Have YOU taken advantage of a Free Fishing Day during National Fishing and Boating Week (NFBW)? Well, you have another chance tomorrow (Sat. June 10). On a Free Fishing Day, Georgia residents do not need a fishing license, trout license or Lands Pass to fish on public waters. NFBW is also a great time to find a Kids Fishing Event (KFEs). Check out the Event Calendar to search for one near you. 

NEWS TO KNOW

  • 29-pound Striped Bass caught during monitoring efforts.

    Coosa Basin Striped Bass: Northwest Georgia fisheries field staff wrapped up the annual striped bass monitoring for the Coosa basin. Total striper numbers increased for the fourth consecutive year and many of these were young fish, suggesting that the recent fingerling stocking program may have been successful in reversing a declining trend seen from 2014-2019. The two month sampling efforts showed lots of fish in the 9- to 14-inch range and some larger fish (like this 29-pounder).

  • Chopping Wood to Help Trout: The Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division “Trout Team” felled and cut several trees in preparation for installing habitat structures on several wild trout streams for an upcoming Trout Camp and Boy Scout workdays organized by Trout Unlimited. Adding wood in streams directly benefits trout by increasing instream habitat and macroinvertebrate abundance. The partnership with Trout Unlimited provides the opportunity to educate youth about biological interactions, local conservation practices, and how to steward natural resources.  

  • Accurate Fish Measuring Info.

    Measure Carefully! Submitting an Angler Award or a Georgia Bass Slam and need to include length? Make sure you measure that fish correctly to ensure your entry will be accepted. The mouth of the fish should be closed and at front of board/ruler, tail fins compressed. Make sure the measurements on your board/ruler are CLEARLY visible in any submitted photos. 

  • Redirected Trout Stockings: Anglers should note that the Wildlife Resources Division will no longer stock Stamp Creek with trout due to no public access at the area formerly known as Pine Log WMA. These efforts will be redirected to other north Georgia trout streams.

This week, we have fresh fishing reports from Southeast, North and Central Georgia. Whether it is a Free Fishing Day or ANY DAY, be sure to get out there and Go Fish Georgia!

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)

Not as many people reported this week as compared to the holiday weekend, but there were still a lot of folks fishing. The rivers are getting back in decent shape again, and I expect to get some excellent reports this week.

River gages on June 8th were:

  • Clyo on the Savannah River – 7.0 feet and falling
  • Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 2.6 feet and falling
  • Doctortown on the Altamaha – 7.0 feet and falling
  • Waycross on the Satilla – 6.6 feet and falling
  • Atkinson on the Satilla – 8.5 feet and falling
  • Statenville on the Alapaha – 2.2 feet and falling
  • Macclenny on the St Marys – 2.9 feet and falling
  • Fargo on the Suwannee – 2.6 feet and falling

Last quarter moon is June 10th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

ALAPAHA RIVER

Take note that the Highway 129 Bridge boat ramp (near Lakeland and known as Lakeland Boat Ramp) closed on May 30th. It will be closed for a couple months while the ramp and parking area are rebuilt.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

Jamie Hodge fished the Jesup area and caught 38 big panfish (mostly bluegills) from the backwaters. He could barely get his hand around several of them. Fish were back in the oxbows spawning over this last week and will probably still be there this coming week. Worms and crickets fooled his fish. Several other anglers reported catching panfish of all species on Satilla Spins, worms, and crickets. One angler got in some backwaters and pitched a junebug lizard and caught four really nice warmouth. The Wayne County Board of Tourism Catfish Tournament was held this weekend, and 187 anglers (81 boats) participated. First place ($7,500) was the team of Seth Alday of Altha, Florida, and Andrew Summer of Westiville, Florida. They caught a 5-fish limit weighing 96.20 pounds. Second was Tiff Thompson of Americus. He weighed in 76.70 pounds and had big fish of 36.50 pounds. Jim Douglas of Richmond Hill and Tessa Moore of Opelika, Alabama rounded out the top three with 61.15 pounds. Tessa also had the big fish caught by a woman, and it was 32.95 pounds. The biggest catfish caught by a kid was a 21.10-pounder landed by Kailee Lloyd of Thomaston. A total of 2,212 pounds of catfish were weighed in during the tournament.

