Georgia Fishing Report: September 6, 2024

What is your most unusual catch? Angler Donald Barnes was fishing at a private pond this past weekend when he landed a curious catch - a white catfish. No, not a "white catfish" (the species)…a channel catfish that was white. The fish, which biologists determined to be a leucistic (partial loss of all types of pigmentation) channel catfish, weighed in at 5 lb and was 24 inches long. Congrats on the catch and thanks for sharing it with us!

NEWS TO KNOW

• Be the Solution: Releasing unwanted aquarium species or plants or moving live fish, aquatic plants, or mussels from one body of water to another can have severe negative impacts on fish and fauna and cause irreversible damage to the existing ecological balance of Georgia lakes, rivers, and streams. Pledge to protect Georgia waters! Visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/ans for more information or to report aquatic nuisance species sightings.
• Check for Closures: Areas, ranges, boat ramps and other locations sometimes have to temporarily close. That might be due to renovations, repairs, safety or other reason. To ensure the location you want to visit is open, a good place to check is the Closures webpage at GeorgiaWildlife.com/closures. You also can always reach out to our offices if you have questions about any location. Find office numbers at GeorgiaWildlife.com/about/contact.

This week we have fishing reports from North, Central, Southeast and Southwest Georgia. No matter what fish you catch, unusual or not, the best reward is getting to Go Fish Georgia!

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Blue Ridge Lake Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) - Temp 80. Level full. Clarity 15ft. No dog days of summer here. Nice cool mornings and a good bite is more like it. The walleye bite on Blue Ridge continues to get better every summer and this year has been no exception. Lots of 20+ inch fish being caught in the crystal-clear waters. The trolling bite has been in the 35 to 50 ft zone. Husky jerks and shad raps in a array of colors has been putting a few fish in the net each day. Vary the speed till you find what they want. 1.5 to 2.5 has been the range recently. I'm working the numbered points around the main lake. The spoon bites been good as well. Working humps and grass edges in the same 35 to 50 depth range is key. Keep a variety of spoons in different colors and sizes as some days they can be very picky. Hit them in the face and see if they will eat. Try a few options till you get a response then start with that on the next fish. Don't spend too much time in 1 spot. The trout bite has been consistent all summer with fish from 15 to 18″ being the norm. Live baits, spoons, and crank baits are all catching fish. This bite should improve over the next few years with continued stocking from DNR. The end of the month will start the beginning of the winter drawdown, and also kicks off perch season for us. These tasty yellow fish will start to school up and be caught a number of ways on ultra-light tackle. Minnows, jigs or a combination of both are my go-to and we like to fish them on 4 lb fluorocarbon line. Start in the grass beds and work around till you find a few. The rest are nearby.

Lake Allatoona Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - Lake Allatoona is down 1.4 feet, and in the 80s. Bass fishing is fair. Concentrate early and late on the rocky points, blow downs, boulders and humps. Mid-day bass will be holding from 12 to 25 feet deep depending on the conditions and location. Finding a crank bait bite can be fairly easy out on the deep structure like points and humps. The Bandit 300 or Shad Rap in a natural color is a good choice. Pull up to the points and try the crank bait. Follow up with plastic and be willing to move on to the next point when the action dies. Try the same areas again later in the day. Have the small Rapala DT series cranks baits and shad is the key color. Plastic rigged on 1/4-ounce jig heads will also be effective in deeper water. A drop shot rig with small plastics is a good rig also.

Lake Allatoona Crappie Report: (This report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits) -

• Air Temp: High: 96 - Low: 63
• Wind: Up to 10 Mph
• Lake Level: Approx. 839′
• Water Temp: 82-86
• Water Clarity: Clear to light stain
• Area Fished: Blockhouse, Galt's Ferry, Kellogg Creek, Victoria, S-Turns, & Little River
• Jigs Used: UV Shad Dagger, Splatter Back, and Pappy's Magic
• Technique: Casting Soft Plastic Jigs & Spider Rigging

