Brrrrr…are you braving the cold to get out to the water? What is your favorite cold weather fishing hack? I like to include some of the “hot hands” warmers in my tackle box in case the hands get too cold to handle the fishing pole. 

NEWS TO KNOW:

  • Strong Partnerships for Trout Hatcheries: For decades, federal and state trout hatcheries have maintained a strong partnership. This week, six fisheries staff made the LONG drive to upstate Arkansas to the Norfork National Fish Hatchery to transport 32,000 rainbow trout fingerlings back to the Buford Trout Hatchery in Georgia. Once grown, these fish will provide late-summer trout fishing opportunities across North Georgia.
  • Bass Study Recently Completed: To be proactive with Georgia’s black bass management, a research study on the movement and habitat selection of Suwannee bass was done by outfitting bass with radio telemetry tags. Find out more about it HERE.
  • NOW OPEN: The Go Fish Education Center in Perry has re-opened to the public. Visitors can view the aquariums, observe a working fish hatchery, test their angling skills in the casting pond and more. A few exhibit areas are still under renovation, with hopes to debut these new, interactive exhibits soon. Make your plans to visit today!
  • 2024 FISHARAMA/TURKEYRAMA: The 2024 Fisharama/Turkeyrama is Feb. 9–Feb. 11, 2024 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry Georgia. 

This week, we have fishing reports from North, Central and Southeast Georgia. Bundle up, pack you a few Hot Hands and Go Fish Georgia!

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) 

Some of our North Georgia waterbodies have recovered from this week’s rains, although they’re enduring a double-whammy of icy-cold weather that simply won’t let up. While many anglers may choose to forgo the chilly fray this weekend, some will still venture out midday to take advantage of peak warmth fishing opportunities. If you do, be sure to bundle up with layers and watch your step as unfamiliar ice traps are bound to subtly form throughout the landscape this weekend. Below are some helpful fishing tips and trips from the expert anglers here in North Georgia to point you in the right direction, enjoy!

RIVER AND TROUT REPORT 

Fish slowly and patiently and ensure you are matching the “hatch” to increase success.

Shoal Bass are the Official state riverine sportfish of Georgia.

Metro Shoalies: Are you pursuing Georgia’s official state riverine sportfish species locally this winter? Here are a few suggestions from those in-the-know on suburban/urban shoalie haunts, including the shoal bass fishery below Morgan Falls. WRD Fisheries staff have been stocking shoal bass in the Chattahoochee River below Morgan Falls since 2003 to keep this native warmwater fishery thriving. In the absence of these stockings, it is likely that the shoal bass population below Morgan Falls wouldn’t persist due to the year-round, cold-water environment that likely suppresses shoal bass reproductive success. It’s important that anglers keep in mind that winter fishing tactics for shoal bass are dramatically different than the spring or summer pursuits. During warmer seasons, metabolic rates for shoal bass are peaking, which causes shoal bass to feed aggressively within their namesake habitat. As temperatures plummet in the winter, so do the general activity levels of shoal bass, but that doesn’t mean they endure lockjaw all winter long. You can find shoal bass retreating to deep runs and pools of their home waters, and feeding with a greater degree of selectivity as they are putting on mass for the spring. This requires anglers to fish slowly and patiently, and ensure you are “matching the hatch” for the local forage to increase your odds of success. Try slowly retrieving a suspended soft jerkbait or fluke in slack current and eddies or tossing a heavy (1/4 oz) football ned-rigged crayfish into a deep run and letting the current do the rest of the work. For more information on shoal bass fishing in Georgia, check out this introductory article by WRD. 

