Let’s not delay getting information to you – it’s time to Go Fish Georgia. Where are you headed for your next fishing adventure? Will it be a cold mountain stream or a nice, big reservoir? We hope that no matter where you go, that you enjoy the people you are with and that there are many bites at the end of your line.

NEWS TO KNOW:

Burton Hatchery: The Burton Trout Hatchery has completed their paving and construction project and is back to operating at regular hours. Check out more about this facility at GeorgiaWildlife.com/burton-trout-hatchery.
Brook Trout-Shared Waters Project: The Georgia DNR, along with other state and federal organizations, had the opportunity to work on a Brook Trout Story map with the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture. This was a great project to be part of, and provides an avenue to introduce our connection to Brook Trout and threats to its habitats. Check it out at easternbrooktrout.org/shared-waters.
Still Time to Enter The Fish Art Contest! The deadline to submit entries, in print or digitally, is Feb. 28. Educator curriculum, resources, rules, and entry forms can be found at theartofconservation.org.
GON Outdoors South Georgia Spring Sportsman Expo: Head to Tifton March 6-7 for this exciting event to visit with hunting and fishing vendors and professionals. More info gon.com/south-ga-spring-sportsman-expo.
CoastFest: CoastFest is an exciting free annual event (scheduled for Mar. 21 at Mary Ross Waterfront Park in Brunswick) hosted by the Coastal Resources Division, dedicated to celebrating and educating the public about Georgia’s coastal heritage and natural resources. Expect hands-on learning, live wildlife, exhibits, and fun for all ages.

This week, we have fishing reports from Southeast, North and Central Georgia (Southwest report will be back next week). Hope the bites are many when you Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Joshua Barber, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

This warmup is firing up the fish all over the place. You should do well wherever you decide to fish this weekend. Unfortunately, it will get cold again next week (even in the high 20s) so I would be breaking out the fishing pole in the next few days.

River Gages as of February 19th:

Doctortown on the Altamaha – 6.2 feet and rising
Lumber City on the Ocmulgee – 2.9 feet and rising
Clyo on the Savannah – 4.5 feet and rising
Statenville on the Alapaha – 2.8 feet and steady
Waycross on the Satilla – 6.2 feet and rising
Atkinson on the Satilla – 4.4 feet and rising
Quitman on the Withlacoochee – 2.3 feet and steady
Macclenny on the Saint Marys – 2.1 feet and falling
Fargo on the Suwannee – 2.0 feet and steady

First Quarter Moon is on February 24th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

Young man standing in a boat on the water holds up a caught fish.

Docker Deal caught this nice bass out of the Altamaha River recently on a soft plastic worm.

Father and son on a boat on the water hold up two caught fish.

Seth Carter and his son LoLo caught these nice bass out of the lower Altamaha River this week.

I ventured to the lower part of the swift river last Saturday. I landed 16 fish total (11 nice bass, 2 jackfish up to 19 inches, 2 big bowfin, and a gar around 5 pounds). The bite was fairly tough in the early hours of the morning, but they started to turn on around lunchtime. They were all caught in oxbows in about 3-5 feet deep on chartreuse and crawdad colored crankbaits. I also talked to some anglers on the water who said they were catching crappie while using live minnows. Seth Carter launched his new bass boat in at Williamsburg landing (on lower river) last Sunday in hopes to catch some bass. He wound up catching around a dozen on soft plastic worms. Seth and his son LoLo fished out of Altamaha Park on Monday, and they caught 7 nice bass on shaky heads and speed worms. Jimmy Hall and Docker Deal fished the river recently and reported that they caught some nice bass on soft plastics.

SATILLA RIVER

I heard that a Waycross area angler fished the upper river last weekend and landed around 10 bass. Ed Holloway fished the lower river last weekend and caught a half dozen fish (3 bass, 2 nice sized channel catfish, and a jackfish). Live minnows on bottom were the ticket. Before your next trip to the river, stop by Satilla Feed and Outdoors located at 2270 US-84 in Blackshear. They have a variety of rods, reels, and fishing tackle. For hours, call 912-449-3001.

SAINT MARYS RIVER

Woman wearing a hat and glasses and sitting in a boat holds up two caught fish.

Emma Anderson caught these nice panfish out of the Saint Marys River.

