# Bank Fishing Near Athens



## Muddy Water (Jun 1, 2011)

I know this has been asked a lot, but does anybody know of any good shore fishing location within 30 or so minutes of Athens? I've tried the main river parks and public lakes in Athens with minimal success and I'd really like to find somewhere where I could at least expect to catch a single fish per day. Any help would be appreciated and if you want to PM me the general location of a honey hole I promise I won't tell anyone. 

PS. I'm looking for bass fishing and catfish fishing primarily but I'd love a spot where I could pull some bream for eating.


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## asj410 (Jun 1, 2011)

I'm in the same boat as you, Muddy.  I haven't been able to get a single hit up at Sandy Creek in the past two weeks.  Tribble Mill bank fishing has been fruitless too (I head out that way when I have class at GGC).  I'm REALLY itching to hook up on some bass.  I don't know if it's just the extra fishing pressure that these Georgia lakes seem to get or this ridiculous heat, but when I was growing up in NY, the bass actually displayed signs of an appetite!  Now that I'm in GA, I'm hoping I might actually break my personal best of 2 pounds!...lol.

Btw, have you ever tried Lake Herrick?  I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile at all.


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## Muddy Water (Jun 1, 2011)

I've only been able to hook up with some small bluegill slowly dragging a carolina rigged nightcrawler along the bottom in a few spots. They'll bite but you won't catch anything that's over 1/2lb. I know there are some smallmouth in the lake but I haven't gotten any bites.


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## sbroadwell (Jun 1, 2011)

Well, if you don't mind spending some money, and catfish will make you happy, go to Crowe's Lake in Jefferson. Place is just full of decent sized catfish.
But, you pay to fish, then pay per pound, so it can get expensive.


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## Fletch_W (Jun 1, 2011)

Over the weekend, I fished Herrick for the first time in probably ten years. I was not impressed. I saw a few little bass, and there seemed to be plenty of little bream for forage, but it looked pathetic. The water being several feet low is part of that. I've never seen it that low. Again, I haven't fished it in ten years. Apparently, the forestry department has given up on the arboretum trail as well, since I found several markers for plants that did not exist. 

I do know that in the Fall, at "full pool", the bass fishing from the bank is fantastic, particularly nearing sunset. Or, used to be ten years ago. There is alot of grass, so you've got to use topwater or something like a spinner bait with a medium-fast retrieve to stay out of it. I had best luck on rattletraps, good casting distance from the bank, and ripping it over the hydrilla really makes the bass angry.

As long as you aren't in the heat of the day, I've always had good luck on Sandy Creek (Lake Chapman) from the bank, using stink baits for catfish. Mornings and sunset are good, but because of park hours and the possibility of getting locked in, it's best if you stick with mornings during the summer. The area I did well is the cove right at the boat ramp, on the other side. I haven't been there in about 4 years though, so take that with a grain. 

I had some other bank fishing haunts in Athens, but it seems like after 9/11, noone is turning a blind eye to trespassers any more, it's all about National Security. 


There's a halfway decent article on the Athens Banner Herald website, www.onlineathens.com all about bank fishing around Athens. You should read it. Go to the site, and search "fishing Athens" and it should pop up in the results.


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## Muddy Water (Jun 1, 2011)

Fletch, according to the two University cops I see when I go to Herrick, they're using the lake to water the band's practice field and that it probably won't return to full pool. It's been that low since last fall and the fishing is miserable. They could really improve that lake by making it catch and release. It's hard to build a fish stock when they're constantly draining the lake and anything with fins is harvested from it.


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## Fletch_W (Jun 1, 2011)

Muddy Water said:


> Fletch, according to the two University cops I see when I go to Herrick, they're using the lake to water the band's practice field and that it probably won't return to full pool. It's been that low since last fall and the fishing is miserable. They could really improve that lake by making it catch and release. It's hard to build a fish stock when they're constantly draining the lake and anything with fins is harvested from it.



Lake Herrick has a pretty big drainage basin for it's size. I would guess with normal rainfall, the lake would be full pool. I wouldn't necessarily blame it on the practice field. With no rain, and watering the field, that definitely makes sense though. 

