Georgia Fishing Report: December 17, 2021

Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the state, anglers were hoping for one more fishing date. Here is to hoping the big man brings you all the angling goodies to make your season bright. And, be sure to share that passion and love for fishing and the outdoors with your friends and family - YOU can give them the gift that they will enjoy for a lifetime.

NEWS TO KNOW

• Christmas Wish List: Fill their stockings with gifts like THESE, or add THESE under the tree.
• Do You Think They Look Like Mom or Dad?: Check out these photos of trout incubating at the Burton Trout Hatchery.

This week, we have fishing reports from Southeast, Southwest and North Georgia. Make the most of the holiday season and Go Fish Georgia!

SOUTHEAST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Bert Deener, Region Supervisor and fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

The rivers have started coming back up with last week's rains, but saltwater and pond fishing is wide open right now. The weekend marine forecast is fairly stable at the time of writing the report, so you might want to look to the brine this weekend.

River gages on December 16th were:

• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 4.9 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 7.8 feet and rising
• Waycross on the Satilla - 7.2 feet and rising (61 degrees)
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 6.0 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 4.8 feet and falling
• Clyo on the Savannah River - 9.0 feet and falling

Full Moon is December 19th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

SATILLA RIVER

My son posted his white catfish angler award video on YouTube this week. If you are interested, you can watch it at Timmybug Productions on YouTube. The water in the upper river is rising again but still fishable. The lower river is great this time of year for white catfish. Put a piece of shrimp skewered on a Catfish Catcher Jighead (2/0 or 3/0 is best) on the bottom in the Woodbine portion of the river, and you can count on catching white catfish. Outgoing tide has been the best for me over the years.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Very few folks fished the east side this week, but it is fishable. On the west side, one lady had a very good day for catfish. She fished the boat basin and caught about 20 whiskerfish. Expect a few fliers and warmouth to be scattered in your catch, as well. Warm spells should provide some good flier fishing over the next few months for those pitching yellow or pink sallies with a bream buster. The latest water level (Folkston side) was 121.20 feet.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

I had an epic redfish trip with my daughter this week. We caught 76 redfish and 4 black drum. It started with a quick stop at J&P Bait and Tackle off Highway 303 in Brunswick for a quart of shrimp and then to the ramp. We found a little creek that was loaded with mostly slot-sized fish. We kept the first fish because Ellie likes eating redfish, and then proceeded to catch reds on almost every cast for the next 3 hours. We kept a few other deep-hooked slot fish, but it was amazing that the Redfish Wrecker Jighead was in the corner of the mouth almost every time. There were 6 oversized fish during the trip, with our biggest at 28 1/2 inches, and we had 4 black drum that took the shrimp, also. The day made our arms sore, but the trip is etched in our memories forever. Trout fishing was great again this week, also. Cason Kinstle fished with Justin Bythwood on Saturday in the Brunswick area, and they did well for trout. They ended up boating 40 trout up to 18 inches on artificials and shrimp (about half of the keepers on artificials). The smaller plastics (including 3-inch Keitechs) produced best. They caught fish about everywhere they went but didn't really get on any big schools of fish. The warmup probably has them spread out a little bit again. Capt. Greg Hildreth had a great trout trip on Wednesday. He put his clients on lots of trout using live shrimp in 4 to 10 feet of water. Brentz McGhin fished the Brunswick area on Saturday and had a great trip for whiting. He landed 44 whiting with shrimp on the bottom along with 7 sharks. He flung Sea Shads to fool 25 trout (5 keepers). Ron Altman has continued whacking the trout from Brunswick area bank accesses. He used hot chicken and chicken-on-a-chain Assassin Sea Shads to fool about 20 fish per trip this week. He had a trip with only about 8, and it was a slow day. He tried a purple version late in the week and did well with it. Outgoing tide has been best for him. Jay Turner has done great this week in the Savannah area from the bank. He's been using small Keitech swimbaits on Capt. Bert's Jigheads with sickle hooks for both trout and redfish. He caught a half-dozen to a dozen fish each trip, and he caught and released a 26-incher one day. For guide trip information, call Capt. Greg Hildreth at (912) 617-1980 or check out his website. For the latest fishing information or live shrimp in the Brunswick area, check with J&P Bait and Tackle on Hwy 303 (912-282-9705).

