Georgians and those visiting our state, we hope you remained safe yesterday during the severe storms. Wherever you are today, even at your favorite fishing hole, please use caution and watch out for downed trees, power lines or other debris.

NEWS TO KNOW

Fisheries staff member uses chainsaw to fell a pine tree into Allatoona Lake.

  • Marben Public Fishing Area: Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center, and parts of Clybel WMA and Marben PFA sustained damage during last night’s storms. The properties remain open, but visitors are encouraged to proceed with caution as crews work to remove trees and debris from the storm. In particular, there are trees down along Murder Creek Road.
  • 2023 Atlanta Boat Show: Happening Now – The 2023 Atlanta Boat Show is at the Georgia World Congress Center and runs through Sunday, Jan. 15. Check out Things to Do while there. 
  • Chop and Drop at Allatoona: Staff continued seasonal “Chop and Drop” activities on Lake Allatoona, in which mature pines and sweet gums with exposed root balls are toppled into the lake and secured to the shoreline. Aimed primarily at supplementing diminishing fish habitat in this aging reservoir, the program has the added benefit of preserving the integrity of the shoreline by dampening wave action and preventing large chunks of shoreline from breaking off if the trees are allowed to fall naturally. A total of 103 trees have been felled since November within the Little River embayment of Lake Allatoona.

This week, we have reports from North, Central, Southwest and Southeast Georgia. Be safe and cautious if you head out to Go Fish Georgia!

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Lake Hartwell Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com):  Bass fishing is fair. Look on and over structure on main lake points for any schoolers, but they will be 10 to 19 feet deep. Later in the day, use a Zoom U tail natural blue large over deeper points mid- lake to the dam.  Avoid the rivers. Spinner baits and flat sided bright crank baits will work after the sun warms shallows in the backs of the creeks. The Flat A Bomber in lime and orange colors has been fair, but be sure to add some extra scent. Use this bait in the mouths of the creeks right off the river. Be sure to watch the sonar for bait schools, as the fish will stay with them the rest of the month. Keep an eye on the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map overlay on the map and make sure there is deep water nearby. Shad are on the move now as fish feed often and try to fatten up before the colder weather continues. Crank baits are a winter-time favorite, especially in the off colored water mid lake. Swim baits and jerk baits can all work during the winter months. Fish the main river points and fish all the small cuts and bowls along the way. “Do nothing” clay banks are excellent places to fish active baits. Keep the trolling motor on slow and don’t let up. Covering a vast amount of water will be the key.

Lake Lanier Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 via www.southernfishing.com): Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The recent heavy rains have put a heavy stain in the backs of the creeks and pockets, with the main lake staying clear for now. The lake level is also on a steady rise as the runoff water pours in. The bass have continued their move to deeper water with both shad and fish being found out to sixty feet deep in many of the ditches. The three eights or one-half ounce silverback and white Spotchoker with a three inch Keitech has been a steady producer for these deep fish. Long cast and a very slow presentation have been key to getting strikes. If you feel a strike, but the fish doesn’t take it, simply let the bait drop to the bottom for a few seconds and then restart your retrieve, as they will often take it as it starts to move again. If you’re able to locate the shad with bass around it, a half ounce Georgia Blade spoon is a great vertical presentation to the fish. Often with your Panoptic’s you can actually watch the bass take your spoon. The worm and jig bite has been steady on the docks with deeper water around them as well as on steep rocky banks. The key to finding the fish right now is really finding the bait. Early in the day the bait may be up shallow, but look for them to move out deeper during the day. The bass tend to be scattered right now, so take time to look for them in the areas you find bait. There are still several ways to catch them right now so be versatile with your fishing. They are biting so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lake Lanier Fish Attractors: Find DNR fish attractors at Lake Lanier HERE.

Lake Allatoona Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): Bass can be caught several different ways right now. The Big Bite Baits Squirrel Tail worm in pumpkin chartreuse and tilapia colors have been producing numbers and size. A 1/4 ounce shaky head seems to work best. Most of the fish are from 5 to 18 feet deep hugging big chunk rocks and any shallow brush. Keep an eye on the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map overlay on the map and make sure that there is deep water nearby. While fishing the shaky head, pull it along and get the bait in the rocks or any brush and shake it. Slow down cranks bait so they are barely moving.  A silver shad colored Rapala DT6 is a good choice. As we see more cold fronts and pressure cells, this will change feeding times. Anglers are still fishing main lake points and jigging for deep water fish mostly on the southern part of the lake. Around docks the Big Bite Baits Flying Squirrel has produced some heavy spots. It’s a good bait to flip around docks. Use the same colors as with the shaky head worm.

