Got your holiday gift shopping done? No worries, tell them you were pondering the perfect gift for them in between casts. 

Need an idea for a gift for the angler or hunter in your life? We have the perfect one. Gift them a license! Check out our suggestions for the gift that fits everyone perfectly at GeorgiaWildlife.com/gifting-ideas-needed-give-them-license.

NEWS TO KNOW:

• Whitewater Bucket Brigade – Let’s Stock Some Trout! Come help stock some trout in the delayed harvest section of the Chattahoochee River on Dec. 22 – just in time for Christmas. You must register to participate! To register, visit https://gooutdoorsgeorgia.com/ and select “Events and Opportunities” and search the event calendar for Dec. 22. 
• Go Fish Education Center – Improvements: The outdoor aquariums at the Go Fish Education Center will be temporarily closed Oct. 31, 2025 – Jan. 8, 2026, to allow for exciting improvements. But, don’t worry, the rest of the Center and casting pond will remain open on weekends, with education programs continuing during the week. 
• NW GA: Support Fish Habitat with a Tree Donation: Your Christmas tree can have a second life, as fish habitat! Participate in the “Bring one for the Chipper” event on Sat. Jan. 3 (9am-12pm) by bringing your live, undecorated tree to the Home Depot at 103 Hicks Drive, Rome GA. This year, Keep Rome-Floyd Beautiful is partnering with Georgia DNR Fisheries to place recycled trees in nearby ponds and lakes, supporting fish and wildlife right here at home. As a thank-you, you will receive a White Oak or Bald Cypress seedling to plant and grow in your own space. Recycle your tree, support local ecosystems, and take home something new to grow!

This week, we have fishing reports from Southwest, North, and Central Georgia. Whether you are on the water or making plans to be on the water, we love that you Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

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

LAKE WALTER F GEORGE 

According to Ken Sturdivant at Southernfishing.com, Bass fishing is good. The jig bite is better than usual and hunt any type of cover. The shallow bite is good early and late. The sunrise brings on a good top water bite. Try a green pumpkin Big Bite Baits Sugar Cane paddle tail worm rigged with a 3/16- or 1/4-ounce bullet weight. Swim the bait through the cover. This is an awesome bait that puts out as much vibration as some spinnerbaits. It can be fished in thick cover where other baits can be fished. In addition to fishing around the grass, another option is to fish shallow ledges around spawning areas in 6 to 10 feet of water. Look for irregular features along creek channels or ditches as these are the places the fish will hold. A Little John MD crankbait in the Nasty Shad color is a good choice in these areas. If the fish are less active, slow down and fish these same areas with a green pumpkin Carolina rigged 6-inch Big Bite Baits Finesse worm. Scan the areas with the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and find the bait schools as the key for finding the bass.

Recent gill net surveys completed by GA DNR and the University of Georgia indicated the presences of numerous large hybrid striped bass and a very healthy threadfin shad population. Anglers should look for hybrids chasing schools of threadfin along river channel during the day but if fishing at night, both species tend to roam the flats adjacent to the channel. Jigging spoons and crank baits that resemble threadfish shad are your best bet. 

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

This past week has been cold and rainy, making the conditions on the lake quite miserable and potentially dangerous if you aren’t careful. Though this week is looking to be sunnier; the warmer days and cooler nights are likely going to bring fog on the lake so bring your life jackets on board or even better be wearing them!

Despite the cold weather Crappies have still been the popular fish caught this week, but it has slowed down compared to previous months. The fish are clustering in the river channels around 30ft where there is structure.

Crisp County Power Commission has closed Killebrew Park due to maintenance on the hydro facility. The park will be closed for 2-3 weeks, but if you would like updates check out their page Crisp County Power Commission.   

FLINT RIVER

The river has been low and clear but that has changed with recent rains.  The water is cold and stained.  The catfish bite has been decent in the deeper bends of the river.  Bass fishing should be decent, but you should use lures with more vibration.  Deep spinnerbaits, chatter baits and even jerk baits should be effective.     

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

The Chattahoochee River is rising after the rains with muddy water.  The catfish bite will remain decent but be patient and look to deeper bends. Decent catches of catfish have been recorded.  Good numbers of crappie are also being caught in deeper water on brush piles.    

