Georgia Fishing Report: October 4, 2024

While we always want to encourage folks to go fishing, this weekend might be a good one to stay home and watch some football, tie some flies or straighten up the tackle box, make plans for the next trip and read some good fishing articles.

Area Openings - USE Caution and Check for Closures: Georgia DNR WMAs and PFAs are starting to open back up after Hurricane Helene but many of these areas and USDA Forest Service roads are still impassable. To check for Georgia DNR property closures (WMAs, PFAs, boat ramps), visit GeorgiaWildlife.com/closures. To check for Forest Service Road closures and other alerts, visit fs.usda.gov/alerts/conf/alerts-notices. Note that information for WMAs on Forest Service property are at the Forest Service webpage.

If you do venture out to do some fishing, let's be SAFE and use caution:

• Waterways may be higher than normal or have unknown debris washed into them.
• Roadways may be blocked or inaccessible due to downed trees and storm debris.
• Bridges and culverts may be damaged.
• Boat ramps may be inaccessible or closed.
• Check USGS River gages before going on the rivers, especially after a large rain event like this.
• Don't put yourself or emergency personnel at risk by accessing areas that are unsafe.

Thanks to our amazing fisheries staff who are tirelessly cleaning up state and public properties and roadways, and still managed to send in some fishing tips to share with you.

This week, we have reports from Central, Southeast, Southwest and North Georgia. No matter what, we want you to be safe so that you can get out there many more days to Go Fish Georgia!

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

Did You Know? Most of the Public Fishing Area event ponds receive catchable channel catfish. These catfish are produced and raised in some of the GA DNR fish hatcheries located at McDuffie, Cordeleand Richmond Hill.

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

McDuffie PFAis currently CLOSED due to Hurricane Helene damage.

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

• Flat Creek PFA Information
• Water Level: 58" below full pool
• Water Clarity: 19"
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Fish Cleaning Station Update: The fish cleaning station is up and running. We apologize for any inconvenience. Please remember when using a PFA fish cleaning stations to always START grinder BEFORE inserting fish carcasses.

Bass: With water temps dropping, the bass bite should be picking up as they fatten up for the cold months ahead. Your best bet will be spinner baits, softbodied jerk baits, square bills and medium to deep diving crank baits. Colors should resemble shad and shiners for your best chances of snagging a lunker. Anglers are reporting numerous catches of 1 pound bass caught on live minnows.

Bream: Right now, is the best time to get on some good bream! The water has significantly dropped out of those dreaded 90-100-degree temps, making them very active! Your best bet would be to target coves and shelves where they're spawning, utilizing red wigglers, or chunks of nightcrawler fished on or near the bottom. Beetle spinners or small rooster tails slow rolled over these areas should also produce good fish.

Catfish: As in past reports catfish are still willing and able to bite! Cut bait and Chicken liver will always produce good eating sized fish. Live bluegill or shiners will give you a chance at some good-sized catfish! Anglers are reporting numerous catches of small catfish on night crawlers. This indicates that the catfish stocked earlier this year have reached catchable size.

Crappie: Few Crappie have been reported but they are definitely still catchable, especially with the current water temps. Jigs that mimic shad will always produce fish, combine that with your favorite style of retrieval in deeper water and you will find some slabs!

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.

Family Fishing Events: We are hosting two more fishing events in 2024 on Sat. Oct. 19 and Nov. 16. Event information available at GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com.

Dove Field: Join in the Youth dove hunts: Oct. 5, 12 Nov. 23, Dec 1, 19, Jan 31. During the hunt, one adult may supervise up to 2 children. Participants age 16 or older must possess a valid Georgia Hunting License. For more info, please call 706-595-4222. Check out this photo of dove field prepping for this upcoming event!

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• 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
• Lake Margery is CLOSED to fishing following renovations

Bass: October 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 October 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. October is still a great month to grab a couple cricket tubes or tubs of red wigglers catch a mess of bluegill and redear.

