Georgia Fishing Report: July 5, 2024

We hope everyone had a safe Independence Day holiday (and maintained all existing digits) and are headed into the weekend strong with a fishing trip. Keep an eye on the weather, both the heat and any potential storms, and plan accordingly.

NEWS TO KNOW:

• Too Hot for Trout?: How do you know when it is too hot for trout fishing? No, not for you, for the trout! Trout Unlimited suggests using a water thermometer to test the temps in order to determine the best recovery/least amount of stress to the trout.
• Fishing in Metro Atlanta? YES! The Gateway to Fishing Program is dedicated to enhancing and promoting fishing in easily accessible and close-to-home public waters, like metro and suburban park lakes. Currently, the Gateway to Fishing Program is highlighting 10 Metro Atlanta locations that offer great fishing, with plans to continue adding new locations in the future.
• Fins and Feathers Go Together: Whether you are an angler that also enjoys bird-watching, or a bird watcher that might enjoy fishing or just visiting a Georgia Public Fishing Area (PFA) - we have the birds for you! With an average of 154 birds across 11 PFAs, you are sure to find a species to add to your eBird list and you might even can take home some fish for dinner. Check out our recent blog post, "Where Fins and Feathers Go Together," for more information.

This week, we have fishing reports from Southeast, North and Central Georgia. Leave any remaining fireworks to the professionals and Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

Congratulations to Jamie Boyette of Portal for setting the new Georgia state record for spotted sunfish (stumpknocker). The 12-oz. and 9-in. fish ate a 1/16-oz. midnight-colored Satilla Spin in the Ogeechee River. Lots of fish were caught this week from just about every system I got reports from.

River gages on July 4th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 7.1 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 2.1 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 4.7 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 6.3 feet and rising
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 4.7 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 5.5 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 3.3 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 3.8 feet and falling

New Moon is July 5th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVER

Jamie Hodge took his friends from Ohio fishing on the lower river this week, and they caught some big flathead catfish - their first ever - on rod and reel. It's a great video of him landing a big one. Joshua Barber and a friend fished the lower river on Friday and caught 5 bass up to 3 pounds and a 9-pound bowfin. They caught most of them on Texas-rigged worms, but they had one blowup on a hard plastic frog. They worked hard for their fish, and lost a few on the way to the boat, as well as the ones they landed. Teddy Elrod and Chuck Dean fished the lower river on Sunday and caught several bass on shad-colored flukes. It was a little muddier than they like it, but definitely fishable. 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).

SATILLA RIVER

The river was absolutely on fire before the rains several evenings this week. Jamie Storey and Chris Smith fished the upper river on Thursday evening and caught about 50 redbreasts and kept 20 of the larger ones. They also caught a half-dozen warmouth. All their fish ate 1/16-oz. bumblebee or crawfish Satilla Spins. Ronnie and Janet Clements and their friend Devin have been doing well for panfish by flinging rainbow-colored Satilla Spins along with some other colors. I got a report of a couple of anglers catching a couple dozen panfish in the lower river this week. They had redbreasts, bluegills, and warmouth. A Blackshear angler walked the small feeder creeks and pitched yellow, orange, and chartreuse Okefenokee Swamp Sallies and caught 87 sunfish 53 of them were fliers, but he also had spotted sunfish, warmouth, bluegill and shellcrackers. Remember that the Hwy 84 (Blackshear Bridge) ramp is closed for bridge construction (and will be for years…literally).

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The warmouth bite has been great again this week. Dionte Smith made 3 trips this week and caught a total of about 80 warmouth by walking the bank at the boat basin. One day he had almost 3 dozen of the tasty panfish. Aden and Chris from Kingsland fished with their family on Saturday on the east side. They caught several bowfin on white spinnerbaits. John Bittle from West Virginia fished with me on Friday from daylight until 9:30 when he had to leave, and we caught 36 fish total. He wanted to see a warmouth, so we tucked into a spot and caught and released a 9-incher on an electric chicken Assassin Tiny Shad. We then trolled for big fish and caught a bunch of bowfin on lemon-lime Dura-Spins. Our two biggest were 5-lb., 3-oz. and 4-lb., 13-oz. Mark Williams and RJ Martin had a great morning for warmouth on Wednesday. They had a couple dozen fish on jigs and yellow sallies. Mark's best jig was a white-chartreuse Warmouth Whacker Jig under a float. RJ had 8 on a yellow sally after losing his crawfish-colored Warmouth Whacker. They also caught a few warmouth and bowfin early in the day on Texas-rigged ringworms. I fished for 3 hours on Wednesday morning and spent way more time than usual fishing for warmouth because the bite was pretty good, even though I did not arrive until 8:30. I pitched white-chartreuse Warmouth Whacker Jigs under a float and caught a dozen nice warmouth before switching to trolling for bowfin. The bowfin bite was on fire - I caught them at will on crawfish-brass and lemon-lime Dura-Spins. When I got to a good looking spot I pitched the jigs and caught a couple more warmouth before heading in for lunch. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 120.55 feet (it got down to 120.45 before the evening rains this week).

