October 10, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

Fall fishing in Georgia is a season of change and excitement. As water temperatures cool and daylight shortens, fish begin shifting toward their autumn patterns, creating fresh opportunities for anglers across the state. Whether you’re chasing bass on the big reservoirs, drifting for stripers on Lanier, or casting a line in your favorite pond, now is the time to take advantage of active fish and crisp days on the water. The following regional reports from our biologists, guides, and local experts will help you gear up for success on your next trip.

NEWS TO KNOW:

• Go Fish Education Center – Fall Harvest: Every Weekend in October! Celebrate the season with family fun all month long. The Fall Harvest event features activities for all ages, making it a perfect weekend outing. Join in the autumn excitement while exploring everything the Go Fish Education Center has to offer! More info: https://www.facebook.com/GoFishEducationCenter/posts/pfbid0j2tEaD9EJuDzkFewNBF5pCrBYbtsCQYnQGk3uwV4R76178FSBkDLzwQ7hcNAP8oBl
• Walton Hatchery recently stocked over 24,000 intermediate bass into Lake Allatoona, Richard B Russell, and Clarks Hill during the past two weeks—highlighting the ongoing efforts to support healthy fisheries across Georgia.

This week, we have fishing reports from Southwest, North, Central, and Southeast Georgia. From trophy bass on reservoirs to quiet moments at a favorite pond, fall offers something for every angler so Go Fish Georgia!

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

LAKE SEMINOLE

 

Bass: According to Ken Sturdivant at southernfishing.com, bass fishing is fair. Some cooler temperatures should eventually make the fish bite better. There has been a decent lipless crankbait bite going down on the main lake. Use the Spro Aruku Shad 75 in old glory color on 20-pound Sunline fluorocarbon. The best places to fish the bait are on grass points on the main lake. The grass has been good. This time of year, the fish prefer a steady retrieve with the bait. Another pattern that is working well is to fish a spinnerbait in these same areas or a soft plastic jerk bait. A good spinnerbait to use is a ½-ounce. Strike zone Lure Company Edge buster spinnerbait in chartreuse and white or bumble bee. The best soft plastic jerk bait to use is a 6-inch Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow in glow silver on a 6/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook.

 

Hybrids: Hybrid fishing is great on the lake this week! Hybrids are moving down the creek channel in pursuit of bait. If you can find large bait balls early in the morning, hybrids will be there. You’ll spot the action from the surface as the hybrids explode on the threadfin shad. You might even catch a striper or white bass in the mix. Anglers are using Alabama rigs and spoons with great success. Color does not seem to matter. As water temperatures continue to drop, striped bass will become more prevalent as they move out of their summer refuge in the river.

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

According to Ken Sturdivant at southernfishing.com, bass fishing is fair. There are a mixture of different patterns that produce fish. The shallow bite has been good especially for numbers of fish. The deep bite is still producing its share of numbers and the bigger fish. The key to the shallow bite is having deeper water close by. It does not have to be a big difference, only a foot or two makes a big difference. Any grass edges or isolated clumps of grass or hydrilla close to this deeper water has been producing. Fishing the grass with a Big Bite Baits white 6 finesse worm or 4 Big Bite Baits Super Shad in brim can work. The deep bite has been getting better every day with the best time to fish being whenever the Corps is pulling water. Try fishing any bend or point that along the river or creek ledges. The best bite has been on the shallower inside bend of the ledges with a hard bottom. Try cranking these places with a Norman DD 22 or a Mann’s 20+ in gray ghost or citrus. When the bite slows drag a Carolina rig through these same areas with a 10 Big Bite Baits Kriet tail worm in Tilapia or Red Bug. If the fish seem to be inactive and are not biting the Carolina rig, try stroking a Texas rig in the same colors or a Picasso football jig in green pumpkin off the ledge to get a reaction bite.