OCMULGEE RIVER

Mullet fishing picked up significantly this week. Anglers caught them with red wiggler worms fished around salt blocks and feed sacks staked out in the eddies. Garrett Harrison of Googe’s Bait and Tackle in Hazlehurst caught some of the biggest redbreasts in years on the Ocmulgee this week. He was fishing crickets on the bottom for his fish. He caught 17 fish and kept 10 of them.

SATILLA RIVER

Michael Nadeau sent me a photo of a great catch of 5 fat channel and flathead catfish. He caught them in the lower, tidal river using live bait on bush hooks. One of the more unique catches was an angler who had a giant longnose gar eat his mudminnow while he was fishing in the Woodbine area on Thursday. The upper river has dropped out to fishable levels this week and has cleared up significantly, but the middle and lower river sections are still high. With the fast fall, the water will be fairly stained, so an expectation of catching a couple dozen is more reasonable than expecting to catch 100 fish this weekend.

ST. MARYS RIVER

Matt Rouse fished the extreme upper St. Marys from the bank and pitched a white Bert’s Bug with a bream-buster into the deeper holes. They were blasting it, and he ended up catching stumpknockers, bluegill, warmouth and even a nice 18-inch pickerel. Shady Bream Tournaments held a points tournament on Saturday and had a great turnout. Daniel and Darwin won it with 7.96 pounds (10 panfish). Second was Ernie and Redbird with 7.31 pounds. Mike and Mike placed third with 7.15 pounds. Big fish was 1.03-pound crappie caught by Daniel and Darwin. Check out Shady Bream Tournaments on Facebook for more details.

LOCAL PONDS

Bluegill fishing in area ponds has been very good. I caught this gorgeous bluegill on a lime Bert’s Bug on Saturday morning along with a bunch of other bluegills that ate the bug or a white sally dropper.

Waylon could not let his older brother (Tripp) outdo him, so he fished his family’s pond this week and caught a bunch of bass. This one ate a 4-inch plastic lizard.

I had a blast Saturday morning with my fly rod that I built when I was 14 years old and a popper in a local pond. I ended up catching and releasing 38 big panfish in 3 1/2 hours of fishing. The biggest was 11 inches and pushing a pound. They started off blasting a lime-colored Bert’s Bug. About an hour into the trip they slowed eating it off the top, so I added a white sally on a 10-inch dropper and the bite picked back up. I left them still biting at noon. They hit both the bug and the sally but I never had a double. I’m not usually a big fly-flinger, but it’s awesome when big panfish crush a bug on top! Jackson Winn fished with his cousins in ponds this weekend and had fun together. On Saturday he fished an Alma area pond and targeted bass with lures. His biggest bass of the day was a 2 1/2-pounder that hit a junebug finesse worm. On Sunday he fished with his cousin Kash in an Appling County pond, and the two combined for a catch of 16 panfish (14 bluegills and a couple warmouth). Red wigglers got the job done on Sunday. The biggest bass reported to me this week was a giant in the upper 20-inch range. It had the head of a 15-pounder but probably only weighed 8 or 9 pounds. Brothers Waylon and Tripp fished their pond in Guyton a few evenings this week and caught a bunch of giant bluegills and shellcrackers on red wiggler worms and had several nice bass on 4-inch plastic lizards. Junebug was their top color.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The heat and yellow flies combined to reduce the effort this week. I heard one decent report for warmouth (about a dozen fish), but that’s about it. I’m sure the bowfin and pickerel are still biting spinners. The latest water level (Folkston side) was 120.22 feet.