What do you mean about draining the lake and harvesting anything with fins?


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## Muddy Water (Jun 1, 2011)

They're pulling a ton of water to water those fields to the point that the water level is continuing to fall. And the lake gets a lot of pressure, but most of that pressure is from non catch and release fisherman so the fish there tend to be very young and small.


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## Fletch_W (Jun 1, 2011)

I didn't see a single other person out there fishing when I went over the weekend. I also didn't notice a bunch a worm containers trashing up the place, which I used to see alot of back in the day. Tell me more about the state of the lake. When do you usually go, and how many people are generally fishing the lake when you go? Have you thought about keeping some of the little ones you catch, to reduce forage competition with the medium and large bass? 

On watering the practice field, I'd wager money that evaporation takes more water than the redcoat irrigation. But I won't, because gambling is a sin. A football field needs about 1000 gallons of water a day in weather like this. Drawing down 1 inch of water from a 15 acre lake is how many gallons? I don't know, but it's alot.


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## asj410 (Jun 1, 2011)

Fletch_W said:


> Drawing down 1 inch of water from a 15 acre lake is how many gallons? I don't know, but it's alot.



I can't believe I actually took the time to do it, but the answer is 27,154.29 gallons.  So I guess that would be close to an inch of water off the lake each month.

On an unrelated note, I've been fishing Lake Chapman along the eastern shore around the campgrounds, and there is just nothing there.  I did have a fluke day a couple of weeks ago when I had three topwater hits and landed two.  The one that got away was a good 4-5 pound bass, which would have shattered by personal best.  I guess that figures...lol.  Other than that, I haven't had anything on topwater, spinner baits, worms, flukes, or swimbaits.  I guess all the fish must have gone down deep at this point, given how freaking hot it's been.  I wonder if Bear Creek is worth it for the bank bass fisherman...


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 1, 2011)

Fletch_W said:


> Apparently, the forestry department has given up on the arboretum trail as well, since I found several markers for plants that did not exist.



Not to hijack the thread too much --

BUT--

I know the forest manager, and there's an interesting story behind the markers, and lack of plants attached thereto.

Seems like every time they put up a marker, some botany professor tells his class to go out and get a leaf from a Slimleaf Paw Paw (or whatever), and college students, being as lazy as they are, go right to the tree with the marker, pull off all the leaves, and compact all the soil around it.  As many of the marked trees are a relatively rare, the trees can't tolerate that level of abuse and degradation of their habitat.  So the markers haven't been kept current.  Too bad for the students.

Otherwise I think the paths are in good repair and receive a lot of use -- you will see that they have been doing a lot of clearing of downed trees to keep the trails open.  Also, the dog park is in good shape, and is one of the few places inside the perimeter where you can let your dog run off leash.

To bring this a little back on topic, I've never had much luck at Lake Herrick, for years and years.  I attribute that to the "catch and keep" philosophy of most of the people who fish there.  Day in and day out it gets a lot of pressure for its size.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 1, 2011)

sbroadwell said:


> Well, if you don't mind spending some money, and catfish will make you happy, go to Crowe's Lake in Jefferson. Place is just full of decent sized catfish.
> But, you pay to fish, then pay per pound, so it can get expensive.




Especially as there is no catch and release.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 1, 2011)

Fletch_W said:


> What do you mean about draining the lake and harvesting anything with fins?



They drained the entire lake a few years ago to clean up the bottom and try to cut down on the summer algae bloom.  They were also having some issues with goose poop raising the e. coli count (which contributed to the algae problem).  It's not a regular occurrence.



Fletch_W said:


> _ Drawing down 1 inch of water from a 15 acre lake is how many gallons? I don't know, but it's alot_.





asj410 said:


> I can't believe I actually took the time to do it, but the answer is 27,154.29 gallons.  So I guess that would be close to an inch of water off the lake each month.



Are you sure?  

Must be the new math.

One inch of water on one acre is 27,154 gallons.

One inch of water from a 15 acre lake is 407,310 gallons.



In any event, I think the irrigation isn't a factor in the lowered level.  UGA has been irrigating the intramural fields from that lake for years.  One reason they keep the fields in such good shape despite such heavy use.