The August heat came back with a vengeance this week letting us know that it is not yet Fall on Lake Allatoona! We still managed a few end of summer slabs this week in spite of the heat. We got on the water early this week right at daybreak to get those early morning bites and to beat the heat. The good news is that there was quite a temperature swing between morning and afternoon as it got down into the low 60's overnight. The low temps got our Fall crappie season juices flowing! Most folks are getting excited about football this time of year, we do too, but we are really excited for the fall/winter crappie bite on Lake Allatoona this year and it can't come soon enough! The pattern is still the same and spider rigging crappie minnows is the preferred method for catching those finicky black crappie. However, we are starting to catch a few more active crappie on jigs. We are still targeting deep water structure in 18′ - 22′ where the crappie are suspended in and around the structure around 14′ - 16′. We are throwing small jigs like the Red Rooster Dagger in natural colors as well as spider rigging minnows. This is a solid approach to summer time crappie for the next few weeks and then the crappie will start getting active and roaming in schools. We are ready for that and will keep you posted on what to expect as we move into the Fall Crappie Pattern on Lake Allatoona. The lake level is starting to slowly drop which can stir up the crappie in the early mornings. We witnessed a fair amount of bass top water activity that we have not seen in recent weeks. This a good sign for both bass and crappie fishermen alike as the baitfish are starting to move around a bit and the crappie (and bass) will follow. When the summer fishing is slow, the Red Rooster team gets together, studies the lake and identifies areas that would be prime for structure. We use maps, side scan, down scan and FFS to scope out certain areas of the lake. If there is no structure, we make it and drop it in those areas. We have several hardwood, bamboo and PVC structures that we have put out over the years that attract a good many crappie. We do it because we love crappie fishing but also because it promotes healthy habitat to keep Lake Allatoona well stocked for generations to come. Remember to keep only the crappie that you need and release the rest to keep our great fishery strong for generations to come! Lord willing Team Red Rooster will bring you another report next week!

Carters Lake Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) - Temp 79F. Level full. Clarity 7 to 10 ft. This has been one of the best summers in years and it looks like the fishing will remain good this month as well. The walleye are still holding deep for the most part. Humps and points on the main lake and bigger creeks in the 60 to 80 ft depths have been producing quality fish in the 24″ range all summer. Getting baits to them is key. Spoons, lures, jigs, and live bait will all catch fish when it's in the strike zone. The fish are feeding on alewives so any imitation of them should be a factor in bait selection and color. There's some fish holding shallower as well in the 35ft range, but these have been smaller fish on avg. Crank baits, jerk baits, and soft plastics fished in low light conditions are your best bet. Remember walleye like wild colors and this is the time of year to try some of the radical colors available. This holds true for vertical fishing or trolling baits don't be hesitant to try something that looks plain silly. There's still a good bite under the Hydroglow Lights before sunrise. Get set up in 50 to 80ft with the light in the water and work small spoons or jigs just under the bait fish along with live baits on the bottom. Don't be surprised if the striped fish show up and crash the party! The striper bite has been better this year than the past several years with lots of fish being caught in the 15 to 25lb range. Live Alewives, threadfins, and gizzards have been getting smashed on flat lines and down lines all summer. 12lb flouro and small circle hooks will increase your number of bites vs heavier gear. There's fish up much shallower than normal right now allowing us to target the entire water column vs the typical summer deep downline bite which has made things fun. The trolling bite has been HOT and with the fish spread out over the main lake chasing the giant schools of bait fish it's made for some great days pulling artificials. Again, depth is key here and utilizing some sort of controlled depth method of trolling is needed to keep baits in the strike zone. One of the best bites has been on a white Fish Head Assassin 1/2oz bucktail with a Cast Prodigy 3 in "night crawler" color or "blue back herring " fished just above the fish at 3mph. These jigs have a thinner amount of buck tail and let the colors of the swim baits show through and the action of the Prodigy will still wobble the jigs at speed. This action draws a lot of strikes and is lost in most bucktail, trailer combinations.

Lake Lanier Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Lake Lanier is down 2.1 feet, 80s. Bass fishing is good. The lake is currently about two feet below full pool and the water temperature with the heat this week has climbed from the middle to the upper eighties. Even with the higher water temperature the top water bite is hanging on. The fish are located off the deep end of long points, humps and ledges in the thirty-to-forty-foot range. Having brush in the area as well as shad are key factors. The Lip Thrasher Ima KO, a Vixen or a Gunfish and Slick Stick are all producing fish but there needs to be at least a little chop on the water to make them really work. If you can't make the top water bite work the next step would be a Spy Bait worked in and around the brush. I'm throwing this bait on a spinning setup with fifteen-pound braid backing and a six-pound fluorocarbon leader while counting the bait down on a drop of one foot per second to get to the depth of the bass. The drop shot setup is producing bass in and around the deeper brush particularly on days with very little wind. The Lanier Baits Blue Lily and Sweet Rosy have been the best color for worms this week on the drop shot. The worm bite has shown up on the deeper docks in the creeks with a three sixteenths spot sticker with any worm in the green category. It's hot but they are still biting so Go Catch 'Em!

More Lanier Bass Intel from GON: (This report courtesy ofGON Forum user "masterfisher101") - Find a recent bass fishing report from Lake Lanier on the Georgia Outdoor Newsfishing forum, with some helpful tidbits on baits and tactics.