Toccoa Tailwater (Courtesy of Matt Morrison with Cohutta Fishing Company): Winter has finally set in here in the South. This has brought frosty temperatures and some much-needed rainy weather to bring some of our flows up. This is our favorite time of year for trout fishing in our area. As a lot of people stay inside out of the cold, a lot of our rivers start seeing less pressure and the accesses can be less crowded. With these colder temps comes smaller bugs. Midges and Blue-Winged Olive nymphs behind a stonefly or a weighted egg under a Chubby or a bobber has been an effective rig. As you fish, really slow yourself down. Take your time in fishy looking spots and you can be rewarded. On the warmer days, there have been some pretty good hatches of BWOs, Midges and Black Stoneflies. On these days, there have been lots of fish, podded up rising to these little bugs. But be prepared to get pretty technical with them. Going to lighter tippet and throwing sz 20s or even smaller makes a huge difference to the fish. I’ll usually throw a sz 16 or 18 Parachute Adams or BWO with the smaller BWO or Midge off the back, so I can get a general idea of where the smaller fly is when I can’t see it. Low water steamer fishing has been pretty good on cloudy days. Throwing smaller flies like sparkle minnows, jigged pine squirrel leeches, and buggers are great ways to cover water even after running nymph rigs through.

Happy trout angler (Photo Credit – Chris Scalley)

Stonefly (Photo Credit – Chris Scalley)

Lanier Tailwater (courtesy of Chris Scalley with River Through Atlanta): Scalley reports, “Keep an eye out for rising trout as winter is a great time for aquatic insect hatchery like Little Winter Stoneflies, Blue-Winged Olive (BWO) mayflies, and cream midges. If the surface is not active with hatches, splashes, or sipping trout, it’s always productive to dredge the streambed with tandem-weighted nymphs under an indicator or euro-style without a bobber. Cold, harsh weather systems can create a fish-feeding frenzy below the dam if threadfin become entrained, triggering a streamer bite on threadfin and/or herring patterns.”

Young-of-the-Year wild brown trout in 2023.

These wild brown trout have doubled in size since last year!

Surveying for Wild Brown Trout in Lanier Tailwaters.

Wild Brown Check: WRD Fisheries staffers Roop and Rempe also ventured out this week to check in on the 2022/2023 cohort of wild browns in the tailwater. Our backpack electrofishing surveys of the dense LWD (large, woody debris) packs at Bowman’s Island and Settle’s Bridge revealed good survival of this cohort that was previously surveyed back in June of 2023. These wild young-of-year browns, which were averaging just 2.6 inches back in June, had nearly doubled in length (4.8 inches, on average) by mid-January. Abundance was also good, indicating that a good proportion of the population fared well throughout Lanier’s summer stratification phase. Monitoring the success of natural reproduction of wild brown trout in Lanier tailwater is critical to ensuring that that the population is sustainable and fishable for Georgia anglers for years to come.

Regular Trout Stockings help delayed harvest streams fish well.

Small Streams: Delayed Harvest streams are still fishing well thanks to regular trout stockings by Burton and Buford Hatchery staff. Keep an extra sharp eye on this week’s weekly trout stocking report for some novel wintertime waterbodies to add to the list. Jeff “Dredger” Durniak gives some helpful hints for small stream fishing on public waters during wet, cold winters such as this one: “Headwater streams quickly shed the 3/4 inch of rain that fell last week. They’re just gonna turn very cold in response to the second-round of frigid air on its way. Dredge some droppers in deep pools. If the flow is high, use some bigger bugs like a small black bugger, small rubberleg stonefly, or big sexy Walts worm.  Better yet, aim for larger, south-facing streams that get more sunlight and will run a few degrees warmer. It’s a good time for rainbow romance and flood wash-downs. Trophy bows from private waters will migrate from January to early March, in search of clean spawning gravels upstream and in tributaries.  Obese fish will also get displaced downstream by high flows. Pick some public lands adjacent to private waters and go trophy hunting.” Specific reports for small streams follow below:

  • Sheila matched the hatch and had success!

    Toccoa DH (Courtesy of Matt Morrison with Cohutta Fishing Company): Flows on the Upper Toccoa have stayed at a wadeable level for the most part. After some of the rain, flows will jump up to 600cfs or higher, but after a day or two they’ve been dropping below 300 cfs. Before fishing the DH, check the USGS gauge. Keep in mind that anything above 500cfs isn’t wadeable. As far as flies, stoneflies and some flashier midges like Rainbow Warriors have been doing the trick. You can usually start with some flies with a hot spot or some flash and be effective. Now is a great time to wade the upper because Feb and March tend to bring lots of rain, keeping the flow above 500 cfs.

