Ocmulgee River Shoal Bass, Summertime From A Kayak

Daniel Hamilton with a great shoal bass he caught on a recent trip with the author.

The phrase “Dog Days” doesn’t quite describe what’s going on in Georgia this month. I just took a quick glance out of my kitchen window at the thermometer that hangs on the corner of my back porch, and at roughly 2 in the afternoon, it’s clocking in right at 97 degrees—in the shade! Even a quick trip to the mailbox this month will have you drenched in sweat as you hurry to get back to the recliner where an ice-cold glass of tea awaits. It’s a miserable month in the Peach State, and I guess that’s why boat ramps look like ghost towns, lying desolate and silent after the bustling months earlier in the year. If you’re a bass fisherman, it’s safe to say that for the most part all hope is lost of getting on a good bite and staying cool in the process. Or is it?

What if I told you about a place where the water is cool, the fish bite all day long, and you don’t need a boat to go catch them. Even better, no matter where you live in Georgia, this centrally located river is within a reasonable drive for a day trip. Sounds too good to be true, right? That’s where Daniel Hamilton enters the picture.

Daniel agreed to show me the ropes of summertime bass fishing, and we managed to line up a trip shortly ahead of this month’s edition of GON going to press.

When Daniel sent me the pin of where we’d be fishing, I’ll be honest and say I was optimistic to say the very least. Situated a short ride down from the Lake Jackson Dam and deep within the Oconee National Forest lies Marjorie Kahn Popper Boat Ramp on the Ocmulgee River.  This river doesn’t seem to get as much hype or publicity when it comes to Georgia’s river bass fishing opportunities.

Trusting Daniel’s instincts, myself and my son, Colt, made the trip with hopes that the fishing would be as good as Daniel predicted it would be.

“I’m not going to jinx us, but the fishing should be… no… no… I’m not even going to say it,” Daniel said with a smile as we were unloading our kayaks and gear.

Once we got things situated in our kayaks, we lifted them on an elevated kayak slide and proceeded to slide them the 50 or so yards to the water’s edge.

We launched around 7:30 a.m. and spent the next few hours working our way upriver, mostly wading with our kayaks in tow behind us. We didn’t go more than a mile or so and caught 30 or so shoal bass in the process. The even better part was that thanks to the river’s cool waters, I don’t think I even broke a sweat, despite temperatures soaring close to 100 degrees that day.

Here’s a breakdown of how Daniel catches fish this month on the river and manages to stay cool in the process.

Fish Holding Locations: First glance at the Ocmulgee from the launch is a little intimidating if you’re new to the river. Thousands of rocks and boulders of various sizes in virtually every direction deflect water as it gurgles and thunders past. To put it simply, everything looks the same, and Daniel says that’s why it’s important to know where to look.

“Shoalies are going to be set up in specific places based on the current. Once you know where to look, they’re pretty easy to target and catch,” said Daniel.

“Deep water is where the big fish are really going to stack up. Those slow-moving deep pools will have some of the biggest fish in the river in August. There’s not a bunch of deep stretches, but when you find one, you better fish it thoroughly,” Daniel added.

Shaded banks were also very productive the day of our trip, as we managed to catch several nice shoal bass by skipping baits under low, overhanging branches. This was especially productive during the early and mid-afternoon hours when the sun was at its brightest.

“From 12 to 4 in the afternoon, the banks where you can find a foot or two of water that’s not being hammered by the sun, there’s a good bet you’ll get bit. If you can find deep water and shade, it’s probably gonna be a big bite,” Daniel added.

Breaks in the current is another target area where Daniel focuses on this month, and with literally thousands upon thousands of rocks causing breaks in the current, the question is which ones to fish?

“Fish will hold on those current breaks from one side of the river to the other. What I’m looking for when I scan the river is the single rock that’s closest to the fastest-moving water I can find. That’s where a big shoal bass is going to wait for unsuspecting prey to get pushed by,” said Daniel.

Small, shallow, slow-moving pools that form in the middle of the river were also productive the day of our trip. To keep from spooking fish in these areas, we used long casts to keep our distance and present our lures without being detected.

“Good polarized glasses help to locate fish. Keep in mind, though, that if you can see a shoal bass, he can see you. It’s super important to keep a low profile and keep your distance. Doing this is going to result in a lot more bites,” said Daniel.

Daniel nets a nice shoal bass for the author, one of 30 caught on the recent trip.

Lures & Techniques: You don’t need a very big tackle box to target shoal bass this month on the upper Ocmulgee. Daniel puts his confidence in a small arsenal of lures that he’s had frequent success with on the river.

A Zoom Super Fluke is Daniel’s day in and day out, go-to lure on the river, and it’s one you should have if you make a trip this month.

“It’s a great bait to have tied on because it’s very versatile. You can fish it fast and keep it high in the water column, or you can fish it really slow and make them eat it. There’s so many ways you can present it to the bass, and that’s what makes it a good choice to throw,” Daniel said.

Daniel recommends rigging the Fluke weightless on a 3/0 wide gap Gamakatsu hook, and he prefers to fish it on Lew’s baitcasting gear with a rod in the medium range. He uses 10-lb. mono to avoid spooking line-shy fish in the clear water.

