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Georgia Fishing Report: October 2, 2020

Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division

Northeast GA Fisheries Supervisor and Biologist Anthony Rabern with a Walleye from Lake Rabun

Happy Fall Y’all! It’s nice to have a few consistent cool-weather-feel mornings – makes me excited to start planning some fun fall family fishing trips.

News to Know:

This week, we have reports from Southeast, North and Central Georgia. Don’t forget to pack a pole and some gear when you head out to that pumpkin patch this month so you can find a nearby water body and Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Bert Deener, fisheries biologist and Region Fisheries Supervisor, with help from Region Staff and local experts)

A couple rivers were getting close, but this week’s rains put an end to that. This is another great week to spend time at a Public Fishing Area, a pond, lakes, or saltwater.

Last quarter moon is October 9th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

The upper river is near flood stage. You might find some protected backwaters in the lower river, but the only real option is the Darien area for white and channel catfish. The river level was 13.0 feet (flood stage is 13 feet) and falling (70 degrees) at the Baxley gage, and 10.7 feet and cresting (72 degrees) at the Doctortown gage on October 1st.

SATILLA RIVER

The river is rising again, and your best bet (although I would fish elsewhere) is white catfish fishing on White Oak Creek. Shrimp on the bottom is a great way to catch them. The river level on October 1st at the Waycross gage was 7.9 feet and rising (73 degrees). The Atkinson gage was 7.7 feet and falling.

ST. MARYS RIVER

Same as the other rivers – the lower river white catfishing is your only real option this week. The river level at the MacClenny gage on October 1st was 9.9 feet and falling.

DODGE PFA (near Eastman, more info HERE)

The crappie bite was decent, but the bass fishing shined this week. An angler reported catching and releasing 6 bass for 18 pounds on Wednesday. His biggest was a 6-pounder. Artificials fooled his fish, but I’m not sure what style. Hand-sized bluegills bit well this week, as well.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville, more info HERE)

The biggest bass I heard of caught this week was an 8-pounder, and it was caught (and released) on Sunday. Effort has been high for bass because the bite has been good. The crappie bite has been solid this week. You can expect to catch a nice mess of fish during a trip. Remember bass are catch-and-release……

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Tifton, more info HERE)

The kids’ fishing ponds Cup and Saucer will be open to adult-child fishing this Friday through Monday. The ponds are full of channel catfish, so bring your favorite whiskerfish bait. Don’t lay your pole down, though, as a big catfish might pull it in. Most of the fish are in the 1 to 2 pound range, but there are some over 10 pounds swimming in the lakes. Adults must have a child to fish the ponds. The ponds will open at 8:00am on Friday and close at 8:00am on Monday (October 2nd – 5th). Limits still apply, and adults must have a valid fishing license. The water has cooled down into the 70’s, and the fish have gotten active this week. The crappie bite improved with the cooler weather, and bream and catfish were caught, also. The entrance ponds,  and the first couple Horseshoe series lakes have been consistent for both bream and catfish.

Riley (right) who is only 53 inches tall caught this 35 1/2-inch grass carp on Wednesday while fishing in a Brunswick area pond with her dad, Syd. Way to go, Riley!!!!

LOCAL PONDS

The bass and crappie bites continued this week. Before the cold front hit, the crappie and bass both fed well. Most of the bass were caught on plastics, and the crappie on minnows fished under a float in the deep areas on the pond. Expect the crappie to spread out into shallower water now that it has cooled down. Catfishing was good this week. Eight-year old Riley fished with her dad (Syd) at a Brunswick area pond mid-week and caught 15 catfish from the bank. They used cut bluegill on 3/16-oz. Catfish Catcher Jigheads. But the highlight of the day was when a 35 1/2-inch grass carp inhaled Riley’s  Fish Food Fly and headed for deep water. She expertly worked the fish to the waiting net and got a photo of her trophy. She also caught a smaller one about 2 feet long that ate the same little fly. I didn’t hear of any great bluegill catches. Most of the folks reporting to me this week only caught a few per trip.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The swamp water level is still high, and the fishing is slow. If you still want to go, your best bet is to cast an in-line spinner down the middle of the canal for bowfin or pickerel (jackfish) or put a shrimp on the bottom for catfish. The water level is still in the mid-121 foot range (I like it in the low 120 range for the best fishing).