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman, more info HERE)

Ken Burke fished the area on Monday morning and caught 8 bass for a total of 17.5 pounds. His big fish was 4-lb., 3-oz. He caught fish early on a squarebill crankbait, and later in the morning they hit a shaky head worm better. The water temperature rose to 82 degrees by mid-day.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Dublin, more info HERE)

Ken Burke fished the area Wednesday morning and caught 8 bass that weighed 16.25 pounds. He had one fish over 4 pounds and 2 more over 3 pounds. He caught most on a squarebill crankbait and Berkley Frittside crankbait. The biggest fish ate the squarebill. He also caught a couple smaller bass on a shaky head worm.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Tommy Sweeney fished Saturday and caught 2 big flounder on a mullet-colored Keitech swimbait. He also caught a few short trout. His trip was cut short when he got a hook in his finger. Jay Turner walked the bank in the Savannah area and caught 4 flounder – 2 small and 2 between 4 and 5 pounds. He also had a slot redfish. Keitech swimbaits on Zombie Eye Jigheads produced his fish. Steve and Brenda Hampton fished the Jekyll Island Pier on Saturday and put it on the flounder. They had an 18, 15, 16 and 12 1/2-inch keepers along with 2 throwbacks. On Friday Brenda caught 3 flounder from the pier in terrible conditions. On Thursday and angler fishing the pier caught 2 flounder about 18 inches and a few throwbacks on mudminnows.

NORTH GEORGIA

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

National Fishing and Boating Week draws to a close this weekend, and Saturday (June 10th) is a statewide free fishing day.  So, why not celebrate with your family by attending a Kids Fishing Event (KFE).  To find a KFE in your area, click HERE.  The U.S. Forest Service is also hosting a trout fishing KFE at the Tallulah River Campground on Saturday morning.  For more tips on keeping your young ones engaged while fishing, check out the Fishing with Kids webpage.

TROUT REPORT

Trout Hatchery staff load up the stocking trucks.

This week, about 36,000 trout were stocked!

Stocking 36,000 Trout: (Report by John Lee Thomson, DNR Trout Stocking Coordinator) — Our trout hatchery staffers are loading up and moving out just about every day this week to stock around 36,000 catchable-sized trout into nearly 50 streams across 18 North Georgia counties.  Take some time to look through our Trout Fishing webpage to see the Weekly Trout Stocking list and explore the Interactive Trout Stream map.  This weekend would be a perfect time to go fishing for stocked trout in the North Georgia mountains. Water temperatures are still cool in most areas and stream flows are good. These stream conditions accompanied with high stocking rates make fishing for stockers highly successful. Just check out this video from Pautzke Bait Company that was recently filmed on Smith Creek in Unicoi State Park. Although Saturday is a free fishing day, you can purchase a fishing license and trout stamp, which will allow you to fish public waters all year long, by clicking HERE.

Trout Are Sipping at the Surface: (Report by Sarah Baker, DNR Fisheries Biologist) –Right now, trout will be sipping at the surface in the early mornings and late evenings. Arrive at your planned fishing destination in the early morning to begin your hike into the stream. Headwater streams are going to provide your best chance for a successful outing.  The Interactive Trout Stream Map on our Trout webpage will help you identify suitable locations. The sun should just barely be twinkling between the canopy as you tie on your Parachute Adams or Royal Wulff. Dress your fly up with Gink and now you’re ready. Summer trout prefer the shade, so cast your fly into the shadows. Remain as stealthy as possible to avoid spooking fish from their feeding lies. If you get a hit, try again. If you get a second hit, try a third time! Try a fourth time, and then keep moving up along the stream, fishing each little pool as you go. If dries get rejected, I recommend offering a flirtatious small foam beetle or black ant to try to persuade a strike.