LAKE SEMINOLE

According to Ken Sturdivant at Southernfishing.com, bass fishing is fair. Fishing should really start picking up with the cooler weather. To find fish begin by throwing a lipless Red Eye crank bait on the edge of grass lines. A Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory is working on the main lake where the Flint Spring Creek and the main river all come together near the Indian Mounds. These areas can hold fish at all times of the year. If the lipless crank bait doesn’t work, then try flipping around the lower end of Spring Creek. When flipping use 60-pound test Sunline Froggin and Flippin Braid with a 1- and 1/2-ounce tungsten sinker and a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. Try the inch Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Hematoma. As the cooler weather sinks in, the bite will pick up, and fish will be a little easier to catch. Have a Zoom Super Fluke ready all day and any color is fine as long as it is pearl.

Captain Paul Tyre reports that the big crappie are biting on Lake Seminole! To find a local guide, visit Lake Seminole Fishing Guides. 

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Big Lazer PFA Information
• Surface water temperature:   59^o F
• Water visibility:  Visibility is about 32”
• Water level:  Down 5” from full pool
• Big Lazer PFA Fishing Guide

The water temp has dropped noticeably in the last few weeks causing the largemouth bite to decrease.  In the cooler water temps, fish near structure using a slow presentation on either your darker colored plastic baits or shad-colored lures. Bream fishing has also slowed. However, if you are willing to get out and brave the cold, try some worms under a float near structure. The upper end of the lake should still produce some catfish bites using liver, cut bait, or shrimp fished near the bottom.

NORTH GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of James Miles, Fisheries Biologist, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

RESERVOIR REPORT

Lake Allatoona Crappie, Shellcracker and Bluegill (Courtesy of DRC Marine Repair/Red Rooster Custom Baits):

• Air Temp: High: 57 – Low: 27
• Wind: 5-25 mph
• Lake Level: Approx. 829′ and dropping
• Water Surface Temp: 48 – 50
• Water Clarity: Clear Green to Stained depending on area of the lake
• Area Fished: Blockhouse, S-Turns & Little River
• Jigs Used: VooDoo Bloo – Kic’n Chic’n, Black/Chartreuse – Kic’n Chic’n, Black & Blue Flake – Talon 2.0, Fried Pickle – Slab Dragon, Black & Blue – Slab Dragon, CopperHead – Slab Dragon & Black & Blue Flake – Georgia Razor.
• Technique: Trolling

Trolling season is just getting started on Lake Allatoona and it is only going to get better throughout the winter and into Spring! We had a couple of great days on the water this past week trolling for Lake Allatoona crappie! The first part of the week was good until the wind started kicking up, which can be a major deterrent to long line trolling. There are ways to overcome the wind such as using heavier jig heads or drift socks to slow your boat down. The best way to stay ahead of the wind is normally to fish early morning until lunch to avoid increasing winds and gusts. We try to plan our fishing trips by looking at the wind forecast to know what times and days the wind will be the best…it is not full proof, but it is pretty accurate for the most part. Willy Weather Wind Forecast is a good resource for planning your fishing trips. You can view it as a website or an app on your phone.

Crappie: The long line trolling bite is taking off, and we were on the water a couple of days to take advantage of an active crappie bite. We trolled mostly around creeks with points and flats. We saw some good schools of crappie on points and extended points into 12′ to 15′ of water. We trolled a mix of 1/24th, 1/16th and even a couple of 3/32nd oz. jig heads to cover a range of depths. The water temp was between 48 – 50 degrees which generally means you want to troll at slower speeds as the crappie are not as aggressive in colder water but will chase slow moving jigs. Our trolling speed was between .5 to .7 mph and at times our heavier jigs were bumping the bottom which is fine as you can either speed up or reel in some line to keep heavier jigs from hitting bottom. A wintertime secret is that crappie will move up and down the water column. Crappie schools may or may not be suspended for long periods of time, they could be on the bottom so keep an eye on your electronics. This is where sidescan and downscan are your friend. Sidescan will show you the “where” fish are, but Downscan shows you the “depth” of those fish. Pro Tip: If you see fish, MARK THEM! We spend as much time finding crappie as we do catching crappie. That means when we find them, we mark them and after we have a few spots marked we will troll through those crappie several times to pick up active crappie. This may sound technical but in the end, it is very productive. If you need help or just want to talk about electronics set up, we can help. Contact Red Rooster if you need some help, suggestions or advice!

