Georgia Fishing Report: June 28, 2024

Catch a fish, but make it a state record. Jamie Boyett did just that earlier this month! He caught a 12 oz, 9-inch spotted sunfish on June 15 that beat the old state record, caught in 2019, by 1 oz.

On the same day that Boyett's paperwork was submitted for approval, 15-year old angler Kaden Forsythe submitted similar paperwork for a state record spotted sunfish. It was heart-breaking to have to tell him that his catch, which would have tied the 2019 record, was beat that same day. We are sure that both anglers will continue to fish, whether that means a future state record or just spending a great day on the water.

NEWS TO KNOW:

• 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.
• 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. To make that happen, we are working with communities to raise awareness of existing locations, assist with helping improve fishing, and offering support for hosting fishing events. 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.

This week, we have fishing reports from North, Central and Southeast Georgia. Whether you are pursuing a state record or just happy to be out and fishing, we are glad that you Go Fish Georgia!

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)

North Georgia Fishing Report 6/28/2024: The heat is on and so is the fishing! If you don't heed the advice from them experts, and head out in the heat of the day, make sure to stay hydrated. Whether you are on the water or in the woods have plenty of water available. With the latest intel and tips from the resource managers and local experts you can land a toad like Colby Clayton reeled in from the mouth of Moccasin Creek on Lake Burton. Great job Colby!

West Point Lake is full, 80's(Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is good. The bass fishing shifts to a deep structure pattern. Hungry bass can normally be caught around submerged roadbeds, pond dams and deep brush piles. Zoom Old Monster or Mag 2 worms, jigs and Bomber Fat Free citrus shad crankbaits are good baits. Look for fish in 12 to 20 feet of water. When targeting deep structure like rocks, crankbaits are great because these can be fished quickly. Bang into the bottom and generate strikes from bass. Depending on the depth you are fishing, plenty of crankbaits will get down quickly and allow you to ply the depths. Also, a few bass always seem to stay shallow. Top waters, buzz baits and Senko's are good choices, and they try to go shallow especially early in the morning. One key pattern is to look for bream beds or mayfly hatches. Spotted bass also move to deeper cover. A Zoom shaky head worm on a jig will work around blowdowns, bluff walls and bridge pilings.

Lake Lanier is full, 80's (Courtesy of Kevin Thomas, WRD Fisheries Technician) - The striper bite is good. We had plenty of action freelining bluebacks in 35-65 feet of water on the lower end of the lake. At times we used weights to get our baits down and other times, dipsy divers. Both produced bites when trolling at .5 mph and following lake contour lines. Start at daybreak, not only will you beat the heat, but the bite slows as the sun gets higher in the sky.

Lake Lanier Bass (Courtesy of Phil Johnson, [email protected] 770 366 8845)- Bass fishing is good on Lake Lanier. The lake is currently about a half foot above pool and the water temperature is running in the mid-eighties. Overall, the lake is clear except for the big boats mud lines. It's the time of year where a little bit of everything is working at the right time. There is still a top water bite going on over brush in twenty-five to thirty foot of water, long points and humps. The fish are often not directly on the brush so scan the area to find their location for the day. Chrome Gunfish, Chrome Slick Sticks, flukes and Chug bugs have been the best producers for the top water bite this week. If the top water activity isn't happening, then the Spot Choker or the drop shot will produce fish. Use a quarter ounce Spotchoker with a three-inch paddle tail swimbait to work the fish around and over the brush. It's important to stay off the brush far enough to be able to cast ten to fifteen feet past the brush. Utilize your forward facing or count the bait down to the depth of the fish and slowly retrieve this bait back. The drop shot is used either directly in the brush or around the edges. On windy days a quarter ounce weight is good and on calm days a three sixteenth is fine. I'm using a ten-foot leader of eight-pound fluorocarbon backed by fifteen pound braid on a seven foot six medium action rod. I prefer the size one drop shot hook the built-in swivels to prevent the line from twisting. As the water temperatures continues to climb it will be necessary to work a little harder for them, but they are still biting so Go Catch Em!