  • Dukes Creek (Courtesy of the UO Angler Management Blog): Rabunites Ken and Sheila took advantage of Wednesday’s winter window.  They ran over to Smithgall and caught Dukes Creek stained but dropping after the storm. They had a great day “matching the storm hatch” with red squirmy worms dredged deep in soft spots out of the raging current.

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.

SMALL LAKE REPORT

Jack Becker says yellow perch make the best fish tacos! (Photo: Jack Becker)

Some bass catches added to the Yahoola Creek fishing fun (Photo: Jack Becker)

Yahoola Creek Reservoir: (Report courtesy of Jack Becker) —I ventured up to Yahoola Creek Reservoir, aka ZWerner Reservoir in Dahlonega hoping the colder water temperature would have the yellow perch biting. My favorite for making fish tacos. I forgot about the recent heavy rains, and so when I arrived the water was 47 and very muddy. Perch are sight feeders, so the last thing I wanted was muddy water.  I do very good on this reservoir in the winter when the water temperature gets down in the 40-degree range & its only slightly stained.  I managed to catch two perch, but four small bass added to the fun on ultralight tackle.  A good winter pattern for perch, when the water is not muddy, is to troll in 9 to 12’ of water in the creek portion under the bridge with small Crankbaits & beetle spins on 2 or 4lb test line. I start at .4 mph and vary the speed up to .9 mph until I find the trolling speed that works best. Small Crankbaits in fire tiger, hot perch and clown color are my favorites.  This reservoir is electric motor only. There is no launch fee and rest rooms.

RESERVOIR REPORT

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 5.9 FEET, 60’S –

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Expect more cold weather this weekend. A lot of rain and runoff to work its way into the lake this weekend. Spoons, jigs and Carolina rigs are the best baits with the cold weather. The weather usually gets these fish active but this week it’s been off after a cold week ten days ago. Expect only a warming trend to get them going. There are some fish shallow in the creeks but they are stuck heavily under the grass beds. Zoom Baby Bush Hogs in green pumpkin on a pegged Texas rig may work on the grass beds but be sure to use a heavy weight to get though the grass. If there is a warm up this week, get the weights off the baits and look in the sandy areas for small bass to start roaming around.

WEISS LAKE IS AT 3 FEET 2 INCHES BELOW FULL POOL AND MUDDY AND 45 TO 47 DEGREES –

All Species (by Mark Collins Guide Service www.markcollinsguideservice.com 256-996-9035): Bass and crappie fishing is tough due to all the muddy water.Striper fishing is poor and I’ve gotten no reports this past week. Catfish are biting well in the bays and creeks in 8 to 15 feet of water, cut bait is working best.

LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 2.2 FEET, 40S – 

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Lots of debris floating lake wide. If the wind is up expect the fish to turn on the main lake points. The Rapala DT10 and Rapala DT6 will be fair mid-day and later on the points. The better points to fish are the one with the most structure on them. This structure needs to be located in the three-to-five-foot range. Find the ones with the larger rock on them and fish the entire point with either a Rapala OG8 and the Rapala DT10 or DT6. Shad and silver seem to be the colors that are working the best. At the northern part of the Tugaloo River past the last channel marker is a great place to work rocky points. Stay and fish only the side of the river that the wind is blowing on. Expect the same to work on the Seneca River as well. From the Fair Play ramp and north is the best areas to fish. If the sun comes out se the Shad Raps and Rapala DT6 and fish the rock. Once again, let the sun shine on the rocks for at least forty five minutes before fishing these areas. Small shad and bait fish are moving up on the warmer days and the bass are following right behind. Worms and drop shot rigs are still working along with jigs but these methods of fishing are slow and only catching two good keepers out of five on a daily basis. Watch out for the cold fronts that might approach and use a rod with some fiberglass in it while cranking.