There have been continued reports of channel catfish being caught throughout the reservoir by rod and reel and noodle anglers.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

This week has been windy leading to choppy water on the lake, so be extra mindful and make sure you have your lifejackets handy! Wind hasn’t stopped the fishing success on the lake though, with Crappies still being caught in good numbers and large ones being found too. If you want to try out lures that are currently attracting Crappie, head to Flint River Outdoors and get some Pintail Minnow (Adrenaline Junkie) and HellShad (Monkey Milk) around 1.25” to 1.75”. The Crappie are sitting a little deeper around 12ft and off structure. Mayflies are still around the lake, if you wait until right before dusk you can see them swarming near the edge of vegetation. Lots of fish can be seen snatching ones that land on the top of the water. Would be the perfect place to drop a lure!

FLINT AND CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVERS

Fishing on the Flint has been good for the last few weeks.  The river has been low and clear.  The catfish bite has been descent in the deeper bends of the river.  Bass fishing has been good with clear water.  Flukes and small crawfish imitations have worked well.  Presentations should be slow and subtle.  Bream fishing has been good with crickets/worms and Satilla spins.

The Chattahoochee River is also low with good water clarity.  Descent catches of catfish have been recorded.  Fish are being caught in deeper bends and on noodles.  Some good bream catches have been reported off of shoreline structure.

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

The water level is still down a good bit right now and the temperature has begun to drop slightly. We’re still getting some reports of decent bass fishing in a little shallower water. The channel catfish bite is also good now.  Fishing has improved slightly and should continue to do so but anglers need to be patient and versatile for fishing Big Lazer in the fall.

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE ALLATOONA

Allatoona Bass (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 5.7 FEET, AND THE WATER TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 80S. Bass fishing is good. The bite is steady and a variety of baits are working. Try small swimbaits like the Keitech 3-inch Paddle Tail fished on a 3/16 ounce Picasso 2/0 round ball head. The bait can be fished around blowdowns or open water for schooling fish. Both areas are producing right now. The key is to count it down to the depth holding the fish and then retrieve at slow to medium pace. There is also a good shaky head worm bite around Red Top. Areas around the mouth of Stamp Creek are producing. Use a 1/8- or 3/16-ounce Picasso Shakedown head and a Big Bite Baits 6 inch green pumpkin Finesse worm. Flat points have been best early and late in the day and the stiff breeze has been positioning the fish lately. Typically, only two to three fish are caught per point and the school moves off or slows down. Keep moving to find active fish and always keep an eye on the sonar for baitfish and active bass. When the water drops into the mid to high 70s some slow periods of fishing occur as the bait and bass begin to transition toward fall locations. Shallow will be the most consistent bite when fishing gets tough.

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

LAKE HARTWELL

LAKE HARTWELL IS CURRENTLY JUST BELOW FULL POOL AND WATER TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 80S (note on the fall reservoir drawdown from October 27 to December 13, 2025). Georgia Power plans to conduct a reservoir drawdown to elevation 513 to provide for homeowner dock and shoreline structure maintenance activities. The typical operating range for Lake Harding is between elevations 518 feet and 521 feet. From start to finish, this drawdown will occur over a six-week period with approximately four weeks at the low drawdown elevation. Georgia Power will begin ramping down at a rate of no greater than a half foot per day below elevation 518 beginning on Monday, October 27, 2025, and will reach the drawdown elevation of 513 feet by Wednesday, November 5, 2025. Georgia Power will begin refilling on Saturday, December 6, 2025, and anticipates refill to occur over the next week, depending on releases from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ upstream West Point Lake.  Daily Georgia Power Lake Water Levels can be found at: https://www.georgiapower.com/our-impact/lakes-rivers/water-levels.html.

LAKE HARTWELL

Lake Hartwell Bass Report (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 3.8 FEET AND WATER TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 80S.  Bass fishing is fair. Fishing has been tougher the past few weeks but the cooler weather is starting to change everything for the better. Some bass are on fish deep brush and timber using drop shots with and the Zoom Z drop worm or a Zoom Swamp Crawler. Also, some bass are fish on humps and points near deeper water with a shaky head rigged with a Zoom Magnum Swamp Crawler. There has been a little schooling activity starting to fire up and this should only get better with the water temperatures starting to cool down. For schooling fish have the Pop R and the Spro jerk bait and a Zoom Super Fluke in pearl ready. The fish may surface and it’s a good pattern right now. Have a bait ready and get it in the quick. The baitfish and bass move around a lot this time of year. It is important to rely on sonar to hit different areas until you find a group of active fish.