Lake Hartwell is down .76 feet, 80'S (Courtesy of Captain Cefus McRea) - Summertime is officially here. But the fish haven't quite figured it out yet. Water temperatures vary depending upon which end of the lake you are fishing. Northern stretches have been warmer, in the mid to upper 80's, while the south end is a bit cooler with temps in the mid to lower 80's. Finding the cooler water is a better bet for catching linesides. As summer sets in, and the water really heats up, the thermocline will become distinctive, and the stripers will associate with it in the main river channels. Right now, they are still scattered in both the creeks and the river channels. Start off with a live well full of blueback herring from The Bait House in Hartwell. Add a dozen or so of their large shiners as well. Sometimes the stripers will get finicky and just scale a blueback. Downsizing to shiners can make a distinctive difference in your hook up ratio. Early morning, start your search pattern with live baits in the creek mouths where depths are 40 to 60 feet. You can still pull planer boards, as some of these fish will be chasing baits up toward shoal markers. Keep a blue/chrome MirroLure or silver/blue Sammy ready for some top water action. These could be stripers, hybrids or spotted bass crashing bait. Pitch your lure past the school and work it through the chaos and hang on. As the sun gets higher in the sky, move out to the creek channels in 70 to 90 feet of water and suspend baits to cover the water column from 50 feet up to 15 feet. Patience is key, as the schools will be moving from the creeks to the main river channel. You just need to be along their travel path, and when they show up, you will be rewarded. By mid-day, move to the main river channel over deep water and troll umbrella rigs and X Rigs, positioned 50 to 75 feet behind the boat. Look at the power generation schedule for Hartwell Dam, and plan to be in the main channel close to the dam about 30 minutes after the corps begins generating. The signal horn will be a clear indicator of generation. Late afternoon, and into the evening, you can switch back to live bait as the schools migrate back to the creeks. So it's just a reverse of what you did in the morning. Flukes and swim baits will catch fish, along with frisky blueback herring. Top water action can happen any time around dusk, so be ready for that too. Finally, if you see fish in the timber, position your boat and baits in the clearings between stands of subsurface trees. Pull out your drumming stick and call the fish to you. A fish trees has a good chance of getting tangled in the limbs and you'll never see the fish. Bring them to you by drumming and your odds of landing the big ones are much better. Want to go have fun on Lake Hartwell, and do some catching? Give us a call at 404 402 8329 to experience a great adventure on the lake. Tight Lines and Smooth Seas Capt. Cefus McRae

Lake Allatoona is full, 80'S (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. There is a fair top water bite around shad schools lake wide early. Pop R's, Zara Spooks will get action but once the sun is up go deep. When the sun is up, use worms in the Zoom gourd green finesse worm on a drop shot rig on a light Weedless Wonder shaky head. On docks and wood use a Zoom green pumpkin finesse worm. Add some extra jack Juice scent to lures all week. The Spy Baits are catching fish too. Cast right on the docks and work baits slowly. Use the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and scan the docks before mmm fish them. Just look for the dots under the docks. No dots, don't stop. Up the rivers and creeks and use bream colored Rapala DT6 crank baits in the pockets. Around the bridges and docks the #5 Rapala Shad Rap in the shad and black back is fair but get the baits as close to the structures as possible.

Lake Allatoona Crappie (Courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits) - The heat is bearing down on us on Lake Allatoona, but the morning and evening crappie bite is still going strong! The rule of thumb for summer crappie fishing on Lake Allatoona is to get on the water just before sunrise and off the water by lunch, once the sun gets up and hot it's time for a sandwich and a nap. If you can't go in the morning, the evening bite is strong the last hour of daylight into the night. It's summertime folks and for the next few months, the methods will be the same as mentioned in previous reports.

Spider Rigging is the preferred method for this time of year by crappie anglers and the crappie themselves. 4 to 6 12′ rods positioned in the front of the boat with a small crappie minnow lowered to various depths between 8′ to 16′ over and around a brush pile or deep-water structure. If you are serious about crappie fishing in the summer, you will need a spider rig set up on your boat. Now, if you are a bank angler, a slip bobber set up and a minnow will work for you around bridges, points that are situated close to a creek bend and fishing jetties. If you need more information on "Lake Allatoona Bank Fishing", do an internet search and there are some good articles and tips for locations and technique.

Spider rigging wasn't the only technique that works as we are catching several casting to brush using Forward Facing Sonar or "FFS". We were able to hook a few this week in the early morning casting to the deep brush using a 3/32nd oz. jig head and Red Rooster Daggers in natural colors. One of our tricks during the summertime and on windy days is to use a 3/32nd oz. jig head as it gets down to the 10′ - 12′ depth in half the time as it does when we use a 1/16th oz. jig head.