Linesides (courtesy of SCDNR Fishing Reports): Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that the January patterns should look fairly similar to those from December, and fish will still be in the same areas up the rivers where the bait is holding – typically in 35-45 feet of water. However, sometimes the bite slows down from December and it’s even more important to wait a little later in the day until things warm up. Most of the action will come on down-lines, although on the warmest days there is the chance to catch a big fish pulling planer boards or free lines in the creeks when afternoon sun can make them ease up shallow into less than 20 feet of water.

Crappie (courtesy of SCDNR Fishing Reports): Captain Bill Plumley reports that in January fish should continue to be caught around deep docks and bridges in both the creeks and on the main lake. Jigs and minnows will both work.

Catfish (courtesy of SCDNR Fishing Reports): Captain Bill Plumley reports that in January some blue catfish may be catchable that have moved shallower out of the deep timber, but the most catchable fish may be those that are still deep but over clean bottoms. A variety of cut baits will work. Channel catfish and flatheads will be close to dormant.

LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 5.2 FEET, 40’S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. Water temperatures are 45 to 46 degrees, and the lake is stained to muddy from the dam north. The floating fly and drop shot bite is still good in between Iron Hill and Red Top where the water is clear. Size has been down on the drop shot most of the larger fish are coming north of Galt’s Ferry on a crank bait in depth between 8 and 15 feet. This Spro fat papa and Little John DD in red and copper colors have been working best. There is lots of bait in the main channel and at the mouth of the creeks and coves. With more cold weather in the forecast a couple of times in the next week don’t expect the lake to clear up very much at all. If we have days with good sunshine anglers will find that bass move up shallow in the stained water for short periods of time to feed in the afternoon. As the water clears up try the Alabama rig and jigs.

WRD and US COE braved the cold to drop some trees for fish habitat enhancement.

Cut vs uncut tree – the cut tree left its root ball in the soil, helping stabilize the shoreline.

Habitat: WRD and US Army Corps staffers endured freezing-cold conditions this week to drop 57 trees in Clear Creek in an ongoing effort to add beneficial fish habitat to the reservoir. This “chop-and-drop” method of fish habitat enhancement has the double benefit of creating more quality habitat for warmwater fish species like largemouth bass, crappie, and bream, while also preserving valuable shoreline sediments that would otherwise erode into the water. As an example, the picture here shows a tree that was not cut on the left, which eventually caved into the reservoir and took its root mass and soils along for the ride, while the root mass on the right remained intact and stabilized the immediate shoreline. Keep an eye out for new fishing targets in Clear Creek when Allatoona fills up this spring!

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 2.99 FEET, 40S

Bass (This Lake Lanier Bass fishing report is by Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845): Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. Currently the lake has come up to three feet below full pool with the water temperature ranging from forty-eight to fifty degrees across the lake. With the recent rains there are still a lot of areas stained, particularly in the backs of the creeks and up the rivers while the main lake is still mostly clear. The cold weather is having an effect on the bass as more fish are located in the deeper parts of the lake. Bait is showing up in the thirty-five to fifty feet of water and these bass are following them. Early in the day it is still possible to have a good shallow bite but once the sun gets up that seems to slow. A crankbait or a worm worked on the sunny rocks will catch these fish. The deeper fish have been coming off three main baits. A three eights finesse Spot Choker with a three-inch swimbait, a half ounce spoon and the drop shot fished with either Blue Lily or Sweet Rosy Lanier Baits worms. For the spoon look in the ditches to locate the bait and the bass will be close by. You may not see them on your electronics as they may be tight to the bottom but once you fire one up others will show up. Work the Spot Choker very slowly down the ditches and on drops to cover an area. The bites are light so if it feels slightly heavy speed up your retrieve to set the hook. As the water continues to cool watch for the bass to concentrate more in groups in the deeper water. It may take some time to find them but once you do you can catch multiple fish in one spot. With the lower water temperature, be sure to wear your life jacket as hyperthermia will happen quickly if you happen to hit the water. Even though it’s cold the bite is still good so Go Catch ‘Em!

