Georgia Fishing Report: November 8, 2024

Get your Bass Slam in Georgia! The Georgia Bass Slam recognizes anglers with the knowledge and skill to catch five (5) different species of black bass in a variety of habitats across the state, and stimulates interest in the conservation and management of black bass and their habitats.

Most successful bass slammers would say they visited waterways new to them to land at least five different species. And many of those anglers would say that once they landed five…they really wanted to go for all 10 species of black bass available in Georgia.

So far, over 50 people have gotten a Bass Slam this year, with several others almost done with theirs - making this the most successful Slam year since the program started in 2017. Find out more about the program at BassSlam.com.

NEWS TO KNOW

• Sturgeon Stocked: Staff wrapped up another successful Lake Sturgeon production season at Summerville Hatchery. The facility produced and stocked over 4,500 sturgeon fingerlings as part of the long-running Upper Coosa River Basin Lake Sturgeon Reintroduction Program. Since the program's first stocking in 2002, WRD and our Federal partners have now stocked over 400,000 Lake Sturgeon into the Coosa River Basin. Over these 20+ years, youngsters from local schools have assisted with these stockings. Some of those early helpers are now adults who fondly remember that childhood experience.
• Delayed Harvest Streams Open: From November 1 to May 14, there are five delayed harvest streams that operate under catch-and-release rules and are stocked monthly by Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, alongside partners like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and South Carolina DNR. This approach of regular stocking and catch-and-release ensures great trout catch rates for you. Anglers should note that they must also use single hook, artificial lures. Find out more about trout fishing, delayed harvest and more at GeorgiaWildlife.com/Fishing/Trout.
• Looking for the Latest Info? Keep in touch with all the Wildlife Resources Division info-to-know by email (you can choose the topics you want to know about), or through social media (like Instagram and Facebook), or our Blog, or the Georgia Wild e-newsletter.

This week, we have fishing reports from Central, Southeast, Southwest and North Georgia. Whether you are working on a Slam or just wetting a line, we love that you Go Fish Georgia!

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

The voting polls have closed, but an even better set of poles are wide open-it's time to reel in some fresh fishing updates! Over 5 million Georgians made their voices heard this week - casting their ballots, casting their eyes to screens conveying election results, and casting their hopes for the future of our great state and country. With election season behind us, it's time to cast your cares away and get back to doing what we all love: fishing.

As we head into a cool, sunny weekend, it's the perfect opportunity to grab your gear and make a few more casts, whether it's from the riverbank, pondside at one of our three central Georgia PFAs, or out on one of our major reservoirs here in central Georgia, from Lake Country to Clarks Hill. No matter how you cast your vote this election season, you can rest easy knowing you've fulfilled your civic duty.

So let's dive into this week's central Georgia fishing report, 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 FOOT, 60'S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. The bass fishing is really starting to pick up, and we can expect it to improve as the water continues to cool. Catch a lot of spots on the drop shot and shaky head around points and humps in 15 to 25 feet of water. Right now, a few largemouth are around brush and timber on the points using a Carolina rigged Zoom lizard or worm and use pumpkinseed. The bass seem to be feeding heavy on the smaller shad. If the bites are off down-size the baits and switch up colors until they bite. There are still a lot of fish on the main lake points, but the creeks should really turn on the next few weeks, so move around until the bait fish show up on the sonar. As we progress into fall, the shad should really begin to bunch up and the fishing should only improve. As the shad move back into the creeks use a Rapallo Shad Rap crank bait around rocks and wood looking for some of the bigger fish.

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

Crappie GON-tel: Mum's the word on his technique, but GON's Arrow 3 found the slabs on Russell.

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

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

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

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 2.2 FEET, 60'S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. They are still schooling on the mid lake areas and the fish are after herring and shad. So be flexible with the lures and have a few colors ready. There are fish shallow so the top water baits such as short prop baits and buzz baits in shad colors are good choices. The fish moving to the humps and long deep points can be caught on Carolina rigs or jigs with a mix of deep diving crankbaits if there is good structure to deflect the crankbaits off. Use the Strike King 6XD or 8XD in the herring color. Try shallow water baits such as Zoom Super Flukes, Strike King KVD 1.0 and 1.5 lures. The top water baits like the Zara Spooks and Pop Jr. are keys to this type of fishing. Look for schools of shad in the shallow water. As the weather continues to cool down and the lake level continues to drop, expect more bass, especially spots, to stack up on structures such as humps, ledges, roadbeds and brush piles in 10 to 15 feet of water. Watch for activity levels daily as this can be a key to bass activity. Constantly scan the shallows for activity along the surface. Sometime a schools of baitfish scurrying along the surface in an attempt to out maneuver a predator below.