Rewarding Wild Trout Stream Fishing

Wild Trout Stream Report: (Report by John Damer, DNR Fisheries Biologist) On Saturday, I traveled way uphill into the mountains to beat the heat wet wading in my favorite wild trout stream.  I got on the stream a bit late, expecting to find other anglers already in some of the prime spots, but instead found I had the place to myself.  Conditions were perfect, with the water temp a cool 61 degrees at 4:00, and flow at or above normal for this time of year.  I fished from noon to 7:30pm with consistent dry fly action throughout the afternoon.  Good numbers of yellow sallies started coming off starting around 5:00, and the fish were attacking my tan X-Caddis.  I did not really count but I landed around 30 fish with a ton of misses as well.  Most were small but the handful of 10-inchers in the mix were enough to keep things interesting.  The colors (especially the red spots) on these browns are always striking.  Already, I’m thinking about my next visit!

Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam (Report by the Orvis Company) — Streamer fishing is a great way to fish and possibly catch a huge brown.  Nymphing is always going to be the go-to for those bottom feeding fish, the old Pat’s Rubber legs, Worm patterns, midge patterns, attractors such as rainbow warriors and lightning bugs to copper johns, and the classic pheasant tails and hare’s ears in sizes 12 to 18.  If you are throwing streamers, anything from wooly buggers, if you’re throwing the smaller rods, to large articulated patterns like the bottoms up and dungeon patterns by Galloup.  As the temperature starts to warm up, small dry flies are going to be another option.  Make sure to have a few midge dry flies, BWOs, and caddis to tie on when the fish start to rise more consistently. 

MOUNTAIN LAKES REPORT

Mountain Lakes earned these fellas some Angler Awards!

Mountain Lakes Mixed Bag (Report by Anthony Rabern, DNR Fisheries Supervisor) — Although water temperatures are getting warmer and the last days of spring are upon us, several anglers caught trophy-sized fish this week from our mountain lakes.  An 81-year old father and his 55-year old son tag-teamed to catch two trophy walleyes using nightcrawlers and an angler fishing Lake Burton landed a hefty 3 ½ lb chain pickerel.  Congratulations to these guys who are pursuing their passion of fishing and catching fish that are worthy of Angler Awards.

Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area Mixed Bag (Report by Dennis Shiley, PFA Manager) — There are some good catches of bass coming out of Antioch on worms and jigs in 8 to 15’ of water at Rocky Mountain PFA. Top water is working well in the morning and low light conditions.  The walleye are fairly active in 10’ of water hitting Rapala shad-raps trolled behind the boat. Shell crackers are also biting good in 10 to 15’ on crickets and red wigglers. Channel catfish are finishing up their spawn on rip rap dams and hitting just about anything when they are active.

Great day of fishing on Lake Winfield Scott for GA Waterdog Jack Becker and a friend.

Lake Winfield Scott Fishing: Our friend and fellow fishing “fin-addict” (a.k.a. GA Waterdog)  took a friend fishing to Union County’s Lake Winfield Scott.  This 22-acre mountain lake is just a short drive away from Vogel State Park.  The high mountain streamflow provides cooler temperatures and very clear water.  We fished with small pearl-colored Salmo Crankbaits and Panther Martins (1/4 oz yellow with red dots) and caught 2 limits of rainbow trout along with a few yellow perch and a bluegill.  There is a campground and a swim beach with a covered pavilion at the upper end of the lake.  Great place to spend the day.  There is limited bank access but there is a fishing platform and access to the water along the dam.  Electric motor only lake, so it is a good place for kayak fishing with a small launch area at the upper end near the campground.

RESERVOIR REPORT 

Ken Sturdivant and his cadre of fishing friends and guides, combine their knowledge and skill for this week’s reservoir fishing update. Check out Ken’s complete fishing report at www.southernfishing.com.

LAKE LANIER

Lanier Spots and Stripes: Several anglers have recently observed Spotted Bass and Stripers feeding at the surface on shad at the south end of the lake.  There are some quality stripers in the 10-15 lb range that are primed and ready. 

