Georgia Fishing Report: November 22, 2024

Did you know that spot patterns on trout (and other fish) are like human fingerprints, and no two trout have exactly the same spot pattern? Find out how one of our fisheries biologists gives a great personal example showing a brown trout he caught not just once, but twice in the North Georgia Fishing Report below.

Speaking of trout, have you gotten a Georgia Trout Slam yet? Catch all three species of trout found in the state - a brook, a brown and a rainbow - and submit required photos and info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/trout-slam and you have a Slam. Sounds like a great challenge to plan for a future weekend!

NEWS TO KNOW

• BINGO! Looking for a fun outdoors activity for the kids (or you)? Play some Backyard Bingo. Check out the WRD Facebook page post from earlier this week (Nov. 19) for a Bingo card example and get outdoors and have some fun! Find our Facebook page at facebook.com/WildlifeResourcesDivisionGADNR.
• Looking for the Latest Info? Keep in touch with all the Wildlife Resources Division info-to-know by email (you can choose the topics you want to know about), or through social media (like Instagram and Facebook), or our Blog, or the Georgia Wild e-newsletter.

This week, we have fishing reports from North, Central, Southeast and Southwest Georgia. Bundle up and bring the hot coffee and let's Go Fish Georgia!

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 5.9 FEET, 60'S

Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, The Southern Fishing Report) - Bass fishing is fair. This week with a cold front and tons of wind things are changing. Expect this next major front will affect the fishing initially but should be great after everything stabilizes. The crank bait and spinner bait bite will be the best bet in this wind. Use the Scrounger rigged with the 4inch big bite jerk shad in pearl. The jerk bait bite is good and getting better. The old tried and true shaky head finesse worm and a Weedless Wonder head and a jig bite 3-inch Yo mama in tilapia fished on bluff walls at the mouth of little river is a safe bet. Some fish will start to bunch up and they are looking for food. Now the electronics will play an important role in success and failure.

Crappie (Report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits):

• Lake Level: Approx. 834.17′ and Slowly Dropping. Find Current Lake Level info at allatoona.uslakes.info/Level.asp.
• Water Temp: 64 - 68
• Water Clarity: Clear to light stain (Allatoona Green)
• Area Fished: Galt's Ferry, Little River, S-Turns, & Victoria/Kellogg Creek Areas
• Jigs Used: Gray Ghost - Dagger, UV Shad - Dagger, BlueGrass - Dagger and Watermelon Ghost - Dagger
• Technique: Trolling & Casting Jigs

We are patiently waiting for the water levels and water temps to drop to get these Allatoona crappie active! We were able to catch a few fish this week but nothing to write home about. We were able to get out on the water on Tuesday and you couldn't ask for better weather! When we launched the boat at Galt's Ferry, we saw several deer running around the woods and the day use area. The rut is just getting started and we saw a 4-point buck chasing a doe around in the cool morning air. We tried our luck at trolling, but it was wishful thinking as the crappie never materialized in open water. We were searching and trolling in creeks and mouths of creeks…even down the river channel but couldn't find them in the areas that we were targeting. We only managed ONE nice crappie on this ill-fated trolling expedition!

Our buddy Jeff "Crappieman" Albright with CrappieMan Guide Service was out trolling as well but changed over to spider rigging minnows to catch a few. Tuesday morning til early afternoon didn't pan out for us…some days are like that. We report on both good and bad days at Red Rooster because we want to let folks know what is going on from week to week. There are a couple of factors that are hampering the crappie bite on Allatoona:

• Water Level, currently the lake is at 834′, this time last year and in 2022 the lake was around 830′.

• Water Temperature, the water temp is still on the warm side between 65 - 68, that is still 6 - 7 degrees warmer than it was this time last year. For prime trolling to start the lake needs to start dropping and cooling to get these crappie to pull off brush and start schooling and roaming in creeks and open water.

Hunter Moore with Moore Outdoorz Guide Service was able to locate some crappie this week and had a pretty good day! He was targeting crappie on brush and structure with a UV Shad & Watermelon Ghost Dagger on a 1/16th oz. jig head. The crappie were still slow to bite, but they kept casting to suspended crappie in the 12′ to 14′ range and were able to catch a few good ones.

