Georgia Fishing Report: November 1, 2024

Despite the Halloween sugar hangover, we are hoping to get out to do some trout fishing this weekend. Delayed Harvest streams open today and that means helping some new anglers land a trout. Why take a new angler to a delayed harvest trout stream?

From November 1 to May 14, there are five delayed harvest streams that operate under catch-and-release rules and are stocked monthly by Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, alongside partners like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and South Carolina DNR. This approach of regular stocking and catch-and-release ensures great trout catch rates which boosts angler satisfaction. Anglers should note that they must also use single hook, artificial lures. Find out more about trout fishing, delayed harvest and more at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

NEWS TO KNOW

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This week, we have reports from Southeast, Southwest, North and Central Georgia. No matter where you head out to fish this weekend, try to take a friend or family member and let them experience the excitement as you Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

Saltwater is still on fire, and several other freshwater fisheries produced some good catching this week, as well. Pretty much all the southeast Georgia rivers are fishable again.

River gages on October 31st were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 5.6 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 1.5 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 5.2 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 7.0 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 6.2 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 4.3 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 3.2 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 4.6 feet and falling

New Moon is November 1st. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

A couple of Waycross anglers fished the river on Saturday and caught 21 bass up to 2.52 pounds. They had one straighten the hook that was in the 6-pound range. They also had 5 bowfin up to 8 pounds.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The fishing effort has been almost zero again this week on the east side. The best reports were for catfish on the west side (at the Sill). Putting shrimp on the bottom produced the best catches. The fish are there and will bite, and the water level is good for getting around (but not too high). The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.15 feet.

DODGE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

Milton Jones from the Eastman area had a good day Wednesday. He fished worms on the bottom to catch 10 nice redear sunfish (shellcrackers). Find out more about this area at GeorgiaWildlife.com/dodge-county-pfa.

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING ARE (near Tifton)

Area staff reported that the crappie bite fired off this week. An angler fishing from the Lake Patrick fishing pier caught 15 nice crappie on Wednesday. Find out more about this area at GeorgiaWildlife.com/paradise-pfa.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Saltwater fishing has been excellent again this week. Tim Corey fished with me on Friday in the Brunswick area, and we did great for redfish, black drum, and even a couple nice flounder. We caught 15 redfish (9 of them were oversized), a half-dozen trout up to 18 inches, a few black drum, and 2 nice flounder up to 19 inches. About 2/3 of our fish ate live shrimp rigged on a 3/16-oz., 3/0 hook Redfish Wrecker Jighead. We tight-lined the shrimp on the bottom, reeled into the fish when it bit, and the Gamakatsu circle hook got them in the corner of the mouth almost every time. We also bounced a rootbeer Keitech 4-inch swimbait on a 1/4-oz. Zombie Eye Jighead for about 1/3 of our fish (including the big flounder a couple of our biggest redfish). I returned the next day with another buddy, Capt. Teddy Elrod, and we caught a bunch again. We ended up releasing all 30 redfish we caught and a half-dozen black drum. We had a few trout mixed in the catch that day, as well. The exact same rigs (live shrimp and Keitechs) worked that day, also. Steve and Brenda Hampton fished the Jekyll Island Pier on Saturday, and Brenda had the catch of the day, a 16-inch flatfish. It ate a mudminnow. Steve said that there were a few other flounder and a couple trout caught (all were keepers) around high tide, but overall, it was a very slow bite. Tommy Sweeney and Charles Sweat had a great day in the St. Marys area. They had about 2 dozen trout first thing at one of their stops (most were keepers). A little later they got into the bull reds and had a blast with them on light tackle. A 1/4-oz. Zombie Eye Jighead and blue/chartreuse Keitech Swing Impact swimbait put it on the big reds. Chris O'Berry and Joey Whitaker fished the Crooked River area late last week and had a great catch. Most of their fish were trout, but Joey had his first inshore "slam" (trout/flounder/redfish). They caught their fish on pearl and sexy shad-colored plastics rigged on pearl Zombie Eye Jigheads. Capt. Scott Owens (southeasternangling.com) reported that the inshore bite has been "fantastic". There have been a lot of short trout, but quite a few keepers mixed in. The redfish bite was good for him but not off the chain. The bull reds have been sporadic, and he believes that bite is winding down. He expects the growing tides late this week to slow things a bit but then it will pick back up on the back side. Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) said that his trips early in the week crushed the trout inshore. On Monday they had a bunch of short and keeper trout on live shrimp and Harper Super Striker Floats. Most were caught around oyster mounds and creek mouths. Trips early in the week caught a few bull reds each trip, as well. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) said that he was mostly seeing red this week. The redfish were chewing! Most of the reds were slot fish, and he had a bunch of trout mixed in, as well. He caught and released about a dozen oversized reds for the week and had some really big flounder and trout mixed in the catch. Ava caught the biggest flounder of the week, and her dad Zack caught a giant bull red. Capt. Tim's trips varied from shrimp under Harper Super Striker Floats to plastics bounced on the bottom, and all of the presentations caught fish. Capt. Cason and Pat Kinstle fished the Brunswick area Monday and wore out the trout during just a short 2-hour trip while using paddle-tail plastics rigged on 1/8-oz. Zombie Eye Jigheads. Capt. Cason fooled a 21-inch trout that he snapped a photo of and then released. They kept a couple smaller keeper trout. They also had a keeper red during the quick trip. An angler fishing a short time in the Altamaha Sound caught a couple of bull reds on cut bait. Farther north, reports were slow for the bull reds, but the bite has been hot in the southern half of our coast. 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 open Friday through Tuesday each week (closed Wednesday and Thursday) They have plenty of lively shrimp and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. For the latest information and their hours, 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