Lanier Bass (Report by Phil Johnson (770) 366-8845 or Pjohnson@hotmail.com ) — Over the last week the topwater activity has really picked up. Still some days are better than others but overall, it is a good bite. Five baits have really paid off this week. A Slick Stick Pro Series swimbait, a fluke, the Gunfish, the Jerk Shad and the Pro Model Spotchoker. There is scattered topwater activity in many places on the lake making it fun to target the fish. The one thing is you have to hit right on them while they are schooling. We have been able to follow up after the fish have gone down with a Spot Choker to catch them suspended. This is also a good bait for the fish you see suspended around the brush that won’t commit to coming up on a bait. The main areas that we are targeting are brush in 25 to 35 feet. Humps that top out in the 20 to 25-feet range and long points. It seems that the activity has been more consistent back in the creeks versus the main lake. For the Slick Stick we have been throwing chrome on the sunny days with white on the cloudy days. The new Blue Herring color is working on both cloudy days. For the Jerk Shad we have been throwing the FZNH20 weightless to draw strikes. The colors for the Gunfish have been either the chrome or white. I’m sure there is a worm bite around the rocks and docks right now but the topwater bite is just too much fun to go find it. It’s a special time of the year on Lanier right now so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Striped Bass (This report is from Big Fish On Guide Service) — Stripers are oriented to points lakewide. The down rod bite has gotten better and is out fishing the free lines. We are using down rods with blueback herring with top water baits and buck tail jigs as our primary technique to cover points. Target 30 to 40 bottom with baits at 20 to 25 feet down. The Umbrella rigs are working and is a great technique for fishing points. Target a 30 to 40 foot bottom with your rigs at 60 to 70 feet back. Vary your speed to avoid the brush piles and trees. Do not waste a lot of time making multiple passes on any given point. Once you find a productive point you may have to leave it and come back in a couple of hours. The fish tend to scatter when you catch one. Long sloping points seem to be holding more fish than the deep water points. If it is cloudy, you can catch fish on points all day, if not fish deeper as the sun rises. The point’s lake wide from Little River to the Dam are holding fish with the north end a little more productive than the south.

Lanier Water Quality (Report by Hunter Roop, DNR Fisheries Biologist): Each summer, WRD Fisheries staff collects temperature and oxygen information throughout Lake Lanier to determine where good habitat exists for certain gamefish like striped bass and walleye. These species have more sensitive temperature and dissolved oxygen requirements than warmwater species like largemouth bass, bream, and catfish. Temperature and oxygen profiles are posted on WRD’s GIS map that can be found on the Fishing Forecast webpage for Lake Lanier (and other North Georgia lakes). Just click on the small thermometer icon and select the most recent PDF. The current water quality trends show a thermocline is setting up around 15’ below the surface in the upper reservoir, and slightly deeper (~25’) in the lower reservoir. Surface temperatures should still be suitable for topwater action in the early morning, but by mid-day expect stripers to occupy depths from 20’-40’ range in June. As the summer progresses and the reservoir warms up, identifying good water quality & habitat becomes more critical to locating stripers, and we’ll be here to help you do just that.

Crappie are holding tight to the bottom at Lanier.

Lanier Black Crappie (This report is from Dan Saknini, member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. See our club’s website, www.laniercrappieanglers.net ) — The crappie have gone deep, and the bite is much harder to detect. If you see any unusual line movement at all, set the hook! I think some fishermen are missing the bite because they are waiting for more movement than is going to show. The fish we are catching are holding tight to the bottom around deep brush piles in or around docks. When you cast your line, take a bite of your donut, sip on your coffee, and then just start reeling. Sometimes you have to let the jig fall all the way to the bottom, click the bail, then wait and watch the line very carefully for the slightest movement before reeling. We are targeting docks with structure (brush piles) on the Chattahoochee side north of Gainesville Marina and on the Chestatee side north of Little Hall and Duckett Mill. The night bite remains good and should continue all summer. Fishing will be better on overcast days this time of the year and the early morning bite or early evening bite is best.