Lake Hartwell Black Bass: Guide Lane Clark (864-254-8614) reports that in November fish should be eating bait in the creeks, but while they are unlikely to be feeding on the surface as much as last month, they will often still take a bait fished higher in the water column like a swimbait or jerkbait. Drop shots and shaky heads fished around brush will also work for spotted bass. The turnover slowed the fishing at the end of October but soon things should pick up again. 

Lake Hartwell Striper and hybrids: Guide Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that in November anglers typically look for fish to set up off the end of long tapering points where they can hold on the bottom in 35-40 feet of water. Points that are too shallow, or drop off too sharply, will not hold as many fish. Fish should be about half-way back in the creeks and a similar distance up the rivers, and typically they will relate to the bottom. Finding bait is absolutely key. This pattern should hold through December when fish will eventually head deeper. 

Lake Hartwell Crappie: Guide Rodney Donald (864-356-0143) reports that in November fish will still be found over brush and deeper docks, as well as suspended over timber. Both minnows and jigs will work. After a strong late October, they expect at the very least a good start to this month. 

Lake Hartwell Catfish: Captain Bill Plumley reports that in November bigger blue catfish will come shallower and move out of the timber. They can be caught with cut bait in the creek runs. This is also a good month for flatheads on live bait as well as channel catfish unless temperatures really drop.

Lake Lanier Striper (Courtesy of Jack Becker, aka “Georgia Waterdog”): A welcome sight this week was the arrival of more loons from the Northern US and Canada. This made finding the bait fish a lot easier. An added bonus has been seagull’s showing up everywhere I went around Browns Bridge, Port Royale, Flat Creek and Balus. Very large schools of thread-fin shad have been showing up on my 2D Sonar in the back 1/3rd of the creeks where I’ve also seen dead or injured thread fin shad, only about 1” long floating on the surface. Evidence that stripers or spotted bass had fed in the area recently. I have been watching the weather and fishing more in the mid to late afternoons when the wind has been calmer. Staying close to the bait balls, moving at .2 mph. we had several larger fish take our small trout into the trees before we could turn them around. We had did manage to get 1 30” fish in the boat. All of our bites came on down lines. I believe Prospecting Mode on my Minithumper, Fish Attractor, helped hold fish under the boat longer.

Weiss Lake Bass and Crappie (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, The Southern Fishing Report): WEISS LAKE IS DOWN 3 FEET, 50’S — Bass fishing is good, and they are still on the creek and river channel ledges. Use deep running crank baits and Carolina rigs are catching fish. Try the Jenko CD7 a good medium diving crankbait. Good components color schemes castability and action it is a good all day lure. This crankbait is available in 12 vibrant colors. From bright craw patterns to chartreuse colors for muddy water all the way over to natural patterns for clearer water there is a color for almost any conditions. Bass are starting to move on secondary points. Crappie fishing is great. They are moving to the Coosa River channel 16 to 25 feet deep and can be caught spider rigging with minnows and Jiffy Jigs. Some Crappie are still being caught shooting docks with jigs. A lot of fish are starting to suspend in the river and creek channels 8 to 12 feet deep, and they can be caught long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs.

West Point Lake Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, The Southern Fishing Report): WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 10 FEET, 60’S — Bass fishing is fair. There has been some good schooling activity, especially on cloudy days in Maple Creek, Wilson Creek and Whitewater Creek among other places. Try Zoom worms and football head jigs around old road beds, ditches and brush at 10 to 15 feet deep. Scan the areas with the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and find the bait schools as the key for finding the bass. Some also can be caught around blow downs and brush piles in 10 12 feet of water on jigs. Some nice spotted bass are biting the shaky head or Carolina rigged finesse worm or mini lizard around gravel banks or shoal markers. For crank baits use the Duckett bluegill measures 3¾ inches and weighs 1.3 ounces in a sunfish pattern as well as pumpkinseed.

