Take your Dad fishing this weekend to celebrate Father’s Day! What a great reason to get the family out on the water and enjoy a day of fun and fishing, and hopefully an excellent fried fish dinner to boot. Need some hints on where to go? Check out the Angler Resources page on our website and look under “Places to Fish” for some great tips. 

NEWS TO KNOW

• Dads, Take Your Daughter Fishing: Prepare yourself to watch a heart-tugging adorable video from Take Me Fishing about why you should take your daughter fishing. Can we go fishing now? 
• Detect and Decontaminate Free Training Opportunities: The Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission has been the national leader in providing watercraft inspection and decontamination training to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species on recreational watercraft. They offer FREE virtual training opportunities on their website. 
• New Saltwater Fish Record: The Georgia DNR Coastal Resources Division announced that Lauren E. Harden broke the previous crevalle jack state record by landing a 33 pound, 10.72 ounce crevalle jack on May 24, 2024 while fishing on Cumberland Island. Congrats Lauren!
• Suspicious Emails – It’s Not Us! Some DNR customers have reported receiving emails from apps called “The Hunt-IN” app and/or “Pro Angler Fishing” app claiming to partner with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division. These apps are NOT affiliated with Georgia DNR and are using the Wildlife Resources Division logo and fraudulent email addresses to send messaging. REMEMBER: The only trusted places to purchase a valid hunting or fishing license or receive accurate hunting or fishing regulations information are always GeorgiaWildlife.com, GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com, or the Go Outdoors Georgia app. 

This week we have fishing reports from Southeast, North and Central Georgia. Dads don’t need a new tie for Father’s Day, they need a fish in the hand as you take them to Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

It’s going to be an awesome week as the various rivers drop into a range where the bite fires off. Choose the right spot and it will be lights out – miss it and you’ll make a bunch of fruitless casts. Good luck!

River gages on June 12th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 5.9 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 4.7 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 6.3 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla – 7.9 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 9.1 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 8.1 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 2.3 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 6.0 feet and falling

Full Moon is June 22nd. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVER

Brentz McGhin fished the lower river backwaters on Friday and caught a few warmouth and bass by pitching plastics (junebug lizards and worms) to shoreline cover. This river is going to produce some great catches this week!

SATILLA RIVER

Joshua Barber fished some small creeks with rooster-tail spinners and fooled 10 fliers and had a jackfish on for a short time before it pulled off. The river is dropping out. I didn’t get any reports, but I know the fish are starting to chew. The water is down within the banks, and it’s going to be great this week in the extreme upper river.

ST. MARYS RIVER

Brentz and Alex McGhin fished the river on Sunday and caught 10 channel catfish during a short trip. A Blackshear anglers fished the ditches near road crossings with orange sallies under a small balsa float on Sunday and fooled 42 fliers (ranging from 3 inches to 8 inches) and 4 nice warmouth. The Shady Bream Tournament trail held their year-end event out of Kings Ferry Boat Ramp on Saturday. For details, check them out on Facebook. Bo Moody won my custom-built Satilla Spin Rods.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

William Waldrop fished with Capt. Bert Deener on the east side Friday and caught this nice warmouth by pitching a chartreuse Okefenokee Swamp Sally. The warmouth bite is happening right now.

