Do You Know the Fishing Forecast? It’s one thing to pay attention to the weather forecast, but knowing the fishing forecast for the lake or river you plan to visit can pay off with big fish benefits! 

You can review the annually updated Georgia Fishing Forecast for 31 reservoirs and 19 rivers with recommended best lures, technique tips, suggested locations to target and the information is connected to an interactive map, providing an additional helpful tool. #themoreyouknow 

NEWS TO KNOW

  • Collecting White Bass on the Coosa River.

    Collect The Bass! WRD Fisheries Management staff have had a successful capture season for collecting white bass brood fish in support of the state’s hybrid striped bass and white bass production programs. White bass are shipped to the Richmond Hill Fish Hatchery where they were spawned. If all goes well, these brood fish will produce all the fingerling white bass and hybrid striped bass needed for stocking this year across the entire state.

  • Getting Young Anglers Excited About Fishing: We (adults) know that a day spent fishing is just about better than anything else. But how do you engage kids to get excited about it? Wisconsin’s Rob Friedley and Louisiana’s Captain Joe Ezell share some tips they’ve learned to Start Young Anglers the Right Way.
  • Harvest Time: Spring Pond Harvest at the Go Fish Education Center in Perry GA is underway. Bring the cooler and take home your catch during this event.
  • Art Deadline Extended: Great News! Your student still has time to enter the Fish Art Contest for 2024. The deadline for entries has been extended to March 31, 2024. This contest uses art and writing to ignite children’s imagination and inspire them to discover more about fish and fishing. The program is free to enter and open to youth in kindergarten through grade 12 anywhere in the world. 
  • Educators: Free Fishing Lesson Plans: The NEW FishOn! Lesson Plans are available to everyone. These plans offer innovative activities to provide educators with engaging resources to enhance their existing science, art, and writing curriculum.

This week, we have fishing reports from Southeast, North and Central Georgia. Always check the forecast, for the weather and the fishing, before you head out to Go Fish Georgia!

UPCOMING EVENTS: MARCH-APRIL 2024

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

There were some VERY good reports this week. Bass and crappie are up shallow spawning in ponds and lakes in southeast Georgia. Saltwater fishing is picking up as the water warms. The Okefenokee is dropping out, and the water is warming. It’s on!

River gages on March 7th were:

  • Clyo on the Savannah River – 8.9 feet and rising
  • Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 8.4 feet and rising
  • Doctortown on the Altamaha – 9.5 feet and rising
  • Waycross on the Satilla – 10.2 feet and rising
  • Atkinson on the Satilla – 9.7 feet and rising
  • Statenville on the Alapaha – 7.8 feet and steady
  • Macclenny on the St Marys – 6.9 feet and rising
  • Fargo on the Suwannee – 7.9 feet and rising

New Moon is March 10th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

SAVANNAH RIVER

Mark Vick and Daniel Rhodes had a small window Saturday morning before the rain set in, and they made the most of it in the backwaters of the river. The fish were spread out from the higher water, but they chewed when they found them. They caught 17 panfish in an hour and a half by pitching Warmouth Whacker Jigs. Mark fished the crawfish color without a float, and Daniel threw the bumblebee version under a float. They caught slab crappie, warmouth, fliers, and even a nice white catfish on the jigs.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

I guided Jim Trollinger and his buddy Silas at the east side on Saturday. We had a blast and caught 17 fish total. The most notable was Silas’ 3-pound chain pickerel that bested my own Okefenokee record (kept by Georgia Outdoor News) for the biggest pickerel certified. That one bit a trolled crawfish Dura-Spin. Silas also caught a youth angler award-sized flier on a chartreuse Okefenokee Swamp Sally. Jim had several pickerel and a 5-pound bowfin by casting and trolling jackfish and crawfish-brass blade Dura-Spins. Brentz McGhin and Tim Bonvechio fished the east side on Sunday and caught 5 warmouth keepers and 3 fliers. They caught them on bait and crawfish Warmouth Whacker Jigs. A few other folks reported catching only a few warmouth per trip. That bite has not fired off yet. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.10 feet.

