Georgia Fishing Report: August 30, 2024

Like many other states, Georgia has experienced Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) introductions. Though some of these introductions are the result of range expansions or climatic events (e.g., hurricanes, etc.), most are the result of human activities.

Moving live fish, aquatic plants, or mussels from one body of water to another can cause irreversible damage to the existing ecological balance of Georgia lakes, rivers, and streams. Releasing unwanted aquarium species or other non-native species into a water body can have severe negative impacts on native fish and fauna.

Let's all pledge to protect Georgia waters! Visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/ans for more information or to report ANS sightings.

NEWS TO KNOW

• Want to join the DNR team? You can find information about available careers and open job opportunities at gadnr.org/careers.
• 2024-2025 Hunting and Fishing Regs: The new combined (1 book!) Hunting & Fishing Regulations and Seasons Guide are in stores and online.
• Fishing or Hunting License "Hard Card": Add a Hard Card license to your wallet. Show off your love of hunting and fishing in Georgia with a license hard card. Choose from four different designs - a shoal bass, turkey, mourning dove or redbreast sunfish. Your current licenses are printed on the reverse of the card. Sign in to your customer account at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com and grab yours today.

This week we have fishing reports from Central, Southeast, Southwest (waiting!), and North Georgia. Thank you for protecting state waters and for getting out there to Go Fish Georgia!

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 80'S

Bass: (Reportcourtesy ofKen Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. The early morning periods are good with the Rapala Shad Raps and Rapala Scatter Raps along the banks. The rip rap rock is also holding fish but only until about 9:30 a.m. at the latest. After mid-morning, the vast majority of the bass are being caught out in the deeper water along the main lake points with Carolina rigs. Fish from 20 to 25 feet deep with the Zoom mini lizards and 6-inch lizards in green pumpkin. A jig or Carolina rig along with six-inch U Tail worms will work and add some Jack's Juice garlic scent and a add some Spike It red dye for a little more color to these baits.

Striped bass (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in August they expect to continue to find a good bite for striped bass on the lower end of the lake with down-lines. Another group of fish will be found in shallower water below the Hartwell dam where cool conditions on the upper end of the lake can draw striper to that area.

Crappie(courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that fish will stay on deeper brush in the creeks in August, but they can head for cooler water if the creeks get too warm. They will be caught on jigs and minnows.

Catfish(courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that catfish will be caught this month in 10-35 feet of water on cut herring and more.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 4.9 FEET, 80'S

Bass: (Reportcourtesy ofKen Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. Deep cranking a Rapala DT14 and DT10 are catching some quality fish but not a lot. Underwater humps on the Navionics chips will show angers these areas. Main lake points fished early in the morning with X Raps, Rapala DT14 and RS Shad Raps are still working. The smaller shoal bass on river bass along with some red eyes are being caught here. Also continue to pick apart the heavy cover along the ledges with the jigs and Texas rigged worms.

Striper and hybrids: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Little River Guide Service reports that in August catchable fish should be concentrated in a small area in the lower lake where they will be caught on down-lined herring in deep water. Earlier in the day they can be shallower, and as the day goes on, they will move deeper. A lot of fish will be in the vicinity of the oxygen lines.

Crappie: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com):Little River Guide Service reports that there is traditionally very little fishing activity for crappie in the heat of August, but fish are usually around deep brush where they can be caught on minnows. At the end of July, the bite was better than expected in the backs of creeks and it could stay the same for a while this month.

Catfish: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Captain Chris Simpson reports that in August fish will continue to move shallower early and late and deeper during the heat of the day. Fan-casting baits at a variety of depths is the best pattern.

