Georgia Fishing Report: June 2, 2023

National Fishing and Boating Week (NFBW) starts tomorrow, Sat., June 3, giving us a great excuse to get out on the water to celebrate! And…did you know there are TWO FREE Fishing Days as part of the celebration? That means on those 2 days (June 3 and June 10), Georgia residents do not need a fishing license, trout license or Lands Pass (WMAs/PFAs) to fish on public waters. Find out more HERE and HERE. There will be many Kids Fishing Events (KFEs) held across the state during NFBW. Check out the Event Calendar to search for one near you.

NEWS TO KNOW

• Trout Fishing: Ever wanted to try fishing for trout, but need help? Check out our Trout Fishing webpage. You can find Tips and Resources, a Trout Stream Interactive Map, and so much more. And, a great way to get some good intel is to reach out to our North Georgia Fisheries Management offices, guide and tackle shops, or reach out to a local Georgia Trout Unlimited chapter.
• Protect Georgia Waters! Moving live fish, aquatic plants, or mussels from one body of water to another can cause irreversible damage to the existing ecological balance of Georgia lakes, rivers, and streams. Releasing unwanted aquarium species or other non-native species into a water body can have severe negative impacts on native fish and fauna. Find out more about Aquatic Nuisance Species and how to protect Georgia waters HERE.

This week, we have fresh fishing reports from North, Central and Southeast Georgia. Don't let National Fishing and Boating Week pass you by without getting out there to Go Fish Georgia!

NORTH GEORGIA

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

This weekend's warm and sunny forecast is just one of many excuses you have to get out and explore North Georgia's great fisheries. WRD Fisheries staff have been gearing up and trucking trout throughout the region to support a series of kid-friendly fishing events in honor of Georgia's Free Fishing days and in celebration of National Fishing & Boating Week. For the northeast region, those events will be held at Rock Creek in Fannin County, Lake Winfield Scott in Union County, and Jones Bridge Park in Gwinnett County. In the northwest, the City of Aragon (Polk County) is hosting a KFE on Saturday and Cartersville will be hosting a fishing event at Dellinger Park Lake on Monday (6/5/2023). Whether you're attending a KFE, fishing your local river, or on the lake this weekend, we hope you enjoy the time spent creating long-lasting memories with family and friends.

RESERVOIR REPORT

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 1.5 FEET, 70'S

West Point Bass:(courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant) - Bass fishing is good. Largemouth are being caught on several different patterns. Top water baits such as Pop R's, Zara Spooks and buzz baits can be extremely effective for shallow and aggressive fish especially around bream beds. The second pattern that works really well is to look for spawning shad. Try fishing rip rap around bridges with spinnerbaits, small Rapala Shad Raps in shad crankbaits and Zoom Super Flukes. Lots of spotted bass are caught by casting Weedless Wonder lead head rigged with the Shaky Tail worms or just dragging a Carolina rigged Zoom Finesse worm or mini lizard around sloping gravel banks. Keep a Zoom pearl Super Fluke ready all day and use this bait on every stop. The Megabass Vision 110 is commonly thought of as the standard by which all other jerkbaits are judged. It earned this distinction because of its innovative internal weighting system extensive refinement of its swimming action superb color offerings and top tier hardware. All of these also make the Vision 110 the best bass lure for spring because this is when many anglers reach for a jerkbait.

West Point GON-tel: What's in the West Point Mixed Bag?

WEISS LAKE IS AT 0 FOOT 2 INCHES BELOW FULL POOL AND LIGHT STAINED TO CLEAR AND 74-75 F (courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant)

Weiss Lake - All Species: (This report is by Mark Collins Guide Service www.markcollinsguideservice.com 256 996 9035) - Bass fishing is good and most have spawned and have started moving to the creek and river channel ledges. The Carolina rigs and crank baits are catching fish. Crappie fishing is fair. They have spawned and have started moving back to deeper water, they can be caught long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs in colors JJ13, JJ17, JJ20. Shooting docks with jigs is also producing some fish, Spider rigging with live minnows over deep brush is catching fish. Striper fishing is fair. They are starting to be caught in Little River and The Chattooga River on live shad downed lined and free lined. Catfish are biting in the bays and creeks in 8 to 15 feet of water and cut bait is working best.