“Mono is a good choice in this river because the stretch you get when you get a big one on. If he runs around a rock, that stretch in the mono gives you a fighting chance to land the fish,” said Daniel.

Daniel says he likes natural colors in the river, but he will switch to darker colors when the water is stained. His go-to approach to fish the Fluke is a twitch-twitch-pause, and he says it’s usually on the pause when they’ll slam it.

Another lure that Daniel was quick to recommend was a hard jerkbait. He fishes it on the same Lew’s setup as he does a Fluke, and he uses a similar twitch-pause cadence to draw strikes.

“I might start out doing a couple of twitches and then a pause, and if that’s not working, I may go to four or five twitches and a pause. You can get creative with how you fish it based on what they want that day. Just pay careful attention to the pause because that’s when they’ll slam it.”

Daniel said he likes several different jerkbaits, but as of late, a Megabass OneTen is his favorite to throw on the river. He prefers several different colors and recommends anything that looks natural.

When he’s looking for a good topwater bite, Daniel relies on a Berkley Choppo to get the job done. He prefers to throw it on medium-heavy Lew’s baitcasting gear loaded up with 15-lb. braided line.

“It’s a great option early and late in the day and in cloudy, overcast conditions. That same twitching and pausing action I use for the Fluke and jerkbait will draw reaction strikes on the Choppo.

As with his other preferred lures, Daniel sticks to natural colors when the water is clear; however he will go to white and other louder colors when fishing heavily stained water.

A Zoom Trick Worm is a good option to fish, especially in deeper areas of the river. Daniel likes to rig a green-pumpkin or black worm on a 3/0 to 4/0 Gamakatsu hook, and he Texas rigs it with a 3/16-oz. tungsten weight to help it get to the bottom.

“I like to fish it in deep water behind rocks, and I try to work it past where I’m thinking a shoal bass is holding. A couple of hops followed by a three- to four-second pause usually works pretty good.

For those reading this story who aren’t much on twitching and pausing, Daniel’s last two favorites are a good option. Those who have a need for speed should do well this month with both ChatterBaits and paddletail swimbaits.

“Whatever paddletail you have confidence in will work well, as long as you don’t get too crazy with it. The 3- to 5-inch long natural-colored swimbaits are a good option rigged on a 3/16-oz. jig head and fished with a steady retrieve,” said Daniel.

ChatterBaits tend to work well on the river, especially at times after heavy rain or when they’re letting significant amounts of water out at the dam.

“Black and blue is what you want to throw when it’s dirty. Bang it off of rocks and fish it fast. The vibration and erratic action is great for when the bite is tough,” said Daniel.

A minefield of rocks and boulders await shoal bass anglers on the Ocmulgee River below Lake Jackson. These areas offer great ambush places for hungry shoalies.

Gear & Safety: One thing I noticed the day of our trip was the need for a good thick kayak. With the constant dragging and maneuvering over and around boulders, your kayak will take a significant beating, so just be sure what you’re fishing out of is up to the task.

Daniel fishes out of a Crescent Shoalie, and I was impressed the day of our trip by it’s ruggedness and stability in the current.

“They’re built right here in Georgia, and the folks producing them know what it takes to fish our waters. They’re made tough and with fishing in mind,” said Daniel.

Another important item to not only have on your kayak, but to wear on the river, is a good, comfortable life jacket. Daniel mentioned that for those who don’t have one, Westbrook Supply Company in Atlanta is a great place to find one, along with the other gear you need for a successful trip on the river this month.

“They don’t have a set schedule of release times at the dam, so conditions can change quickly. That’s why I like to fish my way upriver in the morning. If conditions change, I can get back to the ramp without struggling against the current.

Hopefully you get to make it to the upper Ocmulgee River this month, not only for the red-hot shoal bass action but also for a nice dip in that cool, clear river water that’s guaranteed to make this an August trip to remember!

Editor’s Note: Be sure and check out Daniel’s YouTube Channel Mullet_Angler. He has numerous shoal bass videos on the channel that include helpful information for targeting them. The author also filmed the trip, and you can find it on his channel GA BOY OUTDOORS.

New Statewide Shoal Bass Length Limits In Place 

WRD Press Release

On July 15, new regulations went into place regarding shoal bass length limits and creel limits for several black bass species.

Shoal Bass: The statewide minimum length limit for shoal bass is now 15 inches. The 15-inch minimum length limit applies to all state waters, including Lake Lanier where the limit was previously 14 inches. The exception to this rule is on the Flint River and its tributaries downstream of Warwick Dam, where it will be illegal to possess shoal bass between 15-20 inches. This will help manage the lower Flint population for trophy potential and to protect larger fish from overharvest. The 15-inch minimum length limit will still apply to the Flint River above Warwick Dam.

Black Bass Creel Limits: The new regulation keeps the creel limit of 10 the same for largemouth, spotted bass and Alabama bass but reduces the number of other black bass species that can be in possession. In the 10-fish creel limit, only five can be of the following species: Altamaha, Bartram’s, Chattahoochee, Redeye, Shoal, Smallmouth, Suwannee or Tallapoosa bass. This change helps provide conservation for species with limited range in Georgia to help ensure they are there for future generations.

These regulation changes come as a result of fisheries research, sampling efforts, and angler responses to an online survey and public comment period, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).