Hybrid Bass (courtesy of PFA manager Jamie Dowd): The hybrid bite in Bennett will really turn on in October. Hybrids are constantly on the move chasing schools of threadfin shad, and they will be feeding more aggressively in October 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, crankbaits and a small A-rig fished around schooling shad. This Bennett hybrid was landed on a diving crankbait fished among a hybrid feeding frenzy.

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

Family Fishing Events: Marben recently hosted its final fishing event for 2024, that was sponsored by a local manufacturing company (Mytex) and DNR. Approximately 65 people enjoyed fishing, being outdoors, and eating a catered lunch. Marben fisheries staff worked with Walton Hatchery staff to harvest largemouth, assist in the greenhouse, and hauled catchable channel catfish from Richmond Hill Hatcheryto our kid's and event lakes. Keep an eye out for the 2025 fishing event schedule that will be posted next year.

RIVER REPORT

OcmulgeeRiver (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologists Brandon Baker): The Fort Valley Fisheries crews were deployed on debris and road cleanup following Hurricane Helene to help Georgians in need. We will wait for the Upper Ocmulgee River to have less flow before we can safely conduct fall electrofishing surveys for black bass and other centrarchids as a part of our semi-annual sampling. Please remember to check USGS River gages before going on the rivers, like the Dames Ferry USGS gage on the Ocmulgee River above Macon, especially after large rain events.

Flows and river gages continue to decline following Hurricane Helene, but overall are still high and have very strong flows. Fishing will improve as flows begin to reach 1,000 cfs. Water temperatures are in the upper 70's and will continue to sink with increasingly cooler nights. When the river is conducive to fish again, most bass will be between 10″ - 15," but there were definitely a few lunkers in the mix that were holding tight to large woody debris or patiently stalking downstream of shoals. We observed excellent numbers of redbreast and bluegill, while the section of river just below Jackson Dam showcased some quality shellcracker weighing up to 1.75 lbs. For tips and tactics for fishing the Ocmulgee River, check out WRD's Fishing Forecasts at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

Savannah River (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray and Fisheries Tech Greg Abercrombie): No fishing intel from river anglers this week, but anglers that use the DNR boat ramp below the Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam will be happy to know that we spent several days working on maintaining and upgrading the DNR ramp on the Savannah River below New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam. We removed sediment from the ramp and adjacent areas, removed water hyacinth plants and accumulated debris next to the dock, and spent considerable time cleaning the dock & gangway. We also installed a new sign at the dock to advise boaters where the boat ramp slab ends in the water, which will be helpful to boaters when the Savannah River is at lower flows.

Fly fishing (courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters Jeff "Dredger" Durniak): Warm rivers are still low and clear due to a lack of rain. Just watch the river gauges before coming to make sure a stray storm hasn't blown that river out. The rivers are also a bit cooler since we ditched our 90-degree days, which should enhance the bass bite. Throw your streamers and poppers into heavy cover, where residents are hiding from the herons and otters. Have a stealthy approach and make longer casts so you don't spook them, and you should be rewarded.

RESERVOIR REPORT

This week's Central Georgia fishing report is courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing report and other contributions by WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 2.7 FEET, 70'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. Some early top baits are working a bone Zara Spook is working. Spotted bass are transitioning and starting to feed well as temperatures continue to cool. Ledges and deep rocky points with light jigs and spot stickers is going to be "bread and butter" baits; with maybe a Carolina rig thrown in around those submerged stumps south of the Highway 72 Bridge. A very light top water bite has occurred in the early morning hours in select areas of the lake, but those spots are very tight lipped. In the afternoons, fish the stumps and brush with jigs and worms. Fish them slow and try some deeper holes. Rapala Shad Raps have been working and light 10-pound test Sufix Advantage line is the best line for this action. It's hard to beat the Rapala DT series and shad colors in clear water and the Hot Mustard has been good.