LAKE HARTWELL IS .63 FEET OVER FULL, 70'S

Hartwell Bass: (courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant) - Bass fishing is fair. Early use the trick worms and Rapala Shad Raps on shallow flats with a creek channel close by. In the heat of the day the fishing is tough. The bass seem to feed early and then late during twilight hours. The buzz bait is a good way to cover lots of water and this bait usually draws better fish in the summer. There is no set bait the bass seem to key on just make tons of casts to the structure. Try pitching and casting and concentrating on the wood. Casting close into and around all the wood and some docks has worked. Up the rivers is the better areas for a little lower boat traffic. Zoom pearl Super Flukes are still working around docks especially in the coves and pockets in any shade. Large 3/0 Mustad offset hooks and a small stinger hook is a great all day lure. Think of this as a soft jerk bait and let it sink 2 to 12 feet on points in the creeks. During the day the Zoom finesse worm on a 3 foot Carolina rig will force anglers to fish deeper to the levels that the fish are holding at 12 to 16 feet off the main river points. The river fishing seems better with the cooler water having the bass more active.

LAKE ALLATOONA IS FULL, 60S

Allatoona Bass: (courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant) - Bass fishing is fair. The smaller fish in the creeks on the reef poles and shallow rocky points. Have the Zoom finesse worms on jig heads shallow for some numbers but the bigger fish are holding in a little deeper water. Swim baits over brush on the main lake along with jerk baits have been good. Try the brush on sunny days with the Megabass Vision 110 plus. On cloudy days or windy days use the 1/2 or 3/4 ounce Mini Me spinnerbait with painted blades out on the main lake points and around sandy areas. Early in the mornings work the spinnerbait over those areas and hold on. During the middle of the day there has been a pretty good dock bite on a 3/16 ounce. Jig head with a Swamp Crawler rigged on it. Some fish are up on top in the mornings and a Buckeye wake bait and a small walking bait like a Spook Jr. or Sammy 100 will work.

LAKE SEED: Record Alert! Congratulations to angler Zack Chadwick for breaking the Chain Pickerel record on Lake Seed over the Memorial Day weekend! To read more about Zack's catch, click HERE.

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 1.95 FEET, 70'S

Lanier Bass:(This Lake Lanier Bass fishing report is by Phil Johnson.[email protected] 770 366 8845) - Bass fishing on Lake Lanier is good. The lake level is about two feet down and water temperatures are running in the mid-seventies. Overall the water is clear. Over the last week it has been up and down fishing. One day they would want swimbait's and the next day the worm was the ticket. Over the last couple of days the swimbait and fluke bite has gotten much better. We have been throwing either the Slick Stick Pro series in chrome or white and the Pearl Jerk Shad to catch both numbers and quality fish. We have been targeting and seeing bass around brush in the twenty-five-to-thirty-five-foot range. Forward facing is both a blessing and a curse as often you will find a brush pile with a lot of fish around it that just will not play. The true top water bite is just beginning, and we are starting to see the schools of fish surface. Either a swimbait, Spook or a three eights ounce Spotchoker with a two eight Kietech have worked on the schoolers. On the days that they wouldn't chasse a bait we have thrown either a three sixteenths jig with either a Zoom trick worm in green pumpkin or a Senko. During the week we even targeted the brush with the dropshot using Lanier Baits worms in Morning Dawn or Sweet Rosie. They seem to have recovered quickly from the chaos of Memorial Day weekend and as the water warms the bite is even going to get better. It one of the most fun times of the year on Lake Lanier so get out and Go Catch 'Em!

Lanier Striper: (This Lake Lanier Striper report is by Lake Lanier Striper Guide Buck Cannon, Buck Tails Guide Service. Call for a Striper trip on Lake Lanier 404 510 1778) - Lake Lanier water temperatures north of Gainesville is 76 to 78 degrees. Stripers have moved to shallow areas in the bays Find them using your electronics with the mapping showing sharp contour lines witch that indicate a drop off. Weighted flat lines and planer boards seem to get most attention, blue backs seems to work best and 30 to 40 feet behind the boards and flat lines 80 to 100 feet behind the boat. Try pulling them at .05 miles per hour. Remember to wear your life jacket.