Russell Peacock caught this crappie on Saturday while casting a Wye’ld and Crazy Satilla Spin.

LOCAL PONDS

Bass are starting to spawn, and the biggest I heard of being caught this week was a little over 10 pounds (on a scale). It was caught sight-fishing in a pond around Valdosta. Teddy Elrod and Chuck Dean fished a Brunswick area pond. Teddy had a great birthday present, as they caught 26 bass up to 6 pounds. Their biggest 5 weighed 26 pounds. Most of their fish ate crankbaits (both square-bills and DT-6’s), spinnerbaits, plastic worms, and vibrating jigs. A couple different anglers caught 8-pounders from a Brunswick area pond, also. Charlotte and Tripp caught a bunch of bass in their central Georgia pond by flinging chartreuse back pearl 3-inch Keitech swimbaits on Saturday. Wyatt Crews and Russell Peacock fished a Waycross area pond this weekend and caught bass and crappie. Wyatt fooled a nice 5-pound bass on a Keitech swimbait and 1/8-oz. Flashy Swimbait Head (with a gold blade) and then caught 2 giant crappie on the same rig on back-to-back casts. They switched to Wye’ld and Crazy Satilla Spins and Zombie Eye Jigheads under a float and skewered a chartreuse back pearl 2-inch Keitech swimbait and hammered the crappie. They ended up catching 18 slabs before the bad weather moved in on them. On Tuesday Cason Kinstle took some friends fishing in a pond, and they got on the crappie. They were flinging plastics for a dozen nice slabs. A Blackshear angler fished a pond on Friday morning and caught 4 crappie, 2 bass (4lbs and 5lbs), and a monster 9-pound channel catfish. Trolling jigs produced the crappie, while flinging stick worms fooled the bass. I fished with a friend on Friday in an area pond and had one of the best big crappie trips I’ve ever had in southeast Georgia. We trolled 2-inch Keitechs during the morning and caught 37 crappie up to 1-lb, 15-oz. Our biggest 5 fish were 1-15, 1-15, 1-11, 1-11, and 1-10. That’s some big slabs for southeast Georgia ponds. We released the 15 biggest crappie over 1 1/4-pounds and kept a decent mess of fish under a pound. The best colors were smoke-silver flake, chartreuse back pearl, sight flash, and bluegill flash.

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

Ken Burke had a banner day on Thursday, catching 6 bass that weighed 29.75 pounds during a 5-hour trip. He didn’t have many fish, but the ones he had were big. His biggest was a whopping 10.25-pounder. All his fish ate crankbaits. The water temperature rose to 66 degrees in the afternoon.

Tom Lanyi caught this oversized redfish while fishing with Capt. Tim Cutting in the Brunswick area this week (photo courtesy of Capt. Tim Cutting).

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Jeremy Robertson fished out of his kayak this weekend in the Brunswick area and had a blast. He caught redfish and trout on artificials, including his first oversized redfish. His best bait was a Trout Trick plastic (brown-chartreuse tail) on a jighead. It’s bad when a freshwater angler gets addicted to saltwater. I know from experience! Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) fished the first 3 days this week and did well. Monday was with Tom Lanyi from Pennsylvania, and they looked for (and found!) redfish. They had 12 reds with 4 oversized and 8 slot fish (they released all of them). He fished again Wednesday with Tom, and they tried for variety. They targeted big sheepshead but only got a few medium-sized fish. They landed 2 big redfish and broke off a couple more. They caught some nice trout early and caught a few black drum mixed in. They missed the super slam (trout, red, flounder, black drum, sheepshead) by not finding their flounder. Tuesday was a redfish day with a group of anglers. They caught 3 limits of redfish, a few trout, and 2 nice black drum. They caught fish on mostly artificials, but they had some on live shrimp under Harper Super-Striker Floats, also. 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.