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.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 1.4 FEET, 70'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is good. Down deep Husky Jerk baits along with Rapala DT10 and DT14 will help with entice bass that are down deep. The water temperatures will be dropping and cooler waters up in the rivers especially near the Russell Dam is a good place to work this week. There is still a top water bite going on first thing in the morning. Flukes and floating worms are working in some areas around those brush piles and the heavier grass mats. Carolina Rigs and Jigs both seem to be the baits of choice among local anglers. The deeper ditches are producing some bass but not the quality ones that we will see later in the fall. Windblown points are good areas and a spinner bait with all silver blades and white skirts like the Luck Craft redemption lures are a great option. Find where some bait are holding, start fishing with hard baits and then switch to either a Carolina rig or drop shot rig.

Bass 2 (courtesy of Clarks Hill angler Greg Courtwright): Greg had a blast on Clarks Hill this week tearing up spotted bass and largemouth. In one afternoon, he caught 23 bass, mostly spots in the 13″ - 16″ size range. Largemouth were caught on a pearly white fluke, with the largest going for 3.63 lbs.

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.

Linesides 2 (courtesy of Clark Hill Striper Club angler Corey Martin): Although surface waters are beginning to cool into the low 80s and upper 70s, the lineside bite remains good on the south end of Clarks Hill. Power reeling big spoons produced two monster 23 lb and 25 lb striper for CHSC member Corey Martin over the last couple of weeks. Blue catfish are also abundant on Clarks Hill and have been caught by club members while fishing spoons and trolling Alabama rigs.

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 OCONEE IS FULL, 70'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is poor to fair. Lake Oconee is down a couple more inches this week, but last night's rain should help a little. The cooler nights and shorter days have also brought the surface water temperature down to 81 to 83 degrees. A few fish can now be caught moving into shallower water, but anglers still need to be near deep water and the main lake. They have not migrated to the backs of the coves yet. Good fishing is just around the corner. The docks are still best bet. Fish them with a Texas rig or a shaky head jig. A small creature bait or finesse worm in June bug is producing fish. As the sun gets higher move out to the main lake points ledges and drop offs. Fish them with a ¼ ounce chrome Rat L Trap or a Carolina rig and also favorite fire tiger colored deep diving crank bait. With the cooler days Georgia Power has not been pulling as much water but it is still important to be on the lake when they are.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 70'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is good. Water color varies from clear on the south end to stained in the Little River arm. The deeper structure bite for largemouth bass is starting to fall off as the fish have begun their seasonal movement to creeks shallow coves and pockets. Poppers have produced some bass using a slow pop to pop cadence with pausing in between. First couple hours after daybreak have been productive around boat houses and docks with jigs and soft plastics. Spinner baits were working good too. For numbers of fish tie on a 1/8- or 3/16-ounce jig head with a Zoom U Tail worm in greens and fish the shallow docks in the Optimist Island area of Little River. For that kicker fish skip a Yum Vibra King 3.5-inch tube in a June bug or black color on those same docks. Spend ten minutes or more in an area and haven't seen shad it's probably time to look for more active water.

Crappie:Lake Country'sCrappie Ninja reports the crappie on Sinclair are fishing well on clear days following a cold front. This week, he filled the cooler on jigs, including Sugarbugs and Delta jigs. Use your electronics to locate schools of crappie orienting to shallow structure or underneath docks and pitch them subtly over the schools.