Bass Stockings (courtesy of Walton Hatchery manager Tony Beck): Walton Hatchery sent an additional 9,200 intermediate largemouth bass averaging 5.2 inches to Clarks Hill Lake. Hatchery staff assisted Thomson district technician Greg Abercrombie in boat stocking these fish into favorable habitat that has been recently enhanced by native aquatic vegetation plantings. By receiving a leg up on early stage growth trajectories in the hatchery thanks to our intensive feed training approach, more quality largemouth bass will be available for anglers to catch on Clarks Hill in the coming years.

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

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

Crappie Success! GON's Arrow3 also found success loading his 5-gallon bucket with crappie on Clarks Hill this week.

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

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. The lake is full. Start in the middle of the coves and main lake creeks. Fish boat docks wood structure and sea walls. Work to the back of the coves and creeks. Sugar Creek has been productive over the past week. Use Rapala Shad Raps and small crank bait with rattles fished on sea walls and around docks. 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. With the warm temperatures look for the fish to start to move into the back of the creeks and major coves off the main lake.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.7 FEET, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is good. Try the railroad trestle and fish in the backs of a few pockets. Use the on a black popping frog in the grass. Another top water to try is a black buzz bait. Also run the Luck Craft redemption chartreuse and white spinnerbait for catching a bass. Use the crankbaits such as a Little Earl and Rapala Shad Rap or a Bandit. A trick worm on a shaky head go big on the plastics. An Old' Monster worm and a Magnum Lizard in June bug red black emerald and candy bug are producing good fish. One other plastic working is a white Super Fluke. Depending on the time of day find them try a plastic frog buzz bait prop bait and a shaky head worm with a chartreuse tail in that area. The standard plan for the day is top water early in the grass and along seawalls keep an eye out for any bait schools and then use crankbaits in 4 to 12 feet of water especially when Georgia Power is pulling water. Finally fish plastics and jigs around the dock's blowdowns and grass.

Other Species (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Hunter Roop): Fort Valley Fisheries staff conducted gillnet surveys on Lake Sinclair this week. These surveys are geared to capture pelagic and benthic species such as shad, striped bass and hybrids, crappie, and catfish (primarily channel, blue, and flathead catfish) for population assessments. Blue catfish were abundant at nearly all stations we surveyed, with a healthy dose of blues in the 8 -16 lb range. We captured a handful of blues and flatheads in the mid-20 lb range as well. This time of year, larger catfish will be preying on bream, threadfin shad, and larger gizzard shad. You can use a variety of techniques to fish for them, but the recommended rod and reel setup is a heavy action rod with a spinning reel equipped with 10 - 20 lb test. You can catch your bream on lighter line, or land some shad with a cast net, and hook them onto a 4/0 circle hook with a sliding 1 oz sinker to get your bait to the bottom. Catfish will be preying along points anywhere from 6′ - 20′ depths this time of year. Hybrids and stripers in the 2 - 4 lb range are plentiful, and the cooler weather this week has them pulled up shallow and feeding on threadfin shad. We saw several examples of some larger threadfin in the bait population during our surveys, and fish tend to prioritize quality over quantity, so a helpful tactic for landing linesides on the top end of the population will be to upsize your lures. Casting large swimbaits or a larger jerkbait such as the Megabass Vision Oneten can be effective in matching the hatch on Sinclair this fall. Look for crappie suspended over brush in 12′ - 8′ of water, and use live minnows or jigs suspended directly over your target to bring in coolers full of papermouths this time of year.

LAKE JACKSON IS DOWN 5.0 FEET, 70'S

Bass: Bass fishing is fair. Down lake use the OG8 by Rapala, #5 Shad Raps and medium Fat Free Shad crank baits. The bass will bite a dark worm almost all day. Work the worm and jig around the trees and docks. Some bigger spots are biting crank baits and the Rapala DT10 in bream and shad colors will work. Work the Zoom u tail worms and jigs around the trees and docks. Watch for activity levels daily as this can be a key to bass activity. Constantly scan the shallows for activity along the surface. Find some baitfish scurrying along the surface in an attempt to outmaneuver a predator below. Look down lake in the creeks and use a Texas rigged Zoom green pumpkin worm. Work the backs of these docks as well as the bank cover and the sea walls on down lake. Conditions are fair up the river and a few small bass are taking a small Senko in green pumpkin on a drop shot rig.

