If you have school age kids, you may already hear them saying that summer is almost “over.” But, for them, it is kind of true as most schools will start back up the first of August. What does that have to do with fishing? It means don’t let the rest of July go by without taking those kids fishing! 

If it is your first time fishing with kids, we have some suggestions on how to make it the best day ever. Check out GeorgiaWildlife.com/KidsFishing to find tips, links to suggested locations, and information about kids fishing events. Make those memories now and get them started on a lifelong love of fishing!

NEWS TO KNOW

• West Point Lake Stocking: Spring 2024 marked the ninth year of WRD’s largemouth bass stocking program at West Point Lake, a program that began in 2016. Since then, approximately 4.2 million largemouth have been stocked. Check out the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division Facebook page’s post from June 27 for more information.

This week we have fishing reports from Central, Southeast and North Georgia. Let fishing become a great way to spend time together and let’s Go Fish Georgia!

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Information below comes courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing report, other contributors and WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 80’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. This lake is fisherman friendly, and the spots are scattered all over the lake. But the most fish are up the Savannah River and Rocky River. Now find the small feeder creeks. With the hot water the bass will move up a little to the shallows and the water temperatures might be cooler than down on the main lake. Jigs and three-foot Carolina rigs are fair but slow down. Three- and four-inch Zoom finesse worms are also working in the thicker brush piles in nine to twelve feet and deeper. Rig the tubes Texas style and peg the sinker. Add some Jacks Juice in the garlic sent to the tip of the tails. If the clouds move in, go to a darker color jig, tube or worm.

Striped bass (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in July the striper should be catchable on both ends of the lake, with free-lining working in the upper lake and down-lines working in the lower lake. At the end of the June the fishing had really picked up and they were even catching some fish around timber mid-lake.

Crappie (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that fish should move into deeper brush in July, and the fish could start to shift out of the creeks and into the main lake. They will be caught on jigs and minnows. June was very strong for crappie but by the end of the month they were already feeding mostly in short windows early and late.

Catfish (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that catfish should go deeper in July assuming water temperatures continue to warm. Fish should be caught in 15-25 feet of water on cut herring. Other fish are deeper but with so much underwater timber they are hard to target.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80’S

Bass: Bass fishing if 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. Learn to drop shot and work the shady side of the docks and a Zoom pearl Fluke will work and use the shad pattern. The docks in Sugar Creek just down from the bridge are a good place to start. As the bass are in their summertime pattern fishing deep or near deep water will be the best bet. Using a Carolina rigged worm on the end of long point or under water island is a good place to start. Start to fish this area spend some time looking at the Lowrance Side Scan technology looking for the baitfish in the area mmm are going to fish. Find the baitfish then spend some time fishing there. If not move on to the next point and until the bait fish show up. The area called the bull hole and the pipeline on the main lake is a good place to spend some time. Skip a Net Boy Bait football jig with a finesse worm or Trick worm as far under the docks as possible and watch the line for a bite on the fall. Also look for bass in 18 to 24 feet of water on main lake points and humps. Sugar Creek is a good mid-day area.

Striper fishing is on fire on Oconee! (Photo courtesy of Doug Nelms).

Striper fishing is on fire on Oconee! (Photo courtesy of Doug Nelms).

Linesides (Report courtesy of Doug Nelms reports): Doug reports that the lineside fishing is on fire. Stripers and hybrids are stacking up near the dam and schooling over the oxygen lines. Downlining live bait and trolling rigs is a great way to put fish in the boat this July.

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 80’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Fish just off the grass points and pockets with buzz baits, frogs and number 8 X Raps. The first three hours of the day seem to be the best. The Carolina rigged lizard and worm are still working in the deeper water and some bass are still chasing schooling thread fin shad. Keep a top water bait handy and the Chug Bugs and Pop R are working really well. Now is a great time to ride the lake and scan the points, humps and ledges with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Spend less time searching and more time catching once this technology to unlock the lakes secret. There has also been some schooling action throughout the day. Keep a Zara Spook and a Spro Dawg 100 or a pearl Zoom Super Fluke tied on. Any rain passing through look for the shallow bite to turn on. Try fishing back in the deeper coves Spro Bronzeye frog in natural red along the shadows on the banks.