William Waldrop fished with me on the east side Friday, and we had a blast. We pitched sallies first thing for just a little bit, and he caught a nice 9-inch warmouth. The fliers weren’t playing that morning, so we started fishing Dura-Spins pretty quickly. Shortly after we started, he caught a 6-lb., 5-oz. bowfin, and that’s the presentation we stayed with for the next few hours. The best colors were lemon-lime and fire tiger-chartreuse blade, although we tried several other colors. He never topped that first fish, but we ended up with 42 fish (40 bowfin) during the 4-hour trip. An 8-inch warmouth inhaled the Dura-Spin. When that happens you know the warmouth bite is about to break loose, and it did just that. That same morning Buck Johnson pitched white curly-tail jigs to the trees and landed 31 warmouth. Another couple anglers I talked with on the water said that they had caught 61 warmouth the day before, and already had 20 when I talked with them at 8am. That was just the start of the torrid bite. William was camping for a week in Folkston, so he fished the swamp a bunch over the next few days. On Sunday morning he had 7 warmouth pitching Texas-rigged small plastic worms and then switched pretty quickly to trolling Dura-Spins….from his kayak! Using crawfish and then fire tiger spinners (most were on the fire tiger color), he caught 34 bowfin and a 16-inch pickerel. He fished Tuesday morning, and the warmouth were biting like crazy. He lost count at 47 (he didn’t keep them all), and they were jumping all over the small plastic worm again. He then trolled fire tiger Dura-Spins and caught 24 bowfin. They were biting great, but he didn’t fish for them as long as his trip before. On Wednesday morning he returned with his bream buster pole and crickets and whacked a bunch of warmouth. He said it didn’t matter what you threw. Other folks were catching them great on artificials, as well. On Tuesday I got a report of a couple of anglers catching their limit of warmouth by pitching crawfish and crickets. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 120.9 feet. Yellow flies were not bad at all on the water Friday, but if you got under dense trees there were some waiting for you.

LOCAL PONDS

Joshua Barber fished a pond on Friday and caught 4 bass up to 2 1/2 pounds. He fooled them with stick worms and topwater hard plastic frogs. Jimmy Zinker got on some nice fish this week, but the bite has been slower than previous weeks. He night fished a pond and his two biggest bass were 5-lb, 15-oz and 6-lb, 1-oz. He fooled them with a Jitt-r-Ratt topwater. Joshua went to a Waycross area pond on Wednesday with a friend and caught 10 warmouth, about 20 fliers, and 8 catfish. He also had a couple bowfin break him off. He caught his fish on Rooster Tail spinners, Satilla Spins (bruised banana gold) and a small yellow fly. His catfish ate shrimp on the bottom. Another angler they talked with had a cooler full of big warmouth that he had caught in another pond. Some of them were pushing a pound. Paul Williamson fished with me in a Waycross area pond on Tuesday morning and we started off trolling for crappie. That wasn’t working, as we had only 4 in the first hour and a half. We switched to bluegill fishing, and it was on. Stumpknocker 1/16-oz. Satilla Spins and bumblebee Super-Sallies (fished with a fly rod) fooled the shallow panfish. We worked various banks for the next couple hours and tallied a total of 30 fish (4 crappie and 26 bluegills). Our biggest bluegill was 9 inches and biggest crappie was 10 inches.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Dr. Warren Morgan caught and released this oversized red in the Brunswick area on Tuesday. (Photo Courtesy of Capt. Tim Cutting)

Luke Steedley got on the flounder at the St Marys Jetties this week, so they have arrived in good numbers. Quinton McMichael and Seth Carter put it on the sheepshead in the Brunswick area by dabbling fiddler crabs. Tommy Sweeney fished my prototype weedless head rigged with mudminnows in the Brunswick area and did well for slot redfish and flounder over the weekend. He fished shells in the 4-to-6-foot range on the outgoing tide. Chris took his son John Ross on Saturday to the St. Marys Jetties, and they did well for whiting and had an upper slot redfish. John Ross caught the most whiting for the second trip in a row. They were using shrimp on the bottom for the whiting and caught the slot red on a Zombie Eye jighead and electric chicken Keitech swimbait. The whiting were mostly in the 15-foot range, and they were some big bulls (they brought 10 home for supper). Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had some really good trips this week inside. On Monday he had a grandpa, dad, and 2 grandchildren, and everyone got in on the action for trout, reds, and flounder. Tuesday was a great trip for reds, trout, and flounder. They had 22 keeper fish and released them all. Dr. Morgan caught an oversized red. They fooled reds on live shrimp on a Redfish Wrecker Jighead and Gulp rigged on a Zombie Eye Jighead. Flounder ate the Gulp on the Zombie Eye Jighead, and trout inhaled Keitech Easy Shiners and live shrimp. Joey Whitaker and Charles Sweat fished the St. Marys Jetties this week and had a tough go for trout and flounder. They only managed a couple of each on live shrimp, but the pelagics showed up with a vengeance and doubled their rods. Spanish mackerel and bonita were marauding bait schools, and they were able to get Yo-Zuri 3-inch minnows nearby. That’s all it took, as a half-dozen bonita and several Spanish macks inhaled their plugs. That’s how fishing the jetties is – feast or famine. And often the species that is feasting is one different than you were expecting. You always need to be prepared for lots of options when fishing the rocks. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is now open every day. On Mon-Thursday their hours are 6:30-10am and 2 to 5pm and Friday through Saturday from 6:30am to 5pm, and Sunday 6am to 5pm. They have plenty of lively shrimp 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 Jim Hakala, Fisheries Biologist and Region Supervisor with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts) 