Linesides & More: Another Lake Country angler reported on other Sinclair species: "Well today was fun but not getting all the fish we hoped for. Caught two small bass, three catfish and 15 linesides. I wasn't targeting the linesides, but they sure were fun. Whites and hybrids were positioned on the ledge of a long point in 10-12. I was fishing 5-10' water with structure off ledges and outer pockets mid-lake.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 0.4 FEET, 70'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) -Bass fishing is fair. While anglers should still find fish holding on main lake structure some quality fish have turned up way back in the pockets holding on wood cover as shallow as 4 feet. Should anglers find themself fishing on a cooler overcast day keep an open mind and probe around docks blow downs and brush piles back in the coves. Throwing buzz baits or torpedo style prop baits are good choices. Drop shot rigs deep running cranks baits and Carolina rigged plastics should be fished on the main lake. Before the sun gets up stick to power fishing with buzz baits. Covering water will be the key to success. When fishing buzz baits landing bait close to deep sea walls will be important. Sammie's or Prop baits fish a little slower but try these baits in prime areas. Near wood or rock structure for instance. Fish should strike on or after a pause. Some mornings look for the fish prefer the slower suspending baits. Focus on main lake rock riprap and sea wall features. Focus on deep main lake seawalls. Spinner baits chatterbaits and shallow running crankbaits can work on shallow morning fish when they shy away from top water presentations. Fish the shaky rig on deep main lake docks. A run up the South or Yellow River can be worthwhile as the rivers will hold slightly cooler and more stained water. Target the older wood structure with a jig/craw trailer. Surface temperatures in the rivers may only decrease by a couple of degrees. It all depends on recent rainfall.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

Wow what a week! Hurricane Helene has changed many people's lives, and much of the southeast is still out of power while I'm writing this. I'm praising The Lord that I CAN write this, as the winds in the wee hours of Friday morning were unreal at our house in Waycross, and other places had it worse than we did! Nobody reported going fishing this week (storms help us get our priorities back in line), but I'll discuss some options below for whenever your world gets a little more back to normal.

River gages on October 3rd were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 10.8 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 14.3 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 11.7 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla - 14.9 feet and rising
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 9.3 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 15.9 feet and rising
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 4.7 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 8.7 feet and falling

First quarter moon is October 10th. 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 torrid bass bite bass bite will come to an end as the floodwaters work their way downstream. The Ocmulgee and upper Altamaha are already up in the floodplain. Catfishing in the lower river is the best option, as they usually bite well on a rising river.

ST. MARYS RIVER

This is the only river in southeast Georgia that was spared the big rains. It should be very fishable for panfish, catfish, or bass - basically whatever you want to fish for.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The Swamp did not get as much rain as locations west, so it is fishable. The refuge entrance on the east side is open, but Stephen C Foster State Park (west side) is closed at the time of writing this. I have not been out yet to see where the trees are down or how far you can get up the various trails, but refuge and park staff will be working to clear blockages.

LOCAL PONDS

If you have a local pond that you can fish, that's the place to go this weekend. If you don't have a pond, a Georgia Wildlife Resources Division Public Fishing Areas (PFA)is a great option, and these 5 are great for fishing. PLEASE NOTE: Some of these areas are closed (or have portions closed) due to damage from Hurricane Helene.In our area, they include Paradise PFAnear Tifton (campground is closed), Dodge PFAnear Eastman, Hugh M. Gillis PFAnear Dublin (nature trail, primitive campground and bathrooms closed), and Ocmulgee PFAnear Hawkinsville. Evans County PFAnear Claxton is currently closed. The fish are breaking out of the summer pattern and are feeding up ahead of the cold weather. You should be able to catch whatever species your favorite pond has in it. The crappie bite should pick up significantly this month. I've had some really good trips for specks in October.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Inshore saltwater fishing is peak in October. Trout, redfish, and flounder are numerous this time of year. You should be able to catch them on shrimp or artificials - however you prefer. After your next trip to the Georgia coast, drop off your fish carcasses in the freezer at the Waycross Fisheries Officeat 108 Darling Avenue. The Coastal Resources Divisioncollects most inshore saltwater species so that they can determine age and growth for each species. All the supplies and information cards are in the freezer. Filet your fish then drop off the carcasses in the freezer. Wat-a-melon Bait and Tackle in Brunswick is now open every day. On Mon-Thursday their hours are 6:30-10am and 2 to 5pm and Friday through Saturday from 6:30am to 5pm, and Sunday 6am to 5pm. They have plenty of lively shrimp and also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. They're on Hwy 303 just north of Hwy 82. For the latest information, contact them at 912-223-1379.