LOCAL PONDS

Joshua Barber was seeing fireworks when a 6-lb., 10-oz. bass blew up on his Arkansas Shad colored Buzztail Shad rigged on a Capt. Bert's Toad Hook. He and a cousin caught 5 bass and missed a bunch of topwater hits on Tuesday at a local pond. They caught their bass on Senkos and Buzztail Shads. Jimmy Zinker fished a Worth County farm pond and a 7-lb. 6-oz. bass slammed his Squeaker Trophy Bass Buzzbait (designed by Pat Cullen). He is firing back off his night-fishing now that the heat of summer is here. John Ross fooled a big bass in the 6-pound range on Friday in a Waycross area pond. He was throwing a bruised banana plastic worm. BJ Hilton took his kids fishing in their pond near Brunswick this week and put it on the bass and big bluegills. I saw photos of several good catches of bream from Waycross area ponds this week. You should be able to catch them on bait or lures or even topwater bugs early and late in the day. Noah fished with his grandfather this weekend and caught some yellow bullheads in a pond near St. George.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Tides were pretty good the end of the week and into the early weekend, and reports were positive. A Brunswick angler fished the St Simons area on Friday and caught some nice topwater trout early in the morning. His biggest trout was a 3 1/2-pounder. He saw tarpon in the inshore waters that day, also. Capt. Cody Baker of Top Hook Charters out of Fernandina (fishtophook.com) said that the pogy pods were almost non-existent for them this week and thus the tarpon were not around. He did have some really good flounder gigging charters inside, though. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had some really good trout, redfish, and flounder catches on his charters this week. He's been running trips as early as possible to avoid the heat and afternoon t-storms, and he's been hitting the good bite. He's not throwing live bait right now but is keying on Gulp products (3-in. shrimp, 4-in. grub, 5-in. jerk shad and 4-in. swimming mullet) pinned on Zombie Eye Jigheads. The new penny color has been very solid for him this week. The redfish bite has been the most dependable with slot fish, a few oversized fish, and even a few young-of-the-year (9-11 inches) reds coming along. Based on his early catches of the babies, they got off a good spawn last fall, which is great to have 3 strong year-classes in a row. Fishing tight to flooded shell produced his fish. I talked with a couple different folks who fished Brunswick area docks and piers, and they fooled sheepshead and flounder primarily. Remember there is a carcass freezer at the Waycross WRD Fisheries Office at 108 Darling Avenue. The Coastal Resources Divisionis especially hopeful to get red snapper carcasses, but they also collect most inshore saltwater species, as well. All the supplies and information cards are in the freezer. Filet your fish then drop off the carcasses in the freezer to help with age and growth analysis of the various species. 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]).

NORTH GEORGIA

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

Looking to fish a new body of water this summer or just want more information on your favorite spot? Go and check out the Fishing Forecasts page on the Georgia DNR website!

Forecasts contain extremely useful information for any angler, including fishing tips, water quality information, fish attractor locations, and more.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA

Bass(courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing): Bass fishing is good and there are some fish on top water lures while they are under schools of bait. Start off throwing a Pop R's and a pointer 78 in American Shad color and if that doesn't get them excited throw an all white Rooster Tail when they come to the surface. The fish are suspended under the schools of shad and they aren't on the bottom so keep that in mind in figuring them out. Most of the schooling fish are in the pond and a half range. It takes some coaxing on some of the schools, but they can be caught with some persistence. Try the very backs of creeks and rivers early and late or if there is some cloud cover. Stay with the small worms and jigs in any dark colors. Also use a small green worm or a night crawler fished around the main lake marinas. Stay on the points on the main lake with a small Zoom finesse worms in greens on a Texas rig. Use night crawlers on a 1/8th ounce jig head and fish vertically. It's still slow at night for spots. The shad are on the surface at the mouths of most creeks and the main lake, and the spots are busting them off the top. Some schools are more finicky than others and the shad I am seeing them feed on are no longer than an inch at the most.