TROUT REPORT 

Wild Trout (Courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Company):Small streams have been fishing great between rain events, though flows remain low. Downsizing tippet and maintaining a stealthy approach are key. Top producers include:

• Size 16–18 Caddis emergers
• Size 18–20 BWOs
• Size 18–20 Midges

Trout will still take a Pat’s Rubber Legs or an Egg pattern, especially when flows rise after rain. Dry fly fishing has been best from midday through the afternoon. A perfect low-water setup is an Elk Hair Caddis with a small Caddis emerger or Blue-Wing dropper — a light rig that lands softly and fishes well in both shallow riffles and deeper pockets. Small stream fishing continues to shine with light rigs, small flies, and a quiet approach.

Hot Flies for Blue Ridge & North Georgia – Early December

• Nymphs & Emergers
• Flashback Hare’s Ear (sz 18)
• Flashback Pheasant Tail (sz 18)
• Rainbow Warrior (sz 18)
• Jigged Pheasant Tail (sz 16–18)
• Jigged Hare’s Ear (sz 16–18)
• HDAV (sz 16)
• Holy Grail (sz 16)
• Swing Caddis (sz 16)
• Bird’s Nest (sz 16)
• WD-40 (sz 18–20)
• RS2 (sz 18–20)
• Dry Flies
• Elk Hair Caddis (Orange sz 14–16, Tan sz 16–18)
• Cornfed Caddis (Olive or Tan sz 14–16)
• Parachute Adams (sz 16–18)
• Parachute BWO (sz 16–18)
• Griffith’s Gnat
• Attractor, Worms & Streamers
• Pat’s Rubber Legs
• Glo Bug
• EZ Egg
• Squirmy Worm
• San Juan Worm
• Wooly Bugger
• Sparkle Minnow
• Laser Legal

Delayed Harvest and Stocked Trout (Courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters): The region’s DH streams have had a Jekyll and Hyde personality for our anglers. Jekyll gives up fish to experienced fly tossers who approach clear, flat water with great stealth, land their flies softly, and figure out which pattern and technique works on the day at hand. Mr. Hyde has pitched a shutout to newer fly anglers who don’t yet have the skills of vets, as described above. Rookies just need to keep practicing and their success will increase with time on the water- and reading about the vets’ successful recipes.

Folks to the shop this week had mixed results at Smith. We are still recommending light tippets and small bugs. If tiny pheasant tails, Duracells, and midges don’t work, try sinking a soft hackle deep and swing, then twitch it back upstream to you. The big surprise of the week was one angler who had success on dries. Here’s a secret: the park volunteers feed the DH section a couple times per week to discourage migration and maintain their weight.  So, a fluffy, dark tan caddis or micro chubby might be a good Purina hatch-matcher.

Rabunites Bluejay and Dredger hit Tooga DH for the first time this season on Tuesday. Water temp at their noon ford crossing was an icy 43F as a bald eagle flew past them. It didn’t rise much during their four-hour trip and the fish started out sluggish, as expected. Nothing on a variety of dredged, drifted bugs. But they scored on twitched and stripped buggers: olive or black, it didn’t matter. New stockers were looking for movement. They finally caught a few bonus fish on slush eggs, only after extra shot were added to get them right on the bottom.

Hint: find the deeper, slower water that provides cover from eagles and ospreys. The rest of the river is too darn shallow right now to hold fish. Locate the pods with a bugger and then sink legs and eggs thru that pool when the bugger bite turns off.

Chattahoochee Tailwater (Courtesy of Georgia Wild Trout Guide Service): The Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam is still dingy from fall turnover. Not ideal for beginning fly anglers and inexperienced waders, or even experienced waders for that matter. Fish can still be caught but North Georgia is often a better alternative at the moment. By the end of the month the water should clear and offer a better opportunity for anglers to get outside this winter. This time table may bump up with the cooler than normal water temperatures and recent rains. Midges should be all over the menu for the next few months.

Toccoa Tailwater (Courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Company): Maintenance on Blue Ridge Dam has wrapped up, and flows are finally getting back to normal on the Toccoa Tailwater. Generation has been minimal lately, but with the recent rain, that may change at any time. Even with the rain, creek inflows remain very low, so expect longer bumpier floats until flows rise. The fishing, however, has been phenomenal — especially on overcast or rainy days. BWO’s, Caddis, and plenty of Midges have been coming off, and fish have been eating well under dry-droppers. Productive nymphs include:

• Small Pheasant Tails
• Hare’s Ears
• Pat’s Rubber Legs
• Eggs

October Caddis are still hanging around, so a small orange Chubby or a Foam-Run Caddis can pick up fish while carrying enough weight for two nymphs below it.

