Georgia Fishing Report: July 19, 2024

If angling for bass is a favorite activity (as it should be), take note of new Black Bass regulations that began this week, including shoal bass length limit changes and new creel limits for several black bass species. These regulation changes come as a result of fisheries research, sampling efforts, and angler responses to an online survey and public comment period, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division (WRD). You can find this information in the new combined Hunting & Fishing Regulations Guide in stores and online or check out the "News to Know" below for more specifics.

NEWS TO KNOW

• Shoal Bass Length Limit Changes: The statewide minimum length limit for shoal bass will be 15 inches. The 15-inch minimum length limit will apply to all state waters, including Lake Lanier where the limit was previously 14 inches. The exception to this rule is on the Flint River and its tributaries downstream of Warwick Dam, where it will be illegal to possess shoal bass between 15-20 inches. This will help manage the population for trophy potential and protect larger fish from overharvest. The 15-inch minimum length limit will still apply to the Flint River above Warwick Dam.
• Black Bass Creel Limit Changes: The new regulation keeps the creel limit of 10 the same for largemouth, spotted bass, and Alabama bass, but reduces the number of other black bass species that can be in possession. In the 10 fish creel limit, only 5 can be of the following species: Altamaha, Bartram's, Chattahoochee, Redeye, Shoal, Smallmouth, Suwannee or Tallapoosa bass. This change helps provide conservation for species with limited range in Georgia to help ensure they are there for future generations.

This week we have fishing reports from North, Central and Southeast Georgia. Be safe on the water and have fun as you Go Fish Georgia!

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Blue Ridge Lake Walleye Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) - Temp: 83. Level: full. Clarity: 20ft. Summer's here and the boat traffic is ridiculous at times. Starting early or fishing during the week will help avoid the crowds and has been resulting in some really nice fish. The walleye bite has been on and off with this extended bait spawn we are having. Some fish are on the bait while some have moved out to deeper water already. That should wrap up shortly and the majority of the fish will stack up in the 40 to 50ft range. Trolling crankbaits above them is always a good tactic. There are baits now that can reach effective depths on braided line like a Rapala DT20, Deep tail dancers, and Bandit Deeps and when you put it in their face, they tend to strike it. Change colors if you're not getting bit and adjust your speed as well. 1.5 to 2mph has been the range. The average fish is a little bigger so far this year at 21″ compared to last year at 20" so that good news for the overall population.

Blue Ridge Lake Rainbow Trout Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) - The trout bite has been off the charts for about 3 weeks now with our avg rainbow coming in at 16" to 17″ and several fish at the 20″ mark. Live bait, spoons, and Rapalas have all been putting fish in the boat. Look for them on the graph and get baits to them quickly as they are on the move chasing bait balls. There seems to be several schools of trout working each cove or creek on the lake and they are never far from the bait. Good luck and look out for the rental boats.

Carters Lake Multi-Species Report: (This report courtesy of Eric Crowley, Lake and Stream Guide Service) - Temp 85. Clarity 10ft. Level +/- 6ft. It's time to fish deep. It's that time of year when the water gets hot, and the fish go down to find a more comfortable place to live. On Carter's this can be 40, 50, 70 feet or more at times. No matter what species you after in July it's going to be deep. The bigger walleye are already down in the depths living amongst the trees that cover the bottom of this lake and if you want to catch them that where you're going to have to go. Live baits always a good option at Carter's as well as trolling. This month we will be using everything you can think of to get baits to fish. Crank baits being the go-to and yes you're going to lose some. Just part of the game here. Spoons are another great option. Krocodile, Hopkins, and lil cleo spoons will all put walleye in the boat this month when paired with good electronics. There's no real areas to concentrate on as the fish are on the move with the bait. Mark the fish that are following the bait fish and present your bait to them. Early morning and evenings are going to be the most consistent bite to pattern as these are key feeding times for walleye. The striper bite picked up again! We're catching some nice fish early on live bait over the Hydroglow. After that it's humps and points with big baits on downlines. Light leaders will get more bites with the clear water. When the bait bite slows down we are then switching over to Umbrella Rigs and lures fishing the creek mouths and river channel.