Crappie(courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits): As we move into July, you will need to downsize even more using small jigs, smaller jig heads (1/32nd oz. or less), light line (4lb or less) to improve your catch rate. We are not saying that you can't catch crappie on larger jigs if they are aggressive, but your best bet is to downsize as much as possible. Our best advice this time of year is to use your electronics to find deep brush in 18′ to 25′ of water and either cast jigs or cast minnows. You don't need expensive electronics to catch crappie…if you find brush, drop a floating buoy on the brush and use minnows and a cork set at 12′ to 16′, relax and enjoy your time on the water with friends and family.

LAKE HARTWELL

Bass(courtesy of Guide Brad Fowler; report via SC-DNR Freshwater Fishing Trends): Guide Brad Fowler reports that typically in July fish will be caught on drop shots and shaky heads around deep brush piles, and fish can also be "called up" to the surface offshore with topwater lures. Sometimes there is a good shallow bite in July, but with dropping water levels that looks less likely this year unless conditions change.

Bass(courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing): Bass fishing is fair. The hot days are here and bass fishing is overall tough. Any wind can stir up some better fishing. Stay out in the main lake and concentrate on fishing in 20 feet of water and carry the drop shot rigs with 6-pound test. Some bass can be suspended or holding to some type of structure in these depths. Now is a great time to ride the lake and scan the points, humps and ledges with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Now angler's and spend less time searching and more time catching once this technology unlock the lakes secret. This month can be great as the bass are generally in a feeding mood and anglers can trick them with many different lures. It often can be the case where any favorite bait and those anglers are most comfortable with and find success. Try the Spy baits and use light 6-pound test fluorocarbon as this is a light style tactic. Deep diving crank baits like the Rapala DT10 will reach the fish with ease on a long cast and light line. A slow retrieve stop-and-go retrieve will be necessary once the DT10 reaches its depth. Have the Carolina rigs and the Shakey Head worms and use them all day on the submerged structure.

Catfish(courtesy of Captain Bill Plumley; report via SC-DNR Freshwater Fishing Trends): Captain Bill Plumley reports that during July channel catfish will bite well in less than 20 feet of water on a variety of baits including cut herring, dip baits, and nightcrawlers. Flatheads can be caught at night on live bait.

Linesides(courtesy of Chip Hamilton; report via SC-DNR Freshwater Fishing Trends): Captain Chip Hamilton (864-304-9011) reports that at the end of the June there were still smaller fish in the mouths of coves and in gullies off the main channel, but more fish were already holding in the river channel itself in 50-80 feet of water. Sometimes they will get on the bottom in holes between the standing timber, but more often than not they actually suspend in the trees. However, you have to look at both every morning because last year they were more oriented to holes in the timber. Herring on down-rods are the main pattern.

LAKE LANIER

Linesides(courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tales Guide Service (404-510-1778); report via Southern Fishing): Lake Lanier is at full pool and temperature is 85+ degrees, time for trolling is upon us. Fish are near the river channel and creek channels where they intersect. There is still a strong live bait bite in the same area. Blue backs fished on down lines 30 to 50 feet deep. Trolling lead core has been working fishing 8 to 9 colors approximately feet 240 to 280 behind the boat using your big motor at 2.5 to 3.5 mph. The umbrella rigs fishing 110 to 150 feet at the same speed. It's hot out there so keep hydrated and remember to wear your life jacket. Charters available 404-510-1778 Buck Tales Guide Service.

Spotted Bass Targeting: The start of July means more hot weather to come, but there's still good ways to escape the heat and have a great time fishing. FCP Fishing (find their videos at youtube.com/@FCPFishing) starts the day early and targets Spotted Bass on Lake Lanierto show folks how it's done.

Bass(courtesy of Phil Johnson ([email protected], 770-366-8845); report via Southern Fishing): Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is a few inches below full pool with water temperature running from the mid to upper eighties. Except for the boat wash areas, the lake is clear. The rapid climb in heat has pushed the bass more into the deeper brush in the twenty-five-to-thirty-foot range. There is still top water action, but it tends to slow as the sun gets higher during the day. Humps, long points and ledges have been the target areas for all of the techniques. For the top water bite the Chrome Slickstick, the Jerk Shad and the OG20 (with wind) have all produced fish. Work these over and around the brush to find the early scattered fish. Once the sun is up the quarter ounce Spot Choker and the drop shot have been able to draw the bass from the brush. With the Spot Choker stay far enough off the brush so that your cast lands ten to fifteen feet past the brush. Use your FFS or count down your bait to the right depth and slowly retrieve with an occasional twitch. For the drop shot use a number one hook with a three sixteenths weight on eight-pound fluorocarbon to work both in and around the brush. Make sure you are working vertical to the brush to prevent getting hung up. The Blue Lily and Sweet Rosy worms have consistently produced. Docks with shade have been holding some bass but it's critical to get your bait as close to and under the dock as you can. Any of the green pumpkin colors have worked under the docks. It's hot but they will bite so Go Catch 'Em!

Crappie(courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton (770-530-6493); report via Southern Fishing): Crappie are in the summer pattern suspended 12 to 15 feet deep over a 30' bottom. We are fishing with minnows on blow downs. For jig selection am using white and black colored combinations with a slow retrieval. 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.

WEST POINT LAKE

Bass(courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing): Bass are suspended in 12 to 20 feet of water and have moved into their summertime pattern. They are hitting Carolina rigged worms in black grape and June bug and dark blue. Several good catches have been in the mouths of Wehadkee Creek, Veasey Creek and Stroud Creek right before dark. This month can be great as the bass are generally in a feeding mood and anglers can trick them with many different lures. It often can be the case where any favorite bait and that anglers are most comfortable with can find success. Old roadbeds are good summer locations. Cranking main lake and river points with a deep diving crank baits has been productive for early morning fishermen. Make sure and let the bait sink deep enough before starting to reel it in. The bass might be just a foot or two deeper than anglers are fishing. Check out the Liberty Hill area upriver for some good crank bait fishing.

WEISS LAKE

Bass(courtesy of Mark Collins, Mark Collins Guide Service www.markcollinsguideservice.com, 256-996-9035): Bass don't go real deep on Weiss in the summer so anglers can catch bass from very shallow water, as long as there is 4 to 5 feet of water nearby. There is no need to dredge 20 plus feet of water like on many lakes during the hot summer months. Keep it simple. A crankbait that will run 10 feet deep, a big worm rigged on a Texas or Carolina rig, and a beaver type bait rigged for flipping, are all he needs to time of year.

Catfish(courtesy of Mark Collins, Mark Collins Guide Service www.markcollinsguideservice.com, 256-996-9035): Catfish are biting in the bays and creeks in 8 to 15 feet of water, cut bait is working best.

RIVER REPORT

Fly Fishing Georgia's Stonewall: Take the time to read the "Fly Fishing Georgia's Stonewall" article by Jimmy Jacobs about Stonewall Creek, a lesser-known trout fishing stream found in north Georgia. You can find this article and more at ontheflysouth.com.

Trout Stocking(courtesy of Trout Stocking Coordinator John Lee Thomson): In the last two weeks, June 24-July 5, 80,000 trout have been stocked in north Georgia. Stocking rates remain high as trout inventories are still above normal for this time of year. Despite very little rainfall, stream flows and temperatures are still adequate to support trout stockings in most of our regularly stocked rivers and streams, weekly stocking report. The low amount of rainfall has our streams in north Georgia running gin clear, so if you are staring at a bunch of trout, they see you too. These conditions will slow the bite and anglers should move slowly and wear drab-colored clothes to not spook these trout. Covering a lot of water and presenting a variety of baits will also improve success. The stocking rates will be reduced later this summer so Go Trout Fish Georgia now and take advantage of these fresh stockers.

Mixed Bag(courtesy of Jeff Durniak, Angler Management; report via Unicoi Outfitters): For folks still staying around these parts, your trout fishing should be restricted to cold tailwaters and high elevation streams before lunch. River and pond bass and bream are a good bet if y'all hit them early and late. River stripers are around in good numbers but are super-picky in clear water. Try them after a hopeful rain stains the flows.

Wes' Hot Fly List:

• Dries: tan elk hair caddis, parachute black ant, tiny chubby Chernobyl, small yellow stimulator, parachute Adams,
• Nymphs & Wets: pheasant tail nymph and soft hackle, drownedant, green weenie, zebra midge. Small glow UGA and squirmy works for stockers.

Streamers & warm water:

• (Trout) Squirrely bugger, sparkle minnow, and mini shimmer buggers for stockers. (bass & stripers) polar changer, stealth jig, wiggle minnow, craw changer, boogle bug popper, Kent's stealth bomber.
• (Panfish) amnesia bug, small chubby Chernobyl, bluegill spider, dry and wet ants
• (Carp) Gorgan craw, squirmy hybrid.

Tailwaters: The winter water stored in Lanier and Blue Ridge will make those two tailwaters best bets for Georgia trout. Stocked rainbows will hit bright egg and squirmy patterns and some stripped woolly buggers. The Hooch's wild browns are partial to tiny black midges and stonefly nymphs. Holdover bows and browns on the Toccoa can be convinced with dry/dropper rigs and maybe a big, articulated streamer if you're trophy hunting.

Warm Rivers: Area rivers are clear from the lack of rainfall and warming up with these hot days. The bass and bream action should start heating up, as well. Try some popper/dropper combos for both. Also strip some bigger streamers for the bass and maybe a bonus striper. Stripers are still camped out at Nacoochee Bend for the summer but have been nearly impossible to fool with a fly. We need a good rain and dirty water for guests to score, so watch the weather forecast before coming up. Feel free to call our Unicoi Outfitters Helen shop (706-878-3083) if you want to book an opportunity to wade out and catch one on the fly.

Pond Fishing: Small lakes are still fishing well. It's a fine time to paddle around their perimeters at dawn or dusk and toss poppers toward the bank. There are plenty of local opportunities for yakkers and canoeists to capitalize on this summer fly-fishing action. Stop in the shop for some intel - and maybe a new Feelfree kayak.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

This week gave us mornings that have been muggy but mostly cloudy with an occasional nice breeze. Hopefully, this trend will continue as it has allowed early morning anglers to extend their time fishing. Recent rainfall was not enough to relieve drought conditions in our area; However, hurricane season is upon us, and summer is in full swing so afternoon and evening storms should be expected. It is important for anglers to be prepared for inclement weather while fishing. Check out the article 8 Things to Remember if You Get Stuck Fishing in Bad Weather from takemefishing.org.

Now, let's take a dive into this week's central Georgia report. Information comes courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing report, other contributors and WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 80'S

Striped Bass (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guides Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) and Jerry Kotalagree that there is some really good striped bass fishing right now and it is making up for a very slow spring with the striper. On the lower end Wendell's boat is finding the fish suspended 30-60 feet deep over 80-100 (or even 120) feet of water in the river channel and on deeper flats. They are related almost exclusively to bait schools, and herring on down-rods have been the ticket. In the mid-lake, Jerry's boat is also catching striper, and they are finding them 40-50 feet deep close to the bottom. They are on the edge of standing timber.

Bass: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com) Guides Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) and Jerry Kotalhave had similar experiences with bass fishing and the consensus is that the bass fishing has been pretty tough. Jerry is not seeing fish in very deep water yet and the bass he is marking have generally been around brush in 15-20 feet. However, they are not feeding very well. The few fish he is picking up have been in the same areas as the striper but suspended higher in the water column around the timber. The one consolation is that they have caught some nice spots this way.

Crappie (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Jerry Kotal reports the action has slowed down because the fish are now basically feeding in shorter windows either early or late. You can almost forget about catching crappie during the heat of the day. The best action is coming halfway down in 20-25 feet of water around timber in the creeks. Both jigs and minnows will work during the feeding windows.

Catfish (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that catfish action continues to be strong. Fish can be caught from 15 feet to the banks around coves and points, and they will eat anything from worms to dip bait to cut bait.

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Fish just off the grass points and pockets with buzz baits, frogs and number 8 X Raps. The first three hours of the day seem to be the best. The Carolina rigged lizard and worm are still working in the deeper water and some bass are still chasing schooling thread fin shad. Keep a top water bait handy and the Chug Bugs and Pop R are working really well. Now is a great time to ride the lake and scan the points, humps and ledges with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Spend less time searching and more time catching once this technology to unlock the lake's secret. There has also been some schooling action throughout the day. Keep a Zara Spook and a Spro Dawg 100 or a pearl Zoom Super Fluke tied on. Any rain passing through look for the shallow bite to turn on. Try fishing back in the deeper coves Spro Bronzeye frog in natural red along the shadows on the banks.