Dale Anderson and his brother Andy fished the lower river last Friday and landed around 40 fish (crappie, redbreasts, shellcrackers, and warmouth). They used Kietech swimbaits rigged on jigheads, Mirage jigs (made by Bert’s Jigs and Things), and worms on bottom to fool them. Dale went back on Saturday with his wife Emma and they caught around 40 fish again on jigs and worms. Brandon and Christie Nix fished out of Temple Landing recently and they caught 22 nice bluegill and redbreast while using jigs.

WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER

Jim O’Conner launched his kayak in the river on Tuesday in search of some bass. He managed to catch 4 Suwannee bass (biggest was around two pounds), 3 largemouth up to 4-lbs. 2-oz., and a few nice warmouth. A finesse worm on a Neko rig fooled the fish.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR HAWKINSVILLE)

Ken Burke has had some great trips this week on the PFA. He went on a 4 1/2-hour trip on Monday and reported catching 7 bass that weighed a combined 33 pounds (biggest weighed 6 pounds). He caught all those fish on a crankbait in 3-10 feet deep. He went back today and boated 11 nice bass up to 6-lbs. 9-oz. while using square bill crankbaits and shakey heads. Mike from Eastman recently fished at the PFA and caught 3 bass including one around 4 pounds.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR DUBLIN)

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR EASTMAN)

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

LAKES AND PONDS

Mitchell Smith and Billy Lee fished at a North Florida lake on Tuesday and they smoked them! They landed 56 bass including three over 6 pounds (lost one at least 9 pounds). Their biggest was an 8-pound lunker. Mitchell went back today with his dad Arnold Smith and they caught 59 bass up to 3-1/2 pounds while using Buzz Tail Shad and swimming senkos. My dad (Shane Barber) fished this morning and early afternoon at a lake and we caught 9 bass (biggest weighed 4-lbs. 4-oz.) and two nice jackfish. We used black/blue colored swimbaits and soft plastics to fool them. Jimmy Zinker fished at a Worth County pond last weekend and reported catching 10 bass up to 3-1/2-lbs. and 5 crappie up to 2-lbs. while using a black and silver colored Bang-O-Lure. He hung a big bass (he estimated it to be over 7-lbs.) on a glidebait that came off. A tournament was held at Banks Lake (Lakeland, GA) last Saturday and some big bags were caught. First place went 17 pounds and second place (also went 17 pounds) had the big fish that weighed 9-1/2 pounds. Soft plastics worked best for most anglers. I heard that anglers have been catching some nice messes of crappie this week at Paradise Public Fishing Area (near Tifton).

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Man sitting in a boat holds a fishing pole in one hand and a caught fish in the other.

Atticus landed this big 8-lb., 1-oz. bowfin on the east side of the Okefenokee Swamp on Tuesday while using a firetiger colored Dura-Spin.

Wes, Jackson, Atticus, and Israel came down from North Georgia to fish on the east side with Capt. Bert Deener on Monday and Tuesday. They landed over 100 fish on both days! Most of the fish on Monday were bowfin and electric chicken/gold blade, white-red/silver blade, and purple/gold bladed flies were their most productive lures. They caught 6 different species of fish on Tuesday (flier, warmouth, spotted sunfish, bluegill, bowfin, and chain pickerel) including a 8-lb., 1-oz. monster bowfin that Atticus landed on a firetiger colored Dura-Spin. A 1/16 oz. Warmouth Wacker jig fooled their panfish, and Dura-Spins were the ticket for the bowfin and pickerel. The boat ramp on the west side (Stephen C. Foster State Park) is currently closed due to some renovations that are taking place around the boat basin. They estimate that it will probably be at least early May before it is reopened. Anglers can still launch kayaks and canoes though. Captain Bert Deener offers guided fishing trips in the Okefenokee. To book a trip with him, visit his website bertsjigsandthings.com. Recent Swamp level on the east side was 120.23 feet.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Man standing in a boat on the water holds up a caught fish with both hands.

Jim Blankenship boated this big black drum on a guided trip with Captain Tim Cutting.

Captain Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) and Dr. Warren Morgan fished the Saint Simons area last Friday and they caught 9 redfish and a half dozen trout. Fourseven Lures 4-inch grubs worked best. Capt. Tim fished on Wednesday and today and he boated 15-20 nice trout on both days. Half of them were underslots but he also had some good sized seatrout (including one that measured 22 inches). I received a report that an angler caught 6 trout, 6 redfish, 2 flounder, and a few sheepshead on Monday while using live shrimp.