LAKE LANIER

Lake Lanier Bass Report (This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, 770-366-8845 via www.southernfishing.com): LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 4.2 FEET AND WATER TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 80S. The bass are moving to their fall areas so concentrate on humps long points and overall deep standing trees particularly if there are shad in the area there is good top water activity, but anglers may have to cover a lot of water to find the activity. The top water fishing is a lot of waiting for them to surface and targeting anglers r cast on top of them while they are up feeding. The main baits for the week for top water have been the Ima Skimmer and the Lip Thrashin Gunfish or Riser. One of the keys to the top water bite has been having wind so search for key areas that are in the wind/ If anglers ‘re not able to draw the surface bite drop down on them with either a three eights Spot Choker with a three-inch swimmer or use a Spybait. With the Spybait anglers will need to use lighter line and a longer rod with fast action to get the long cast anglers need and maintain the action of the bait. With both baits watch for the bass to react to them and either give a slight twitch or speed up anglers retrieve to draw the strike. There has been some frog activity around the shady sides of docks and in the backs of the pockets around structure. Don’t be surprised if anglers come up with a largemouth on this bait. The bass are in the fall transition period so be prepared to move with them and be versatile with angler’s r bait choices from day to day. Go Catch Em!

Lanier Stripers (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778): Lake Lanier stripers are on the move looking for the coolest water they can find. Water temperature is still high 70s’ to low 80 degrees. The down line bite is still strong using blue backs for bait. Some fish in the back of coves off the river channels in the far back in skinny water. The flat lines are still an option at 80 to 100 feet behind the boat. Weighted flat lines and unweighted, both work. The top water bite is hit or miss but be ready they won’t stay up for long.

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

LAKE WEISS

Lake Weiss Bass (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): WEISS LAKE IS FULL AND WATER TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 80’S. Bass fishing is good Largemouth bass have moved shallow in the coves and bays. Look for any brush or stumps in 4 feet of water or less. Shallow running crankbaits spinnerbaits and Rat L Traps in shad patterns are working great the spotted Bass are on main lake points and humps roadbeds and shallow river channel ledges. Soft plastics like a Senko in green pumpkin with a chartreuse tail are catching a lot of good spots.

Lake Weiss Bass: Crappie are under the deeper docks. Look for larger older docks that create a lot of shade. Use a 1/24-ounce Jiffy Jig in colors JJ13 and JJ17. A lot of larger crappie are starting to show up on the old river channel ledges in the main lake and the Riverside area. Spider rigging with minnows is starting to produce a few good fish mixed in with a ton of under sized fish that are being caught. Look for more crappie to move to the ledges as the water cools more.

WEST POINT LAKE

West Point Bass Report (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com):  WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 10 FEET AND WATER TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE 80S. Bass fishing is good. Cooler temperatures and low water conditions have concentrated fish on just about any shoreline cover available. Fish can be caught on many different patterns right now dependent on current weather conditions. On windy days use a 3/8 ounce. Spinnerbait in a chartreuse and white color with double willow leaf blades gold and silver combination. On days when there is less wind use shallow diving crankbaits and top water poppers in shad patterns. With these baits cover a lot of water so be prepared to stay on trolling motor. Some good fish have been caught on buzz baits and other top water lures early in the morning. Later in the day deep diving crankbaits are working well on the humps and roadbeds. Spotted bass are holding on the humps and roadbeds.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, has drawdown the water level at West Point Dam, to support scheduled maintenance on the concrete pier between spillway gates 5 and 6. The drawdown elevation is around 625 feet (10 feet below full pool), depending on weather conditions. Maintenance and repair work is scheduled through January 15, 2026.  However, the recent Government shutdown may affect the timeline for lake water levels to return to normal as conditions. For more information, contact the West Point Project Manager’s Office at 706 645 2937. https://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Recreation/West-Point-Lake/.