Habitat Management: Biologist Aaron Gray and Technician Greg Abercrombie from the Thomson District office covered the remaining half of Clarks Hill's 70,000 acres this week to conduct annual aquatic vegetation surveys. This survey targets the presence or absence of non-native hydrilla at hundreds of sampling sites throughout the reservoir. Efforts to reduce hydrilla densities on Clarks Hill began over a decade ago when researchers discovered that a bacteria harbored by hydrilla were linked to a fatal disease (AVM) in bald eagles on this reservoir. Great news! Only one site yielded hydrilla, an indication that biological control efforts remain effective at keeping this troublesome aquatic nuisance species at bay. The eagles are grateful, too!

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80'S

Bass: (Reportcourtesy ofKen Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. The rivers have a light stain, and the main Lake is clear. There is an early morning bite on white Bass Pro Shops Enticer ¼ ounce buzz bait. Look for main lake sea walls. Do not overlook the docks and dock poles. This pattern will only last for the first hour of daylight. After the buzz bait bite move to docks and start working the back shaded areas with a worm. Texas rigged Zoom green pumpkin is the first choose. A shakey head will work as a change of pace. Another pattern that is producing fish is deep diving crank baits in a shad pattern fish off of humps and ledges on the south end of the lake. These fish are holding in 10 to 20 feet of water.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.8 FEET, 80'S

Bass: (Reportcourtesy ofKen Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. It is an early bite. Soon the shad will be moving to the shallows in the creeks and coves and the bass are right behind them. Soon the action will pick up when the weather breaks. Soon the bass will be gorging themselves in preparation. Shad will be the primary forage for the bass. Shad imitating lures such as top water baits, crank baits, spinner baits and flukes will be most productive. White or chrome colored top water baits such as a Lucky Craft Sammy will be hard to beat walking them back over stumps or brush on shallow flats. Bigger fish will also fall victim to a white Buckeye Lures DH2 buzz bait fished around heavy cover. Mid-morning and throughout the rest of the day.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 1.5, 80'S

Bass:(Reportcourtesy ofKen Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is slow. The best pattern on catching spotted will be to stay up in the rivers. The Alcoy River or the Yellow River is producing some bass. This water is a little cooler and current is a good thing for bass fishing. Docks and heavy structure is easy to find on this lake and will be the place for the bite now. Use a Zoom u tail worm in June bug or green pumpkin with either a 3/16 or ¼ ounce weight rigged Texas style. Flip, pitch or cast the red shad color up under the dock starting with the areas nearest the bank. Work the entire dock on both sides and the front then move to the next one. The brush piles between the docks as well as the lay down trees should all be worked with a worm and a spinner bait. Tussahaw Creek is a favorite. The small Zoom finesse worms in red shad can work better down lake. The Texas rig, and peg the sinker, will prevent hang ups in the brush piles and add a Venom worm rattle in the baits for the extra noise.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA(courtesy of McDuffie PFA Manager Chalisa Fabillar)-

• McDuffie PFA Information
• Surface Temperature: 85°F
• Water Visibility: clear-to-stained
• Water Level: All lakes are full
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Schooling shad can be seen on the surface in the early mornings and evenings. Bass are following just underneath these schools of forage, waiting for an ideal moment to ambush. Slow-sinking soft plastics cast just ahead of these schools mimic dying shad-easy pickings for a largemouth in pursuit. Alternatively, casting and quickly retrieving small crankbaits among these schooling shad will imitate wayward or injured prey that can also draw a strike. Jigging a worm around submerged structure or deeper fish attractors will produce quality-sized fish during the dog days of summer.

Bream: Late-summer bream fishing at McDuffie requires versatility. As we approach the next full moon (August 19th), bluegill and readear will be attempting at a late-summer spawn. Seek out nest aggregations in 2-4 feet of water and use crickets or red wigglers fished just below the surface over these beds. Otherwise, fish around brushpiles and blowdowns. A beetlespin or in-line spinner fished just offshore of these features will draw them out.

Channel Catfish: Stocked in all McDuffie ponds, channel catfish are summer staple, and an ideal option for those seeking to set up a lawn chair and take it easy. Chicken livers, hearts, nightcrawlers, and hotdogs weighted to the bottom will put fish on the end of the line. Try a variety of depths to figure out where they are foraging.