Lake Allatoona Fish Attractors: Find DNR fish attractors at Lake Allatoona HERE.

Lake Weiss Mixed Bag Report: (This report courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service and www.southernfishing.com): Remember, this winter starts the 3 foot winter draw down, instead of 6 feet. Be careful on the lake, all the hazards you could see when the lake went down 6 feet are now just under the surface.

  • Bass: Bass fishing is poor. The fish are still on the creek and river channel ledges. Plan to use the deep running crank baits and Carolina rigs. A lot of bass are holding on secondary points and road beds.
  • Crappie: Crappie fishing is poor. The fish are on the Coosa river channel at 16 to 25 feet deep, and can be caught spider rigging with minnows and Jiffy Jigs. Some crappie are still being caught shooting docks with jigs. A lot of fish have suspended in the river and creek channels 8 to 12 feet deep and they can be caught long-line trolling with Jiffy Jigs.
  • Striped Bass: Striper fishing is poor, with no reports in the last few weeks.
  • Catfish: Catfish are biting good in the bays and creeks in 8 to 15 feet of water. Cut bait is working best.

West Point Lake Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com) – Bass fishing fair. With the dropping water levels, off colored water has made the bite a day-to-day opportunity. Keep an eye on the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map overlay on the map and be sure there is deep water nearby. There are two main patterns working with the current conditions. One is covering plenty of water with shallow water crank baits similar to a Bandit 200 series or a Bomber 4A.  The better colors have been either chartreuse or red crawdad. Cast these baits as close to shoreline rocky points as possible and then slowly reel them back with a reel and pause pattern. This pattern has been producing more largemouth, but do not look for many bites. The second pattern has been using a drop shot rig or jigging spoon on humps and roadbed’s lake wide. A few largemouth and nice spots remain shallow on Little John crank baits, crawfish colored Shad Raps or jigs fished around cover, but that bite depends on a warming trend. The school sized spotted bass with a few surprise largemouth, are in full swing on some of the deeper wintertime holes and can be caught with a jigging spoon or a drop shot. The usual places (roadbeds, humps and ledges) near the mouths of the major creek are holding fish. Lake levels seem to have stabilized over the last few days. Expect the lake level to drop again unless we keep getting rain.

West Point Lake Fish Attractors: Find DNR fish attractors at West Point Lake HERE. 

TROUT REPORT

Trout and More (Report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters) Check out Unicoi Outfitter’s regular “trout and more” fishing reports HERE.

Chattahoochee River Tailwater Fishing Report (Report courtesy of Georgia Wild Trout) – If light tippet and small flies is your thing, the bite on the Chattahoochee tailwaters is also back. The water has finally cleared from fall turnover and the fish are feeding well. Warm/mild afternoons have been leading to increased midge hatches and the trout fishing improves along with the afternoon temperatures. The activity level of the wild brown trout should continue to pick up in the coming weeks for anglers who know where to look for the trout transitioning for their spawn.  For any streamer fisherman, January is the time to shine. Whether you’re throwing a big wooly bugger, clouser, or a real meaty fly pattern with some bulk, make sure you are keeping your bait down in the water and bump the bottom of the bigger holes. This is the time of year you can find the big trout being a bit gluttonous and taking advantage of an easy meal.  The private waters are the best bet during winter as the fish tend to eat more regularly and see much less pressure this time of year. Expect a warm afternoon to really activate the trout. Junk flies and small (size 18 and 20) natural patterns will work best.

Toccoa River Tailwater (Report courtesy of PFS 01/01/23) — With only one generator running periodically today, fishing should be good. Discharge rate is 146 cfs. There are still a lot of insects hatching and some nice browns being caught. Check out some info below, but see the full report HERE.

