Tag…I’m it? You’re it? Did you know that you and I can support wildlife and fish conservation with a vehicle tag purchase? Consider adding a wildlife license plate to your vehicle today! Find out more HERE and HERE.
NEWS TO KNOW:
- Renovation Continues at Go Fish: The Go Fish Education Center in Perry, GA will remain closed through the month of December as they continue to work on a renovation and refresh to exhibits, interactive opportunities and aquariums. The re-opening date looks to be in early January.
- Time for Delayed Harvest Trout Fishing: Make plans to fish on one of the five delayed harvest trout streams in Georgia. Find out more about which streams are delayed harvest and what that means HERE.
This week, we have fishing reports from Central, Southeast and North Georgia. As you drive to your next fishing destination, show off your support for wildlife conservation with your “wild” license plate as you Go Fish Georgia!
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 BELOW COURTESY OF SOUTHERN FISHING WITH KEN STURDIVANT.
LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1.2 FEET, 60’S
Bass fishing is fair. The spotted bass are gorging themselves on shad right now. Most of the bait and bass seem to be in 25 to 30 feet of water in the pockets and on points in the creeks. Some of the bass are right on the bottom so keep a close eye on the Lowrance electronics. Mark the bait or fish on the Lowrance; be sure to use a drop shot or a jigging spoon and see which one the bass wants, because it changes throughout the day. Some bigger bass this time of year will bite a black and blue jig and a Fish Head Spin with a Zoom Fluke. Many anglers rely on the jigging spoon, especially in the smaller creeks. Main lake points are also productive but remember the bass are scattered about. Ease over a point and watch the Lowrance Down Scan and zoom in one time and sit still. The bass may be dead on the bottom and the Down Scan can see them.
CLARKS HILL LAKE IS DOWN 7.3 FEET, 60’S
Bass fishing is fair. Some much-needed rain pushed the bait up shallow. The main lake points are great and use the Rapala DT 10 crank baits. Also, look on the secondary points in the creek and ride by them and watch the Lowrance for the water to drop to 35 feet deep. Find the ditches with grass on them and then locate the shad on the sonar. This will be the most productive areas mid-day until dark. Shad colored #5 Shad Raps fished on eight-pound Sufix line in the ditches is working. The Rapala DT6 will also work and use no more than ten-pound test line. Main lake points are also productive but remember the bass are scattered about. Ease over a point watch the Lowrance Down Scan and zoom in one time and sit still. The bass may be dead on the bottom and the Down Scan can see them.
LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 60’S
Bass fishing is fair. Bait and bass are moving toward deeper water. Look for fish in 15 to 25 feet of water with the Lowrance Sonar 83kHz and 200kHz frequency. Now fish vertically over them with 7/8-ounce Hopkins silver spoon. Also, fish a drop shot worm in watermelon and green pumpkin colors. A warm night and a sunny day can make all the difference. Look for the best fishing when the sun is shining and find the warmer water. The Lowrance Heat Map technology will show the changes in color. Dipping the worm in some red or chartreuse JJ’s Magic will produce more bites in stained water. For the shallow bite work some docks in 7 to 10 feet of water with a 3/8-ounce jig. There may not be a lot of bites but a good one may show up.
LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.6 FEET, 60’S
Bass fishing is fair. It is a wide-open bait week. Fish are from 2 to 10 feet deep near shore cover. Rip rap is still producing a few fish, mainly on small to medium crank baits and jigs. Experimenting with various baits daily or even hourly can be crucial for success. Use the Shad Raps in sizes #5 and #7, Shad Rap RS series in #4 and #5, Rapala DT10, Fat Free Shad #6, Norman DD14 and Thunder Shads. Chrome blue, shad, and chartreuse patterns should work on any of the baits. For the jig use a ¼ ounce Strike King Pro Model jig in black blue with a Zoom Chunk in blue or green pumpkin. Fish the jig on the rip rap. Beaver Dam Creek has been good this week. Fish shallow and use the shallow running crank baits.
