October 3, 2025 – Georgia Wildlife Blog

For many families, fall is the perfect season to introduce kids, and even adults, to the joys of fishing. With cooler weather and plenty of opportunities to learn, events like Kids Fishing Events and Fish & Learns make casting a line both fun and educational. Whether it’s a child feeling the tug of their first bluegill, a parent learning how to bait a hook, or friends celebrating a catch together at the water’s edge, these moments create lasting memories. Fishing is more than just catching fish—it’s about building confidence, spending time outdoors, and connecting with Georgia’s waters in a way that’s rewarding for every generation.

NEWS TO KNOW:

This week, we have fishing reports from North, Central, Southeast, and Southwest Georgia. From kids casting their first line to families learning new skills, fishing fun is waiting this fall so Go Fish Georgia!

(Fishing report courtesy of Chris Smith, 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 5.3 FEET, 70’s. Bass fishing is fair. Lots of patterns and baits are working. Go early and take advantage of the schooling action. Some days they are hitting on and off all day long from Allatoona Pass to the Dam area. There are hybrids and spots mixed in and feeding on shad. Have the Sammy 115 in American Shad primarily because it’s a heavier bait. Also the Sammy 128 is good for bigger fish. Have the spinnerbaits ready like the Georgia Blade in all white and burn it just under the surface. Be sure to use a good trailer hook because those schoolers can be finicky and often short strike. Once the sun gets up and the schooling comes up find a brush pile in the 20 foot range. Have the weedless Spot Stalker Jig head ready. The bluff wall Senko bite is also starting to turn on strong. Use the 4 inch Senko’s in blue pearl color rigged on 10 pound test Sufix line and a 4/0 Gamakatsu Offset worm hook. The Norman SFR NXS Envy colored crank baits are working.

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 Bass Report (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 3 FEET, 70’S. Bass fishing is fair. Some wind has been blowing across the lake on and off throughout the week and this has the schools of bait fish, shad and blue backs on the move. A good crank bait bite will become a reality over the entire lake in just a few weeks. Quality fish are coming from the south end of the lake especially on secondary points. If they won’t bite try the Storm Stick 18 Sexy Shad. The mouth of larger feeder creeks are still producing a lot of bass. The Norman SFR NXS Envy colored crank baits are working. Swimming a Rapala X Rap and Husky Jerk bait will catch those shallow water bass and the Rapala Glass Fat Raps and Shad Raps will catch those bass a little deeper off the points. Fish the long main lake points and under water islands where there is a channel swing or creek entering the area. Find these secret spots with the C-Map technology.

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, 70’S. Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake is currently down four feet and the water temperature is running in the upper seventies. Overall, the lake is clear. Fishing is both good and frustrating on Lanier currently. The bass are moving into their fall locations and finding them is not complicated getting them to commit to a bait can be another story. Humps and the ends of long points are holding bass and often large numbers of bass. You may see a lot of surface activity but you often have to land right on the schooling fish to get bit. It’s always hard to leave an area that you know is holding a lot of fish but it’s more important to find ones that will bite. The Lip Thrashin Riser, a Gunfish and an E Prop have all produced this week with the biggest production coming when there is wind over the humps and points A three eights Spot Choker with a Fluke Jr has been very effective on days with low or no wind by swimming it through the suspended bass you see. Once they commit on it, speed up your retrieve to trigger the bite. There are bass moving to the boat docks and are catchable with either a shakey head and a green pumpkin trick worm or a frog thrown down the shady side of the dock. It seems more largemouth are showing up in the dock areas also right now. The bass being caught right now are solid heathy fish but just be prepared to run areas to find the ones that are feeding. They’re biting so Go Catch ‘Em.