Striper and hybrids: (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Little River Guide Service reports that at the end of June the bait was still fairly shallow, but in July fish should be found 40 plus feet down suspended over deep water. They will be caught on down-lined herring. More stripers should start to show up again this month – in June the catch was heavy on hybrids.

Crappie: (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Little River Guide Service reports that after a slow pre-spawn and spawn the crappie fishing picked up late this spring, and it has stayed good into the summer. In July fish should be found around brush that sits 25 or more feet down. Anchoring and then fishing vertically with minnows is usually the best pattern.

Catfish: (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Captain Chris Simpson reports that the best fishing in July will again 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. As the spawn mostly passes the fishing will improve after a slow-down in late June.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.7 FEET, 80’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The lake is clear and there are fish scattered on docks lake wide and a trick worm skipped under them will get a bite. Ride by the docks first and scan them with the Structure Scan side imaging technology. No fish, don’t stop. Mid-day head up the river. Cast Pop R’s, Skitter Walks and Thunder Dogs early on the shaded docks and any grass close by. A black buzz bait or a Spro frog and get attacked. Then go to the Rapala DT6 and Bandits in greens. Take along some Zoom June bug trick worms and use a #2/0 offset Mustad worm hook and use Sufix braid so to get them out of the cover. Chatter Baits and worms to fish isolated stumps and lay downs in Murder Creek. Always have a spinnerbait and a buzz bait tied on anytime of the day or night. Black Jitterbugs are working on docks up Little River after dark. Night fishing is a little better, but daytime is especially good early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Now is a great time to ride the lake and scan the points, humps and ledges with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Now anglers and spend less time searching and more time catching once this technology unlocks the lakes’ secrets.

Fishing success on Sinclair (Photo courtesy of Dillan Greeson).

Young man with a nice catch on Sinclair (Photo courtesy of Dillan Greeson).

Linesides (Report courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing): Dillan reports the linesides are biting from mid-lake downstream to Lake Sinclair Dam and Rocky Creek. Target schools of fish in 25’ – 35’ feet of water. Live bait is the ticket, but some artificials like a spoon can be fished directly over these schools. When the fish are roaming over open water, try trolling with lead core using mini Macks or single, large bucktail jigs.

LAKE JACKSON IS FULL, 80’S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Top water action is limited so target shallow fish in the early morning. Look down lake on main lake riprap and seawalls. Also look for fish feeding on open water shad during the early morning and in overcast conditions. Fish shallow on rocky points very early and late in the day. Fish can also be found in the main lake blow downs without fishing particularly deep. While the fishing can be hit and miss, quality fish are being caught out to 15 feet and deeper. Fishing for reaction strikes with the crank bait can be a good strategy. Use #5 Shad Colored Rapala Shad Raps to take fish out to 8 feet of water. Jigs work well for catching fish in all depth ranges, particularly on wood and other structure targets. If the top water bite isn’t happening in the early morning, throw jigs, shaky heads, and crank baits instead. Cranks will cover water and jigs or worms will take fish from specific shallow structure and sea walls. Work the points, humps, blow downs, brush, docks, and rocks. Drop Shot rigs are particularly productive this time of year and use the finesse worms to fish passing directly under boat on the Lowrance. Also use the rig on short casts to fish holding deep on the bottom.

Catfish (courtesy of WRD Fishing Prospects): Lake Jackson provides an array of catfish species with fishable populations of bullheads, channel, white, blue, and flathead catfish. Best bets for size are going to be blue catfish and channel catfish based on species abundance and size structure analyses, and the average range of these species is 3 – 5 lb. Anglers should target deep holes mid-lake for trophy catfish. Highway 36 bridge on the South River Arm has been a popular area when targeting large catfish. Most trophies caught have been at night. Lake Jackson is an untapped resource for anglers targeting catfish. The current lake record flathead is over 64 lb! Cut shad and liver fished on or just off the bottom is effective. Night fishing with live bream may also produce some quality catfish.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDuffie Public Fishing Area (Report courtesy of McDuffie PFA Manager Chalisa Fabillar) –

• McDuffie PFA Information
• Surface Temperature:  82°F and rising
• Water Visibility:  22”+
• Water Level: Most lakes are full
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide 

Bass:  The bass are still biting early morning and late evenings. Target bass in midwater, 5-8ft deep, using a few different bottom/sinking lures. This technique is yielding nice fish in the 2-3lb range.  Following shad schools is always a good bet. 