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

The weather and tides were much more cooperative this week than last. I heard back from a couple people who fished the St. Marys Jetties on Saturday, and the bite was slow for them. They only managed one redfish (a 26-incher) on bucktails and plastics rigged on jigheads. Scout Carter and a friend fished the St. Marys Jetties and ICW on Saturday. At the jetties they had one keeper black drum using dead shrimp on a Redfish Wrecker Jighead (4/0 model) and a keeper flounder that ate an artificial. Fishing in the ICW, they ended up catching 10 seatrout (2 keepers). Plastics under an Equalizer Float was key for the trout. The bull redfish bite has been good on the sandbars. Cut mullet has been the ticket. Jim and Garrett Page fished off a Brunswick dock and landed a couple sheepshead, a couple black drum, and a few of the biggest croakers that Jim has caught in years. It was a short trip, but they caught enough for a nice supper. Expect the inshore bite to fire off big-time after this cool snap. When the trout start schooling up, it’s an absolute blast (when you find the school!). For guide trip information, call Capt. Greg Hildreth at (912) 617-1980 or check out his website.  Check with the Jekyll Island Fishing Center (912-635-3556) for the latest on the Jekyll Island Pier or St. Simons Bait & Tackle (912-634-1888) for the latest on the St. Simons Pier.

NORTH GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Anthony Rabern, fisheries biologist and Region Fisheries Supervisor, with help from Region Staff and local experts)

This week’s cool, sunny weather is a welcomed change from the recent flurry of tropical storms and rain. Although water temps are hovering in the low to mid-70s, most fish are still holding onto their summer patterns. From my perch this week on the bow of a DNR electrofishing boat, I’ve noticed that the cooler weather has brought about a big uptick in angling activity on our North Georgia lakes.  The cooling surface temps are bringing more stripers and hybrids to the surface during the morning hours.  In fact, some striper anglers were catching fish just 100 yards away from me while I was launching the boat on Wednesday morning at Hartwell Dam. Those fishing for crappie seemed to be targeting bridge pilings and docks over deep water near creek channels. Bass anglers are targeting the long, rocky points on the main channel and working the creek ledges that drop into the main channel on the lower end of our large reservoirs. With all the recent storms, the new blowdowns are starting to draw in some big bass on the outer margins of their submerged canopy. These big fish are waiting to ambush unsuspecting bream and minnows passing by.  We even noticed an increase in the consumption of crayfish by largemouths.  I realize that catching fish with an electrofishing boat is very different than with rod and reel, so here’s what the experts are telling us this week.  The following snippets are from the GON Fishing Report page, so be sure to check it out for more information.  Also check out Ken Sturdivant’s weekly fishing report for more helpful tips.

LAKE REPORTS

Lake Lanier:

Lake Hartwell:

Lake Allatoona:

Lake Weiss:

Carters Lake:

Lake Blue Ridge:

Lake Nottely Linesides: Guide Jeremy Seabolt reports, “We have been catching a lot fish from Point 6 to the dam. Fish are holding out over a 50- to 80-foot bottom. The first few hours of morning, we have been dropping herring.  By mid-morning, we switch over to Captain Mack’s u-rigs, pulling them about 130 to 150 feet back at 2.5 to 3 mph. We have also been catching a lot fish on topwater. They are killing a fluke when working it really slow on top. October is always one my favorite times to fish. The stripers will be on a feeding frenzy trying to fatten up for the winter and will start spreading out some. The topwater bite will be on, and it also means it’s time to drag out the planer boards. Don’t forget the Bait Shack on Nottely has herring.”

Lake Chatuge:

Lake Burton:

TROUT REPORTS 

Perspective: In case you’re struggling to land as many trout through the month of October, here’s a perspective from Tom Rosenbauer – “Something seems to happen to trout around the fall equinox. Low water, shorter days, falling water temperatures. In my experience trout almost disappear. Some may move, others may just hide under rocks and logs. But you don’t even spook as many, which to me suggests they are not feeding much (when trout feed they are more likely out in the open so you see them when you approach). It’s a fallacy that trout “feed heavily to fatten for the winter”. Growth rate studies show their feeding slows way down in the fall. They do get more aggressive, especially brown and brook trout prior to spawning, but resident rainbow in streams just don’t feed as much. Your casts need to be more precise as they are less inclined to move a few feet for your fly. In general, stuff is changing and fish are shuffling around, so don’t assume what worked in spring and summer will work in the fall. Play around and experiment!” Find more tips on Orvis’ Podcast featuring Tom Rosenbauer.