LAKE ALLATOONA

Lake Allatoona Bass: (Report by Ken Sturdivant) — By now, many fish roam in mid depth ranges of 9 to 21 feet deep, but there are some fish shallow right now. First thing in the morning there are still some shad spawning and the top water bite is good. Use the Pop R, Spro Dawg and a Zara Spook. Look for fish activity and schooling around rock and hard bank. Some shad will even spawn on floating docks. Once the sun gets up look for brush or blowdowns. Jigs like the Kacy’s Kustom in bluegill fire or brown and a Spro Little John are hard to beat. Keep a Zoon Super Fluke ready and use it on every stop. Pearl is the go-to color.

Allatoona Linesides (This report provided by Robert Eidson of First Bite Guide Service, 770 827 6282) — Fish are staging off the humps and flats from Kellogg Creek back over to Allatoona Creek. Threadfin shad and small gizzards fished off any of the ledges, the flats, and the river ledges, the mouths of the creeks and the main lake points have been working well.  After the sun gets up, they are moving over the river channels and can still be caught on down lined threadfin and small gizzard shad. The key is to stay on the edge of the river channel.

LAKE HARTWELL

Lake Hartwell Bass: (Report by Ken Sturdivant) — The increased boat traffic and the lower lake levels are creating a few mud lines along the banks and some of the main lake points. Bass are being caught on the edges of these mud lines while cranking a Rapala Hot Mustard DT6. This bait works in the morning and late afternoon hours. Fish the big rocks that lay close points near the deeper water. Bass will use these large rocks to hide from the sun and also to ambush their prey. A 1/4 ounce jig or a Storm Wiggle Wart in a bright pattern is easy for these fish to see and works especially well in bright sunlight conditions. When all else fails get the rod out with the Carolina rig and 3 foot leader. Add a Zoom pumpkinseed mini lizard and add some dye, red or chartreuse to the tail. Keep a pearl Zoom Super Fluke ready and watch the sand pockets on and around all the islands for the bass to be chasing the bait schools.

WEST POINT LAKE

West Point Lake: (Report by Ken Sturdivant): Bass are being caught on several different patterns. Top water baits such as Pop R’s, Zara Spooks and buzz baits can be extremely effective for shallow and aggressive fish, especially around bream beds. A second pattern that works well is to look for spawning shad. Try fishing rip rap around bridges with spinnerbaits, small crankbaits, and Zoom Super Flukes. Use the unweighted Zoom trick worm or an unweighted Slinky. One other pattern is to look for fresh blowdowns with the leaves still on them. Try a McStick jerk bait or Zoom Super Fluke worked around the outer limbs. Lots of spotted bass are caught by casting Spot Remover heads loaded with Ultravibe Speed Craws or just dragging a Carolina rigged Zoom Finesse worm or Mini lizard around sloping gravel banks on the side of main lake points.

LAKE WEISS AND COOSA RIVER

Lake Weiss and Coosa River Mixed Bag (Report by Mark Collins Guide Service (256) 779 3387) — Bass have started moving to a deeper, summer pattern, docks and brush piles in deeper water near spawning areas are producing fish, point’s roadbeds and creek/river channel ledges are producing fish using deep running crankbaits and Carolina rigs.  Stripers are showing up in the lower parts of the Coosa and Chattooga Rivers, some fish are starting to show up at the Cave Hole and Little Spring Creek also.  Crappie are starting to show up on deeper brush piles in 10-18 feet of water and can be caught spider rigging with minnows and Jiffy flys.  Some crappie are still being caught shooting docks with jigs.  Catfish are biting in the bays and creeks in 8 to15 feet of water. Cut bait is working best.