Blog Contributer 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).

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

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 5.2 FEET, 50 DEGREES

West Point Bass: Bass fishing is good. Pick any creek and spend the day as the bass are roaming in 3 to 13 feet of water. Use the Shad Raps, the Strike King 3/8-ounce white Colorado and Willow leaf combination and a trick worm in green pumpkin. Work the baits slowly early and the go-to crank bait in case the spinner bait bite is not on. Cast a Bill Norman Deep Little N in a chartreuse color to these same fish. Use a stop and go retrieve with the crank bait early morning and a fast retrieve later in the day. A Carolina rig with a 4-foot leader and 3/0 wide gap hook and Zoom lizard in a chartreuse pumpkin seed will work. Use a Jacks Juice garlic scent lure on the lizard and fish it across the points. Spots need to see the Mini Me spinner baits with all pearl white blades and a white skirt.

WEISS LAKE IS AT 3 FOOT 2 INCHES BELOW FULL POOL AND MUDDY TO STAINED 54 DEGREE’S (Report By Mark Collins Guide Service www.markcollinsguideservice.com 256 996 9035) —  

Weiss Lake – All species: Bass fishing is good and a lot fish are shallow and on a pre spawn pattern, these aggressive fish can be caught on a variety of lures. Shallow running crank baits, spinner baits and jigs are working well. Crappie fishing is great and they are moving shallow into the spawning coves and creeks, and they can be caught, Long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs in 1/24th ounce in colors JJ08,JJ13, JJ17, JJ20, JJ24, JJ25, and Marks blue and Sexy Bug.

LAKE HARTWELL IS FULL, 50S

Hartwell Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Bass will move back up shallow fast they are ready to be warm again. With warming weather look for the bait as the key to finding these fish. With any wind a Chatterbait and jerk bait in a white or pearl color will mimic the shad. Have the Rapala DT6, #5 or #6 Shad Rap ready and fish rock and clay. Look for the banks that the sun is hitting first as this water will warm up first thing. If there are high bright blue-sky days use one of the crank baits. Find any active fish slow down and start using a jig or Shakey head around brush and docks to catch some fish. Start looking for the first wave of fish to be shallow and cruising the banks looking for their spawning areas. Keep a wacky rigged Senko style bait ready Head down the banks and let this bait sit dead on the bottom Pick the bait up off the bottom and a fish will grab it. Key is to continue to move throughout the day. When the fish bite slow down and worked the area with several baits before moving on to the next area. With warmer weather coming in look for these fish to move up again quickly and be right back where they were.

LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 5.4 FEET, 50’S 

Allatoona Bass: Bass fishing is great. Use just about any bait in the box. Fish are prespawn and spawning this month. Most bass have made their way shallow. Pockets and secondary points are best to target for better size right now. Scroungers, jerk baits and ChatterBaits are working. Windy and sunny days have been the most productive. There has been a good jig head bite as well. There has been a good bite on 6- and 8-inch Zoom worms fished on rocky outcrops leading into spawning pockets. The water temperatures at the end of the month are still cooler but should reach spawning temperatures soon. Largemouth will spawn first and spotted bass will follow shortly after. Soon some schooling activity will kick in before the spots go on bed. Have the Spro Dog, a Spy Bait or a soft plastic jerk bait if the bass surface.