Lake Allatoona Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - Lake Allatoona is full, and in the 80s. Bass fishing is good. The fish are mostly out deep during the daylight hours. When temperatures are in the mid to low 80s, the majority of the bass are in the 15-to-25-foot range. Main lake points and channel swings are the ticket for good schools of fish. Use the Spro Little John DD and the Strike King 6XC and 8XD in blue gizzard. Use 10-pound test Sufix Advantage line and this allows the bait get to the desired depth easier. Bass are still holding on brush piles and rock. Use the Big Bite Baits 4-inch Cane Thumper and a Picasso double weed guard tungsten swimbait head while searching for active fish. Before leaving any area use the drop shot to catch the suspended fish that are a little more finicky. The fish are sometimes scattered on points and must be located with sonar. The key is not to spend time on fish that show up on sonar but don't bite. Fish the area and move to find active fish.

Lake Allatoona Crappie Report: (This report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits) - As you can imagine, July is getting HOT but we are still catching crappie on Lake Allatoona in the early morning hours up until about 1030-1100 AM. If you can find brush or structure you should be able to catch a few crappie during the summer heat. A few Red Rooster team members got out at different times this week and were able to catch several during the morning. Some of us had better days than others with 40 Allatoona slabs using minnows and spider rigs. Casting jigs is productive if you can find aggressive crappie in the early morning. Once that sun gets up the crappie are holding tight to the brush/structure/docks and not chasing anything. The summer technique for numbers of Allatoona crappie is spider rigging minnows. The crappie are congregated on deep water brush/structure AND if you access to deep water docks (docks in 20′ and deeper) they are holding up in the shade and cover of those docks. We are seeing the crappie in 17′ to 22′ of water holding tight to cover. Some of the bigger crappie are in the middle to bottom of the brush where the water temperature is lower and more oxygen. Summer can be tough to catch crappie but it can be done with knowledge of the lake, learning crappie routines, expanding your fishing techniques and patience. If you don't know how to spider rig or would like to learn more, do yourself a favor and contact either Jeff "CrappieMan" Albright or Jake Turner with Mainline Fishing. They would be happy to take you out for a fun day of fishing, catching and teaching. We hope this report will help you catch more crappie on Lake Allatoona! Be safe out there and wear your life jackets as boat traffic is in full swing. Remember to keep only the crappie that you need and release the rest to keep our great fishery strong for generations to come! Lord willing the weather will cooperate and we will bring you another report next week!

Lake Lanier Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Lake Lanier is full, and in the 80s. Bass fishing is good. The lake is currently about a half foot below full pool and the water temperature is in the mid to upper eighties. Overall, the water is clear. Can you say hot! With the recent high temperatures, we have had the thermocline has dropped lower which means the fish have also. They are relating to the deeper structure such as brush, humps and ledges. Look for this type of structure in the thirty-five-foot range. There is still a top water bite with the Lip Thrashin' Riser TKO, walking baits and swimbaits especially early in the day. The Riser TKO bait is a fun bait since it will cast a mile and it is a simple fast retrieve to keep it on the surface. Don't let the small size fool you because it will catch big fish. There is also a good offshore bite with the drop shot in the same areas. Lanier Baits Blue Lily, Sweet Rosy and Epic Flash have all been producing good numbers of fish. Use your electronics to identify if the fish are located in the brush or scattered around it. A nice change to the drop shot this time of year is to use Spot Tail minnows for bait especially if you have a very young fisherman n board. You can catch all the bait you need by using a cast net and any type of small bait (grits, crumbled crackers) around the boat ramps or sandy pockets. When they don't seem to want anything, they will still bite a Spot Tail. Be Careful in the heat and Go Catch 'Em!