Lanier Stripers (This report courtesy of Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service 404 510 1778): Lake Lanier stripers are being caught from the dam to Gainesville. They have started the process looking for more oxygen and if you follow the bait you should find them. The down lines have been producing using blue backs over the river channels and they have been more active in the morning. The top water bite has been hit or miss but always have a rod ready they won’t stay up long. Trolling is still a possibility, umbrella rigs and lead core are both producing. Water temperature should start to drop with the rain coming in. Remember to wear your life jackets. BuckTales 404-510-1778

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 Mixed Bag (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com): WEISS LAKE IS DOWN 2.6 FEET, 70’S. Bass fishing is fair with some good fish being caught up under docks. To catch numbers of fish but much smaller in size, use a 1/4 ounce Rat L Trap in chrome black or chrome blue and work the bait between docks with a slow retrieve. Use a Strike King jig 1/4 ounce and add a black blue with a Zoom Salty Chunk in the pumpkinseed or watermelon colors in the clear water. Use a 1/4 ounce jig in the green pumpkin with the same salty chunk in the stained water. The Norman SFR NXS Envy colored crank baits are working. Pitch or flip this bait as far as possible up under docks and watch the line while fishing this bait slowly. Work the bait slowly stop for a second or two then lift the rod again and work the bait all the way back to the boat.

WEST POINT LAKE

West Point Bass Report (This report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, www.southernfishing.com):  WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 10 FEET, 70’S. Bass fishing is good. Be careful on the lake with the low water levels. The lower part of the lake is clear and the bass are moving and scattered. The largemouth and spots and hybrids and whites are mixed together and moving and feeding. During the early morning and late afternoon the bass are moving into the coves and can be caught with shad imitation lures like Rat L Traps and rooster tails. During the day the bass are moving out deeper and can be caught using crank baits and Carolina rigged worms. Hybrids and white are on the shallow points and humps right off of the main lake. There is some top water action early and late up in the coves of the main lake.

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

To learn about Georgia’s diverse trout fishing opportunities including the latest stocking information, check out the Georgia DNR Trout Fishing page.

Stocked Trout: Check the latest weekly stocking report to see if your favorite creek was stocked. Good luck and Go Trout Fish Georgia!

Trout and More (This report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters):  Headwaters remain real low and clear, with spooky wild trout, due to a lack of rain. Folks with stealth, light leaders, and smaller flies are still doing well. A few stray stocker browns are still holding on in bigger streams, but pickings are slim.

What’s new? Well, we’ll tell you. We finally had some rain and the fish loved it!   Headwaters were briefly recharged, but are dropping and clearing quickly. Some stocker streams got a fresh dose of trout over the past week. River bassin’ remains great, while pond bass and bream are once again cruising the cooler shallows. Distant anglers shared some “kingly” pics and vids. And Wes came thru, as always, with his hot fly list and an awesome Chatt Bass video.

Catch it all in our blog. It’s fresh every Friday and will help you boost your own catch rates. Find it at blog.angler.management. Stop in either UO shop if we can help you out.

Wes’ Hot Fly List: 

• Dries:  purple haze, tan elk hair caddis, parachute ant, yellow stimmy, foam ant, micro chubby Chernobyl, royal humpy, Drymerger.
• Stockers: red squirmy worm, peach egg, micro girdle bug, black woolly bugger, tan and olive mops, pink tag jig.
• Mountain streams: hares ear, drowned ant, pheasant tail nymph and soft hackle, UV green weenie, prince nymph.
• Streamers: small black and olive buggers, bank robber sculpin, micro dungeon.
• (Bass) Boogle bug, wiggle minnow, sparkle minnow, crawfish jambalaya,
• (Panfish) Gill Scorpion, amnesia bug, girdle bug, chartreuse mop.

Headwaters: They are returning to low and clear levels after yesterday’s rains.  Headwaters were already clear (and 64F at noon), while lower elevation streams (Smith, Spoilcane) were slightly stained and slightly warmer (65-66).  They will all clear by tomorrow. Mornings may fish better than afternoons for a few more days because we are still having warm, muggy nights in the 60’s. We need the return of 50-degree nights to really turn on headwater trout throughout the day.  (See my “afar” trip, below)

Stockers: UO guide Syd donned her rain gear yesterday and hit a local stocker stream, which was high and stained. She had decent luck with some stocked fish and little wild rainbows on a double nymph rig (mini leech, Montana prince, regular prince).