Flows are down and water temps are cooling off and fishing is picking up. White bass fishing is good below the Lake Blackshear Dam. Fish small topwater lures or small jerk baits. White bass aren't large, but the action can be fast and furious, and they pull good on light tackle. Remember that striped bass season is still closed below Albany Dam. The river temperatures are cooling off and striped bass may be encountered but cannot be harvested. Bass fishing will be picking up with the cooler temperatures. Fish will be more aggressive, so use topwater lures and jerk baits for some fast action.

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER

The Lower Chattahoochee River flows have regulated back near normal. Catfish have been caught in deeper bends recently. Crappie fishing is picking up also. Target blowdowns and brush piles in deeper river sections. Striped bass season is still closed south from Columbia Lock and Dam.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

Much continues to be the same regarding this week's top bites, with crappie being the number one caught. Folks are reporting that they are getting lots of bites using the wicked shad they get from Flint River Outdoors, so if you are struggling to get a bite stop by and pick yourself up one! Boaters also need to be aware that starting November 1 the Georgia Power Dam will be starting the release of water for the yearly dock maintenance and will continue until December 15. Please be careful navigating out on the water due to the lower water level and plan accordingly regarding choosing your boat ramps, as smaller ramps will be unusable. If you are looking for a safe place to launch during this time, the ramps at Georgia Veterans State Parkwill remain useable.

LAKE WALTER F GEORGE

(Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report) - Bass fishing is good. Shad schools will be the key to this month's bass action. The baitfish move into the creeks as the water warms, and bass follow them, feeding on the drops leading into the creeks early in the month. Shallow rocky points heat up during the day and the shad and bass will be close by. These areas attract the bass where they feed on shad and bluegill. Cast often using a search bait or spinner bait to find active bass. Slow down when the action picks up. But then move fast along and start hitting a lot of spots quickly.

LAKE SEMINOLE

As water temperatures continue to decrease that bass have been feeding and feeding well! The big bass are biting! You can catch bass on a variety of lures. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and Topwater lures like Buzz baits have been productive.

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Big Lazer PFA Info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/big-lazer-creek-pfa
• Surface water temperature: 68° F
• Water visibility: Visibility is about 21"
• Water Level: -3" from full pool
• Big Lazer Fishing Guide

Overall, the fishing is just fair right now but should begin to heat up as the water begins to cool. Channel catfish can still be caught regularly in deeper water around the metal pier and along the dam. You can throw live bait like crickets and worms around structure to target bream species. Throw plastic worms in deeper water now for largemouth bass bites. Fish the bait slower than normal as the water temperature begins to decrease.

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Allatoona Linesides and More (This report courtesy of Heron Outdoor Adventures, 404-919-4918) - Autumn is in the air and the fish are everywhere! Lake Allatoona is providing us a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the autumn bite with reservoir surface temperatures below 69°, and gently dropping into the mid-60s on the north end towards Little River and the delta.