Lake Lanier Striper Report: (This report courtesy ofJack Becker, aka Georgia Waterdog) -After talking to several friends, I tried trolling micro lead core & Captain Mack's Chipmunk Jigs for the first time today. I put in at Little Hall Park and fished both the Chestatee & Chattahoochee River channels down towards Browns bridge. I stayed out of the trees and trolled in 50 to 80' of water. Most bites came when I was on bends in the river channel. All the fish were caught on 2 oz. Jigs with 6" chartreuse Captain Mack's Shad Trailers. I used 27 lb Tuff Line Micro lead core and 10' of 15 lb. Fluorocarbon leader. I caught 6 and lost 4 more. No big fish. 17 to 24" schoolies but still fun to catch. I will try it again.

Lake Lanier Striper Report: (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404-510-1778 viawww.southernfishing.com) - Lake Lanier stripers are hitting the trolling jigs from Browns Bridge to the Dam. Lead core and umbrella rigs are producing some nice fish. Lead core trolling 250 to 290 feet behind the boat at 2.5 to 3.5 mph. this is a great searching tool so using your electronics locate humps and intersection of the channels and large coves and creeks. Umbrella rigs should be trolled 120 to 150 feet back at the same speed. The Seaqualizer is a good way to revive the stripers so get them back in the water as soon as possible. Remember to wear your life jacket.

Lake Lanier Crappie Report:(This report courtesy ofCaptain Josh Thornton,770-530-6493 viawww.southernfishing.com) - The water temperature is 83. Crappie are in the summer pattern suspended deep around 18 to 14 foot deep over a 30-to-40-foot bottom. I have been having good luck in standing timber with dark colored jigs in open water. For jig selection I am using green and black colored combination (atx d2d) with a slow retrieval. There is a Benefit Bass tournament on October 12, 2024, at Little Hall Park. Hours are 6:30am until 3:00 pm. 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes for 5 Bass alive over 14 inches and Big Fish. This tournament is to benefit the Cherney's Journeys and proceeds benefit veterans' outdoor activities. Contact Captain Josh Thornton 770-530-6493 or Adam Cherney's 470-209-5656.

Lake Weiss Multi-Species Report: (This report courtesy of Mark Collins Guide Service 256-996-9035 via www.southernfishing.com) - Weiss Lake is 4 inches below full pool, clear, and 77-80 degrees. Bass fishing is fair. The fish are heading to the deeper haunts along the creek and river channels to escape the hot temperatures in the shallow areas. Early head to the sandy coves and rocky banks. Have the small all white buzz bait and the bone Zara Spook Jr. Zara Spook. Once the sun gets up, moving. When the sun is high go to the ledges with Weedless Wonder 1/2-to-3/4-ounce heads and the Zoom green pumpkin finesse worms. Now the ½ ounce football head jigs can on the ledges with a lot of main lake structure.

West Point Lake Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - West Point Lake is full, 80 degrees. Bass fishing is fair. Top water baits such as Spro frogs, Chug Bugs and Whopper Ploppers, Chug Bugs and buzz baits are working. But keep moving as the fish are really moving a lot mid-day. Work around bream beds or shallow cover in the mornings. Some largemouth are shallow as they too are hungry and love small bream. Fish the rocks on the 219 bridge in the Chattahoochee. Pitching jigs into mid depth blowdowns and wood cover also is a good pattern. Some bass will be on deeper brush piles and roadbeds now. Find these areas with the C-Map technology. Have the deep running crankbaits like a Fat Free Shad or a Texas rigged Zoom works. Some spotted bass are still being caught by casting top water early around shoal markers. Later in the day the Weedless Wonder lead head and a zoom finesse worm in any shade of green will work. This lake is a great Carolina rig pond and a 3-foot leader, one ounce egg sinker and a Zoom pumpkinseed lizard is standard. Pick the gravel area apart and cast this bait right up on the bank and drag it slowly.