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

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)

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Big Lazer PFA Information at GeorgiaWildlife.com/big-lazer-creek-pfa
• Surface water temperature: 78^o F
• Water visibility: Visibility is about 18"
• Water level: Water level is down 12" from full pool
• Big Lazer PFA Fishing Guide

Bass fishing has been fair lately. Fish plastic-worms in deeper water by the new fishing pier and around the wooden pier. Bream fishing has been good. Target areas that have structure like woody brush and blow downs associated with it. Also, fish the backs of coves and inlets around the lake edge. Fish for catfish around the rocks along the dam. However, catfish are also located throughout much of the lake. Catfish are being caught on worms and livers. Try fishing both on the bottom and at several different depths but remain low in the water column. Very little reports of crappie bites right now.

FLINT RIVER

Flows are extremely high after Hurricane Helene. River conditions are very unsafe currently due to flooding and floating debris. It is highly recommended that anglers wait until flows return to more normal levels to try and fish.  

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER 

The Lower Chattahoochee River is also experiencing very high flows at this time. River conditions remain dangerous, and all anglers are advised to postpone fishing on the river until conditions improve.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR (photo credit: Crisp County Power Commission)

Fishing this week will likely be slow to non-existent, as the water is muddy and turbulent due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. If you are heading out on the lake, please be aware that Crisp County Power Commission has dropped the lake level due to large amounts of water coming down from north Georgia. The goal of the drop is to decrease the likelihood of flooding around the lake, but with large amounts of water coming downstream the conditions can be dangerous. Please take care and be safe this week on the water.

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

Water temperatures have finally dropped into the 70s and the bass fishing is good. There are a lot of shad in shallow water in the coves and the bass are right there with them. Small rattle traps in shallow flats in coves are producing good numbers of fish. The early morning top water bite is very good and buzzbaits seems to be producing the most fish. If having trouble getting aggressive strikes, try switching to a slow presentation sluggo to encourage a bite.

Anglers are reporting large schools of crappie that are biting minnows and jigs. The muddy high water from the recent rains has not slowed the crappie bite down.

LAKE SEMINOLE

(photo credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

(photo credit: Florida Historical Society)

The Flint and Chattahoochee arms of the lake are experiencing extremely high flows after Hurricane Helene, anglers are advised to postpone fishing on the river until conditions improve.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued this statement regarding area closures on Seminole. Due to heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Helene, the following areas are closed until further notice. Check Facebook.com/USACELakeSeminole for information on reopening.

• Lower Pool Damsite Fishing Area
• Lock Road

The following areas have been reopened as of October 2:

• Desser Landing
• Fairchilds Landing

Fun fact from the Florida Historical Society! On October 1, 1947, 77 years ago, a groundbreaking ceremony was held in Chattahoochee for the Jim Woodruff Dam. The Jim Woodruff Dam is a hydroelectric facility on the Apalachicola River, about 1,000 feet south of that river's origin, at the confluence of the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers. The dam impounds Lake Seminole along the Florida-Georgia line.

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

West Point Lake -(Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report) - Bass fishing is really starting to pick up, and we can expect it to improve as the water continues to cool. A lot of spots are being caught on the drop shot and shaky head around points and humps in 20 to 25 feet of water. A few largemouth are being caught around brush and timber on the points using a Carolina rigged Zoom lizard or worm. The bass seem to be feeding heavy on the smaller shad. So, downsize the baits and switch up colors until and find something that work and watch the electronics. 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 there is some activity. 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 crank bait around rocks and wood looking for some of the bigger fish.