Lake Lanier Striper Report: (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404-510-1778 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Lake Lanier stripers are geared for the top water bite and you should be prepared with your favorite lure tied on. Trolling is still the best method for locating the fish. Start in the river channels using a crisscross method and once you locate them put a marker and come back to it. Down lines and flat lines using blue backs have been producing some nice stripers. Using your thumper stick will activate the movement and hopefully the bite. Be ready for top water and it could happen fast. Remember to wear your life jackets. BuckTales 404-510-1778

Lake Lanier Crappie Report:(This report courtesy ofCaptain Josh Thornton,770-530-6493 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Crappie fishing is good. The water temperatures are falling with the cooler nights we have been having the current water temperature is 81 degrees. Find crappie suspended 10 to 15 feet of water over deep a 20-to-40-foot bottom. Try using crappie minnows set at 10 feet deep and variety of hair jigs, and plastic jigs 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. For more information and tips, please visit my websites: http://www.crappieonlanier.com and http://www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org

Lake Hartwell Headwaters Report: (This report courtesy ofJack Becker, aka Georgia Waterdog) - This week I traveled up to the Tugalo River below Yonah Dam (headwaters of Lake Hartwell). We launched at Stephens County Park boat ramp and went upstream past the railroad trestle bridge. This section of the river is VERY LOW. Less than a foot deep in some areas. The main river channel shows up well on my Hummingbird Helix, LakeMaster map. If you go there be very careful in the section just upriver from the boat ramp where the channel swings from the left bank to the other side of the river and go slow. We caught several spotted bass and a few largemouth along the rocky shoreline next to the channel. All of them on buzz-baits, while there was still shade on the water. The water was 82 degrees. When we ran out of shade we headed back downstream and found a shallow feeder creek that has some 10-to-14-foot pools with slightly cooler water. We caught 4 spotted bass on shakey heads and to our surprise 2 Walleyes. Both on deep diving crank-baits in the deeper pools. The biggest was 27" long but only weighed 4.3 pounds. My guess is the walleye were in this creek in the spring when the water was much cooler. When the water heated up and the dissolved oxygen level dropped, they became trapped.

Lake Weiss Bass Report: (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - Weiss Lake is down .87 feet, and in the 80s. Bass fishing is slow. Get there early, and by 10 am fishing is tough. Use the Rapala DT6 shad crank bait. This bait can produce good reaction bites for the spots. The main objective is to cover a lot of areas that contain rocks, stumps and a combination of both that are located close to deep water. The key to any crankbait is to not be shy about working them through rocks and structure. Reel the bait aggressively to attract the reaction strikes from the more aggressive bass. The early morning bite will the best time of day for another week. Try the small Bass Pro Enticer buzz baits and spinnerbaits. If the sun is out, use a white skirt and silver blade spinnerbait. The spinner baits need to be shad patterns. Work seawalls and structure filled banks close to deep water.

West Point Lake Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - West Point Lake is down 4.1 feet, 80 degrees. On August 8, 2024, the lake started to be slowly drawn down to 626 feet below full pool on October 10, 2024, and will stay down for dam maintenance. The lake will be at 635 full pool by January 14, 2025. Bass fishing has been slow. Fishing has been slow with the extremely high temperatures. I look for little change with all species until we begin seeing some temperature changes leading into fall. Best fishing right now can be at night using large soft plastics and jigs. With nighttime water temperatures cooling a little, the fish will often move up to feed. If PPP do brave the daytime temperatures, focus on deep water humps and roadbed's lake wide. If current is present, use deep diving crankbaits in shad pattern such as a Strike King 6xd or Bomber Fat Free Shad. On those stagnant afternoons with limited current or wind it is best to use soft plastic shaky heads or All Terrain Football jigs, both in green colors.

Lake Hartwell Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - Lake Hartwell is down 4.9 feet, and in the 80s. Bass fishing is good. Try a variety of baits from top water to bottom fishing. The smaller bass are chasing top water Skitter Pops and a variety of other surface baits on the back side of the points and in the small cuts and coves. Medium to deep diving crank baits like the Rapala DT6 and DT10 around the docks and between two main lake points are catching fish. Continue using the Carolina rigs and jigs around the docks. The fish are still feeding on the small shad along with the bream up in the shallows. Shallow running square bill crank baits around any form of structure is fair early and late. Use a variety of plastics on the Carolina rigs and use some Spike It on any soft bait.

