Georgia Fishing Report: March 3, 2023

Friday = Fishing, right? Or, is that just me? I sure hope the weekend brings you some opportunity to get outside and get some "reel" action.

NEWS TO KNOW

• Fish Georgia State Parks: Pick up a copy of the new "Angler's Guide to Georgia State Parks" by Jimmy Jacobs and Polly Dean and get all the intel on having a successful fishing trip to any of Georgia's State Parks.
• Fish and Learn (April 28-30): Children, ages 8-15, and their guardians are invited to a weekend of learning about fishing through our Fish-n-Learn Education Program. Classes will include Equipment and Casting Techniques, Regulations, Biology and Habitat, and more. Don't worry, there will be plenty of time set aside for fishing! Find out more and reserve your spot HERE.
• Spring Harvest Month at Go Fish Education Center: March begins Spring Harvest Month at the Go Fish Education Center. Plan a visit to the casting pond to harvest and take home rainbow trout, catfish and bluegill. More info HERE.

This week, we have new fishing reports from Southwest, Southeast, North and Central Georgia. Thanks for keeping it "reel" and Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

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

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

The crappie bite at Walter F George is hot right now. Crappie are hanging out in 3-6 feet of water. Crickets worms and jigs are your best bet for them right now. The bass bite is also picking up. There are plenty of 3-5 lb fish cruising the banks looking for beds. Be patients and work that top water lure through topped out grass for a ringer. There are also lots of nice shellcracker out there that are the perfect size for the fryer. Be sure to wear your life jacket as hidden obstacles and shallow water can cause dangerous boating situations and your life is not worth the risk!

LAKE SEMINOLE

Water temperatures across the lake are rising as the day length and air temperatures increase. Now is the time to make some move out of the back water areas into the main lake and try your luck. Crappie fishing is still quite good, and these fish are looking really good. Try 3-5 feet of water in light vegetation. Use minnows and technology to get the bite. Bass are starting to bite more readily in the main body of the lake. Work them along the edge of grassy areas for a sneaky bite or try a lizard to try to get the defensive bite from a fish fanning the beds. If you are looking for some variety, there are some nice bream and warmouth out there. Have some patience and try out some different bait and lure options or try fishing for another species if you are not having luck with your target species. Have fun out there but be careful as many hidden obstacles pose a threat to boater safety.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

Crappie fishing at Lake Blackshear is hot. Minnows or the locally made sugar bug jigs are the baits of choice on this lake. The crappie are hanging out at around 15 feet. Fishing the edges of the channels or at the mouths of the creeks should give you the best bites. The bass bite is also picking up as warmer water temperatures pull those fish into shallow water to spawn. Consistently great looking fish are being caught out of Lake Blackshear so make the trip for a great day. Be sure to stop by Flint River Outdoors for some sugar bug jigs and to weigh in your fish for their monthly big fish contest.

TIRED CREEK LAKE

Water temperatures at Tired Creek Lakeare optimal for bass fishing. Keep an eye out for tagged fish as you try your luck. Be sure to report tagged fish for a chance to win a t-shirt! Call the phone number on the tag to report your fish. The crappie bite is also hot and sampling efforts have been consistently turning up almost 2 lb fish.

SILVER LAKE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

Things are beginning to heat up at Silver Lake PFA. A few weeks of warm weather are driving water temps into the high 60s and low 70s. We're seeing lots of bass on bed in Cutoff Pond and in the big lake. Those Panic Pond ladies are cruising the shallows looking for bedding males (which don't exist in Panic Pond) and the occasional shad snack. House Pond had a rough winter, losing a lot of large fish to migrating birds and otters, but there are still plenty of bream to be caught. The catfish in Frog Pond are still sluggish, but we expect to see more kitties being caught as the water temps continue to rise. Many of the ponds have new regulations, so make sure you pay attention to the signage at each pond before you wet a hook. Tight lines!

