Lake Oconee Fishing Report – March 2009

Oconee: Level: Full pool. Temp: 42-45 degrees on the lower end; 47 degrees up the lake. Clarity: Mostly clear, but some stained water up the rivers and some of the creeks.

Bass: Good. Mike Harris reports: “Chrome-and-blue, 1/2-oz. Rat-L-Traps, jig ’n pigs in natural colors and slow-rolled spinnerbaits in shad colors are working on secondary points and rocks in Richland Creek. The points inside the timber line in the mouth of the Oconee and up Richland Creek are producing good numbers. As the weather warms over the next few weeks, a Carolina-rigged lizard will be working, as well, in the same areas. The fish are just starting to move to staging areas in preparation for the spawn.”

Crappie: Guide Doug Nelms reports, “The monster crappie of the winter have returned. When the water hits 53 degrees in special areas on Oconee, the huge crappie began to show up, and it becomes hallowed time. Guys take off from work, guides contact all their clients, and we prepare for something that only happens once a year. The fish are being caught by spider rigging black and blue-and-black and chartreuse Jiffy Jigs, tipped with minnows. Dyer’s Pasture is loaded up with crappie right now. Guys are catching many fish in the 1 1/2-lb. range. There are also a lot of fish up the Apalachee River.”

Linesides: Doug reports, “The stripers have started trickling into the dam area for the annual spawn.” At Oconee, the spring run for linesides includes many hybrids and stripers that head down the lake to the dam instead of up the rivers. “A few anglers have already picked up some really big fish by trolling the barrel lines. It is still a little early for them to be there, but the warm weather we had has set them on. Trolling Shad Raps down 18 feet seem to produce the best bite.”