Before your next fishing trip, stop by Winge’s Bait and Tackle located at 440 Memorial Drive in Waycross. They have all the tackle you need for a successful trip! For their hours, call 912-283-9400.

If you have any fishing reports or fish pictures that you would like to be included in this report, email them to me joshuabfishhunter@gmail.com.

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

The Southwest Report will return next week!

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA

Easton Robinson with his Spotted Bass catch on Lake Allatoona.

Bass (courtesy of Matt Driver; report via Southern Fishing): Bass fishing on Lake Allatoona has continued to be productive despite colder temperatures and the heavier rainfall we experienced in mid to late January. While February is still considered late winter, bass will begin shifting their behavior toward early prespawn patterns near the end of the month. Water temperatures remain on the cool side, so bass are holding to a winter pattern mindset, but they are feeding well. Recent rains have created mixed water clarity, with some areas staying clear, while others have become slightly stained or off color. These stained pockets have helped the bite by pushing fish shallower and making reaction baits more effective. It’s hard to beat an RkCrawler, crawfish pattern crankbait, spinnerbait with a willow leaf blade or square bill around shallow cover. Bass continue to hold surprisingly shallow even with cold water. Target stumps, laydowns, debris washed in from recent rains and chunk rock banks. Slow rolling reaction baits along this cover is producing solid fish. Focus on the ditch bite. The ditch bite remains strong. Bass are still using ditches, especially in the backs of creeks. A very effective setup is the Keitech EZ Shiner with 3/16 oz. tungsten jig head on a medium heavy rod spooled with 10 lb. Sunline fluorocarbon. Cast as far back into the ditch as possible. Keep the rod tip down. Retrieve slowly just enough to tick the bait along the bottom. Many bites are subtle you often won’t feel the hit. Instead, the rod will simply start to load up. This presentation continues to produce quality fish. As long as temperatures remain stable, the bite should stay consistent. However, if water temperatures fall into the low 40s, the lake could experience a shad kill. A shad kill often causes a short term decline in the number of bass caught. Once bass adjust to feeding on dying shad, the bite typically rebounds quickly.

Allatoona Weekly Crappie Fishing Report: (courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits): This week’s Lake Allatoona crappie fishing report is brought to you by MagnaLure. MagnaLure is a magnetic boat pedestal wrap designed to hold on to clippers, lures, pliers and in our case crappie jig heads! We love this product as it keeps our jig heads, scissors and clippers close by when we break our jig heads off long line trolling for those Allatoona crappie. We think you will love it to. See our full MagnaLure Product Review Here!

Air Temp: High: 76 – Low: 40
Wind: 5-15 mph
Lake Level: 827 (Click HereFor Current Water Level)
Water Surface Temp: 52 – 58
Water Clarity: Light Stain (Brownish/Green to Clear in Most Areas)
Area Fished: S-Turns, Victoria, Kellogg/Owl Creek & Little River Area
Jigs Used: Catawba – Slab Dragon, Tre’s Gold – Slab Dragon, Green Glimmer – Small Fry, Green Glimmer – Slab Dragon, Green Glimmer – Kic’n Chic’n XL, Sour Grape – Kic’n Chic’n XL, BlueGrass – Kic’n Chic’n XLand UV Melon – Kic’n Chic’n XL
Technique: Trolling

Man and young girl on a boat on the water holding a caught fish.

Black Crappie catch and big smiles on Lake Allatoona for Brad and Lily (Photo Credit: Red Rooster Custom Baits).

This past week was phenomenal crappie fishing on Lake Allatoona! The water temps are on the rise which means those Lake Allatoona crappie are starting to get active and ready to eat! The water temps are approaching the mid 50’s which is up over 10 degrees since last week. The water temps rise rapidly on Lake Allatoona between Mid February and March unless we get several days of cold weather but for now you better have your lines in the water. When the water temps get to 50 degrees and above our primary jigs of choice are the Kic’n Chic’n and Kic’n Chic’n XL. These paddle tail jigs are the ticket once the water temps rise and the crappie get active. The paddle tail action seems to trigger more bites for us. It’s go time for Lake Allatoona crappie! Get out there and troll the creeks and any flats adjacent to creeks and river bends.