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

Bass: Largemouth Bass fishing is fair. Anglers should begin to have some decent largemouth bass fishing trips very soon as they begin to move to shallower water. Bass fishing should really start picking up in the coming weeks. Try throwing spinning baits or crankbaits in 6 to 8 feet of water. Baits should still be fished slower due to cool water temperatures. Casting your line near good cover should yield some decent bites. Remember to please report any tagged largemouth bass to DNR fisheries staff (call the number on the tag).

Bream: Bream fishing is also fair. There have been some reports of good bream fishing due to the approaching spawning season. Anglers seem to be having luck fishing with worms around the fishing piers. This time of year, bream are located in 4-6 feet of water. Try locating woody structure for increased chance of bream bites.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Bert Deener, Region Supervisor and fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

This extended warm spell has ramped up the flowers and also has pushed crappie and bass to the hill to spawn. Both species are in all stages of the spawn, but the first cold front in awhile is forecasted for this weekend. It may slow down the spawn, but it's mild enough that the fish will probably spawn through it.

River gages on March 2nd were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 10.3 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 7.6 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 10.1 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 10.7 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 11.4 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 2.9 feet and falling

Full Moon is March 7th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVERS

The rivers are coming down but are still high. You may find some backwaters that are fishable, but I would let it come down more before fishing there. Your best bet is catfish in the Darien area or crappie in the backs of the oxbow lakes.

SATILLA RIVER

Not your best option, but it is getting back down within the banks again. You can probably catch a few catfish if you want to try it.

ST. MARYS RIVER

The river is fishable. Matt Rouse took his granddaughter Keziah bank fishing on the upper St. Marys this week, and they caught a good mess of yellow bullheads (butter cats) on sardine-flavored cut hot dogs. Matt also caught a really nice (about 20-inch) pickerel on a crawfish Satilla Spin. Back to the hot dogs…..I had to ask Matt the details there, as I can't imagine sardine-flavored hot-dogs would be big sellers….lol. Matt confirmed that the hot dog pieces were soaked in the left-over sardine juice from his bankside snack. It worked great for him, so you might want to give it a try if those two items are in your boat next trip. Catfish would be your best bet for this weekend, and you should be able to find some hungry panfish with the water dropping out and warming. The first Shady Bream Tournament Trail event is scheduled for March 18th out of the Traders Hill ramp. Check them out on Facebook (Shady Bream Tournaments) if you are interested in more information.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

I did not go this week, but I got reports fromOkefenokee Adventures staff that a few folks pitched crickets and worms and caught a few warmouth. The warmouth bite hasn't fired off yet, but it will be fun for those there when it does. The new off-water time is 6:00pm for the east side, so you can fish a little longer in the evenings now. The latest water level (Folkston side) was 120.65 feet.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Dublin, more info HERE)

The Southeast Georgia Kayak Bass Fishing group fished a tournament at the area on Saturday. Their format was catch-measure-photo-release (immediately). The winner was Bruno Govea with a total of 74.0 inches of bass (he also had big fish of 19.75 inches) that he caught on a NED rig (jighead with a small plastic worm). Marvin Santana took second place with 63.0 inches, and third was Jonathan Boatright with 41.5 inches. Shaky heads, jerkbaits, and spinnerbaits also produced fish. The club's next tournament will be held on Dodge County PFA near Eastman in late April. For more information, check them out at SEGKBF on Facebook.