Lanier Striper (Courtesy of Captain Mack's Fishing Report) - The Stripers are still really spread out, and there are several patterns that are effective. With water temp remaining mild, low to mid-seventies, expect this to be the case for a few more days. Fishing free lined Herring and Shad I think are the best overall producers, with several other patterns being effective. Pull the free lines over points and humps, around the sea walls, and over saddles. Some of the fish are still pushing up in shallow water, especially in the early am. Keep the outside boards up on the bank at least in the am hours. To continue reading Captain Mack's striper article and to read his bass fishing tips, click HERE.

Lanier Striper Fly Fishing (Courtesy of georgiawildtrout.com): The spring striper fishing has been good and getting better. The shad spawn is just now taking off, making the first couple hours of daylight critical for being on the water. Look for points, preferably with rock, to congregate larger shoals of bait. The striper, and spotted bass, will not be far behind. I would recommend bringing some topwater setups along as well for the days the fish are moving too fast and don't seem to want to get close to the boat. If you are covering new water and don't know the typical places the shad/herring typically spawn, keep an eye out for herons. They will behave like seagulls during the shad spawn and clue you in on where the activity is happening.

Lanier Water Quality Profiles (Report from WRD) - Water Quality profiles for Lake Lanier 2023 are now available on the Lake Lanier Fishing Forecast webpage. Click the .pdf files linked to the thermometer icons that occur throughout the lake. With morning surface temperatures in the mid-70s, coolwater habitat is prevalent throughout the reservoir down to depths of 60 feet on the upper reservoir and 100 feet near Buford Dam.

Lanier Crappie: (This Lake Lanier Striper Crappie report is by Captain Josh Thornton 770 530 6493, Crappie On Lanier) - The water temperature are in the mid 70s. The crappie are back on docks. Look for docks in 15 to 30 feet deep near a main Channel with structure or brush and the crappie are suspending 12 to-15 feet deep. Give your jig time to sink to the depth of the fish before starting your retrieval. Minnows are working well and this week's best producing jig color is the translucent amber or black and green. Crappie love the shade so cast into the shadows or shaded areas of dock. When dock shooting the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. I use ATX lure companies jigs. 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 and a Acc crappie stix. I use Garmin Live Scope and a Power Pole. When dock shooting the biggest fish are usually the first to bite. Fishing with Everyday Heroes.

RIVER REPORT

Chattahoochee and Chestatee (Courtesy of WRD Fisheries Biologist Hunter Roop): River fishing opportunities continue to improve during the late-spring to early-summer transition in north Georgia. Switching gears from the the post-spawn migrations of linesides and walleye to various riverine black bass species can add some colorful variety to your early-summer catch. While the settings and surroundings of river bass fishing are night-and-day difference compared to reservoir bass fishing, the targets and tactics transition smoothly into a flowing environment. First, know which species are available to target. For the Upper Chattahoochee watershed, a quartet of black bass species are available: Chattahoochee Bass, Shoal Bass, Largemouth Bass, and Alabama Bass. Hey, now you're only one species away from earning a Bass Slam in 2023! Second, learn where these species hang out. This is where your lentic bass fishing knowledge will give you a leg up. Look for similar structure and features as you would when fishing a reservoir, with a few riverine modifications. For example, instead of fishing the edge of mudlines, look for natural current seams and breaks behind boulders and submerged trees where these ambush predators are waiting to strike. Undercut banks provide cover similar to blowdowns, and respite from the energy-depleting flowing water, so tactfully tossing a flippin' jig or worm can pull fish right out of the banks! Chattahoochee Bass like skinny, shallow water with lots of cobble and boulders, while the aptly named Shoal Bass love heavy flow and turbulent shoals. Alabama Bass are habitat generalists but can typically be found in pools and runs with moderate flow, while lazy Largemouth are going typically going to be found holding tight to cover in deep run or pool. River bass will strike a variety of lures including topwater poppers and streamers, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, and jerkbaits, so stay versatile in your presentations as you figure out what the bait du joir is, and if all else fails a crawfish-imitating lure is a sure bet! WRD has an excellent publication on access points to the Chattahoochee River HERE, and for any anglers hoping to fish river bass a little closer to home, check out our Bass Slam Map. Check out UO's Angler Management Bloglink in the trout section below to see Landon's recent pics, which may whet your Bass Slam appetite.