West Point Lake Water Level Information can be found at West Point Lake Levels Information .

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

TROUT REPORT

Where to Go for Trout Info: To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities including the latest stocking information, check out the Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page. Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page.

Trout Fishing Opportunities for Those With Disabilities: Check out these sites that are open to the public and offer specific amenities for anglers with disabilities. Find the list at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.

(Fishing report courtesy of Hunter Roop- Region Supervisor, Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report, and Fisheries Biologist with the Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

RESERVOIR REPORT

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 1 FOOT, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. There is no shortage of spotted bass. Just keep in mind these are smaller bass so gear down. When they are moving water bass set up on main lake structure. Anglers have found schools and are cranking Shad Raps in both the #5 and #7 on 10 pound test Sufix clear line. Mid day the Texas Carolina rig or vertical the shaky head or drop shot are working. Rocky points with brush piles and the reef markers around the dam are good areas. Try picking off a few fish with OG8 Rapala crank bait. Then slow down and pick apart the structure with Zoom green pumpkin finesse worms on a Weedless Wonder head. Watermelon is good second backup color and redbug will also produce. Cast the Livingston SgredderS3 Sxee Shad Jerkmaster 1 AYU.

Bass 2 (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal (706-988-0860) reports that in October bass will normally be caught on the bottom in deep water in both the main lake and creeks. In addition to live bait they typically take drop-“shot rigs and jigging spoons.

Striped Bass (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson (706-283-3336) reports that in early October fish are traditionally very scattered, but this month they should start to leave the ends of the lake and move back towards the middle. Both free-lines and down-lines should catch fish if striper can be located.

Crappie (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Wendell Wilson reports that October is often one of the very best months for Lake Russell crappie. Fish can be caught in the creeks around brush, and both jigs and minnows should catch fish. Sometimes they will also be stacked up on the bottom in open water around bait schools.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Jerry Kotal reports that this is not generally a month when he targets catfish very much, but he does pick some up on jigging spoons while fishing for bass. Catfish can be targeted with cut herring fished on the bottom around schools of bait.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. Fish deep around brush and timber using drop shots with a Zoom 4 inch mini lizard in green with red flake. Hit all the docks in Richland Creek. Anglers are also catching some bigger fish on humps and points near deeper water with a shaky head rigged with a Zoom trick worms and a Swamp Crawler. There has been a little schooling activity starting to fire up and this should only get better with the water temperatures starting to cool down. For schooling fish always keep a Zoom Super Fluke in pearl and add a little red dye to the side of the bait. The baitfish and bass move around a lot this time of year. Use the electronics to hit different areas until the fish show up on the equipment. Use the smaller Lucky Craft Square Bill Live Threadfin Shad Blue Gill 5/8 ounce. Look on the main lake points for brush with the Lowrance Structure Scan technology. Scanning five times the depth is a good rule for this technology. Check those feeding tables before heading out.

Linesides (courtesy of Doug Nelms with Big Fish Heads Guide Service): Nothing specific from our angler buddy Doug—yet. But it’s for a just cause, as he has only recently returned from a rewarding salmon fishing trip in Michigan! We look forward to hearing how the Oconee hybrids are adjusting to the early fall transition in next week’s report.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 2.8 FEET, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. Don’t rely on one pattern to hold up all day long or for two days in a row. Versatility will be a must this week. Switching up baits and patterns will be the key for winning teams or individuals at the scales. On the windy days a Rapala X Rap in Olive Green, Silver, Hot Steel and Glass Ghost will be necessary along with a variety of crank baits. Wind blown points are still good producers, especially on the Fort Gordon side of the lake. Ditches that run on the outer edges of the submerged grass are still holding good fish as well. This is where the practice comes in. Jigs, worms and lizards along with Rattle Tubes on Carolina Rigs or Texas Rigs will work while picking apart the wood cover up in the rivers and even out on the main lake. On the cloudy days the Bass will become more active then when the sun is shining. Fish the wind blown banks and points with Rapala Glass Shad Raps, DT6’s and Rattlin’ Raps. Find the rock and the Bass will be close by. Crawfish are in good numbers now, so fish accordingly.