We got out again for a few hours on Thursday after the rain and wind settled down and managed a few keeper crappie. Thursday was overcast but the lake was calm with a slight breeze, and we found crappie on brush anywhere from 16′ to 6′. We threw a chartreuse 3/32nd oz. jig head with the Gray Ghost Dagger for the crappie in 16′ and switched to a glow white 1/16th oz. jig head with a BlueGrass Dagger for the crappie in 6′. The crappie were pretty active after the rain and would chase the jigs when slowly reeled in and around the brush piles. It wasn't a great week, but temps are dropping, and we are looking forward to moving into winter trolling which shouldn't be too much longer!

LAKE HARTWELL

Bass (Courtesy of Captain Cefus McRea ([email protected] or 404 402 8329) - Fall is finally in full swing. Seagulls and loons are beginning to show up, albeit not in huge numbers yet. But this is a good sign. The water temperature on Lake Hartwell is still warm, hovering in the low 70's. We're waiting on the magic 65-to-68-degree water, and that's when things really kick off. Right now, stripers and hybrids seem to be focused on smaller baits, like threadfins. They will still hit a blueback, but it needs to be a small one. I will still put out a large gizzard shad or full-grown blueback as a flat line bait, just in case a hungry monster cruises by. On the other hand, the larger fish don't mind eating small baits. Like they say… Elephants eat peanuts. Fish are still hanging in the southern reaches of the lake, although we have been seeing schools mid-lake up to the Tugaloo/Seneca split, and beyond to Beaverdam. When the water cools, we'll see the movement northward begin to increase. Early morning and late afternoon, get ready for some awesome top water action. And if it's a cloudy day, these fish could feed on top all morning. MirroLure Top Dogs in Silver/Blue and Gray/Black have been producing good fish. Project X Saucertails nose hooked with a 1/0 circle hook will also generate explosive strikes if you fast retrieve across the surface. Pearl has been the preferred color. Downlines are effective once you locate the schools, and a great way search tool is the Project X Rig trolled at 1 to 2 mph, fully loaded with 3" Saucertails on Daiichi 3/0 EWG bass hooks. Start at the back of main creeks in the morning, and then work your way to the creek mouth by mid-morning. Follow the main creek channel and pay special attention to your Simrad chart to locate places where roadbeds intersect the channel. It's about to be game on!

LAKE LANIER

Stripers (Courtesy of Jack Becker, Gainsville) - A longtime friend from Kentucky called me recently and said he was coming to Georgia to visit a friend in Atlanta and was hoping we could get together to do some Striper fishing on Lake Lanier. Since my boat is too small to fish 3 people comfortably, I suggested we use a Striper Guide and recommended, Terry, Jersey Cat, with Jeff Blair Guide Service. He booked the trip, and we met at Balus ramp at 7:30 on a Friday morning. With a bait tank full of blueback herring, we headed south towards the dam in search of active fish. Terry had several places in mind where he had found large schools of fish recently. We watched side-scan and down-scan on his Humminbird Solix and soon saw a large number of schooling fish. We put out blueback herring on downlines, planer boards and free lines. We had a lot of fish on the screen but after about 10 minutes it was obvious they weren't going to bite. We brought in the lines and looked for more active fish. It didn't take long until we found another school of Stripers. This time the fish were in a feeding mode. Before we had all the lines in the water, we watched individual fish come up out of the school to attack our bait. Several times when Terry said watch that rod, when he saw fish coming up on the screen and within a few seconds we got a bite. The next couple of hours found us busy reeling in fish as we moved from 1 active school to another. Terry's knowledge of the lake and patterns this time of year was unbelievable. His passion for the sport was obvious from the minute we stepped on his boat. We kept 5 fish. I cleaned them and put them on ice for my buddy's trip back to Kentucky. His first experience with stripers on Lake Lanier will be remembered for a long time, thanks to Terry.

Crappie (Courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton (770 530 6493) - Crappie fishing is good. The crappie are getting more active and the bigger fish are showing up. You can find crappie suspended shallow 5 to 10 feet deep over a 12-to-20-foot bottom. Crappie minnows are working well on open water brush. Set minnows in a rod holder over brush or structure while casting we got a 2.5# fish on the Atx bluegrass this week check it out. 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.

WEISS LAKE IS DOWN 2.3 FEET, 60'S

Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, The Southern Fishing Report) - Bass fishing is good. Some cold weather is on the way and the bass are feeding. Some good fish have been starting to move to shallower areas. This can create some aggressive action with Echo square bills and Rat L Traps while focusing on shallow points and stump flats. Early morning top water action can still work, and a Stutter Step and Bass Pro Enticer buzz bait can be very consistent for early morning and late afternoon action. The lake level has started to fall and will for the next couple of months until it reaches winter level. Fall fishing on Weiss can be an absolute blast with some hard fighting Coosa spots.

