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Lake Oconee, Madison Georgia
Capt. Doug Nelms
July 24, 2003
Lake Oconee - Freshwater Fishing Report
Fishing Report
Water Temp 86
July 24, 2003
The hybrids are in their typical summertime pattern now and if you can stand the heat, and catch the water moving just right, you can experience some exciting fishing on Lake Oconee.
Since Oconee does not develop a substantial thermocline it is left up to us anglers to chase these linesides all over the lake. And I will tell when they show up at a certain place on one day you may have to travel 2 miles or more to find them the next day. Most of the hybrid fishing is primarily site fishing right now with some fish as large as 5 pounds busting up on the water in the late afternoons. Over the last few days the best bite has been in the pm.
Some of the hangouts to wait on these fish are Sugar Creek Hayfields, Flagpole Point, and the Pipeline. Also what I call the 19th hole just to the left of Port Armor Golf Course. Almost every afternoon these fish will run shad up on the flats and a feeding frenzy may last from 5 minutes to over an hour. It just depends.
What I am throwing at them right now is the smallest rattletrap I can find. Last week I offered the prettiest 4 inch shad to a school of hybrids who turned their noses up at them in favor of chasing 1 to 2 inch shad hatchlings. These things can really try your patience. Also many anglers are using spoons and Little Georges with pretty good success. Toss is out, let it fall and most of the time they will hit it on the way down. Jig it up and down until you feel a hit.
Since the weather has turned really hot the shad are getting hard to keep alive. I have a 50 plus gallon tank on my Ranger 2300 and I had shad turning red on me in just a half hour on a trip last week. If you find that you are having trouble keeping them frisky I suggest that you 1)invest in a high dollar bait tank or 2) use minnows. Minows will hold up longer than shad in the warm weather and the hybrids don’t seem to mind right now.
I read an email from the DNR last week that stated the hybrid bass were on an upswing at Oconee. I agree! This has been one of the best years I have seen in a while and I feel like next year when the fish spawn up we may see a record broken. I hope you will be the angler to do it……….on my boat of course!
Tight Lines
Doug Nelms
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