LOCAL PONDS

Chad Lee had a great weekend on Alma area ponds. He and Lester Rowland caught a good mess of crappie (kept 17) and a few bass. The crappie bit both live minnows and white pearl Assassins on a Zombie Eye Jighead. Lester had a 2-pound bass on a red shad ZOOM worm. Daniel and Brice also fished with Chad this weekend, and each caught some bass. Daniel caught them with a plastic lizard while Brice's biggest ate a junebug plastic worm. Chad cast his pearl Assassin plastic on Sunday evening for a short time to bring home 5 slab crappie for a meal. A Baxley angler has been spider-rigging 1/16oz. Tennessee Shad Specktacular Jigs tipped with minnows in a pond near his house and catching some big crappie this week. He said that most are still not spawning, but they are close to the hill. He caught several over 2 pounds this week.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Winds were high again most days this week, but folks still fished and caught fish. Tommy and Pam Sweeney fished the Jekyll Island area on Saturday and had a good catch of whiting. They used shrimp on the bottom to catch 22 fish big enough to keep, and they threw back numerous smaller fish. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had a couple good trips this week on Saturday and Tuesday. They caught a bunch of redfish and a few flounder on Saturday, and a mixed bag of trout and redfish on Tuesday. He and Tom targeted stripers one day and caught one and broke one off. Harper Super Striker Floats and live shrimp produced most of Capt. Tim's fish this week, but they caught some on plastics, as well. The key depth range was 3 to 9 feet of water. There is a new drop-off location for the Coastal Resources Division Marine Sportfish Carcass Recovery Project. The Waycross Fisheries Office at 108 Darling Avenue now has a freezer in the parking lot by the office where you can drop off carcasses of saltwater fishes that you catch. They measure the carcass and pull the otoliths (earbones) so that they can then age the fish and learn more about age and growth of our estuarine species. Bags, information cards, and instructions are at the freezer. For the latest fishing information or live shrimp in the Brunswick area, check with J&P Bait and Tackleon Hwy 303 (912-282-9705).

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Lake Allatoona Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - Lake Allatoona is down 7.85 feet, and in the 50s. Bass fishing is fair. Start the day by fishing main lake points and flats with a Spro McStick jerk bait in Spooky Shad Color. Be sure to fish the bait very slowly to attract bites. As the day gets warmer, move to the backs of creeks and coves and cast a jig to any cover. A black and blue jig with a blue chunk seems to be working well. If the fish are not on the banks in the creeks, fish the middle of the creek with a Fish Head Spin or a Bandit 300 Crankbait. Use a slow stop and go retrieve. The best crank bait colors seem to be in crawfish or chartreuse and blue patterns. Have the drop shot rigs, a Big Bite Shaky Squirrel jig head and the Alabama rigs ready too. Keep a small Zoom mini lizard in green with red flake ready also. Use this rig on a light Texas rig, a spinning rod and peg the sinker. Now cast this bait right next to the dock and let it fall on slack line next to the docks and let it fall with not tension on the line. The full moon is March 7, 2023. So expect waves of fish to move shallow.

Lake Allatoona Crappie Report: (This report courtesy of Jeff "CrappieMan" Albright, CrappieMan on Allatoona ) - Had a pretty good morning (2/26). Want to thank Steve and Terrance for fishing with me today, you guys were a blast as usual! We boated 77 fish and they took 49 home with them! Red Rooster was getting it done as usual! Sasquach, with Robbie's spinner, he was on fire. Albright Special was doing its thing also, purple chartreuse tail, bronze, blue metal flake, trolling speed was 1- 1.2 mph water Temps 58-59 deg. Temps will drop some this week looks like we got some cooler Temps coming! Also want to thank James (Sasquach) for taking my grandson Tucker with him this morning they caught 99 with 39 keepers amazing day all around. RED ROOSTER JIGS Y'all get with Robbie and he will hook you up!!!!!

Carters Lake Walleye Report: (From Fisheries Supervisor Jim Hakala) - A recent electrofishing survey indicated that good numbers of spawn-run walleye have migrated into the Coosawattee River above Carters Lake. All of the walleye observed were males, but the females are likely present in the deeper water just below the shoals. Most fish observed were running in the 2-3 pound range, but a few larger fish in the 5 pound range were encountered. These fish are notoriously tough to catch this time of year, so patience and persistence are a must.