Crappie (Courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service (256 996 9035) - Crappie fishing is Fair, and they are on the creek and river channel ledges and deeper brush, they can be caught Spider rigging with live minnows over deep brush. Shooting docks with jigs is also producing some fish. Look for the Crappie to really start biting, as the water cools down.

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 10.2 FEET, 70'S

Bass (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, The Southern Fishing Report) - Bass fishing is good. The shallow bite should improve drastically with the cooler temps and a nearly full lake. Shallow water baits such as unweighted flukes Senko's the Rat L Traps and top water baits are good all-day lures. Fish these baits in or near cover or where we find big schools of shad in the shallows. With the lake down find the old roadbeds, pond dams and channel ledges. Crankbaits are going to be a mainstay the rest of this month. This time of year, anything from a lipless to a square bill like the Rapala OG8 in pearl and a shad colored Shad Rap. The bass are moving along steep banks, in the shallows and scattered across flats. And these are all great places to throw some sort of crankbait. By the end of the month some fish can be caught on drop shot rigs and jigging spoons in these areas. Carolina rigged finesse worms or a Weedless Wonder lead heads and a Zoom green pumpkin Trick worm are good choices for spots. Try fishing bridge pilings blowdowns gravel banks or shoal markers. Usually when we catch one there are others in the same area.

TROUT REPORT

Wild Trout (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) - The weather was so nice on Monday I could not resist taking off and heading toward the mountains. I revisited the site of my last trip; a pair of small wild trout streams somewhere near Blue Ridge where you can find all three species of Georgia trout, making a Georgia Trout Slam a distinct possibility. Unlike my last trip (which was unsuccessful), this time I did manage to get the slam, collecting the browns and rainbows on the lower end of one creek, then hiking the trail a half mile up the other stream to check the brookie box. I fished from 11:00am-2:30pm and landed around 8-10 total all on a #16 X-Caddis. The exception was one picky 6" rainbow who refused the caddis twice, forcing me to change to a small black beetle, which he sipped on the first float. The highlight for me was catching the same brown trout as I did last trip, this time not tucked quite so tightly under his cover log, but still actively rising every 30 seconds or so. I wonder if he will be there again next time?

Brown Trout Spots (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) - I mentioned above that I caught the same brown trout on two consecutive fishing trips. But how can I be so sure? It's all in the spots! Did you know that spot patterns on trout (and other fish) are like human fingerprints, and no two trout have exactly the same spot pattern. By comparing photos, I took in October with those taken on Monday, I can say for sure it was the exact same brown trout. See pics to judge for yourself.

Delayed Harvest Trout (Courtesy of Jeff Durniak, Unicoi Outfitters) - They're all fishing really well, as expected right after stocking truck deposits. Smith DH already had 7 vehicles in the lot at 8 this morning. Heavy fishing pressure has the new residents starting to pass over big and bright bugs already, so have a small, dark nymph ready as your trailer fly behind a micro egg or micro girdle bug. It's hard to beat pheasant tails, hares ears, and their Euro versions as good dropper patterns. Be ready to drop back down to 6X tippet if streamflow plummet again. And if drifting bugs don't work well, fire up the fish with some streamer stripping for reaction strikes.

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)

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 60'S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. Spotted bass are roaming up on the points and flats all during the day and retreating to deep water stump beds. Either way, these fish are being caught all day long. The shallow water bass can be easily caught with Fat Free shad and Wiggle Warts as well as the Rapala Shad Raps. Try fishing a little deeper this week for some bigger fish with the Rapala DT10 in shad patterns on 10-pound test Sufix Advantage clear line. The Rapala DT10 and DT6 slowly retrieved over heavy cover caught some bigger fish. Green tiger and shad will work and use a stop and go retrieve was used during the slow periods to trigger a strike. Carolina Rigs can also be used on the ledges and deeper water structure.

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in November fish will start out the month still a little scattered, but they will soon concentrate into the middle section of the lake. They will group up tighter as the month progresses, and fishing baits higher in the water column will become more effective.

Crappie (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that November should continue to be an excellent time for Lake Russell crappie. Fish will be caught in both the main lake and the creeks around mid-depth brush with minnows.

Perch (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that as it gets colder both white and yellow perch will bite minnows well. The fish will be on the bottom in deep water.