RESERVOIR REPORT

Allatoona Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com): Bass fishing is fair. Get out early or after dark. Start the day by fishing some form of top water. Cast to main lake points and flats with the Jackal SK Pop Grande in a shad color. As the day progresses, fish the same points as well as pole markers with a Carolina rig and a 2-to-3-foot leader with a ½ to ¾ weight. Use a 4 Net Bait finesse worm in green pumpkin watermelon color with the Shaky Head in these same areas. The morning top water bite is a little slow. Pick off a few fish first thing in the morning on a small Pop R or Bonnie 95. Fish points on the mid-section of the lake. Throughout the day has been pretty tough. Concentrate on fishing around docks and cover with a Net Bait Finesse Worm in Key Lime Pie or Paca Melon on a Shaky Head. Fish very slowly. In the evening fish a Shaky Worm or small jig around the same cover as earlier in the day. It seems like you have to make the fish bite, but just stick with it. In the cove fish slowly and methodically and it should prove to be a productive way to catch some fish. A few good fish are being caught on big crank baits. After dark throw a Norman DD22 in midnight blue or a 700 Bandit in Summer Shad. Fish these baits on steep rock banks or rocky points. The best time to fish starts in the evening and continues into the night. The night bite is getting better every night. Fish steep rock banks with a ½ ounce black Punisher Spinnerbait. Be sure to use a very slow Yo retrieve to attract bites. For the crank bait fish after dark fish points as well as flats with a Norman DLN in Midnight Blue color.

Allatoona Crappie (This report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits):

• Lake Level: 840.98′ and slowly dropping (Click Here For Current Water Level)
• Water Temp:75-77
• Water Clarity: Clear to Light Stain
• Area Fished: North Lake (Little River Area), S Turns To Victoria, Blockhouse (Tanyard/Clark Creek Area) & Galt’s Ferry Area.
• Jigs Used: Pappy’s Magic Dagger, Splatter Back Dagger, UV Shad Dagger, Watermelon Ghost Dagger, Motor Oil Red and MayFly
• Technique: Casting & Spider Rigging

Crappie fishing on Lake Allatoona in the month of June can be a great month to load the boat! If you have some brush piles marked, now is the time to check their activity. Target brush piles that are in at least 15′ to 18′ deep with a jig or a minnow and you should pick up a few nice Allatoona slabs this time of year! Not all brush piles are active you may have to move around a bit.

We are finding crappie on brush from one end of the lake to the other so there is no one specific location that is better than the other. The good thing is that the crappie seem to have spread out to where they will be for the next few months. It seems that by the end of May to mid-June the crappie have settled into their brush pile homes for the summer.

We fished a few days this week and we found brush that was in 14′ of water and the top was in 6′ of water and the crappie were suspending between 4′ to 6′ of water above that brush pile. We also found brush at 17′ and crappie were suspended at 9′ of water over the top of that brush. We managed a BIG white crappie off of this brush pile. The best pile was sitting in 18′ of water and the crappie were suspended at 10’…we managed 14 crappie from this brush…but they were on the small side at 8 inches long. We managed 26 crappie with 10 solid keepers during our most productive outing.