Private Waters: We are on the verge of reopening our private waters on the Hooch and Soque. Call the Helen shop now (706-878-3083) to reserve your slots before all of our prime fall dates are filled. We’ve taken a lot of reservations already.

Tailwaters: UO friend Myles: “This past Friday I ran a Euro Nymphing trip on the hooch tailwater. It was my client’s first time fly fishing. The water was that nice stained, pea-soup color, but that didn’t stop the fish from eating! Shortly after we got started, my client was successfully figuring out how to euro nymph. Throwing a variety of eggs and nymphs, we got a nice mix of wild browns and some stocker rainbows. He ended up catching about 20 fish, and to say the least he is hooked into the fly fishing world now!”

Warm Rivers: They remain a best bet. Get some muscular river bass on top before cooler fall weather puts them down.  Cooler river temps have them more active. Right now we just have to check the level of stain after these rains. Good news: the Hooch at Highway 115 was stained and 73F at 2PM today, but still very fishable. The river at Duncan Bridge was a bit muddier, but still had two feet of visibility.  The summer tube and yak crowd has diminished, so float the rivers soon.

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.

Parting Trout Note: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia?  Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license plate this year. See more info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/licenseplates.  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.

(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 FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is fair. The lake level is good but the water is still a little warm. The early morning bite is good, but it dies off around 10:00 a.m. If the wind is blowing, move to the points and the mouths of the creeks and coves and use top water and crank baits. Fronts are moving through at the rate of a couple a week and fishing two days before a low pressure front will definitely be the best time to go. Blue bird skies are in the forecast for this weekend and without any wind, this will drive the bass to cover and quick. If this happens, break out those jigs, Texas rigged worms and pick the rocks and wood apart. Fish these baits any shallower than about five feet deep on those sunny days. Any steady wind blowing use the Rapala DT6’s, Jointed Shad Raps and Wiggle Warts. Watch for signs of bait fish during these windy days and fish in these locations. This week head up in the Savannah River from Richard B. Russell Park and North. River fish will be a little smaller but seem to always bite during the tougher conditions.

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.

Aquatic Plants (courtesy of WRD Fisheries): In cooperation with the US Army Corps and SCDNR, Walton Fisheries staff recently conducted an aquatic plants survey on Richard B Russell to document the presence and extent of various aquatic plants, including many species planted by Walton Fisheries and produced in the Walton Greenhouse. While analysis of the data collected is pending, staff were very satisfied with their observations, which means more quality habitat is available for use by sportfish in this reservoir.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. Most of the lake is clear with a little stain up the rivers. Bass fishing is fair. First thing in the day a small Pop R will bring up a few fish. Once the sun get up the fish are very tight to cover. Flipping under dock with a worm or a pig and jig will bring bites but fish a lot of docks to get a limit of fish. A few fish are being caught on Carolina rigged Zoom finesse or u tail worms in the green pumpkin or watermelon color. The Norman SFR NXS Envy colored crank baits are working. Fish these baits on 12 pound test Sufix Advanced line with a 2 to 3 foot leader using 10 pound test line. Fish the long main lake points and under water islands where there is a channel swing or creek entering the area. Find these secret spots with the C-Map technology.

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 3.4 FEET, 80’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. There are some good bass to coming out of the Savannah River as well as the Little River and all the areas in between. Several baits like the Strike 3/8 ounce white double leaf Georgia Blade spinner bait and a good top water bait like a Thunder Dog or Skitter Walk. Color will really depend on the weather conditions for that day. Have the Rapala Rattlin’ Raps in both the 3/8 and 1/2 ounce size ready all day. The Norman SFR NXS Envy colored crank baits are working. If the water is stained, use a Red Fire Crawdad color or the Chartreuse shiner color. In clear water shad and blue shad are good choices. Don’t be afraid to use a Silver Gold or Fire Tiger color during low light conditions.

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.