This time of year, it's hot, the air is hot and the lake is hot so the crappie are gonna be deep looking for cooler water with lots of oxygen and not as active as they would be in 55-65 degree water. Most folks fish for crappie during the spawn when they are active, but Crappie can be caught year around as long as you understand their patterns and hideouts. The summer pattern will not change until at least September/October when the water starts to cool, and the crappie start moving around again. Be safe out there and wear your life jackets as boat traffic is in full swing. 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 the weather will cooperate and we will bring you another report next week! God Bless and Be Safe!

Vogel State Park (Courtesy WRD Fisheries Biologist, John Damer) - While vacationing in the north Georgia mountains last week, our family stopped by Vogel State Park. At the center of the park sits Lake Trahlyta, which is a great scenic place to wet a line. Bank access is excellent as there is a walking trail around the entire lake, plus a small fishing dock, and a large, covered pavilion right over the water. You can also launch your own canoe or kayak or rent one of the ones offered by the park. I fished from the bank near the upper end where Wolf Creek feeds the lake with cool, clear water. Bream beds could be seen in several spots and fish were cruising the shallows. I caught a good mix of redbreast and bluegill, plus some leftover rainbow and brown trout from stockings that occurred earlier in the year when water temps were cooler. I had some success on a small black and gold Panther Martin, but most fish were caught on a black size-12 foam beetle on a 2-wt fly rod, which was great fun. No matter the species, finding shade was key to getting them to bite. Using light line also helped, since these fish do see their fair share of fishing pressure. If you are in the area, don't pass up an opportunity to check out this little gem of a State Park.

Stocked Trout Streams (Courtesy John Lee Thomson, Georgia Trout Stocking Coordinator) - With another hot week in the books the greatest trout fishing days are waning fast. With that said, 50,000 trout were stocked this week in preparation of high visitation for the July 4^th weekend. These fish will make great meal around the campfire and can easily be caught on inline spinners such as rooster tails and panther martins. If working these lures is difficult for you, check out the latest video from Pautzke Baits. They give you all the information you need for a successful trip without losing lures.

Cooler mornings are going to be the most productive. Another good tip this week for success, is to try some crickets or half a nightcrawler. Brown trout are being stocked in waterbodies across north Georgia, including Tallulah River, Soque River, Toccoa River, and the Lake Blue Ridge tailwater. Brown trout are spookier than our more heavily domesticated rainbows and the bite will shut off in a pool after landing a couple. Try covering more water and give pools a break after landing one or two. Check the Weekly Stocking Report to confirm your favorite stream was stocked.

Trout Tips (Courtesy Jeff Dredger of Unicoi Outfitters) - Greetings from the Topton post office, where there are enough bars to send this report.

Our hot and dry days continue, so our best bets remain headwater wild trout, high elevation stockers, icy tailwater trout, bass and stripers in clearing rivers, and pond bass and bream at dawn and dusk. Don't forget your sunscreen and bug repellent.

Check out the detailed fishing intel and more pics in the Angler Management blog post at Blog.angler.management.

Fish early, late, and in the shade for more cooperative fish and more comfortable conditions for yourselves. Stop in the Unicoi Outfitters shop in Helen or Clarkesville for some hot summer bugs.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

There's no debate about it-central Georgia has been hotter than a fresh biscuit this week! This time of year, seasoned anglers will cast their vote for early morning or late afternoon fishing excursions to avoid the mid-day swelter. Early morning fishing for summer bass is exhilarating, with topwater blowups being the prized pursuit for many anglers. The late afternoons can easily transition to fishing under moonlight for catfish, a summer staple from my memories as a young angler. Despite a slightly shortened optimal fishing window, there are plenty of opportunities to get out with family and friends this summer and enjoy an abundance of fishing opportunities here in central Georgia, and if the fish aren't biting, you've got a great excuse to take a dive in and cool off! 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

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. This lake is angler-friendly, and the spots are scattered all over the lake. But the most fish are up the river. Now find the small feeder creeks. With the warm water the bass will move up a little to the shallows and the water temperatures might be cooler than down on the main lake. Try the hollow bodied frog, soft stick bait Like Zoom Super Flukes and a jig or creature bait. These three will cover many bases and allow you to fish any cover before you. A frog is excellent because of its weedless. Fish the grass and any shallow back cover. Bushes, docks and other places bass hide. Jigs and three-foot Carolina rigs are fair but slow down. Three- and four-inch Zoom tubes are also working in the thicker brush piles in nine to twelve feet and deeper. Rig the Zoom finesse worms on the Texas rigs and peg the sinker. Add some Jacks Juice in the garlic sent to the tip of the tails. If the clouds move in, go to a darker color jig, tube or worm.