TROUT REPORT

Stocker Streams (Courtesy of Unicoi OutfittersJeff Durniak and the Angler Management Blog): The weather is warm, and the stocker fishing remains hot for most streams. Lower elevation waters may warm this week with some summer weather aimed our way, so start heading for higher elevation streams with colder water for your best catch rates. Buggers, eggs, rubberlegs, and squirmies are stocker favorites. If the water is really skinny and fish are picky, swing a small soft hackle on 6X tippet through shady pools and pockets. See the weekly trout stocking list HERE.

DH leftovers (Courtesy of Unicoi OutfittersJeff Durniak and the Angler Management Blog): Smith DH still has some fish in it, as it's redosed regularly thru GAWRD's stocking season. UO buddy LM ran out for a few afternoon hours and landed several fish on dry/dropper combos. She had to switch flies often to encourage eats in her prime pool. Chattooga DH will still get some stockers from SCDNR as long as its water temps remain cool. You can fish with flies or bait, now that the DH restrictions are over, and can keep some fish for dinner if you'd like. Ami DH will soon heat up, but Toccoa will stay cooler on that northern face, so DH leftovers are still a possibility.

Bluelines/Headwaters (Courtesy of Unicoi OutfittersJeff Durniak and the Angler Management Blog): Extend your trouting spring by heading uphill or north of the border for colder water. Our small streams remain small and skinny due to a lack of recent rain but their temps are fine, thanks to cool nights. Residents are hungry but spooky, so angler stealth is the primary requirement for success. Guru and Dredger went high above Helen after work yesterday (1st) and had fun with little blueline rainbows. Most were in drought mode and had retreated to deeper spots in the stream. The standard #16 tan caddis worked well when it was frequently redosed with dessicant and again rode "high n dry." Don't leave home without a bottle of that magic stuff.

Jones Creek(Article Courtesy of the On the Fly South): Jones Creek is one of the more unusual streams in North Georgia in that it is populated almost exclusively by wild brown trout. In fishing the creek during the last 40-plus-years, in addition to the browns, I've caught only one rainbow from it. Unlike most brown trout destinations, Jones is not a big flow. In most places it is less than 30 feet wide, with foliaged shores that demand accurate casting. To continue reading this article, click HERE.

Lanier Tailwater (Courtesy of georgiawildtrout.com): The trout fishing below the dam on Lake Lanier has been excellent for the past couple months. There is something for just about everybody. Small midges will always be the best way to attract bites from nearly every trout around. If you're throwing bigger than a size 20 you can be sure you're leaving trout behind, especially the wild browns. The river has been crowded on some afternoons during the week and around the clock on weekends. A ten-to-fifteen-minute walk will put plenty of distance between you and 80-90% of other anglers. A great challenge for experienced anglers is the dry fly bite. The midge hatches have been excellent in the mornings and following generation. The wild browns are very selective but can be fooled with a slow approach and good presentation. This video will demonstrate how I approach these fish eating on the surface. The number of trout to hand is far less than what you may see fishing seams with a euro rig or indicator setup but can be far more exciting. Steer clear of the the dry flies on windy days. It's a brutal process and typically more frustrating than anything else.

Reminder: New Georgia Trout Slam! If you have the skill to successfully catch all three species of trout (brook, brown, rainbow) in Georgia within a calendar year, consider giving the Georgia Trout Slam a try. All successful submissions will receive a Georgia Trout Slam Sticker and be entered into a drawing for an annual grand prize. Program details can be found HERE.

Parting Trout Note: Want to do more to support trout fishing in Georgia? Consider upgrading to a Trout Unlimited license platethis 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 your purchase of a trout tag.

CENTRAL GEORGIA

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

Reservoir Fishing Reports Courtesy of Southern Fishing with Ken Sturdivant.