Bream:  Nice fish are lining the peninsulas of both Willow and Bridge Lakes.  Successful anglers are using crickets, worms, and black soldier fly larvae.  They are also biting deeper with warmer temperatures as well.  Sink your baits a bit deeper than normal near structures, water intakes and siphon structures. 

Channel Catfish:  Catfish bite has remained steady.  The fish are biting on the usual stink baits, worms, and shrimp.  Try casting into deeper water from the docks across the area and the dams of Bridge Lake. 

Striped Bass: Striped bass and hybrids are still being caught topwater on Bridge Lake.  Nice four to six-pound stripers have been caught lately.

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

Flat Creek Public Fishing Area (Report courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Amory Cook and Deven Thompson) –

• Flat Creek PFA Information
• Water visibility: 27”
• Water level: 40” below full pool
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Water levels are quickly dropping due to a lack of rain and ongoing repairs to the well. The good news is that this gives bank anglers new targets in what would be deeper water and concentrates the fish for the potential of higher catch rates. Below is a summary of fish activity compiled by Fisheries Technician Deven Thompson:

Bream: The bream bite has been consistent. 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 hot on cloudy mornings. Reports of 2 pounders being caught are coming in. Targeting crappie deep and on vertical structure is your best bet. 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: Best bet is targeting bass around aerators and deeper attractors utilizing deep-diving 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. Summertime is the best time to target bass cruising shorelines in the evening.  

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 staff member 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 (Report courtesy of Marben PFA Manager Jamie Dowd)

• Marben PFA Information
• 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 

Success for Mr. Wayne at Marben PFA.

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 follow Mr. Wayne’s lead and fish pink worms 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.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

Joshua Barber caught this big redfin pickerel on a rooster tail spinner this week from a small blackwater creek near Waycross.

The heat and scattered afternoon storms have kept some folks at home, but the morning bite has been strong.

River gages on July 11th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 8.2 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 3.5 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 7.0 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla – 6.8 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 6.0 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 6.3 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 4.2 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 4.8 feet and rising

First quarter moon is July 13th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

Jimmy Hall and Seth Carter had a great morning on the Altamaha Wednesday. They fished a couple hours and caught 11 keeper-sized fish with some really nice ones mixed in. Bass ate about everything they threw at them (jigs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and prop baits), but it was hard for them not to feed them topwaters! Two-Way Sportfishing Club is hosting a catfish tournament on September 21-22nd. It will be a rod and reel only tournament. For details, contact tournament directors Jamie Hodge (912-271-8589) or Tiff Thompson (229-938-4789).

SATILLA RIVER

The river came up, and the panfish bite slowed this week, but I heard several reports of about a dozen fish per trip. Scott Hamlin fished the upper river late last week and caught 14 big redbreasts and bluegills and had 2 channel catfish. Remember that the Hwy 84 (Blackshear Bridge) ramp is closed for bridge construction (and will be for years…literally).

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Ethan Hendrix visited Lydia Wester this week and fished in the Okefenokee Swamp. They fooled this “double” of pickerel and bowfin with crawfish-orange blade Dura-Spins.

The warmouth bite has remained strong, but they are getting thinned out. The bowfin have been chewing, as evidenced on my trip with a family on Friday. They split up into groups, and the first group of Lydia and Ethan caught 21 fish and caught all of their fish trolling crawfish-orange blade Dura-Spins. They had two doubles (one was a pickerel/bowfin double) and even caught a decent warmouth on the big in-line spinner. Their biggest bowfin was 3-lb., 13-oz. The second group of Branley and Ava fooled 34 fish (mostly bowfin). Trolling was the ticket for them, also, and their fish ate Dura-Spins in the crawfish-orange blade, crawfish-brass blade, and blue shad – white blade colors. They had 4 bowfin double hookups, and caught 2 different bowfin that weighed 5-lb., 1-oz. Rachel and Teresa took the last trip and mostly rode around, but Rachel trolled for about 5 minutes and caught 2 pickerel (jackfish) up to 15 inches and a bowfin on crawfish-brass blade Dura-Spins. Ethan fished the boat basin while not on the boat and caught several bowfin and pickerel by casting crawfish-brass bladed Dura-Spins. Several other boats fishing that morning caught warmouth on crickets and artificials. Later in the week anglers reported catching bowfin, warmouth, and a few pickerel in the boat basin. Joshua Barber walked some small blackwater creeks that feed the swamp on Wednesday and flung beetlespins and rooster tail spinners and fooled a dozen pickerel (both jacfish and redfin pickerel), two fliers, and a pair of warmouth. He also had a couple catfish eat cut bait. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 120.70 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