From Unicoi Outfitters: Hello October! What color comes to your mind this month? For many of us, it’s orange. That’s true for trout, too! As our larger streams finally cool off, resident trout appetites are restored and fish are on the hunt. One of their favorite fall snacks, often unknown to new anglers, is the October caddis (more info HERE and HERE). These big bugs hatch sparsely, but have trout looking for the high-calorie snacks all day long. Make sure you stock some imitations in your fall fly box. Try a size 12 elk hair caddis with a rusty orange body, or a #12 orange stimulator with plenty of floatant on it. It’s a great attractor, and a very good, buoyant indicator for your trailing # 14 Prince nymph or caddis pupa or larva. Aim your casts at the bankside shade and shadows, where fish feel safe enough to rise during the day. Dead-drift the flies first, but if you have no takers from prime lies, twitch your bugs a few times on the last 2-3 drifts through them. Fall’s chill has thankfully arrived, so grab your light fleece jacket and enjoy fly casting once again on bigger waters. Go soon, before month-ending leaf fall complicates your drifts. Toss some orange at ‘em and see what happens. Remember your net, too, as these big bugs can attract big fish!

From DNR’s Trout Biologist, Sarah Baker: I was happy to see the forecast call for some temperature drops and only a little rain this week. I made plans to visit a stream just after the rain was supposed to let up, but alas, Mother Nature is not one to be told what to do: so I spent the duration of my fishing trip sopping wet. It did prove worth it though (it’s always worth it, just more so when you land a fish)! And, just as Unicoi recommended above, orange was the color of the day! I was using a crayfish pattern and voracious Browns eagerly devoured the crustacean disguise. (see Sarah’s photo).

 

 

There are plenty more fishing tips for you to peruse on the internet, but be sure to check out DNR’s fishing forecasts. Tight lines.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Steve Schleiger, fisheries biologist and Region Fisheries Supervisor, with help from Region Staff and local experts) 

Reservoir Fishing Reports Courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant.   

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL 70’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Have the early fall baits ready.  Start the mornings off with a white buzz bait up the rivers on long run out points.  Get the Zoom pearl Super Flukes on a 4/0 Mustad offset worm hook on 10-pound test Sufix Elite line ready too.  Make long casts to the shallow water and work the bait all the way back looking for any bass that might follow it.  Work the points using all angles and this will include throwing to deeper water and working it back to shallow water.  On the same point switch to a four-inch Husky jerk bait in either a blue and chrome or green and chrome and work the same areas that you just worked with the buzz bait.  By mid-day, the Carolina rig with a Zoom finesse worm in green pumpkin seems to be working best when thrown to the sides of sharp points near deep water.  Down-size the weights as much as possible and use no more than 12-pound Sufix Elite line.  The late afternoon is the best time for throwing those crankbaits.  Start after midafternoon with the #5 or #7 Shad Rap in either fire tiger or natural.  Try both colors and fish the points and sides of point’s lake wide. 

CLARKS HILL IS 1.15 FEET OVER FULL 70’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Try the Shad Raps in shad and the natural perch colors.  Work the first part of the retrieve just like you would a jerk bait and crank it like you would a Shad Rap on the second half.  This will let fishermen know which retrieve the bass are looking for.  Work this bait around the major points and especially around the smaller isolated grass mats near the points.  Zoom pearl Super Flukes on a Mustad 3/0 worm hook will also work on the schooling fish that may not hit a Sammy or a Pop R.  If all else fails, get on any main lake point and sit the boat in 20 feet of water and cast the Carolina rig with a Zoom finesse worm in any color of green. 

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL 70’S

(This Lake Oconee fishing report is by Captain Mark Smith of Reel Time Service. 404-803- 0741)–

Bass: Bass fishing is fair.  The best advice is to slow down and downsize your bait.  The water temperature dropped almost 20 degrees in two days.  We are now 5 degrees below where it was this time last week.  Fish soft plastics around docks and wood structure.  Match your bait color to the watercolor.  You can also pick up a few fish with a spinner bait fished slowly around the rip rap.

Striped Bass: Striper fishing is improving.  Live bait (shiners) have produced some good fish around the river bend area.  Look for the schools on your Lowrance and drop a minnow down to the depth you see them.  Flat lines are also working, with a split shot.

Crappie: Crappie fishing is good. This is the best and most consistent bite going.  The summer down line bite on top of timber and brush piles has produced large numbers and size over the past week.  Find the fish in the top of the timber with your Lowrance down scan and drop a minnow or a jig into the school and hang on.  

WEST POINT LAKE IS FULL CLEAR 70’S

Bass fishing is good.  Fish are beginning to concentrate themselves near shallow cover.  A few more cool nights and the lake should really turn on.  Continue to cover water with shallow crankbaits until you approach cover such as a lay down or brush pile.  The best crank bait has been Bandit 200 series in a shad pattern of any type.  Matching the hatch is crucial right now.  On the cover switch to a shaky head rigged with a Zoom green pumpkin finesse worm.  This little worm can truly catch big fish that have been pressured.  A Ned rig and a Fluke isn’t often found 15 feet deep but the baitfish it’s made to imitate are certainly prevalent there.  So try rigging Neko Fluke by taking a nail weight and sliding it into the nose of the Fluke.  Over the next few weeks look to see spinnerbaits and top water come into play with cooler temperatures as these are two patterns that you can begin experimenting with now as the patterns begin to transition into fall. 