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, 70'S

Bass fishing is fair. The increased boat traffic and the lower lake levels are creating a few mud lines along the banks and some of the main lake points. Bass are being caught on the edges of these mud lines while cranking a Rapala Hot Mustard DT 6. Also, do not forget to continue fishing the big rocks that lay close to the deeper water. Bass will use these large rocks to hide from the sun and also to ambush their prey. Try a 1/4-ounce jig or a Storm Wiggle Wart in shad and baby bass patterns. Use the Carolina rig with an 18 to 24-inch leader and a 1/2-ounce weight and add a Zoom green lizard. Jerk baits like the McStick and Chatterbaits will work especially if it is windy. Also try fishing rip rap or red clay banks that are in the sun for most of the day and look for the shad spawn to start in those areas very soon.

CLARKS HILL LAKE IS 1.1 FEET OVER FULL, 70'S

Bass fishing is good. The fish are now post spawn and the bass are schooling on forage baits. Fish long, tapered red clay points. Best baits to use are top water walking baits like the Zara Spooks in chrome or a clear color that closely mimics blueback herring. Use a Zoom Super Fluke in pearl and a Greenish Tackle jig. The blueback herring spawn is in full swing and the bass are feeding on the baitfish around points and shoals. Have the top water lures and the Zoom flukes and Carolina rigged pumpkinseed lizards ready for all day. There are still some bass shallow in the bigger coves and pockets feeding on bream. Have the Rice, a Pop R or Chug Bug to get these aggressive fish especially around bream beds. Look for some big fish to stay shallow early in the rivers. Try the Texas rig Zoom lizards, Bass Pro Enticer jig or a Zoom trick worm around blowdowns and stumps.

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 70'S

Bass fishing is good. Look for the mayflies around the lake first thing in the day. Check any bushes or trees that hang over the lake for mayflies. As the fly lands on the water the bass will be close by ready for a quick bite. Use a buzz bait or a Pop R and fish these areas well. Stay with the mayfly pattern if possible, for some good fish. Fish long points where close deep water is close by and main lake dock areas during the day. Fish a Carolina rig and a Zoom finesse worm in the watermelon seed or watermelon candy colors. Use a 24-inch leader and this works better when the water is moving. A big crank bait fished on these points will also work. A Texas rigged worm on a Weedless Wonder lead head fished on light line on rip rap will also bring a few fish. Most of these fish are small but there have been a few real nice ones caught doing this. The main key is to fish when Georgia Power is moving water.

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN .57 FEET, 70'S

Bass fishing is fair. There is some top water action early. Use top water Devils Horse lures and all white buzz baits. All white seems to be the hot color with a little green in the skirts. These baits have been taking some good fish early in the day. After the sun gets up, slow rolling spinner baits and large crank baits has been the best way to get to the deeper fish on the river. Carolina rigged Zoom green pumpkin Trick worms or the same color in the Zoom lizard in the six-inch size will work and some extra Mega Strike scent will help the fish hold the baits longer. There has been a good top water bite on docks on the shady side. Use green frog and white buzz baits. Go up the river and work the points and small cuts up to and past Murder Creek. There is good fishing in these areas as the day warms up. Take the Carolina rig and fish the points out to 20 feet deep.

LAKE JACKSON IS 1.2 FEET OVER FULL 70'S

Bass fishing is fair. Go early and late and the bass are mostly small. Fish for spots with smaller baits and anything green in a soft plastic; these are spotted bass favorites. Fish the dam and work the shallow ledges. Use a Rapala DT6 crank bait and Rapala Shad Raps in perch and baby bass patterns on points in the middle of the lake. Spot Sticker jig heads with a green pumpkinseed Zoom finesse worm worked slowly on the rocks up shallow when the weather is calm has produced a few fish. As the winds pick up use a ½ ounce Lucky Craft Redemption spinnerbait and work points on the rivers. There are some good fish cruising around any rock formations, and they will feed if you can get something in front of them.

FLAT CREEK PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

• Surface Temperature: 76.4˚ F (24.7˚ C)
• Water Level: 50.5" Below Full Pool
• Water Visibility: 27"
• Flat Creek PFA Fishing Guide

Anglers are reporting an increase in largemouth bass activity. Catches in the 3-5 lb. range are common. Anglers are reporting that there is an increase in bream activity near the bank. Flat Creek PFA boasts the availability of shoreline access to land-bound anglers so take this opportunity to catch some nice sized bream. Here is a list of what the anglers are reporting to have had good success using for each of the following:

Bass: The last anglers to report catches were using deep diving crankbaits.