Dry fly fishing has been solid as well. The double dry rig (Orange Elk Hair + Parachute Adams) is a favorite recently. Most trout have been holding in shallower runs and riffles instead of deep holes due to the low flows. With clear water, fish 5X or 6X and make longer casts. You’ll spot many fish simply by standing in the boat.

Keep an eye out for cleared gravel patches, as fish are still trying to spawn. Avoid fishing over these areas and focus on pocket water instead. As more rain arrives, expect flows to bump up, floats to get smoother, and fishing to get even better.

Where to Go for Trout Info: To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities including the latest stocking information, check out the Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/trout.

Supporting Trout Fishing: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia?  Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. See more info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenseplates.  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 which can be found at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/trout. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

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)

This week’s Central Georgia fishing report is brought to you by Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report, and contributions from Region 3 WRD Fisheries staff, local guides, and anglers. 

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 2 FEET, 60’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. The lake is loaded with spotted bass, and they love the cooler water. Expect these fish to be roaming in and out along the shallow rocky areas and a variety of baits will catch them. Largemouth are also found here and they prefer the wood cover over the rock. Bass suspend on cloudy days when barometric pressure is dropping or on sunny, windy days. The fish cling to rocky bottoms during calm, sunny weather. In clear water bass hang close to brush piles. Suspended bass can take a lure offered at the right depth and with the right action. The McStick is a suspending stick bait. It looks like the bait fish they are after. It can quiver like a dying shad making an easy meal. Since this lake is nothing more than a flooded gorge, there is plenty of wood in various forms scattered all over the lake. Don’t rule out that top water bite this week are on spinner baits, jigs, Shad Raps and Husky Jerks or Ito Vision 110.

Black Bass 2 (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that in December bass will be in deep water in the creeks and also on the main lake. By the end of November they had already moved out to 50-60 feet and the bite was very good. They will be caught on jigging spoons, drop shots, jigs, and live bait.

Striped Bass (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that December is one of the best months of the year to fish Russell for striper, and fish usually group up in the mid-lake. Whether you opt to throw artificial lures at feeding fish or cover water by pulling herring on free-lines and planer boards, following the birds is key.

Crappie and Perch (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that in December he will not usually target crappie, although they are sometimes a by-catch, but yellow and white perch will be caught in excellent numbers. They will be caught on minnows fished around deeper schools of bait.

Catfish (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that December is not a month when very many people will be targeting catfish, but if you concentrate on deep water you can pick up channel catfish or even a big flathead before it gets too cold.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 5.5 FEET, 50’S 

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Expect the bass to move back a little to deeper water. The bass are suspended out in 10 to 15 feet of water. This will enable angler to pin point them on the Lowrance graph and use the Down Deep Husky Jerk Baits. Bass suspend on cloudy days when barometric pressure is dropping or on sunny, windy days. The fish cling to rocky bottoms during calm, sunny weather. In clear water bass hang close to brush piles. Suspended bass can take a lure offered at the right depth and with the right action. The McStick is a suspending stick bait. It looks like the bait fish they are after. It can quiver like a dying shad making an easy meal. Expect the bites to be slow and far and few between. Carolina rigs are always a fall favorite with anglers during the fall transition. The lower end of the lake if turning over but this will have little effect on the fishing up in the north Little River or Savannah River. Fish the rivers by picking apart the cover with Chatterbaits and jigs. On the windy days, fish the deeper points with a Rapala DT10 and a DT14 and use shad and hot mustard colors. Plenty of sunshine should dominate the weather for the majority of the week.

Black Bass 2 (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) reports that in December there should be two major groups of fish. Once temperatures get below 55 degrees there will be bass in the creek ditches that can be caught on The Sled and blade baits. At times these fish will get very shallow. There is another group of deeper fish out on the main lake focused on bait schools that can be caught on minnow imitations or underspins fished in open water or over humps and other structure. Birds can help locate the bait schools.

