Lake Blackshear Fishing Report – October 2007

Blackshear: Level: Full pool. Temp: 81 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Ernie Broughton, who runs the Blackshear Buddies tournaments, is looking forward to better fishing as the water cools. Schooling should improve as the water temperature drops, and Ernie said he has seen some schooling already. “When they come up, one of my favorites is a Little Cleo spoon. They will eat that thing up. It’s about the same size as the shad. A Rat-L-Trap is also good or a small spinnerbait,” Ernie said. If the fish aren’t schooling, fish a Carolina-rigged worm around cypress trees and docks. He also likes a Chatter Bait. The morning and evening topwater bite will improve, too. Ernie likes a Pop-R or the Zara Puppy, the downsized version of the Zara Spook.

Crappie: Fair. Local anglers are catching fish after dark around deep-water docks, said Rusty Parker. “Try the docks on the river channel just north of Cedar Creek,” he said. “The river channel comes in close, and there are some deep docks.” For jig fishermen, Rusty said black/chartreuse or bright green/chartreuse are good colors. “Just about any color with chartreuse feathers,” he said. With the water temperature dropping, the fish should be moving into the creeks soon, and trollers pulling jigs along the creek channels should start doing well.

Catfish: Excellent. “I don’t know how it could get any better,” said Rusty, who is catching fish on sand flats adjacent to the river channel. He attracts fish with a smelly concoction, then catches them on worms fished a foot off the bottom.