LOCAL PONDS

The best reports I received this week were from anglers targeting crappie. John Ross fished a Waycross area pond with his dad and flung small Keitech swimbaits to fool over a half-dozen crappie and a few bass. Crappie fishing should be very good on the forecasted warm-up this weekend. Fish minnows, jigs, or swimbaits in the deep areas of the pond, but don't overlook shallower cover late in the afternoon. The bass have started biting, also. Chad Lee fished an Alma area lake this weekend and caught 6 bass (about 2 pounds apiece) on shad-colored flukes. He also had 10 nice crappie on 1/16oz. jigheads and plastic grubs. A big bass (about 6 pounds) inhaled the little crappie grub, wrapped him up in the anchor line, and pulled off. On the warmer mornings, you can catch a few bass shallow on moving baits (swimbaits and crankbaits and maybe even topwaters) but stick worms and Texas-rigged plastic worms are a great choice once it warms up. If you fish on a windy day, throw a hard jerkbait on a windblown shoreline for feeding bass. With the water temperatures still in the 60's in most ponds, you should be able to get the attention of some bluegills if you pitch crickets to cover.

SOUTHWEST GEORGIA

(Fishing report courtesy of Emilia Omerberg, fisheries biologist with Georgia DNR Wildlife Resources Division, with help from Region Staff and Local Experts)

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE

Bass fishing is still good on George. The fish are schooling together spread out over the lake right now. 10 ½ inch worms in red flake are being productive as are frogs in shad patterns. You can also find success with jigs, jigging spoons and Silver Buddies. A great option for bass fishing is a lipless crank bait or a suspended jerk bait. Try starting around Windgate's and you're your technology to find some submerged flats. In the afternoon fishing tends to slow down so have those Carolina rigs ready.

LAKE SEMINOLE

The striper and hybrid bass bite are picking up. Stay focused on the southern end of the lake near the dam and look for these fun fighters in 7-12ft of water. Try using gull and other bird action on the surface to indicate where schooling baitfish are hanging out and you are likely to find your target species in the area as well.

Bass fishing is still a good bet at Lake Seminole as well. The fish continue to be in about 6-12 feet of water. As the temperature going strong and with reports of bass also around baitfish in 6-12ft of water. As the temperatures continue to drop the bass will move to deeper water so keep that in mind as you search for a bite.

LAKE BLACKSHEAR

Crappie bite at Lake Blackshear is hot. The fish are holding in about 20' of water but more to around8' later in the day. Try focusing on underwater brush and structure or near pears and pilings. Live bait or small jigs should work well for you. One angler suggested downsizing you jog to get the strike and a big payoff. May fisherman are bringing piles of crappie and blue gill so get out there and try you hand at it. The hybrid bass bite is also exciting this time of year. Be sure to look for other wildlife such as gulls indicating where prey fish are to find those fish that tend to be more pelagic in nature. And don't forget about the catfish! Flathead and channel cats are biting all the time on Blackshear, any smelly bait such as cut bait, chicken liver, worms, and hot dogs should get the job done. The lake is a bit muddy and stained after the recent rain so keep an eye out for obstacles and be safe out there.

SILVER LAKE PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

Surface temps are in the low 60's, and the water is 18 inches below normal levels. The cool weather has made the fishing at Silver Lake PFA unpredictable these last few days. Most fish are holding on deep structure, but some are moving shallow as the afternoon sun warms the water. Deep running cranks and jigs are seeing the most action. A slow presentation is key no matter what bait you choose.

NORTH GEORGIA

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

Winter Time Fishing Tacticsfor Multiple Species (Courtesy of GON Forum contributor "Jerimiah") - Lot of folks consider winter time the off season and put their rods away. Other folks attempt to fish through it, but end up frustrated, as they keep going and trying but it just gets colder and harder and they're not getting bit. So, to help those of you who can't find them or just plain give up this season, I'm going to encourage you to endure the cold and still get out, enjoy yourself and catch some fish! I'll break down the gear, the one bait you need to be successful by species of fish in the immediate area, and where/how to actually fish it. Best part about all this? Everything is cheap, readily available, and dumb simple! Welp, let's get started..Read about it HERE.