 

Tournament Update (courtesy of ABA News): Brody Manley from Pendleton, SC, won the American Fishing Tour Division 25 – South Carolina Northwest season opener. The event took place on September 28 at Dorn Fishing Facility on Clarks Hill Lake. Manley topped the competition with a total catch of 13.86 pounds, including several quality bass. Don Kneece from Saluda, SC, came in a close second with 13.49 pounds, featuring a notable 5.15-pound fish.

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 .6 FEET, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The baits and locations are constantly changing. A pattern that yields a great catch today may not produce tomorrow. Top water lures and buzz baits seem to be working at least some every morning, though. And some larger bass are hitting these surface baits. But the bait size and presentation can be critical for success. A good approach is to use both a small and large buzz bait. And perhaps a standard small Pop R and a large Chug Bug. It’s also a good idea to find a working come back or back up bait for missed strikes. This can be anything from a Fluke to a jig to a spinner bait. A Mann’s Baby One Minus reeled fast can get a big bite with any current. Trying to pattern exact locations has not been easy, because bites have come from main river banks to near the back of coves. However, most have come from seawalls instead of visible cover. But that can change quickly. Docks and boat houses are still holding fish that are hitting jigs, soft plastics, and some on crank baits. Primary points and flats along the creek runs and secondary points in coves are beginning to hold fish that are slowly headed farther in. Crank baits or Carolina rigs will usually catch a few of these structure holding groups of fish. Depths of these fish are varying from about 6 to 12 feet deep up the lake to 10 20 feet deep down the lake. Rip rap continues to hold a few fish, also. Crank baits, lightweight Texas rigs, and jig head and worm rigs are the primary choices to try.

Catfish: Thomas Smith caught a nice 21-pound flathead catfish using cut bait (bream) off his dock in Flag Cove.

Crappie: Martinus Jackson caught his limit of crappie this week casting jigs. Crappie are pulling up shallow and should be congregating over brush in 15′ – 10′ of water as the water temperatures continue to move into the mid 70s.

LAKE JACKSON IS FULL, 70’S

Bass (courtesy of Ken Sturdivant’s Southern Fishing Report): Bass fishing is good. The fish are starting to move and this is a sure sign that fall is in full swing. Everything from top water baits to plastic worms on the bottom is catching both largemouth and spots this week. Start off the morning up in the rivers or large creeks and try to find moving water. Use the Pop R’s and Skitter Pops in the shallows along the smaller feeder creek areas. The larger coves are producing the better bass and they are still hanging around the docks and wood found in these areas. Also carry an assortment of Rapala Shad Raps and in off colored waters use fire tiger or silver gold color. Cast these baits alongside the docks and lay downs, especially those near deep water. Work the end of the lay downs with the top water first and follow it up with the Rapala RS Shad Rap. Some of the bass are taking the top water but most of the bites are coming on the follow up Shad Rap. Vary the retrieve and find out which one works best. Use a Texas rig Zoom green pumpkin finesse worm on every stop. After fishing the docks with the top water and crank pitch or flip this worm under and on both sides of every dock.

RIVER REPORT

Upper Flint River (courtesy of WRD Fisheries) –WRD Fisheries staff from the Perry office have been sampling the Upper Flint River over the past several weeks to monitor bass, bream, crappie, and other riverine sportfish. Some photos of specimens they’ve documented might whet your appetite for fall river fishing on the Flint. For fishing information on the Upper Flint, check out the WRD Fisheries Forecast at GeorgiaWildlife.com/fishing-forecasts.

SMALL POND REPORT

Topwater Bass (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): Fall may be here and attracting outdoors enthusiasts to the woods for hunting season, but don’t forget to keep casting those lines for big fall bass! Harriet Dunbar and Jeremiah Bates can vouch for that! Both caught some impressive lunkers recently from local ponds. Keep in mind that topwater lures such as frogs, buzzbaits, whopper ploppers, and walking baits are great choices this time of year – and stay ready for the blowup!

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Area Manager Chalisa Fabillar) —

Thanks to everyone that came out to last week’s OAD event – we had a great turnout! Check out some photos of successful McDuffie anglers that enjoyed catching catfish from our event ponds!

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

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.

Bream: Red Wigglers continue to produce Bream.

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

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: Use weedless style hooks if fishing in ponds with heavy vegetation.