The striped bass are still trickling down into the reservoir it seems. We've had some line screamers all the way from the delta and down into the Illinois Creek area just this past week. Considering the great distances that the striped bass might travel in a day, there's no telling if one you caught at Kellogg Creek one afternoon had already started there, ate some shad up in Allatoona Creek and swam back by your bait for another snack.

While key techniques have still been downlining frisky threadfin and herring along with free lines in the mix, we've been catching the majority of our fish on downlines with straight back free lines having their own productive times. Planer boards with slightly larger baits have just not yet produced as we are hoping they will by mid-November when the water temperatures drop just a little more. Now in all fairness, I have not concentrated much pulling the flats early in the a.m., however, while concentrating on this specifically one morning early last week, the several stripers caught snacked while bait was being turned back over to the channel or channel edges. And that's where our concentration has been - in the channels and on the channel edges. These fish will often utilize the channels quite a bit in pursuit of bait and in their daily movements this time of year.

The hybrids themselves have not really shown themselves in great quantity or large schools in the majority of our travels these past two weeks mid-lake and north. However, large schools were seen and fished upon during late afternoon/evening full generation days earlier this month, especially from Stamp Creek to the dam where we concentrated our efforts.

We have been marking some really nice schools of sizable white bass moving throughout the main channel from Victoria and into Little River.

They make a guest appearance, and while several frisky baits had been right in their feeding zone when we cross paths, we'd typically only get one pull down, but those fish were in the 14 to 15 in class. Them bigguns! In one instance where they were marked underneath the boat again, a spoon dropped directly into the school triggered a quick reaction bite, and while another one was hooked on a live bait, they did not stay around for any prolonged feeding and just kept swimming.

With respect to artificials, there's definitely a bite to be found trolling larger umbrella rigs when the fish are deeper as well as minis / a-rigs targeting fish in the upper 15 ft of water. Jerkbaits such as the Megabass Vision 110 and Bomber Long A's and particularly spoons have triggered quite a few bites overall this past month and should continue to do so, particularly when a reaction bite might outdo a tethered live shad or herring. Even our topwater bites have typically come by burning a spoon on the top when that's what is tied on already. Do not dismiss a nice walking top water bait or a spy bait.

It's been a tough bite on many October days, with bluebird days and high pressure until just recently. It's not many groups of people that just hope and pray for a cloudy day, but we anglers are amongst those. It was nice to have some cloud cover this past Sunday, and we even felt a little precipitation, though brief. It was nice to stand out and open our mouths to catch a couple raindrops. The fish were somewhat cooperative, and we managed to wrangle six unique species, including striped bass, white bass and hybrid striped bass.

It is our pleasure to keep our fishing community updated as we may and shall strive to contribute here as well as providing updated reports both on our blog as well as local fishing forums. For us, and in our own conservation efforts, we release all the landlocked striped bass caught aboard our boats. We sure don't have a strong population of the larger striped bass. Releasing the 5 to 9 lb stripers might better ensure that your children and grandchildren have a better opportunity at a 20 lb plus striped bass in the future. Now don't go hungry but consider harvesting a few of the hybrid striped bass or white bass or other species when wanting to satiate your palate for fresh fish on the reservoir.

We hope you are able to get out and find you one or more of these wonderful line sides. Feel free to reach out to us for some full service catching and instructional fishing at any time… any species. We've really been enjoying catching some sizable catfish into the 20lb. class lately and those have provided a lot of smiles aboard our boats, along with the spotted bass, crappie, and particularly the "Linesides". God bless you all, and tight lines, friends!

Allatoona Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is good. 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 scent to lure all week. Also around docks the Pop R in baby bass will draw strikes. The glimmer blue Zoom trick worm is fair. Cover and shade are critical in the early fall. Bass are returning to the shore now are in pursuit of food. Cast right on the docks and work slowly. Up the rivers and creeks, use bream colored 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 docks as possible.

Allatoona Bass Report (This report courtesy of angler Matt Driver) - The lake started turning over last week when the water started getting into the mid to upper 60s. Fishing was awful. However, we are seeing a turnaround, and the best Bite right now is on crank and jerk baits. As the temperatures lower, we should see fishing get much better.