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 STAINED 70’S

Bass fishing is fair.  The fish are feeding early morning.  Shallow fishing and deep fishing later have both gotten better.  More bass are moving to near the back of coves and creeks.  Use a white ½ ounce buzz bait, weightless Zoom Trick worm, ¼ ounce Rat L Trap in a shad pattern, Pop R, Super Spook Jr. and shallow crank baits.  Fish fast and hit any kind of cover.   After the sun rises get on the shady banks.  Dock fishing with lightweight plastics is also working better in the morning.  More fish are also showing up on point’s humps and flats.  Concentrate on or near the drop offs on the side of these structures.  Deep crank baits or Carolina rigs are the ticket.  Normally, cranking is best during power generation and the worm in slack water.  Depths are varying daily from 10 to 18 feet.  Try the Poe’s 300 Norman DD22 and Yo Zuri Crank N’ Dive in chartreuse and shad patterns.  For the Carolina rig use a ½ ounce weight during slack water and a ¾ or 1-ounce weight in current.  Try a 3-foot leader of 12-pound line with a 1/0 or 2/0 Gamakatsu wide gap hook.  Use a Zoom Trick worm in green pumpkin red bug or June bug.  A Ned rig and a Fluke isn’t often found 15 feet deep but the baitfish it’s made to imitate are certainly prevalent there. So try rigging a Neko Fluke by taking a nail weight and sliding it into the nose of the Fluke. 

LAKE JACKSON IS .50 FEET OVER FULL CLEAR 70’S

Bass fishing is fair.  The fish are feeding on the major feeding periods all day.  Be sure to check out the Fish and Game Forecaster for these peak times on our web site.  Fish remain deep on points and humps so use the Carolina rigs with a Zoom u tail in green pumpkin and red shad.  As the weather cools the fish will start to move up and then go to the top water baits on deeper main lake seawalls like the Pop R, the Sammy, or the Zara Spooks.  Bait will begin to move toward the creeks at the beginning of the month.  It will be hard to beat a 1/4 ounce spinnerbait when that move begins.

FLAT CREEK PFA (More Info HERE)

The fall is a great time to fish while enjoying some cooler temperatures.  The fish also appreciate cooler temperatures and can finally be seen cruising the shallows once again in search of food.  This means that bank fishermen will have a good opportunity to catch fish.  The best dates for catching fish in October should be around October 1st, and October 31st which are full moons or October 16th which is the new moon.  The days surrounding those dates are when the fishermen at Flat Creek have had the most luck catching fish.  Those fishermen that were fishing for bream or bass were most successful when fishing around cover.  The cooler temperatures have also been good for crappie fishing. 

Bass: Try fishing around cover or near the shallows in the mornings and evenings.  During the heat of day, try cover 6’-8’ deep.  Here’s what the successful anglers have suggested to catch bass: White spinnerbait or Flukes. Shad Live Target Swimbaits. Plum or June Bug colored ‘Ol Monster worms by Zoom.  Watermelon or Pumpkinseed Culprit worms.  Shad Colored Crankbait 2.5 diver by Senkos, Mike Bucca’s segmented Baby Bull Shad (by Catch Co.).

Bream:  Worms, meal worms, crickets and frozen Catalpa worms

Channel Catfish: Chicken Livers tied to hook with sewing thread.  Frozen Catalpa worms and uncooked shrimp.

Crappie: Mister Twister Curly Tail Grubs in bright colors.  Strike King Mr. Crappie Scizzor Shad Jig in any of the four available colors.

Nice catch at Marben PFA!

MARBEN PFA (More Info HERE)

Bass:  October will be the most productive month until spring arrives.  Bass feeding will increase this month.  October should mimic spring water temps and the bass will be moving in shallow.  Keep in mind that there can be a huge difference between where bass are in early October and where bass are in late October.  Top water in early morning and late afternoon as well as spinner baits throughout the day should produce many bites.  As always plastic baits are hard to beat.

Bream:  The bluegill and redear bite will depend a lot on how quickly the water temperatures decrease.  October typically maintains mild water temps and as a result the bream bite is not greatly affected.  Red wigglers and wax worms are consistently the bait of choice.

Crappie:  The crappie bite will begin to pick up slowly in October.  Water temperature will determine crappie movement in October.  Margery, Bennett, ad Fox are your best bet for crappie.  Jigs and minnows will be the go-to bait.  

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