Crappie: As stated, this past week was a great week for crappie fishing on Lake Allatoona. We are long line trolling 1/24th and 1/16th oz. jig heads as the crappie can be found between 15′ to 4′ of water. We would recommend a mix of jig head weights and sizes between 1/32nd, 1/24th and 1/16th as the crappie are scattered in depths so you want to troll a range of deep, mid and shallow to cover that range. We are trolling Kic’n Chic’n and Kic’n Chic’n XL paddle tail crappie jigs in the warmer water to simulate active, fast swimming baitfish. The paddle tail action of the Kic’n Chic’n and Kic’n Chic’n XL crappie jigs are triggering great strikes from some big Allatoona slabs! We are catching a lot of small crappie (8″ to 10″) but we have also hung into some 14″ and 15″ white and black crappie as the water warms. Our trolling speed in this warm water is between .7 and .9 mph and the crappie are reacting well to those speeds. We are covering a lot of water looking for schools and roamers with a mix of 1/32nd, 1/24th and 1/16th oz. jig heads. The areas that we focus on this time of year is Kellogg Creek, Owl Creek, S-Turns & The Little River Area. Tanyard, Clark and Stamp Creek are also good areas to troll this time of year. With the water warming up you are only days away from some prime trolling action! Our go to colors for light stained water are Sour Grape, Lemonade, ‘Lectric Chic’n, Green Glimmer, Black/Blue & BlueGrass. There are other colors that we use during the month of February and you can see our article “The Best Crappie Jig Colors For Lake Allatoona In February” for the complete list. You want to use anything that is bright and will stand out when fishing this type of water during this time of year. We also believe that it helps to use a bright jig head such as pink, chartreuse, orange and glow white. Red Rooster Custom Baits is your “Long Line Trolling Authority” for all things long line trolling for crappie. If you have questions about when, what and where give us a call or shoot us an email. We make custom jig heads, under spins and we can color match any jig color that you want or need. We love talking about crappie fishing so we are here to help. We also do a Facebook Live most Friday nights unless something comes up.

If you don’t know what colors to choose check out our Combo Packs, this will save you a lot of time with proven stained and clear water colors. Be sure to check out the archives for February 2025 and see what we were doing this time last year!

Make sure to download the Red Rooster Long Line Trolling Guide for tips on how to troll for Allatoona Crappie.

LAKE HARTWELL

Bass (courtesy of Guide Lane Clark (864-254-8614); report via SCDNR Freshwater Fishing Trends): Guide Lane Clark (864-254-8614) reports that in February the best bet is to target points, brush or rocks in deep water with drop shot rigs, underspins, or football jigs, particularly early in the day. As temperatures warm this month, especially in the afternoons, fish can also be found sliding up shallower.

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing): Bass fishing is fair. If the wind is up expect the fish to turn on the main lake points. The Rapala DT10 and Rapala DT6 mid day and later on the points. The better points to fish are the one with the most structure on them. Find the points with the larger rock on them and fish the entire point with either a Rapala DT10 or DT6. Shad and silver seem to be the colors that are working the best. At the northern part of the Tugaloo River past the last channel marker is a great place to work rocky points. Stay and fish only the side of the river that the wind is blowing on. Expect the same to work on the Seneca River as well. From the Fair Play ramp and north is the best areas to fish. If the sun comes out use the Rapala Shad Raps and Rapala DT6 and fish the rock. Once again, let the sun shine on the rocks for at least forty five minutes before fishing these areas. Small shad and bait fish are moving up on the warmer days and the bass are following right behind. Worms and drop shot rigs are working along with jigs.

Catfish (courtesy of Captain Bill Plumley; report via SCDNR Freshwater Fishing Trends): Captain Bill Plumley reports that February patterns are almost entirely dependent on the weather, and if it gets warm later in the month fish should move shallower into the creek channels. If it stays cold then they will stay deeper in the river channels. A variety of cut baits can work. January mostly saw a slow bite for big blue cats after the lake got extremely cold.

Man standing in a boat on the water holds a caught fish in both hands.

Walleye from Lake Hartwell (Photo: GADNR)

Walleye (courtesy of GADNR Fisheries Biologist Kyle Rempe): Low water levels made launching at our usual ramp, Walker Creek, a bit out of the question for our heavy electrofishing boat. This gave us the opportunity to put in at the Stephen’s County access and then motor a few miles upstream before bottoming out our prop boat right around the Walker Creek access. Water temperatures there were right at 46 °F, which is still a few degrees shy of the 50 threshold we usually go by for predicting peak Walleye spawning activity at Hartwell. After shocking for half an hour or so there we were able to net 5 males, with the biggest being around 3 lbs. As water temperatures continue to rise the next few weeks there should be more Walleye moving up to the headwaters of the Tugaloo River, so keep an eye on your thermometer and plan accordingly! Also, please remember to be mindful of the low water conditions in the lake. The main Tugaloo River channel is still fairly deep but large, submerged debris can still be lurking just beneath the surface and there are more shoals present upstream given the current conditions.

