Lake Oconee Fishing Report – February 2008

Oconee: Level: Full pool. Temp: 46 degrees. Clarity: Mostly clear in main lake with slight stain up the rivers.

Bass: Slow. Most of the bass have moved off into deeper water, according to guide Al Bassett. “Look for schools of baitfish, and use a Flex-it spoon. Fish this bait just below the schools of baitfish, working it up and down about 6 to 12 inches. Be a line watcher, as some of these bites will be very light,” Al said. When the water temperatures climb back into the low to mid 50s this month, look for bass to start staging on long points that have rocks or brushpiles, especially points just outside of spawning pockets. “Another area to look for these fish is on deep-water docks also leading into these same areas,” Al said. “My bait of choice would be an Ol-Nelle spinnerbait in white and chartreuse with one silver and one gold blade. I will start off with a smaller one and then go up in size as the water warms. The second bait to use would be a small crankbait like a No. 5 Shad Rap or a 1/2-oz. Rat-L-Trap. Chrome and black or chrome and blue are the colors of choice.”

Crappie: Fair. “Currently these fish are holding in the channels leading to their spawn areas,” Al said. “These fish may be as deep as 15 feet, but when we have a couple warm days in a row they may move up in the water column to 5 feet or less. By the end of the month trolling will be in full swing. Look for the flats that are in 5 feet of water or less. The backs of Rocky Creek, Sandy Creek or Sugar Creek will be good places to check out. Troll using Jiffy Jigs tipped with live minnows. Some of the top colors are red/green/yellow and black/green/black.