For the most part we are spider rigging minnows BUT…other Red Rooster team members are doing well casting to the brush and slowly reeling the Red Rooster Dagger back to the boat. There are some solid crappie being caught casting to brush…they are aggressive too! The best time to cast and reel to the brush seems to early in the morning…from sunrise to about 830. The Red Rooster Dagger in Pappy’s Magic is catching some good crappie first thing in the morning. Lord willing the weather will cooperate and we will bring you another report next week!

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

Allatoona News Nugget: Did you know that the Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division stocks Lake Allatoona every year with largemouth bass, striped bass, and hybrid striped bass? Now you know!

Lake Hartwell Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): Bass fishing is fair. Boat traffic is up so get to the lake early and then leave. There will be large numbers of boaters and fishing will be tough with the boats and jet skis keeping the water stirred up. Bass may bite up lake better with a little cooler waters and anglers are fishing under and around the deep water boat docks. Small Zoom flukes are working, and the Rapala #5 Shad Raps are also working. Downsize to 8-pound Sufix Elite line on a spinning reel and this lighter tackle and the lighter line will work with the smaller fish. Fish the steep rock ledges especially those that pass under the bridges. The key factor during the heat will be to fish near deep water and the isolated shady areas during the day. If you are using jigs, downsize to a 1/4- or 3/16-ounce jig with a small Zoom twin tail trailer Fat Albert grub in green pumpkin.

Lake Lanier Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 via www.southernfishing.com): Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is currently at full pool and the water temperature is running from the mid to upper seventies. Overall, the lake is clear. The bass are still on the move to brush, humps and ledges in the twenty-five-to-thirty-five-foot range. Use your forward facing to look care the fish as they may just be roaming around the structure. The Slick Stick in either chrome or white and the Jerk Shad in Purple Ghost or FNZH20 have been solid baits for the week. The top water bite has picked up on the Gunfish, Chug Bug or Vixen worked over the same structures especially if there’s wind. If the top bite slows move to the drop shot with either a Blue Lily or Sweet Rosy worm for the most strikes. For the drop shot I’m using a seven-foot six rod with fifteen-pound braid backing and ten feet of fluorocarbon leader. If you notice the fish moving away from you bait, simply back off the structure and pitch the bait to them. The days have been somewhat up and down but still producing numbers so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Crappie (This report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton, 770 530 6493): Crappie are suspended 8 to 10 feet deep under docks. I have been having good luck under docks in less than 20 feet of water. Minnows have been producing well. For jig selection I recommend a translucent hair jig or multicolored combinations with a slow retrieval. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is a Acc crappie stix 1 piece rod and reel with a 4- or 6-pound test K9 line, along with Garmin Live Scope and Power Pole.

Lanier Crappie Too (This report courtesy of Dan Saknini, Lake Lanier Crappie Club):  Water temps remain in the low to mid 80’s with the creeks moderately stained and the main river channels clear. I hope that everyone is taking advantage of the good bite that we’ve been having the last few weeks.  Fishing continues to be strong. We’ve been launching before daylight, and quitting early before the heat sets in. You notice one thing early in the morning before daylight – there is an abundance of bait on the surface, and the fish are following the bait, feeding shallow on deeper docks and stand-alone brush piles. With daylight, the bait goes deeper, and the crappie follow, which of course means the bite also gets deeper. Jiffy jigs and Bobby Garland remain a good choice, with 1/16 oz. and 1/24 oz. jig heads our preference. There are fish on river channel docks and deeper standalone brush piles. And yes, we are catching quality fish. The bite will continue to be strong for the next several weeks, so take advantage of it before the heat of the summer reaches its peak.

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

Lanier News Nugget: The Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division stocks Lake Lanier, and other north Georgia lakes, annually with walleye. Did you know that some of Lanier’s walleye are collected and spawned to make more walleye for the State’s stocking program each year?  Now you know!