Striper Report 1: Striper fishing is good. Stripers swim 4 to 7 miles per day looking for food and cool water. The lake temperature is high 40’s and the water is lightly stained on the main lake and the backs of the creeks. The lake is two feet below the full winter pool elevation of 1070’. The typical winter fishing technique during the winter months of pulling live bait on free lines and planner boards is working when pulled in areas with large concentrations of bait. This technique is clearly the most fun way to fish in the winter. There is nothing like watching a planner board screaming across the water with a big striper on. Herring has been the most productive bait with small trout and Gizzard second. When pulling baits always try to keep someone on the front deck casting a 1/2-ounce buck tail jig with a fluke. The umbrella rig is still working when pulled across points and flats. Our stripers are scattered all over the lake from Shoal Creek to Little River. Stripers can be found in pockets and on points from the back of the creeks to the mouth. They should be more concentrated in the back of the creeks this time of year but that’s one of the challenges of Striper fishing. They are not always where anglers think they should be. However, there is one key that seldom fails; find the bait and fish there.

Striper Report 2 (Courtesy of Captain Mack Farr): I think Striper fishing remained relatively unchanged, despite the changes in the lake conditions. With the fish being pretty deep, that is really to be expected. In the last few weeks we were basically looking for bait and fish. That is still the case, you’ll just have to add in the variable of finding the best water now. In last week’s edition of Epic Outdoors I discussed this issue of new, incoming dirty water at length, which ended up being very timely. As of Friday, the water conditions were still very good on the lower and middle parts of the lake. The larger feeder creeks of any magnitude were dirty, at least in the back parts. The main river channel did not get stained until I got into the Holly Park area and above. Remember, that area of stained water will continue to moderate, while simultaneously moving down lake. Often you can run past it and find good water on the upriver side. Also, stained water can be good as it moderates and may be warmer as well.  That moderation is occurring quickly, so use the stained water to your advantage. In a Nutshell, this will not be a detriment to fishing, the impending cold weather…. we’ll see. Live baits continue to be productive, free lines, planer boards, and pitch lines are all viable. Use a combination or match the spread to the situation. Basically, if the bait is layered up on the bottom, down lines will likely be the best. When the bait is up in the column, a combination will be effective, In the latter situation a pitch line or bait on a float/ballon/or Redi Rig float will also be effective. Herring, Trout, Threadfin Shad, and Gizzards are all catching fish, so keep a mix of baitfish in the in tank. Trolling remains a very strong technique and is effective in the same areas you would drop the live baits. If you mark fish suspended in the 20-to-40-foot range they have been taking the rigs readily. Pull the full size rigs from 90 to 150 feet behind the boat, based the depth of the fish you are marking. Contour trolling is also effective, and don’t be hesitant to pull the rigs as shallow as a 18 to 20 foot bottom. You will probably not mark many fish on this shallow contour pattern, but the singles roaming the flats and points are very catchable.

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.

2024 FISHARAMA/TURKEYRAMA: The 2024 Fisharama/Turkeyrama is Feb. 9–Feb. 11, 2024 at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry Georgia. Meet Ken Sturdivant, Captain Mark Smith and the Hawg Trough Fishing Team and learn fishing techniques at the World-Famous Bass Tub.

