March 21, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

“That one will get me an award,” said 14-year-old Neal Griffis, after landing a 13 1/2-inch crappie last week. Neal is legally blind and may not be able to clearly see the fish, but as any seasoned angler will agree, when you know…you know. 

Neal isn’t able to participate in typical team sports, but he sure does love to fish! Last year, he reeled in FOUR Georgia Angler Awards, earning some fun rewards, including a t-shirt and some hats, which he wears proudly around his peers. Neal’s dad, Andy, says that fishing and earning the rewards has meant a great deal and really built up his confidence. We love that and can’t wait to see how many award-worthy fish Neal gets in 2025!  

• Happening Tomorrow – CoastFest: CoastFest is an annual event held by the Coastal Resources Division that is dedicated to celebrating and educating the public about the rich coastal heritage and natural resources of our region. The festival, scheduled for March 22, will have a wide range of activities, exhibits and live entertainment.
• Fish and Learn: Are you hooked on fishing and want to learn more? Our Fish-N-Learn 2 is an intermediate level program designed for those interested in learning more about the basics of bass fishing! Event scheduled for April 25-27 (but you have to register by Apr. 9). Participants will stay and dine at the Charlie Elliott Conference Center.  The weekend will include fishing at Marben PFA as well as educational programs on equipment, fishing regulations, and species identification. Cost is $130.
• Blue Ridge Trout and Outdoor Adventures Festival: Go ahead and put this trout fishing and adventure planning event on your calendar for April 26 – it’s sure to be a good time for all! 

This week we have fishing reports from Southeast, Southwest, North and Central Georgia. While you might not out-fish Neal this year, we sure hope you have a great time when you Go Fish Georgia!

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

Freshwater is heating up in the flat waters. Rivers are still mostly high, but some stretches and backwaters will be fishable soon. The Okefenokee is high, but the bite has still been good. Very few people fished the brine with the strong winds and bigger tides earlier in the weekend.

River gages on March 20th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 9.8 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 10.8 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 9.5 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla – 13.9 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 13.0 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 11.7 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 10.9 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 12.1 feet and rising

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

SATILLA RIVER

Will Gibson and Coby Eunice fished limb lines in the middle Satilla over the weekend and caught 3 flathead catfish. The biggest was 47 pounds, and it ate a big panfish they put out for bait. Will caught his first flathead ever during the trip. What a monster for his first one!

SAVANNAH RIVER

Mark Vick fished the river oxbows on Friday and did well for crappie. He managed 23 slabs but had to search for them. They had moved super-shallow (he guessed they were spawning). Something that caught his attention is that the crappie were slamming minnows on the surface regularly. They were really active that day. He caught all his fish on a chartreuse Specktacular Jig.

ST MARYS RIVER

The Temple Landing is currently closed while the GA Wildlife Resources Division boat ramp crew rebuilds the ramp. The ramp itself is complete, and the crew is working to improve the parking area. The project is winding down, and it should reopen in early April if weather and river levels cooperate (which they are currently not doing…).

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

The crappie are still shallow based on staff spring sampling conducted this week. The numbers of bass and crappie in the samples were strong.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Hawkinsville)

Dave fished the lake this week and did well for bass. He used live bait from the bank and caught 5 bass that weighed a total of 32-lbs. A 7.4-pounder was his biggest. Remember, the bass fishing on that lake is catch-and-release only.

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Tifton)

