If you are thinking about heading to the water this weekend, please be cautious and watch the weather closely because of possible storm conditions from Hurricane Isaias. Don’t take chances on the water or elsewhere!
News to know:
- Region 5 office is closing at 2pm today, 10/9, in anticipation of severe weather. Check our social media for other closures.
- Come and Get’em: Fall Harvest has begun at Go Fish Education Center. Bring your cooler and take home your catch! Visit https://gofisheducationcenter.com/ for directions and information.
- Fishing Information: Need to know where to go, what species to target, and how to catch them? Visit our Angler Resources webpage at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/angler-resources
SOUTHWEST GEORGIA
(Fishing report courtesy of Caroline Cooper, Fisheries Biologist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)
CHATTAHOOCHEE AND FLINT RIVER
Water temperatures in the river are starting to come down since we have had some cool nights, so bass fishing should begin to pick up. Fly fishing on the Flint River targeting shoal bass is a lot of fun. These visual predators hang out in the seams between moving water and still water below some structure. Try targeting behind a rock or just on the edge of a downed log in the current. Use the water as a map. It is always a good idea to match your lures to the environment. If there has been persistent rain and waters are muddy, try using brown or red colored shad lures to mimic how that baitfish would present in the environment and conditions. If you are fishing in waters that are low and clear, traditional, more silver-style baits and lures will work well. Make sure you have a leader on your line so that these visual predators are not put off by the sight of your fishing line.
Even as temperatures come down, efforts would still be well spent on catfish and brim. Try fishing for catfish in the deep outer curves of the river using smelly bait like hot dogs or chicken soaked in strawberry Jell-O. You can also target catfish at the mouth of creeks where higher oxygen levels attract more fish.
Recent mayfly hatches create good opportunities to match your lures to the natural prey bream are targeting. You can also try fishing for brim around the full moon using crickets and worms. These should always be a staple in your tackle box.
Water levels remain low after drought conditions this summer, so remain vigilant. Obstacles and structure that are usually well submersed may be just below the surface or exposed and cause hazardous conditions. Rain is projected this weekend and may change these conditions. If we get significant rain, then fishing will pick up as it washes debris, nutrients, and prey into the water that make the fish more active.
LAKE SEMINOLE
Lake Seminole tournament participants
According to Ken Sturdivant at southernfishing.com, bass fishing is good. Be sure to have some top water lures, like buzz baits, walking baits, and hollow belly frogs in green on sunny days. Walking baits like a Haddon Zara Spook are an excellent choice for finding productive grass lines on the lake. A local favorite is a Super Spook in a bone color. It has very sharp hooks and a sound that gets the attention of the big bass. Use 30-pound test Sufix braid and tie a double Palomar knot to stop slipping. The hollow belly frog will continue to produce, and the Spro Bronzy Popping Frog is a double heavyweight Gamakatsu hook that is extremely sharp. It will get the big bass out of the grass. Fish the frog over the grass and through holes in the grass.
Captain Josh Thornton is hosting a Fishing with Everyday Hero’s Fundraiser on October 15, 2026, at 7pm. This event will be in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn in Dawsonville, Georgia. Dinner is included with a $25.00 ticket. Raffle prizes: 10 guns and fishing gear. Sponsor tables are available. For questions, contact Josh Thornton 770.530.6493.
Lake Seminole Bassmasters held their Club Classic this past weekend; day one was on Lake Talquin and day two finished out the classic on Lake Seminole. Day two was launched from Sneads Park on Lake Seminole. Light rain kept things cool. It’s October, and the bite is always tough this time of the year, and this weekend was no exception.
LAKE BLACKSHEAR
Full cooler of Crappie from lake blackshear
C&S Guide Service reports on a recent trip that the crappie “were as aggressive as we’ve seen all year, chasing after those Crappie Carnivore jigs and absolutely hammering them! We put a cooler full in the boat using a combo of Dobyns 7’ EC Special rods paired with 6lb K9 line to seal the deal.” If you need assistance adjusting and fine-tuning your livescope, C&S Guide Service can help you there as well.
LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE
According to Ken Sturdivant at Southern Fishing, Bass fishing is fair. There are some fish being caught on top water early around some of the grass beds that extend out to deeper water in Cowikee Creek. After the sun gets on the water, this bite goes offshore. There are still some fish up shallow and now use the Zoom Z Nails around hydrilla clumps in this same area. After the sun gets on the water, move out to the creek ledges and drag a Carolina-rigged Zoom trick worm or use a Mann’s 20 Plus in shad patterns. Another pattern that has been working is to run upriver and flip wood cover with jigs and Zoom Super Hogs. Key on the current breaks on the outside bends. The first cool snap we have should really turn the fish on. When this happens, look on flats at the mouths of creeks.
Crappie are being caught on jigs in 20-25 feet of water around woody structure.
Bream, channel, and blue cats are still biting well on the flats adjacent to the river and creek channels. Popular bait for the cats is both worms and cut bait.
Expect the hybrids and striped bass to begin congregating in larger schools this time of year. Looking for surface activity or shad schools are good bets on catching a few of these hard-fighting fish. Any crankbait, spoon, or plastic bait that looks or acts like a threadfin shad will be successful.
SILVER LAKE PUBLIC FISHING AREA
- Silver Lake PFA Information: GeorgiaWildlife.com/silver-lake-pfa
Silver Lake: Largemouth Bass continue to school near the surface during the evening hours. Casting a topwater plug or small swimbait has been especially effective. Anglers are also finding success fishing shallow vegetation with topwater frogs and bladed jigs.
House Pond: Hybrid Striped Bass have been providing consistent action in House Pond. Keeper-sized brim have also been caught in the cooler morning hours. Try fishing with worms or live minnows suspended under a cork for the most bites. Anglers also report good results using Satilla Spins and small crankbaits.
Panic Pond: Although fishing has been slower overall, quality catches are still being reported. Dragging a Texas-rigged worm has produced bass up to 5 pounds. Topwater baits are also worth trying during early morning and late evening hours.
Frog Pond: Frog Pond has delivered reliable catfish action throughout the day. Channel Catfish are active, with reports of fish up to 12 pounds. Chicken liver fished under a cork or on the bottom has been the most effective method.
- Big Lazer PFA Information: GeorgiaWildlife.com/big-lazer-creek-pfa
Region 5 Staff’s Bass catch
- Surface water temperature: 76° F
- Water visibility: Visibility is about 23”
- Water Level: About 10” below full pool
Largemouth Bass fishing is fair right now. When targeting bass, try shad as well as other fish-lookalike baits at a variety of depths. As the water cools, try pitching crawfish and plastic worms in deeper waters. In cooler waters, try slowing down your plastic baits to increase chances for bites. Bream fishing is generally good this time of year, and that trend should continue with the cooler water temperatures. Woody structures in shallower water all around the lake are good target areas. Live bait such as crickets and worms are extremely productive. The water is still warm enough that catfish are biting fairly well. Channel catfish are located throughout most of the lake, but for best results, try locating the channel in the upper end of the lake or the riprap along the dam.
With hunting season coming to full swing, you may notice a dip in fishing pressure around the lake. This could be very beneficial to the more dedicated fisherman.
Did we not cover your part of the state this week? No worries, we have some great resources to help you find a favorite fishing spot and to see what is biting and where: