Georgia Fishing Report: August 16, 2024

Heard word on the radio this morning that this weekend might be the last of the temps in the 90's…that sure will make the fishing days a little easier!

NEWS TO KNOW

• Trout Tips: Need some summer trout fishing tips? Check out our North Georgia report below and check out the article "5 Summer Trout Fishing Tips for Beginners" at TakeMeFishing.org/blog/july-2021/.
• 2024-2025 Hunting and Fishing Regs: The new combined (1 book!) Hunting & Fishing Regulations and Seasons Guide are in stores and online.
• New Designs Added - 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 Southwest, North, Central and Southeast Georgia. Heat or not, we know we are gonna pack up and hit the water anyway, so let's Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

The lake is full and water temperatures are over 85 degrees, which makes the bass very lethargic and requires a slow presentation to entice a strike. Texas-rigged Trick Worms in pumpkin, watermelon and June bug colors are great choices. Any soft plastic with a bit of red on it seems to be the current hot color. Really slow presentations are the way to keep the bait in front of the fish. Anglers should also be able to connect with early morning frog baits in and around the grass. After the sun rises it is time to move after the bass in deeper waters and on ledges which can be caught with jigging spoons once you find a school of baitfish.

The bluegill and shellcracker bite is still strong if you can stand the heat. Fish are mostly active early and can be caught primarily on live bait such as crickets and worms. The bream are less likely to chase a beetle spin or other artificial when the water is this warm. Bluegill bed almost every month of the year, so keep an eye out for bedded fish. Also, don't forget that bream will often bed in the same locations every year so if you had a good spot earlier in the year or in previous years, it is worth the effort to check if there are currently actively bedding fish in your favorite bedding areas.

The crappie fishing has been consistent and mostly an early morning bite. Look for schools of crappie in around 20 feet of water near structure on the edge of the river or creek channels. Most successful anglers are using minnows.

LAKE SEMINOLE

The lake is at full pool with water temperatures in the mid to high 80s. The Flint and Chattahoochee arms of the lake are still stained due to the amount of rainfall we have had over the past few weeks.

The bass bite is more challenging in the summer as water temperatures grow increasingly hot. Bass will be seeking the shade and deeper waters for refuge against the heat of the day. Anglers on Lake Seminole are having luck with bass biting topwater just before daybreak and late in the day. Try fishing with walking baits over submerged vegetation. Frog baits have also been performing well over holes in grass beds. If you aren't having luck with topwater, try switching to a worm pulled through the grass. Look for ledges or deeper water if you are fishing after daybreak when temperatures start to increase.

As a reminder, Striped Bass seek refuge in cool water springs to survive the hot summer. In Lake Seminole, there are marked areas around five fish refuges where fishing is prohibited from May 1 - October 31 each year. With water temperatures in the mid-80s these fish will be concentrated in these zones as they try to survive the summer months.

Bream and shellcracker will continue to bed throughout the summer. Anglers have success early in the day with live bait. When bream are active near their beds, it is the perfect time to get kids involved with fishing and the great outdoors!

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

Due to recent and afternoon storms the water conditions are still a little muddy on the lake though starting to improve, yet this muddy water has not stopped the bites. There are reports of large swarms of mayflies around the lake, with a good number of bream being caught. So, it's a good time to go bream fishing if you are interested! The second most frequent catch this week is catfish, with some white crappie being found occasionally as well. If you are interested in bass fishing you might want to hold off, as they have not been reported biting well with current water conditions.

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA RIVERS REPORT

FLINT RIVER

Fishing on the Flint has been tough over the last few weeks due to the amount of rainfall we have had. The river has been high and very muddy. Flows are receding this week and water clarity is improving. The catfish bite has been decent in the deeper bends of the river. Bass fishing should improve with water clarity with fish holding deeper due to the high-water temperatures. Bream fishing should also pickup as mayfly hatches continue.

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

The Chattahoochee River has had better water clarity than the Flint River, so fishing has been better. Decent catches of catfish have been recorded. Fish are being caught in deeper bends and on noodles.

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

BIG LAZER PFA

• Information about Big Lazer PFA at GeorgiaWildlife.com/big-lazer-creek-pfa
• Surface water temperature: 84.1^o F
• Water visibility: Visibility is about 18 inches
• Water level: Water level is 6 inches below full pool
• Big Lazer PFA Fishing Guide

In general, August and September hot temperatures can make fishing at Big Lazer challenging. However, cooler temperatures are on the way, which will improve the bite.

Largemouth Bass: Moderate - Bass fishing has slowed because of the very hot temperatures. However, a few can still be caught in deeper water. Anglers should try a shad look alike in 3 to 8 feet of water and fish out from the bank at least five feet. Sometimes, several larger bass can be found in the shade of the fishing piers. Feeding bass will be most active during the early morning and later in the evening. Try bass fishing with shallow presentation of dark colored crank baits and plastic-worms during the low light periods.

Crappie: Poor- Because of the warm summer temperatures crappie tend to move into deeper water as well as scatter themselves over much of lake. This will make them difficult to locate but you can try easing through the standing timber presenting live minnows and/or brightly colored jigs at different depths for your best chance of catching a good-sized crappie.

Bream: Good - Most bream are closer to the banks and seeking shady cover to keep cool. Crickets and worms are excellent live bait for bream. Also, small grub like plastic jigs can work well anytime of the year; try black, white, and chartreuse colors. Bream have small mouths so fish with small hooks for the best results. Fish for them in shallow areas around shady spots with smaller hooks. Look for down trees and other areas with cover to throw your line.

Channel Catfish: Good- The rocks along the dam are always a good spot to try and catch big channel cats. However, cat fishing has been good in deeper water over much of the lake. Some catfish are being caught on cut bait and shrimp as well as worms (flat tails) and livers.

SILVER LAKE PFA

• Information about Silver Lake PFA at GeorgiaWildlife.com/silver-lake-pfa

Silver Lake: Surface temperatures are steady in the upper 90's. Most anglers are targeting bass on top water in the morning and evening. Poppers along weed lines and weedless frogs with the pads are the best producers of quality fish.

Panic Pond: Pond will open September 1.

Cutoff Pond: Pond is closed for renovation.

House Pond: Bluegill fishing has been slow as most keepers have been caught over the last few months. Most big Bluegill are being caught on worms and crickets near the feeders with the occasional Hybrid Striped bass taking the bait. Anglers are also having luck with Satilla Spins around the feeders and near stumps in deeper water.

Frog Pond: Channel catfish are the primary target and most fish being caught are 10-14 inches. They are most active in the morning and evening and can easily be caught from the dock with worms under a bobber. The 11-15 pounders are still out there. These big cats tend to be pickier but can be caught on chicken livers and stink bait.

NORTH GEORGIA

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

Despite the mid-summer heat, anglers are plugging away on their favorite waterbody and catching trophy fish. Over the last few days, Chase Martin landed a trophy largemouth bass from a small community lake in Habersham County. Courtney Cannon of Columbus caught a king-sized shellcracker weighing just over 2 lb from a nearby Georgia Power Lake, and Phil Black caught a 13 lb channel catfish from Lake Tugalo. These recent reports of trophy catches are a subtle reminder that good fishing can occur any time of year, even during the dog days of summer. To help tip the odds of success in your favor, below are this week's tips and tricks from Ken Sturdivant and his supporting cast of fishing guides plus a few insights from our DNR team. You can find more of Ken's fishing reports along with information about classes and other valuable resources at his website: https://www.southernfishing.com.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant) -

Bass fishing is good, and the lake is holding a little more water this week. There is a good top water bite around shad schools lake wide. Pop R's Spitting Image and then Carolina rigged mini lizard in green pumpkin on the main lake humps is fair. Use worms in the Zoom gourd green finesse worm on a Carolina rig. On docks and wood use a Texas rigged Culprit red shad worm. Add some extra jack Juice scent to lure. Also, around docks, the Pop R in baby bass will draw strikes. The glimmer blue Zoom trick worm is fair. Cast right on the docks and work slowly. Up the rivers and creeks, use Rapala hot mustard bream colored crank baits in the pockets. Around the bridges and docks, the Rapala #5 Shad Rap in the shad and black back is fair but get the baits as close to the docks as possible.

Crappie (Report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits):

• Area Fished: Blockhouse, Galt's Ferry, Kellogg Creek, Victoria, S-Turns & Little River
• Jigs Used: UV Shad Dagger, Watermelon Ghost Dagger, and Motor Oil Red
• Technique: Casting Soft Plastic Jigs & Spider Rigging

The summer heat is beating down once again this week, but the Allatoona Crappie are still eating. We were able to pick up several nice slabs this past week! This time of year, the days are long, and the heat is on which makes it tough for any fisherman. If you understand the summer pattern, you can still pick up a few active crappie in the early morning and after dark. Most of our fish are caught spider rigging with minnows this time of year. This past week we fished only a couple of days due to the heat. On the water before sunrise and off the water by 1100. The crappie are still suspended around 14′ to 18′ on brush and structure. Even though it was hot, we still managed 30-40 crappie each day moving between known or discovered locations.

WEST POINT LAKE (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant) -

Bass fishing is fair and has been slowly starting to improve over the last few weeks and hopefully will continue to get better as we move on into the month. High water levels and a large mayfly hatch continue to keep at least some of the largemouths pushed into shallower water than normal. This year we have seen a continued bite on shallow water baits such as Spro Poppin Frogs Zoom Super Flukes and top water baits such as Zara Spooks and Pop R's. As the weather continues to get warmer and the lake drops a little, expect the fish to show up on the deeper more normal summer structures such as old lake dam's, roadbeds and deep brush piles. Big crank baits like the Model 7 or 8 Bomber Fat Free in citrus shad color or a football jig are good choices for deeper fish. A Carolina rigged Trick Worm in green pumpkin will also catch its share of fish. Another fairly reliable pattern is to try a buzz bait or spinnerbait in shad patterns around patches of rip rap rock near the bridges first thing in the morning. For spotted bass try a shaky head with a Zoom Shakey Tail worm around bridge pilings brush piles or rocky banks. A Zoom green pumpkin Finesse worm on a Carolina rig will continue to produce fish throughout the summer. Try fishing the mouth of the larger creeks. Gravel points and shoal markers are a good place to start on the south end of the lake for the best results

LAKE LANIER (Report courtesy of Phil Johnson. [email protected] 770 366 8845)

Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The bite has been somewhat up and down this week with definite feeding windows. It seems the bite has picked up more later in the day which may be due to there being more wind. There is still a good top water bite happening on humps and the ends of long points that have structure on them in 25 to 35-feet of water. The Riser KO, Gunfish and Vixen have all produced well this week. As I mentioned, the wind is a key factor in how well these baits work. The drop shot around the deeper bush and on the ledges has also been a good choice this week. Lanier Baits Fruity Worms in Blue Lily, Sweet Rosy and Epic Flash have caught the most fish. Another bait we have been using is the ¼ or 3/8-ounce Spot Choker paired with a three-inch paddle tail swimbait around the brush. You can work this bait at the depth the fish are located in the water column with a steady retrieve or work it vertically around the structure like you would a spoon. With the heat we are having the water temperature will be climbing so look for the fish to drop a little deeper and even check out the deeper docks that have good shade. Big fish are still coming in the boat so Go Catch 'Em!

Striped Bass (Report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778) - Lake Lanier stripers are scattered throughout the southern part roaming in small groups. Down lines over the river channel using blue backs fishing 35 to 55 feet deep. Trolling umbrella rigs 150 feet behind the boat at 2.5 to 3.5 mph. Lead core fed out 8 colors using Capt. Mack's 2-ounce chipmunk jigs at the same speed is a good way to start. Trailer in chartreuse seems to be very popular.

Striped Bass Side Note: (Report by Anthony Rabern, DNR Fisheries Biologist) - As a side note, the Gainesville fisheries staff was on the lake on Thursday morning measuring the lake's water quality profile. Our measurements indicated that temperatures and dissolved oxygen concentrations could support striped bass at depths from 30 to 45-feet deep. We observed a lot of striper anglers fishing off the main lake channel from the mouth of 2-Mile Creek down to the dam. We even got to see an angler or two catch a few stripers.

Crappie (Report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493) - Crappie have been biting better this week than all last month. You can find crappie suspended 12 to 16 foot deep over a 20-to-40-foot bottom. This week's catch was 90% live crappie minnows. The jig color combination we had luck with this week was black and grey with a slow retrieval.

WEISS LAKE (Report courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service www.markcollinsguideservice.com 256 996 9035) -

Bass fishing is fair. Look on the shallow creek bends and bank cover. There are some fish chasing shad early and late. On the creek ledges use a dark worm on a Texas rig will get strikes and the fish are aggressive. Any wood and a Texas or Carolina rigged worm in watermelon seed and use a brass and glass weight for extra sound. Work worm baits on the points and ledges. Bright Rapala DT6 and DT10 crank baits in fire tiger and crawfish will also work. Cast any lure tight on any banks with heavy wood and around docks. On the upriver creeks mouths slowly roll a spinnerbait with gold and silver willow leaf blades. Floating worms are also good in any color.

LAKE HARTWELL (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant) -

Bass fishing is an early bite especially on shaded areas with any big rock close by. Try pitching jigs or Texas rigged worms around blowdown trees or under boat docks. This pattern seems to work best when the sun is out. The fish like the shade and covered areas. A good deepwater, mid-day pattern is on the roadbeds and pond dams especially those with cover. Some decent fish can be caught with the Carolina rigs but use a 4-foot leader and a green pumpkin Zoom lizard.

Linesides (Report by Anthony Rabern, DNR fisheries biologist) - Concentrations of blueback herring were charted this week within eyeshot of the dam at a depth around 40-feet with probable hybrid bass circling just underneath the schools. On the other hand, striped bass are looking for cooler water with sufficient oxygen, which is around 125-feet deep.

Lake Nottely Striped Bass (Report by Anthony Rabern, DNR fisheries biologist) - Lake Nottely supports a quality striped bass population, but the next few weeks puts the "squeeze" on this fishery. Sufficient coolwater habitat is restricted to the forebay of the dam, but the amount of habitat is diminishing rapidly. On Tuesday morning, schools of herring were marked from 90 to 105-feet deep, and I suspect that a few stripers were close by. We also observed a number of spotted bass feeding at the surface on the lower lake just offshore of points and islands over a bottom depth of 20 to 30-feet.

TROUT REPORT

Now that the summer crowds have thinned down, we have noticed an uptick in the number of older anglers who are venturing out on a late-summer camping get-away at one of the many state parks located across the North Georgia mountains. Most of their fishing effort is targeting the stocked trout streams, and from my windshield, they are hammering the fish! I watched one elderly lady catching one fish after another on a silver bladed Mepps Spinner. She was having a blast and only keeping enough fish for that night's dinner. If you've got some free time this week, we are still stocking trout almost every day through the end of the month. You can find our trout stocking list that is published every Friday afternoon by visiting GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout. If the current list does not pop up, please hit the Refresh button located at the top left-hand corner of the webpage.

Here's a recent report on NGO from the Lanier Tailwaters from an avid angler who flyfishes in the Lower Pool Park area. "Today, as has been the case for the last four weeks, I fished the Hooch below Buford Dam. The oxygen level is low at the dam, water is turning green, it is hard to see the bottom, and the bite is slow. Regardless I was lucky and caught a few, drifting, swinging, and stripping a #8 or 10 beaded black wooly. Also, I tried a beaded olive wooly and had several hits on it, but only landed one of them. Most, if not all, were caught on the swing." Please note that we are still stocking the tailwaters but check Friday's stocking list to make sure.

There are a few places to trout fish in the mountains of Towns County. Soapstone Creek is a well-known stocked trout stream, but so is the Hiawassee River. Visit the On The Fly South webpage to read a fun story from Steve Hudson that highlights the upper Hiawassee River.

All that's missing from a memorable fishing outing is you…so get out there and have fun!

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)

The dog days of summer are here, and while the heat can present challenges as fish adjust their own foraging tactics amidst the summer swelter, anglers that remain versatile with their presentations will find and land fish in August. The Wired2Fish writers recommend that you "adjust your tactics as needed and try to fish during the cooler parts of the day. Consider going after dark if you can, or maybe switch target species to those that bite more willingly in the heat, such as panfish. Bring plenty of water and get out there." Wired2Fish.com also offer some specific tactics for targeting bass in August, so check out the informative article What We're Throwing in August - Wired2Fish. Okay, now let's jump into this week's Central Georgia fishing report, courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing report and other contributions by WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

RIVER REPORT

No intel from the rivers this week other than the all-important fact that, with exception of the Ogeechee, river levels have returned to their pre-Debby discharges and should be clear and fishable. Whether you're targeting striped bass in the Savannah or shoal bass in the Ocmulgee, this weekend presents a great opportunity to find success in the cool, flowing waters of our central Georgia rivers. If you need help charting out your adventure, check out the Interactive Fishing Map to pinpoint the ideal float trip. If you need information on species and techniques to consider for August, check out our Fishing Forecasts, which are updated annually courtesy of our WRD Fisheries Biologists.

RESERVOIR REPORT

Reservoir reports are courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing report and other contributions by WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing has been tougher the past few weeks with all the rain but should improve as the water stabilizes. Fish 15 to 25 feet deep on drop shots rigged with the Zoom Z Drop and finesse worms. Now the bass set up on summer patterns around ledges and structure with deep water nearby. Once the summer bite gets good throw Zoom Ol Monster and Zoom Mag II worms on the Texas rigs and Carolina rigs. With the high-water temperatures, the bite always seems to get a little tough. Have the drop shot and Carolina rigged Zoom Trick Worm or Zoom finesse worm especially on the deeper drops on the main lake and at the mouths of the creeks.

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 4.2 FEET, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Some bass are starting to become more pressured on the humps so using the football jigs will work while worked slowly. Switching to something smaller like a drop shot can also produce fish on the humps. Try the drop shot vertically on bridge pylons but these typically tend to be smaller fish. Even as the temperatures continue rising look for some fish to be shallow. Buzz baits and frogs fished around shallow cover in more stained water can produce some huge fish in the heat of the day. If the fish miss the buzz bait casting a Ned rigged Senko as a good follow up bait. Green pumpkin Zoom U tail worms on the Texas rig are also taking bass when thrown into brush piles and around docks. Be sure to stay close to the main river areas this month.

Striper and Hybrids: (courtesy ofanglersheadquarters.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.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Bass in the mornings are after buzz baits and the Pop R and smaller Zara Spook Jr. in bine. Add a feather treble hook on the back hook. Make sure keep the bait right on the bank or up against the seawalls. The fish are exceptionally shallow. As the sun gets up stay focused on the shaded areas for the better fish. Once the shade disappears or the top water bite ends is to flip the docks or fish brush piles and laydowns. Fishing crankbaits the Fat Free shad on the drops near any cover is working. Slow is the answer to a good stringer of bass. If the deeper crank baits do not work have the Zoom pumpkinseed 6-inch lizard rigged and a 3-foot leader on the Carolina rig and fish this really slowly.

Linesides: Guide Doug Nelms says that the striper fishing has been in a slump recently, but should be greatly improving with the onset of the August full moon (the Sturgeon Moon) on the 19th. Trolling large and small umbrella rigs like the Mini-Mack and downlining live bait over schools of stripers will be effective.

JOIN IN THE FUN: The first annual Lake Country Fishing Expo will be held August 17th, 2024, at the Rock Eagle Conference Center. The Address is 350 Rock Eagle Rd, Eatonton, GA 31024. This will be a multi species event featuring seminars about bass, catfish, crappie and stripers. Admission is $5.00 or a family for $25.00. Contact Jim Lumpkin, [email protected] or (478) 718 4113 for more information. WRD Fisheries and DNR Law Enforcement will be in attendance at this event, and we look forward to seeing you there!

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.6 FEET, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. The morning bite is crucial with the sun getting up very early during the summer months. Covering water with a buzz bait seems to generate a majority of the quality bites and helps pick off a few active fish first thing in the morning. Once the sun is out docks seem to be the significant pattern and should stay consistent. Use the Lowrance electronics offshore to find any cover or structure that may be holding a fish in 15 to 25 feet of water. A Carolina rig, crankbait and jig are all good choices for targeting these deeper spots. Fishing can be tough, use the technology to find the bait and the bass will be close by. Keep moving and try another location. A drop shot or shaky head are good options if the fishing is extremely slow.

JOIN IN THE FUN: The first annual Lake Country Fishing Expo will be held August 17th, 2024, at the Rock Eagle Conference Center. The Address is 350 Rock Eagle Rd, Eatonton, GA 31024. This will be a multi species event featuring seminars about bass, catfish, crappie and stripers. Admission is $5.00 or a family for $25.00. Contact Jim Lumpkin, [email protected] or (478) 718 4113 for more information. WRD Fisheries and DNR Law Enforcement will be in attendance at this event, and we look forward to seeing you there!

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 0.5, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Go early and late evenings as this is easier fishing to avoid the traffic. Midday can offer some good fishing as well. Early morning top water is the best presentation to catch fish. Running and gunning shady areas will draw strikes until the sun gets high. Once the sun is up a Carolina rigged Zoom mini lizard and a trick worm on long points near deep water is what to throw. Humps will hold bass as they have made their way to their summer hideaways. Electronics are a big key to locating bass offshore on humps, ledges and drop offs. These will be the key areas to check out for bass for the next two months. Early mornings will be the best bet to catch of bass. Have the #5 Rapala Shad Rap in shad patter ready and use this bait on 8-pound test Sufix Advantage clear line on a spinning reel to get it a little deeper.

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: 51" below full pool
• Water Clarity: 29"
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: The largemouth bass bite is starting to pick back up as we step into the dog days of summer. Expect fish to be 1-3 pounds with the occasional 6+ pounder. Best bet is jigs and worms fished extremely slow on the bottom around submerged, deeper, structures.

Crappie: Reports of crappie have been few but larger "slab" sized black crappie have been reported, your best bet for a catch would be a small swim bait or larger jig fished with a cast and slow retrieve. Best locations to target them right now will be around the aerators and deeper submerged trees later in the evening or early morning.

Bream: The bream bite is continuing to be active with through out the season. Most fish caught will be 5-7" but some but expect some larger 8"+ fish to snatch your bait. The key to success is patience as the fish are moving slower due to extreme water temperatures. Your best bet right now will be live worms or crickets fished on or very close to the bottom of deeper shelfs or shallow shaded pockets.

Channel catfish: The catfish bite continues to be excellent. Fish 1 to 3 pounds are extremely common and the occasional 8+ pounder is 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.

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.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

The southeast Georgia blackwater rivers are still blown out, but ponds, lakes, and saltwater have produced some good reports this week.

River gages on August 15th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 12.4 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 1.7 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 9.5 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 14.6 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 16.6 feet and falling (record high for the date)
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 12.7 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 14.5 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 14.4 feet and steady

Full Moon is August 19th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVERS

The Ocmulgee is fishable (even low in the upper, rocky reaches) for panfish and bass. The Altamaha is falling out within the banks and should be a good option later in the week. For this week catfish would be your best option in the middle to lower Altamaha. 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).

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The fish are still spread out into the prairies with the high water. You might luck out into a few fish, especially in the boat basins on either side, but I'm not fishing there this week… The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.90 feet.

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR EASTMAN)

The bass bite was good late last week at Dodge County Public Fishing Area. Bryan Smith had the 2 biggest I heard of - a 7-lb, 6-oz whopper and one just over 5 pounds. Another angler caught 4 fish that same morning that totaled 7 pounds (his biggest was 2.75 pounds). This is the time of year to hit the offshore points, humps, and brushpiles. Shad-colored crankbaits around schools of shad work well first thing in the morning, then shaky head plastics are hard to beat once the sun gets up.

LOCAL PONDS

Joshua Barber fished a local pond on Friday and caught 7 bass. He fooled them with Senkos, speed worms, and buzztail shads. Most were caught by slowly crawling a Senko. He tried a new pond one evening and set the hook on a big fish. Unfortunately, it wasn't a bass, and the 6-pound bowfin took him for a ride before he finally landed it. I fished a Brunswick area pond on Friday for a couple hours in the middle of the day. The bass bite was pretty good on offshore structure. I banged a vibrating jig and shad-colored DT6 crankbait around brushpiles and got 6 bass to bite (my biggest were 5.13 and 4.38 pounds). I also fooled 5 channel catfish that were the perfect size to be guests of honor at a fish fry the following night. Chad Lee fished on Friday during his lunch break and caught a nice, fat 4-pounder on a Whopper Plopper in the middle of the day. Jimmy Zinker got back into his nighttime bass fishing this week and duped a 6-lb., 6-oz. bucketmouth with a black Jitterbug. He lost a monster that dove and got him down in the grass before pulling off.

SALTWATER (GA/NORTH FLORIDA COAST)

Pam Sweeney tried out her new Trout Tamer Rod from their Brunswick area dock and caught a 4-spotted redfish with it on Saturday evening. Blake Edwards fished with me this week in the Jacksonville area backwaters, and we caught some big trout. Blake had a 21-inch gator (3.0 pounds) that ate a pink Sea Shad under an Equalizer Float, and I had a 23-incher (4.3 pounds) suck down an electric chicken 4-inch Keitech swimbait under an Equalizer Float. The lure of the day was the electric chicken/Equalizer rig, and we ended up catching exactly a dozen trout with it. About half of them were keepers, but we released them all. We had one keeper eat a fire tiger-colored twitch bait, but the topwater bite was totally dead. Don Harrison and I fished the St. Marys Jetties this week, and the water looked like we were miles up the St. Marys River (it was blackwater the whole time on the end of the rocks). The bite was really slow, but we managed about a half-dozen each bluefish, jack crevalle, and black sea bass while flinging bucktail jigs and plastics. After your next trip to the Georgia coast, drop off your fish carcasses in the freezer at the Waycross Fisheries Officeat 108 Darling Avenue. The Coastal Resources Divisioncollects 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]).

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