The Wildlife Resources Division is conducting a bass study for the next 10 months on the area. They have tagged 430 bass in 10 of the bigger and more popular lakes (Patrick, Paradise, Bobben, Beaver, Russell, Horseshoe 2, 3, 4, and 5, and Tacklebuster). If you catch a tagged bass, clip the tag and return it along with the information requested on a tag return form (available on the porch at the area office). Each person returning a tag will receive a custom-embroidered ball cap and be entered into a drawing for a Yeti cooler. Each angler will only receive one cap, but there is no limit to the number of times you can be entered into the drawing. The Waycross Office has already had 8 tags returned. One of the bass was just under 9 pounds.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Chad and Casey fished with me Monday to celebrate their anniversary. Before they got there, I pitched a crawfish-colored Warmouth Whacker Jig for a few minutes and caught and released a nice 9-inch warmouth. Chad had the hot hand at first, catching a pickerel and an angler award-sized flier. He caught the flier with a prototype in-line spinner and the pickerel on a whitetreuse Warmouth Whacker Jig. We ran around lots of places on the east side and saw some neat stuff like LOTS of gators, pitcher plants, golden club blooming, and several swallowtail kites that circled noisily around us as we fished.  Late in the trip Casey was on fire by casting a crawfish – brass blade Dura-Spin. She caught an 18 1/2-inch pickerel and 7-lb., 12-oz. bowfin on the lure, and they had a few other fish, as well. They ended up catching 8 fish total in the HOWLING wind. Buck Johnson pitched to shoreline cover on Friday and did well for warmouth on the east side. He stopped after catching 30 of them on a chartreuse/pearl artificial on a Zombie Eye Jighead. The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 121.42 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

Jimmy Zinker caught the biggest bass I heard of this week – a 7-lb., 1-oz. hawg – by throwing a Trophy Bass Buzzbait in the Squeaker version. It’s a black flat-bladed buzzbait designed by legendary big bass expert Pat Cullen. Jimmy loves topwater fishing and is figuring out the nuances of the big bass lure! Lester Rowland fished an Alma area pond this weekend and had a great trip. He ended up catching over 20 crappie by fishing live minnows. He also fooled a half-dozen bass up to 2 pounds with red shad plastic worms. I fished with Teddy Elrod on Friday in a Brunswick area pond, and we had a stellar day for bass. We caught and released 46 bass up to 6 pounds (most were 2 to 4 pounds) and a half-dozen channel catfish. Teddy’s hot lure was a bluegill-colored spinnerbait early and then a tequila sunrise Texas-rigged worm at the end of the day. My best lures were a 3/8-oz. Wobble Blade Spinnerbait (golden shiner and blue glimmer shad colors) a Texas-rigged Keitech Mad Wag worm in heavy cover. Our arms were sore after that bite! Joshua Barber caught 15 bass at a South Georgia lake on Saturday. His biggest 2 were 4.9 and 5.7 pounds. He was rigging plastics (stick worms, swimbaits, crawfish, and speed worms) both unweighted and weighted for his fish.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

This was a good week to ignore the brine with the high winds and big tides, but Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) still caught a bunch of fish. On Friday Tom Lanyi fished both shrimp and plastics. He had lots of small trout and slot reds and an oversized red. He also added a flounder to catch a slam. He dabbled some fiddlers and caught a bunch of short sheepshead before catching a big one (about 5 pounds). On Monday in the gale force gusts, Jason and Ely Folds braved the conditions and caught some good reds and trout. They had about 10 trout and 10 reds along with a kicker flounder and black drum. One of their 3 oversized reds had a rare pink tag worth $100. Eight-year-old Ely caught it. On Tuesday, Tom hopped back on the boat for his last trip of the winter with Capt. Tim before heading back home to Pennsylvania. He tangled with about a dozen redfish and released them all. They also hit a sheepshead hole and caught several, including a few good ones. On Wednesday, Chad and Jason fished with him and worked for their fish. But they caught a redfish or two on each stop and ended up with 22 reds. The trout bite was slow for them. On Thursday Randy Dorris fished only FourSeven plastics. They had 7 keepers out of 21 fish, but Randy fooled a dandy 27-inch redfish out of a tree-top with a 1000 series Stradic reel and 10-lb. braided line. It was a tense battle, but Randy prevailed. The best pattern was the Fourseven bayou brownie shrimp, but the fish ate several colors. After your next trip to the Georgia coast, drop off your fish carcasses in the freezer at the GA Wildlife Resources Division 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 also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. For the latest information and their hours, contact them at 912-223-1379.