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

• Lake Level approx. 835′ and dropping (Current Water Level).
• Water Temp: 66 - 68 F
• Water Clarity: Clear to light stain (Allatoona Green)
• Area Fished: Blockhouse, Clark Creek & Tanyard Creek Areas
• Jigs Used: Two new test colors: Smoke Break (Smoke Color Body with UV Glitter) in the Red Rooster Dagger & Slab Dragon Crappie Jig. Frost Bite (White/Clear Body With Blue & Silver Glitter Strands) in the Dagger.
• Technique: Casting Jigs To Brush & Structure

We had another beautiful fall week on Lake Allatoona enjoying the cooler temps, seeing the glory of God on full display with leaves changing and topping it off with a few nice Allatoona crappie! We were only able to get on the water for one day due to other commitments, but we had a fantastic day on Thursday! We got on the water at first light and fished until 1100 and were able to hook up with 40 crappie! Our main goal on the trip this week was to check out a couple of new test colors in the Dagger & Slab Dragon. Smoke Break is a new color that we are excited about, and it did not disappoint! Smoke Break is a smoke color body with UV glitter/flake that was designed for clear water under low light conditions. This color showed out big time before the sun got above the trees and in the shade and it was the number one producer. The other test color was what we call FrostBite, which is a white/clear body with blue and silver strand glitter. It was a runner up to Smoke Break when the sun came up. We targeted brush and structure in 12′ and crappie suspended at 8′ above the brush. We would cast past structure with a Red Rooster custom 1/24 oz. under spin jig head. We were using FFS to see our jigs and would slowly retrieve our jig in the 7′ - 8′ range and the crappie would absolutely slam the jig. We caught several keepers, but the majority of our catches were in the 8″ to 10″ range…a bit on the small size but they were aggressive little boogers! This is typical this time of year where the smaller crappie are more aggressive as the lake draws down and the water temperature drops. All in all, it was a great day and we had a lot of fun and fellowship on the water. We will be back in trolling mode next week as the water continues to drop and the crappie begin leaving brush & structure for open water and deeper structure. As the water drops, the structure gets shallower and the crappie no longer feel safe in the summer hideouts, so they start schooling and roaming to find new areas to stage in. Lord willing Team Red Rooster will bring you another report next week! We now have a years-worth of fishing reports archived on the site. Be sure to check out the archives for October 2023 and see what we were doing this time last year!

Allatoona Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including Allatoona, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

Allatoona News Nugget - While considered invasive throughout much of Georgia, did you know that Alabama "spotted" bass are actually native to Lake Allatoona and the greater Coosa River Basin? Now you know!

Lake Hartwell Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is fair. The bass fishing has improved as the cooler weather has the shad moving in the creeks, and the spotted bass are feeding up. Cover and shade is critical in the early fall. Bass are returning to the shore now are in pursuit of food. The schooling activity has also really improved and should continue for several weeks. A lot of the activity is from the mouths of the creeks to about halfway back. Most of the fish are in 15 to 20 feet on the main and secondary points. When the fish are feeding on the surface use the pearl Zoom Super Fluke. When they are not schooling watch the electronics. When the Sonar shows a school of bass use the drop shot rigged with a Zoom Shakey Tail Worm. As the weather continues to cool more shad will begin moving back in the creeks. Now use the Rapala Shad Rap crank bait and spinnerbait along with the fluke.

Lake Lanier Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing on Lanier is fair to good. The lake currently is about one and a half feet below full pool with the water temperature running in the low to mid-seventies. The water clarity varies from area to area as the yearly turnover has begun. Turnover is when the cooler water on top begins to sink and push deeper water to the surface. Signs of turnover are darker colored water, foam and odor. The turnover can have a negative effect on the bass, but they are still catchable. The top water bite is still happening with surface activity scattered across the lake so be prepared to run a lot of areas. The Lip Thrashin Riser, Ima Skimmer, swimbaits and Spot Chokers have all been effective for the top water bite. The biggest thing with the top water is to try to find windy areas with humps and long points. The dropshot has been working this week around brush and ledges in the twenty-five-to-thirty-five-foot range using a Lanier Baits Sweet Rosey or Blue Lily colored worm. Either work this bait straight down on the structure or sit back a little bit and pitch the bait working it like a shakey head setup. The Shakey head bite around the docks and blow downs has produced fish for the week also. Look for the docks in the fifteen-foot range and be sure to work all areas around and in the dock. The turnover will make it more challenging for the next week or two, but they are still biting so Go Catch 'Em!