  • Stream Conditions:
    • Afternoon Water Temperature: 46 (lower section)
    • Clarity: stained
  • Recommended Trout Flies:
    • Brown Sculpin and White Belly Sculpin and Articulated streamers, size 6/4
    • Black Matuka and Olive Matuka Sculpin, size 4/6
    • Blue-winged Olives: size 16 nymph, emergers, duns and spinners
    • Aquatic Worms, size 12, pink, red, and others
    • Midges: Blood, Cream sizes 20/22, larva, pupa and adults
    • Winter stoneflies, 16/18, nymphs and adults
  • Strategies, Techniques and Tips:
    • Be sure to check the TVA release schedule shown above.
    • Different species of Blue-winged olive nymphs are very plentiful and available for the trout and various species can hatch on warmer, cloudy days.
    • Still, a good strategy is fishing a tandem Midge rig under a small strike indicator with the midge lava as the bottom fly and the midge pupa as the top fly. Fish the adult midge only when you observe trout feeding on the surface.
    • Fish the Brown Sculpin, White Belly Sculpin and articulated streamers anytime during low light conditions or higher water levels.
    • Aquatic worms are working. Winter stoneflies are hatching.

North Georgia Trout Streams Report (Report courtesy of Georgia Wild Trout) — The bite throughout North Georgia should progressively get more and more tough in the coming weeks. The wild trout bite is slowing quickly as they congregate in their winter haunts. The trout on the Delayed Harvest waters have been pounded into submission over the holidays, but plenty of trout are still around. This is likely the most productive bite around for anglers looking to put a bend in their rod. So when the junk fly patterns lose productivity and if you can stomach it, drop down to smaller size 18,20, or smaller fly patterns along with light tippet and you can still net the all the trout you manage to not spook. It won’t be long before we begin seeing the Blue Wing Olive hatches. Have your emerger and small profile dry fly patterns ready when you begin seeing the BWOs appear. Fly patterns between size 16-22 will work best. Be prepared to cycle through sizes until you can find what the trout are looking for.  This is also a good time to explore some new streams as the undergrowth is a bit more dialed back than normal. If you do manage to find some trout, remember that you can have 2-3x as much success in these places during the warmer months.

Parting Trout Note:  Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia?  Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. Aside from being a great looking tag, each purchase or renewal of a Trout Unlimited license plate directly supports Georgia’s trout conservation and management programs. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

MISCELLANEOUS 

2023 Atlanta Boat Show is this weekend at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building “C”, January 12-15, 2023.    

Georgia Bass Slam!  Do you have what it takes to complete a Georgia Bass Slam in 2023?  The idea behind the Georgia Bass Slam is to recognize anglers with the knowledge and skill to catch five (5) different species of black bass in a variety of habitats across the state, and to stimulate interest in the conservation and management of black bass and their habitats.  North Georgia anglers have a great opportunity to complete a “slam,” as seven of Georgia’s ten program eligible bass species can be caught in various waters from Atlanta north.  Give it a shot and maybe you too will make the distinguished list of successful “slammers” in 2023! 

What did I catch?  With well over 300 fish species (mostly freshwater) calling Georgia “home”, it can sometimes be tough to identify your catch.  Is it a green sunfish or a warmouth?  What kind of minnow is this?  The next time you find yourself in such a situation, check out the “Fishes of Georgia” website. The site’s color photos and state range maps may just help you figure out what you’ve caught!

CENTRAL GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Steve Schleiger, Region Supervisor and 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 FULL, 50’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Get out the spoons, jigs, and worms.  Look for the bass in the mouths of the main lake and main river creeks.  The lower lake creeks are clearing, and the blue and silver crank baits have been working for anyone that is trolling.  Down lake use the 3/8 ounce jigs in black and silver with a small pork rind.  Fish any bank heavy rock formations with the crank bait all the way to the boat working the lures slowly in cover.  Also use the Carolina rig with a small Zoom lizard on the loner points down lake.  Keep an eye on the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map overlay on the map.  And make sure that there is deep water nearby.  Find any warming water in the northwest coves later in the afternoons.  Up the rivers, use a Gator Tail worm in dark colors and add a Venom glass rattle and flip and pitch any wood.  The fish are tight on wood and look around blow downs in the major creeks.