RIVER REPORT

Low Water Bass Tips:(This report courtesy of Cohutta Fishing Company) - During this time of year, water levels are typically low, and bass are on the lookout for easy prey like frogs, cicadas, and other terrestrials. These fish are not willing to move far for a lower-protein meal, so it's crucial to place your fly about a foot from the bank. The mid-day bite is still the best time to target bass. As the sun rises, shaded sides of the river become prime areas-focus on these shaded spots. Remember, once your fly lands, avoid overworking it. When using poppers, start by letting the fly slap the water and wait for the rings to disappear. A wiggle mend can imitate the fluttering of wings or legs, and as a last resort, a subtle pop may trigger a strike. Bass rely heavily on their lateral line to locate flies, so timing your movements is key. During the drift, keep your fly within a foot of the bank to stay in the strike zone. Instead of casting directly under trees, cast above and allow the fly to drift into the ideal spot under the tree, log, or root ball.

• Flies: Boogle Bugs in Fire Frog, Moss Galaxy, and Chartreuse in the biggest size.
• Paul Terry Poppers in the "Sarge" pattern in the biggest size also.
• Bierce Leopards tied by one of our guides Kyle Bierce work really well in clearer water as well.
• These flies Available at our shop in Blue Ridge, GA.

TROUT REPORT

Stocked Streams Report: (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) - Last week was the end of our traditional trout stocking "season" in Georgia. So, there were none stocked this week. Does that mean there are no stocked trout to be caught? Absolutely not! However, it does mean you might need to work for them a bit more. Go try some of the streams that were stocked heavy earlier in the season but put on your waders or wet-wading shoes and walk the stream up or downstream away from the usual honey holes that are likely fished out. Cover lots of water, hitting fishy-looking spots with a few good casts then move along. It's still hot out there, so make sure you check stream temps and fish creeks that are cool enough for the fish to bite. Trout can get lockjaw when temps get up into the high 60s. Also, we do plan to stock some streams a few times this fall (just not quite yet), so keep your eye on the weekly stocking report on our WRD websiteover the next few weeks. Did you know you can also sign up to have these updates sent automatically to you every Friday?

North Georgia Trout Report:(This report courtesy of Tad Murdoch from Georgia Wild Trout) - September has arrived. The bug diversity is rising once again as small hatches have begun to increase. Caddis and midges continue to be the most abundant in the streams I have visited over the past few weeks with the occasional mayfly here and there. We have even seen a handful of the October caddis that can quickly get the trout looking to the surface. The trout have been going back and forth from incredibly active to temperamental at times but can be caught on just about any nymph or junk pattern in the box if it's presented correctly. We have seen most of these swings occur around rain. If you manage to catch the timing right, the dry fly bite can be excellent. Larger dry fly patters (caddis, stimulators, and hoppers) have done well at these times when the fish are looking up for a meal. A dry dropper has become a go to when sight fishing trout in skinny water with a stealthier presentation. The lower water levels on days without rainfall can be difficult as the trout become skittish. If you can get into position without spooking the fish, chances are you can get a good shot at the trout.

The lower elevation sections of the upper Toccoa, Boardtown, Hemptown, and Fightingtown are still a touch on the warm side and still low, even with the recent rains. The higher elevation streams are surprisingly cool considering the low water. The wild trout streams of the upper Toccoa have seen the best bite around Blue Ridge. Dry Flies will continue to be staples until the water levels begin to rise again. Look for the seasonal migrations to begin towards the end of the months. They will typically correspond with a heavier and cooler rains. Trout fishing around the Ellijay area continues to be slow but should pick up with additional rains towards the end of the month. Trout stocking in Ellijay will stay slow until the end of the month as we enter Fall. Fly fishing in Dahlonega has been fair the past several weeks but should improve in coming weeks. The Stocked creeks around Dahlonega should be slow in September which will spread out the fishing pressure which causes the smaller trout streams to be less productive. Wild trout should begin congregating in their normal holes during this low water time of the year. Downsizing flies will yield more bites in the circumstances. Fly fishing in Helen will be similar to that of Dahlonega. The decrease in tubers on the Chattahoochee and trout stocking in Helen will alleviate some of the pressure on the upper Chattahoochee River where anglers should be able to find a few holdover stockers if they work hard enough. Skittish wild fish will begin to feed up with as rains raise the low water levels. Editor's note:More helpful info from Tad at the Georgia Wild Trout website.

Chattahoochee Tailwater Trout Report: (This report courtesy of Tad Murdoch from Georgia Wild Trout) - The Chattahoochee River tailwater has begun seeing the effluent from the Lake Lanier turnover. This means the water will be dirty and off-colored through the end of December. Wading becomes less than ideal and even dangerous for those unfamiliar with the bottom contour. Further downstream may have more access until the rains of late fall open up better opportunities further north.

