently.  Water warmed by the afternoon sun for a few hours encouraged wild rainbows to be looking up for morsels being carried by low, clear water.  Fish were extremely spooky but 2 hours of fishing until dark yielded 14 feisty little jewels to hand.  Expectedly, I was all alone on the water with no one but the fish to hear my celebratory “Wa-Hooos.” Good for the soul.

Vogel State Park Lake: (From Trout Stocking Coordinator John Lee Thomson) — If you are new to trout fishing or have a kid that you would like to take fishing, Vogel State Park would be an excellent destination. Try floating half a nightcrawler on a #10 hook 2-3 feet under a bobber in Lake Trahylta. The lake was recently stocked with rainbow trout.

Dredger’s Trouting Tips: (These reports courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters) — Our old friend Dredger continues to provide great, timely trout fishing tips via the Unicoi Outfitters Facebook page … and also via NGTO.  Here’s some guidance for fishing small streams in relation to rain events.

More Trout Stuff from NGTO: Reports from the Toccoa River, Mountaintown Creek, and small streams, all in one place.

WARMWATER STREAM REPORTS

Upper Hooch Trip Report: (This report courtesy of “Academy Jack” Becker) — Stayed home from N. Ga. Mtn. Lakes this week. Took a friend to the Hooch around Lula Bridge. Cold and cloudy in the morning.  Warm & blue skies in the afternoon. That’s Ga weather for you.  Was hoping to catch a Shoal Bass big enough to Qualify for the Ga Angler Award. I came up a few inches short with this 17 incher. My friend caught 4 spots. All about the same size. 47 degree water and Muddy. Black & Blue Jigs, Chartreuse & White Spinnerbaits, Jerk-Baits all produced fish.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA 

(Fishing report courtesy of Bert Deener, fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

Full Moon is December 12th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website.  For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

OCMULGEE RIVER 

An angler reported catching just shy of 20 bass last week while fishing the river near Fitzgerald. They caught their fish on crankbaits and plastics. The river level at Abbeville gage was 2.4 feet and falling on December 3rd.

LOCAL PONDS 

I took my daughter Ellie to an Alma area pond on Saturday evening while she was home from college for her Thanksgiving break. We started by catching a fat keeper bass on a crawfish Satilla Spin and then caught a half-dozen big bluegills up to a pound on the same Satilla Spin. Once the sun got to the tree line, the crappie started biting pearl or chartreuse Assassin Curly Shads rigged on 1/16-oz Flashy Jigheads with silver blades. We ended up catching 18 slabs up to 1-lb., 8-oz up until dark. It was a beautiful evening and a great catch. Chad Lee didn’t fish as much as he would have liked to, but he still caught several bass over the weekend. NED heads and stick worms produced his fish in the colder weather. He also caught a big crappie on Sunday evening.

SALTWATER (GA COAST) 

Claudia McGhin caught her first seatrout last week, and it was a keeper. She and her husband fished out of Crooked River on that trip.

Saltwater was the place to be again this week. A few trips were slow, but most produced good catches. I took my son Timothy and a friend on Wednesday evening to the Brunswick area, and we caught 18 trout up to 20 inches and a bluefish. The hot lure was a figichix Keitech Swing Impact swimbait rigged on a jighead with a spring keeper and also on an 1/8-oz. Flashy Jighead. Timothy caught a solid keeper on an electric chicken color under a Cajun Thunder Float, also. On Friday, Ed Zmarzly and Don Harrison fished out of Brunswick and landed 7 trout on Sea Shads rigged on Flashy Jigheads. Folks fishing around them caught some nice trout on small plastics rigged on light jigheads and fished very slowly. The super-finesse approach will probably be the ticket during the current cold snap. A pair of anglers fishing the St. Simons area on Sunday caught over 100 fish (released most of them) in 3 hours using live shrimp. Their 2 largest redfish (both were oversized and were released) were 28.5 and 29 inches. They had trout, redfish, black drum and the biggest sheepshead that one of the anglers had ever seen. It was an about 8-pounder based on the photo. Toward the end they were tearing their live shrimp in half to try to extend their fun…..They stopped when they ran out of shrimp (and I bet their arms were sore also)! An angler reported catching lots of sheepshead up to 4 pounds and black drum to 5 pounds on fiddler crabs fished off a Brunswick area dock. Some black drum were reportedly caught from the St. Simons Pier by anglers using dead shrimp on the bottom. Check with Mike and Trish Wooten of St. Simons Bait & Tackle (912-634-1888) for the latest on the St. Simons Pier.