CLARKS HILL LAKE IS DOWN 4.2 FEET, 50’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Colored to stained water can be found up in the rivers and creeks due to rain and high winds last week.  This should clear up some during the weekend as better weather approaches.  The blue backs are still traveling in schools up and down the lake and daytime temperatures should climb soon.  Use the Rapala DT14 along the channel ledges and the Minnow Raps on the deep side of the main lake points.  Keep an eye on the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map overlay on the map.  And make sure that there is deep water nearby.  Also try a slow rolling 1/2-ounce white Strike King bait along those lay down trees.  Concentrate most of your efforts in ten to twenty feet of water.  As we see the cold fronts this will change feeding times.  Anglers are still fishing main lake points and jigging for deep water fish mostly on the southern part of the lake.  The windblown banks and points will be the better ones to fish, especially those that get the early morning sun.  Fish each area thoroughly and make several presentations in each area.  The slower the bait is fished, the better.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 50’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair.  The fish are tight to cover.  Use a small crank bait fished close to docks and wood structure on the main lake.  Up the rivers us a dark jig fished tight to the wood structure.  After the cold fronts this will change feeding times.  The temperature is lower up the rivers so slow down.  When Georgia Power is pulling water, the same small crank baits will work around the rip rap at the bridges.  Keep an eye on the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map overlay on the map.  And make sure that there is deep water nearby.

Crappie: Crappie fishing is fair.  The fish are in the mouths of the creek and large coves.  Long lines with double jigs trolled at 1 mph has been the best producer over the past week.  The jig needs to have chartreuse in the body.  Some of the fish are also on the ledges in 15 to 20 feet of water and minnows fished on down lines will produce good catches.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 50’S

Bass fishing is fair.  The rivers are heavily stained and it’s best to fish down lake.  Work the heavy brush on points and docks on the lake.  Use the Stanley dark green or all black 1/2-ounce jig and a larger Bo Hawg pork trailer, on the heavy cover.  This is a great dock lake all year and especially mid fall into the winter.  Just pick a creek and work every dock.  Little River is also a great area for fall fishing with a bone or parrot colored crank bait.  Keep an eye on the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map overlay on the map.  And make sure that there is deep water nearby.  Cast a dark red and black Texas rigged Berkley Power worm in the larger sizes slowly worked on the docks on the lower lake.  Slow roll a willow leaf blade combo in gold’s on points.  Use larger dark worms over the grass and around docks in the mornings, but later each day with the warming waters.

Upcoming Events:

  • 2023 Atlanta Boat Show will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building “C”, January 12-15, 2023. Meet Ken Sturdivant, Captain Cefus McRae, Captain Josh Thornton, Captain Mark Smith, Erica DeLana, Greg Showmake, Rene Hesse, and Rick Burns. They will be in the “Let’s Go Fishing” Center with the Bass Tub.
  • Georgia Wildlife Federation Fisharama/Buckarama will be held in Perry, Georgia on February 10, 11, 12, 2023. Southern Fishing Professional angler Ken Sturdivant will be hosting fishing seminars.

LAKE JACKSON IS FULL, 40’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Go into the creeks up lake in the rivers for active bass.  In the rivers, the bass are on the ends of shallower river points and deeper stump rows.  On the main lake points and around the dam, use the shad colored Zoom Flukes over deep standing timber.  A Zara Spook is good in blue shad or baby bass.  All green trick worms in the stained water in creeks have been fair.  Use a dark red and black Gilraker worm on a Texas rig on wood and brush very tight bank and river structure.  Cast or flip the river docks and shallow bank with a Zoom motor oil lizard.  Sea walls mid lake are good places to use the Fish Head Spins with a small pearl Zoom fluke trailer.  Use the lighter Sufix Elite line in the ten-pound test and slowly reel this bait back to the boat right on the bottom. As we see the cold fronts this will change feeding times.  Anglers are still fishing main lake points and jigging for deep water fish mostly on the southern part of the lake.

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

  • Water level: All ponds and lakes are full or near full
  • Water clarity: 30” +. Some ponds are stained from recent runoff.
  • Surface temperature: Mid 50’s degrees F.
  • Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Several days of warmer weather can produce a good bite.