The Truth About "Turnover": (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) - The timely info given above by Georgia Wild Trout about fishing conditions is very important for anglers fishing the tailwaters below our large dams. This would include the Toccoa River below Blue Ridge Dam, the Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam, and many other non-trout waters like the Etowah River below Allatoona Dam). But why is the water off-color and often stinky in these tailwaters during the Fall each year? We have a whole page on our WRD website dedicated to this topic, which you can find at GeorgiaWildlife.com/lake-lanier-turnover-facts. Read that article to find out why this period of "turnover" is very poorly named, as the lakes are actually very heavily stratified into layers right now, and the bottom layers are not anywhere close to mixing or "turning over" with the top layers.

The Angler Cycle: (This report courtesy Jeff "Dredger" Durniak at Unicoi Outfitters) - Where do you fall on the Angler Cycle? Have you recently climbed up a spoke or two? Don't forget to look back at your own ascent and remember where you came from. And may we all respect fellow anglers on each spoke of the wheel! The brief story is in the new September issue of The Angler Magazine - Atlanta edition (page ATL-1).

The Dredger's Weekly Report: (This report courtesy Jeff "Dredger" Durniak at Unicoi Outfitters) - Unicoi Outfitters puts out a full fishing report every Friday. Although this week's report was not yet posted as of this writing, you should be able to find at blog.angler.management later today.

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

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

Thanks to all our Central Georgia contributors, such as Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report, WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 80'S

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

Striped bass (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that fish have been have caught on both ends of the lake this summer, but particularly the lower end. However, with even a little cooling in September he expects more fish to move to mid-lake flats where they can be caught on down-lined herring.

Crappie (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that in the first part of September the crappie are likely to continue to hold around deeper brush and timber, where they have been biting well. Hopefully the good bite will continue, but with dropping temperatures they should soon move onto shallower brush where they can be caught on jigs and minnows.

Catfish (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that fish should move shallower this month where they can be caught on cut herring in less than 15 feet of water. At the end of August, they were still catching catfish in very deep water.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80'S

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

Striped Bass (courtesy of Doug Nelms with BigFishHeads): With the full moon on the way, the striper activity is picking back up from the late-August slump. Striper should be schooling on points and humps, with a topwater bite that will steadily improve around the mid-lake areas. Power reeling a spoon over schooling striper is another effective tactic.

Crappie: (courtesy of Doug Nelms with BigFishHeads): Doug reports that "the crappie bite has picked up substantially on the tree tops and brush piles. Size has been really good too." Downlining live minnows or jigs over suspended crappie will put good numbers of crappie in the cooler this month.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 4.9 FEET, 80'S

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

Striper and hybrids: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Little River Guide Service reports that to start out the month fish were suspended over very deep water, but in September fish should progressively migrate out of the deeper channels. Bait will eventually move shallower into the top 10-15 feet of the water column, leading to more surface activity, and fish should also be related to the sides of humps in 25-35 feet of water.

Crappie: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Little River Guide Service reports that at the beginning of September fish are generally still holding around deeper brush, but if the weather cools they should move shallower into the 12- to 15-foot range. At the end of August, the bite could be finicky, but with cooling that could also change.

Catfish: (courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Captain Chris Simpson reports that in September fish will be scattered everywhere. Some will be in the backs of creeks in shallow water feeding on threadfin and gizzard shad, while some fish will be staging out on main lake humps and points in deeper water feeding on blueback herring. This is the beginning of the prime time to catch big blue catfish on Lake Thurmond.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.8 FEET, 80'S

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

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 1.5, 80'S

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

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

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

• McDuffie PFA Information
• Surface Temperature: 82°F
• Water Visibility: clear-to-stained
• Water Level: All lakes are full
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: The cooler temperatures of early September will improve bass fishing overall and spur a more aggressive bite as the fish become more active and vacate the depths of their late summer haunts. Angler Darryl Welch reports a steady topwater bite on frogs, with the green pumpkin pearl being a recent favorite of largemouth on the area lakes. Shad are still active in the early mornings and late evenings, so pitching a sinking Keitech on a 1/16 or 1/8 oz jig head near schooling shad can be effective to entice a strike from pursuing bass. Now is a great time of year to fish areas of inflow where increasingly cooler water will concentrate hungry bass.

Bream: Bream fishing in September at McDuffie can be very rewarding. Many post-spawn bluegill and redear will now be putting more effort into feeding and growth ahead of the fall. Target shallows with woody brush or fish attractors that have been placed throughout the area lakes. Live crickets and red wigglers are a solid go-to for live bait, just fish a little deeper when targeting redear specifically. Bream are a great species to target when fishing with first-time or younger anglers.

Channel Catfish: Channel catfish remain a viable target in September. Chicken livers, hearts, nightcrawlers, and hotdogs weighted to the bottom will continue to put fish on the end of the line. Try a variety of depths to figure out where they are foraging.