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## Muddy Water (Jun 2, 2011)

Guess that means it isn't the irrigation that's lowered the level so much. Normally when I go I see around 3 to 4 fishermen. At first they'd be pulling 5-10 fish regardless of size out of the lake a day, but now they aren't getting any bites. I know there are fish in the lake but I think they aren't biting due to a combination of heavy pressure and just being overfished. I don't mean to start an arguement, I'd like to know just as much as anybody why this lake has slipped so much recently


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## jveihman (Jun 4, 2011)

I am a student at UGA and have fished lake herrick probably 20 times since the beginning of march this year and the fishing has slowed considerably with the rising temperatures. I in early spring I was able to pull lots of fish in the 6-9 inch range fairly consistently, all of which were very skinny. Only caught one fish that was even worth taking a second look at, that was near 1.5 pounds. Muddy Water is right about the fishing pressure though, lots of people fishing everytime I go, most often around the piers though. It's not worth fishing very often in the summer heat with the water as low as it is.


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## 3.5 YR-OLD BAMBI (Jun 5, 2011)

Sounds like the water is to hot in these lakes you are fishing during the day. Have you tried fishing at night if possible?


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## asj410 (Jun 5, 2011)

Twenty five ought six said:


> Are you sure?
> 
> Must be the new math.
> 
> ...



Ha....I either fudged up the calculations or the conversion numbers I got were wrong.  Or both.  My vote is for the former though...lol.


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## Fletch_W (Jun 5, 2011)

Back to the original topic:

On the Oconee River at Highway 15 and down at Dyar's Pasture, about 15 minutes south of Watkinsville, there are bank fishermen that seem to do alright. I imagine catfish and panfish would be the targeted species, except in the Spring when there is a white bass run followed by hybrids and striper. That's really it's own topic, for more info on that, use the search function here for "Oconee River White Bass" and read to your heart's content. 

Bear Creek has a small bank fishing area as well, I've never had luck there but apparently people do, since the area always has people on the weekends, it is in a nice little cove. If you went in the middle of the week, you'd probably have it all to yourself, throw out a couple of chicken livers and see what swims by. Don't get drunk or stoned out there though, the area is patrolled by law enforcement.

Finally, I agree with what 3.5 Year Old Bambi said, hot conditions like this are tough fishing even from boats.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 5, 2011)

Fletch_W said:


> Back to the original topic:
> 
> On the Oconee River at Highway 15




Actually some pretty good bank fishing there.  There's good access north all the way to Skull Shoals--improved maintained trail, and most people don't get more than 100 from the ramp.

Depending on how bold you are (don't have to be very bold), the river is wadeable all the way.  You can walk the trail, and every where there is a steep bank, you can just jig a worm or even a jig right next to the bank or any dead fall, and you will be surprised at the fish you catch.

You can get in the river, and pitch bank to the undercut banks, and pull out some nice fish too.


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## Fletch_W (Jun 5, 2011)

Twenty five ought six said:


> Actually some pretty good bank fishing there.  There's good access north all the way to Skull Shoals--improved maintained trail, and most people don't get more than 100 from the ramp.
> 
> Depending on how bold you are (don't have to be very bold), the river is wadeable all the way.  You can walk the trail, and every where there is a steep bank, you can just jig a worm or even a jig right next to the bank or any dead fall, and you will be surprised at the fish you catch.
> 
> You can get in the river, and pitch bank to the undercut banks, and pull out some nice fish too.



The last two times I've been, the maintained trail has been officially closed, which means it's no longer maintained, but still exists.


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## Muddy Water (Jun 6, 2011)

Anybody know is Bell's lake is still open? I remember hearing from a few people that it was a pretty decent place to catch some eating sized catfish/bream but I'm not too sure if it's still open to the public.


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## Twenty five ought six (Jun 6, 2011)

Muddy Water said:


> Anybody know is Bell's lake is still open? I remember hearing from a few people that it was a pretty decent place to catch some eating sized catfish/bream but I'm not too sure if it's still open to the public.




It's still open.  It's posted with signs saying it's been re-stocked, and some sort of big fish tournament is going on.  Haven't stopped to read the fine print.


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