Charlie and Wyatt fished with their dad Jason on Saturday and put it on the bass with white spinnerbaits. They each had bass up to about 3 pounds. Jason had a big one on but while he was handing it off to Wyatt, it jumped and spit the hook. Jimmy Zinker fished a lake this week a couple different nights and flung Squeaker buzzbaits and Jitterbugs and caught about a dozen bass per night up to 3 pounds. The big fish have not been biting this week for he and his fishing partners. I got a couple good bream reports from Waycross area ponds. Both crickets and artificials fooled them.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

The tarpon bite has been great. Capt. Cody Baker of Top Hook Charters out of Fernandina (fishtophook.com) has gotten back on the pogies and tarpon this week. Several of his charters hooked up and landed tarpon at the St Marys Jetties. His deal is to cast-net live pogies and deploy them on Capt. Bert’s Tarpon Tamer Hooks (built on 4X Strong Gamakatsu hooks) until the rod doubles over. Rickey O’Berry has been whacking some nice sheepshead inshore in the Brunswick area. Some of his fish were pushing 4 pounds. Fiddlers fished around hard cover has been the ticket. I heard reports of some nice flounder being caught in the rocks near Cumberland at the St Marys Jetties. Mudminnows on jigheads and plastics reeled slowly along the bottom fooled the flatfish. Mark and Sabrina Williams fished the Brunswick area on Wednesday and caught a good mess of croaker by fishing shrimp on the bottom. Remember there is a carcass freezer at the Wildlife Resources Division Waycross Fisheries Office at 108 Darling Avenue. The Coastal Resources Division is especially hopeful to get red snapper carcasses, but they also collect most inshore saltwater species, as well. All the supplies and information cards are in the freezer. Filet your fish then drop off the carcasses in the freezer to help with age and growth analysis of the various species. 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 Anthony Rabern, Region Supervisor and Fisheries Biologist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts) 

Beat the Heat! Nobody has to remind you that it is sweltering hot. To beat the heat, savvy anglers are turning to kayaking and wet wading to fish North Georgia’s shallow streams and rivers.

Shoal bass catch from upper Chattahoochee (Photo courtesy of Aiden Gragg).

Chattahoochee Bass Catch from the Chestatee River (Photo courtesy of Austin Thornton).

Mixed Bag of Fish From a North GA Reservoir (Photo courtesy of Ryan Watts)

Try fly fishing for bream using poppers or black ant flies.

Aiden Gragg recently enjoyed a nice float down the upper Chattahoochee with some wet wading stops in the rocky shallows to catch a few Shoal Bass using jerk baits.

Austin Thornton and his fishing buddy beat the heat last weekend by wet wading in the Chestatee River to catch Shoal Bass and their kissin’ cousin, the Chattahoochee Bass.

A couple of friends of mine also enjoyed a great outing to a small North Georgia reservoir where they flipped nightcrawlers into the shady waters underneath low-hanging branches to catch a mixed bag of fish, including some monster shellcrackers and bluegill.

Or why not try your hand at flyfishing in a local pond for bream using poppers or black ant flies at sunset when bream are slurping down aquatic insects at the surface?

If you really need to cool off, head to the mountains for a day of trout fishing.  Georgia DNR’s Trout Stocking Coordinator, John Lee Thomson, says that trout are mostly being stocked in the higher elevation streams which maintain cooler temperatures throughout the dog days of summer.  You can find where trout were stocked this week by clicking on the Weekly Trout Stocking Report found at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

So, there are a lot of ways to escape the sweltering heat and still feed your fishing passion.  Why not beat the heat today?  Below are some other tips and tricks from Ken Sturdivant and his cadre of professional fishing guides (Southern Fishing Schools, Reports, and Guide Service with Ken Sturdivant).  Hopefully, this intel will help you find and catch fish in your favorite reservoir.