Bass 2 (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Guide Josh Rockefeller (706-513-6152) and tournament angler Tyler Matthews report that in October schooling action should be widespread on Thurmond (better known in Georgia as Clarks Hill), and there should also be a lot of fish moving back into the creeks. Topwater lures that imitate shad and herring will work well until it gets really cool, and then a square-bill crankbait will be hard to beat. You can usually still catch fish on a buzzbait in the first part of the month but by the end of October that can get less effective.

Striped Bass & Hybrids (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Little River Guide Service (706-210-3474)  reports that this month fish typically start to head towards the mouths of creeks and usually back into them as they are able to spread out more in cooler temperatures. There should be good schooling activity and fish should generally be in the top of the water column, although down-line fishing should still be effective.

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

Crappie 2 (courtesy of DJ Hadden with Hadden Outdoors):  The crappie bite is strong in brush piles from 15-25 feet of water. Early morning and late evening feeding periods have been consistent bites lately, especially on either minnows or small 2” jigs.

For largemouth and spotted bass, schooling activity has been strong, especially if you can locate main-lake or main-river channel humps in 15-25 feet of water. Fish are often elevated in the water column around these, and chrome topwaters, white or silver flukes, and chrome Krej jerkbaits have been the ticket lately as bass key in on shad. For striper, the evening bite near the oxygen line has still been the most productive. Keep an eye out for schooling activity and fish accordingly.

Catfish (courtesy of SC DNR Fishing Reports): Captain Chris Simpson (864-992-2352) reports that the last three months of the year are the most consistent time to catch a big catfish on Lake Thurmond, with the big fish bite kicking off in earnest in October. Anchoring on deep structure is about the most consistent way to catch large blue catfish or flatheads 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 SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. There is still a decent morning bite but it just varies where it is. One day there is a good frog bite in the grass above Crooked Creek. The next day if they disappear go down the lake and run seawalls near deep water with a buzz bait or other top water and get three to five bites in the first hour or two of daylight. After 9 a.m. the bite gets tough and the few fish that are biting are small. After the water temperatures start to drop look for the fish to move toward the pockets. Start at the mouths and work back into the coves. Top water in the morning will still be the best bet for bigger fish. Also focus early in the morning near docks that have had a light on overnight to concentrate the bait and bass. After the sun is stronger fish brush docks and laydowns. Pay attention to the depth and watch the depth finder all day. Look for the depth the bait is holding. Once that depth is established work the baits at that depth. If it is 6 feet look for docks at that depth or fish the points with a crankbait that dives 8 to 10 feet to cover that depth. Pull off far enough so and drag the Carolina rig through the water column that is 4 to 10 feet deep.

LAKE JACKSON IS FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. Fish are holding on main lake structure some quality fish have turned up way back in the pockets holding on wood cover as shallow as 4 feet. As the weather gets cooler and there is an overcast day keep an open mind and probe around docks blow downs and brush piles back in the coves. Near wood or rock structure for instance. Fish should strike on or after a pause. Some morning’s fish prefer the slower baits. Focus on main lake rock riprap and sea wall features. Focus on deep main lake seawalls. Spinner baits Chatterbaits and shallow running crank baits can work on shallow AM fish when they shy away from top water presentations. If the shallow fishing is not producing head on out to the points or work into pockets probing for fish that may have moved up on docks and wood. When the sun gets up spots and some LM can be taken deeper on points bluffs blow downs and humps. As the morning begins to warm up late mornings bass will move from 8 to 12 feet on out to 14 or more. All depending of course on the conditions location and species. The drop shot rig is a good way to vertically fool suspended fish and fish relating to bottom structure. Rig the drop shot with 3 to 4 plastics. Many use plastic minnow shad imitations and small Senko’s. Use the sonar to locate specific pieces of structure or suspended fish and drop strait down to the target.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

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

With the drop in temperatures, especially in the mornings and evenings, anglers are having more successful trips on our PFA.  Anglers are catching bass, catfish and sunfish frequently, and as the weather continues to cool, this trend should continue.  On September 30th, 1,800 catchable catfish averaging at 10 inches in length were added to Jones lake and 800 catchable catfish were stocked into Beaverlodge.

