Lake Oconee Fishing Report – August 2024

Oconee: Level: Full at 435. Temp: 87-90 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Nick Knapp, with Elite Guide Service, reports, “I look for the deep bite to continue through this month. Offshore humps and points have been pretty good. Look for bait on humps and points, and the fish won’t be far behind them. The deep cranking bite has been productive, as well as a Carolina-rigged Senko. When the sun gets high, I like to slow way down on the offshore stuff with a shaky head or a Carolina-rigged creature bait.”

Linesides: Capt. Doug Nelms, with BigFishHeads Guide Service, reports, “August brings the dog days of summer. At the moment, we are facing a conundrum with our stripers that I have never seen before. One day you’re at the dam sitting on the bubble line, looking at the most fish you have ever seen on your Humminbird,  catching fish as fast as you ever have, and the very next day… they are gone! When I say gone, I mean gone… non-existent! Then, hold the phone, two days later, they are back as strong and plentiful as they were three days before. It really has us scratching our heads because the good days are great and the not-so-good days are terrible. Once upon a time, we relied heavily on Georgia Power to generate at the dam to see a good bite, but I have noticed last month that when there is a strong pumpback, there are no fish. My theory is I believe the water has gotten way too hot. Last month, we had some record temps, and I think it has greatly affected the fishing. When the water is slack, with no current, I feel like the fish don’t have to fight as hard to stay in one place, and as a result you see those long ‘spaghetti lines’ under your boat. However, when there is substantial current, as with a pumpback, the fish stay out of it. Now where they go, I have no idea, but you can figure on most days with a pumpback you will not see the fish in the bubbles. The second reason I believe the water is warmer than normal is just about every striper we catch, we can’t revive, even the smaller ones. This hasn’t happened the past couple years, but it is very prominent this year. I spend a great deal of time trying to revive them after we land them. Of course a lot of people keep them for table fare, and if my clients don’t want them, on most days there are other guides who will happily take them, but we are working very hard to get them back. So, with that said, they are being caught with live bait, trolling Mini Macs and pitching artificial baits into the bubbles. Also, there are several groups of fish in other places on the lake that seem to help us out with our day if the bubble fish are not there. You can find them in Double Creek, Rocky Creek, the entrance to Cuscowilla and the Bull Hole. We are looking forward to some rain that will hopefully cool the water back down to manageable temps, but since this is only August, we still have a long ways to go.”

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