Striped Bass: The striper bite will begin to improve towards the end of the month as cooler air temperatures will bring water temperatures down into the upper-to-mid 70s. At this time, the best bet will to target striped bass by casting artificial swim baits or topwater presentations like a bomber or Gunfish. For bait anglers, striped bass also have a taste for chicken livers.

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

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Fisheries Technicians Amory Cook and Deven Thompson)

• Flat Creek PFA Information
• Water Level: 67.5" below full pool
• Water Clarity: 17.5"
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Largemouth Bass: With the cooler morning temperatures, the bass bite has picked up. The key to a lunker this time of year is power power power! On these cooler mornings, spinner baits, crank baits and lipless crank baits in silver, chartreuse and white colors are key to catch these bass as they chase the shad around the bank. Towards the middle of the day and the evening switch up to worms, jigs and deep-diving crank baits fished slowly on the bottom, natural bluegill and green colors work best. At night buzz baits, frogs and large worms fished along the shore should also produce some big bass!

Bream: The bream bite has continued to stay active at flat creek with hundreds of these aggressive little guys being caught. Bluegill have dominated the catch rates this week, expect most fish to be 4-7" long.

Catfish: The catfish bite has been unmatched this week with lots of catches being reported and quite a few larger catfish showing up on the end of angler's lines! Your best bet for these whiskery fish will be small live baits such as 3-5" bream and 2-6" shiners. For higher catch rates, using chicken liver and night crawlers will give you a consistent amount of hookups but expect to work through some smaller fish at the beginning. Cut bait, fished on the bottom, has also been productive.

Crappie: Longtime Flat Creek angler Larry Brudnicki fished very early one morning this week and caught 9 crappie in an hour. According the Larry, the crappie are in transition mode. Maybe one more cool week and their shallow migration will be complete. The fish were deeper-around 8 feet. Most of the fish were on the smaller size, around 7 inches, potentially a sign of a good year class showing up. Larry fished 1/20 to 1/32 jig head. The crappie were not very aggressive and not willing to chase baits. They were feeding on minnows. Very plentiful in the green lights. Also very promising to see minnows at the dock. I was able to trick the crappie with very slow movement of the jig. White/blue plastic body. 4 lb line used and no bobber. I expect in a few weeks they will chase baits and begin the fall feeding.

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: 18" to 40" on the smaller ponds. Fox Lake visibility is 4` or greater.
• Surface Temp: Mid 80s.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: September bass fishing at Marben PFA stands to improve upon the typical August slump. Especially if fishing by boat, fish Fox, Bennett, or Shepard ponds. Fishing topwater early mornings along shorelines and around brush. In the late afternoon, fish deep-diving crankbaits in the flooded timber of fox or near Bennett Dam. A Texas-rigged or Ned-rigged worm is also a great go-to anytime of day when a more subtle presentation is required.

Crappie: Crappie fishing should start picking back up in September as the water clears and cooler temperatures spur more aggressive feeding tendencies. Select area lakes including Bennett, Dairy, Lower Raleigh, Fox, and Shepard have fishable crappie populations. Minnows and crappie jigs on 1/32 or 1/16 oz jig heads will be most effective.

Bream: All area lakes contain bream populations. Fishing brush, especially around the feeders will be productive for size, while small bream can typically be caught lakewide. September is still a a great month to grab a couple cricket tubes or tubs of red wigglers catch a mess of bluegill and redear.

Hybrid Bass: The hybrid bite in Bennett will really turn on in September. Hybrids are constantly on the move and will be feeding more aggressively in September as surface temperatures dip below 80 F. A variety of presentations can be effective to catch hybrids including topwater plugs or a Whopper Plopper, jerkbaits, swimbaits, and a small A-rig fished around schooling shad.

Channel catfish: The catfish bite will remain steady through the month of September. Most lakes have catfish populations and can be fished most effectively with cut bait, livers, and nightcrawlers fished patiently on the bottom.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

The bites have mostly been good this week. The Altamaha system bass bite has been great. Saltwater has provided a good bite when you could get out. Several days this week it was howling! At least two river records were set this week. Check out the writeups in the Altamaha and Withlacoochee sections.

