Paradise PFA Fishing Report – January 2009

Paradise PFA: Reports were prepared by Area Manager Charles West. Levels: Lake Patrick is at full pool, but other PFA lakes remain 12 to 18 inches below full pool. Temp: 59 degrees. Clarity: Clear to lightly stained.

Bass: Good. Several bass anglers have reported catching 20 to 30 bass using chrome/blue Rat-L-Traps in Lake Bobben. Also, blue flake and junebug plastic worms have been the best bait for fishing the heavy cover located on the north end of Lake Bobben. Good fish are being caught in Lake Patrick using shad-colored flukes and soft jerkbaits like the Dartin Shad. Warmer-than-usual days in December have kept water temps in the high 50s, and the bass have remained more active. In late January and early February when water temps drop below 58 degrees, anglers normally begin catching keeper bass using deep-diving lures in 6 feet or deeper water about 20 to 30 yards out from the bank. One proven technique is to crank the lure down to about 4 to 6 feet, then jerk and twitch it a few times letting it pause for a few seconds. Keep repeating this all the way to the boat. Normally you can expect water temps to remain below 60 through mid February. By late February water temps usually reach 62 to 64 degrees. If this occurs, you can expect to see bass in the shallows and bedding activity to start. Traditionally in south Georgia ponds near Tifton, this will occur around the last week of February and the first week of March.

Crappie: Good. Crappie are biting in 3 to 4 feet of water using 1/32- to 1/16-oz. float-rigged jigs. Crappie have been hitting blue/white, black/green and white/red jigs in lakes Tacklebuster, Patrick and Russell. Some anglers have reported catching 2-lb.-plus crappie from the Patrick pier.

Catfish: Fair. Horseshoe 1 is still producing some 1- to 2-lb. catfish using rooster liver and big pond worms for bait. Several anglers have reported catching their limit of channel catfish from the pier in Lake Patrick using chicken liver. The best time for catching fish has been late evening about half hour before sunset.

Bream: Excellent due to the warmer-than-usual weather. If warmer days continue, expect the shellcracker to bite well in Lake Patrick near the boat ramp and around the pier. Best bait has been pond worms broken in half and fished just off the bottom at the 4- to 6-foot depth. Many 1/2- to 3/4-lb. redear have been caught fishing from the bank in Lake Patrick. Using too big of a hook and too heavy a line can slow the bite. A No. 6 hook and 6-lb. test line is a good combination and will definitely handle the biggest of bream. Bluegill in the 1/4- to 1/2-lb. size have also been biting along the north side of Lake Tacklebuster. Fish near the pond drain pipe coming from the Lake Patrick spillway.

Note: Charles thanks the anglers at Paradise who share their experiences and angling tips.