LAKE LANIER IS FULL, 50’S

Lanier Bass (This Lake Lanier Bass fishing report is by Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845) — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is at full pool and the water temperature is ranging from fifty-two to fifty four degrees and rising. There is still some staining in the backs of the creeks and up the rivers, but the main lake remains clear. Pre-spawn is underway and all the patterns that go along with it. There are still fish deep, but the majority of the bass are moving up to the shallower areas getting ready to spawn. Secondary points, rocky banks and shallower humps are all starting to hold fish particularly the ones in the direct sun. Shallower running crankbaits like the Shad Rap will let anglers cover these areas very thoroughly with a slower retrieve. If you don’t find the fish up on the points drop off to the twenty-foot range with a three sixteenths to a quarter ounce shakey head with a green pumpkin or water melon red trick worm. There will also be staging fish on the brush and blown downs that the shakey head will work on. The dock bite is always good leading up to the spawn so check the docks in twenty feet or less water. Work a fluke or the shakey head under and all the way around the docks to see where the bass are staging. As the temperature continues to rise and we approach the next full moon look for the bass to get closer and closer to the areas they will bed. Spring fishing will allow you to utilize a lot of patterns but look for them to be in the less than twenty-foot range. It’s a fun time to be out there so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Bass 2 (courtesy of Captain Mack’s Fishing Report): The Bass Bite has been good, and the fish have responded as expected with last week’s warming weather! The patterns are fairly consistent with what is to be expected for early March, with multiple techniques producing well. The water temps are also normal for early March, but the discrepancies in temps from lower end to upper end, and main lake to creek backs is pretty pronounced, so be aware of that. Areas of stained water are a little warmer and have some fish really up on the banks. Crank baits have been very good producers on this pattern, spinnerbaits, and jerk baits are also catching fish. Gotta throw the Mini Mack in there, they have been very effective, especially in that off colored water. The Minis offer a little bit extra in terms of flash and vibration, along with the ability to cover big volumes of water. Hold on tight as you will have a high probability of a Striper finding your Mini, there are plenty of them in the same areas. The Jigs and plastics will also work well. Overall, I think the moving baits are the best option to offer greater saturation. Keeping a jig or worm ready to pitch into the blowdowns that are on the banks will be a plus. The fish may be on any type of structure, or just roaming around bait or the old creek channel. Points, flat tapers particularly, have been very productive, as are flats beside the old creek bed.

Targeting the rocks continues to be a great pattern and are producing some of the larger fish. Depth wise this pattern is a little spread out, with some fish on main lake rocks being a little deeper, with weather and wind influencing that factor on any given day. Jigs, swim baits on the lead heads, and Senkos are on the list of other baits that have been consistent producers for this application. Crank baits are also very relevant for the rock, just match the depth accordingly. The docks are holding good numbers of fish, and like so many of our other techniques there are quite a few variations to this pattern. Because the docks are so varied in placement and depth, there really is no one size fits all technique. Like everything else, dock fishing can be very weather influenced. For instance, the fish may suspend more with wind and clouds, tight to the dock and adjacent structures with the high blue skies! A couple of things to try on the docks: Worms and jigs are always reliable for the docks.  These are staples and will get the bite, and are they are effective in any depth or water color. Another option is casting the big swim baits like the Magdraft or Cast 6” Prodigy to target fish that are suspended or roaming around the docks. The latter is a great way to get the big bite!

Lanier Striper (This Lake Lanier Striper report is by Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service) — Lanier Striper have been schooling in the backs of the creeks. Fish are in 30 to 50 feet of water and most of the same methods are working. Planer boards, weighted flat lines and down lines and the bait that seems to work best are the trout in the smaller to the medium size. Shiners and gizzards can also be productive. If you’re lucky enough to find blue backs with your electronics, then mark the spot and drop a variety of bait to find their favorite. The drumming can bring the fish around using a variety of different tools just bang on the floor of your boat and watch them come up. It doesn’t work every time but if stripers are in the area they will notice. Water temp is around 60 degrees but you still need to wear your life jackets.