Lanier Stripers (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778) - Lake Lanier stripers are looking for oxygen and you need to check out the contours that create more movement. Ditches, humps, and feeder creeks where they intersect with the channel. Your electronics will help you find them down lines, flat lines, and planer boards are the most effective. Blueback's, threads, and minnows are working and up the rivers dollar bill size gizzards should provide some excitement. Remember to wear your life jacket.

Lake Lanier Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including Lake Lanier, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

Lake Weiss Bass: (This report courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service and www.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is fair. In the morning fish flats or points with top water. Use a Boogerman buzz bait in white or black, depending on the light conditions. Use the Zara Spook walking bait get quality bites. Fish flats using a ½ ounce Davis Vibe spinner bait in Peacock. This pattern works really well if there is any kind of wind blowing in the morning and into the day. If the spinnerbait starts to fade, always try a crank bait on flats or steep rock banks. Have the 300 Bandit in Sage Ghost and also a Shad Rap in Natural or Silver ready all day. The best way to catch big fish, target pockets and creeks with a jig. Fish any wood with a ½ ounce Davis Jig in Root beer or PBJ. Be sure to fish the co Cover and shade is critical in the early fall. Bass are returning to the shore now are in pursuit of food. Cover very well and from many different angles.

West Point Bass Report(This report courtesy of fisheries biologist Brent Hess) - Fisheries staff recently completed fall electrofishing sampling at West Point Lake. The results for the black bass populations were very encouraging, with catch rates for largemouth bass being the highest since 1993. Some of this increase, however, may be attributed to the low water levels this fall. Currently, West Point's water level is 10 feet below full pool because of ongoing maintenance work on the dam and powerhouse structures. This low water level can benefit bass anglers by concentrating fish populations and potentially increasing catch rates. The combination of lower water levels and cooler temperatures suggests that the fall fishing season at West Point Lake could be very good to excellent for bass. However, with the low water, boaters should exercise caution, stay vigilant, and adhere to all boating safety laws.

West Point Bass Report(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 10.2 FEET, 70'S - Bass fishing is good. There is a good shallow water bite and use the Spro Poppin Frogs, Zoom Super Flukes and other top water baits such as Zara Spooks and Pop R's. As the weather continues to be mild and the lake level drops, expect more fish to show up on the deeper, more normal summer structures such as lake dams, roadbeds and deep brush piles. For spotted bass, try a shaky head with a Zoom worm around bridge pilings, brush piles or rocky banks with blow downs. A green pumpkin finesse worm on a Carolina rig will continue to produce fish throughout the summer. Cover and shade is critical in the early fall. Bass are returning to the shore now are in pursuit of food. Try fishing the mouths of the larger creeks gravel points and shoal markers are a good place to start.

West Point Fish Attractors: Find locations of DNR fish attractors and much more information for a variety of water bodies, including West Point, at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

SMALL LAKES REPORT

State Park Lakes: Want to enjoy some fall fishing and foliage? Don't worry, Georgia State Parks has got you covered. Small lakes can offer great fall fishing opportunities close to home. Here are a few north Georgia State Parks with small lakes you may consider fishing this weekend.

• James H. "Sloppy Floyd (Chattooga Co.).
• Fort Mountain (Murray Co.)
• Vogel (Union Co.)
• Unicoi (White Co.)
• Black Rock Mtn. (Rabun Co.)
• Fort Yargo (Barrow Co.)
• Sweetwater Creek (Douglas Co.)

TROUT REPORT

Delayed Harvest Stocking (This report courtesy of WRD trout stocking coordinator John Lee Thomson) - The Fall trout fishing frenzy will be in full swing this week. Friday November 1st marked the beginning of the Delayed Harvest (DH) season, and all 5 DH areas got stocked on Friday 11/1/2024. Target these new releases with any junk flies as the trout are naive and hungry. Low clear water will have them wise to your movements so proceed slowly to the stream. If you can avoid detection, you should be able to entice these beauties. A huge DNR thank you goes out to Trout Unlimited and all the volunteers who helped distribute trout throughout the DH sections. Thanks to these hardworking folks, you do not have to fish shoulder to shoulder at the stocking points. Spread out and enjoy a great day on the water.