Striper and Hybrids (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that during December many fish should move into the backs of the creeks. As the fish get shallower and scatter out in the backs more anglers will switch over to free-lines and planer boards, but there are also always fish that can be caught on down-rods.

Crappie (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service reports that in December there should still be some fish ganged up around mid-depth brush piles and submerged timber in creeks. Generally creeks in the middle and upper part of the lake will fish best, and crappie will eat minnows or jigs. As more fish start to roam, however, the bite usually slows down.

Catfish (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that December is one of the best months of the year to catch a big catfish on Thurmond, and if anything fishing is likely to improve from what has already been an excellent fall bite. Anchoring on deep structure is usually the most consistent way to catch large blue and flathead catfish this month, although drifting has been strong so far this fall. The creeks can be good depending on whether bait has moved into them, and gizzard shad and white perch are hard to beat for the bigger fish. This year all signs point to a continued good bite in the creeks.

Catfish 2 (from WRD Fisheries): As a follow-up to Captain Simpson’s report above, we can back up his claims based on this photo of a nearly 40-lb blue captured on Clarks Hill during WRD Fisheries’ recent experimental gillnet sampling efforts. While WRD conducts gillnet surveys on Clarks Hill regularly each fall, this year marked the second of conducting gear evaluations alongside researchers from the USGS Cooperative Research Unit at UGA. Pictured is Troy Simon hauling in the largest fish caught in their gillnets throughout this two-year study, and this fish was caught in a relatively shallow portion of a creek holding bait! While this impressive fish still falls well short of Clarks Hill’s current lake record for blue catfish of 72 lbs., 3 oz., set by angler Walker Crowe last May, this catch still shows that big blues are still ripe for catching on Clarks Hill in December.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 60’S 

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The temperature is 56 to 59 degrees. North of the 44 bridge is stained up to I20. The rivers are a heavy stain. The main lake is clear. The spoon bite is still strong in the middle of the coves in Richland Creek. Target the fish off secondary points in the coves all over Richland Creek. The buzz bait bite is on. Sea walls and rip rap early and late. Shad raps fished around docks and rip rap will draw a strike mid-day.

Tournament Update (courtesy of ABA News): Greg Yarbrough of Milledgeville, GA, took the win at the AFT D72 tournament held December 6, 202,5 on Lake Oconee.  Greg had a five bass limit that weighed 18.07 pounds to take home the first place trophy and cash prize.   He anchored his sack with a 5.28-pound bass. Tony Wooten of Dublin, GA, landed a 5.72-pound largemouth bass to win the optional Big Bass cash pot and the Big Bass trophy. The next tournament in this division will be on December 20 on Lake Sinclair, going out of Dennis Station DNR ramp. If you have any questions, please contact Director Benny Howell at 770-365-4795.

Hybrids (from WRD Fisheries): Hybrids have moved off shallow flats into the main-lake/river channels and deeper schools of shad. Expect most fish suspended over 20–35 feet, with productive areas near river channels, creek mouths that feed the main channel, like Richland, and the dam. When threadfin shad are active, you’ll often see surface-feeding birds — “chasing the birds” is a reliable sign to cruise mid-lake and target whatever school the birds are working. If you can’t find birds, concentrate on creek-to-river channel breaks and deeper structure where bait concentrates. Vertical/slow jigging or down-line rigs over suspended schools; spoons, small swimbaits, and minnow-style plugs trolled or cast into buzzy birds or suspended schools; and live shad or free-lined live baits work best-when you can keep them in the strike zone. Run presentations that keep your offering in the mid-water column. Bite windows are often strongest when bait is actively schooling, such as mid-morning through early afternoon on mild days. Overall outlook for hybrids in December is good when you locate bait and fish it deliberately.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 4.0 FEET, 50’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Top water baits have begun again to draw a few strikes after not producing for a week or more. Spinner baits and crank baits are working as the as the water temperature cools down. Bass are taking the spinner baits. Blow downs, shallow brush, stumps, and grass have been the cover holding these fish. Try a 3/8-ounce model in chartreuse white with double Colorado blades, one nickel and the other gold. Try to bump the cover with each retrieve and use multiple casts from various angles. Also try a ½ to ¾ ounce bait with a large #7 Colorado rear blade. This bait should be bulged just below the surface and retrieved over or very near likely looking cover. Jigs and soft plastics continue to draw a few bites around docks and shallow brush. Bass suspend on cloudy days when barometric pressure is dropping or on sunny, windy days. The fish cling to rocky bottoms during calm, sunny weather. In clear water bass hang close to brush piles. Suspended bass can take a lure offered at the right depth and with the right action. The McStick is a suspending stick bait. It looks like the bait fish they are after. It can quiver like a dying shad making an easy meal. The jig bite has been the most consistent bait on the humps, points and flats. Carolina rigs and crank baits are the primary baits here.