River gages on September 5th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 4.0 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 0.3 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 3.7 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla - 6.4 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 6.5 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 3.0 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 5.6 feet and steady
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 10.1 feet and falling

First quarter moon is September 11th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVER

The Altamaha system was the place to be this week. The water is dropping and concentrating the fish, but it's getting tricky to get around. Bill Stewart fished with me in the upper Altamaha on Friday, and we caught 32 fish total. We had 19 bass up to 2 pounds and a channel catfish that was 3 pounds. The bass in the main river ate a Texas-rigged blue flake worm, while the bass in the lakes wanted small plastic crayfish and one of the bigger ones even inhaled a Blue Shad Dura-Spin. Several nice pickerel ate the crayfish and fire tiger Dura-Spins, as well. I heard of a tournament this weekend won with 11 pounds and change by a couple of anglers from Waycross. They caught them by pitching plastics. A couple of Waycross anglers fished the lower Ocmulgee River Monday for bass. They ended up with 19 fish up to 3.90 pounds. All of their fish ate Texas-rigged plastics. Shane and Joshua Barber fished the lower river mid-week and caught 25 bass up to 3-lb., 1-oz., and had a half-dozen over 2 pounds. The fish were missing alot in the morning but were crushing it in the afternoon. They caught one on a buzzbait, one on a Satilla Spin, and the rest on curly-tail worms, lizards, and Trick Worms rigged on a Capt. Bert's 4/0 Swimbait Hook. Trout Magnet fished the upper Ocmulgee this week from his kayak and caught 2 spotted bass, 2 shoal bass, and a couple redbreasts. Paul Williamson fished with me mid-week on the upper Altamaha, and we caught 26 fish. We had 3 bass up to 2 pounds on black-red flake 2.8-inch Keitech Crazy Flappers and crawfish-colored Dura-Spins. A gar and 22 bowfin ate live shiners rigged on an 1/8-oz. Shrimp Hook bounced along the bottom. We had 7 bowfin over 5 pounds, and I set the river record bowfin for the Altamaha at 8-lb., 1-oz. Our biggest 5 bowfin weighed exactly 30-lb., 0-oz. on digital scales. A couple of Blackshear anglers fished the river on Wednesday and Thursday and caught about 20 bass each trip, and they even caught a striper on Thursday. They said that the fish were eating about anything they threw at them. 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).

WITHLACOOCHEE RIVER

Tim Bonvechio set the new Suwannee bass river record this weekend. He fooled a total of 5 largemouths up to 2 pounds and 3 Suwannee bass. He left right after catching the record, which measured 14 3/4 inches and weighed 2-lb., 3.52-oz. on certified scales. Dark colored plastic crayfish fooled all of his fish, including the record.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The water is still high, but I fished with my daughter Ellie and her friend Joanna on Saturday on the east side. We talked with 3 different boats while we were heading out and they were heading in, and none had even gotten a bite, so our confidence was low. We pitched a half-hour for warmouth and didn't get a bite, then we switched to trolling for big fish. We ended up trolling up 8 bowfin and a gar with Dura-Spins. The best color was blood red, but we caught a few on jackfish late in the trip. Ellie caught a 6.01-pound bowfin for our biggest, and Joanna caught her first bowfin and gar during the trip. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.60 feet.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Dublin)

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

Ken Burke fished the area a half-day on Wednesday and had 7 bass that weighed a total of 10 1/2 pounds. His biggest was 2 pounds. Five ate a crankbait and 2 bit a shaky head rigged with a plastic. All his fish were caught shallower than 8 feet, and the water temperature was up to 86 degrees when he left at around 11am.

LOCAL PONDS

The pond bite was good this week, and I heard of several hot bass and bream bites in various ponds. Chad Lee and Daniel Johnson caught 7 bass up to 3 pounds in an Alma area pond on Tuesday. Christie Craws, Senkos, and spinnerbaits fooled them. A couple of friends fishing ponds in the Savannah area caught some giant bluegill fishing worms under floats. Night fishing for bass was very slow this week from the reports I received.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

A few friends fished a Brunswick area dock on Monday with hopes of catching a few fish for a fish fry. They very much exceeded expectations, catching lots of redfish and black drum along with a few trout and flounder. Their biggest redfish was a 29-incher that they caught, photographed, and released. They had some nice black drum up to about 20 inches. They caught them on live shrimp, fiddlers, and artificials. Brandon Young and Jordain Holley had an awesome day fishing around the St. Andrews Sound (both around Jekyll and Cumberland) on Labor Day. They had around 50 trout, reds, and flounder, with most of them being undersized. They ended up with a great box of 16 keepers of all three species. Jordain caught the biggest trout (19 inches) and flounder (18 inches). Most of their throwbacks were on live shrimp under popping corks, while their keepers were more apt to eat artificials (rootbeer/chartreuse Z-man paddle-tails on 1/4-oz. Trout Eye Jigheads). The good news is that they caught around 30 undersized redfish - good news because another great year-class of redfish is on the way! Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) had some good bull redfishing trips early in the week before the winds got up. Bottom fishing on the bars near the sounds was the ticket for redfish as big as your leg! Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) and his wife Michelle flung some new plastics from Fourseven Lures and caught a few nice trout and redfish. His charters got blown out this week with the strong winds. After your next trip to the Georgia coast, drop off your fish carcasses in the freezer at the Waycross Fisheries Office at 108 Darling Avenue. The Coastal Resources Division collects most inshore saltwater species so that they can determine age and growth for each species. All the supplies and information cards are in the freezer. Filet your fish then drop off the carcasses in the freezer. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is now open every day. On Mon-Thursday their hours are 6:30-10am and 2 to 5pm and Friday through Saturday from 6:30am to 5pm, and Sunday 6am to 5pm. They have plenty of lively shrimp and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. They're on Hwy 303 just north of Hwy 82. For the latest information, contact them at 912-223-1379.