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1 FOOT, 50’S

Bass fishing is barely fair.  Main lake points will afford the best pattern and use the Rapala #7 Shad Raps and the Rapala DT10 and DT6.  Fish from Rocky River down to markers #16 and past towards the dam.  Deep water running near the channel markers are the best places.  The spotted bass are good fish to catch now; long casts and slow cranking is what it will take to catch them.  Try the jigging spoons for the deep suspending bass.  Light tackle and ½-ounce jigs seem to be working using the jigging method.  The crayfish is a classic of winter black bass fishing.  Also use a Carolina rig as this rig with a lizard allows anglers to fish extremely slowly.  Carolina rigs in heavy stump fields in the deeper water and on the channel ledges are another good choice this week.  The bite will usually be nothing more than added weight on the line so be prepared for anything unusual while fishing.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 3.9 FEET, 50’S

Bass fishing is slow.  With the weekend cold weather, the bass will be tight to cover.  Bass are holding tight in the deeper water and expect them to give in a little when the daytime temperatures warm.  Largemouth bass focus on hard objects during the winter months.  Look for shoreline rocks as there is usually a population of bass that live shallow year-round.  These fish simply adjust their position for feeding and water temperature preference.  Be aware of the wind on the lake.  Grass mats are still present, and some fish are there, and slow lures will be best.   A McStick jerk bait, Carolina rigged lizard and a deep diving Rapala DT14 will work well along the edges of the heavier mats.  With the wind blowing in on these huge grass beds there can be a bite with a stop and go retrieve.  Let the bait sit longer than normal and add some Mega Strike Scent to the lures to get some action.  Carolina rigs in real deep water is where some anglers prefer to fish on the colder mornings while others are still depending on that deep-water vertical jig bite.  All these combinations should be used to see which one is doing the best job on the day.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL 50’S

Bass fishing is barely fair.  With a few warm days in a row fish, any place there are major rock formations.  The warm rocks draw bait and the bass follow.  During the heat of the day the rocks will warm up a degree or two.  A few fish will move into this area, but the bait is small, so the lures need to be small also.  Use light line on the small Rapala #5 Shad Raps and a small all white ¼ ounce bucktail jig.  If any schools show up on the Lowrance, drop shot rigs and small spoons will work.  The baitfish are small so use a small Flex It spoon on 12-pound test Sufix Advantage monofilament line with a medium action rod.  Move your rod tip up 4 to 6 inches and let the bait fall back down.  Be a line watcher as the bites will come while the bait falls.  Be ready as the hybrids may spot the spoon rig and jump on it also.  The crayfish is a classic of winter black bass fishing.  Also use a Carolina rig as this rig with a lizard allows anglers to fish extremely slowly.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN .75 FEET 50’S

Bass fishing is barely fair.  Fish the riprap and other rocky banks that are holding fish.  Use small to medium crank baits, jigs, and soft plastics.  But the shallow rocks should be located very near deeper water.  Never overlook the dock patterns on the lake any time of the day.  This lake has a lot of docks covered with brush.  Some good cranking choices are a Rapala Shad Rap RS #5, Thunder Shad, Deep Little N, Rapala DT10 and Fat Free Shad #5 & #6 in the chartreuse, shad and silver patterns.  Jigs should be in the ¼ to 3/8-ounce sizes with a plastic or pork trailer.  The crayfish is a classic of winter black bass fishing.  Also, use a Carolina rig as this rig with a lizard allows anglers to fish extremely slowly.  A Zoom Pro Chunk or a #11 Uncle Josh pork chunk will both work.  For soft plastics, try a Zoom Finesse worm with a 1/8-ounce weight rigged Texas style or the same worm on a 1/8- or 3/16-ounce jig head.  Boat houses and docks along the main river or just inside the mouths of coves are holding some fish.  Docks with lots of brush under and around them are the ones to look for.

LAKE JACKSON IS 1.1 FEET OVER FULL, 50’S

Bass fishing is slow.  Go south towards the dam area and crank the Rapala Ott’s Garage OG8 flat crank bait.  These lures have no rattles in the Shad Rap in the sexy shad pattern.  Fish the channel ledges and the shallow areas around the points where most of the active bass are.  Use a good flexible rod and eight- or ten-pound test line for the best results.  Work the deeper parts of the Alcovy River with Carolina rigs and both worms and lizards are working.  The bite will be slow until we get warmer weather.  Be patient with the retrieve.  Also try the Rapala DT10 and if the wind is blowing cast with the wind.  The spots will move up and down throughout the day and cranking on and off will not be a bad idea.  Try the Fat Free Shad crank bait on the ledges and have the Carolina rig ready with a green pumpkin Zoom trick worm.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Capt. Bert Deener, Retired Georgia WRD Region Supervisor, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

This was a week where the weather factors conspired to keep all but hardcore anglers off the water. Our rain suits and snowsuits got a workout. I understand that Hank Parker fired up a bunch of anglers during the venison supper that he spoke at on Saturday at First Baptist in Blackshear.