Blue Ridge Lake Walleye Report: (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) - Our sampling crew was on the upper end of Blue Ridge Lake this week looking for walleye, and found plenty of fish that could be targeted by anglers. Each year, these toothy fish make their spawning run up to the first major set of shoals at the mouth of the Toccoa River. Most of them have other things on their mind and don't eat much during the spawn, but some of them will eat a small crankbait, inline spinner, crawler harness, or curlytail jig. This is the time of year when they are most concentrated, so you have the best shot at getting your lure in front of a fish. The key is to go late at night or very early in the morning, and fish your baits slower than you would for most other fish.

Lake Yonah Bass Report: (From Fisheries Biologist Hunter Roop) - Angler Jeff Schmidt caught an 8.8 lb Largemouth on Yonah this week. Now is a great opportunity to catch big pre-spawn bucketmouths as these fish are slowly migrating into the shallows to feed and seek out suitable nesting sites. Jeff also shared his grandson's PB largemouth, which eclipsed Jeff's largemouth by nearly two pounds! Flukes, underspins, and crank baits in perch and fire tiger patterns are good options to target big bass on Yonah.

Lake Weiss Multi-Species Report: (This report courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service 256-996-9035 via www.southernfishing.com) - Weiss Lake is 2 feet 6 inches below full pool, heavy stained to stained, and 51-53 degrees. Bass fishing is good and some are still on the creek and river channel ledges. Use the deep running crank baits and Carolina rigs are catching fish. A lot of bass are on secondary points and road beds. Crappie fishing is good. The fish are showing up in the spawning bays and creeks, they can be caught long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs in colors JJ13, JJ17, JJ20. Bridges are also producing some fish. Shooting docks with jigs is also producing some fish. Striper fishing is poor and no reports in the last few weeks. Catfish are biting in the bays and creeks in 8 to 15 feet of water. Cut bait is working best.

West Point Lake Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com ) - West Point Lake is down 3.8 feet, and in the 60s. Bass fishing is good. There are waves of bass moving to the shallows. Shad are in the creeks and the bass will follow them in big numbers. The best bite through late week was up the river on the crank baits and that will get better with the warmup. Bass are after shad so find the bait and the bass will be close by. Once the bass get into the creeks in full force it'll be a good opportunity for crank baits, jerk baits and spinnerbaits. Rat L Traps and Shad Raps will be very good patterns. Hit the banks, throwing at any piece of wood you see. Watch the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology to get the most out of every cast. Make accurate casts to maximize your chances for a hookup. Chatter Baits and spinner baits after mid-day will draw some strikes. Senko's in dark colors with little or no weight around any wood can work. The full moon is March 7, 2023. So expect waves of fish to move shallow.

Lake Hartwell Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - Lake Hartwell is down 1.9 feet, and in the 50s. Bass fishing is fair. There are still fish to be found in the mouths of the creeks and the timber lines on and around main lake features such as points and humps. Many of these fish are still fairly deep. Use the weedless ½-ounce Fish Head Spin in pearl white and albino colors trailed with a matching super fluke Jr. Some fish have also started to move into main lake pockets and ditches and have been very shallow in some cases, especially with the recent warming trend. The #5 silver black back Rapala Shad Rap has started to come into play in some of the creek pockets, as well as a jerk bait, Fish Head Spin, and a jig. Keep a small Zoom mini lizard in green with red flake ready also. Use this rig on a light Texas rig, a spinning rod and peg the sinker. Now cast this bait right next to the dock and let it fall on slack line next to the docks and let it fall with not tension on the line. The full moon is March 7, 2023. So expect waves of fish to move shallow.