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

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

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

FLINT RIVER

River flows are down, and fishing has picked up. Good catches of shoal bass are being reported on flukes and crawfish imitations around shoal areas. The mayfly hatch is still happening, and bream fishing has been good. Fish around over hanging trees with crickets and worms. The flathead catfish bite has been up and down with some nice catches coming from deeper bends.

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

The bass bite is still off but some fish are being caught in shoreline vegetation. Fish frogs over the grass or Texas rigged worms on the grass lines. The catfish bite is decent on deeper bends. Good catches are being reported on noodles. Utilize chicken livers or cut fish as bait.

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

The water temperature is in the 80s and the bass fishing could be considered fair. Early morning topwater baits around stumps, rocks, and other structure seems to be consistent. Try throwing white or chartreuse buzz baits, tiny torpedo or other chugging baits. Also trick worms and small bright crankbaits are having some success.

Deep water crappie fishing around sunken log jams and structure on the bottom continues to be good. There have been numerous reports of limit catches of nice size crappie being caught. Successful anglers have been using live minnows and/or plastic-tailed jigs slipped onto 1/32-to-1/16-ounce painted jig heads with a size 2, 4 or 6 hook. These fish are averaging about a half pound, but some will pull the scale to two pounds or more.

The summertime bream and catfish bite is still going strong. Most bream are being caught with live baits such as crickets and worms and catfish are being caught with the usual baits such as worms, liver, and stink baits.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

Recent cooler mornings have come in to everyone's relief including the fish, bringing in some good bites from crappie on the lake. Future forecasts call for this cool weather to end again shortly, so get out during the remaining days if you want to try your hand at crappie fishing. Though it shows that fall is just around the corner, so start dusting off your crappie gear to be ready to go once it shows up again! Bream and catfish are still the most consistent bites right now but will be slowing down as summer draws to a close.

SEMINOLE

Water temperatures in Lake Seminole are in the 80s and the bass bite has been fair in the evenings while the early morning bite has been off. Bass are feeding on schools of small shad; if you can mimic these bait fish you might just snag a bass while it's looking for a snack. Grass beds are still holding bass - locate these areas and you should have some luck with a spinner bait. Fish topwater throughout the day.

During the summer, crappies tend to move to deeper, cooler water, so anglers should focus on fishing around deep structures and drop-offs. The deep channels of the Chattahoochee River offer excellent summer crappie fishing. Trolling with jigs can be an effective approach.

SILVER LAKE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

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

Silver Lake water temp is in the 80's, and some cooler weather is coming in this week. The morning bite has slowed, and most fish are being caught in the evening. Top water is always a favorite. Fishing pads and submerged vegetation beds is still producing fish. Throw spinner baits and shad pattern cranks over grass beds for the most action.

Panic Pond has reopened for the year. Fish are holding in deep water near standing timber. Medium running shad pattern cranks are fooling the big girls in the pond.

House Pond seems to have been fished out for the year. It will be restocked in the fall and ready to fish again in the spring.

Frog Pond is still producing plenty of 1-2 lb catfish with the occasional 10+ pounder being landed. Chicken livers and stick bait are the go-to for anglers in Frog Pond.

PFA staff have been hard at work creating access to previously inaccessible ponds on the property. These ponds will be specifically geared toward kayak and canoe anglers. Keep an eye on the WRD interactive map for new additions in the coming months.

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Big Lazer PFA Information at GeorgiaWildlife.com/big-lazer-creek-pfa
• Surface water temperature: 82° F
• Water visibility: Visibility is about 18"
• Water Level: Down -8" from full pool
• Big Lazer PFA Fishing Guide

Bluegill, Redbreast and Channel Catfish are still your best bets for a successful fishing trip. Fish for bream spp. in shallow areas around shady spots with smaller hooks. Target catfish in deeper areas all around the lake. Feeding bass will be most active during the early morning and later in the evening and can also be found in deeper waters right now. We have also been getting reports of hybrids biting fairly regularly early in the day. Trolling around the lake with minnows seems to work well and you may even manage a crappie or two as well using this method.

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