River gages on January 18th were:

  • Clyo on the Savannah River – 8.1 feet and falling
  • Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 13.5 feet and falling
  • Doctortown on the Altamaha – 10.1 feet and rising
  • Waycross on the Satilla – 14.5 feet and falling
  • Atkinson on the Satilla – 13.5 feet and rising
  • Statenville on the Alapaha – 11.1 feet and rising
  • Macclenny on the St Marys – 12.2 feet and falling
  • Fargo on the Suwannee – 11.7 feet and rising

Full Moon is January 25th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

Daniel Rhodes (crappie) had a great trip Saturday on the Savannah River. He fished backwaters for crappie, bass, and fliers. Minnows and crawfish-colored Warmouth Whacker Jigs fooled them.

Mark Vick (flier and bass) had a great trip Saturday on the Savannah River. He fished backwaters for crappie, bass, and fliers. Minnows and crawfish-colored Warmouth Whacker Jigs fooled them.

SAVANNAH RIVER

Mark Vick fished with his buddy Daniel Rhodes in the Savannah River backwaters over the weekend and had a great catch while battling a rising river and strong winds. They caught most on live minnows but a few on crawfish Warmouth Whacker Jigs. They caught a couple dozen crappie, bass, and some of the biggest fliers he has seen in years – big enough to filet! They kept 15 for the fish fryer and released the rest.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The water level is still high, and fish are spread out. One group reported catching a few fliers on worms on the east side. I’m sure that a few bowfin and pickerel were caught this week, but I didn’t hear of any big numbers. The warm spell forecasted for next week should get the fliers chewing. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.50 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

A couple of Blackshear anglers fished a local pond and caught 2 bass, 2 bluegills, and 3 crappie in just a couple hours. One of them cast a Keitech 2-inch swimbait, while the other was dragging minnows. Chad Lee fished a couple Alma area ponds for short periods this week. He had some crappie and a few nice bass. Rat-L-traps produced the biggest – about 2 pounds. I fished with Tommy Davis on a local lake on Tuesday. We got in an hour before the torrential downpour hit, and we caught 7 crappie (4 of them were nice fish over 1 1/2 pounds). We found cover and talked fishing while it rained about a half-hour before he talked me into going back out. I’m sure glad we did, as we fished another few hours and caught 23 crappie. We had 7 fish during that time over 1 1/4 pounds. We already had enough fish, so we released all of that second catch. All of the fish ate trolled Keitech swimbaits on 1/32 and 1/16-oz Zombie Eye Jigheads. The best colors were chartreuse back pearl, sight flash, chartreuse shad, and sexy shad. I forgot my box, so we made do with the 8 jigheads I had already rigged on the rods I brought. I bet it will be a while before I forget my jighead box again!

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

The cold and big tides early in the week were unfishable, but it improved mid-week. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) celebrated his daughter’s wedding over the weekend. Congratulations, Kelcey and Scott Keller!!!! Capt. Tim fished Wednesday, and the jig bite was on fire. He caught just over 20 trout up to 22 inches. They released most of them (kept a few 16-18-inchers). On Thursday his trip caught a dozen trout up to 17 inches. They experimented with a few new plastics in the translucent color schemes and were happy with the results. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is 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. For the latest information, contact them at 912-223-1379.

Capt. Bert Deener guides fishing trips in southeast Georgia and makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert’s Jigs and Things on Facebook. For a copy of his latest catalog, call or text him at 912-288-3022 or e-mail him (bertdeener@yahoo.com).