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

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

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

This week the water is muddy from recent rains and will likely stay muddy as we continue to have rain later this week. The rain is also postponing the spawning of largemouth in the lake, as it is keeping the water temperatures just below the ideal 60F+. Key your eye out in the sloughs and backwater areas as hopefully warmer temperatures are just around the corner. Crappie bites are still consistent as ever. However, these muddy water and cooler temperatures are beneficial for other species. Some good size catfish can be found around, and Striped/Hybrid/White Bass are still out in the main lake too until water temperatures warm causing them to seek thermal refuges.

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

According to Ken Sturdivant at Southernfishing.com, bass fishing is good. Start running Rat L Traps on the shallow 2-to-3-foot grass flats off the main lake. The fish seemed to be up roaming the flats not holding to any single piece of cover. Some females are cruising around right in 2 to 3 feet of water. Provided the cooler temperatures don’t hurt the water temperatures bass may be ready to spawn on the next full moon. Rat L Traps on the flats are still going to be a good choice for the fish still roaming the flats, along with the typical spinnerbait and buzz bait bite. Another cold front could slow this down. Keep a Zoom tube ready in pink and watermelon seed in case the fish get right up on the sand areas on the lower lake.

Crappie will continue to move towards shore to spawn as the lake temperatures continue to warm. Recent sampling efforts located crappie under thick floating mats of vegetation or around isolated cypress trees. Small jigs and live minnows under a float are the best baits for crappie this time of year. 

LAKE SEMINOLE

According to Ken Sturdivant at Southernfishing.com, bass fishing is good. The bass are cruising around bedding areas in the shallows. One good technique to use right now is to keep the trolling motor on about 70 percent and look for bedding bass to catch. While looking, there are several baits that can be fished. The first is a shallow running crank bait. The other technique to use in these areas is to swim a Big Bite Baits 7 Sugar Cane worm. This bait can be Texas rigged with a 1/4-ounce Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten and a FCF bobber stopper. Swim it through grass and lily pads much like a swim bait. Locate the edges of the spawning flats on the main lake and cast on top of the grass and rip the bait free. A good area to start is b/w the Firebreak and Ship Island which is the little island at the end of Fishpond Drain. (report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant)

Captain Paul Tyre, with Seminole Fishing Guides reports that crappies are bedding, and they have had some excellent trips using minnows and jigs. Shellcrackers will begin bedding soon. Fishing for shellcrackers is a great way to introduce kids to fishing!

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

The fishing at Big Lazer is heating up for all species but we are getting the most reports of success from crappie fisherman. Try throwing jigs and live minnows near structure in around 6-8 feet of water.  Bass fishermen are also beginning to see an increase in bites. Fish for them in similar habitats as crappie. Rising water temperatures will continue and so should good fishing opportunities.

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

While the temperatures are heating up so is the fishing. The weekend weather forecast is perfect and so is the fishing in lakes rivers and streams. Lake Lanier, Blue Ridge Lake and small impoundments are prime targets for bass and crappie. Wild trout fishing is thriving with seasonal hatches make fly fishing especially rewarding in the region’s mountain streams. With longer days and comfortable weather, now is the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy a great catch. Check out the tips and tricks from local guides and experts to have the most successful trip.

SMALL LAKE REPORT

Rocky Mountain PFA (report courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Chris Smith):  Bass fishing is heating up as spring gets underway! Since early February, we’ve received four Largemouth Bass Youth Angler Awards from Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area. Two of these impressive catches weighed in at 7 pounds, another at 6 pounds, and the most recent was a whopping 9 pounds 2 ounces. As fish begin moving out of deeper water, lures that mimic baitfish—especially shad—seem to be the key to hooking the big ones. Now’s a great time to get out on the water!

State Park Lakes: Small lakes often warm faster than larger impoundments in the spring.  This early warming spurns fish feeding activity and potentially better fishing.  Here are a few north Georgia State Parks with small lakes you may consider fishing this weekend.

Bear Creek Reservoir (report courtesy of Troy Simon) The crappie bite is on, and this 500-acre reservoir is no exception. Troy Simon and his son Indigo caught these slabs on crappie minnows. On this small Jackson County impoundment. only electric motors are allowed, and the area is only opened to fishing Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.

RESERVOIR REPORT

West Point Lake (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing Report) — Bass fishing is good. Fishing has gotten better as the week progressed. With such fluctuating conditions the best bites have come from covering water with lipless crank baits and medium running crank baits. Fish are scattered in multiple depths right now from three to eight feet of water. Keep the boat in ten feet of water throwing as shallow as possible working the bait slowly back to the boat working as many pockets as possible mid lake. Our best colors have been a shad pattern with chartreuse as the primary color. Bass seem to like the tighter wobbling crank bait like a Rapala Glass Shad Rap in shad pattern. Daiwa has the petite SC Shad and shad style crank bait with a great wobble and looks like a Shad Rap body. It is 2 inches long and 1/8 ounce and mimics the shad. Comes with VMC super sharp hooks so beware. Several great colors too. Using long casts as close to rocky banks, make about five turns with the reel and pause. Repeat this cadence all the way back to the boat. McStick jerk baits can work but be sure to use a jerk and then rest a few seconds before pulling the bait again. Fish the mid part of the lake. Focus on rocky points closest to the main river channel.

Lake Weiss (Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing Report) — Bass fishing is good. The warmer weather has turned the fish on. A lot of fish have moved shallow into the spawning bays and creeks, shallow running crank baits and spinner baits are working well. Spinner baits fished along any rock bank will also draw a strike. Remember to slow down the retrieve as the water is still cold below the surface. If we get a few days with worm temperatures look for the fish to start to move into the back of the creeks and major coves off of the main lake. If it gets colder they will move back to deeper water.

Now available for sale 50 of Bass GPS waypoints for offshore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Weiss Lake Alabama. For samples send an e mail to kensturdivant@att.net 

Lake Allatoona Bass (report courtesy Ken Sturdivant, Southern Fishing Report) — Bass fishing is fair. Concentrate on the shallower water over the last week. In the early mornings, start in 15 feet or less in pockets or the back of productive creek ditches with a Spro McStick, Aruku Shad, or a 1/4-ounce SuperSpin. If the moving baits do not produce, switch to a shaky head and present plastics such as a creepy crawler or worm. The dock bite is improving and both largemouth and spots can be taken around docks in 15 feet or less. A shaky head with smaller plastic choices have been the best producers around the docks. The jerk bait is also a good option around the docks. Include pauses of 5 6 seconds between twitches. Skip these baits around docks and work the bait SLOWLY. Look for the docks with the black floats and metal poles, as these will hold heat the best, and therefore attract the bait and fish more readily. Use the 95 and 110 Spro McStick on 10-pound Sunline sniper. Sun seems to better the bite. Fish these baits quickly. When the fish bite they are crushing it. The 1/8 and 3/8 jig head with a big bite trick stick or shaky squirrel. Main and secondary point in the Allatoona creek arm and just north of Victoria are producing best. 

Lake Lanier Crappie (Report courtesy of Lanier Guide Josh Thorton) — It was a slow grind today. Lots of patience required. But it paid off with a 1st place 10.9 lb. bag of seven crappie and big fish over 2 lbs. in the North Georgia Crappie Anglers tournament. The fish were roaming in about 5-8 feet of water all morning and I finished the day in 3.8 foot of water at an abandoned dock full of 11” fish. We also had a bonus 20” bass. All crappie were caught on the ATX Lure Company, D2d color. This is a 2-pound black crappie caught on a soft plastic in Lake Lanier by Captain Josh. Captain Josh will host a Crappie Tournament on March 29, 2025, at Little Hall Park. Contact Captain Josh at 770 561 3478 or Crappisonlanier.com (Josh Thorton crappie slab) 

Lake Lanier Bass (report courtesy of Phil Johnson. pjohnson15@hotmail.com 770 366 8845) — Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. Currently the lake is about one half foot over full, and the water temperature is running from forty-seven to fifty-one degrees. The main lake is clear with the backs of the creeks and up the river still having some stain. The bass are still staging for the bedding season, but the water temperature has them somewhat in a holding pattern. They are still scattered with fish being caught from two feet to fifty feet, but the majority are in the thirty foot or less range. A DT6 or DT10 in the red craw pattern or a RkCrawler 55 have been producing some good fish off secondary points and rocky areas, either points or humps. The shakey head and the Neko rig are catching fish on the secondary rocky points and boat docks. Start working the docks halfway back in the creeks or pockets and work to the back. Be sure to check out any visible structure along the way as both spots and largemouth can be in these areas. One key right now is to soak the bait, move it very slowly and then let it sit. three eights No See Em Spot Choker with a two eight Keitech worked very slowly in the backs of the pockets will also produce bass. With the wind the spinnerbait is starting to produce strikes either on the windblown areas or in the stained areas back in the creeks. A white spiinerbait with chrome and gold willow leaf blades will work well in both areas. Look for the lake to stain and warm up with the incoming weather which should be a perfect set up for the bass. Join us at the March Madness Expo in Villa Rica on March twenty eighth through March thirtieth. Over seventy exhibitors with lots of great products. Who knows, there may be a few guides wandering around. See ya there! 

Lake Lanier Striper (report courtesy of Buck Cannon) — Lake Lanier stripers are getting heavier every day and they are not hard to catch if you’re using the right bait. They have moved into the coves off the river channels. The bait of choice has been shiners and small gizzards, and the flat lines and planer boards seems to be the ticket right now. Rigging the boards put your bait 20 to 25 feet behind the boards and flat lines 80 to 100 feet behind the boat. Always have a top water lure ready to throw. Remember to wear your life jacket. 

RIVERS AND TROUT STREAM REPORT 

Chattahoochee River White Bass (Report courtesy of angler Dustin Pate): We were able to get out on the river (above Lake West Point) last Friday and Saturday. The white bass bite remains hot, with a few big hybrids and stripers starting to show up. However, we are still not finding much of anything north of Snake Creek. Normally, by this time, the fish would be all around Franklin.  The fish are not everywhere, so covering water until you get a bite is the key. Once you find them, spot-lock down and fish that area thoroughly. The bite is only going to get better each day and should continue for a while based on what I’m seeing so far.  A variety of baits are working right now, but small rattling crankbaits—such as Flicker Shad or a 1/4-ounce lipless crankbait—are getting more bites due to a slight stain in the water.

Oconee River (report courtesy of Jack Becker, aka Georgia Waterdog) — I made my first trip of the year to the Oconee River, a few miles upstream of Lake Oconee, looking for white bass. Last year I did very well there. Several 20 to 30 fish days. Only fishing 4 hrs. I like fishing for them with in-line spinners like Mepps, Panther Martin’s & Rooster Tails, but my favorite is the Lucas catch all spinner. A local, family-owned business that’s been around that area for over 35 years. Seems like the water is always muddy, which doesn’t matter for catching white bass. It is my favorite place for white bass in the spring, but I definitely don’t recommend going there after there’s been rain in the area. The water will be too high and flowing too fast to fish it effectively.  I see mostly flat bottom Jon boats, kayaks, canoes, and occasionally a tunnel hull boat. It is extremely shallow in places only 2 foot deep. Not an area for bass boats. It will be crowded during the white bass run for sure, but the fishing can be Exceptional. The water was still a little on the cold side. I think I was about two weeks early. I only spent a couple of hours on the water and managed to catch a couple of fish while I was looking for warmer pockets of water. If you go be careful and courteous around other boats. Most boats I saw were anchored in Bends in the river or along Sandy Banks.  You definitely want to pass them at idle speed.

TROUT REPORT

Stocked Trout (report courtesy of John Lee Thomson, WRD Region 2 Supervisor) — It is a week early for the put and take streams, but they will all be stocked next week so make sure your fishing and trout license are up to date. Visit GoOutdoorsGeorgia.com to renew. The Delayed Harvest areas have all been refreshed with some naive stockers in the last two weeks, so the bite will be great this weekend. 

Smith Creek (report courtesy of Hillis Lanier of NGTO) — Three of us fished the DH sections of the West Fork Pigeon, Nantahala, and Tuck in NC, and Smith in North Georgia this week. Fishing was slow Monday and Tuesday, but ended on a high note today, Wednesday. We fished the West Fork Pigeon Monday afternoon for a short period. The wading was a bit tough, it was cold, and we did not catch any fish. We blamed bad fishing on the cold front.

Tuesday morning, after the weather warmed up, we fished the Tuck. Unfortunately, wading was very rough due to water release, and we did not last long. Again, we were skunked. We drove over to the Nantahala Tuesday afternoon and although fishing was slow, we finally managed to catch a few. Walts Worms and PT soft hackles were productive. This morning, we drove to Fires. We arrived around 9 and found a parking lot full, so two of us decided not to stay, fish Smith instead, and the other stayed at Fires. My fishing buddy that stayed at Fires reported later in the day that the fishing was slow, but he caught a few.

As for the two of us that went to Smith, we found another parking lot pretty much full when we arrived and overflowing when we left. The banks were lined with people fishing. Regardless we found an open hole and the fish were plentiful and cooperative. I caught several on a Walts Worm, PT soft hackle, and Hares Ear soft hackle. So, a slow week ended on a high note. Thank goodness for Smith! The browns I caught at Smith were really nice. 

Wild Trout — The warm weather will have the terrestrial hatch going and wild trout will be looking up. Headwater streams are running clear and even as trout appetites increase, moving slow and drab clothing will increase hook ups.

Trout Info: To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities including the latest stocking information, check out the Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout. 

Trout Tag: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia?  Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. Aside from being a great looking tag, each purchase or renewal of a Trout Unlimited license plate directly supports Georgia’s trout conservation and management programs. Hatcheries and wild trout efforts both benefit from the trout tag. Find out more license plate information at GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenseplates.

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

The reservoir reports below are brought to you by Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report, with contributions from Region 3 WRD Fisheries staff, local guides, and anglers.

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1.0 FEET, 60’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Cooler temperatures and brisk winds moved the bass back into deeper water. Vertical jigging was a must to bag a limit last weekend. Deep water cranking DT10 crank baits and Down Deep Husky Jerk baits off the main lake points will catch both largemouth and spotted bass. Daiwa has the petite SC Shad and shad style crank bait with a great wobble and looks like a Shad Rap body. It is 2 inches long and 1/8 ounce and mimics the shad. Comes with VMC super sharp hooks so beware. Several great colors too. A few shallow water bass are being caught on spinner baits near stumps and submerged wood. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge, especially when fishing the small cuts and coves.

Striped Bass (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in March fish will be scattered all over the lake, but they will also move shallower. Pulling live herring on free-lines and planer boards is usually the best pattern.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that in March fish will start to move shallower, and depending on weather conditions there will often be a strong spawn this month. It can happen very fast once air temperatures get into the 70–80-degree range, and usually the biggest fish spawn first. Trolling jigs is usually the best pattern until fish are actually bedding, and then they can be caught casting jigs or minnows to the shallows.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that in March catfish will start to bite better again, and they can be caught on shallow points with cut herring.

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, 60’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The bass are in the ditches and up on the flats, but this pattern quickly changed. Deep water cranking will get a few smaller bass, and the spinner bait bite died. This will slowly change as warmer weather returns soon. Continue to look in the ditches and on the ledges with a Rapala Shad Rap or the #7 RS Shad Rap. Ito Vision 110 jerk bait will work along the creek ledges. Any warming wind will help move the bass back up on the flats. Look for any change in the water temperature all day. The X Rap will be an excellent choice on the flats and later in the week on the shallow spawning flats. The bass will relate to the flats lake wide until next month. Work the Gable Green 7A Bomber and the fire tiger color too.