Lake Lanier Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Lake Lanier is full, and in the 50s. Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good and getting better. The lake is at full pool and the temperature is rising every day to currently in the high fifties. The bass are definitely moving out of their winter homes into the spring areas to prepare for spawning. There are a lot of fish in less than thirty feet of water now with a good group of fish in less than ten feet of water. The spring baits are starting to come on and a variety of patterns are currently working. A three sixteenths Shakey head with any green color shade of worm has been producing bites on both docks and rocky points. Shade around the dock and sun on the rocks have been keys to more bites. Don't be afraid to work way back in the pockets now as the bass are steadily moving back. A quarter ounce Spotchoker with a two eight Keitech thrown in the shallows has been producing some good fish early in the morning and then it seems the fish move out to the deeper areas. A DT6 in Demon color has been producing fish on the rocky backs and also on the slopping red clay points. Right now the crayfish claws are a red color so this bait is a good imitation for the bass. With the warm weather predicted look for more schools of bass to move up into the less than twenty-foot range over the next week and possibly some top water action coming soon. Be aware of the water temperature in the areas you are fishing as just a couple of degrees can make a huge difference on the bite in an area. It's really a great time to be chasing the bass on Lanier so Go Catch 'Em!

Lake Lanier Striper Report: (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404-510-1778 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Lake Lanier stripers are on the north side of Browns Bridge in most of the creeks. The key is to locate the bait with your electronics and using blue blacks on flat lines and planer boards with small bb weights the directional floats 100 feet back of the boat. Pull in 25 to 50 feet of water for about half hour before you move on to another group. Then back track the area on the way back in. Remember to wear your life jacket.

Lake Lanier Crappie Report:(This report courtesy ofCaptain Josh Thornton,770-530-6493 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Crappie fishing is good. The water temperature is 51 and the upper ends of the Chattahoochee and Chestatee rivers are mud holes. Crappie can be found in shallow water and suspended shallow under docks. Trolling this week was good. The fish we got from trolling were mostly over 1.5 pounds the trolling should stay constantly good for the next month. This week's catch came mainly from docks the fish were suspended in 5 to 15 feet of water. The jig that produced the best this week was the black and chartreuse combination or anything with a chartreuse combination. Crappie love the shade so cast into the shadows or shaded areas of dock. When dock shooting the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. I use ATX lure company's jigs on Lip Thrashin' lure jig heads. I use 5-pound test high visibility yellow k9 braid for my line unless I am using a bobber then it's the k9 6-pound high vis line and a Acc crappie stix. I use Garmin Live Scope and the Navionics Boating app.

RIVER REPORT

Coosa River White Bass Report: (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) - Our recent sampling has shown the white bass run to be very strong this year, so a coworker and I took the day off and fished the Coosa River on Wednesday this week. Flows are average for this time of year, which is perfect for floating downstream along the bank. Water temperatures are in the mid-50s. We fished the section from Mayo Lock and Dam down to the Old River Road boat ramp and boated over 100 feisty white bass between the two of us. We talked to another duo that had similar luck a few days before us as well. We fished small deep diving crankbaits exclusively. Color pattern did not seem to matter too much, as fish were biting natural shad colors, and other colors like blue, orange, and green. Most of our bites came very close to the bank, so make sure to throw tight to shore (or even land on it and pull it into the water) to get your bait right to the fish. Great white bass fishing should continue for at least the next few weeks, depending on how quickly water temps rise.

Toccoa River Walleye, Bass, and Yellow Perch Report: (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) - Our sampling crew was on the Toccoa River just below Blue Ridge Dam this week. We were looking for walleye to use as broodfish for spawning at our hatcheries. We were somewhat unsuccessful in that search, but we did boat one absolute MONSTER female that weighed in at 9.5 pounds that we just had to share! The Toccoa tailwater does not hold a lot of walleye, but the few resident fish there grow fat on freshly-stocked trout. We also saw lots of yellow perch just below the dam, and many were of good eating size. We saw some nice Largemouth, Alabama, and Smallmouth Bass in that area as well.