Local Pond Catfish Stockings (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Hunter Roop): Channel catfish made their way out of production ponds and into many local waterbodies this week thanks to excellent production by Walton and McDuffie hatchery staff. Tens of thousands of intermediate channel catfish were stocked into local ponds for Community Fishing Event (CFE) programs that will take place starting next spring. To find a community fishing event sponsor that will provide fishing opportunities for you and your family, please check out our Events page at gooutdoorsgeorgia.com. More events will be available as they are scheduled for 2025. Channel catfish were also stocked into at Marben PFA (Bennett and Greenhouse lakes), Flat Creek PFA, Clarks Hill WMA lakes, Beaverdam Creek, Waynesboro Lake, and Lake Olmstead, Mayor's Pond and Diamond Lakes in Augusta.

RIVER REPORT

Savannah River (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Aaron Gray): Region 3 Fisheries staff recently completed fall electrofishing sampling on the Savannah River near Augusta. Redear sunfish and bluegill were plentiful at all sites, with several quality individuals of each species observed. Anglers looking for a great fight on lighter line would do well to pursue these panfish in the river this fall! Several areas on the river have recently fallen trees that may restrict navigation on the river. However, these same trees are already providing great habitat that fish are taking advantage of. Cast live bait or small artificials around these trees - especially in areas out of the main current - and you just might find some takers!

Largemouth bass, Bartram's bass, and smallmouth bass were also collected during electrofishing - again around woody and rocky habitats. Anglers fishing near the Augusta Shoals have a great chance at working towards their Georgia Bass Slam. Find out more at BassSlam.com. Topwater lures, jigs, spinnerbaits, and plastic worms & creature baits can all be used for these bass right now.

Ocmulgee River (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Brandon Baker): There were good numbers of black bass at Popes Ferry on the Ocmulgee River; mostly spotted bass and shoal bass. There were a few largemouth bass near the bank. Pictured is a quality shoal bass that we collected for genetic testing to determine if it is a pure shoal bass or a product of hybridization with non-native spotted/Alabama bass. We conducted this survey ahead of this week's 1.5 inches of rain, and so the river is now muddy and falling from its recent crest of just over 1,000 cfs flows. Anglers that want to fish this high, falling water will likely experience lower catch rates, but can still find success by fishing large, visible presentations like a ½ oz pitching jig in black or black and blue, a squarebill crankbait in chartreuse/black, or a spinnerbait with a red/orange Colorado blade and chartreuse trailer may work better than natural presentations in these conditions.

PUBLIC FISHING AREA REPORT

McDUFFIE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of McDuffie Hatchery Manager Chalisa Fabillar) -

• McDuffie PFA Information
• McDuffie PFA Fishing Guide

Striped Bass: Anglers are being challenged by the stripers in Clubhouse and Bridge when trying to catch catfish right now. However, for most anglers, striper bycatch is a pleasant surprise for the angler and their creel. When the waters cool, stripers get much more active, and right now small stripers and hybrids are taking chicken livers and worms before they touch bottom for catfishing. For folks trying for a bigger striper, casting the outflow of the siphons in Clubhouse and Bridge consistently yields results.

Bream: Bream fishing has been good using red wigglers and other worms. Several stringers of nice fish are coming out of the far side of Willow and stumps in Bream Buster. In other ponds, the bream are biting but are smaller. One of the best areas for bream fishing, below the office on Clubhouse is still being cleaned up after Helene.

Bass: Bass fishing has also been slow, but several 1-3 lbs fish are being caught from the dams in shallow waters on a variety of lures. McDuffie Darryl caught a handful of bass this past Monday on a jig, with his best being 2 lb 7 oz. Nothing to write home about for Darryl, but a fun transition to bottom bouncing a jig from his typical topwater approach, and the numbers have been decent. McDuffie angler Taka also found success this week with a chartreuse topsin lure.

Catfish: They're biting. The typical cutbait, livers, hearts or crawlers will work. Anglers should try fishing Willow, Rodbender, and Beaver Lodge Lakes for catfishing in ponds without stripers and hybrids.

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

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of Fisheries Technicians Amory Cook and Deven Thompson)

• Flat Creek PFA Information
• Water Level: 67" below full pool
• Water Clarity: 23"
• Water Temperature 67.4 F
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

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

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

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

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

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

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (courtesy of WRD Fisheries Technician Jacob Landry)-

• Marben PFA Information
• Water Level: All the ponds are full or nearly full with the exception of Otter, Lower Raleigh, Little Raleigh, and Upper Raleigh. Margery is under renovation and closed till further notice.
• Water Clarity: Clarity varies but most water bodies have up to 24-46" visibility.
• Surface Temp: mid-60s.
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

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

Crappie: The crappie have started to moved toward shallow water and bunching up around habitat. Use jigs tipped with minnows or a "search-style" bait such as a curly tail jig.