Lake Hartwell Bass Report:(This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant,www.southernfishing.com) - Lake Hartwell is down 2.1 feet, 80s. Bass fishing is fair. There are lots of bass on shallow cover in both rivers and the shallow bite is good. Frogging and flipping bushes and grass is a good bet. Look for bream beds to increase productivity. The deep bite is also starting to ramp up. Cane piles in 15 to 30 feet of water are holding bass, and the fish can be called up with a variety of top water baits and swimbaits. The plastic worm is excellent at enticing the summer bass in the shady areas near the bottom of a water column. Soft plastic worms that are rigged either Carolina or Texas style are summer bass fishing winners. Drop shot fishing brush piles can produce numbers when the bite gets tough. This is a good top water lake for the islands with sand around them Use a Zoom pearl Super Fluke and the Ito Vision 110 jerk bait on these areas anytime of the day.

RIVER REPORT

Tips for Topwater River Bassin:(This report courtesy of Wes at Unicoi Outfitters) - What's better than setting the hook on a big river bass that just appeared from the depths of a rocky river to inhale your surface popper? Not much if you ask us! If you agree, and want to hook more river bass on poppers or big surface bug imitations, check out Unicoi Outfitters Helen shop manager Wes's "3 tips for catching more river bass" in a Facebook reel at facebook.com/unicoioutfitters/reels/.

TROUT REPORT

Stocked Streams Report: (From Fisheries Biologist John Damer) It has been hot lately, and trout are coldwater fish. That means some of the streams we stocked in the spring are now too hot to safely stock. But there are still plenty of streams that are still receiving regular doses of fish. Do you want to know where the hatcheries have been stocking? Did you know that we update the WRD website Trout page at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout every Friday afternoon with the latest trout stocking info? You can also sign up to have these updates sent automatically to you every Friday - how easy is that?

North Georgia Trout Fishing Report: (This report courtesy of Tad Murdoch from Georgia Wild Trout) - Summer seems to be here to stay. Time to escape the heat and head for the headwaters and small trout streams of North Georgia. The dry fly bite has been excellent, but droppers have still been needed following the scattered showers. Despite a very dry June, recent rains have given the fishing a well needed bump. Trout can be caught on a myriad of flies as all insects are present. Stoneflies, mayflies, caddis and terrestrial imitations will catch fish throughout the day. If you can squeeze out on a low light drizzly day or just before or after the storms pass through the bite will be even better. If you are out at an odd time when fish don't want to rise, add a small/simple dropper fly below your dry. Majority of the hatching bugs are on the small end of the spectrum with some larger mayflies showing up in the evening. This is the best time of year to seek out the Appalachian slam (brook, brown, and rainbow trout). Several customers have achieved these on half day outing since June. Be sure to keep an eye on the weather as afternoon thunderstorms can pop up quickly. You can find more helpful info from Tad at the Georgia Wild Trout website.

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

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

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

Walton hosts AFS Hutton Scholars:Walton Hatchery Manager Tony Beck and Fisheries Technician Mark Rigglesford gave a hatchery and greenhouse tour to 25 American Fisheries Society (AFS )Hutton scholars and their chaperones this week. As a part of their 8-week mentor program, these students flew into Atlanta from across the country and learned about fisheries management with Georgia DNR WRD staff. The students toured the ponds at Walton Hatchery where hundreds of thousands of walleye, catfish, striped, white bass, bluegill, and other species are produced annually. They toured the indoor circular tanks that teemed with hungry feed-trained largemouth bass that will be stocked into major reservoirs later this fall. In the greenhouse, the students got their hands dirty by potting soil, fertilizer, and preparing the next crop of waterwillow and maidencane that will be planted in reservoirs later this summer. If you have an all-star student aspiring for a career in natural resources and/or fisheries management, check out the AFS's Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program.

RESERVOIR REPORT

From the Ocmulgee to the Savannah, one great way to beat the heat this summer is to drop your kayaks in the at the nearest publicly accessible boat launch, and let the water do the rest of the work. Some of my best summer fishing excursions have occurred atop my 12-ft sit-on-top kayak alongside a trustworthy group of anglers-just in case I mismanage the whitewater. If you're seeking a slower pace of fishing, aim for early mornings or late evenings on the lakes to scratch your angling itch, looking to deeper, cooler water as the fish are likewise finding refuge from warm surface waters. Okay, let's get into this week's fishing report!