Bream: Anglers are reporting that bream are being caught using red wigglers and jigs.

Channel Catfish: The last anglers to report catches were using chicken livers, live baitfish, and cut baitfish.

Crappie: Anglers are reporting that crappie are being caught using live minnows and jigs.

MARBEN PUBLIC FISHING AREA (More Info HERE)

• Water level: All ponds are full.
• Water clarity: 16" to 36"
• Surface temperature: 78 -84 degrees
• Marben PFA Fishing Guide

Bass: The bass are moving to deeper water, but early morning and late afternoon may offer a top water bite in shallow water. Spinnerbaits, rubber worms, and creature baits have been working well also. Threadfin shad are still schooling early morning and late afternoon and the bass are hammering them.

Crappie: Very few crappie are being caught at this time, however several regular visitors seem to know where a few deep brush piles are located. Try fishing jigs over these habitats.

Bream: Crickets, waxworms, and pink worms fished on the or near the bottom continue to produce, particularly in the smaller ponds. Fly fishermen seems to have good luck pulling wet flies.

Other: Several nice hybrid bass have been caught out of Bennett Lake. Look for feeding activity early morning and late evening when the threadfin shad are schooling. The larger channel catfish are in the process of spawning. The berms at Fox are a popular location to catch this adult fish. Worms and chicken livers work great.

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)

Lots of fish were caught over the Memorial Day Weekend, even with the cooler than average temperatures and extreme winds early in the weekend.

River gages on June 1st were:

• Clyo on the Savannah River - 9.7 feet and falling
• Abbeville on the Ocmulgee - 3.9 feet and falling
• Doctortown on the Altamaha - 7.9 feet and falling
• Waycross on the Satilla - 11.9 feet and falling
• Atkinson on the Satilla - 11.5 feet and rising
• Statenville on the Alapaha - 3.4 feet and falling
• Macclenny on the St Marys - 3.4 feet and falling
• Fargo on the Suwannee - 3.8 feet and falling

Full Moon is June 4th. To monitor all the Georgia river levels, visit the USGS website HERE. For the latest marine forecast, click HERE.

ALAPAHA RIVER

Take note that the Highway 129 Bridge boat ramp (near Lakeland and known as Lakeland Boat Ramp) closed on May 30th. It will be closed for a couple months while the ramp and parking area are rebuilt.

ALTAMAHA/OCMULGEE RIVERS

The rivers are fishable again, and I got a good report from a couple of bass anglers who fished the middle Altamaha. They caught them on spinnerbaits on wood cover. The fish are starting to move from the backwaters to the main river.

SATILLA RIVER

The river is well into the floodplain again, so plan to fish somewhere else this week.

ST. MARYS RIVER

I got reports of some good redbreasts and bass being caught from the St George area late in the weekend. Chuck Dean fished the middle St Marys on Thursday afternoon and caught a really nice bluegill on a catalpa-colored Okefenokee Swamp Sally on his fly rod. He also caught a half-dozen on a white sally. Then, he switched to Satilla Spins and caught a couple dozen redbreasts and bluegill on cracklehead crawfish and white gold. Shady Bream Tournaments held their co-ed event on Saturday in the gale force winds. Daniel and Tamara won it with 8.21 pounds (10 panfish). Second was Mark and Brittany with 7.78 pounds. Ernie and Brittany placed third with 7.27 pounds. Big fish was 0.81 pounds caught by Monkey and Brittany. They will be holding another points tournament this Saturday (6/3), so check out Shady Bream Tournaments on Facebookfor more details.