Bream: Bluegill and some shellcracker are being caught on or near the bottom. Red wigglers and wax worms are a good choice for bait.

Other: Shad have recently been moving into shallower water. Shad style lures would likely be good for both largemouth and hybrids. Additionally, anglers have had success with red worms and other live baits. Use weedless style lures in ponds with heavy vegetation.

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

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

With the improving tides, the saltwater bite was very good this week. Okefenokee Swamp produced some great catches for my guide trips this week. The rivers were on fire, but the mid-week significant rains will have all the rivers rising once the water makes its way downstream.

River gages on November 7th were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 7.4 feet and rising
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 2.0 feet and rising
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 5.7 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla - 10.3 feet and rising
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 5.4 feet and falling
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 6.6 feet and rising
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 3.0 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 4.0 feet and falling

First quarter moon is November 9th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website. For the latest marine forecast, check out weather.gov/jax/.

ALTAMAHA RIVER

Shane and Joshua Barber fished the middle Altamaha this week and did well for bass. They fooled 18 (14 keepers) bass up to about 3 pounds on plastics and one on a Satilla Spin Magnum spinnerbait. Joshua was rigging his worms on a Capt. Bert's Swimbait Hook (1/8oz) built on a 4/0 Mustad EWG hook. They also caught a nice redbreast and Joshua lost a giant bowfin at the boat. Seth Carter of Satilla Feed and Outdoors in Blackshear reported that lots of anglers smashed the bass this week on the Altamaha - pretty much everywhere on the river. A couple of his customers went Wednesday and each caught 30 bass (they fished in different boats). The biggest reported this week was an 8.7-pound TOAD. Plastics, spinnerbaits, and buzzbaits fooled them this week. But…expect the river to jump a bunch with the upriver rains working their way downstream over the next few days.

SUWANNEE RIVER

I fished with Bill Stewart on the upper river this week, and we got on some really nice pickerel and bowfin. The river will be coming up after the mid-week deluge, but it was perfect for getting around late last week. We fooled a total of 37 fish during a few hours in the afternoon. A giant bluegill inhaled a crawfish Dura-Spin to start the trip. We fooled about 4 pickerel up to 18 inches with the spinners. The rest were bowfin up to 8-lb., 1-oz. Four of the bowfin were over 5 pounds (on digital scales). The best color early in the trip was fire tiger-chartreuse blade, but late in the trip crawfish-brass blade and jackfish fooled the most fish.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Almost nobody else is fishing the swamp (we did not see another boat fishing either day), but I had 2 great days of fishing while guiding Bill Meyer from Illinois. As a middle school science teacher, Bill has wanted to visit (and fish!) the Okefenokee Swamp all of his life and finally got a chance to do it this week. We fished the east side (Folkston entrance) on Wednesday and caught 33 fish. We had several gar, a nice warmouth, and the rest were bowfin. The gar were up to 28 inches, and the biggest bowfin were in the 5 to 6-pound range. The best bite was trolling Dura-Spins, but we also caught some casting the spinners. The best colors were lemon-lime with a chartreuse blade and black-brass blade, but we caught a couple each on crawfish-orange blade and blood red-silver blade. We lost a double-digit bowfin that pulled off at the boat. That giant ate a piece of cut bait on a weedless hook. On Thursday we fished the west side (SC Foster State Park) and put it on the Billy's Lake fish. In the cloudy conditions, we caught most of our 51 fish by casting to the edge of the lily pads. The most productive lures were black/chartreuse-chartreuse blade and black-brass blade Dura-Spins, but Bill caught a few casting a white Ultravibe Speed Worm rigged on a Capt. Bert's 1/16-oz. swimbait hook. We had several chain pickerel (jackfish) up to 24 inches, and our biggest bowfin was a 5-lb., 15-oz. brute. It was a great bite, and we caught them the entire time before getting run off the lake by a deluge. The boat had 6 inches of water at the stern before we could get it on the trailer. The most recent water level (Folkston side) was 121.12 feet (that was before the mid-week rains).

DODGE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman) and HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Dublin)

• Dodge PFA info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/dodge-county-pfa
• Hugh Gillis PFA info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/hugh-m-gillis-pfa

The bass bite was good this week with Ken Burke catching fish at both areas this week. He typically throws crankbaits and shaky-head worms, but I did not get details.