LAKE JACKSON IS FULL, 60’S
Bass fishing is good. Some rain fell and this can help. Look to fish the warmer areas of the lake. Down lake toward the dam may be the best bet for favorable water temperature and a stain. A warm night and a sunny day can make all the difference. Look for the best fishing when the sun is shining and find the warmer water. The Lowrance Heat Map technology will show the changes in color. Look for many fish to hold from 2 to 10 feet deep. If it is overcast this is a good time to look shallow around docks, rock, and other radiant cover. Throw a black and blue jig thoroughly on the docks. Try crank baits on the rocky areas. Cranking rocky features is a classic winter pattern and use a craw or bream colored #7 pearl and green Ott’s OG 8 by Rapala.
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)
This cold snap will move fish toward their winter patterns. Oftentimes winter fishing is feast or famine, and it’s a hoot when it’s feast! Reports this week were mostly just that – very good or nothing happening.
River gages on November 30th were:
- Clyo on the Savannah River – 4.2 feet and falling
- Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 2.4 feet and falling
- Doctortown on the Altamaha – 5.7 feet and rising
- Waycross on the Satilla – 5.7 feet and rising
- Atkinson on the Satilla – 4.5 feet and rising
- Statenville on the Alapaha – 2.0 feet and falling
- Macclenny on the St Marys – 5.8 feet and falling
- Fargo on the Suwannee – 5.1 feet and falling
Last quarter moon is December 5th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.
ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVERS
I didn’t receive any specific reports from the river this week, but it is still in fishable shape and reasonably clear.
OKEFENOKEE SWAMP
I didn’t get any reports from in the swamp, but I got a report from the Suwannee River below the swamp. Josh Ward fished it this week with shrimp on the bottom and caught a bunch of bullhead catfish and a dozen bowfin – including a 10.9-pounder. He also caught a couple nice pickerel with flukes. This cold weather should get the bigger bowfin feeding (at least it did last winter). I usually troll Dura-Spins for big bowfin and pickerel. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 120.65 feet.
SATILLA RIVER
I heard from one angler who caught some warmouth in the lower river on jigs tipped with crickets. The water is cold enough that the panfish bite is pretty slow on artificials but still doable with crickets and worms. Bass can be caught at this water level, as well. In the cold, slow down your presentation compared to earlier in the fall.
ST. MARYS RIVER
Matt Rouse fished the upper river on Monday for a couple hours and caught a big white catfish using shrimp on the bottom. He also caught a few 3 to 4-pound bowfin.
LOCAL PONDS
Chad Lee caught this nice crappie and a bunch of others while fishing an Alma-area pond. The time is now to dust off your crappie gear and chase them!
Chad Lee had the best trip I heard of this week. He and Daniel Johnson fished an Alma-area pond on Saturday afternoon and evening and caught about 40 crappie (kept 25). They flung live minnows and white jigs for their specks. Matt Rouse fished a small pond in the Moniac area and caught a big yellow bullhead and a couple hand-sized bluegills on shrimp fished on the bottom. Steve Phillips took some kids fishing at a farm pond in the Douglas area on Thanksgiving morning and had a blast. They caught bass and panfish. Harry Beverley and a friend fished minnows in a pond this week and caught a limit of crappie and a hybrid striped bass on minnows. On Thursday, Mr. Bowen fished a Baxley area pond and caught 13 crappie up to about a pound and a half. He caught them by pushing live minnows. The cold nights will push the crappie to the deep water in ponds, and they should be pretty tightly schooled. When you catch one, fish that same area thoroughly whether using live bait or artificials. I heard from several folks who had poor trips for crappie this week. You have to find where they are and what will make them bite every time you’re on the water.