Lake Weiss Mixed Bag Report: (This report courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service and www.southernfishing.com):

• Bass fishing is good. Look on the long points and shallow bars for bait fish and the bass will be close by. Spinnerbaits and shallow running crank baits will be working.
• Crappie fishing is fair. A lot of fish are starting to show up on deeper brush piles and creek channels ledges. Spider rigging with live minnows is the way to catch these post spawn fish. Shooting docks is producing fish.
• Striper fishing is fair. Some are showing up in the lower parts of the Coosa and Chattooga rivers after the run up the rivers.

West Point Bass Report (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): Bass fishing has been good. Fish are really spread out in two groups this week. The top water bite is on fire first thing in the morning on points and lay downs. Buzz baits, Spooks, and Pop R’s are producing when cast very close to cover and then slowly worked back to the boat. During the mid-morning pitch jigs close to overhanging limbs with bream present. These fish have been highly pressured so work the bait slowly. The strike zone will be in the first five feet of the overhanging limbs. Once the sun is high focus on docks and lay downs near the mouth of pockets with green pumpkin a Z Man floating worm. The Z Man floating worm will stand up on a 1/8- or 3/16-ounce shaky head so do not be afraid to let this bait soak to catch larger fish. The deep crank bait bite is beginning to turn on in the afternoon during generating schedules. Look for fish to begin stacking up on long points and roadbeds close to the main river channel. The best points are from the 109 bridge north going up the river. During generation periods use deep diving crankbaits on humps and roadbeds. Spro has a Little John Type R shallow running crankbait that works well over shallow water submerging vegetation. It has a computer chips style lip for a fast wobble and several great colors.

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

West Point News Nugget: Did you know that the Georgia DNR, Wildlife Resources Division has stocked nearly 4.2 million largemouth bass into West Point Lake since 2016?  Now you know!

SMALL LAKES REPORT

State Park Lakes: Don’t have a neighborhood pond to fish? Don’t worry, Georgia State Parks has got you covered. Small lakes can offer great fishing opportunities close to home too.  Here are a few north Georgia State Parks with small lakes you may consider fishing this weekend.

• James H. “Sloppy Floyd (Chattooga Co.).
• Fort Mountain (Murray Co.)
• Vogel (Union Co.)
• Unicoi (White Co.)
• Black Rock Mtn. (Rabun Co.)
• Fort Yargo (Barrow Co.)
• Sweetwater Creek (Douglas Co.)   

TROUT REPORT

Are trout hitting the water near you? Find out with the Weekly Stocking Report!

Trout Stocking (This report courtesy of trout stocking coordinator John Lee Thomson): Over 30,000 trout were stocked across north Georgia this week!  Like usual, find out where by checking the Weekly Stocking Report each Friday afternoon.  With summer temperatures in full swing, try to be on the water as early as possible, as trout will feed best during the cooler morning hours.  As afternoon temperatures heat up, trout feeding may slow up, especially in warmer, lower elevation trout streams.

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

Georgia Trout Slam:  There is still plenty of time to catch Georgia’s three freshwater trout species.  If you have the skill to successfully catch all three species of trout (brook, brown, rainbow) in Georgia within a calendar year, consider giving the Georgia Trout Slam a try.  All successful submissions will receive the coveted Georgia Trout Slam Sticker and be entered into a drawing for an annual grand prize.  Slammer intel for the week – brown trout were stocked in the Tallulah River, Low Gap Creek, Smith Creek, Toccoa Tailwater, West Fork Chattooga River, Panther Creek, and the Middle Broad River just to name a few.

Trout Fishing Opportunities for Those With Disabilities: These sites are open to the public and offer specific amenities for anglers with disabilities.

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 in the state.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Reservoir reports below are courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing report and other contributions by WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 80’S

Lake Russell Bass Catch (Photo: Fishbrain HoltGonzalez)

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The bite is best early and late for largemouth and quality spotted bass right now. For the better spots fishing 10 to 16 feet deep on brush and rocks with a crankbait or worm. A drop shot will catch spots in 12 to 20 feet in the brush piles but nothing over 2 pounds. The herring are in the timber over 20 to 35 feet of water. Use a spinning rod loaded with ten-pound braid with a leader of ten-pound Sufix fluorocarbon. The rhythm is just a smooth pull and let it fall. If these bites are slow then move to the Texas rigs. The drop shot worm has been the go-to this week on the drop shot. This is a great way to put numbers in the boat, but anglers may need to run several brush piles to find one that is loaded with fish but once they start biting, they are usually aggressive.