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, 70’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Find and fish the biggest clusters of rocks in the shade and fish with a 1/4-ounce jig while using no more than 10-pound Suffix Line.  Also use a Rapala DT6 or DT10 along these same areas and be sure to bounce the baits off the rocks.  After the sun comes up, head to the bridge pylons.  On a spinning rod, use a 1/4-ounce Strobe Tear Drop Spoon by Blue Fox on 8 to 10-pound test Suffix line.  Use a Robo worm in morning dawn and fish this vertical jig on all the pylons under the bridges starting at one side, then move to the other.  Most strikes will come on the fall of the bait and watching the fishing line is a must.  This can work even in the warmer summer days until the water cools back down.  Use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology while fishing the bridge pylons.

CLARKS HILL LAKE IS .59 FEET OVER FULL, 70’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Be ready all day with the Rapala Otto’s Garage 8 in white with the green back and fish this bait on a spinning reel and 10-pound Sufix Elite line.  This will get the bait to its correct depth and add action to the lure.  Have a backup lure ready like the Stanley jigs in black and blue. Add a matching Zoom trailer.  Also use the Lucky Craft Redemption spinnerbaits.  Concentrate mid-day on isolated structure like stumps and rocks.  The Megabass Vision 110 is commonly thought of as the standard by which all other jerk baits are judged.   It earned this distinction because of its innovative internal weighting system, extensive refinement of its swimming action, superb color offerings, and top tier hardware.  All these also make the Vision 110 one of the best lures for bass.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Fish are fresh off the spawn and biting the smaller baits like the #5 Rapala Shad Raps.  They have been moving out of the shallow areas headed to summer holes.  They are hard to predict until they get set up on points and ledges.  Anglers can try secondary points at the mouths of creeks and fish Carolina rigged lizards and worms.  Also catch a few suspended fish on McStick jerk baits and a Rapala Husky Jerk and the Pointer 78.  Some schooling fish are up midafternoons on the main lake.  Have the Pop R or Sammy and cast it past the schoolers.  The hybrids are up also so be prepared for a few of these fish.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN .79 FEET, 70’S

Bass fishing is good.  Water temperatures continue to rise into the low and mid 70’S so expect the bulk of the largemouth to quickly move shallow and feed like crazy when the spawn peaks.  Try throwing spinnerbaits in stained water or if there is any schooling activity at all and have a Whopper Plopper or an all-white buzz bait ready.  It is hard to beat a Zoom lizard on this lake all year so throw a pumpkinseed color and use a 4-foot leader all day.  The Megabass Vision 110 is commonly thought of as the standard by which all other jerk baits are judged.  It earned this distinction because of its innovative internal weighting system extensive refinement of its swimming action superb color offerings and top tier hardware.  All of these also make the Vision 110 the best bass lures because this is when many anglers reach for a jerk bait.  A Rapala Tot’s Garage bream or white and chartreuse flat side crank bait will work on the gravel banks.  Any Zoom Trick worm on a 2/0 Mustad offset worm hook and a spinning rod and reel combo can account for not only good numbers but a big fish.  Be sure to fish the bridges with all these lures.

LAKE JACKSON IS .57 FEET OVER FULL 70’S

Bass fishing is fair.  Consider early or late as the boat traffic can be heavy.  Start at first light with a Pop R white 1/2-ounce buzz bait or a Spook near seawalls and visible cover on flats near deep water.  Once the sun gets up use medium diving crankbaits like Bandit 300 or #7 Rapala Shad Raps in crawdad or silver with a black back.  Fish on points or over humps near river channel drops.  Carolina rigged 6-inch Zoom lizards in green pumpkin or Zoom finesse worm will work.  Flipping docks with a blue and black jig or the same 6-inch lizard can also be effective but concentrate on the ones near deep water with manmade structure.  As the spots move out over deep structure use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Active Target technology to locate bass on points and humps.  Find the bass and then fish vertically with drop shot rigs.  To avoid a lot of the boat traffic or just the heat, fish after dark on lighted boat docks with Shad Raps and dark plastics.