Striped Bass (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in June fish should be on both ends of the lake, with herring on free-lines working in the shallower upper lake and down-lines working in the deeper lower lake. Fish will also be holding around deep timber wherever it is found.

Crappie (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that fish will move onto deeper brush or natural timber this month where they can be caught on jigs and minnows. Night-fishing around bridges will also be productive.

Catfish (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that fish will move deeper this month into 15-25 feet where they can be caught on cut herring. May was an excellent month for catfish and expect more of the same at least to start June.

Russell Habitat Improvements (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Mark Rigglesford): 1,000 American water willow were planted on Lake Russell this week in a collaborative effort among WRD Fisheries work units from Walton district and Hatchery, Marben PFA, and partners from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Once rooted, water willow can really take off in dense shoreline congregations, which provides excellent habitat for fish, a target for anglers, and shoreline stabilization (among other benefits). Thanks to the Walton Hatchery Greenhouse project, tens of thousands of native aquatic plants are installed in reservoirs across the state! Find out more about water willows in our blog post "The American Water Willow."

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 80'S

Bass: Bass fishing remained steady last week, but the lake saw some rain last week and during the middle of this week. Hopefully this will jump start some sort of action as rain and a low-pressure system moves through this weekend. Bass anglers are still catching some off the grass point and pockets with buzz baits, frogs and #7 Rapala Shad Raps. Try the hollow bodied frog, soft stick bait Like Zoom Super Flukes and a jig or creature bait. These three will cover many bases and allow you to fish any cover before you. A frog is excellent because of its weedless. Fish the grass and any shallow back cover. Bushes, docks and other places bass hide. The first three hours of the day seem to be the best and anglers are still finding ways to catch with a drop shot especially mid-day. The Carolina rigged lizard and worm are still working in the deeper water and some fish are still chasing schooling thread fin shad. Keep a top water bait handy and the Chug Bugs, Whopper Poppers and Skitter Pops are working well.

Striper and Hybrids: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com):Little River Guide Service reports that to start off the month fish were still very shallow early, but this month they should move down the lake into 20-30 feet where they can be caught on down-lines and then continue to go deeper from there. Fish have been harder to pattern than usual this year but perhaps June will offer more consistency.

Crappie: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com):Little River Guide Service reports that this month fish should be found around brush in 20-25 feet of water. Anchoring and then fishing vertically with minnows is usually the best pattern although at times the fish will show a preference for jigs.

Catfish: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Captain Chris Simpson reports that the best fishing in June will be in the early morning or late evening. Anchoring on humps and points and fishing with cut bait at a variety of depths is the best bet.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70'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 to get them out of the cove. Chatter Baits and worms to fish isolated stumps and lay downs. Always have a spinnerbait and a buzz bait tied on anytime of the day or night. Black Jitterbugs are working on docks up the Seneca River after dark. 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 & 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. Go up the lake and use a Shad Rap or a small Lucky Craft Redemption spinnerbait in a shad pattern. The spots like this bait and try the Spybait too. Fish baits around the blow downs and rocks in and around the pockets up Yellow Jacket and up the river. For the largemouth use a 3/8 ounce brown and purple Picasso jig in 5 to 9 feet of water on any wood. Fish this bait up the river. Shakey heads called Weedless Wonders are great heads to fish any soft plastic on, in and around any cover. These heads are not as easy to hang up because of the line tie being inside the lead. 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. Running black worms and shad look alike lures parallel to the banks is still yielding nice fish and in deeper water through cuts and peninsulas. 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 is 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. This week, new angler Morgan Davis caught this channel catfish, which happened to be her very first fish (!), on shrimp.

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, Flat Creek PFA Lake water levels continue to slowly drop, but the well has been turned on and anglers can enjoy targeting the fish that like to gather near the cool water.

