Posts by GON Staff
Lake Lanier Fishing Report – October 2023
Lanier: Level: 5.1 feet below 1071. Temp: 77 to 80 degrees but will drop quickly as the month moves along. Clarity: Expect clearing water conditions on the south end and turnover cloudiness as you move north on the lake. Bass: Guide Jimbo Mathley with Jimbo’s Lake Lanier Spotted Bass Guide Service reports, “October on Lake…
Read MoreLake Jackson Fishing Report – October 2023
Jackson: Level: 0.8 feet below 528. Temp: Low to mid 70s. Clarity: Clear except for boat-traffic stain on the weekends. Bass: Tournament angler Willie McMullen reports that October is a transition month with bass following bait into the creeks and coves. A good pattern is to start at the mouth of a cove and work…
Read MoreThe 2023 Georgia Rut Map
When’s the rut? That has to be one of the most common questions we get at GON. The short answer is always, “It depends…” For one, the rut varies widely in our state. In southeast Georgia, bucks are chasing does as early as the first of October, while in the mountains or southwest Georgia, deer…
Read MoreWest Point Lake Fishing Report – October 2023
West Point: Level: 4.8 feet below 635. North of Highway 219 up the river is pretty dangerous already so be careful. Temp: Mid to upper 70s in most areas. Clarity: Really clear in most areas, although some areas have that fall tea or brownish tint. Bass: Guide Keith Hudson reports, “Good. With the nice cool…
Read More2023 Georgia Deer Season Off To Hot Start
Another Georgia deer season has kicked off, and based on reports from archery hunters, it’s going to be a good one. Lots of quality bucks—many of them still in velvet—were taken the first two weeks of bow season. We are also hearing some promising reports on the acorn crop this year, which is good news…
Read MoreFlathead Catfish Found In Ogeechee River
DNR Fisheries staff recently captured non-native flathead catfish while sampling in the Ogeechee River. WRD staff conducts annual catfish sampling in coastal rivers to monitor native species and detect any potential non-native species. In December 2021, a single flathead was caught by a commercial fisherman. Until then, no flatheads had been reported in…
Read MoreFive Entries In Youth Big-Buck Contest Week 1
GON’s Youth Big-Buck Contest began with five bucks entered by young hunters during the first week of archery season. The best buck each week wins a LockedOn 360 gun vise, a Rugged Road Outdoors 30-Can Soft Cooler and a Shoot-Out jersey. They also earn a spot in a Youth Shoot-Out for a $3,000 shopping spree…
Read MorePopular Country DJ, James “Moby” Carney, Dies
James “Moby” Carney, a popular country music radio DJ with strong ties to the Georgia outdoor community, died Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, at age 69. Moby had battled stage 4 stomach cancer. The GON Community got to know Moby not just from his morning show on Kicks 101.5 from 1991 to 2012, but also through…
Read MoreOpening Day Buck On Video For Young Hunter
Nine-year-old Andrew Bruce, of Newborn, didn’t let much of the 2023 Georgia deer season slip by before he downed a nice 8-point buck. Andrew was with his father TJ the evening of opening day of archery season when he shot the buck while hunting with a crossbow. Their property is on the Morgan/Newton County…
Read MoreMegel Arrows 160-Inch Meriwether County Buck
Jonathan Megel and his father John have been working on improving the hunting and quality of the deer on a tract of land in Meriwether County that they’ve had now for about three years. A major component of that effort is to try and let bucks get some age on them. Heading into this 2023…
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