Striped Bass: Few recent reports of stripers being caught. Warm water temperatures will push striper to deeper water and peak feeding activity will occur at night and dawn.

Reminder: Live fish/minnows are not allowed on our PFA's

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (this week's intel courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Amory Cook and Deven Thompson) -

• Flat Creek PFA Information
• Water Level: 63" below full pool
• Water Clarity: 19.5"
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Largemouth bass: The largemouth bite is steady with the occasional bass being reported. Expect largemouth to average 1-3 pounds with the occasional 6+ pounder. Best bet is jigs and worms fished extremely slow on the bottom around submerged, deeper, structures.

Bream: The bream bite has slowed a bit. Most fish caught will be 5-7" but some but expect some larger 8"+ fish to snatch your bait. The key to a good catch is patience as the fish are moving slower due to the heat. Your best bet right now will be live worms or crickets fished on or very close to the bottom of deeper shelves or shallow, shaded pockets.

Catfish: The catfish bite this week has been great with some larger fish being caught. Fish 1 to 3 pounds are common and the occasional 8+ pounder has been reported. Your best bet to target these bottom feeders is live or cut bait fished on the bottom in deeper water or around lay-downs, submerged trees, and brush piles. If live/cut bait is not obtainable, other bait sources like small chunks of chicken liver, chicken gizzards, or even chicken thighs have been producing good fish as well. Anglers may see a large uptick in catches of smaller-sized catfish this week thanks to a recent stocking of over 15,000 intermediate catfish that were hauled in from McDuffie Hatchery. These precious upstarts have a decent chance to reach harvestable size by next fall, if they don't fall victim to a hungry largemouth in the meanwhile!

Crappie: Crappie have been hard to catch this week, but are definitely still available, late evening and night fishing is the key. Try fishing jigs around structures and schools of bait extremely slow and wait for that little thump!

ATTENTION ANGLERS: Flat Creek PFA staff are conducting an annual angler (creel) survey on the lake this year. If you are approached by a PFA staff member after your fishing trip, please take a moment to answer their questions and share information about your fishing success (or, lack of success, whichever may be the case). These surveys are a valuable management tool that can improve our understanding of the fishery and ultimately improve fishing quality on the reservoir.

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Marben PFA Manager Jamie Dowd) -

• Marben PFA Information
• Water Level: All ponds and lakes are full.
• Water Clarity: 16" to 36". Smaller bodies of water are more turbid due to heavy afternoon thunderstorms. Fox Lake visibility is 4` or greater.
• Surface Temp: Mid 80s - low 90s.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Early morning and late afternoon have been the most productive for bass. Try topwater in early morning then transition to deeper water as day progresses. Try to find schools of shad at Bennett, Fox, and Shepherd. Cast crankbaits and swimbaits. Find brushpiles/structure and use a soft-plastic presentation slowly. Target shaded overhangs and undercut banks as well.

Crappie: Few are being caught this time of year, however, there are a handful of successful anglers who target crappie suspended over deep structure. Minnows are great or jigs tipped with minnows.

Bream: Full moon will be a little after the middle of the month. Expect bream to feed heavily prior to spawning. When fish are spawning (~2-4'), try to position your bait in the bed or as close as possible. Waxworms, crickets and pink worms continue to be good bait.

Hybrid Bass: Nice hybrids are being caught at Bennett early morning and late afternoon around schools of shad. Try baits such as crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and swimbaits that imitate shad.

Channel catfish: The catfish bite is excellent in the summer. Most lakes have catfish populations and can be fished most effectively with cut bait, livers, and nightcrawlers. Fox and Bennett Lake were stocked with several thousand small channel catfish this week. Although these fish are small now, anglers should see a nice boost in catfish numbers come by next summer.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

The fish are starting to move out of their summer patterns and move around more. It can be good and bad. It's good because they feed better than in their mid-summer mode, but it's sometimes hard to find them in the fall.