Catfish (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that catfish can be found in the creeks and coves on the main lake fishing with cut herring on the bottom.

Mixed Bag (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Chad Kaiser): In coordination with US Army Corps staff from the Savannah District office, WRD Fisheries staff from the Walton District crew and Marben PFA completed annual fall gillnet surveys on Richard B. Russell Reservoir. Along with consistent numbers of black crappie, several trophy-sized striped bass were captured indicating that the special striped bass harvest regulations and low-density stocking strategy for this fishery are producing results. These data will be used monitor sportfish populations and guide next year's fish stocking rates.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 2.7 FEET, 60'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Lots of rain pushed the bait up shallow so get out on the main lake points and use the Rapala DT 10 crank baits. Also look on the secondary points in the creek and ride by them and watch the Lowrance for the water to drop to 35 feet deep. This is where the fish stage after cold fronts. Find the ditches with grass on them and then locate the shad on the sonar. This will be the most productive areas mid-day until dark. Shad colored #5 Shad Raps fished on eight-pound Sufix line in the ditches appears is working. The Rapala DT6 will also work and use no more than ten-pound test line. Main lake points are also productive but remember the bass are scattered about. Ease over a point watch the Lowrance Down Scan and zoon in one time and sit still. The bass may be dead on the bottom and the Down Scan can see them.

Striper and Hybrids (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that this month fish will head up the rivers and into the backs of creeks and the bite should really turn on. Down-line fishing should still be effective, but as the fish get shallower and scattered out in the backs some anglers will switch over to free-lines and planer boards.

Crappie (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service reports that in November fish should gang up around mid-depth brush piles and submerged timber in the backs. Generally, creeks in the middle and upper part of the lake will fish best, and crappie will eat minnows or jigs. The latter part of October was already very good for crappie.

Catfish (courtesy of SC Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that November is one of the best months of the year to catch a big catfish on Lake Thurmond, and he has every expectation that very large blues and flatheads will continue to be caught this month. October was excellent. Anchoring on deep structure is about the most consistent way to catch big fish this month. The creeks can be good depending on whether bait has moved into them, and gizzard shad and white perch are hard to beat for the bigger fish.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The bait and the bass are scattered. The shad are located from the surface to 7 feet deep. Some bluegill are still shallow Grass beds on the main lake and in the pockets are holding bass on the outside edges. Crankbaits this time of year will be the lipless style square bill like the Rapala OG8 and a Shad Rap can work. The bass are moving along shallow banks and water temperature by one or two degrees can make a difference so watch this all day. Buzz baits and plastics are producing the most bites. Bass near the fronts of the pockets are good target fish with the Ito 110 Vision jerk bait as well. Fish all the way in the back of these pockets. Watch the surface and on the Lowrance graph. Bandit 100 and 200 crankbaits spinnerbaits small Rat L Traps and small buzz baits are my baits of choice.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.6 FEET, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. The Texas rigs and the jig will work also. Try the Carolina rig in the brush and shorten the leader to about 12 inches. Be ready to quickly set the hook and pull the fish clear of the brush. Use the /16-ounce Stanley Rattlin' jig with a Baby Brush Hog trailer on any man-made brush pile on the docks. Some bass are beginning to school in deeper water down the lake and a Fluke will fool them. Depths are varying from 6 to 12 feet. Look for them on points, flats and humps. Crankbaits are going to be a mainstay throughout November. This time of year, anything from a lipless to a square bill to a Shad Rap by Rapala works really well. The bass are moving along steep banks, in the shallows and scattered across flats. And these are all great places to throw some sort of crankbait. Fishing line should be easily visible to help see the bites as the spoon is falling vertically. Suffix Advantage clear 14-pound test is a good choice. Be sure to rig up the Carolina rigs and jigs.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 5.0 FEET, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. During mid-day use the Stanley jigs in 3/8- or 1/2-ounce sizes in black and blue or all black. Be sure to add a Zoom salt pork trailer imitation and work the lure in and on the heavy cover. Work the lower lakes creeks and docks and pitch with a Texas rigged Culprit black shad worm. Use larger worms in dark colors and add the Real Craw scent. Cast a large dark Berkley Power ribbon tail worm in and around the docks. Crankbaits this time of year can be the square bill Rapala OG8 and the Rapala Shad Rap. The bass are moving along steep banks in the shallows and scattered across flats. The Tussahaw Creek is a good year-round creek for these baits. Work the backs of these docks as well as the bank cover and the sea walls on down lake. The upper rivers are slow, and fish are tight in brush.