Jimmy Harris with a 31” Lanier striper caught on the fly! (Photo Courtesy of Jimmy Harris)

Lanier Striper 2 (courtesy of georgiawildtrout.com): The striper bite on Lake Lanier is finally on the rise after being incredibly sporadic for the last month with fish being spread out. Most fish have found their way to the mid lake area or above and are beginning to congregate as they roam the shallows. Main lake and secondary points with a fair amount of bait (not too much bait) are what you will be looking for. Striper are cruising fast and can be difficult to keep pace with. Use what is left of the birds and keeping your eyes on the horizon for any surface activity on overcast days. Schooling fish should be moving fast to corral shoals of bait so make your casts count as the feeding frenzies tend to not last long. The dock light bite has also been fair if you can manage your way onto the lake in the early AM. Use stealth when approaching these lights as the fish do see a good bit of pressure in these areas. The striper will be on the feed if they remain un-spooked.

Lanier Striper 3 (courtesy of Captain Mack’s Fishing Report): Striper fishing is good, with the patterns remaining much as they were last week. We’ll have the effects of another rain dump to deal with, but I think it will be short lived and you can probably use those mud lines to your advantage. All the fish that have been roaming into the creek backs may pull back a little, look for them around that transition zone where the new water stacks up against the more stable water. The same techniques that were working in the creek backs in last week’s report should stay relevant, with a depth adjustment if you have to move deeper out into the creek or drain. Live baits on the free lines, planers and possibly down lines will all be productive. Baits? Herring are great, but availability has been sporadic. Gizzard Shad and medium shiner will do fine if the Blue Backs are not available. Trolling is also very good! Lead core trolling single jigs is a mostly underutilized pattern during the cooler months, but it is really all about depth control and lead core accomplishes that very well. Remember, you don’t have to fish the bait 8 or 9 colors, we do that in the summer to get the bait down to the fish. That may be necessary now, however, if the fish are shallower than that, just let out enough line to get the bait into the best depth. Single underpins, Chipmunk Jigs, and Mini Macks have been very good on the lead core lately.  There are some nice fish being taken on free lines and planers over open water. The same generalization on baits will apply here. Deploy a mix of baits, and in open water a big spread is easy to fish and allows you to dedicate lines to different depths and baits. This will increase the amount of water you are covering and will help you to determine if there is a best bait or depth for the day.

Lanier Crappie (This Lake Lanier Crappie report is by Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493) — The water temperature is 50 Crappie are suspended 2 to 10 foot deep on open water brush and docks. Crappie are staging for the spawn over the next two months they will be laying eggs in waves not all at the same time. Please consider only keeping what you plan on eating. That way we will have plenty of fish to catch next year. Look for creeks or coves near a main channel for roaming. Look for roaming fish in 2 to 4 feet of water and cast to them. Try colors yellow and brown, green and black and green and chartreuse. 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. For more information and tips, please visit my websites. http://www.crappieonlanier.com and http://www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org

There’s no better time than now to fish for walleye in Georgia!

North Georgia Walleye: The walleye spawn is in full swing in North Georgia! WRD Fisheries crews have been busy all week collecting broodstock that will be used to produce walleye for stocking in North Georgia reservoirs in the coming months. Georgia’s walleye fishing guide is a useful introduction to locations and techniques to target Georgia walleye. The successful walleye anglers that I talked to this week are catching the smaller males on small crankbaits.  Occasionally, you might hook into a larger female like the one pictured here.  Shad Rap is generally the brand of choice, but color patterns don’t seem to matter too much as long as it has a flecks of chartreuse, yellow, white or even purple somewhere in the color pattern.  As to their approach, most are fishing in the headwaters of our stocked walleye lakes and slowly trolling the shallows around sunset.  The key is to keep the bait in close contact with the bottom. There’s no better time than now to fish for walleye in Georgia, so do your homework and hit the river as soon as the rain subsides this weekend!

Georgia Bass Slam!  Do you have what it takes to complete a Georgia Bass Slam in 2024?  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 2024!  

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’s on the end of your line!