SALTWATER (GA COAST)
Big tides, strong winds and rain conspired to significantly reduce the number of saltwater reports this week. My daughter Ellie and I kayaked the Brunswick area on Friday just before the weather turned sour. We caught 11 seatrout up to 21 inches (5 keepers) on artificials. A few fish ate a 3 1/2-inch Keitech Swing Impact on a Zombie Eye Jighead worked mid-water column. The majority ate a 4-inch Swing Impact on a 3/16-oz. Zombie Eye Jighead and suspended about 24 inches underneath an Equalizer Float. The best tide was the middle of the outgoing, but we caught our biggest fish last thing during mid-incoming. Shad colors worked best swimming, while electric chicken and chartreuse shad were best under the float. The biggest fish ate the chartreuse shad color. Blake Edwards fished the Brunswick area on Saturday and fought the wind and growing tides. He ended up catching a nice weakfish and 3 short spotted seatrout on plastics. Jay Turner walked the bank in the Savannah area on Wednesday and caught and released a bunch of trout. He didn’t have any really big ones, but said he enjoyed fighting them then watching them swim away… He fooled them with a 3-inch electric shad Keitech rigged on a red 1/8-oz. Zombie Eye Jighead. He returned on Thursday evening and repeated the fun! Tommy Sweeney fished with a friend off a Brunswick area dock and caught a BUNCH of small redfish this week. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) didn’t fish until Thursday this week but then hammered the fish in the good weather and better tide. The trip is a perfect example of how you have to find the fish every single day. He started off slowly, working hard for just a flounder and a decent trout. He went to another area and fished 1 to 3 feet deep over shells at the turn of the ebb tide and crushed the trout, reds, sheepshead, and black drum in that shallow water. He caught them with live shrimp under a Harper’s Super Striker Float. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is now open Friday through Sunday from 6am to 4pm each week. They have plenty of lively shrimp and fiddler crabs and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. They’re on Hwy 303 just north of Hwy 82 in the same location as the previous J&P Bait and Tackle. For the latest information, contact them at 912-223-1379.
NORTH GEORGIA
(Fishing report courtesy of Hunter Roop, Fisheries Biologist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)
RESERVOIR REPORT
The following reservoir fishing reports are courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant with help from contributors specified below:
WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 5.7 FEET, 60’S
Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The jerk bait bite is good and this can be an all-day choice. The southern end of the lake is the most productive because of the consistency in water temperature and water color. Continue searching clearer water in Wehadkee Creek, Maple Creek and Veasey Creek. Later in the day the soft plastic presentations and jigs in green pumpkin and switching to darker colors depending on water clarity fished close to cover. Use a jigs in green pumpkin and switching to darker colors depending on water clarity fished close to cover. Try the green pumpkin finesse worm rigged on 3/16-ounce shaky head. A green pumpkin jig is producing bigger fish but do not expect to get as many bites. For a faster presentation throw shallow running crankbaits near steep embankments with chunk rock. On sunnier days bass will stack on these areas and will feed on schools of shad. A jerk bait in clearer water is also good choice in these same areas for a kicker fish.
WEISS LAKE IS AT 3 FOOT 4 INCHES BELOW FULL POOL AND LIGHT STAINED TO CLEAR AND 50 DEGREES
All Species (by Mark Collins Guide Service www.markcollinsguideservice.com 256 996 9035): Bass fishing is good. The bass have moved to a winter pattern on ledges and river and creek channels, Carolina rigs, crank baits and spinner baits are catching fish. Crappie fishing is fair. The fish are on the creek and river channel ledges and deeper brush, they can be caught Spider rigging with live minnows over deep brush. Shooting docks with jigs is also producing some fish. Look for the Crappie to really start biting as the water cools down. Striper fishing is poor and no reports this past week. Catfish are biting well in the bays and creeks in 8 to 15 feet of water and cut bait is working best.
LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 7.3 FEET, 50’S
Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Bass are relating to the main lake points. One angler reported some fish are hitting top water baits. It is not uncommon to get a top water bite during the winter months on this lake because of the spotted bass. Slow walk a Zara Spook Jr and the clear green back bait can work on sunny baked rocky points and rocky area. Rapala DT10 and the Rapala X Rap in shad are all excellent baits to use while fishing those rocky points. Most of the fish are spotted bass. e Keep a top water bait on the deck in case the fish schools up. Bait will be the key now so use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Side Scan technology and search out their food sources. Drop shot rigs and jigging spoons are working for the deeper water suspended bass but this gets a little tough on those really windy days. With the falling temperatures and clearing water fish will begin stacking up on deep water roadbeds and humps in twenty to twenty-five feet of water. Use small jigging spoons or drop shot rigs to catch these deeper fish. On the drop shot use a #1 drop shot hook and finesse worms similar to a Zoom meathead or Roboworm on feeding fish.