River gages on August 29th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 4.4 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 0.7 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 4.7 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 7.9 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 9.9 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 4.1 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 7.8 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 11.5 feet and falling

New Moon is September 2nd. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVER

My prediction in last week's report about the Ocmulgee was correct. The bass bite was good on that river. Don Harrison and Scott Robinson fished with me this past weekend, and we caught and released 22 largemouth bass and 3 bowfin. Our 3 biggest bass were between 4.29 and 4.56 pounds. The only fish caught on a moving bait was a 4.29-pounder that ate a blue shad (white blade) Dura-Spin. Everything else was on a Texas-rigged plastic worm, and junebug was the color of the day! I tried to force-feed them green pumpkin in the clearer water (about 2 feet visibility), but they were not having it. By the time Scott landed the first half-dozen bass on junebug, both Don and I switched and started putting them in the boat also. Bill Stewart and Ronnie Music fished the lower Altamaha River on Tuesday and said that conditions were not bad, but their bites were few and far between. They landed 7 bass up to 14 inches (had several keepers but released them). A blue Texas-rigged worm was the best, and they could not get them to hit a black or chartreuse worm. They said the visibility was about 18 inches. Two-Way Sportfishing Club is hosting a catfish tournament on September 21-22nd. It will be a rod and reel only tournament. For details, contact tournament directors Jamie Hodge (912-271-8589) or Tiff Thompson (229-938-4789).

OGEECHEE RIVER

Dan Clary and Daniel McNair of Brooklet fished the river on Saturday. They fished hard pitching crickets under floats, rooster tails, and spinners but couldn't get them to eat. Daniel had the idea to back off and fish the deeper holes on the bottom with a Carolina-rig, and it worked. Red wigglers on the bottom are what the fish wanted. They ended up keeping 20 redbreasts and bluegills and an eating-sized catfish. They had 2 giant panfish and the rest were average sized.

SATILLA RIVER

Seth Carter and Luke Steedley fished the upper river for a couple hours one evening this week and got a few bass to eat buzzbaits. They didn't have anything big, but it was a fun evening!

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The water is still high, and the fish spread out, but it is dropping. A few fish were caught in the boat basins on both sides, but you will have to work for them. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.67 feet.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Dublin)

• Hugh Gillis PFA Information at GeorgiaWildlife.com/hugh-m-gillis-pfa
• Hugh Gillis PFA Fishing Guide

Ken Burke had a great day Tuesday at the area. He caught 10 fish for 16 1/2 pounds, with his big fish weighing 3 1/4-pounds. He lost another 5 fish that were about average size for the day. He caught his fish on crankbaits and shaky-head worms. Most of his bites were in the first few hours of fishing in the early morning. The water temperature was 87 degrees by noon.

LOCAL PONDS

Surprisingly, none of my buddies who frequent ponds in southeast Georgia fished this week. I would expect a decent bass bite early and late around shoreline cover, and you will probably have to fish offshore around cover (if your favorite pond has any) for the bigger panfish. You might be able to get a big bluegill to suck down a glow-bug at night if you have access to a blackwater cypress pond.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Several folks told me that the tarpon are starting to show back up in their pre-Debby locations inshore, but not in as big of numbers as before the storm. Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) said that the trout bite has been very good. They are catching lots of numbers but not a ton of keepers. A couple of friends fished the Brunswick backwaters on Sunday and caught 5 redfish on artificials. They had 3 small fish and 2 oversized brutes (28 and 30 1/2 inches). They said there was a TON of bait in the creeks. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had some great trips this week for flounder, trout, and redfish. He used artificials all week, except when he was bull redfishing. Monday and Tuesday they targeted flounder and caught two dozen good flatties over the two days. Along the way they fooled a half-dozen keeper trout and keeper reds. Wednesday was bull redfishing with bait on the bottom and they caught 6 nice ones as big as your leg. As a bonus, they found a dozen flounder on the way in. On Thursday they caught mostly short trout and reds, but they had a handful of keeper trout and reds. After your next trip to the Georgia coast, drop off your fish carcasses in the freezer at the Waycross Fisheries Office at 108 Darling Avenue. The Coastal Resources Division collects most inshore saltwater species so that they can determine age and growth for each species. All the supplies and information cards are in the freezer. Filet your fish then drop off the carcasses in the freezer. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is now open every day. On Mon-Thursday their hours are 6:30-10am and 2 to 5pm and Friday through Saturday from 6:30am to 5pm, and Sunday 6am to 5pm. They have plenty of lively shrimp and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. They're on Hwy 303 just north of Hwy 82. For the latest information, contact them at 912-223-1379.