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP

Mark and Sabrina Williams fished the east side on Tuesday and worked for them. They pitched crickets and plastic worms and caught 2 fliers, a big warmouth, a pickerel (jackfish), and several bowfin. Chuck Dean fished the east side on Monday and caught one on a white streamer with his fly rod before switching to casting and trolling Dura-Spins. He fooled 9 more bowfin on a red-white Dura-Spin. His biggest bowfin was 6 pounds. William Sims visited SC Foster State Park on the west side for the holiday weekend and had a blast catching lots of pickerel, bowfin, and fliers. He fooled the fliers with a popping bug and the pickerel and bowfin with Dura-Spins. The biggest pickerel he caught was 22 inches, and the best color was black/chartreuse. He caught a few on crawfish and jackfish colors. They casted the lures around lily pads and wood cover. Pete Dyess and his fishing buddy Virg fished the west side on Saturday in the extreme wind and caught 3 jackfish and lots of bowfin on Dura-Spins. On Sunday they caught them well, and their biggest jackfish was about 22 inches. They also had about 50 bowfin that ate their in-line spinners. They casted and trolled Dura-Spins in both white and jackfish colors. I took my daughter Ellie to the east side on Monday mid-day, and we did well for pickerel. We flung jackfish and fire tiger-chartreuse blade Dura-Spins all around the canals and fooled jackfish up to 21 inches and only a few bowfin. The latest water level (Folkston side) was 120.40 feet.

LOCAL PONDS

Mark Williams and Anthony Nettles fished an area pond and caught several bass in the 1 to 5-pound range. They fooled them with Trick Worms. A couple of Waycross anglers ran trot lines in a good catfish pond on Wednesday and caught several dozen channel catfish up to 3 pounds. They baited the hooks with cut squid. Tripp Vick of Guyton put it on the giant bluegills and shellcrackers in a local pond. He used red wigglers under a float to fool them. Gage Coley fished a Brunswick area pond a couple times this week and his best trip was 50 bass while fishing around bluegill beds using plastics colored like bluegills. Texas-rigged bama bug Yum Dingers with 1/4-oz. worm weight worked best for him. His fishing partner caught the biggest bass of the week - a 7 1/4-pounder. Chad Lee fished an Alma area pond for a short time this week and caught a pair of 2-pounders on Senkos. Jimmy Zinker fooled a 6-lb., 10-oz. bass by running a deep-diving crankbait across its nose in 17 feet of water.

DODGE COUNTY PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Eastman, more info HERE)

Ken Burke fished the area on Tuesday morning and caught 6 bass for a total of 15 pounds. His big fish was 4-lb., 2-oz., and he had some other chunky fish. He fooled them with a Rat-L-trap, crankbait, and shaky head worm. The water temperature rose to 80 degrees by mid-day. Check out the Dodge Co PFA Fishing Guide.

HUGH M. GILLIS PUBLIC FISHING AREA (near Dublin, more info HERE)

Ken Burke reported catching 7 bass from the area on Wednesday morning. They weighed a total of 16 1/4 pounds. He had 4 1/2 and 3 3/4-pound fish for his biggest two. Crankbaits and Rat-L-traps produced his bites. Check out the Hugh Gillis PFA Fishing Guide.

SALTWATER (GA COAST)

Winds were stiff early in the weekend, but weather improved as the weekend progressed. Cason and his son Conner had a great trip to the Jekyll Island area on Monday and had a dozen slot redfish and a couple big keeper trout. They fooled their fish with mudminnows and plastics. Capt. Greg Hildreth (georgiacharterfishing.com) had some great trout catches this week. He fished inshore around the sounds for his fish. Most were throwbacks, but there were keepers mixed in. Tripletail fishing was good on the few days this week when he could get out. He caught a few per trip. Kingfish and Spanish mackerel have started to show up this week. Tommy Sweeney fished the Brunswick area this week and caught quite a few trout around shell mounds on small sight flash (white-silver flake) and blue-chartreuse Keitech swimbaits and 1/16-oz. Zombie Eye Jigheads fished under a float. He had 5 keepers and 6 throwbacks on Monday. The whiting drops fired off for him in the 15-ft range this week out by Jekyll. They got a bite every time their shrimp hit the bottom, but there was not much size to most of their fish. Jay Turner fished from the bank in the Savannah area for just a couple hours on Thursday morning and caught 2 nice flounder and an oversized and a slot redfish by casting a sight flash Keitech swimbait on an 1/4-oz. red jighead with a Gamakatsu hook. I've heard some good reports this week of flounder being caught from Christmas Creek and trout off the Cumberland beach. James Pollard caught 4 keeper flounder from the Jekyll Island Pier on Tuesday. For the latest fishing information or mudminnows in the Brunswick area, check with J&P Bait and Tackleon Hwy 303 (912-282-9705).

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