Bass: Bass fishing is slow, but some are still being taken in deeper water at this time, mostly with plastic worms and jigs.  On sunny days, bass move into shallower water adjacent to cover and are a little easier for anglers to locate.  You may see shad schooling later in the evening on warmer days.  Typically, the bass will be feeding in these schools of shad.  Crank baits, jerk baits, and spinner baits should trigger a reaction bite.

Crappie: Crappie fishing continues to be popular on the warmer days.  Chartreuse, yellow, and white jigs fished 6-8 feet deep have been producing some pretty good catches in Bennett and Fox Lakes.  Minnows are always a go-to.   You must find the depth they are at and present your bait just above them.

Bream: A few nice bluegills are being caught on the bottom in deep water with worms.  Georgia Jumper worms and pink worms have been working well.

Other:  A few nice hybrids have been caught in Bennett Lake on warmer days when the shad are schooling.

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

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

TIRED CREEK LAKE

Tired Creek Reservoir Bluegill

Tired Creek Reservoir Brown Bullhead

Tired Creek Reservoir Largemouth Bass

Enjoy these photos from Georgia DNR fisheries biologist Emilia Omerberg from Tired Creek Lake.

LAKE WALTER F GEORGE

The warm air temperatures are keeping the water temperature up. The water is pretty muddy but the southern end of the lake with the sandy bottom has been clearing up more quickly than the creeks and northern areas. Due to the warm temps the shallow bite is warming up a bit.  Texas rigs, swim jigs and slow-moving ChatterBaits are getting a good bet and Carolina rigs worked on the first drops on the river channel and creek ledges are also getting some good hits. The crappie fishing on Lake George is still hot! Jigs and minnows towards the southern end of the lake have been very productive for crappie fishing. Also try fishing around docs. Use sonar to find areas with flat bottoms and submerged structures. Smelly bait is carrying well in this dirty water so catfish fishing with a nice smelly stink bait should produce a nice outcome. Stay safe out there as water levels can vary dramatically. Remember that the lake is really a river channel so be aware of submerged obstacles and shallow depth when boating.

Rory Lester with a 6 lb, 6 oz largemouth from Lake Blackshear. Photo: Flint River Outdoors

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

The water on Blackshear is pretty stained after all the rain we received over the weekend. When fishing for bass try shad colored lures. Try using darker colored lures that will match the prey in the muddy water. When the stain lightens up go back to using more natural-colored lures. The crappie bite continues to be pretty hot and minnows are the bait of choice. Some good channel cats can be caught out there as well with any smelly bait. One angler suggested his family secret as chicken breasts soaked in Kool-Aid or Jell-o mix. Good luck out there! 

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

In general, the weather is cold and the bite has become less consistent.  Anglers have to be more patient and persistent to have a good day fishing.  However, winter weather means less anglers are fishing; thus, less fishing pressure for the dedicated angler. 

Bass: Largemouth bass fishing is slow.  Fish plastic baits at a slower pace now that water temperatures are cooler. Plastic-worms fished around the deep water by the picnic area and around both fishing piers may produce a few good bites. 

Crappie: Crappie fishing has been poor, and they are difficult to locate. However, their spawning season will start soon. Until the warmer temperatures arrive fish for crappie in 10-12 feet of water with minnows and jigs. 

LAKE SEMINOLE

Bass: Bass fishing is good right now. The best set up to use right now are drop shots, deep crankbaits and Carolina rigs. Try yo-yoing a jigging spoon in the grass for a good hit as well. You can catch a lot of smaller fish on the Carolina rigs but if you are out there looking for that big quality bass stick with a Carolina rig. The best colors right now are junebug, green pumpkin, watermelon red flake and moss green.

Catfish: Big catfish are in around 20 feet of water. Your best bet for them is a cutbait of either skipjack or mudfish and try bouncing that off the bottom. There are lots of smaller catfish in about 10-15 feet of water with the pan fish. Night crawlers are a sure bet for these one.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

The fishing reports were good this week from our area ponds and the Okefenokee. The Altamaha system is pretty much blown out right now with the recent rains, but the blackwater rivers (Satilla and St. Marys) are fishable.