RESERVOIR REPORT

Rocky Mountain PFA: (Report courtesy of Fisheries Biologist Jackson Sibley) -Rocky Mountain PFA's highly anticipated winter largemouth fishery is upon us! Every year as temperatures drop in Rocky's lakes, the PFA's threadfin shad move into deeper water to school and conserve energy. Since these baitfish tend to move more slowly in the cold, largemouth bass follow the threadfin to opportunistically gorge themselves on the vulnerable prey. Anglers pursuing these fish pay close attention to their graphing units, looking for clouds of baitfish accompanied by arches or long "spaghetti" strands. Common techniques this time of year include vertical presentations of jigging spoons, Alabama rigs, and light colored jigs. Remember that the bass are keenly keyed in to the baitfish this time of year, so matching the 2-3" size and silvery/white color of threadfin shad is critical, and a slow presentation is a must!

Carters Lake Mixed Bag (Report courtesy of Carters Lake Guide Service) - Carters is fishing really good! The fish are in their winter-time pattern. There is lots of bait in the creeks at depths from 60-80ft - find the bait, find the fish! We've been catching stripers, spotted bass and walleye on a mixed bag of live & artificial bait offerings.

Lanier Success!(Courtesy of Hunter Roop) - According to Lake Lanier fishing guides, the Striped Bass fishery is doing great. The 37 lb. fish caught last week in Lanier is testimony to these accolades. Because of the success of this fishery, Lanier fishing guides continue to be strong supporters of our fisheries management efforts. Lake Lanier produced another trophy fish last week for a different and smaller species. Michael Madryga caught a 1 lb. 10-ounce Redear Sunfish (aka Shellcracker) that qualifies for an Angler Award and will be submitted to GON as a new lake record, which topped the current record by 5 ounces.

Lanier Bass:(This report courtesy of Phil Johnson, [email protected], 770-366-8845 viawww.southernfishing.com ) - Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The bass are still scatter at all depths on Lanier as the water temperature is staying fairly steady. The loons and the gulls have returned to the lake and are a quick indicator of areas that have bait. If you see them in a creek area it is a good idea to check the area out to see if you can locate the bait that they are working. Finding the bait has been a key to finding the bass however there have been schools of fish located on just deep structure with no bait around. A three eights ounce Spot Choker with a paddle tail trailer worked slowly in the deeper areas has been producing some quality fish. Don't be afraid to drag a worm through the thirty five to fifty foot water also. If you find a school of bass directly under your boat drop the half ounce Georgia Blade spoon directly into them. The worm bite on docks in the ten to twenty form range is also producing fish now. Many of these bites you won't feel the typical tick but the bait will just get heavy or walk off so be very aware of your bait at all times. All of these techniques will produce fish right now with many of them being cookie cutters in the two and a quarter range. For the bigger fish it is just a matter of covering ground to find them. Your electronics are going to be extremely important now and going through the winter as you look for the bait and the fish. Often it takes time idling and looking quite a bit to find the bait and fish but once you do you can put multiple fish from the school in the boat. Winter fishing can require some patience in located the fish and you may run five places before you find the right one but the rewards are worth it. They are biting so Go Catch 'Em!

Lanier Stripers:(This report courtesy of Buck Cannon Buck Tails Guide Service. Buck Tails (404) 510-1778, viawww.southernfishing.com ) - Stripers on Lanier are still in the bay area half way back. Look for bait using your electronics and if you only see two or more drop down lines using blue backs and small trout stagger the depths until you hook up. We pulled planer boards but it's been windy and cold and hadn't been working for me. Put out a weighted flat line with trout or gizzard shad 60 and 80′ behind the boat, keep in mind that a top water is still a viable option if they come up or you mark some with your sides and. It's colder than it looks so keep that life jacket on.