Blog Contributer Capt. Bert Deener guides fishing trips in southeast Georgia and makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert's Jigs and Things on Facebook. For a copy of his latest catalog, call or text him at 912-288-3022 or e-mail him ([email protected]).

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

As of the time of posting, we had not yet received a report from Southwest Georgia. If we get one before end of the day, we will update this post! #keepchecking

NORTH GEORGIA

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

The only thing that can rival a good day on the water and that is taking in some college football. The big games don't start until noon, so get out early, beat the heat, and be home in time to cheer on your favorite team. The tips and tricks from the local experts below will make the best use of your time on the water.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA

Allatoona Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant of Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. Dish areas along the main lake such as points and secondary points. Soon the bass will begin to move back into the creeks following large schools of bait. An early morning buzz bait bite on bluff walls in the Little River area will produce a few good fish and an occasional largemouth. This is also a good month to fish a jig head worm. Try fishing it a little faster and shallow and the fish are active right now. Use the Picasso 3/0, 3/16-ounce tungsten head and a Big Bite Baits Shaking Squirrel finesse in tilapia on 7-pound test Sunline fluorocarbon line. This combo is super sensitive. Another good bait now is a soft bait like the Big Bite Bait Jerk Minnow. The Jerk Minnow mimics the many 3-to-4-inch threadfin that are migrating toward the creeks. Fish the Jerk Minnow on 14-pound test Sunline Sniper. Keep the bait moving very quickly as this can generate a good reaction bite that is necessary in the very clear water.

Allatoona Crappie (Report courtesy ofRed Rooster Custom Baits):

8/23/24

• Lake Level: Approx. 839′ (Click Here For Current Water Level)
• Water Temp: 82-86
• Water Clarity: Clear to light stain
• Area Fished: Blockhouse, Galt's Ferry, Kellogg Creek, Victoria,S-Turns & Little River
• Jigs Used: UV Shad Dagger, Watermelon Ghost Dagger, and Splatter Back
• Technique: Casting Soft Plastic Jigs & Spider Rigging

We had a nice break from the summer heat and a taste of fall temps as we searched for Allatoona crappie! We got started early in the morning and headed up the creeks looking for structure in the 12′ to 15′ depth range. We saw plenty of fish on the structures, but they would not bite! The secret to August crappie on Lake Allatoona is to "stick and move". We have several waypoints marked from years of recon that we check and fish. If the bite is not favorable, we move to the next spot. After checking a few spots, we located some active crappie and landed some nice 11″ - 12″ slabs. In case you are wondering, those are solid crappie in August on Allatoona. We typically do not keep fish this time of year unless we have a craving for fresh crappie, but with plenty in the freezer we let 'em all go to be caught another day. We mainly spider rig this time of year, but we do make a few casts using small jigs, like the Red Rooster Dagger, and a crappie nibble to see if any crappie would take the bait. We also used a 1/24th oz. Red Rooster custom hair jig with a small clam shell split shot attached about 10″ up the line. Small jigs and small jig heads make for a slow fall rate, like watching paint dry, but that's what these finicky Allatoona Black Crappie want in the summertime. We landed 25 crappie and 3 channel cats between 0600 and 1100…all in all not a bad day on the lake! We are thankful for every day that we get to spend on the lake in fun and fellowship. It had been over a month since I had been because I had carpal tunnel surgery and needed time to heal so this week was extra special! Remember to keep only the crappie that you need and release the rest to keep our great fishery strong for generations to come! Lord willing Team Red Rooster will bring you another report next week!