LAKE TOBESOFKEE

Tobesofkee Survey: (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Brandon Baker): This week, Lake Tobesofkee was surveyed with gill nets as a part of our annual fall monitoring program. Pictured are the gillnets being worked up by the Fort Valley crew. We collected several quality channel catfish, snail bullheads, and white catfish. This is a great time of year to enjoy the cool fall weather on the dock and setting some chicken livers on the bottom to catch a catfish dinner for the family. The hybrid striped bass were also abundant and in good condition for anglers to enjoy. Hybrids will be on the move following the long-awaited cooldown. Look for schooling hybrids in the morning and bomb cast a topwater lure like a Sammy or Zara Spook into schools of bait to hook into some hard-fighting hybrids.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

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: The bass fishing has been fair this past week with several larger fish being reported. Targeting shallow structures and moderate depth flats should produce good fish. Jigs, underspins and crank baits will be your best lure choices.

Bream: With the water temps floating around the low 70s the bream bite should be good. Deeper coves and flats should be holding good sized shell crackers. For the bluegill, 2-5 feet of water near the bank should also produce good fish. As always, red wigglers will produce fish.

Crappie: The crappie bite should remain similar to previous weeks with catches being inconstant but still worth a shot. Live minnows have been producing a majority of the catches. The fish seem to be 'roaming' around the open waters with no clear pattern of holding to structure.

Catfish: Despite the fluctuating temperatures, the catfish have still been biting. Cut bait has produced some very good catfish. Deeper holes and underwater channels have been holding a majority of the catfish.

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.

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 lbs fish are being caught from the dams in shallow waters on a variety of lures from jigs to swimming baits.

Catfish: They're biting. The typical cutbait, livers, hearts or crawlers will work. Nice catfish are coming out of Willow Lake! Recent stockings of golden shiners have been done on Willow, Bridge, and Clubhouse lakes.

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

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 24-46" visibility.
• Surface Temp: mid-60s.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Bass are still maintaining an early fall pattern; however, bass should be transitioning to late fall/winter movement patterns with upcoming colder weather. Bass will respond well to spinner baits and crank baits this time of year.

Crappie: The crappie have started to moved toward shallow water and bunching up around habitat. 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 into shallower water. Shad style lures would likely be good for both largemouth and hybrids. Additionally, anglers have had success with red worms and other live baits. Use weedless style lures in ponds with heavy vegetation.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

There were some really good bites this week, but the strong cold front is going to change things. Some species will be helped with the cooler temperatures and some will be hurt. Factor in the changing river levels, and tides, and it will be a guessing game for this weekend. Congratulations to Michael Deen of Waycross for making the TBF National Championship bass tournament and representing Georgia!

River gages on November 21st were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 6.5 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 2.6 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 8.9 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 13.0 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 9.3 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 10.3 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 2.8 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 4.5 feet and rising

Last quarter moon is November 22nd. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville)

An angler fishing with shiners landed a 5-pound bass and hooked several others that got off on Wednesday. As the water cools, expect the big bass in the lake to start feeding more aggressively. Remember, bass fishing is catch-and-release at the lake. Find out more about this area at GeorgiaWildlife.com/ocmulgee-pfa.

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Tifton)

Area staff reported that the crappie bite has been steady this week, even before the cold front. It should pick up with the cooler temperatures this week. Find out more about this area at GeorgiaWildlife.com/paradise-pfa.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Matt Rouse fished the east side on Friday morning in the cool, weather. The first half-hour in the drizzle nothing bit, but as the sun came out and it warmed up, the bowfin started chewing his Dura-Spins. Black/chartreuse was the best color that day. He fished an hour and had 2 bowfin in the 3 to 4 pound range and 3 small pickerel. They made bowfin po-boys for lunch and enjoyed them. Lucy and Chadwick fished with me on Saturday on the east side to celebrate her recent birthday. We had a great afternoon - catching 32 fish total. Most ate Dura-Spins trolled in the canal, but we fooled a few with cut bait fished on the bottom with a 1/16-oz. Shrimp Hook (3/0 Gamakatsu hook). Lucy caught the biggest of the day - a 7-lb., 10-oz. monster. We had 4 bowfin over 5 pounds, and also had a pickerel while trolling. The fish ate several colors, but the best were lemon-lime, crawfish-orange blade, and white-white blade. I fished by myself on Tuesday on the east side and caught 20 fish (19 bowfin and a flier). With cypress needles all over the surface in the windy conditions, fishing cut bait on the bottom was most productive. A 1/16-oz. Shrimp Hook with a 3/0 hook worked best, and the biggest was 6-lb., 4-oz. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.13 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