Information comes courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing report, WRD Fisheries staff, guides, and local anglers.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 80'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of courtesy ofKen Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is slow. There are good schools of spotted bass in 10 to 20 feet of water. These fish just tend to be smaller and less aggressive than usual. Try catching a few largemouth as the water is warmer and pushed more fish onto the deeper drops around points and timber. Have the drop shot for number. Lipless crankbaits can be fished in both shallow water and deep water just with a change in retrieve speed, so these are a good idea, especially during the early summer times when schooling bass may be found at various depths. First, shoot for a crankbait that resembles the local baitfish. For the bigger bass we are having to go to jigs, Texas rigs and Carolina rigged worms. Watch for any top water activity late in the evenings as the bass start busting baitfish suspended main lake points. Later in the day the Weedless Wonder lead head and a zoom finesse worm in any shade of green will work. This lake is a great Carolina rig pond and a 3-foot leader, one ounce egg sinker and a Zoom pumpkinseed lizard is standard.

Striped Bass(Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in July the striper should be catchable on both ends of the lake, with free-lining working in the upper lake and down-lines working in the lower lake. At the end of the June the fishing had really picked up and they were even catching some fish around timber mid-lake.

Crappie(Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that fish should move into deeper brush in July, and the fish could start to shift out of the creeks and into the main lake. They will be caught on jigs and minnows. June was very strong for crappie but by the end of the month they were already feeding mostly in short windows early and late.

Catfish(Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that catfish should go deeper in July assuming water temperatures continue to warm. Fish should be caught in 15-25 feet of water on cut herring. Other fish are deeper but with so much underwater timber they are hard to target.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 2.1 FEET, 80'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing)- Bass fishing is fair. The fish are starting to become more pressured on the humps. Now have the jigs and these baits will bring bites while worked slowly. Switching to something smaller like a drop shot can also produce fish on the humps. Lipless crankbaits can be fished in both shallow water and deep water just with a change in retrieve speed, so these are a good idea, especially during the early summer times when schooling bass may be found at various depths. First, shoot for a crankbait that resembles the local baitfish. Fish with a drop shot vertically on bridge pylons but these typically tend to be smaller fish. Even as the temperatures continue rising bass can to be shallow as well. Buzz baits, Whopper Ploppers and frogs fished around shallow cover can produce some huge fish in the heat of the day. If the fish miss the buzz bait use a Ned green pumpkin rigged Senko as a good follow up bait.

Striper andhybrids: (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com):Little River Guide Service reports that at the end of June the bait was still fairly shallow, but in July fish should be found 40 plus feet down suspended over deep water. They will be caught on down-lined herring. More striper should start to show up again this month - in June the catch was heavy on hybrids.

Crappie: (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Little River Guide Service reports that after a slow pre-spawn and spawn the crappie fishing picked up late this spring, and it has stayed good into the summer. In July fish should be found around brush that sits 25 or more feet down. Anchoring and then fishing vertically with minnows is usually the best pattern.

Catfish: (Report courtesy of anglersheadquarters.com): Captain Chris Simpson reports that the best fishing in July will again be in the early morning or late evening. Anchoring on humps and points and fishing with cut bait at a variety of depths is the best bet. As the spawn mostly passes the fishing will improve after a slow-down in late June.

Clarks Hill Aquatic Plants: The Thomson Fisheries staff planted thousands of aquatic plants last week in cooperation with volunteers and project partners from the US Army Corps, Georgia Master Naturalists, Clarks Hill Striper Club, Phinizy Swamp Nature Center, Georgia Native Plant Society, and the Greenbrier High School Fishing Team. Over the course of this summer over 5,000 water willow, 115 American lotus, and 32 bald cypress trees have been planted in Clarks Hill Reservoir to improve fish habitat, shoreline integrity, and water quality. For more details on the team's latest efforts, check out Augusta News WJBF Channel 6 article coverage: Thousands of native plants getting planted in Clarks Hill Lake (wjbf.com).