LAKE BURTON

Trout (Courtesy of avid angler Terry Roberts) - Georgia DNR stocks Lake Burton with over 10,000 brow trout annually. These trout are now stacked up in the cool deep waters near the dam. A slow drift/troll from Billy Goat Island to the dam produced numerous brown trout hits and one rainbow. The ticket was fishing blueback herring between 50 and 60 feet. Most of the brown trout were 15-18" and the one rainbow was over 20."

LAKE LANIER

Bass (Courtesy of guide Phil Johnson. [email protected] 770 366 8845) - Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is fair. Lanier is currently a foot and a half below full pool, and the water temperature is running it the mid-eighties. Overall, the water is clear with slight staining up some of the creeks. The dog days of summer are here, and the fishing is typical August tough. The fish have pulled out to the humps, ledges and end of long points that are closer to the channels. Brush in these areas is a definite plus but finding the pods of shad in the areas seems to be more important. There is still schooling activity with both the bass and the stripers throughout the day, but it can happen in any area at any time as the fish are simply following the shad. Many of the shad we see on the surface are one to two inches long so be prepared to downsize your baits as needed. The Lip Thrashin Riser along with either a ninety-five Gunfish or a Vixen have produced the most fish this week. For the days with the lighter wind the Riser has been the ticket and on the days with more wind the Gunfish is the first choice. After throwing the top water baits in an area we are working the deeper brush in the thirty-five feet or so range with the drop shot or quarter ounce Spot Choker with a two- or two-and-a-half-inch paddle tail bait. Work the Spot Choker the same as you would a spoon the winter at the depth you see the bass. On the drop shot we have been working Blue Lily, Sweet Rosy and Epik Flash worms. On some days you will need to shorten the worm to two to three inches to get bit. It's not uncommon to find brush with good numbers of fish around it but then have them ignore your baits so be ready to cover ground to find the active fish. It's definitely August but you can they will still bite so Go Catch 'Em!

Lanier Spots(Report courtesy of guide, Lanier Jim via GON Forum): Out with Matt on a morning trip…Matt wanted to learn more about fishing Lanier and what to do now and going into the fall and winter. Those that know me… you know I love fall and winter fishing! Those deep fish eat good. Today - we concentrated offshore…long points and humps with brush. Drop shot was the ticket with Blue Lily and Epik Flash being the two colors we used. Depth - 22′-28′ seemed to be the magic depth. Key was deep water nearby. Tons of suspended fish that we couldn't get to eat a spybait…not a lot of topwater activity but we did see a few come up. We were pitching the drop shot out 20′-30′ in front of us while we used Mega Live to watch the fish chase and eat our baits. We ran about 20 brush piles and fished 14-15 of them. I think Matt liked what he learned and saw…boating 10 solid keepers - no 20# bags - but a ton of fun. Matt and I are going to go back out later in the fall when the big schools start.

Lanier Stripers(Report courtesy of guide Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778) - Lake Lanier is going through the dog days of summer. Hot weather has made the search tough. Water temperature is mid 80's and a couple of feet below normal pool. Trolling lead core and umbrella rigs have produced some nice fish, and most are located on the south end on the lake. Trolling near the dam north to Young Deer in the river channels has produced, using Capt. Mack's 1.5-to-2-ounce chipmunk jigs with trailers in a variety of colors 240 to 280 feet behind the boat at 2.5 to 3 mph. Umbrella rigs trolling 130 to 160 feet back at the same speed is an option. Remember to hydrate and wear your life jackets.