TROUT REPORT

North Georgia Wild Trout: (From Fisheries Biologist Jackson Sibley) - Blue Liners unite! Among North Georgia's approximately 4,000 miles of trout waters exists a plethora of headwater streams and tributaries containing wild trout. Such waters provide myriad opportunity for anglers to explore some of the state's most pristine areas in search of our wild mountain gems. "Blue lining" refers to the practice of scanning maps for small streams represented by little blue lines, narrowing down to ones you believe will hold fish, and paying them a visit to put your fishy instincts to the test. Tennessee angler Steve Curry and I have made many such trips in North Georgia, including one in the Blue Ridge Mountains last week. Donning waders and fly gear, we hit pocket waters, pools, and runs, doing our best to remain concealed from view of our target and imitate the dominant hatch (large stoneflies). The bite picked up around midday, and we managed several fish to hand. Most notably though, was the absence of other anglers in the relatively low-pressured stream we chose. Such ventures can prove to be rewarding to those anglers willing to put in a little extra effort. Check out WRD's trout stream interactive map to find your own little blue lines, and may your experience be as productive as ours.

Stocked Streams Report: (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) - The start of our traditional trout stocking season is just around the corner (end of March), but a few streams have been stocked over the last few weeks and there should be some leftovers around. DH streams should also be stocked very soon! Want to know which streams were stocked? Well, did you know we update our website every Friday afternoon with the latest stocking info? You can also sign up for automatic updates sent directly to you every Friday. Sign up now in anticipation of the spring stocking season, which will be here before you know it!

Trout Plus Some: Check out Unicoi Outfitter's regular "trout and more" fishing reports HERE.

Parting Trout Note: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia? Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. Aside from being a great looking tag, each purchase or renewal of a Trout Unlimited license plate directly supports Georgia's trout conservation and management programs. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Steve Schleiger, Region Supervisor and fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

Reservoir Fishing Reports Courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant.

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1.1 FEET, 60'S

Bass fishing is good. Bass are feeding all during the day and the spots are roaming and hitting the crank baits well. Work Beaverdam Creek using a variety of Shad Raps. Crank baits and finesse worms are accounting for most of the bass. A short cold front may slow things a little, but the fishing will rebound as the full moon approaches. Head up the Savannah River early and then after mid-day, go back down lake to the Hwy. 72 bridge and up in Beaverdam Creek. Stay in the wind and keep cranking the Shad Raps. Try the new Rapala Ott's Garage Flat and Shad Raps. Do not fish those too fast. Fish no further back in the creeks than the secondary points and remember the larger bass are going to be holding to the cover. Make several casts on both sides of any brush piles and wood. With any sunny day, crank the windblown side of the Hwy. 72 bridge rip rap. The full moon is March 7, 2023, so expect waves of fish to move shallow.

CLARKS HILL LAKE IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 60'S

Bass fishing is fair. Main lake points near the mouth of the creeks and larger coves is a good place to look for bass. Crank baits like the Rapala DT10 and Rapala DT6 along with the RS Shad Raps and Ito Vision 110 jerk baits are catching bass. Some spotted bass are being caught on secondary points on crank baits and Carolina rigs. Lizards are a good choice to rig up with here. The Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology will work very well even in 10 feet of water. Anglers can cover 68 feet of bottom at 10 feet deep with the 455-frequency beam. The key will be to throw in shallow and work the cranks and lizards real slow. Usually the bass are hitting the crank baits on the first couple of turns of the reel handle. The full moon is March 7, 2023, so expect waves of fish to move shallow.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 60'S

Bass fishing is good. The best results over the past week have been on a Carolina rig with a 5 to 6-inch worm in green or pumpkin, fished around sea walls in the middle of the big coves from the Hwy. 44 bridge south. Small crank baits fished along the side of the docks in the middle of the coves out to the main lake will produce. You can also add fishing a rattle trap around any deep dock and around rip rap early. Jigs fished around wood structure up the lake have also produced some larger fish. Some fish are starting to move into the creeks and coves so don't be afraid to move in and out of the coves and pockets, fishing all depths of water. The full moon is March 7, 2023, so expect waves of fish to move shallow.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.1 FEET, 60'S