PARADISE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Tifton)

• Paradise PFA Info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/paradise-pfa

Area staff reported that the crappie bite was good again this week. Expect the bass to start schooling on shad when the temperature drops a little more in Lake Patrick.

LOCAL PONDS

Jimmy Zinker had a great week in ponds. He caught more than 50 bass this week, and they were chewing spinnerbaits. Shad Rap crankbaits also produced a few bass for him. He didn't have any of the giants he likes chasing, but he had some solid fish up to 5 pounds.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Fishing in the brine was good again this week. The trout are thick, but you still have to find them. They're not schooled up tight yet - it's still a little too warm. But you should catch at least a few trout pretty much every stop. I fished with a couple friends in Brunswick on Monday, and we worked for our bites. We started off catching a 28-inch redfish on a blue/chartreuse 4-inch Keitech under an Equalizer Float but then took us a stop or two to find trout. Our first trout was a nice 21-incher that ate a pink DOA shrimp then pulled off at the boat. We worked for them several hours in the howling (small craft advisory) wind, catching a dozen fish. Paddle-tail plastics on 1/8-oz. Zombie Eye Jigheads fooled most of our fish. My best Keitech colors were chartreuse back pearl and electric shad, and the best size was the 3-inch. Fishing over shell mounds worked best for us. Capt. Tim Cutting (fishthegeorgiacoast.com) had a great week fishing inshore and bull red-fishing in the sounds. Often, he combined the two during a trip. He said that the bulls were thick again, and he caught several each time he went for them. He caught lots of throwback trout each day, but his folks brought home around a dozen (15 was the best day of keepers). They fooled a few nice sheepshead and black drum and quite a few slot reds this week, as well. His best bite was Wednesday, and he caught fish all week on live shrimp under Harper Super Striker Floats, as well as Fourseven Lures plastic paddle-tails. I had a report of some good trout catches (at night) and even a few crabs being caught from the St Simons Pier over the weekend. 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 Contributer Capt. Bert Deener guides fishing trips in southeast Georgia and makes a variety of both fresh and saltwater fishing lures. Check his lures out at Bert's Jigs and Things on Facebook. For a copy of his latest catalog, call or text him at 912-288-3022 or e-mail him ([email protected]).

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

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

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

Water temperatures are still in the 70s and the bass fishing is good. Search the flats and shallow cover for fish chasing shad which are scattered throughout the lake. Texas rigged worms in watermelon or junebug seem to be doing the trick. This is a good time of year to watch the surface on calmer days for activities such as shad dimpling the surface, bass feeding, and even water bird activity. If you see this kind of activity, don't hesitate in going after them, soft plastics, spinner baits, crank baits and chatter baits can all be effective. Shaky heads and trick worms are doing the trick on the fish hanging on the ledges.

Anglers are catching good numbers of crappie with both minnows and jigs. A wide variety of size classes are being caught with good numbers of ½ to 1 pound fish being in the bag. A lot of fish seem to be holding in cover adjacent to the creek channels in about 15 feet of water. Channel catfish and bream are also still biting and good numbers of 1 - 3 pound cats are being caught on noodles or bottom fishing with worms and minnows, while the majority of bream are being caught on worms fished on the bottom.

LAKE SEMINOLE

Crappie fishing is hot right now on Lake Seminole! Anglers are having luck dropping jigs and targeting crappie in 9-15ft of water. In the Flint River, bass are being caught on top water and chatterbaits. Target big, isolated wood structures for the best results.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

Boaters be aware that Georgia Power Dam is still releasing water, and the water level will continue to decrease until they reach a suitable level for homeowners to do their yearly maintenance to docks. Please be careful out on the water. Despite the water reduction the crappie fishing is still going strong with people still able to catch them from the bank. Though the most prominent catches are occurring out on the lake, with many caught with jigs.

BIG LAZER PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Big Lazer PFA Info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/big-lazer-creek-pfa
• Surface water temperature: 63^o F
• Water visibility: Visibility is about 28"
• Water level: down 6" from full pool
• Big Lazer Fishing Guide

Largemouth bass fishing is just fair right now. Water temperatures will begin to decline in the coming weeks, but you can fish the cooler water temps near structure using a slow presentation on either your darker colored plastic baits or shad-colored lures. Bream fishing is slowing; however, you can try some worms under a float near structure. The earthen piers and down trees may be great paces to try. Live crickets and small spinners may also produce some bites. Catfish are still biting regularly in deeper waters.