River gages on January 12th were:

  • Clyo on the Savannah River – 10.4 feet and rising
  • Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 11.9 feet and rising
  • Doctortown on the Altamaha – 9.1 feet and rising
  • Waycross on the Satilla – 8.1 feet and falling
  • Atkinson on the Satilla – 6.3 feet and rising
  • Macclenny on the St Marys – 3.0 feet and falling

Last quarter moon is January 15th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

SATILLA RIVER

Kary Davis of Jesup caught this new Satilla River record crappie on Wednesday by flinging a 2-inch white curly-tail grub in the middle river.

The water clarity looked good from the bridge when I crossed the river early this week. I had a couple reports of good crappie catches. Kary Davis of Jesup set a new Satilla River record crappie this week. He caught it on a 2-inch white curly-tail grub in the middle river on Wednesday. It weighed 1-lb., 14-oz. and bested the old record by 4 ounces. He and his fishing buddy, Bobby White, caught a total of 12 fish during their trip.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The bite was very good on the swamp this week, with folks reporting catching fliers, bowfin, and pickerel. Blake Edwards and his friend Vinny fished the Fargo entrance on Friday and caught about 20 bowfin. They trolled and cast Dura-Spins for their fish, and fire tiger – chartreuse blade was their best color. I fished the west side (Fargo entrance) on Friday with my daughter, Ellie. We trolled Dura-Spins in Billy’s Lake for most of the trip and ended up catching 62 bowfin and pickerel (vast majority were bowfin). Our biggest bowfin was 6-lb., 2-oz, and our biggest pickerel was 22 inches. The best Dura-Spin colors were crawfish-orange blade, fire tiger-chartreuse blade, and crawfish-gold blade, but we caught a few on several other colors. When we had taken the boat out, we walked around the boat basin for about 10 minutes and caught 6 fliers up to 9 inches by pitching yellow sallies suspended under a float. The latest water level (Folkston side) was 120.5 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

Chad Lee caught 11 bass this week on short lunchtime trips. His 2 biggest were 3 pounds apiece, and he fooled them with a creature bait and a crawfish. A couple hit a Rat-L-trap, but most ate stick worms. A Baxley angler spider-rigged a Tennessee shad Specktacular Jig tipped with a minnow for a dozen nice crappie on Friday. Two of his fish were over 2 pounds. A couple anglers fished a Brunswick pond on Thursday and caught 5 bass up to 4 pounds. Two of their fish ate SPRO crankbaits (shad colors), and the other 3 ate copperfield and shad-colored vibrating jigs. They also had 15 channel catfish up to 2 pounds by pitching cut bluegill and shiners on Catfish Catcher Jigheads (3/16-oz. with 3/0 hook).

ST. MARYS RIVER

Zeb Rouse caught this big catfish on shrimp fished on the bottom in the upper St. Marys River on Thursday.

Matt Rouse fished the upper St. Marys on Thursday morning with his brother Zeb. They fooled 8 nice crappie with minnows and grubs. Casting fire tiger Dura-Spins produced a dozen bowfin in the 3-to-4-pound range. They also caught a big catfish by putting shrimp on the bottom.

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

An angler fishing on Friday did really well for bass. He had 5 bass that weighed almost 29 pounds. Two of them were 7 pounds apiece. Remember, bass fishing on the area is only catch-and-release.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had a great trip last Thursday around Brunswick. His charter had 2 limits of trout from around scattered shell and then fished some laydown trees for about 20 redfish. Most of the reds were slot fish, and he had 2 over-sized fish. They caught them all on live shrimp under a Harper Super Striker Float from about 6 to 8 feet of water. The best bank report I received this week was an angler fishing early this week. They fished for just a couple hours and caught 30 seatrout (about half keepers) while using a black 1/8-oz. Zombie Eye Head and 3-inch electric shad Keitech swimbait. Jay Turner and friends fished the Savannah area nearshore reefs with fiddler crabs on Wednesday and whacked the sheepsheads, black drum, and black sea bass. They ended up bringing home 22 sheepshead up to about 7 pounds. They had some 15 pound black drum and some 14-inch black sea bass.  For the latest fishing information or live shrimp in the Brunswick area, check with J&P Bait and Tackle on Hwy 303 (912-282-9705).