Lake Oconee Fishing Report – September 2008

Oconee: Level: Full pool. Temp: 82-84 degrees. Clarity: Light stain in the middle section of the lake; clear on the lower end.

Bass: Fair. The quality bites are few, but if you stay with a jig and flip the docks you can catch a chunk or two. Bright and sunny days are best. For numbers, use a Carolina-rigged green-pumpkin Trick Worm and fish the ends of long points, the humps and the submerged rock boulders on the main lake. Look for a topwater bite on the seawalls to get started again as temps cool.

Linesides: Slow. “The hybrids and stripers seem to have gone on their annual summer vacation,” said Doug Nelms. “They do this for about four weeks each year when the water gets so warm and the oxygen content thins out.” Doug said he’s beginning to suspect that Oconee has a thermocline setting up in the middle section of the lake near the River Bend area. It’s showing on electronics, and the coves in that area are where fish show up first after the summer disappearing act.

Crappie: Very good. “Anglers are wearing out the crappie down close to the dam during night-fishing expeditions,” Doug said. “I have heard about some monstrous catches being reported from guys fishing over the treetops at night.”