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 80'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is good. Go early in the mornings and run the buzz baits and Pop R type baits with a feather on the back hook. Keep and cast the bait right on the bank or up against the seawalls. The fish are exceptionally shallow. As the sun gets up stay focused on the shaded areas for the better fish. Once the shade disappears or the top water bite ends start and flip the docks or fish brush piles and laydowns. Lipless crankbaits can be fished in both shallow water and deep water just with a change in retrieve speed, so these are a good idea, especially during the early summer times when schooling bass may be found at various depths. First, shoot for a crankbait that resembles the local baitfish. Small pumpkinseed Zoom mini lizards on a very light sinker on a Texas rig can fool these bass. Watch the line as the bass may hit this bait as it falls.

Linesides 1 (courtesy of Doug Nelms reports): The oxygen line is producing all manner of big fish this past week. Guys are catching largemouth, stripers and even the occasional flathead. Alot of fish are coming on trolling Mini Macs and dropping live bait. Call now to book your trip for this hot bite. 7703540300 Capt Doug.

Linesides 2 (courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing): Fish are concentrated near the dam. Focus on humps and points adjacent to creek mouths or find roamers over the river channel. Most fish are less than 40' deep. Drop a spoon or live bait for stationary fishing or try trolling leadcore or umbrella rigs to cover water.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 80'S

Bass: (Report courtesy of courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. Early mornings and late evenings may seem to be the best times to be on the water fishing. Early morning top water is the best presentation to catch fish. Running and gunning shady areas will draw strikes until the sun gets high with buzz baits and spinner baits. Once the sun is up a Carolina rigged lizard or Zoom green pumpkin trick worm and a 3-foot leader on long points near deep water working. Humps will hold bass as they have made their way to their summer hideaways. Electronics are a big key to locating bass offshore on humps, ledges and drop offs. These will be the key areas to check out for bass for the next two months.

Linesides(courtesy of Dillan Greeson Fishing): Dillan reports the linesides aren't as thick down by the dam this week and may have migrated further north. Look for them in main channel creek mouths and over the river channel in 25' - 35' feet of water. Live bait is the ticket, but some artificials like a spoon can be fished directly over these schools. When the fish are roaming over open water, try trolling with lead core using mini Macks or single, large bucktail jigs.

LAKE JACKSON IS 0.9 FEET OVER FULL, 80'S

Bass:(Report courtesy of courtesy of Ken Sturdivant's Southern Fishing) - Bass fishing is fair. Fish deep structure in or near the main lake or seek cooler water up the rivers. Target points, bluffs, humps 12 to 15 feet deep brush, bridge pilings and docks. Put to use shakey heads, heavy compact jigs and deep running crankbaits through the day. Hot weather and hot water has many fish hunkered down in deep water, suspended or roaming with shad in open water. The plastic worm is excellent at enticing the summer bass in the shady areas near the bottom of a water column. Soft plastic worms that are rigged either Carolina or Texas style are summer bass fishing winners. Early in the day use the Rico or other top water bait on the deep sea walls or at open water opportunities. Also try swimming a green jig. Look up the rivers late in the afternoon for the bass to be a little more active. Up rivers use the jig and a crawfish-colored crank Model 6A crank bait.

RIVER REPORT

Ocmulgee River (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Jamie Dowd): This dry spell is producing excellent low and clear conditions on the Ocmulgee right now. Paddling the river from Popper to Wise can be a great way to cool off and find that forceful tug of a shoalie, 'Bama, or the occasional largemouth on the end of your line. Low and clear conditions mean stalking seams and shoals and presenting natural baits such as medium-sized swimbaits, jointed or soft plastics, in-line spinners, or small jerkbaits. Fly anglers can aim high with surface poppers and bombers or try stripping a black or brown wooly bugger to entice a strike. Target undercuts, overhangs, or fish adjacent to large woody debris if the swiftwater isn't producing.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDuffie Public Fishing Area(Report courtesy of McDuffie PFA Manager Chalisa Fabillar) -

• McDuffie PFA Information
• Surface Temperature: 88F+
• Water Visibility: ~30″
• Water Level: Most lakes are full
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Bass are being seen and caught in the early mornings, but enticing a bite is challenging. Folks have caught bass using trick worms and creature lures moving slowly along the bottom near vegetated banks. Angler Darryl Welch caught this bass on a topwater frog this past Sunday.