Striper and Hybrids: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): The hybrid and striped bass are highly suspended on Clarks Hill, and Captain Rocky Fulmer with Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that the fish are generally about 20 feet down over 80 feet of water on the main Savannah River. They are roaming and feeding on schools of bait as they make their way towards the lower lake. They are not really related to anything, and you just have to look for them on electronics. Everything they are catching has been on down-rods. There may already be some fish on the oxygen lines, but Captain Rocky has not been there yet.

Crappie: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com):Little River Guide Service reports that even as it gets really hot the crappie are still biting pretty well, and while there are certainly deeper fish, Captain Rocky has been finding them in 16-18 feet of water on brush piles way up the creeks in slightly more stained water. Sometimes they are suspended and sometimes they are on the bottom, and that can have a lot to with time of day or whether they are pulling water. Depending on the generation cycle they will also pull out of the creeks at times, and then return. Rocky is only fishing minnows right now.

Catfish: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Captain Chris Simpson reports that as a result of the spawn the fishing has gotten pretty tough. It should get back to normal next week. The best pattern is still anchoring on points and humps in 5-25 feet of water in both the creeks and on the main lake. Cut herring, bream and gizzard shad will all catch fish, and fishing at night is more productive.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Most of the lake is clear with a little stain up the main creek and rivers and in the back of the pockets around the lake. As the bass are in their summertime pattern fishing deep or near deep water will be the best bet. Using a Carolina rigged worm on the end of long point or under water island is a good place to start. Before fishing an area spend some time looking at Lowrance Structure Scan technology looking for the baitfish in the area the before going to fish. If find the baitfish spend some time fishing there if not move on to on next point and until the bait schools show up. The area called the bull hole and the pipeline on the main lake is a good place to spend some time. Flipping a Zoom Mag 11 or an Ole Monster under docks will also bring a few good fish. Work the docks that are in near or in deep water. Work all parts of a dock to see where they are holding.

Linesides & More (courtesy of Elite Guide Service): Guide Nick reports two viable methods this time of year. Option 1 is the tried-and-true method of targeting deep crappie on around brush and submerged structure with live bait or jigs. Livescope is extremely helpful once these deep congregations have been located. Option 2 is the run-and-gun approach of trolling, and Nick has had success recently with the Mini Mack umbrella rig. Target depths between 20' - 35' once you find the schooling linesides, and prepare to boat great numbers with an occasional big fish.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The lake is clear and there are fish scattered on docks lake wide and a trick worm skipped under them will get a bite. Ride by the docks first and scan them with the Structure Scan side imaging technology. No fish don't stop. Mid-day head up the river. Cast Pop R's, Skitter Walks and Thunder Dogs early on the shaded docks and any grass close by. A black buzz bait or a Spro frog and get attacked. Then go to the Rapala DT6 and Bandits in greens. Take along some Zoom June bug trick worms and use a #2/0 offset Mustad worm hook and use Sufix braid so angler's can get them out of the cove. Chatter Baits and worms to fish isolated stumps and lay downs in Murder Creek. Always have a spinnerbait and a buzz bait tied on anytime of the day or night. Black Jitterbugs are working on docks up Little River after dark. This month can be great as the bass are generally in a feeding mood and anglers can trick them with many different lures. It often can be the case where any favorite bait and those anglers are most comfortable with and find success. Night fishing is a little better but day is especially good early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Now is a great time to ride the lake and scan the points, humps and ledges with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Now anglers and spend less time searching and more time catching once this technology unlock the lakes secret.

Linesides(courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing): Dillan reports that the pattern remains the same for Linesides on Sinclair. The bite is steady fishing downlines over 20' - 30' bottoms. Net what bait you can find-gizzards and threadfin haven't been too hard to find if you're looking at the right time of day. Some flatlines are still producing at times, but the surging water temperatures will soon kill that bite. Focus on main lake points similar to those around Nancy Branch and the airport. Use your electronics to locate schools those spaghetti string-like schools. You may even luck up and land a big blue or two if you're hunting the right holes!