TROUT REPORT

Delayed Harvest Streams (This report courtesy of trout stocking coordinator John Lee Thomson):  Don’t forget that Georgia’s Delayed Harvest trout program is in full swing! Anglers fishing designated Delayed Harvest stream sections must release all trout immediately and use and possess only artificial lures with one single hook per lure from Nov. 1–May 14 annually.  Trout have been routinely stocked in these streams since Nov. 1, so they offer catch-and-release anglers a great opportunity to catch quality trout throughout the winter and early spring months. Tad Murdock with georgiawildtrout.com suggests you “have your junk flies ready and be prepared to fight the ensuing crowds of anglers ready to get outside this spring. Only one more month until we see our local waters restocked once again. Our private waters have been stocked for the spring, so if you’re looking to give fly fishing a try, now is a great time to cut down on the learning curve. Check out our North Georgia Fly Fishing Trips page for more details.”

Trout and More (This report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters): Check out Unicoi Outfitter’s regular “Angler Management” fishing reports HERE.

Lanier tailwater 1 (courtesy of georgiawildtrout.com): The lower Chattahoochee River has been a rollercoaster as fish activity has been sporadic with the more frequent rainfall. If you can dodge around the irritating generation schedule, there are plenty of trout to be had. Junk flies and midge patterns are still the tickets with some modest midge hatches popping off on warmer days following generation. Don’t overlook the mouths of the feeder creeks as they begin to warm much quicker this time of year. Larger browns will be on the move looking for easy meals as their spawn has wrapped up and they recoup their energy while heading back to their normal haunts.

Lanier tailwater 2 (courtesy of Orvis fishing reports): Chattahoochee Tailwater Streamer season is here, so be sure to book your trip with River Through Atlanta now for your best chance at a mature wild Chattahoochee brown trout this year! The lower temperatures at night and shorter periods of sunlight should have the wild brown trout feeding more actively and aggressively as we get closer to spawning season. Stratification (lake turnover) has started for the year, and water coming out of Buford Dam is very murky, with dissolved oxygen at its yearly low. Fish further south, around Island Ford, for best results. If you have any questions at all, feel free to come in and we will be happy to get you set up! For the Chattahoochee, state regulations require a certified personal flotation devise be worn by all anglers from Buford dam south to highway 20. Pay special attention to water release info online or call the number below for release schedules. Make sure to call the Corp of Engineers release hotline at 770-945-1466 before making your trip.

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)

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

Frequent Flat Creek PFA angler shows off his stringer full of crappie all caught on jigs.

Happy angler on a small break from the Georgia National Fairgrounds caught this 6 lb., 9 oz. largemouth bass on a live worm.

Anglers are reporting an increase in fish activity.  With the recent good weather, we are also seeing an increase in angler activity.  Anglers are reporting fair catches across the board.  Most reports are from anglers fishing from the fishing pier or near it.

Here is a list of what the anglers are reporting to have had good success using for each of the following:

  • Bass: Anglers are reporting catches using swimbaits and spinnerbaits in white/chartreuse.
  • Bream: The last anglers to report catches were using red wigglers and jigs.
  • Channel Catfish: Anglers are using nightcrawlers and cut baitfish.
  • Crappie: Anglers are using jigs and live minnows.

Happy angler on a small break from the Georgia National Fairgrounds caught this 6 lb., 9 oz. largemouth bass on a live worm.

Frequent angler shows off his stringer full of crappie all caught on jigs.

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Information HERE)

Surface temperature: The temperature in most ponds during the first part of March ranges from 52-55 degrees.

  • Bass: Bass are trying to fatten up and prepare for the spawn.  Most bass will be out offshore till the water reaches 60 degrees.   Crank baits and jerk baits used at various depths should be productive.
  • Crappie: Several good catches of crappie have been reported. Try fishing near or in structure with jigs or jigs topped with minnows.  As always you must present your bait just above the fish.  Crappie tend to feed up.
  • Bream: Several catches of shellcracker have been seen. Most continue to be caught on the bottom in the smaller ponds with wax worms and pink worms.  The bluegill bite has been slow.
  • Other: Hybrid bass are a big hit at Bennett and Greenhouse. March is hit or miss but when its good its good.   Fish when you can but typically a few mild or warmer days will have the fish feeding.
RESERVOIR FISHING REPORTS BELOW COURTESY OF SOUTHERN FISHING WITH KEN STURDIVANT.