Please note that the popular Paces Mill Boat Ramp is currently closed for renovation and stocked trout for this area are being redirected to Cochran Shoals and Palisades West If you are unfamiliar with the DH regulations, these areas have special regulations that mandate artificial lures only and you must practice catch and release from November 1st-May 14th. Good luck and Go Trout Fish Georgia!

Lake Burton Trout (This report courtesy of WRD trout stocking coordinator John Lee Thomson) - When the leaves change you can count on GA WRD to provide a supplemental stocking of brown trout to the population in Lake Burton. This is a unique reservoir in Georgia where browns are stocked to take advantage of the blueback herring forage in the lake and create a trophy trout fishery. This week 10,000 catchable (10-inch) brown trout were distributed in multiple locations. These fish can be targeted immediately in Murray Cove, the Timpson Creek arm, and near the dam. For those trout that manage to avoid this initial angling effort, they will grow rapidly feasting on blueback herring. A trout stamp is not required to fish in Lake Burton, but if you land a trout and would like to keep it, you must have a trout stamp.

Trout and More (This report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters): Check out Unicoi Outfitter's regular "Angler Management" fishing reports at blog.angler.management/.

Chattahoochee Tailwater (This report courtesy of Orvis of Atlanta) - Chattahoochee Tailwater Streamer season is here. The lower temperatures at night and shorter periods of sunlight should have the wild brown trout feeding more actively and aggressively as we get closer to spawning season. Lake turnover has started for the year, and water coming out of Buford Dam is very murky, with dissolved oxygen at its yearly low. Fish further south, around Island Ford, for best results. If you have any questions at all, feel free to come in and we will be happy to get you set up! For the Chattahoochee, state regulations require a certified personal flotation devise be worn by all anglers from Buford dam south to highway 20. Pay special attention to water release info online or call the number below for release schedules. Make sure to call the Army Corps of Engineers release hotline at 770-945-1466 before making your trip.

Georgia Trout Slam: There is still time to catch Georgia's three freshwater trout species. If you have the skill to successfully catch all three species of trout (brook, brown, rainbow) in Georgia within a calendar year, consider giving the Georgia Trout Slam a try. All successful submissions will receive the coveted Georgia Trout Slam Sticker and be entered into a drawing for an annual grand prize. Program details can be found at GeorgiaWildlife.com/trout-slam. Slammer intel for the week - brown trout were stocked in the following delayed harvest (DH) streams: Morgan Falls Tailwater (Chattahoochee), Smith Creek, and the Toccoa River. Brookies landed in the Amicalola and Smith Creeks DH sections.

Trout Fishing Opportunities for Those With Disabilities: You can find a link to a list of sites that are open to the public and offer specific amenities for anglers with disabilities at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

Parting Trout Note: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia? Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this 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 in the state.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

We have a skinnier report this week as some of our staff have been so busy in the field that the clock ran out before they could punch out a field report. I suspect next week's report will be a bit beefier with intel from Juliette, Marben PFA, and others.

The efficient Thomson trio of Aaron, Greg, and McDuffie'snewest staffer, Nick, did get out on the Savannah and reported plenty of fresh blowdowns for anglers to target bream and hungry fall bass including largemouth, smallmouth, and even some elusive Bartram's. I also heard this week from some Flat Creekanglers that this warm spell is keeping the shallow crappie bite at bay, and the 10-day forecast suggests that trend may continue. Dry and warm continues to be the theme for fall 2024!

Okay, let's get to this week's report, courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishingreport and other contributions by WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

RIVER REPORT

Savannah River (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): Region 3 Fisheries staff recently completed fall electrofishing sampling on the Savannah River near Augusta. Redear sunfish and bluegill were plentiful at all sites, with several quality individuals of each species observed. Anglers looking for a great fight on lighter line would do well to pursue these panfish in the river this fall! Several areas on the river have recently fallen trees that may restrict navigation on the river. However, these same trees are already providing great habitat that fish are taking advantage of. Cast live bait or small artificials around these trees - especially in areas out of the main current - and you just might find some takers!