Striped Bass (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in June fish should be on both ends of the lake, with herring on free-lines working in the shallower upper lake and down-lines working in the deeper lower lake. Fish will also be holding around deep timber wherever it is found.

Crappie (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that fish will move onto deeper brush or natural timber this month where they can be caught on jigs and minnows. Night-fishing around bridges will also be productive.

Catfish (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that fish will move deeper this month into 15-25 feet where they can be caught on cut herring. May was an excellent month for catfish and expect more of the same at least to start June.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80’S

Striped Bass Catch on Lake Oconee.

Striped Bass Catch on Lake Oconee.

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. When the sun is up the best bite is going to be under the deeper docks with at least 6 to 8 feet of water under them. The docks in Sugar Creek just down from the bridge are a good place to start. Skip a Net Boy Bait football jig with a finesse worm or Trick Worm as far under the docks and watch the line for a bite on the fall. Also look for bass in 12 to 20 feet of water on main lake points and underwater humps mid lake. Richland Creek is a great all-day area and the docks are the key locations. Ride by the docks with the Lowrance Side Scan technology and mark the locations holding fish as you pass by. Now run back to the dock with the most fish and have a 4-inch Zoom pumpkinseed lizard on a light Weedless Wonder head ready. Be sure to let the bait free fall next to the docks.

Linesides (courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing): Dillan reports that the linesides are piling up over main lake points and flats in 20’ – 30’ depths. Dillan recommends focusing your efforts more on the Oconee River side below the 44 bridge. Downlining threadfin shad will produce more variety while gizzard shad will bring in the bigger ones.

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 80’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The top water bite is fair with the Zara Spook Jr in bone and the Rico. These are small bass and keepers are few and far between. Bass are still hitting those surface baits in the cooler morning periods. The number Ten, Olive Green X Rap is responsible for catching these bass. It is still working as a follow up bait to those missed top water baits and working in the shallow rocky flats where some wind is present. Blue backs are still getting hammered all during the day, as surface explosions of feeding fish often occur. Get the small Fluke and use a small lead head and some light line to work on these fish. Be aware that the line sides will pop up and grab these baits also. Jigs on structure along with tubes and worms are picking up some Bass, but of the smaller variety.

Striper and Hybrids: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Little River Guide Service reports that to start off the month fish were still very shallow early, but this month they should move down the lake into 20-30 feet where they can be caught on down-lines and then continue to go deeper from there. Fish have been harder to pattern than usual this year but perhaps June will offer more consistency.

Crappie: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Little River Guide Service reports that this month fish should be found around brush in 20-25 feet of water. Anchoring and then fishing vertically with minnows is usually the best pattern although at times the fish will show a preference for jigs.

Catfish: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Captain Chris Simpson reports that the best fishing in June will be in the early morning or late evening. Anchoring on humps and points and fishing with cut bait at a variety of depths is the best bet.

Clarks Hill GON-tel: Check out Arrow3’s recipe for a completely crappie weekend on Clarks Hill HERE!

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 80’S

Lake Sinclair Blue Catfish Catch!

Doubling up with Striped Bass and Black Crappie catch on Sinclair!

Lake Sinclair Double Striper Catch!

Bass: Bass fishing is good. The morning bite is crucial with the sun getting up very early during the summer months. Covering water quickly with a buzz baits seems to generate a majority of the quality bites and helps pick off a few active fish that are ready to bite first thing in the morning. Once the sun is out docks seem to be the significant pattern and should stay consistent. Use the Lowrance electronics offshore to find any cover or structure that may be holding a fish in 15 to 20 feet of water. A Carolina rig, crankbait and jig are all good choices for targeting this deeper area. Fishing can be tough so the latest technology can unlock the locations for schools of fish from Lowrance. If the fish are not there move and try another location. Once they fish are biting slow down and cover the area well with the summer lures like the crank bait and spinner bait. Have the drop shot or shaky head are ready as good options if the fishing is extremely slow.