Bass fishing is good. Carolina rigs and small to medium crank baits have been producing more consistently than other baits. Primary and secondary points and flats are the places to throw the Carolina rig. Depths are varying from 3 to 10 feet and more. Try a Zoom Finesse or U tale worm in June bug or green pumpkin on a 1/0 Gamakatsu extra wide gap hook. Attach 2- or 3-foot leader of 12-pound line to 14- or 17-pound main line with a half-ounce weight. Crank baits have worked on the same points and around rip rap, docks, rocks, blow downs, and in coves and pockets. For depths of 2 to 6 feet, try a ¼ ounce Rat L Trap, #4 and #5 Shad Rap RS, and Bomber Model 6A. Some good baits for 7 to 10 feet are a Fat Free Shad #6, Norman Deep Little N, and Rapala DT10. Most chartreuse patterns along with chrome blue and crawfish patterns should work. Spinner baits may get more consistent very soon with the average temperatures moderating. Try a 3/8-ounce Stanley in chartreuse with a single gold Colorado blade on the points and rip rap. A tandem blade model usually works best around wood and grass. Work the jigs and Texas rigs around docks, brush piles, and blow downs. Staying light has been best, but power fishing these baits should get better. The full moon is March 7, 2023, so expect waves of fish to move shallow.

LAKE JACKSON IS .63 FEET OVER FULL 60'S

Bass fishing is good. Up in the rivers the water is reaching 55 to 56 degrees and the bass are moving up to start looking for the perfect spawning area. White spinnerbaits are the favorite this week and fish are on structure they can find. Docks and stumps are getting a pounding and some nice bass are being caught. A small number are being caught on top water with Chug bugs. The top water bite is still a week or so away. Jackson is known for heavy cover especially around the numerous boat docks. Texas rigged worms are the best bet and keep a close watch on the Lowrance. The fish will be tight in cover on and around docks. Afternoons with the warming weather, the #5 Rapala bright jointed Shad Raps and the Rapala DT6 crank baits in shad patterns are working. Be sure to dig the bottom with the casts directly on the banks. The full moon is March 7, 2023, so expect waves of fish to move shallow.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA(More Info HERE)

• Surface Temperature: 69.9 F (21.1˚ C)
• Water Level: 49" Below Full Pool
• Water Visibility: 24"
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

This past month was the time for fish habitat installation in shallower waters to increase angler opportunities from the bank. Forty porcupine attractors and multiple brush piles were added and the locations for them will be available online. Anglers have been reporting an increase in crappie and bream catches. Bass numbers and size have been consistent since last month. One angler reported losing a 15-pounder right next to the boat. Who will be the one to land it? Here's a list of what the anglers are reporting to have had good success using for each of the following:

Bass: Bass are moving shallow. Try using a crankbait or live minnow.

Bream: Red Wigglers continue to produce bream. Anglers also report the bream are hitting jigs.

Channel Catfish: Anglers last reported using chicken livers, live baitfish, and cut baitfish.

Crappie: Anglers are reporting that using live minnows and crappie jigs are producing catches.

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

• Water Level: All bodies of water are at full pool.
• Water Clarity: Water clarity depends on rainfall. Most ponds and lakes are stained. Fox tends to be clear throughout the year.
• Surface Temperatures: 60 to 70 degrees.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Largemouth Bass: Male bass are moving shallow in preparation for spawning. The females are staged out deeper now and will move into shallow bedding depth as the temperatures and daylight increases. Plastic worms and lizards and shallow running crank baits work well.

Crappie: The crappie are ahead for the this time of year. They have already moved shallow. Minnows and jigs tipped with minnows are the go-to.

Bream: The bluegill will move shallow as the water temperatures rise. For now, bluegill are still deeper than 4'. The redear will prepare to spawn as the month progresses. Worms, wax worms, and small spinners will work. Fish at or near the bottom till temps get in the mid-70s consistently.

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