Lake Oconee Fishing Report – November 2006

Oconee: Level: Full pool. Temp: 68 degrees. Clarity: Light stain in some creeks; the south end of the main lake and Richland Creek are very clear.

Bass: Fair, and it should get very good soon. “They’re starting to move into the pockets, but they’re still not all the way back,” said guide Al Bassett. “The bass are following the bait, and everything is working toward the backs of the pockets.” The cool weather this week should push the bait and bass on in, and a great fall bite on spinnerbaits and small crankbaits should start. Also try a Texas-rigged worm or a soft jerkbait like a Super Fluke around shallow stumps and any wood cover you find in the pockets. Early in the day fish a buzzbait.

Crappie: Good as the schools have started moving back into the little, “short” pockets off the main lake in the middle section of the lake. Try minnows or jigs fished in four to five feet of water.

Hybrids: Still tough, according to Al. The fall bite for schools of big hybrids is typically some of the best action of the year on Oconee, and it should get started any day. Right now, small hybrids that are mixed with small white bass can be caught schooling, but the bigger hybrids still haven’t set up on a steady bite. When they do, look for the birds for surface action. Also, fish flatlines and downlines with live shad or large bass minnows over flats and humps from Sugar Creek and Lick Creek to the dam area.