Bream: Nice fish are lining the peninsulas of both Willow and Bridge Lakes. Successful anglers are using crickets, worms, and black soldier fly larvae. They are also biting deeper with warmer temperatures as well. Sink your baits a bit deeper than normal near structures, water intakes and siphon structures.

Channel Catfish: Folks have mentioned catching catfish using Catalpa worms. All catfish have been in deeper water. We have several Catalpa trees around the property: near Bridge Lake, near the office, and on the bank of Clubhouse Lakes.

Striped Bass: Striped bass and hybrids are still being caught topwater on Bridge Lake. Nice four to six-pound stripers have been caught lately.

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

Flat Creek Public FishingArea(Reportcourtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Amory Cook and Deven Thompson) -

• Flat Creek PFA Information
• Water visibility: 34"
• Water level: 45" below full pool
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Water levels are quickly dropping due to a lack of rain and ongoing repairs to the well. The good news is that this gives bank anglers new targets in what would be deeper water, and concentrates the fish for the potential of higher catch rates. Below is a summary of fish activity compiled by Fisheries Technician Deven Thompson:

Bream: The bream bite has been consistent. The best bet is to use red worms fished either on the bottom or deeper under a float around shallow flats and weed lines.

Crappie: The crappie bite is hot on cloudy mornings. Reports of 2 pounders being caught are coming in. Targeting crappie deep and on vertical structure is your best bet. Lure choices should consist of white jigs for artificial presentations and minnows for live bait.

Catfish: The catfish bite continues to be excellent with anglers having success with fishing crickets under floats near the shore and chicken livers on the bottom in deeper holes.

Bass: Best bet is targeting bass around aerators and deeper attractors utilizing deep-diving crank baits and worms during the day and fishing near the bank with top water plugs and buzz baits later in the evening and at night. Summertime is the best time to target bass cruising shorelines in the evening.

ATTENTION ANGLERS: Flat Creek PFA staff are conducting an annual angler (creel) survey on the lake this year. If you are approached by a PFA staff member after your fishing trip, please take a moment to answer their questions and share information about your fishing success (or, lack of success, whichever may be the case). These surveys are a valuable management tool that can improve our understanding of the fishery and ultimately improve fishing quality on the reservoir.

Marben Public Fishing Area(Reportcourtesy of Marben PFA Manager Jamie Dowd)

• Marben PFA Information
• Water Level: All ponds and lakes are full.
• Water Clarity: Most ponds have 20" visibility. However, Fox is clearer and has a visibility near 3'. Heavy rainfall will reduce visibilities.
• Surface Temp: Low 80s degrees.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: The warm temperatures still have the bass back pushed out over deeper water. The shallow morning bite along weedlines or in the timber is still viable, but as the sun gets up, you'll need to look deeper to find the bigger fish. Topwater poppers and frogs are an excellent choice first thing in the morning. Jigging a worm or casting deep-diving crankbaits can be effective later in the day. Stay versatile and on the move to find fish roaming rip rap or holding tight to structure, as there is plenty of it in the lake. This past weekend, Jacob Chandler of Covington landed this awesome 7.53 lb largemouth in Fox Lake. His smile suggests our efforts to boost the largemouth population in Fox Lake via supplemental stocking is working well.

Crappie: The crappie bite is still viable, but you need to locate deep structure to find them. Boaters seem to do well fishing over deep brush piles. Live minnows fished vertically over structure can call them up.

Bream: The bluegill bite is hot right now. The usual pink worms and wax worms are the ticket. You may pick up a few shellcracker as well if you follow Mr. Wayne's lead and fish pink worms close to the bottom.

Hybrid Bass: Look for shad schooling early morning and late afternoon. Put your bait right in the school and hold on. Hybrid bass pack a punch.