Lanier Crappie: (This report courtesy of Captain Josh Thornton (770) 530-6493, viawww.southernfishing.com ) - Crappie Fishing has been good but the fishing is as inconsistent as the weather right now. On cold days the fish are deep and on a mild winters day 67 degrees today the fish can be found under shallow docks. The water temperature is in the low 50s. The jigs colors I had success with this week are the white with black glitter and the blue grass which is green over chartreuse. We have reports of people having success with the black body with chartreuse tail called the night light. Crappie can still be found on deep water brush we have found large crappie at 30 feet deep on brush. We are also hitting docks in 10 to 15 feet of water on warm days. Use your electronics locate structure or bush piles. Crappie love the shade so cast into the shadows. When dock shooting the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. Let your jig sink and give it time to get down to the fish and retrieve your jig slowly. I'm using the skippers jig moon jigs use (promo code heroes) when ordering I use ATX lure companies jigs atxlures.com I use 5 pound test high visibility yellow k9 braid for my line unless I am using a bobber then it's the k9 6 pound high vis line k9fishing.com and a Piscifun reel on a Acc crappie Stix. Find me on Facebook and like my pages @crappieonlanier & @fishingwitheverydayheroes

West Point Lake:(This report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is fair. These spots are coming up to feed on the main lake points so look for them in 8 to 10 feet of water on gravel points and throw Sassy Shad, Rat L Traps crank baits. The point's right off the main river at the rail road bridge is good cold weather areas and look for the gravel on the banks. Right across from the Yellow Jacket access point is an old road bed that runs up and down the bank about 50 feet off the bank. Watch the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map feature specially the areas that are getting more sun. A couple of degrees can make a big difference all month. Continue to look for the bait and this help during the colder months. Take the time to find the bait and fish these areas thoroughly. Run the Lowrance on and over this area and the road bed will show up. Vertical jigging is still another good pattern for large mouths and spots. Some are still deep and holding on the flats and road beds off the main lake in 25 to 27 feet of water. Best baits are buck tails, Fish Head Spins and 1/2 ounce Hopkins spoon. The road bed in Whitewater Creek is a great deep water area. Just run out on the road bed, watch for the fish and the bait. Drop the spoons and old Little George.

Lake Weiss:(This report courtesy ofMark Collins Guide Service via www.southernfishing.com) (256) 779-338- Bass fishing is fair and they are on their winter pattern on the river and creek channels. Drop shot rigs and Carolina rigs are catching fish. Crappie fishing is good. Our fish are on the creek and river channel ledges at 18 to 25 feet deep. Spider rigging with live minnows and jigs over brush and stumps is the way to catch fish in the fall. A few Crappie are still being caught shooting docks with jigs. Some fish are starting to suspend in the river channel in Little River and can be caught long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs. Some fish have moved shallow in the bays to the warmer water. Striper fishing is poor no reports of any catches. Catfish are biting good in the bays and creeks in 8 to 15 feet of water, cut bait is working best.

Lake Sinclair:(This report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is fair. Fish are a biting afternoons. The cold fronts and the moon has been tough on fishing. Use a Texas rig later on in the morning using soft plastics. Bass are relating to docks down lake only and they are in the middle of the lower lake creeks. Small ¼ ounce sinking Rat L Traps in blue and chromes or bright Shad Raps may attract a few strikes but do not expect hard hits. This is usually a good Carolina rig lake but this week use a smaller bait like a baby Zoom Fluke in white or a small Zoom green lizard. Make long casts into the center of the coves with light line. Watch the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map feature in the areas that are getting more sun. A couple of degrees can make a big difference all month. Continue to look for the bait and this help during the colder months. Take the time to find the bait and fish these areas thoroughly.

Lake Seminole:(This report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is fair. Weather has been fair but the fishing has not been that great lately. Expect a warming trend to get them going. There are some fish shallow in the creeks but they are stuck heavily in bank cover. Zoom Baby Bush Hogs in green pumpkin on a pegged Texas rig may work on the grass beds but be sure to use a heavy weight to get though the grass. Make long casts into the center of the coves with light line. Watch the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map feature in the areas that are getting more sun. A couple of degrees can make a big difference all month. If there is a warm up this week, get the weights off the baits and look in the sandy areas for small bass to start roaming around. A Senko on a swivel rig on and over grass beds can work if it warms a little this week.

Lake Russell:(This report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is fair. Fish on the lower end of the lake near the dam as the water is clear and will warm faster. Use the small jigging spoons and a 1/4 ounce jig. Bass will usually strike a smaller bait in the winter months better than a larger one. The spotted bass are still roaming. They are more active than largemouth due to their small size and they ae more accustom to cold deep waters. Find the rocks and catch those spots. Drop shot rigs and a small three or four inch grub or worm will catch a limit of those spotted bass, especially on those sun beaten rocky points. Be sure to check out the rip rap for signs of small bait fish on those sunny days. Make long casts into the center of the coves with light line. Watch the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map feature in the areas that are getting more sun. A couple of degrees can make a big difference all month.