SILVER LAKE PUBLIC FISHING AREA

• Silver Lake PFA Info at GeorgiaWildlife.com/silver-lake-pfa

Silver Lake PFA water temps are slipping down into the low 70s, but the bass bite is not cooling down with the water. Big bass are feeding heavily on bluegill, so anglers are having the best success with large swim baits. As always, fishing top water rigs on the pads will produce some explosive bites. Crappie are holding on standing timber in 8-12 ft of water. We have been seeing lots of action on the fishing pier at night with minnow tipped 1/16oz jigs.

Frog Pond was recently stocked with catfish and folks are easily catching limit with a worm under a cork.

House Pond still has plenty of keeper size Bluegill. Beetle spins and Satilla spins have been the most effective for fooling slab Bluegill and the occasional Hybrid Striped Bass.

Cutoff Pond is closed and under renovation.

NORTH GEORGIA

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

RESERVOIR REPORT

Allatoona Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com) - LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 5 FEET, 60'S - Bass fishing is good. Spotted Bass are on manmade brush in 20 to 25 feet of water and are eating like they should. Top water baits are doing well along with Fish Head Spins and swim baits out over the brush. There are also some fall patterns starting and these patterns will get stronger as the water cools. Use the 1/2 and 3/4 ounce Mini me spinnerbait on big rock points early in the day as well as later in the day when the wind is blowing. This is one of our best fall patterns. Use a white or shad colored Mini Me with the painted blades. The painted blades are by far best in the clear water. Soon the bite over the brush swimming a 3/8 and 1/2 ounce will kick in. Buzz baits on steep rock banks can work early in the day.

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.

Allatoona Crappie (Report courtesy of Red Rooster Custom Baits via http://www.redroosterbaits.com) -

• Air Temp: High: 82 - Low: 54
• Wind: Up to 10 Mph
• Lake Level: Approx. 835′ and Dropping (Click Here For Current Water Level)
• Water Temp: 68 - 70
• Water Clarity: Clear to light stain (Allatoona Green)
• Area Fished: Blockhouse, Clark Creek & Tanyard Creek Areas

The last week of October was warmer than expected which mean that the water temperature was close to 70 degrees! The Allatoona crappie are starting to move around and SHOULD be very active the month of November. We took a peek at the October report from this time last year (October 28th, 2023) and we saw a lot of the same conditions, water temperature, lake level, water clarity. Based on our records and past reports we are right on schedule with the fall crappie bite on Lake Allatoona. Our good friend and Lake Allatoona fishing guide Hunter Moore had some great days on the water this past week! Hunter concentrated on brush/structure and docks this past week and neither him or his clients were disappointed! Hunter was casting a Red Rooster Dagger crappie jig in the Gray Ghost and Watermelon Ghost colors on a 1/16th oz. jig head. The water temp has stayed consistently in the 68-70-degree range for a couple of weeks which means that the crappie have not left the brush or structure just yet. That will all change in the next couple of weeks as the daily and overnight temps start dropping. We need the overnight temps to start dropping into the low 50's - 40's to cool the water down to the low 60's which should get these crappie roaming and ready for the longline trolling bite that we love so much in the late fall and winter! For the first couple of weeks in November or until the water temps drop concentrate on brush, structure and docks as the crappie are still hanging tight to structure in the 12′ to 16′ range suspended 8′ - 10′ above the structure. Early morning or late evening is still the best bet as the water temps are at their coolest which makes for active crappie. If you want to enjoy some great fall crappie fishing action on Lake Allatoona, give our buddy Hunter Moore a call at 678-988-0044 or visit Mooreoutdoorz.com and schedule a trip! Hunter will put you on some fish and help you learn more about catching crappie on Lake Allatoona. Until next week, keep your eye on the lake level and water temperature as November is the transition month into the fall/winter trolling season…the crappie will be on brush one day and in open water the next! Lord willing Team Red Rooster will bring you another report next week! We now have a years' worth of fishing reports archived on the site. Be sure to check out the archives for November 2023 and see what we were doing this time last year!

Hartwell Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant via www.southernfishing.com) - NOVEMBER 1, 2024 - LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 2.3FEET, 60'S - Bass fishing is good. The fish are starting shallow first thing in the morning. Try top water baits or a fluke for the first couple of hours at the shallowest part of the points or back in the pockets. Once the sun gets up start looking for the bait. The key here is to pay attention to what depth the bait is hanging out in. Figure that out fish that depth on any points, humps, or channel swings near the bait. Key baits here are a jig or a shaky head. The other key is finding the cover in these areas especially any brush that seems to be key. The upper river arms have started the turnover process. Be patient the bite is a little tougher in these areas. Again, look to see where and at what depth the bait is in and that will be a starting point. With the water level continuing to fall be careful out there.