LAKE LANIER

Bass (courtesy of Phil Johnson (pjohnson15@hotmail.com or 770-366-8845); report via Southern Fishing): Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is fair. The lake is currently five and a half feet below full pool and the water temperature is running from forty-one to forty-four degrees. Overall, the lake is clear. The fishing over the last week has been up and down with some days producing good numbers and some days being a grind which is typical for this time of year. The bass are still being caught both shallow and deep on several baits. For the shallow bass, work the sunny rocks and the docks toward the backs of the pockets with a crawdad color three eights ounce jig or a Shakey Head with a green pumpkin Senko. Let these baits soak by moving them a little and letting them sit. The bass are still operating in cold mold so they don’t want a fast-moving bait. The three eights Spot Choker with a two eight Keitech has still been producing bass in the middle of the ditches that are twenty-five to fifty feet deep. Again, work this bait very slowly down the middle and along the edges of the ditch. The bite will often be very light so just continue your reel until you really feel the fish. In the forty-five to sixty feet of water look for the structure and the shad and work it with a half-ounce white or silver Georgia Blade spoon. A slow lift and drop of the spoon can trigger these bass but if you see them just looking the bait try reeling it up quickly a couple of feet and let it sit. If they begin to follow it do the same thing again and it will often trigger a strike. February can often be a challenge to fish but it can also produce some very large bass, both Spots and Largemouth. Be prepared to cover ground and grind it out but you can still have a great day on the lake, Buckle up and Go Catch ‘Em!

Man standing on a boat on the water holds a caught fish with both hands.

Striped Bass from Lake Lanier (Photo: GADNR)

Linesides (courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tales Guide Service (404-510-1778); report via Southern Fishing): Lake Lanier stripers are feeding on blue backs, gizzards and shiners. They are in shallow waters in the backs of the coves early in the mornings and they move out deeper as the sun rises. The weighted flat lines are predominantly more effective however the planer boards will help you cover more area. The bird activity will help locate the fish along with your electronics. Water temperature was 48 on Tuesday and should maintain as long we don’t have any crazy weather conditions.

LAKE WEISS

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing): Bass fishing is fair; Weiss has been changing water levels these constant changes it can also make the fishing conditions a little tough. Still, this is the time of year that getting out and dealing with the weather and the changes of water levels on this lake can still produce some exciting action. Fish the main lake points and creek channel edges with Rat L Traps, Echo’s and MR6s. With some decent weather conditions move up into the shallower stump filled flats. This can give anglers the opportunity to catch some of the larger fish. Taking Choo Choo Shakers in 3/8 to 1/2 ounce sizes and wallowing these baits around the stumps can get bit. It’s a great time of year to get out with the changing daylight hours.

WEST POINT LAKE

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing): Bass fishing is fair. Expect a lot of rain and runoff to work its way into the lake this weekend. Spoons, jigs and Carolina rigs are the best baits with the cold weather. The weather usually gets these fish active and this week it’s warming some. With the warming trend some fish will move shallow in the creek. Water temperature can vary a little with the runoff so watch this hourly. Zoom Baby Bush Hogs in green pumpkin on a pegged Texas rig may work on the small points in the creek. Use a one ounce egg sinker on the Carolina rig and be very patient. If there is a warm up so to small weights off the baits and fish in the sandy areas for small bass to start roaming around.

SMALL POND REPORT

Bass (courtesy of Jeff Durniak, Unicoi Outfitters): Athens Jay: “Three days of warmer temperatures inspired me to take out my paddleboard on a local pond. Pre-spawn largemouth bass were definitely hungry, but you had to feed them carefully. I used a floating line with a fairly long (12 feet total) leader and fluorocarbon tippet. I fished articulated streamers (mostly made from black marabou and black/purple rabbit dubbing loops) with a football tungsten bead head. Fish seemed to be cruising on bottom in about 4-6 feet of water. I caught a dozen in a little over an hour before the sunset.”