Linesides (courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing): Dillan reports a steady bite on Sinclair when fishing downlines over 20’ – 30’ bottoms. Net what bait you can find—gizzards and threadfin haven’t been too hard to find if you’re looking at the right time of day. Some flatlines are still producing at times, but the surging water temperatures will soon kill that bite. Focus on main lake points like those around Nancy Branch and the airport. Use your electronics to locate schools those spaghetti string-like schools. You may even luck up and land a big blue or two if you’re hunting the right holes!

LAKE JACKSON IS 0.6 FEET OVER FULL, 80’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The fish are shallow at daybreak on sea walls mid lake. Spinnerbaits and buzz baits are working and having some baitfish close by helps. Watch as the bait fish will flick on the surface and the bass will be close by. Schooling action make break out as the bass may push shad schools up on the flats and shallow points. The smaller shad Rat L Traps are a hot item for the quick action. There are a few fish shallow wood. Use a Zoom watermelon seed lizard on the weed line on a light Texas rig. In the creeks, work the steeper drops close to the banks. All other faster baits are slow this week after the cold muddy river waters flowed into the lake. After the sun is up, head to the back of the creeks and use a gold spinner bait and gold buzz baits on any wood. When the bite slows, flipping jigs in brush piles and on deeper docks has been for a bigger bite. Some fish are holding on the river ledges, but the patterns have been finicky. With the bait schools on the move, the fish are moving about, the fish may be moving a lot. The schooling action may break out so have a Pop R and a small Zara Spook ready.

Building better bass for anglers!

Working on making the little Largemouth Bass big for anglers.

Hatchery News (courtesy of Walton Hatchery staff): The warmwater duo of T&T have been cooking up a bigger bass recipe for largemouth bass stockings that will take place in regional reservoirs later this fall. Tony reports, “As requests grow for intermediate-size largemouth bass, Walton Fish Hatchery has increased the potential of the feed-trained largemouth program this year. After feed training and the first grading and inventory, nearly 84% of our largemouth successfully converted to feed. Additional grading and inventories will take place to help reduce cannibalism, which is a big factor in determining overall success. Initial results look very promising and will support our stocking goals for the region, and beyond.”

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of McDuffie PFA Manager Chalisa Fabillar; More Info HERE):

• Surface Temperature:  80°F and rising
• Water Visibility:  23” +
• Water Level: Most lakes are full
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

As the summer days wear on and the sun warms the surface waters, the ponds have stratified and the bass have moved into cooler, deeper water. While the upper area of Bridge Lake isn’t as deep as the lower area near Bream Buster, there is a constant flow of cool water to attract bass seeking a respite from the summer heat. There is also enough structure to provide habitat for some forage fish. Willow Lake is always a solid choice for bass fishing. There are several brush piles and structures in the deeper waters closest to the dam between Rodbender and Willow. For bass this time of year, you can’t go wrong with a topwater of your choice in the morning, a Texas-rigged lizard, crankbaits, or a skipping jig to get around structure. For the bream, find shaded structure and use crickets or red wigglers. Fly anglers will enjoy catching big bluegill or redear on topwater poppers this time of year, too. Catfish are biting and we recommend using hotdogs, livers, hearts, or large nightcrawlers fished on the bottom.

Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed on our PFA’s!

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (this week’s intel courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Amory Cook and Deven Thompson; More Info HERE):

Flat Creek PFA Lake water levels are slowly dropping, but the well has been turned on and anglers can enjoy targeting the fish that like to gather near the cool water. Below is a summary of fish activity compiled by Fisheries Technician Deven Thompson:

Bream: The bream bite has been picking up over the past week with multiple reports of redear sunfish in the one-pound range being caught and also many small to medium sized bluegill. The best bet is to use red worms fished either on the bottom or deeper under a float around shallow flats and weed lines.