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1.2 FEET, 50’S

Bass fishing is good.  The small cuts and shallow coves are where the big bass are hiding.  Look for the small pockets of warmer water near the main river and this is where the bass are roaming.  Use the Strike King Spinnerbaits early in the morning looking for that real big bite but some anglers are resorting to crank baits.  The water is only a little stained, so the numbers of bass will be coming on crank baits.  Use a variety colors of #5 Rapala Shad Raps and jerk baits with the shad patterns being the best.  Make sure to also have baby bass colors.  Use a slow retrieve and cast the baits up close to the bank and work the points and bowls thoroughly.  The worm fishermen are finding the watermelon seed is the best color and it does not matter if you just rig it Texas or Carolina style.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 50’S

Bass fishing is good.  The herring are on the move shallow and the bass are eating them.  Watch the sea gulls that are diving to the water and cover this area in the shallows.  The numerous small pockets and the points that run out towards the channel is another good place to fish top water and crank baits.  The spinnerbait bite is working and the Lucky Craft Redemption lure with all silver blades is best.  Use the Shad Raps in shad color in the cleaner water and the fire tiger or crawdad colors if you go into the rivers up the lake.  Try the larger #7 or #9 Rapala size for the bigger bass and downsize to the #5 Shad Rap for numbers.  Stick with the more natural colors like gizzard shad, silver and blue and shad.  Baby bass colors in the crank bait is another good choice as the smaller bait fish move up to the shallower warmer water as well.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL 50’S

Bass fishing is good.  The best results over the past week have been on a Carolina rig with a 5-6-inch worm in green or pumpkin, fished around sea walls in the middle of the big coves and creeks from the Hwy. 44 bridge south to the river bend area.  Small crank baits fished along the side of the docks in the middle of the coves out to the main lake will produce.  Many are fishing a Rat L Trap around any deep dock and around rip rap early.  Some fish are starting to move into the creeks and coves so do not be afraid to move in and out of the coves and pockets, fishing all depths of water.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 50’S

Bass fishing is good.  There are good fish biting first thing in the morning with the warming water temperatures.  A prop bait is also a good way to catch some fish that are shallow as well as a buzz bait.  As the sun gets up, fan casting a Texas rigged lizard or a wacky rigged Senko in pockets with good spawning flats in the back of them will catch fish.  Key on docks and blowdowns in these pockets.  Use a weightless floating worm this time of year to trigger more finicky fish into biting that do not want to commit to other presentations.  A spinnerbait around grass and seawalls is a great choice as the bass move in and out of the pockets.  This should only get better as the bass begin to target shad spawns during the warmer months.  Try throwing a shallow running crankbait such as a Strike King KVD 1.5.  This is another good shad presentation that allows anglers to cover water and catch some active fish.  Many use this pattern around rocks, seawalls, and main lake cover.

LAKE JACKSON IS .80 FEET OVER FULL, 50’S

Bass fishing is good.  This week the bass are hitting a variety of baits.  Look for the early spawners soon as soon the warm weather sets in.  There are a lot of bass roaming and looking for that perfect area to start this process.  Go about mid-way up the rivers and look for the small flats off the main channel.  These are the areas that will be the most productive.  A few of the larger bass are taking the white spinnerbaits with most of the bass coming off the cranks.  Several anglers like the crawfish color in the Rapala DT10 while most of the locals are throwing the balsa wood crawfish and perch color #5 Shad Raps.  A slow to medium retrieve and an occasional digging into the bottom seems to be the preferred way to fish the cranks.  Points along with docks and the flats off points about midway up the rivers and creeks are the only places where limits of bass are being caught.