LAKE JACKSON IS FULL, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Top water action is limited so target shallow fish in the early morning. Look down lake on main lake riprap and seawalls. Also look for fish feeding on open water shad during the early morning and in overcast conditions. Fish shallow on rocky points very early and late in the day. Fish can also be found in the main lake blow downs without fishing particularly deep. While the fishing can be hit and miss, quality fish are being caught out to 15 feet and deeper. Fishing for reaction strikes with the crank bait can be a good strategy. Use Shad Raps to take fish out to 8 foot of water. Jigs work well for catching fish in all depth ranges, particularly on wood and other structure targets. If the top water bite isn't happening in the early morning, throw jigs, shaky heads, and crank baits instead. Cranks will cover water and jigs or worms will take fish from specific shallow structure and sea walls. Work the points, humps, blow downs, brush, docks, and rocks. Drop Shot rigs are particularly productive this time of year and use the finesse worms to fish passing directly under boat on the Lowrance. Also use the rig on short casts to fish holding deep on the bottom.

Jackson GON-tel: Find some brief but informative suggestions for summer bass fishing on Lake Jackson in the GON Forum.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

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

• McDuffie PFA Information
• Surface Temperature: 82°F and rising
• Water Visibility: 22"+
• Water Level: Most lakes are full
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: The bass are still biting early morning and late evenings. Target bass in midwater, 5-8ft deep, using a few different bottom/sinking lures. This technique is yielding nice fish in the 2-3lb range. Following shad schools is always a good bet.

Bream: Nice fish are lining the peninsulas of both Willow and Bridge Lakes. Successful anglers are using crickets, worms, and black soldier fly larvae. They are also biting deeper with warmer temperatures as well. Sink your baits a bit deeper than normal near structures, water intakes and siphon structures.

Channel Catfish: Catfish bite has remained steady. The fish are biting on the usual stink baits, worms, and shrimp. Try casting into deeper water from the docks across the area and the dams of Bridge Lake.

Striped Bass: Striped bass and hybrids are still being caught topwater on Bridge Lake. Nice four to six-pound stripers have been caught lately.

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

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA(courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Amory Cook and Deven Thompson) -

Due to the lack of rain and a small period with the well under the weather, Flat Creek PFA lake water levels are dropping quickly. Bank anglers will find it easier to cast into deeper waters during this time.

• Water Visibility: 27"
• Water Level: 37" below Full Pool

Bream: The bream bite has been consistent. The best bet is to use red worms fished either on the bottom or deeper under a float around shallow flats and weed lines.

Crappie: The crappie bite is hot on cloudy mornings. Reports of 2 pounders being caught are coming in. Targeting crappie deep and on vertical structure is your best bet. Lure choices should consist of white jigs for artificial presentations and minnows for live bait.

Catfish: The catfish bite continues to be excellent with anglers having success with fishing crickets under floats near the shore and chicken livers on the bottom in deeper holes.

Bass: Best bet is targeting bass around aerators and deeper attractors utilizing deep-diving crank baits and worms during the day and fishing near the bank with top water plugs and buzz baits later in the evening and at night. Summertime is the best time to target bass cruising shorelines in the evening.

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 PFA Manager Jamie Dowd)

• Marben PFA Information
• Water Level: All ponds and lakes are full.
• Water Clarity: Most ponds have 20" visibility. However, Fox is clearer and has a visibility near 3'. Heavy rainfall will reduce visibilities.
• Surface Temp: Low 80s degrees.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: The warm temperatures still have the bass back pushed out over deeper water. The shallow morning bite along weedlines or in the timber is still viable, but as the sun gets up, you'll need to look deeper to find the bigger fish. Topwater poppers and frogs are an excellent choice first thing in the morning. Jigging a worm or casting deep-diving crankbaits can be effective later in the day. Stay versatile and on the move to find fish roaming rip rap or holding tight to structure, as there is plenty of it in the lake.

Crappie: The crappie bite is still viable, but you need to locate deep structure to find them. Boaters seem to do well fishing over deep brush piles. Live minnows fished vertically over structure can call them up.

Bream: The bluegill bite is hot right now. The usual pink worms and wax worms are the ticket. You may pick up a few shellcracker as well if you place your presentation close to the bottom.

Hybrid Bass: Look for shad schooling early morning and late afternoon. Put your bait right in the school and hold on. Hybrid bass pack a punch.

Channel catfish: The catfish bite is excellent in the summer. Fox Lake along the rip rap are good targets this time of year, but any lakes indicating catfish will produce bites with patience. Cut baits like livers and hearts, or nightcrawlers fished along the bottom will produce.

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