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

Winds were awful this week in the brine, but the freshwater bite was very good. And, the forecast for saltwater at the time of writing this is bumpy for the weekend, as well. Try some river bass fishing before the water levels rise again. Be careful getting around if the area you choose is low.

River gages on October 2^nd were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River – 5.6 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee – 1.7 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha – 3.8 feet and steady
• Waycross on the Satilla – 4.8 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla – 4.0 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha – 2.8 feet and rising
• Macclenny on the St Marys – 2.3 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee – 2.9 feet and falling

Full Moon is October 6th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVERS

Joshua Barber caught 23 bass (second trip in a row with 23 bass) up to 3 pounds in the lower river on Saturday. Texas-rigged plastics were the ticket for them. Two other anglers fishing that same day caught 19 bass. I fished the lower Ocmulgee on Thursday afternoon. I thought I was going to slam them, as I caught a bass on a black/gold Wobble Blade and 3 on Texas-rigged worms in the first 15 minutes. But, the clouds moved in and the bite slowed. I had to work for 4 more bites in 2 1/2 hours. I landed 2 and lost 2 of them. The biggest was my last bass – a 3 1/2-pounder. Texas-rigged worms in the main river produced all but the first one. Black, black-blue flake (Keitech Mad Wag Worms), and green pumpkin worms produced the fish. The rivers are at a good level for a change. Be careful getting around (it’s getting low), but the fishing has been good.

SATILLA RIVER

Luke Steedley fished the upper river with Satilla Spins (the crawfish color was best) this weekend and did well for panfish. He caught a couple dozen redbreasts and bluegills. Some of the bluegills were really fat, he said.

ST MARYS RIVER

Mike Greenman fished the middle river with his fly rod on Sunday morning and caught a couple bream. He was flinging a yellow and white number 6 popper.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Curtis Hazel fished the east side with a couple of friends on Friday and trolled up about 20 bowfin with fire tiger Dura-Spins. Eight members of The Atlanta Fly Fishing Club (atlantaflyfishingclub.org) came down for a trip to the Okefenokee this weekend and had a blast. The weather forecast heading into the weekend was abysmal, but it ended up being perfect, other than a 2-hour period where some hard rain moved through. Folks caught bowfin, pickerel, fliers, warmouth, and even a Florida gar. The most talked about patterns were Capt. Bert’s Bladed Flies (electric chicken and fire tiger) and Clouser Minnows (whites and bright colors). James and Thad fished with me on Friday, and James started us off with a bang. Within just a few casts, he hooked up and landed a bowfin on a fire tiger Bladed Fly at the first stop. The biggest surprise was an 8-inch warmouth that inhaled a 3-inch Game Changer (white). We hung out at Okefenokee Adventures and ate some great food from their café during a downpour then fished the rest of the absolutely beautiful afternoon. They caught 11 fish total, with bowfin up to 3-lb., 5-oz. Their spinning rod fish came on lemon-lime Dura-Spins. On Saturday, Mike Greenman and Andrew Cox headed deep into the swamp with me on the east side. Mike started the fun by catching a 14-inch pickerel on an electric chicken Bladed Fly. The fastest bite we had was catching 4 giant fliers between 8 and 9 inches (that’s giant for fliers! lol). Mike scaled down to a 2-weight fly rod and fooled 3 of them with a yellow Okefenokee Swamp Sally. His were barely under the 9-inch minimum, and Andrew fooled one right at 9 inches that earned him an Angler Award from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division. He will receive a hat, t-shirt, and certificate for the catch. The other notable catch was Mike’s Florida gar that swatted at his fire tiger Bladed Fly and got the business end of the fly. On Sunday afternoon, Andrew Cox and his daughter-in-law (Carol Cox) fished with me. We tried fly gear until Carol hooked a few nice bowfin on Dura-Spins. The 5-pounder that jumped and spit the hook near the boat was the fish that caused them to both switch to spinning gear. They fooled 31 bowfin up to 4-lb., 1-oz. during the afternoon, and the best color Dura-Spins were crawfish-brass blade (tops for that day) and lemon-lime. The other club members fishing that day landed bowfin on fire tiger Bladed Flies and Clouser Minnows. Unfortunately, the federal government shutdown could cause closures at the refuge. At the time of writing, fishing access was still allowed. For the latest information, call Okefenokee Adventures or SC Foster State Park if you are planning a trip. The most recent water level on the Folkston side was 120.70 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