Lake Oconee:(This report Courtesy of Captain Mark Smith, Reel Time Guide Service, or email at [email protected] (404) 803- 0741, viawww.southernfishing.com) -

• Bass: Bass fishing is good. The temperature is 56 to 59 degrees. The main lake is clear except up the rivers above I20. Fishing is good all over the lake. The water quality and color are good all over the lake, a lot of patterns are working. Spinner baits fished around docks and wood structure in the locations will catch you some fish. Small crank baits fished in the same areas will also produce. Start at the mouth of the cove and work your way in, as the fish are following the bait in and out of the coves. Spoons fished on the deep humps and road beds on the south end of the lake will also produce good fish.

• Striped Bass: Striper fishing is fair to good. Live bait, spoons, and trolling mini Macks have all been producing. Shad and bass minnows will produce. Look for birds or use the Lowrance to locate the schools and the go to fishing. The fish have been from I20 to Richland Creek.

• Crappie: Crappie fishing is good. Use your Lowrance Active Target to locate the large schools of fish in the mouths of the coves and pockets all over the lake and then start pitching your jig into the school. Shooting docks has also been very effective.

Lake Hartwell:(This report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is fair. Fish in the Tugaloo River area both north and south of the 85 bridge. In the first part of the mornings fish the back of the creek arms and main lake pockets. Go shallow with a square bill crank bait. This bite has been the strongest for the first couple of hours. It can be productive throughout the day. Fish in the Tugaloo River area both north and south of the 85 bridge. As always this time of year look for the areas the sun is on first. Any stained water or a light stain that will help keep some of these fish shallow. Watch the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map feature specially the areas that are getting more sun. A couple of degrees can make a big difference all month. Continue to look for the bait and this help during the colder months. Take the time to find the bait and fish these areas thoroughly. Key baits that we have been throwing with this cold front that has come in have been a square bill crank bait, jig and a shaky head. Use the jig and shaky head anything in a green pumpkin color is good this time of year. Move all day until the fish show up.

Lake Eufaula:(This report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is fair. It will take a little work to catch them. There are three main patterns. All of the fish are bunched up together in 20 to 28 feet of water. Find the fish on the Lowrance Down Scan technology and then vertical jig using a 1/2 to 3/4 ounce spoon. Be ready as the bass and a few crappie can bunch up together. Fish the fish and bait together on the graph in 21 to 25 feet of water. Look for large concentrations of bait holding around the mouths of Cowikee Creek and Wylaunee Creek. Try Cowikee Creek channel as it is holding fish. Watch the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map feature in the areas that are getting more sun. A couple of degrees can make a big difference all month.

Clarks Hill:(This report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing good. Deep diving crank baits along with Carolina rigs and jigging spoons are best. Bass are suspended along the ledges and over stump rolls along the bottom. Patience will still be the number one key factor while fishing for big winter bass. A slow moving Rapala DT14 bouncing off these stumps can trigger action from the bass. Try using the smaller Spybait rigs and pink seems to be a better color. Also try using a 1/4 ounce jig on light line for a little faster fall. Have the Carolina rig lizard or a Bush Hog on the stumps as well. Fishing is better down lake so use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology to find the bass and structure. Use the jigging spoons on the bass but be sure there is bait in the area.

Lake Allatoona: (This report Courtesy of Robert Edison of First Bite Guide Service (770) 827-6282, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass fishing is good. The bass are moving to winter areas. Typical cold weather patterns and baits are working great right now. The jerk bait and jig head are probably the best techniques going this week. Electronics are playing a big part in finding schools of fish. Watch the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map feature in the areas that are getting more sun. A couple of degrees can make a big difference all month. Fish are somewhat spread out within the school and will show up as arches just off the bottom. Once fish are located with side imaging or sonar, concentrate with the appropriate depth level bait. Even though most fish are deeper right now, there is still an occasional shallow crank bait or chatter bait bite.