Catfish (from WRD Fisheries): During December, expect most blue catfish to be holding in deeper water — deep holes, channel edges, or old creek-channel depressions, especially near river arms or the dam. Use heavy tackle — a stout rod, 20-50 lb braided or mono line, large circle hooks, and a strong sinker to keep bait on the bottom. Cut shad or large gizzard shad, live bream, or other sizeable natural baits are most effective — blues on Sinclair prey on gizzard shad, threadfin shad, crappie, and other fish species at this time of year when they aren’t gorging on Asian clams (Corbicula). Prior WRD-funded research on blue catfish from this Oconee system shows that fish are an important dietary component for blue catfish in the winter season. Fish slowly — anchor or slowly drift over deep structure, channel bends, submerged humps or holes, or near rip-rap banks where deeper water or slack current meets structure. On cold or calm days, midday may offer the best bite, though the bite can slower overall compared to the warmer months.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 1.0 FEET, 50’S 

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing has been slow with the ever-changing weather and water levels. The few bass biting will take a number five chartreuse and white Shad Rap. While the cold front did have its effect on the bass this past week, crank baits can work. Throw the Shad Raps and the DT6’s on or near the channel ledges for the best results during these harsh conditions. The weather is expected to warm up for the upcoming week, and fishing may improve as the water settles. Sunshine beating down on the red clay banks and the rocks is a good place to fish during a warming trend. The bass will move up to the warmer water to feed, and the rocks and red clay will warm the water around these areas first. Carolina rigging a Zoom lizard in June bug is another good choice this week for those who like to fish plastics.

Redear (from WRD Fisheries): Many anglers will pause bream fishing pursuits in the winter, but the fact is that these panfish like big bluegill and redear sunfish will bite year-round, and patient anglers that search for congregations of deep bream can be rewarded with catches of hefty shellcracker. A Jackson angler recently caught this nice shellcracker jigging for crappie off dock pilings and was happy to share the story of his success!

Catfish (from WRD Fisheries): At Lake Jackson in December, most catfish — especially larger blues and flatheads — settle into deeper holes and bends near the main lake and dam. Expect fish tight to the bottom, with the best action around deep channel transitions such as the South River arm near the Hwy-36 Bridge or other creek-to-river breaks. Fish with heavy gear because Jackson has some large catfish roaming around! Flatheads have a preference for live bait (bream) while blues seem to be less selective and can be caught with cut bait. Anchor or slowly drift over deep structure and channel edges; bite windows often improve during low light or stable midday weather.

LAKE TOBESOFKEE

Crappie (from WRD Fisheries): WRD Fisheries staff from Perry recently conducted fall gillnet samples from Lake Tobesofkee, a 1,750-acre City of Macon-Bibb County-operated recreational reservoir just west of Macon. This lesser-known reservoir contains excellent fisheries for bass, crappie, and hybrids stocked by WRD Fisheries. It also contains a good population of hearty shellcracker popular among bank anglers. Recent surveys revealed a particularly abundant crappie population in Tobesofkee, which makes for great winter fishing on brush piles and in the creek arms and coves of the reservoir. Crappie in the 10” – 12” size range, weighing between 0.5 and 1.0 lb are common, but there are some larger crappie in the mix exceeding the 2-lb mark as well! Fishing pilings near deeper water can be an effective this time of year with either live minnows or jigs. 