LAKE ALLATOONA

Allatoona Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant) — Spotted bass fishing is good and there are some fish on top water lures while they are under schools of bait. Start off throwing a Pop R’s and a pointer 78 in American Shad color and if that doesn’t get them excited throw an all-white Rooster Tail when they come to the surface. The fish are suspended under the schools of shad, and they aren’t on the bottom so keep that in mind in figuring them out. Most of the schooling fish are in the pound and a half range. It takes some coaxing on some of the schools, but they can be caught with some persistence. Try the very backs of creeks and rivers early and late or if there is some cloud cover. Stay with the small worms and jigs in any dark colors. Also use a small green worm or a night crawler fished around the main lake marinas. Stay on the points on the main lake with a small Zoom finesse worms in greens on a Texas rig. Use night crawlers on a 1/8th ounce jig head and fish vertically. It’s still slow at night for spots. The shad are on the surface at the mouths of most creeks and the main lake, and the spots are busting them off the top. Some schools are more finicky than others and the shad are no longer than an inch at the most.

Allatoona Crappie (Report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits) — To catch a mess of crappie on Allatoona during the summer months find structure and use small crappie minnows or one of several jigs including the Red Rooster Dagger in UV Shad, Gray Ghost, Watermelon Ghost, Motor Oil Red, or Mayfly, all of which are “go-to” clear water colors perfect for casting to finicky black crappie. Use 4lb to 6lb test, a #4 or #2 gold Aberdeen hook, split shot and a slip bobber. The slip bobber paired with a bobber stop allows you to cast out and the line runs through the bobber and stops at the desired depth. Measure 10′ of line and set your bobber stop. If no bite, use the 1′ to 2′ measure method mentioned above and set your bobber stop to 12′ on the line see what happens.

LAKE BURTON

Wyatt Cathey, age 10, with his chain pickerel catch from Lake Burton.

Lake Burton Chain Pickerel (Report courtesy of Fisheries Biologist, John Lee Thomson) — An underrated and ignored fish on Lake Burton and other nearby mountain lakes is the Chain Pickerel.  These toothy creatures are ambush predators that love the shallow edges of the shoreline, particularly where there is wood.  In addition to being relatively easy to find, Chain Pickerel are also very aggressive and fairly easy to catch using flashy spinnerbaits or live bait.  Wyatt Cathey, age 10, was camping with his family for a few days at Moccasin Creek State Park this week. During his stay, this dedicated young angler set his alarm for 6:00 a.m. to beat the heat and hit the waters of Lake Burton at sunrise. His target – Chain Pickerel.  His approach – First, he used a red wiggler to catch a small bluegill.  Next, he hooked the bluegill in the back on a 1/0 hook and cast it toward downed trees in the shallows.  With that approach, Wyatt landed three quality Chain Pickerel, and all three fish qualified for a youth angler award.

LAKE HARTWELL

Lake Hartwell Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant) — For bass, stay out in the main lake and concentrate on fishing in 20 feet of water and carry the drop shot rigs with 6-pound test. Some bass can be suspended or holding to some type of structure in these depths. Now is a great time to ride the lake and scan the points, humps and ledges with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Deep diving crank baits like the Rapala DT10 will reach the fish with ease on a long cast and light line. A slow stop and go retrieve will be necessary once the DT10 reaches its depth. Have the Carolina rigs and the Shakey Head worms and use them all day on the submerged structure.

Summer Striped Bass Fishing! Right now, look for them suspended over submerged treetops near the edge of the river channel on Hartwell.

Hartwell Lineside Report (Report courtesy of Fisheries Biologist, Anthony Rabern) — Water quality and herring abundance are everything when it comes to locating hybrids and stripers during the summertime on Lake Hartwell.  Based on the results from tracking striped bass in Hartwell over a three-year period, stripers are typically suspended at this time of year in the submerged treetops located near the edge of the river channel anywhere from the river forks to dam.  Based on the water quality profile, look for them at depths ranging from 45-60-ft.  Soon, most linesides will make their way to within eyeshot of the dam where summer water quality will be best at depths around 120-ft.