Largemouth bass, Bartram's bass, and smallmouth bass were also collected during electrofishing - again around woody and rocky habitats. Anglers fishing near the Augusta Shoals have a great chance at working towards their Georgia Bass Slam (GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing/angler-resources/GeorgiaBassSlam) in this area. Topwater lures, jigs, spinnerbaits, and plastic worms & creature baits can all be used for these bass right now.

RESERVOIR REPORT

Reservoir reports below are courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report.

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1 FOOT, 60'S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. The bass fishing is really starting to pick up, and we can expect it to improve as the water continues to cool. Catch a lot of spots on the drop shot and shaky head around points and humps in 15 to 25 feet of water. Right now a few largemouth are around brush and timber on the points using a Carolina rigged Zoom lizard or worm and use pumpkinseed. The bass seem to be feeding heavy on the smaller shad. If the bites are off downsize the baits and switch up colors until they bite. There are still a lot of fish on the main lake points but the creeks should really turn on the next few weeks, so move around until the bait fish show up on the sonar. As we progress into fall, the shad should really begin to bunch up and the fishing should only improve. As the shad move back into the creeks use a Rapallo Shad Rap crank bait around rocks and wood looking for some of the bigger fish

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 1.7 FEET, 60'S

Bass: Bass fishing is on and off during the day. Bass are either real deep or real shallow. Bait is the key in the as the will be migrating to the backs of creeks and coves. Also the blueback's will be way up in the water column which makes for some great schooling action. Look for brush in 18 to 25 feet of water on the main lake. Focus from the mouth of Wildwood to the main bridge in Little River Georgia. Zoom Flukes and Berkley Cane Walkers are some great baits to throw over the tops of the brush to call them up. Windy and sunny days are the best. Drop shots will catch them if they won't come up. Expect mostly spots and some healthy largemouth. On top water out over the brush use the walking baits like a Vixen but have a Chug Bug ready on the calmer days. Fan casting these over the humps and points early in the day, then concentrating on the brush piles as the sun comes out. Now use the jigs with two techniques with the jig depending on the weather. On sunny days use a 3/8 ounce SpotSticker casting jig in either green craw, root beer or cinnamon pepper tipped with a 5 inch Yamamoto twin tail around the brush and on the humps and points.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The lake is full, stained up the rivers clear on the main lake. There is an early morning top water bite. Use a buzz bait around sea walls and the bridge rip rap. This will only last for the first hour of day light. After this the best bite will be on the humps on the south end of the lake. Use a deep diving crank bait. Fish it from the deep water up onto the hump. Use a Carolina rig fish on the same humps. Some fish are also coming up the rivers. Cover and shade is critical in the early fall. Bass are returning to the shore now are in pursuit of food. These fish are tight to cover. Us a Texas rig for these fish a dark worm will work best.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.6 FEET, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. Some good bass are in shallow water. Top water baits continue to produce a few fish, mostly early and late each day while the clear skies prevail. Poppers like Chug Bug's and Pop R's have produced using a slow pop to pop cadence with 3 to 4 second pauses in between. Small buzz baits have also yielded a few caught fish using a slow retrieve. But the locations and holding cover have not been easy to pattern. It's more of a keep the bait wet pattern during the first hour or two after daybreak. Docks and boathouses continue to hold fish that are hitting jigs and soft plastics. Anglers fishing docks should experiment with several baits including jigs, Texas rigs (various sizes with straight and curl tails), tubes, and creature baits. Crank baits should also be tried, especially during windy conditions. Spinner baits produced success several days ago and could again any day. Some bass are moving to the backs of coves in small groups following shad. Cover and shade is critical in the early fall. Bass are returning to the shore now are in pursuit of food. Shallow crank baits like a Mann's Baby One Minus and ¼ ounce Rat L Traps are good lures for this scenario. A few bass are briefly holding on secondary points and flats in the creeks and coves at 6 to 15 feet deep. They may hold on these structures for only a day or two as they migrate to or from more shallow water. Crank baits and Carolina rigs are the primary baits here, although other choices can be better. Top water baits or Rat L Traps can be good during early morning or when these fish are surface feeding.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 4.9 FEET, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Big spotted bass are being caught on Sammy's, Fish Head Spins and swim baits. Look for them to be at the mouths of creeks and coves on rocky points. Cover and shade is critical in the early fall. Bass are returning to the shore now are in pursuit of food. Schools of bait are moving into the places, and they are set up to get an easy meal. Later this month, they will move to seawalls inside the coves and can be caught on Net Boy Baits Flippin' Jigs or 3/8 ounce Strike King spinnerbaits. The bait and bass are on the move getting ready for the winter. Covering water is key with bass seeking bait schools. With a Spro Fat John in shad patterns fish the chunk rock and blow downs are the main areas for bass to ambush bait.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