Lake Weiss -(Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report) - Bass are starting to move shallow on secondary points and in the backs of the coves following the shad movement. Shallow running crank baits like the Bandit 100 series are working awesome right now. A 3/8-ounce spinner bait in chartreuse and white with double silver willow leaf blades is also a great fall bait. Spotted bass are being caught on the old river channel ledges in 4 to 8 feet of water. Use a buzz bait in white or black, depending on the light conditions. Use the Zara Spook walking bait to 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-bite starts to fade, 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 is to target pockets and creeks with a jig.

Lake Hartwell -(Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report) -Some schooling bait fish are busting the surface and top water baits and flukes are catching bass. Not much size, but a lot of keepers in the bunch. Main lake points and rock ledges are still stealing the show right now. A ¼ ounce Rat L Trap or Mann's Baby One Minus should be tried in the back of coves. The Rat L Trap can also produce well if fish are holding on secondary points. Also try a Senko or Trick worm either weightless or with a small weight and rigged Texas style. A ¼ to 3/8-ounce dark colored jig with a Zoom Chunk trailer can also be a good producer. Work the jig slowly along bottom and in cover. Also try swimming the jig with occasional twitches. Worms and jigs in green and brown are the best bet here. Once the sun gets up start looking for the bait. The key here is to pay attention to what depth the bait is hanging out. Use the Lowrance down Scan technology with Fish Reveal at 89% so the fish can be spotted at the depths they are feeding.

Lake Allatoona -(Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing Report) - This month, bass are packing on the pounds getting ready for the winter months. There are a few go to baits for this month. Use the fluke style soft jerk bait and turn and burn in shallow water around cover. A spy bait is good when bass are schooling, on top or in deeper water. Fish a buzz bait on bluff walls early and again late. A jerk bait can be thrown all day. Later in the month when the water gets cooler, use the Picasso Little Spotty jig. The bass this month are on the move so keep moving. Keep an eye out for surface activity and be watching the electronics for schools of bait and feeding fish. Don't over think fishing this month. It's easy. If they're not biting, stay on the move until they show up.

Lake Lanier Bass(Report courtesy of Phil Johnson. [email protected] 770 366 8845) - While overall the fishing is good it doesn't mean you're not going to have to work for the bite. Hopefully this will be our last week of high temperatures and low wind. There is top water activity happening across the lake with both bass and stripers, but you have to be in the right place at the right time. Unless you are able to cast to the bass while they are schooling you may not get the bite. The key to this activity has been to find the bait around long points and humps. The bass are not as attached to the structure as they have been but are instead just roaming with the bait. On windy days, the Spook, Gunfish or Slickstick have been good choices and when the wind is low, the Lip Trashin' Lures Riser TKO has been the ticket. If you see the fish suspended in the twenty-five-to-thirty-foot range, a 3/8-ounce Spot Choker with a three-inch Keitech will work well if you bring it slowly through the right depth. There is still a drop shot bite in the deeper brush using the Lanier Baits Blue Lily or Sweet Rosy drop shot worm.

Striped Bass(Report courtesy of Buck Cannon Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778) - Lake Lanier stripers are safe from the storm. They should have enough oxygen from all this new water to start the process of feeding in preparation to cold weather. All the traditional methods such as down lines, flat lines, and planer boards should perk up the bite. Using your electronics locate the bait balls from Browns Bridge to Gainesville Creek. Bait is bluebacks and trolling umbrella rigs. Remember to wear your life jackets.

TROUT REPORT

Trout Stocking Trucks Making Deposits: The trout stocking trucks have been out this week. Head out a take advantage of the beautiful weather weekend and check the weekly stocking report to make sure your destination is a good bet. If you are headed to hunt on a north Georgia WMA, the trout rod is a must. Chestatee, Chattahoochee, Cooper, and Lake Russell WMAs will all provide good trout fishing opportunities (see opening information about area closures at the beginning of today's blog!). The recently stocked targets are brown trout so more natural baits will be most productive. Good luck and Go Trout Fish Georgia!

North Carolina Trout: We have been informed that our sister agency, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, has postponed indefinitely delayed harvest stockings until they can assess the damage to their facilities, roads and streams.