LAKE LANIER 

Lake Lanier Bass (Report courtesy of Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845) — With the high-water temperature and hotter days the bass have moved to the deeper areas of the lake. Humps, ledges and long points in the thirty-foot range with brush around them have been the most productive areas. The top water bite continues with the OG20, Gunfish and Slick Stick producing some good fish. The OG20 works best when there is wind and when working this bait make three or four very fast reels and then let the bait sit for ten to twenty seconds. The hotter it gets the better the drop shot has gotten with Lanier Baits Blue Lily, Epic Flash and Sweet Rosy being the most productive colors for the week. It’s important with the drop shot to stay straight over your target and not drag the bait through the brush too much to lower the risk of hanging up. A great way to beat the heat is to go after dark as there is a good night bite going on. A half ounce Georgia blade spinner bait with a plastic trailer is producing both numbers and size. A red and black spinner bait with a chrome blade and a chartreuse twin trailer has been very effective. Work the rocky points and humps for the most strikes. Be sure to have a strong light on board just in case. They’re biting so Go Catch ‘Em!

Lanier Stripers (Report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778) — Lake Lanier stripers are schooling on the south end and most creeks will have fish. Down lines have been very productive using blue backs over the channels fishing 30 to 50 feet deep. Water temperature is in the high 80s so get your bait down as fast as you can. Trolling is the other way to catch fish. Use the lead core using Capt. Mac’s 1 ounce chipmunk and trailer are producing. Put your lead core 240 to 280′ at 2.5 to 3.5 mph with the big motor. Also, the Capt. Mack’s umbrella rigs fishing 120 to 150 feet at the same speed. When trolling be alert and watch the electronics to avoid snagging the trees and humps. It’s hot out there so stay hydrated. Remember to wear your life jacket.

Jack Becker with a striped bass catch from Lanier.

Lanier Stripers (Report courtesy of Fisheries Biologist, Anthony Rabern) – View the latest water quality profile data taken from the mouth of Flowery Branch. Our friend, Jack Becker, hooked into some stripers at this location.  While collecting profile data, we observed a ton of fishing pressure around the dam as a school of stripers moved through the area.  Suitable cool water habitat currently extends from the dam up to Browns Bridge, but that area of suitable habitat is shrinking rapidly, and more fish will be moving toward the dam over the next few weeks.

Lanier Crappie: (Report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493) — Crappie are in the summer pattern suspended deep around 20 foot deep over a 30-to-40-foot bottom. I have been having good luck with minnows on blow downs and under docks with structure and with dark colored jigs in open water. For jig selection am using green and black colored combination (atx d2d) with a slow retrieval.

WEST POINT LAKE

West Point Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant) — Bass fishing is good. The bass are now on the deep waters lake wide. Start with the top water bait in the shallows near deep channel swings, as well as in the backs of pockets, as the bass are feeding heavily on shad. Have the Zara Spook in bone or chrome colors ready depending on cloud cover. Mid-day head to the summer hump and ledges mid lake. Spend the day with the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and find them in brush piles in depths of 12 to 20 feet. Humps that top out at 12 feet deep are worth a look too. Fish are on the submerged roadbeds and pond dams. Hungry post spawn bass can normally be caught around submerged roadbeds, pond dams and deep brush piles. Zoom Ol’ Monster or Mag 2 worms, jigs and Ito Vision 110 baits in the shad color are the normal baits of choice. Look for bass in 12 to 20 feet of water. This lake action depends on the water generation. While the deep bite is normal, but a few bass always seem to stay shallow. Top water, buzz baits and Senko’s are good choices. For shallow fish use a silver blade and white skirt on a buzz bait and works he shadows. Spotted bass also moved to deeper cover. A Zoom shaky head worm on a Weedless Wonder head will work around blowdowns, bluff walls and bridge pilings.

WEISS LAKE 

Weiss Lake Mixed Bag (Report courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service www.markcollinsguideservice.com 256 996 9035) — Bass have moved to the creek and river channel ledges. Carolina rigs and crank baits are catching fish. Crappie are on the creek and river channel ledges and deeper brush.  They can be caught Spider rigging with live minnows over deep brush. Shooting docks with jigs is also producing some fish.  Stripers are being caught in Little River and the Chattooga River on live shad downed lined and free lined. Catfish are biting well in the bays and creeks in 8-15 feet of water.  Cut bait is working best.