Below is a summary of fish activity compiled by Fisheries Technician Deven Thompson:

Bream: The bream bite has been picking up over the past week with multiple reports of redear sunfish in the one pound range being caught and also many small to medium sized bluegill. 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 still viable, with plenty of large crappie reported being caught. While your best bet is using jigs on offshore structure, reports of one pound plus crappie being caught in shallow water near the bank is not uncommon. 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: With water levels dropping, the largemouth bite has been picking up and we've received reports of fish 3-6 lbs being caught. Best bet is targeting them around aerators and offshore brush piles utilizing 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. Fisheries Technician Deven Thompson caught this nice largemouth while night fishing this week. 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.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

The bites have been good all over the place. With the forecasted rains this week, it's going to be interesting figuring out what basins got the rain and are rising and which ones did not. Good luck! Morning trips are the ticket now with the heat and afternoon thunderstorms a possibility.

River gages on June 27th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 5.0 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 1.0 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 3.9 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 5.5 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 4.5 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 2.7 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 2.2 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 2.7 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 had a great trip for panfish on the lower river this week. He had a mess of big bluegills and shellcrackers that he fooled with worms.

SATILLA RIVER

I had several good reports this week, and folks caught them on everything from worms on the bottom to bugs on top and everything in between. Right now, you can basically catch them on whatever you want to catch them on. Seth Carter and Luke Steedley fished the Satilla this week and caught about 50 stumpknockers and warmouth and a few redbreasts by pitching Silverback Micro Flipping Jigs and Satilla Spins on ultralight baitcasting gear. He was trying out a new custom light action rod I built for him and loved it. Some of the stumpknockers and warmouth ate the jig (bruised banana pepper was the best color), but the lures of the day were rooster bug and crawfish Satilla Spins. Noah Mitchell fished the middle Satilla for just a couple hours from the bank and caught a couple dozen redbreasts and bluegills by fishing worms. Lane Lott fished with his family this weekend and pitched bugs to fool 82 redbreasts and bluegills over the weekend. He was secretive over exactly which popper he was using and would not even tell his grandfather. The water is perfect right now in the Waycross area to idle a boat around and catch fish. You're going to have to drag every now and then over logs and sandbars. Float trips are the ticket in the upper river. Remember that the Hwy 84 (Blackshear Bridge) ramp is closed for bridge construction (and will be for years…literally).

OCMULGEE RIVER

Scott Robinson, John Biagi and I floated the river above Macon on Friday and had a blast. We caught right at 100 fish (about 25 redbreasts and bluegills and 75 bass) on artificials. John had the biggest shoal bass at 3 1/2 pounds, and it ate an Okeechobee craw creature bait. Scott had a big shoal bass, as well, and he got on a crankbait bite for a little bit of the float. Most of my 49 fish (both panfish and bass) ate an 1/8-oz. copperjuice Perch Hounder Spinnerbait with a gold blade, although my biggest spot and shoal ate a black Keitech Fat Swing Impact swimbait. We caught largemouth, spotted, and shoal bass during the float.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The warmouth bite has been great this week with pretty much everyone catching fish on everything from crickets and crawfish to Dura-Spins and topwater bugs. Yes, Dura-Spins - the big in-line spinner designed for jackfish and mudfish. Matthew Cady fished a tributary to the swamp on Saturday and caught about 20 nice warmouth on the spinner. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 120.50 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

One of the neatest stories I heard this week was Matthew Cady bought a black/chartreuse silver blade Dura-Spin on Friday and took it to a tributary to the swamp on Saturday and caught a great mess of warmouth. While he was working on Monday, his wife took his new bait to a pond and caught a 24-inch bass - her biggest fish ever.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

The tides and wind improved some this week, and the number of reports increased significantly. Todd Kennedy fooled a doormat flounder and a slot redfish on a fly this week. Joe Morris surf fished in and near the St Marys inlet and caught a 30-inch redfish on Monday. Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) had some really good trips this week. He put his folks on some trout and reds, but the sharks behind the shrimp boats were the best bite. They caught lots of big sharks each trip. Capt. Cody Baker of Top Hook Charters out of Fernandina (fishtophook.com) got on the tarpon and bull redfish this week at the St Marys Jetties by threading a live pogy on a Tarpon Tamer Hook (the 7/0 version was his best). That hook is built on a 4X strong Gamakatsu hook that hooks and holds them well. Most of the tarpon were sub-100 pounds, but he had a couple giants. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had some great trips with kids aboard over the weekend and early this week. They bottom-fished and caught lots of whiting, small sharks, and rays along with a few black drum and an occasional flounder. Tripletail are still around the Jekyll beach on the days you can get out and look for them, and tarpon and big sharks are crashing pogy pods along the beaches. Summer is here, and so are the big fish! 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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