Linesides (courtesy of SCDNR Fishing Reports): Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that in November anglers typically look for fish to set up off the end of long tapering points where they can hold on the bottom in 35-40 feet of water. Points that are too shallow, or drop off too sharply, will not hold as many fish. Fish should be about half-way back in the creeks and a similar distance up the rivers, and typically they will relate to the bottom. Finding bait is absolutely key. This pattern should hold through December, but fish will eventually head deeper.
Catfish (courtesy of SCDNR Fishing Reports): Captain Bill Plumley reports that in November bigger blue catfish will come shallower and move out of the timber. They can be caught with cut bait in the creek runs. This is also a good month for flatheads on live bait unless temperatures really drop.
LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 11.8 FEET, 50S
Bass: Bass fishing is good. The jerk bait bite is on and the Jackal DD Squirrel in white and thread fin works fishing has been great due to the mild month. It’s best to mix it up with the Megabass Vision 110 and Lucky Craft Pointer 95. Bass are pretty aggressive with the jerk bait bite. Good concentration is of fish can be found in the creeks near deep water, and main lake points. Use the 3/16 Picasso tungsten round ball head tipped with a 4-inch soft swim bait. Fish the swim bait on 8- or 10-pound test Sunline fluorocarbon. Cast and count it down about 10 seconds and slow reel it back. The bite is light sometimes. Pay close attention. The Picasso Rhino Ned rig and a Robo Ned worm in Aaron’s magic is also a great choice. Fish it slowly.
LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 8.3 FEET, 50S
Bass (This Lake Lanier Bass fishing report is by Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845): Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good to very good. The lake is down eight and a half feet but hopefully the predicted rain will bring it back up some. The water temperature ranges from the high fifties to the low sixties and dropping. Overall, the lake is clear now. There were some great bags of fish weighed in during last Saturday’s tournament. The winning bag was twenty-four pounds followed by ten bags of twenty or better. Just shows that this is the time on Lanier to catch some big spots if you can get on them. The fish have moved more to the deeper water in the ditches and timber. There are still fish up shallow early in the day but as the sun comes up, they tend to drop to the twenty-five-to-fifty-foot range. A Spot Choker underspin, Georgia Blade half ounce spoon, drop shot, jigs, Damiki rig or a Hover rig with the Cast Echo have all been producing fish. As you can see there are several ways to catch these deeper fish right now so be willing to try different baits to make them bite. Begin working the backs of the ditches first and move out to the deeper water as the fish may be in the back of the ditch early in the morning and just keep moving out deeper as the day wears on. You can use the jig for both the shallow fish up on the rocks and the deep fish in the ditches. Work the jig in three areas, longer rocky points that drop off deep, brush in twenty-five feet of water or the deeper ditch structure. There are fish on some of the deeper docks and some of these are largemouth. There has even been some bonus largemouth coming out of the deeper water. Your electronics are very important right now in finding the ditches and locating the fish. Often it will be like a video game watching the fish react to your bait. It’s a great time to catch some great fish on Lanier so bundle up and Go Catch ‘Em!
More Bass (courtesy of FCP Fishing): Too cold to fish? This is a phrase you’ll often hear this time of year, and with a hint of jest from those in-the-know anglers as they’re driving to the boat ramp or heading down to the dock. FCP fishing offers some great tips for winter fishing techniques on Lanier this week as the first major cold front of the season passed through. Check out the full video HERE.
This spotted bass earned an Angler Award for Jack Becker.
Jack Becker landed several catches on Lanier, including this spotted bass.
Angler Award-worthy Bass! (courtesy of WRD blog contributor Jack Becker aka Georgia Waterdog): It was windy almost every day this week, but I managed to get out on Lanier one day when the winds had calmed. The water cooled down a few degrees from last week to 59.2 degrees. I fished the points in Flat Creek with bluebacks & large shiners, both on planner boards & down lines. I was trolling at .5 mph with the planner boards and dropped down lines when I marked fish near the bottom. I caught 1 small Striper, a channel catfish and 3 Alabama spotted bass. All my bites came on the down lines keeping the bait above the fish. The last Alabama bass of the day was my personal best weighing in at 5.02 lbs and just over 21” long, which qualified my PB for a Georgia Angler Award as well.