Bass: Anglers on the PFA are reporting successful bass fishing using artificial baits in a Carolina rig or a Wacky rig. Target areas with structure, and be patient! Other good options are crankbaits and swimbaits in deeper water.  Some anglers are having luck with topwater lures such as frogs or poppers as well.

Striped and Hybrid Bass: Dropping temperatures should make hybrid and striped bass more active.  Anglers should fish with chicken livers in deeper water when targeting stripers.  Areas with lots of bird activity can indicate good areas to target.  While the bite is still slow, Clubhouse should begin picking up in the coming weeks.

Channel Catfish: Many anglers are catching catfish! Use chicken livers and fish off the bottom of the lakes for the best chance of success.  Other good options are artificial baits also fished off the bottom.

Bream: Bream on the PFA are being caught frequently with worms and crickets. Anglers report the most success when fishing near structure in all of our lakes.

Reminder: live fish/minnows are not allowed on our PFA.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Area Manager Amory Cook) —

• Water Level: 54” below full pool
• Water Temperature: High 70’s
• Water Clarity: 16″ and green

Bass:   Anglers are continuing to report that Powerbait Swim Shad are producing the most catches, but shallow-running, jointed square-bill crankbait lures are landing fish as well. 

Bream: Red wigglers continue to produce Bream.  

Crappie: Cooler weather is promising extended catch times for crappie. Use live minnows and jigs. 

Catfish: Catfish are being caught on nightcrawlers. Remember the PFA lake record for catfish is still open and the minimum requirement to qualify is 12lbs or 32in long. You must have the catch weighed on a certified scale and properly documented.  Should you land a catfish that you believe to be at least 12 pounds (about 30 inches long), please notify DNR staff.

MARBEN PFA FISHING REPORT (courtesy of PFA Manager Amory Cook) —

• Marben Public Fishing Area
• Water level: All ponds are full or nearly full.
• Pond Closures: Margery, Hillside, and Clubhouse ponds remain closed while under renovation.
• Water clarity: 16” – 40”
• Surface temperature: Low-to-mid 70’s.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

 

Bass: Bass will be moving shallower. Anglers should try either spinner baits or cranks baits. Shad style lures have a good chance of catching largemouth and hybrid bass.

Crappie: Crappie remain in deep water at this time. Try fishing over suspended brush or structures in deeper waiter using jigs tipped with minnows.

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: Thanks to all of the families who attended last weekend’s Fish-N-Learn! We enjoyed working with the kids and passing along the foundations of fishing to a group of new anglers. For those interested in attending a future Fish-N-Learn Event, Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center’s program information can be found at https://georgiawildlife.com/FishAndLearn and registration for one-day Fish-N-Learn events can be found at https://license.gooutdoorsgeorgia.com/Event/EventsHome.aspx. McDuffie PFA’s first annual Fish-N-Learn event is happening today, but Region 3 anglers can look forward to Flat Creek PFA’s Fish-N-Learn coming up next spring on April 1st.

 

 

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

Winds were awful again this week in the brine, but the freshwater bite was very good. Coastal winds are forecasted to be rough all weekend, and the end of this week is looking soggy. But, the weather forecast for next week is looking decent at the time of writing this report.

River gages on October 9th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 4.8 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 1.5 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 3.8 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla – 4.8 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 3.8 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 2.2 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 2.3 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 2.4 feet and falling

Last quarter moon is October 13th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVERS

Miles Zachary said that in the rivers the BDD buzzbait bite has still been great (1/4-oz. version has worked best), and the squarebill crankbait and spinnerbait bites have improved. I fished Saturday with Joshua Barber on the lower Altamaha. He was in his boat and I was in mine, but we fished near each other. The bite was pretty good, as I caught 17 fish (11 bass) during the day. Early in the day I caught them on 3/8-oz. golden shiner Wobble Blades and Texas-rigged plastic worms, but as the day wore on, I switched to almost exclusively pitching heavy cover with worms. A 6-inch black-blue flake Keitech Mad Wag worm produced most of my bass. The biggest (4-lb., 15-oz) ate a black Assassin 6-inch curly tail worm, and the second biggest (4-lb., 10-oz.) was fooled with a junebug Gambler paddle-tail worm. My biggest bowfin (I love catching them whether in the swamp or a river!) was 7-lb., 14-oz. and ate a Keitech Mad Wag worm. Joshua ended up catching 7 bass up to 3 1/2 pounds on Texas-rigged worms. The boat traffic was surprisingly high that day where we were. Justin Bythwood and Ed Zmarzly fished the lower river on Saturday and caught around 20 bass by flipping and pitching plastics to shoreline cover. A group of guys fished a “friendly” tournament on Saturday on the lower Altamaha, and it took 12.54 pounds to win, and big fish was 3.70 pounds. Joshua Barber went back again this week with a friend and caught 5 bass in about 4 hours of fishing. He said that the bite was really slow and that the wildlife didn’t seem to be active. He said it almost felt that nature was asleep compared to usual. Be careful getting around (it’s getting low), but the fishing has been good.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Unfortunately, the federal government shutdown continued this week, but at the time of writing this report the refuge (including Okefenokee Adventures) and SC Foster State Park are open. Jeff and Cathi Franklin came down from north Georgia and fished with me twice this week. We did a sunset tour on the east side on Monday evening and caught and released a bunch of fliers. They stopped at 30 fliers up to 8 inches, then we watched the sun set. The panfish ate yellow, pink, and chartreuse Okefenokee Swamp Sallies suspended underneath foam floats. On Wednesday we fished several hours in the middle of the day on the east side. I flung a fly on a long rod for a few minutes before they arrived and caught a 3-pound bowfin. It ate a gold flash pattern fly with a blade. We trolled for bowfin and pickerel during the trip, but struck out on the latter. We caught plenty of the former, though, and stopped at catching and releasing 25 of them. The biggest bowfin was Cathi’s 4-lb., 10-oz. fish, and Jeff’s was 3-lb., 15-oz. The best color Dura-Spin was crawfish-brass blade, but Cathi did well at first on jackfish. We also caught a few throughout the trip on lemon-lime. We saw an owl, and a pair of Florida sandhill cranes flew over us. The Okefenokee is beautiful in October (it’s beautiful all the time, but especially in October)! For the latest information about open areas, call Okefenokee Adventures or SC Foster State Park. The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 120.63 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

Curtis Hazel fished a pond near Folkston on Wednesday for a short time and caught a gar and lost a few fish (2 were bowfin and the other was a bass). They hit swimbaits. Hayden Lee had a great week for bass in an Alma-area pond. On Friday he caught his personal best bass (over 5 pounds) on a plastic worm. He caught another nice one Monday on a plastic worm. The second one one was right at 3 pounds. He’s hooked on bass fishing!

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR DUBLIN)

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

Eddie Parrish and Jerold Clements had a great day last Friday. They fooled 19 shellcracker and bluegill, and 4 of the shellcrackers were BIG. They fished worms on the bottom in 6 to 8 feet of water for their fish.

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR HAWKINSVILLE)

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Blake Boyd bought some 1/4-oz. Capt. Bert’s Flashy Jigheads from Satilla Feed and Outdoors and used them rigged with Tennessee Shad Mayor 3-inch swimbaits to catch some redfish and trout this week in the Brunswick area. His biggest trout looked to be close to 20 inches from the photo. Lucy Thomas fished with Capt. Duane Harris in the Brunswick area and had a trout and 10 redfish on live shrimp. Capt. Chris Ruff (rccaga.com) said that the bull redfish bite is in full-swing when winds allow you to get out to them. Trout fishing has been good in the McIntosh area, and tarpon are still around. A couple different people told me that they were catching redfish and a few trout off their docks in the Brunswick area. The wind forecast for the entire weekend is nasty, but it looks like it may improve some going into next week. 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 also have live worms and crickets for freshwater. For the latest information and their hours, contact them at 912-223-1379.

Blog Contributor 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).

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