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

MCDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Fisheries Technician Nick Brewer) —

• McDuffie PFA Information
• Water Level: Water Levels are fluctuating with rainfall, currently all fishing lakes water levels are down.
• Water Clarity: 24 inches
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

With the drop in temperatures and recent catfish stockings, anglers are definitely reeling in the fish!  Anglers are catching bass, catfish and stripers frequently. On December 4th, more than 800 lbs of catfish were stocked into Rodbender and Jones Lake. Anglers will notice big differences in catfish bite in those ponds immediately.

Bass: As temperatures cool, bass should be feeding more to prepare for winter.  Anglers should use lures that mimic bait fish in shallows and deeper water right as first light hits the water.  Plastics on a Texas or Carolina rig are also producing catches and as always regulars swear by the black trick worms.

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Dropping temperatures are making Hybrid and Striped bass more active!  Anglers should use chicken livers in deeper water and near siphons if they are targeting stripers.  Fishing in Clubhouse from the dock this time of year consistently yields good stripers too.

Channel Catfish: Many anglers are catching Catfish! Use a chicken liver and fish off the bottom of the lakes for the best chance of success.  Other good options are artificial baits and stink baits also fished off the bottom of the lakes.

Bream:  Bream on the PFA are being frequently with worms in and around structure on the lakes.

Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed on our PFA. 

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Area Manager Amory Cook) —

• Flat Creek PFA
• Water Level: 56” below full pool 
• Water Temperature: Mid 50’s 
• Water Clarity: 20.5″  
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Anglers are having continued success with shallow running jointed square-bill crankbait lures. Also try using chatterbait bladed jigs for an attention-grabber. 

Bream: Red Wigglers continue to produce Bream. Drop bait right next to the fishing pier instead of casting out. 

Crappie: An increase has been noted on the crappie bite. Target submerged treetops and use live minnows and jigs.  

Catfish: Catfish are being caught on nightcrawlers. Remember the PFA lake record for catfish is still open and the minimum requirement to qualify is 12lbs or 32in long. You must have the catch weighed on a certified scale and properly documented.  Should you land a catfish that you believe to be at least 12 pounds (about 30 inches long), please notify DNR staff.

MARBEN PFA FISHING REPORT (courtesy of PFA Manager Jamie Dowd) —

• Marben Public Fishing Area
• Water level: All the ponds are full or nearly full.
• Water clarity: Visibility in all of the ponds is over 36”.
• Surface temperature: 52-60 degrees and falling.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: The warmer fall has kept the bass in shallower than typical years.  The first part of the month’s bass should be targeted in 6-10’ depth of water and moving deeper as temperatures cool throughout the month.  Plastic worms, swim baits, and crank baits should work well.  The trick this time of the year is determining what depth of water the bass prefer to be.  As water temperatures cool, the fish will move deeper; however, bass will feed on top water when shad school on the surface.  

Crappie: Crappie fishing should begin to pick up with the water temperatures finally dropping.  Fishing jigs, minnows, and even jigs tipped with minnows are the best bet for crappie.  Balsa style floats that attach on one end allow the bait to be “jigged” under the float as well as offering the angler the ability to easily adjust the depth of the bait.  

Bream: The shellcrackers and bluegill bite has slowed but a few are being caught on the bottom in deep water with worms.  

Hybrids: Bennett Lake offers a good opportunity to harvest a 5-lb hybrid.   Look for schooling shad during late afternoon.  Lures that mimic a shad are your best bet.  Crank baits and spinner baits are a good choice.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

SPECIAL NOTE: Our long-time Southeast Georgia weekly fish report writer Capt. Bert Deener has officially retired from writing his reports. Our office is making plans to continue the southeast report – but it may take us a few weeks to get on our feet with it. Please be patient with us as try to get that solidified. We will keep you posted! 

In the meantime, plan to visit one of the many Southeast Georgia Public Fishing Area or check out the Georgia Fishing Forecast for water bodies around you! You can find the Fishing Forecast at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR DUBLIN)

• Hugh Gillis PFA Information
• Hugh Gillis PFA Fishing Guide

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR EASTMAN)

• Dodge County PFA Information  
• Dodge County Fishing Guide

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR HAWKINSVILLE)

• Ocmulgee PFA Info
• Ocmulgee PFA Fishing Guide

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR TIFTON)

• Paradise PFA Info
• Paradise PFA Fishing Guide