Hartwell Mixed Bag (Report courtesy of Kyle Rempe fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division) - Although November is already passing by, the weather on Lake Hartwell was nice enough to cooperate throughout the week with minimal rain and some unexpected warm temperatures for our standardized fall gill netting. Sampling showed a variety of large individuals in the reservoir including desirable sportfish species for anglers like the Black Crappie and Spotted Bass pictured. Those weren't the only things to make their way into our nets, as the occasional teethy Longnose Gar popped up in quite a few sets.

Lanier Bass (Report courtesy of Phil Johnson. [email protected] (770) 366-8845) - NOVEMBER 1, 2024 LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 2.8 FEET, 60'S - Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is fair. Currently the lake is a little over two feet below full pool and the water temperature is running in the low seventies. Overall, the lake clarity is showing the effects of the turnover with the lake being off color. The turnover effect is starting to clear on the northern section of the lake but is still present on the south end. Where the turnover is present the water will be a darker color, often have a funny smell and foam will be present. The shallow bite has come on during this period with the bass showing up under docks less than fifteen feet deep and on shallower rocky points. A Senko or a trick worm in the green patterns on a three sixteenths shakey head have been the most productive baits for these shallow fish. For the jig we have been throwing a quarter ounce brown or green pumpkin with some orange or chartreuse strains in them. Work all the areas around the docks but particularly the shaded areas. The drop shot has been producing bass in the twenty-five-foot range with the Lanier Baits Blue Lily or Sweet Rosie colors. There is still top water action to be found especially if there is some wind with the Ima Skimmer in Chrome for sunny days and bone for cloudy days. If the wind gets stronger a small Whopper Plopper or a Gunfish will produce some fish. October is definitely a challenging month to fish as the fish are scattered all over during the turnover and the temperature changes. As November comes in look for the fish to start feeding up heavily for the winter and the fun patterns to begin. They are still biting but you are going to have to work a little harder for them right now, but you can still Go Catch 'Em!

Lake Lanier Crappie (Report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton (770) 530-6493) - Crappie fishing is good. The current water temperatures are in the low to mid 60's. The weather has changed, and the crappie are getting more active. You can find crappie suspended shallow 5-10 foot deep over a 12'-20' bottom. crappie minnows the well on open water brush set minnows in a rod holder over brush or structure while casting jigs. Try the green color plastic jig (atx d2d) or a gray hair jig from sugar bug. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is a acc crappie stix 1-piece rod and reel with a 4-6-pound test K9 line, along with Garmin Live Scope protected by a sonar shield cover and Power Pole. For more information and tips, please visit my websites. http://www.crappieonlanier.com and http://www.fishingwitheverydayheroes.org.

Lake Lanier Crappie (Report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493) - The seasonal transition is in full swing. Water temperatures are dropping, the fish are moving up and are more active. The current water temperature is 78 degrees. You can find crappie suspended 5 to 10 feet deep over a 12-to-30-foot bottom. I always bring crappie minnows and set them in a rod holder over brush or structure while casting jigs with a slow retrieval. This week I had luck with black and chartreuse color jig and a white and chartreuse hair jig. The gear I recommend for crappie fishing is a Acc crappie stix 1 piece rod and reel with a 4- or 6-pound test K9 line, along with Garmin Live Scope and Power Pole.

Lanier Stripers (Report courtesy of Jack Becker aka Georgia Water Dog) - Cooling water temperatures and stripers moving up from the deep water made this a trip I'll remember for a long time. Not huge by Striper standards but this 37-inch striper is my personal best on Lake Lanier. I have caught many in the 25-to-30-inch range, but I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get one bigger. I fished a Section in the river channel near Port Royale with shiners and I had one small trout. I only marked a few fish and not a lot of bait but when I start marking small groups of fish, I will put lines out and spend some time with down lines & free lines before I move on. The trout was on a free line 100 feet behind the boat. When I heard the reel screaming and saw it had taken over 100' feet of line by the time I got the rod out of the holder, and started gaining on the fish I knew it was my biggest fish of the year. I'm happy and feel blessed I finally got over the 36" mark, a personal goal of mine. It also qualifies for the Georgia Angler Award. Now is the time to get out there. "Good Luck."