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

• McDuffie PFA Information
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

Striped Bass: Anglers are being challenged by the stripers in Clubhouse and Bridge when trying to catch catfish right now. However, for most anglers, striper bycatch is a pleasant surprise for the angler and their creel. When the waters cool, stripers get much more active, and right now small stripers and hybrids are taking chicken livers and worms before they touch bottom for catfishing. For folks trying for a bigger striper, casting the outflow of the siphons in Clubhouse and Bridge consistently yields results.

Bream: Bream fishing has been good using red wigglers and other worms. Several stringers of nice fish are coming out of the far side of Willow and stumps in Bream Buster. In other ponds, the bream are biting but are smaller. One of the best areas for bream fishing, below the office on Clubhouse is still being cleaned up after Helene.

Bass: Bass fishing has also been slow, but several 1-3 lb fish are being caught from the dams in shallow waters on a variety of lures. McDuffie Darryl caught a handful of bass this past Monday on a jig, with his best being 2 lb 7 oz. Nothing to write home about for Darryl, but a fun transition to bottom bouncing a jig from his typical topwater approach, and the numbers have been decent. McDuffie angler Taka also found success this week with a chartreuse topsin lure.

Catfish: They're biting. The typical cutbait, livers, hearts or crawlers will work. Anglers should try fishing Willow, Rodbender, and Beaver Lodge Lakes for catfishing in ponds without stripers and hybrids.

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

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

• Flat Creek PFA Information
• Water Level: 67" below full pool
• Water Clarity: 23"
• Water Temperature 67.4 F
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: With the transition to fall, the bass bite has been finicky but successful. If you find the right bait and pattern you will catch fish. Best bets will be shad mimicking lures such as spinner baits, chatter baits and lipless crankbaits. White buzz baits, frogs, and poppers may also produce fish in low light conditions.

Bream: The bream bite has been decent this past week with good eating sized bream being caught. Worms and crickets will always produce fish. Bread around fish feeders will also produce keeper sized fish.

Crappie(info courtesy of Angler Larry Brudnicki): The fall crappie bite is getting closer but has not yet kicked off although fish catches are still possible. Overnight anglers are using the dock lights and landing plentiful fish in the 8-11 inch range. Jigs seem to be the most effective in red/chartreuse and black/orange. Fishing around deeper structures during the day can definitely produce fish.

Catfish: Despite cooling temperatures, the catfish have still been around. Fishing chicken livers and cut bait on the bottom will be your best bet. Anglers have been reporting 15-20 pound catfish being caught; however, we have yet to see photos. If you catch one of these memorable fish please share your photos!

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 WRD Fisheries Technician Jacob Landry)

• Marben PFA Information
• Water Level: All the ponds are full or nearly full with the exception of Otter, Lower Raleigh, Little Raleigh, and Upper Raleigh. Margery is under renovation and closed till further notice.
• Water Clarity: Clarity varies but most water bodies have up to 23-26" visibility.
• Surface Temp: mid-60s.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Bass are moving into shallower water as the temperatures decrease this month. Bass will respond well to spinner baits and crank baits this time of year.

Crappie: The crappie have not moved to shallow water yet. Fishing over suspended brush is your best bet. Use jigs tipped with minnows or a "search-style" bait such as a curly tail jig.

Bream: Bluegill and some shellcracker are being caught on or near the bottom. Red wigglers and wax worms are a good choice for bait.

Other: Shad have recently been moving shallow. Shad-style lures would likely be good for both largemouth and hybrids. Using soft plastics, crank baits, jerk baits, and live bait have produced good results for harvest.

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