Striper and hybrids (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474) reports that in March fish will move shallower off channel points, and first thing in the morning there should be a really strong bite right at daybreak. After that it will be more of a grind with deeper down-rods, although some anglers will pull planer boards across points.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that – except for the wind – March is one of the best months of the year for catching crappie on Clarks Hill. Generally, fish are feeding heavily in preparation for the spawn and then actually spawning, and they will be shallow in the backs of creeks and coves as well as along the banks around cover. Long-line trolling, tight-lining, and casting a cork with a jig/minnow at the bank will all catch fish.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson reports that March can also be a good month for catching large catfish on Clarks Hill, although again the wind can be problematic. Anchoring in shallow water where fish are feeding on threadfin and gizzard shad is generally the best pattern.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 60’S

Bass courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The lake is full, stained over most of the lake but the lake is clearing. Use Rapala Shad Raps and small crank bait with rattles fished on sea walls and around docks. Fish the major coves and big pockets off of the main lake. Also the major creeks off of the Richland creek arm of the lake. Dark Jigs with a rattle, brown, blue and black have been the best colors. Fish these around wood structure on the main river pockets above Sugar Creek. Spinner baits fished along any rock bank will also draw a strike. Remember to slow down the retrieve as the water is still cold below the surface. Berkley has a polycarbonate crank bait in a stick bait style called the Hot Stick. With Fusion 19 hooks fish will come to the net. It comes in two sizes, 3.5 cm and 15cm and in 21 colors.

Tournament Alert (courtesy of ABA news):   The next Division 72 tournament is scheduled for April 19, 2025, also at Lake Oconee, launching from Sugar Creek Marina. For additional information, please contact Tournament Director Benny Howell at 770-365-4795.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.4 FEET, 60’S

Bass courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The fish are up shallow. Check primary and secondary points in the mornings with lipless crank baits, shallow crank baits, and spinnerbaits. SPRO Little John and Fat John crank baits in the fire tiger color are catching fish consistently all over the lake. As the sun gets up start moving up on the flats and into the pockets fishing dock walkways and seawalls. A Buckeye lures 3/8ounce spinnerbait with double gold Colorado blades fished shallow on the walls and backsides of these docks is a great way to catch a big fish right now. Once a pocket with fish in it is located, turn around and go over it with a soft plastic bait fishing slow. A Texas rigged June bug Zoom lizard will catch some of these fish low down. Fishing will be fun over the next month as they will continue to feed for the spawn. This is the best month to catch a fish of a lifetime.

LAKE JACKSON IS FULL, 50’S

Bass courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair and these fish are coming up on main lake points and around rip rap. Look for these fish in 8 to 10 feet of water on gravel points and throw small spinner baits, jerk baits, Rat L Traps and crank baits. Large mouths and spots are also holding in blow downs and can be caught by slow rolling a spinner bait through the limbs of the blow down. Another pattern to fish now is throwing shad like lures on the shoreline late in the day. The key is to find coves or banks that are exposed to deep water and look for surface activity. If PPP do not see any activity, go to another area.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Fisheries Technician Nick Brewer)

Warming temperatures continue to beckon anglers back on the PFA and they are reporting successful fishing trips!  Application of lime has been completed on PFA lakes to condition water for fertilization this spring.  More than 30 stumps were added to Willow Lake to increase fish cover–this should substantially increase locations for anglers to target whether fishing on the bank or by boat.  With daylight savings time, anglers will have more time for fishing in the evening before the great diel migration to Jones kicks in at sunset.

Bass: Bass have begun spawning on the PFA. Anglers targeting bass should fish the shallows using shallow crankbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, or soft plastics that imitate baitfish or a worm of course.  Fishing in vegetation using top water lures such as frogs may also produce bites on the PFA. James Hill caught this nearly 8lb’er last Friday working between the new stump piles in Willow. Just after this, James caught a 6lb bass in Jones. Wayne Parham caught this nice largemouth Sunday afternoon (post-front) on a swim jig in Jones.

Striped and Hybrid Bass:  Hybrid and Striped Bass are beginning to move to shallow water.  Anglers should consider using flukes, paddle tail swimbaits, or other lures that mimic baitfish in the shallows.  Anglers will also have success fishing with chicken livers just off the bottom of the ponds.