A Blackshear angler fished a pond for a few hours Monday afternoon and caught 6 slab crappie that were the guests of honor at supper. He fooled them with minnows. Chad Lee and Daniel Johnson fished an Alma-area pond this weekend and caught 10 bass up to 2 pounds. They fooled them by pitching Christie Craws, stickworms, and hollow-body frogs. They doubled-up once with the frogs while working them through duckweed, and Chad broke off a solid bass.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR DUBLIN)

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman)

OCMULGEE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (NEAR HAWKINSVILLE)

Area staff said that the crappie have started biting some. One angler reported catching a nice one over a pound on Tuesday.

SALTWATER (GEORGIA COAST)

Capt. Duane Harris fished the Brunswick area with dead shrimp twice in the last week and caught redfish, black drum, and sheepshead. The first trip he fooled 4 black drum and 6 redfish. The second trip he and Tom and Kelly Pollihan and Tarin Hatcher caught 16 fish (redfish, sheepshead and black drum). Scott Smith and a friend fished the Brunswick area on Friday before the winds got silly and did well. They had 10 redfish and 8 keeper trout for the day. They caught their fish on live shrimp. The wind forecast for the rest of the week and the entire weekend is nasty! Double-check the forecast before going to the big water. 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 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).

(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

According to Ken Sturdivant with southernfishing.com, bass fishing on Lake Seminole is fair. Look for the cooler temperatures to start pushing fish into the shallows. On the other side though, falling water may give them a little less cover to hide. Up both rivers, flip jigs and worms to submerged wood cover in 6 to 10 feet of water. The further north the better things seem to get. Wood is the key as there was a bit of current flowing and the fish were holding behind the cover. Look for the shallow river ledges to hold some fish and a Rapala DT10 Hot Mustard crank bait is the ticket with a stop and go retrieve. The fish will take a jig, but a chartreuse crank bait could get a lot of fish fast.

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

According to Ken Sturdivant at southernfishing.com, the bass fishing is good. Start and end the day with a buzz bait with gold blades and bream colors skirts. In the early mornings shallow grass early in areas with deep water access can produce quality fish. When the current is present, ledges that top out from 8 to 12 feet have worked the best. The best offshore bite is not on the deeper ledges but instead the ledges in 8 10 feet seem to be the best. The best fishing times are from about 5:00 pm until dark when the current is rolling. When there is no current fishing can be tough. Crank baits specifically Rapala DT10 and DT14 are working mid-day. When there is no current use a Carolina rig and Texas rig on river ledges in about 12 to 25 feet. Green pumpkin and watermelon seed plastics are tough to beat. If the ledge has standing timber really work the timber. The bass will suspend in the trees. Use the electronics to find the fish to fish structure. Find the shad and the fish are close by.

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

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

For those wondering when Crappie bites are going to be slowing down, it doesn’t appear to be anytime soon! Lots of folks out on the water this week catching their limit. Schools can be found around ~15ft, with folks catching some good ones using Crappie Carnivore baits. Bass are around but you really have to search for them. But if you are in the mood for catfish, some large ones are biting!

FLINT AND CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVERS

Fishing on the Flint has been good 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 the 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 catches of bream have been reported off of shoreline structure.

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

The water level is down a good bit right now due to lack of rainfall. However, we’re getting some reports of decent bass fishing. They seem to be in shallower water right now compared to recent weeks. The channel catfish bite is also really well right now. In general, the hot summer weather has finally started being replaced by cooler temperatures.  Fishing has improved slightly but anglers need to be patient and versatile for fishing Big Lazer in the fall.  However, many anglers are hunting this time of year, which means less fishing pressure for the dedicated angler.

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