Line side fishing is good. The bait is starting to move back into the Creek and so are the striper and hybrids. Mid lake seems to be holding better numbers of fish then the south end and the north end of the lake is trashed out do to all the rain. The best bite going right now is live bait. Shad and trout fished on planner boards and free lines at sun up and then again at sun down will catch you a few fish in the back of the creeks. After the sun comes the fish will move out to the mouths of the creeks and can be caught on shad, trout and shiners on down lines anywhere from 18 to 50 deep. The spoon bite is also good mid day. Once the water temp dips below 50 degrees the spoon bite will get better then live bait. The trolling bite is also good with umbrella rigs and this is the only thing we are trolling. We have had our best luck this week pulling rigs 145 feet behind the boat at 3.1 to 3.4 miles an hour. As the lake starts to clears the umbrella rig bite will get better.

Lake Jackson: (This report Courtesy of Ken Sturdivant, viawww.southernfishing.com) - Bass Bass fishing is fair. The spoon and jig bite are the best bets. Fish the channel ledge and stay close to the deepest water and cast along the channel with a RS Shad Rap. Use the darker colors when the water is stained. Stay with the shad and blue shad colors in the clear water for the best results. Best bet is to stay in the Tussahaw Creek all day. After lunch go to bright small crank baits and throw an occasional jig around the stumps and rocks. On main lake points as the sun shine warms the shallows shad and bait fish are moving up on the warmer. Sea walls are exposed to the sun light and these structures will draw bait and bass mid-day. Watch the water temperatures with the Lowrance Heat Map feature in the areas that are getting more sun. A couple of degrees can make a big difference all month.

RIVER REPORT

Chattahoochee Trout GON-Tel: Check out the nice rainbow HERE.

Unicoi Outfitter's Fishing Report: (By Jeff Durniak) - Check out the full report here!

WMA streams: The drought will help you out! Try the biggest streams in each of the WMA's. The skinny water will force wild fish and scattered holdovers from summer stockings to congregate in the drought refuges. Cover some ground until you find a nice pool and dredge a double nymph rig. And you'll fish with no company, as summer stocker fans are long gone and current sportsmen and women will have a hiking staff or a gun instead of a rod in their hands.

Metro Hooch: (From Splatek) - "The Hooch tailwater was hot again this week. I picked up about dozen and half in hour to ninety minutes. Deep and slow was the ticket, with the Euro technique or a trout magnet indicator equally effective. Hot flies for the day were a frenchie and a dark caddis nymph. I kept a few stocker rainbows for the smoker. The river is starting to clear, as Lanier turnover usually happens near Christmas."

Delayed Harvest on the Toccoa - Big-Water Fall and Winter Action in Northwest Georgia - by Jimmy Jacobs: Delayed Harvest on the Toccoa - ON THE FLY SOUTH

Mountain Trout:(From Fisheries Biologist Sarah Baker)- The streams have cooled considerably, and the hatch activity has nearly disappeared. On cloudy, mild days you may still see some surface activity. Slow nymphing or pulling a streamer is most effective this time of year. Most productive set-ups are dry dropper rigs or Euro Nymphing. The delayed harvest streams offer great opportunities to practice these techniques whether you're a new or seasoned angler. Personally, I am much more successful at dry fly fishing, so this time of the year requires me to challenge myself to be a better nympher. Recommended flies include zebra midge, pat's rubber legs, and modestly weighted hare's ear nymphs, silver copper johns, and sexy walts. Showers are in the forecast for this weekend, but don't let that stop you from getting out on the water. It can be incredibly helpful for the streams to be a bit turbid and flows to be slightly increased. Back home in Idaho, fishing in the winter months can require chains on your tires and pulling on your snowshoes to trek through the snow to get to a decent pool. Revel in Georgia's mild mid-50s, and delight in the lovely and serene angling experience that our mountain streams offer in the winter. If fishing the Chattooga DH, be sure to check water level at Burrell's Ford Bridge here, and local weather on the Chattooga River here. Best of luck!

Freshly Stocked Streams: (From Trout Stocking Coordinator John Lee Thomson) - Toccoa River Delayed Harvest, Blue Ridge Tailwater, Lanier Tailwater, Smith Creek Delayed Harvest, Amicalola Delayed Harvest

Just do it! - Adjusting Your Rig, by Dan Frasier: Read it HERE.

Upcoming Events:

• Atlanta Fly Fishing Show is scheduled for February 4 & 5, 2022.
• Atlanta Boat Show has been postponed one more year to January, 2023.

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