Channel Catfish: Channel catfish have been biting consistently throughout the winter and will feed even more aggressively in the spring! Anglers can target catfish using chicken livers or nightcrawlers fished directly on the pond bottom or use lures mimicking smaller baitfish.

Bream:  Bream are biting! Anglers should target areas with structure using live worms or crickets for the best chance of success. Some anglers have caught bream using rooster tails.

Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed at McDuffie PFA.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Area Manager Amory Cook and Fisheries Technician Deven Thompson) —

Water conditions: Due to the large amount of rain fall this past weekend, the lake level has risen 2 feet! With this influx of run off, combined with pollen starting to spread, and algae growth typical of this time of year, the water clarity has decreased. Anglers should take this into consideration when choosing colors/ locations to fish. Water temps have been fluctuating due to air temps/sun exposure, making fish patterns tough to figure out.

Bass: The bass fishing has been pretty decent this past week with a lot of moderate to larger size fish being caught. This week your bait choices should lizards, worms and buzz baits. Other baits that could work as well would be whoppers, poppers, and spooks. Pictured is FCPFA creel clerk/fisheries technician and avid angler Deven Thompson posing with his pup and a nice largemouth!

Bream: Bream fishing remains stable with worms being the bait of choice by successful fishermen. With water temps floating around the low to mid 60s the bream should be moving shallower than in past weeks. Using floats to keep the worms about 1-3 feet off the bottom along the bank should produce some good fish.

Crappie: Due to the recent weather events, crappie bite has shut off. As the next few days pass, they should start biting again. According to creel data collected this past week, most crappie are still holding offshore in the lower columns of water, mostly chasing jigs. Within the next week or so they should move up to spawn, making them easily accessible from the bank. Minnows or slow-sinking jigs under a float should produce some good fish. Once the spawn starts, try to target over hanging brush.

Catfish: There has been no recent activity from the catfish; However, with the water temps quickly rising, anglers should expect to see increased catch rates here soon! Try targeting 7-10 feet deep shelves near deeper water, which should provide good fishing spots. This time of year, chicken liver and cut bait will produce the best success.

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

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (Courtesy of Fisheries Technician Jacob Landry)

• Marben Public Fishing Area
• Water level: All ponds are full.
• Pond Closures: Margery, Hillside, and Clubhouse ponds remain closed while under renovation.
• Water clarity: All ponds are very clear with some ponds reaching over 46 inches in visibility. The exception to this is Dove Pond which remains murky due to rain.
• Surface temperature: Water temperatures during the first part of March are in the mid 50’s; however, temperatures may enter the 60’s during a string a warm March days.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: Anglers fishing for bass on smaller ponds should see better catch rates for bass on shallow structure as these ponds fire up more quickly the larger ponds (like Fox, Bennett, and Shepherd). Black, blue, and purple plastics worms are effective, with some success coming from small spinner baits and jerk baits. Marben staff conducted standardized spring electrofishing on several Marben ponds this week and found the bass. Pictured is Fisheries Technician Daniel Malcom with two fine specimens collected from Whitetail Pond this week.

Crappie: A few crappie have pulled up shallow and numbers should increase if water temperatures stabilize in the low 60s.  Using jigs tipped with minnows will put bites on the line as crappie get ready to spawn.  Use electronics to locate schools of crappie or adjust your bobber to fish different depths until you find them. White and chartreuse jigs retrieved slowly with a float or by trolling have also produced good catches.  Fox and Bennett are good targets for spring crappie at Marben PFA.

Bream: Several catches of shellcracker have been seen.  Most continue to be caught on the bottom in the smaller ponds with wax worms and pink worms, however fishing has been slow.

Hybrid Bass: Hybrid bass are a big hit at Bennett and Greenhouse.  March is hit or miss but when its good its good.   Fish when you can, but typically a few mild or warmer days preceding a cold snap will induce feeding and increase your chances for success.

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