Crappie (This Lake Lanier Crappie report is by Captain Josh Thornton. Call 770 530 6493 and experience the best crappie fishing on Lake Lanier): Water temperatures continue to drop into 50s and the lake is low. The majority of our catch is coming from suspended fish at 10 foot deep or less on open water brush. Covered docks near the main channel are always a good place to look for crappie also. I am using a small minnows straight down with a split shot at 8 to 10 feet deep. I have also been doing well small hair jigs and 1.25 inch soft plastic jigs. While the lake is low be searching for and marking new brush piles and blow downs. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is Acc crappie stix 1 piece rod and reel with a 6-pound test K9 line, along with Garmin Live Scope and Power Pole.
Stripers have finally found the top water at Lanier, but you have to be ready!
Striper (courtesy of Buck Cannon): Stripers have finally found the top water. But you have to be ready so have your favorite plug or jig that you have confidence in. Water temperature is low to mid 50’s. Down lines using blue backs has also been producing and if you just put out down lines and they come up its fast just get close and don’t worry about them, just throw your top water. You’ll be surprised that they will hit them while you’re working the top water. The water is down 8 feet so keep an eye on your mapping so you can see the underwater humps and long points before you hit them. Remember to wear your life jackets, you don’t want to be a memory.
Fly Fishing (courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters & Henry Cowen): The topwater bite is on fire right now and the recipe for Lanier stripers on the fly or via conventional means can be found on UO’s BLOG from last week. Pair that info with this weekend’s cloudy, rainy forecast and you’ll be set up for success all weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for the birds and boils and enjoy the top-heavy striped bass fishing while it’s here!
RIVER REPORT
Lanier Tailwater Brown Trout (Photo Credit Chris Scalley)
Lanier Tailwater (courtesy of WRD Biologist Hunter Roop): Fall electrofishing surveys from Lanier tailwater in late October revealed an overall increase in the abundance of trout in Lanier tailwater, which translates to more successful fishing trips for ‘Hooch anglers this winter. If you missed it, you can read the brief synopsis of our sampling results from the October blog HERE. Lake Lanier is in the final stage of destratification (i.e., turnover), and as the cold, oxygen-rich waters from the surface finally reach the bottom of the reservoir, the river will turn crystal clear once again. Anglers will have to adjust to these new conditions by downsizing their presentations accordingly and wading with greater care so as to avoid spooking fish. Check out the Upper Chattahoochee Chapter of TU’s hatch chart to home in one the best Christmas presents for tailwater browns in December. The completion of turnover will also reveal the presence of spawning redds in select locations along the tailwater. To do your part to ensure successful reproduction of brown trout throughout the tailwater, watch your step and don’t disturb active redds!
Toccoa Tailwater (Courtesy of Matt Morrison with Cohutta Fishing Company): Turnover is done on the Toccoa Tailwater! Water temps below the dam are down into the mid 60’s and are dropping. The fish are feeding on a variety of things. Plenty of Tan Caddis and BWO’s are around, as well as tons of midges. October Caddis are just around the corner, so we’re expecting to see these start popping off any day now. Morning and late evening dry fly fishing has been phenomenal throwing smaller Parachute Adams, Parachute BWO’s and Tan Elk Hair Caddis. Dry Dropper rigs have been working well, with nymphs hanging between 2-4 feet below the dry depending on where you are fishing. Hare’s Ear variations have been working the best with some small mayfly nymphs, like pheasant tails, in the mix. Fishing should only get better as we start to get into our October Caddis hatch so start stocking up on some orange colored caddis dries. Even switching to a smaller orange chubby on your dry dropper rigs can help pick up a couple extra fish.
Loading trout for stocking!
Trout Stocking with Buckets. Next chance to participate is Dec. 18-be sure to sign up!
Small Streams: Delayed Harvest streams are the ticket right now, especially after this week’s dosing of the Chattahoochee DH. Thanks to all of the local TU chapters for helping our Buford and Gainesville staff spread the trout out at Whitewater Creek! Our next Chattahoochee DH stocking will be December 18, so please sign up in advance to ensure you are accounted for. We saw good reports from Smith Creek as well thanks their reporters in the field. Other DH options available are Amicalola, Chattooga, and Toccoa.
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 your purchase of a trout tag.