Lanier Crappie(Report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493) - Crappie fishing is good. You can find crappie suspended 10-15 foot deep over a 20'-40' bottom. This week's catch was a mix of crappie minnows and jigs. The jig color combination I had luck with this week was grey on grey with a slow retrieval. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is a Acc crappie stix 1-piece rod and reel with a 4-6-pound test K9 line, along with Garmin Live Scope and Power Pole. For more information and tips, please visit my websites. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is a Acc crappie stix 1 piece rod and reel with a 4- or 6-pound test K9 line, along with Garmin Live Scope and Power Pole.

LAKE HARTWELL

Beat the Heat! Avid angler Jackie Whitmire from Toccoa found a way to beat the heat, fish at night. He had a great time landing several quality catfish in the back of gum branch on Lake Hartwell. This fun night of fishing did not require any fancy electronics or tackle. Just a thermos of coffee, a bag of cut bait, and some patience.

Bass(Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant of Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. Deep cranking a Rapala DT14 and DT10 are catching some quality fish but not a lot. Underwater humps on the Navionics chips will show anglers these areas. Main lake points fished early in the morning with X Raps, Rapala DT14 and RS Shad Raps are still working. The smaller shoal bass on river bass along with some red eyes are being caught here. Also continue to pick apart the heavy cover along the ledges with the jigs and Texas rigged worms. Downsize baits in these same areas and be sure to use the Structure Scan technology to find the bait and the bass will be close by.

Stripers and Hybrids (Report courtesy of DNR Fisheries Biologist, Kyle Rempe) - The latest profiles on Lake Hartwell indicate that the cool water habitat preferred by Striped Bass is becoming more limited to the lower end of the lake (ACOE 215 buoy and down) as summer progresses. Fishing live bait deep, in 80-110 feet of water, could produce some hits since that is where the viable "bubble" currently exists for them in terms of favorable oxygen and water temperature values. In the coming months, some of these fish will tuff out the low oxygen levels in the forebay of the dam while others will evacuate to better water quality in the river channels. These late summer conditions can make for a slow bite, but persistence and knowing the right stretches of water to troll will be your key to catching fish.

TROUT REPORT

Wild Trout(Report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters) - You can always count on the latest hot flies and headwaters tips by checking in with the Angler Management blog. Here is an excerpt from the free excellent intel out there, "New UO buddy JS: "My good friend Gayland and I headed into the freestone forest over the weekend to scratch the primal itch. Talking strategy while wandering up at the car, we agreed that the stained and slightly elevated waters warranted nymph fishing. I'd go with a standard beadhead pheasant tail, and he'd try a green weenie. After several empty drifts in a historically productive run, something seemed off. Indeed, another 30 minutes produced only a small bow and two chubs. Let's get to some cooler water.

A couple miles upstream and several nymph patterns later, it was more of the same. There *are* fish here. The drifts are good, we're ticking bottom, the hatch has been matched. While I hadn't seen a rise, I threw a proverbial Hail Mary with a size 12 stimulator, and the switch flipped. Three fish in the first pool, two in the next. 11 within the first ~120 feet of stream. The pattern continued for hours as we negotiated rocks and runs, plucking a combination of bows and browns from the generous pocket waters. Definitely some of the highest strike rates I've witnessed in the eastern US."

Stocked Trout (Report courtesy of John Lee Thomson, Fisheries Biologist/Trout Stocking Coordinator) - the trout fishing will be good over the Labor Day weekend because 32,000 fresh stockers hit the water this week. Heavy stockings were scheduled to create the best possible fishing opportunities for holiday anglers. Target the coolest streams in the mornings for the best success and check the trout stocking report to confirm your favorite spot got stocked. The stocking this week will conclude our regular weekly trout distributions but keep an eye out for limited fall opportunities. If trout are stocked, a fresh stocking report will be distributed on Friday about 3:00 pm. Sign up at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout to automatically receive stocking reports.

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