Lake Oconee Fishing Report October 2012

Oconee: Level: 0.9 feet below full pool. Temp: 78-82 degrees. Clarity: Light stain.

Bass: Aaron Batson reports, “Bass fishing is improving. Cooler nights have brought baitfish and bass much shallower. Target fish as they head back into the creek to feed up on shad before winter. Cover water looking for bait with a 1/4-oz. Rat-L-Trap in chrome/blue or gold/black. You can also follow this bait up with a 1/4-oz. all white Ol’ Nelle spinnerbait with double willowleaf blades. Once you find the bait, the bass will be easy to pick off. You can also slow down and flip any cover in these same areas with a 3/16-oz. Net Boy Baits Screw Ball jig head with a Wackem Crazy Baits Stinger Tail worm in junebug.”

Linesides: Guide Doug Nelms reports, “Historically, this is the month when things begin to turn around on Lake Oconee. The water is beginning to cool down, and the shad will start their fall congregation. You can look for stripers in the River Bend area. You will start off by seeing big balls of shad, and when that happens the stripers are not far behind them. Guide Mark Smith reports, “As the month of October progresses, look for the fishing to improve greatly. Right now there is some schooling activity mid-lake in the afternoons. This is spotty at best. Look for the fish to show up in the River Bend and Double Branches areas first. We are already seeing the fish on our Lowrance, but they will not eat. As the water cools later in the month, the bite will improve. Live bait and trolling crankbaits will work best in the early fall.”

Crappie: Guide Doug Nelms reports, “The crappie will show in Lick Creek between the bridges, and you will begin the see the spider-rig fishermen working those areas.” Guide Al Bassett reports, “Fish are starting to move with the shad into the backs of the creeks. You can still catch fish over brushpiles in 10 to 15 feet of water and on the drop offs. During this time of year, some bigger fish will start to show up in these areas. I have been catching fish as shallow as 5 feet where the brush or drop off is as much as 15 feet. These fish are moving up and down in depth over this type of structure. Use your Lowrance HDS and LSS-2 unit to find the fish before you start fishing. The bites may be a very light, so use light line, and be a line watcher. Using live bait in the brush is your best bet. By the end of the month, fish should be starting to show up in the backs of the creeks all over the lake.”