Crappie: The crappie bite is now in full swing with plenty of large crappie being reported being caught. While your best bet is using jigs on offshore structure, reports of one pound plus crappie being caught in shallow water near the bank is not uncommon. Lure choices should consist of white jigs for artificial presentations and minnows for live bait.

Catfish: The catfish bite continues to be excellent with anglers having success with fishing crickets under floats near the shore and chicken livers on the bottom in deeper holes.

Bass: With water levels dropping the large mouth bite has been picking up with reports of fish 3-6 lb being caught. Best bet is targeting them around aerators and offshore brush piles utilizing crank baits and worms during the day and fishing near the bank with top water plugs and buzz baits later in the evening and at night.

Attention anglers: Flat Creek PFA staff are conducting an annual angler (creel) survey on the lake this year. If you are approached by a PFA staffer after your fishing trip, please take a moment to answer their questions and share information about your fishing success (or, lack of success, whichever may be the case). These surveys are a valuable management tool that can improve our understanding of the fishery and ultimately improve fishing quality on the reservoir.

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Information HERE):

• Water Level: All ponds and lakes are full.
• Water Clarity: Most ponds have 20” visibility.  However, Fox is clearer and has a visibility near 3’.  Heavy rainfall will reduce visibilities.
• Surface Temp: Low 80s degrees.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: The warm temperatures still have the bass back pushed out over deeper water. The shallow morning bite along weedlines or in the timber is still viable, but as the sun gets up, you’ll need to look deeper to find the bigger fish. Topwater poppers and frogs are an excellent choice first thing in the morning. Jigging a worm or casting deep-diving crankbaits can be effective later in the day. Stay versatile and on the move to find fish roaming rip rap or holding tight to structure, as there is plenty of it in the lake.

Crappie: The crappie bite is still viable, but you need to locate deep structure to find them. Boaters seem to do well fishing over deep brush piles. Live minnows fished vertically over structure can call them up.

Bream: The bluegill bite is hot right now.  The usual pink worms and wax worms are the ticket. You may pick up a few shellcracker as well if you place your presentation close to the bottom.

Hybrid Bass: Look for shad schooling early morning and late afternoon.  Put your bait right in the school and hold on. Hybrid bass pack a punch.

Channel catfish: The catfish bite is excellent in the summer. Fox Lake along the rip rap are good targets this time of year, but any lakes indicating catfish will produce bites with patience. Cut baits like livers and hearts, or nightcrawlers fished along the bottom will produce.

IN OTHER NEWS

Sharing fisheries career info with Girls Who Rule the World Camp attendees.

Sharing Aquatic Invasive Species info with Girls Who Rule the World Camp attendees.

Sharing the Tradition of Fishing (courtesy of Georgia Chapter of American Fisheries Society’s Rebecca Brown): Rebecca reports, “Last Saturday, Georgia AFS volunteers were supported by three Georgia DNR fisheries professionals who shared their expertise and experience with over 100 girls and their chaperones at the Steve and Marjorie Harvey Foundation’s Girls Who Rule the World Camp. I wanted to share my gratitude for their generous contribution of time to create lasting memories for the camp participants. Fisheries Technician Amory Cook and Hatchery Manager Angela Spinks shared their career stories with the girls, answered questions about different careers in natural resources, and supplied the event with fishing gear for the girls to use. The WRD Aquatic Nuisance Species Coordinator, Jim Page, traveled from afar to bring with him the ANS trailer and visual displays. He talked to the girls about invasive species and answered their questions.”

What a great team we have within Wildlife Resources Division to share the knowledge and passion for fishing and conservation to the next generation of anglers. Have you ever considered becoming a fishing mentor to someone? The opportunities are endless, especially if you’re looking in the right places. For further information about how you can volunteer your time to introduce someone else to the joy of fishing, visit the WRD Events webpage and consider helping at the next Community Fishing Event near you. Or learn about ways you can volunteer your time and talents to support WRD’s Gateway to Fishing Program.