Channel catfish: The catfish bite is excellent in the summer. Fox Lake along the rip rap are good targets this time of year, but any lakes indicating catfish will produce bites with patience. Cut baits like livers and hearts, or nightcrawlers fished along the bottom will produce.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

Wow, what an exciting week ofICAST 2024in Orlando! The fishing industry came together to do business, and I was blessed to be able to participate. For videos covering the New Product Showcase and products from the show floor, check out my Facebook page or YouTube channel (both are Bert's Jigs and Things).

River gages on July 18th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 6.5 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 1.3 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 5.4 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 8.8 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 5.4 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 5.7 feet and rising
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 4.0 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 5.1 feet and rising

Full Moon is July 21st. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

Two-Way Sportfishing Club is hosting a catfish tournament on September 21-22nd. It will be a rod and reel only tournament. For details, contact tournament directors Jamie Hodge (912-271-8589) or Tiff Thompson (229-938-4789).

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

The warmouth bite has remained great. Scott Blackshear fished with me Saturday morning and caught 42 fish total. He caught 4 warmouth right off the bat on a chartreuse Bert's Bug with a fly rod and then switched to pitching a whitetreuse Warmouth Whacker Jig to catch another couple dozen warmouth (27 total). For the last hour of his trip he wanted to try for bowfin and pickerel, so we trolled Dura-Spins and caught 15 of them. The biggest bowfin was a 5-pounder, and the best colors were lemon-lime and crawfish-brass blade. Other anglers pitching crickets caught warmouth in the canal while we were idling past, so the bite was on for about anything you wanted to throw at them. An angler fishing the east side Thursday reported catching some nice bowfin and pickerel on fire tiger Dura-Spins. Joshua Barber fished the upper swamp tributaries Saturday and caught a half-dozen warmouth, 25 fliers, 14 catfish and a few bowfin and pickerel. He caught some of them on bugs, but had a giant warmouth wrap him up and break it off. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 120.78 feet.

OGEECHEE RIVER

Dan Clary had a great bite on the lower Ogeechee River. He caught 11 redbreasts and bluegills. Half ate watermelon haze Satilla Spins and half ate crickets fished under a float. The bite shut down as the heat intensified.

SATILLA RIVER

The river has been up and down the last couple weeks, and I haven't gotten reports. The Hwy 84 (Blackshear Bridge) ramp is closed for bridge construction (and will be for years…literally).

LOCAL PONDS

The best report I had this week was a guy who fished his favorite catfish pond (in Brunswick) from the bank. He caught 38 channel catfish on shrimp in only 45 minutes of fishing. Shane and Joshua Barber and a friend fished a pond mid-week and had 8 bass between the 2 boats. The fish ate buzztail shads and frogs fished over vegetation. Their biggest was 2 1/2 pounds.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Todd Kennedy has been fishing the Brunswick area this week and catching a bunch of oversized redfish and solid sheepshead and a few black drum on fiddler crabs fished around docks. Steve and Brenda Hampton fished the Jekyll Pier over the weekend, and Brenda hammered a nice 18-inch flounder on a mudminnow. They saw a 22 1/2-inch flounder and 24-inch trout caught from the pier that day. Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) has found a few tarpon scattered around and all the sharks you could want to catch. The whiting bite has been decent this week. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) has been doing well for trout, redfish and flounder this week. Redfish of all sizes (good to see a strong crop of young-of-the-year 9 to 11-inchers) have been biting. Most of the trout have been in the 18 to 22-inch range - mostly in the 7-to-10-foot depths. Flounder have been biting along riprap, older docks, and artificial reefs in 8 to 12 feet. The 3.8 to 4 1/2-inch swimbaits and live shrimp have been producing most of his trout. Live shrimp and 3-inch Gulp shrimp (natural and molting colors were best) worked for reds, while 4-inch Gulp swimming mullet and Gulp grubs have been fooling flounder. Any color will work for flatties, as long as it is white…. Don't forget about the fish carcass 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]).

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