Read About It! Hatcheries are Why You Can Catch Trout in Georgia (Article by Paul DiPrima and Shared in the Rome News Tribune on Oct. 1, 2024) - Thanks Paul for the history lesson!

Brook trout are the only members of the trout family that are native to Georgia. Prior to the Europeans, the brook trout were found in certain mountain streams of far north Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and were scattered across all the Appalachians all the way to Maine. In the southern range the fish were restricted to the higher elevations where the waters stayed cold enough for the fish to prosper. Prior to the arrival of the Europeans the brook trout were plentiful and existed in many of the larger cold water streams. When the timber industry indiscriminately cut the mountain forests and left the hillsides barren, the sediment and lack of shade pushed the Brookies to near extinction.

All trout species are found in streams that are cold and oxygen rich. In the United States these cold water streams are found in the mountains, and upper elevations or in the northern latitudes with the exception being artificially cold tailrace waters. In the Southeast, especially Georgia, there are not enough native brook trout in the streams to satisfy the angler pressure that currently exists. If not for non-native trout, we could have already pushed the native brook trout to extinction.

In 1883, under the authorization of the U.S Fish Commission, Fred Mather, a fisheries biologist made a trade with German fish culturist Baron Lucius von Behr. Mather sent Whitefish eggs to Germany, and von Behr shipped 80,000 brown trout eggs to America. The eggs were divided between two hatcheries in New York and one in Michigan and in 1884, America's first Brown trout stocking was by the Northville Hatchery and took place in Michigan in the Baldwin River, a tributary of the Pere Marquette.

The first rainbow trout hatchery was on San Leandro Creek, near San Francisco Bay. The hatchery was stocked with the locally native rainbow trout, and likely steelhead. The fish raised in this hatchery were shipped by train to hatcheries out of state for the first time in 1875, to Caledonia, New York, and then in 1876 to Northville, Michigan.

Erwin National Fish Hatchery in Erwin Tennessee was established in 1894 to restore trout populations in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia. In 1897 a total of 2,989 brook trout were collected from local streams to serve as broodstock. There was high mortality due to predation of the broodstock by feral cats and no eggs were obtained. By 1900 Erwin successfully raised trout and stocked about 40,000 rainbow trout and 30,000 brook trout that year.

Trout eggs were transported from the hatcheries in specially designed rail cars to other hatcheries across the country from as far away as California and Idaho. Newly reared trout from the local hatcheries were transported in similar rail cars to be stocked into streams that were once home to brook trout. In these early days of trout hatcheries in the United States the fish were either a few generations away from wild fish and sometimes the parent fish were wild and stream raised trout collected from local streams and rivers.

Early hatchery fish, mostly brown and rainbows, were stocked into nearly barren brook trout streams, these nearly wild trout established reproducing populations of rainbow and brown trout and were able to survive warmer waters than the brooks. Stream born browns and rainbows are called "wild trout" and are found in many Southeast streams that have not been stocked for many years.

Now there is a huge demand for catchable size trout. Most of the trout in the modern hatcheries are far removed from the wild trout of their ancestors. Hatchery workers usually choose the fastest growing, most aggressive feeders to be the source of the eggs that will be raised in the hatcheries. These "brooder" fish are the result of many years of breeding the biggest, hungriest disease resistant fish. These fast-growing trout can go from egg to catchable size in 12 to 16 months.

Todays stocked fish are so aggressive that they are usually caught within days of being stocked. If these hatchery fish are not caught only a few will live a second year. There isn't enough food in many systems to satisfy their appetite, some die from predation and some from high temperatures.

Almost all states with trout streams have a trout stocking programs and Georgia has a very good one. Georgia stocks about one million trout each year and the majority of these fish are stocked into streams that have good public access. Remember that wild rainbow and brown trout are the result of stockings that took place years ago and these trout will help maintain the wild populations if returned to the stream unharmed. The likelihood of newly stocked fish reproducing is very small.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.