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

West Point Bass (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) - NOVEMBER 1, 2024 - WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 9.8 FEET, 70'S - Bass fishing is good. Now is the move to the typical fall patterns. Some largemouth are starting to show up on deeper brush piles and roadbeds as the water warms and drops a little. Best fishing is around brush piles or cover even in these areas. Try deep diving crankbaits or Texas rigged Old Monster worms. Top water baits such as Pop Sr. and buzz baits can still be effective for shallow fish especially around bream beds. Spotted bass and some largemouth are being caught by casting Weedless Wonder shakey heads loaded with Zoom Speed Craws or dragging a Carolina rigged Zoom Finesse or Trick Worms around sloping gravel banks and shoal marker poles. Also try a small Texas rigged worm or a pig and jig around any fairly deep blowdowns. Looking for bass soon to start along the main river channel where a channel swing leads to a flat near a bluff wall. Transitional areas like this will collect fish which can slide up out of 20 feet of water and post up on a log in 2 feet of water within a matter of seconds. Then bass do not have to traverse hundreds of yards to find shallow cover to hunker down by. Try fishing around the bridges and bridge pilings with small crankbaits and shaky head rigs especially during periods of water generation. Expect the fishing for all species to be better during the time when they are generating power at the dam. On August 8, 2024 the lake was slowly drawn down to 626 feet below pool October 10, 2024 and stay down for dam maintenance. The lake will be at 635 full pool by January 14, 2025.

West Point Mixed Bag (Courtesy of Ken Athon aka Captain Ken) - I don't think these two understand just how spectacular of a moment this was!!! 8.40 lb. Largemouth Bass & a 12.5 lb. Striped Bass. Most epic double EVER! Hopefully the GoPro picked it up #CaptainKenFishing video will be in the making on YouTube soon!!!

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.

Lake Weiss Mixed Bag (Report courtesy of Ken Sturdivant www.southernfishing.com) - NOVEMBER 1, 2024 - WEISS LAKE IS DOWN 1.8 FEET, 60'S - Now available for sale 50 of Bass GPS waypoints for off shore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Weiss Lake Alabama. For samples send an e mail to [email protected]. Bass fishing is good. There's a shallow bite and covering a lot of seawalls early in the mornings with Whopper Plopper and Pop Sr are the ticket. Some solid Coosa River spotted bass are hungry. Later in the day look for ledges in the mid lake and lower end areas. The main channel ledges have been producing with Carolina rigs and shaky head worms. Looking for bass soon to start along the main river channel where a channel swing leads to a flat near a bluff wall. Transitional areas like this will collect fish which can slide up out of 20 feet of water and post up on a log in 2 feet of water within a matter of seconds. Then bass do not have to traverse hundreds of yards to find shallow cover to hunker down by. Scanning these areas and looking for the more active schools has been the most effective way for finding consistent action. Bass are feeding on shad so be sure to scan areas first with the side scanning technology.

Northeast Georgia Mixed Bag (Report courtesy of John Thomson Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division) - The delayed harvest streams are fishing well, and anglers should expect to have some competition for the best holes. Be courteous and try not to encroach on other anglers. We went to great efforts with the help of over 70 Trout Unlimited and 5 Rivers Club volunteers to disperse the stockers out as much as possible. If a trout slam is on your bucket list, you have a rare opportunity to complete a slam on one stream. Anglers seeking a Trout Slam should target the Smith Creek DH section. Thanks to the USFWS and the staff at Chattahoochee Forest NFH you will find the brother and sister of these brook trout beauties at Smith Creek. You may need to dodge some rain, but it will be worth the trip. Go trout fish Georgia.

Rocky Mountain Public Fishing Area (Fishing report courtesy of Chris Smith, fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division) - The leaves are changing, and Crappie season is getting underway at Rocky Mountain PFA! We've already received our first Angler Award of the season-congratulations to Mr. Mike Owens for landing a 2 lb, 4 oz. black crappie in early November. DNR recently completed our fall gill net survey, revealing some healthy sized Crappie. Reports from all three lakes indicate anglers are seeing great success. For the best results, try using Crappie jigs or minnows. Happy fishing, and good luck out on the water!

TROUT REPORT

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

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

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

Trout and More (This report courtesy of Unicoi Outfitters) - Excellent fall fishing continues on area trout streams. Spooky wild fish are still inhaling dries in skinny headwaters, while fresh Delayed Harvest stockers will thrill GA anglers this weekend and NC travelers over the next two weeks. Lake bass are great but shallow stripers are a bit slow due to warm water and sunshine, while Piedmont River bass are enjoying their extended summer. Don't miss this mild fall while it's still around! Check out our timely intel and Wes' hot fly list in our full fishing report at blog.angler.management. Good luck everyone!

Parting Trout Note: 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.

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