RIVER REPORT

Bass (courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Company): Streamer Fishing and River Bass Opportunities – On warmer days, targeting river bass with larger streamers has been productive. Any time water temperatures push into the 50-degree range, the bite really turns on. Focus on flies that hover, swim slowly, and allow for long pauses, as fish are often keying in on easy meals.

Coosa River White Bass (courtesy of GADNR Fisheries Supervisor Jim Hakala): This spring’s Coosa River white bass run should be great! The population is strong and recent sampling indicates these mini-linesides are starting to show up from Mayo Lock and Dam Park downstream to the old Plant Hammond power plant. Most male white bass will typically weigh-in under 1-pound, while the typical female will fall in the 1-2 pound range. If you are limited to bank fishing, the Lock and Dam is a good area to try. However, you can cover more water with a boat, and there are ramps at the Lock and Dam or at Old River Road. Fish current breaks behind fallen trees and creek mouths for your best chance at success. White or chartreuse curly-tail jigs, small shad imitating crankbaits, inline spinners, or live minnows under a float are all great ways to catch a load of white bass. It is very early in the run right now, but 50-100+ fish days should be in the cards as we approach March and river temps warm.

TROUT REPORT

Caught fish shown lying inside a fishing net.

Beautiful Brook Trout in a net (Photo Credit: Jan Kozak).

Mixed Bag Report (courtesy of Jeff Durniak, Unicoi Outfitters): Streams have warmed and even the headwaters might be worth a try this week. DH streams remain your best bet, while tailwaters are worth a try, too. Private waters fish woke up with the warmer water, but were spooky and picky in low, clear, slow flows.

Wes’ Hot Fly List: The same midwinter patterns continue to be our favorites.

Dries: parachute blue wing olive, griffiths gnat, little black stone (or #18 gray elk hair caddis, and a small tan chubby or elk hair caddis as the lead fly (a strike indicator for your tiny dry dropper)
Nymphs & Wets:
- DH Stockers: twister egg, pheasant tail (nymph, soft hackle) or Frenchie, sexy Walts worm, rainbow warrior.
- Mountain streams: zebra midge, soft hackles, prince nymph, frenchie or pheasant tail.
Streamers:
- Black and olive woolly buggers, jig leech, UV polar Jig.
Reservoir Bass & Stripers:
- Cowen’s somethin else. Gray over white clouser minnow, low fat minnow. Or a 0.6 ounce flexit spoon on conventional gear.

Stockers: Stockers remain slim. Your best bets are the two tailwaters for summer/fall holdovers and just outside the DH stream boundaries to find the wash-downs. Fishing public waters above or below private trophy waters might fetch you a straying brute or two. It’s Rainbow Romance season and some bows may swim upstream in search of clean gravel.

Private Waters: UO buddy CDB: “Hi Dredger, despite the beautiful week I only got out twice and only on private waters. The fish were active, if a little spooky with the crystal-clear water. During the Project Healings Waters outing, action was good and some nice fish were put in the net. I wasn’t sure who was going to win some of these tug of war battles! Almost any reasonable pattern worked, if… if you were able to make the right drift and presentation. Hares ears and flash back pheasant tails worked well, size 18 and 20. A size 16 or 18 wet hackle with a thin red body was dynamite. I tried to resist using the little bronze micro zonkers, but alas, I had to try. And they still were far and away the most productive pattern. A duller brown or black bead head was better this week than the flashier ones.

A few observations. The fish were moving and especially willing to move as the water warmed. With that said, depth seemed to play an outsize role. The fish moved laterally aggressively but preferred to stay at whatever depth they were holding. Practice spotting the fish, if you are sure you are getting a good drift but are not getting a take – tweak the depth. If you are certain you have a good drift and the depth is right and the fish are either 1) ignoring your offering or worse 2) moving away from the fly, try dropping your tippet size. The water is very clear. If you are having a hard time getting a good drift or struggling mending your line, go to the micro-streamer. When you are mending, it actually imparts action on the fly and often I will see an eat immediately after executing a mend.

Finally, don’t be afraid to change flies. A lot. We don’t have a lot of heavy hatches. I am less patient than most, but if I have run a fly through a lie I know is good about 10-12 times without a take – I change up. A surprising amount of time, the take happens on the first or second drift with a new fly. Patience is a virtue, just not always mine.”

Moral of the story: watch streamflows and match them with your technique. Use light line, small bugs, and stealth in skinny water. Use thicker line and lotsa lead to get bigger bugs down to bottom hugging fish in heavy flows.

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 Chad Kaiser, 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.