Lake Oconee Fishing Report – July 2006

Oconee: Level: Full pool. Temp: 83-85 degrees. Clarity: Light stain.

Bass: Fair to good. First thing in the morning, try a Pop-R or other topwater plug along seawalls and rip-rap. Last week there was a huge mayfly hatch. Look for trees with over-hanging branches, and if you find mayflies, you can catch bass on a Pop-R or something small like a Rooster Tail. During the mid-morning, try skipping a Senko under docks, or flipping the docks with a jig ’n pig. In the afternoon when they’re pulling water at the dam, there has been a good crankbait bite for quality fish. Use a Little Earl in green/chartreuse on points and humps in 11 to 14 feet of water. Also try a green pumpkin Carolina-rigged Trick Worm on those same areas.

Crappie: Fair using live minnows straight-lined right next to the trees in the standing timber. Vary your depth until you start to get bites.

Hybrids: Good on the days when they come up and school. The schooling activity is early and late from the mouth of Sugar Creek to the south on main-lake points and flats. Many of the schooling fish have been smaller white bass. During the day, downline shad over the humps from the mouth of Richland Creek to the dam.