Joshua Barber fished a Manor area pond on Tuesday evening and caught a dozen fish. About half were crappie and the other half bass and bluegills. He didn't catch anything big but had a blast. He fooled them with minnows and shiners. Jimmy Zinker caught a bunch of bass up to 4 pounds in Worth County ponds but could not find the big ones. He fooled them with spinnerbaits, Bang-O-Lures, and Shad Rap crankbaits.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

This week was marsh hen tides for most of the week, but there were some fish caught. Tommy Sweeney tried it Sunday afternoon in the Brunswick area but didn't do anything in the muddy water. He fished Monday for an hour before dark and pulled up on the right point. He caught 6 nice trout in the 15-to-16-inch range by fishing a live shrimp under a float. A friend of mine in the Savannah area had a great trip Thursday morning. He only fished a couple hours until the wind got up but caught several oversized and slot redfish and 3 trout over 20 inches (released those bigger trout). He was flinging both Keitech Swimbaits on Zombie Eye Jigheads and live bait. The bait stealers were working on his offerings! Sean Tarpley did well from a Brunswick area dock this week catching 8 flounder in 4 short trips. He fooled them with a Gulp shrimp on a jighead and a live shrimp rigged on a Capt. Bert's Shrimp Hook. He had a pair of 17-inchers and a 19-inch flatfish. He also caught several trout during a short window when they came past the dock. A white Slayer paddle tail on a jighead is what fooled the specks. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) fished Thursday after the big tides and caught some reds and trout. Most of the reds were slot reds, and he even had a tagged redfish. They had a couple nice keeper black drum and a dozen trout to go with the reds, and all their fish ate live shrimp under a Harper Super Striker Float. I had reports of an angler catching some nice trout behind the cold front on Thursday morning from a Brunswick area dock. 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 open Friday through Tuesday each week (closed Wednesday and Thursday) They have plenty of lively shrimp and 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 now open below Albany Dam. These fish have been surviving in thermal refuges all summer and are now freely roaming the river and ready to put on some weight for winter. Fish large minnow imitations in topwater or swim baits. 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 open south from Columbia Lock and Dam and should provide some good action.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

Temperatures in the evenings are finally starting to drop seemingly activating some bigger fish on the lake! Recently larger catfish are being reported but be prepared for a good fight if you get one on the line. For those interested in Striped Bass, White Bass and Hybrid's this cool down will be helping to get them more active and moving around as well. The younger fish of these species will begin to start using shallow sandy areas, so try some bait that resemble shad if you want to try for a few bites. Crappie is still the number one reported fish caught at the moment. If you want some Crappie find a nice brush pile and try to make sure to bump it with your lure to get some good bites. Minnows, ATX and Sugar Bug jigs are being reported as big hits with Crappie at the moment, so if you need some stop by Flint River Outdoors as they have those jigs in stock. Bream are being caught on sunny afternoons with crickets and worms. Largemouth are being reported being caught at two extremes, on topwater during the daylight and near dusk with something very slow using plastic. Good luck out there and remember the lake is still drawn down until December 15!

LAKE SEMINOLE

Cooler weather has finally started to settle in! This has helped to improve the bass bite! Anglers are having luck in shallow grass flats with lipless crank baits. Location on the grass flat varies, some bass are being caught on top of the flat while others may be on the edge in a bit deeper water.

At Ease Campground and Marina hosted the Reel Deal Fishing Series over the weekend. The first and third place were covered by young female anglers! The first-place winner placed with a beautiful 5.69 bass.

With the arrival of cooler weather, the Crappie fishing on Seminole is excellent! Captain Paul Tyre reports catching GIANTS on his recent trip.

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Big Lazer PFA Info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/big-lazer-creek-pfa
• Surface water temperature: 61^o F
• Water visibility: Visibility is about 28"
• Water level: down 3" from full pool
• Big Lazer Fishing Guide

Largemouth bass fishing this week has been a little better with the changing water temps. Fisherman are targeting bass near structure in slightly deeper waters. Not too many people are targeting bream right now but if you do, try live bait like crickets and worms near structure. Catfish are still biting regularly in deeper waters.

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