Lake Oconee Fishing Report – February 2024

Oconee: Level: Full at 435. Temp: 49 degrees. Clarity: Muddy everywhere.

Bass: Guide Norris Edge reports, “While I would say the bass fishing couldn’t be good with all the mud, the guys in the ABA tournament weighed in a 22-lb. sack to take the trophy! The last guy to get a check weighed in over 15 pounds, so there are some guys who have figured out the mud and fresh rain that is coming into the lake. At the time of this report, we have received another inch of rain, and lots of rain has fallen north of the lake, so more mud to come. Historically, February is a great month to catch big bass. Spinnerbaits, jigs and shaky-head worms will bring in a lot of big fish to the boats. As soon as this water clears and it begins warming up, it will be so good.”

Linesides: Capt. Doug Nelms with BigFishHeads Guide Service reports, “The water is cold and the striper fishing will get hot this month. We have had over 13 inches fall on Lake Oconee since I wrote the last report, and the fishing has been tough. Unlike crappie, the stripers don’t care too much for the mud, and as it makes its way down the lake, the stripers stay ahead of it. The best bite we can find at the moment is in Richland Creek and in waters that aren’t so muddy. Anglers all over the lake have been pulling Mini Macks, and the bigger fish have responded well to them. You might need to weigh them down a little, like a 1-oz. weight tied about 3 feet above your Mini, but start off trying different weights until you get to the depth they want. Of course I am shaking jigging spoons with pretty good results, and I think it will just keep getting better if the rain will give us a little reprieve.”

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Crappie: Capt. Doug Nelms with BigFishHeads Guide Service reports, “February is always the month we get ready for the big fish crappie bite. For a lot of us, our pushing poles come off the walls, we re-spool our lines, make a call to Jiffy Jigs to get restocked and head for the upper ends of the lake. The Duck Blind, Wayne’s Point, Redlands, Town Creek and many more places on Oconee will be calling us anglers who want to catch the 2-pounders this spring. When I push, I use 16-foot ACC Crappie Sticks with a 1-oz. weight and a 1/16-oz. Jiffy Jig. The Jiffy Jig colors I prefer are the red sexy bug, black/blue/black, black/green sparkle, black and the Doug bug. Tip them with crappie minnows and concentrate on the edges of the river channels as long as the water remains cold. If we get three warm days in a row, the fish will swim into the shallows from 3 to 6 feet. Even though they might not spawn, I feel like they will go up and just take a look… windowshop if you will. By the end of February, if we get any warm days, don’t be surprised if you find crappie loaded with eggs and trying to spawn. The anglers on Oconee will either be pushing, pulling or scoping, and each one of those methods will bring big fish into your livewells. I think when the water warms up to 62, probably in March, the spawn will happen quickly, and it will end just as fast as it started, so this month is the time to figure them out and stay with them.”