Lake Oconee Fishing Report August 2013

Oconee: Level: Full pool. Temp: Mid 80s to 90, depending on sun or rain. Clarity: Stained up the rivers and clear on the south end.

Bass: Good. Tournament pro Aaron Batson is fishing main-lake points, humps and deeper docks to catch bass. “You can catch some fish right at daylight throwing a topwater hollow-belly Spro frog,” said Aaron. After that he will break out the Carolina rig. He prefers dragging a Wackem Crazy Baits Trick Stick in junebug or redbug. When working deep docks, Aaron likes a Net Boy Baits jig or a shaky head with a Trick Stick.

Crappie: Guide Jody Stephens said, “Shooting docks will produce crappie, and so will night fishing with lights or daytime double-minnow rigs in 18 to 30 feet of water over submerged treetops or brushpiles.”

Linesides: Guide Mark Smith reports, “The striper and hybrid fishing is poor to good depending on if Georgia Power is moving water or not. If they are pulling water, the fishing can be good. If the water is not moving, then the fishing is tough. When the water is moving, the best fishing has been on the mid-lake humps. I have been using a Capt. Mack’s 4-arm umbrella rig pulled 100 feet behind the boat at 3 mph.”

Catfish: “In August, the most consistent bite will be catfish,” Mark said. “Live bait and cut bait will be the baits of choice. Drift these baits just off of the main-lake channel. Make sure if you are using bream that you catch them with a rod and not in a net.”