Lake Weiss Fishing Report August 2012

Weiss: Level: 0.8 feet low. Temp: 83-87 degrees. Clarity: Ranges from clear to stained.

Bass: Good, according to guide and tournament pro Warren Barnes. “The bass on Lake Weiss are in a late summertime mode right now, and the fish are very scattered. You can find a variety of patterns all over the lake. The early morning topwater bite is still good all over the lake right now. Buzzbaits and walkers like the Jackall Bonnie are still working very well. After the sun gets high, both the shallow and deep bite seem to get tougher. Making multiple casts and slow presentations will catch both spotted and largemouth bass. Up shallow, I have been flipping slower-moving baits like A 6-inch Jackall Flickshake worm rigged wacky style. Try this around any type of wood structure you can find, and remember to make multiple casts. As for the deeper fish, finesse baits like the Jackall Flickshake or a Tackle Doctors shaky head are working best. Fish these baits on ledges, points and roadbeds. Just like the shallow bite, make sure you fish slow and make multiple casts as well. As we move into September, I would look for the shallow bite to get better. The baitfish should start bunching up into tighter groups, and the bass will start schooling up. Shallow crankbaits like the Jackall Bling will be a great bait of choice for getting those fish.” Guide Mark Collins reports, “Bass are stacking up on the creek and river channel ledges in 6 to 12 feet of water. A Carolina-rigged Senko in green pumpkin or junebug and green pumpkin is working great. Stroking a 1/2-oz. jig on the ledges in Little River and the Chattooga River is catching some great bass. Also try a 1/2-oz. spinnerbait and deep-running crankbait. The topwater bite has been good for the last month early and late around seawalls and deeper banks. The upper Chattooga River above Cobia’s bridge is loaded with shad, and the spotted bass are feeding on them heavy. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits and a Carolina-rigged Senko worm fished on the edges of the river channel near the schools of shad are producing some good spotted bass. Some bass are still being caught flipping docks with a jig or tube bait. With the rain the past week, a lot of bass have moved shallow and to the banks, and a lot are being caught off rip-rap rocks.”

Crappie: Fair. Mark said, “The crappie are on creek and river channel ledges in 12 to 16 feet of water on brush and stumps. Spider-rigging with live minnows is the way to catch these deep crappie. A few crappie are still being caught shooting docks with jigs. Crappie are being caught under lights at night in 8 to 12 feet of water on the river channel in Little River and off of docks under lights at night.”

Stripe: Good. “They are starting to be caught at the Cave Hole in Little River on live shad downlined about 8 feet down or flatlined,” Mark said. “They are also being caught in the Chattooga River and in the canal when they are generating power. Little Spring Creek is also producing some good stripers on live shad.”

Catfish: There’s been a consistently good summer catfish bite on the flats in 10 to 15 feet deep on cut shad, Mark said.