Georgia’s Best Bassin’
We are blessed in Georgia with some of the best bass fishing anywhere. Our lakes and rivers offer a wide diversity of structure and cover bass love, and you can catch several kinds of bass here. You can also choose to go for quality fish or large numbers of bass, depending on where you want to go.
The following fishing holes will give you those choices, and you can stay near home or make a short trip to try different things.
Lake Thurmond
Best known as Clarks Hill, Thurmond is the biggest lake in or on the border of our state. At 72,000 acres on the Savannah River just north of Augusta, it has everything a bass fisherman could want. Fluctuating water levels the past few years and the spread of hydrilla has resulted in good spawn survival and large numbers of bass, so many the Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, recommends keeping smaller bass. This will help produce even more three pound bass, which are already fairly common in the lake.
You can fish just about any kind of cover you like at Thurmond, from hydrilla covered flats and coves to deep rocky points. The water is generally clearer on the Savannah River arm of the lake, but Little River on the Georgia can offer more stained water, making some techniques better.
In February during pre-spawn before the water starts warming much look for bass holding on main lake rocky points on both arms of the lake. Some of the bigger bass will also be holding in brush piles back in ditches, old creek channels and run off channels in the coves.
Fish a Buckeye Mop Jig on the rocky points and around the brush piles. Also try a Zoom Fluke on both kinds of cover in clearer water. Fish both baits slowly in colder water, working the Fluke on a jig head in the ditches, swimming it over the brush. Work the Mop Jig through the brush, bumping every limb to tempt sluggish bass.
As the water warms the bass move to gravel banks and points in coves getting ready to spawn. Rumor has it the Carolina rig was developed here to cover these big flats. Try a Zoom Trick worm or Finesse worm behind a one ounce sinker and rake the bottom, moving your bait faster as the water worms.
Sight fishing for bedding bass can be good, too. After the spawn look for growing hydrilla and fish a spinnerbait or buzzbait over it. By late April there is also a good bite for bass chasing blueback herring. The herring spawn on blowthroughs, gravel shallows between islands or islands and the bank. Fish a big topwater like a Zara Spook or a weightless Fluke fast in these areas. This bite will hold up all summer long on the points on the main lake, too, especially on the Savannah River arm.
Lake Allatoona
Allatoona located just north of Atlanta has a bad reputation for bass yet it always ends up in the top few lakes for numbers of bass per man hour in the Georgia Bass Chapter Federation Creel Census Report. There are huge numbers of keeper size spotted bass in the lake but five pounders are hard to find.
Deep rocky bluffs and points abound in Allatoona and are perfect habitat for spotted bass. Since they make up at least 80 percent of the bass population, they are the species to target. The average weight will be just over a pound, but they are fun to catch.
Before the water starts warming stick with main lake rocky bluff banks. Fish a small jig and pig or jig head with a Finesse worm on it. Fish both slowly, staying in contact with the bottom from a couple of feet deep all the way down to 20 plus feet. Lighter line is best, and the spots will give you a great fight on a spinning outfit with eight pound line.
When the water starts to warm fish bluffs and points near the mouths of feeder creeks. Spots will stack up on these places pre spawn then move further in the coves to spawn. Spots will spawn deeper than largemouth and sight fishing can be tough, but a small lizard on a Texas rig or jig head crawled on gravel flats six to ten feet deep will catch them during the spawn.
Post spawn fish move back out toward the main lake and topwater works well for them. Fish a Sammy or small popper around rocky points and bluffs. Also run a crankbait like the Bandit in the same areas. You can fish fast while the bass are feeding post spawn and catch large numbers of fish.
Brush piles become one of the main places to catch bass when they settle down on their summer pattern. There are many man-made brush piles put out by fishermen on good structure on the lake, and the WRD has put out many more. You can find a map of the state brush piles at http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/208.
Go back to the small jig and pig or jig head worm and fish these brush piles in 20 feet of water. In some of the thicker brush piles a Texas rigged Finesse worm behind a three-sixteenths ounce weight will come through them better, so if you are getting hung up with the jigs try the Texas rig.
West Point Lake
West Point on the Chattahoochee River along the Georgia Alabama border near LaGrange is well known for its largemouth, but spots have become very common in the lake. It has many rocky points but flats and clay points also hold bass. Shallow coves offer good spawning areas for largemouth and gravel banks in deeper water give spots ideal places to bed.
Crankbaits are good on West Point year round but really shine in late winter. Fish a small crankbait on rock and clay points on the main lake and in bigger creeks while the water is still cold. Move into the creeks near spawning pockets with the same baits as the water warms.
Bass on West Point seem to love buzzbaits and will start hitting them as soon as the water warms to 50 degrees. It is hard to go wrong with a buzzbait fished on deeper banks early in the year and back in pockets later as the water warms.
Prespawn largemouth hold in the mouths of these spawning coves and you can catch some big bass by fishing a big crankbait like the Spro Little John on the first two points going into coves. Also make long casts down the middle of the coves to catch largemouth holding on the creek channel.
For both largemouth and spots drag a Carolina rig on the flats in the pockets in late March and April. Use a big worm like the Zoom Mag 2 for big largemouth and a Trick or Finesse Worm for spots and smaller largemouth.
After the bass spawn they hold on deeper structure like road beds, which abound on the lake. Work them from the shallows near the bank where they enter all the way to the channel in the middle where they cross the old ditch. A crankbait that will bump the bottom is a good choice but in deeper water use worms.
You can catch a lot of fish in April when the shad spawn, too. Fish a topwater bait or spinnerbait around riprap on the many bridge on the lake, and on gravel points and rock banks early in the morning where you see the shad spawning. As the sun gets higher back off and slow roll a spinnerbait or crankbait out from these banks in six to ten feet of water.
By early summer the bass are on their hot water pattern. You can still catch fish early in the morning on points on topwater baits. Then look for brush piles, drop offs and points that drop into channels on the main lake and lower parts of the bigger creeks. Work worms on your preferred rig on these types of structure.
Tobesofkee Lake
Lake Tobesofkee just outside of Macon on the west side is a surprise to most bass fishermen. It is a small lake but has everything from riprap and rocky points to flats and grass beds in its 1750 acres. It gets very crowded in warm weather but offers great cold weather fishing, and night fishing is excellent during the summer.
Owned and operated by Bibb County, the boat ramp access is more expensive than on most lakes. Tobesofkee is lined with nice houses and docks, with seawalls and brush piles on most banks. But there are extensive water willow beds, too, and bass love them.
The size of the largemouths is a pleasant surprise here, with about one third of the population from 15 to 25 inches long. Winter tournaments and summer night tournaments are often won with 20 pound plus stringers, and six pounders are weighed in often.
In late winter target rocky points, brush piles and blow down trees with a jig and pig. Work it slowly through the limbs of the trees and brush piles, and hop it in small movements down the rocky banks.
As the water warms run a crankbait or spinnerbait on seawalls that drop off into deeper water. Try to hit right beside the wall and fish the bait back out. Bass sometimes seem to have their noses against seawalls and won’t turn for a bait behind them.
In early spring try buzzbaits and spinnerbaits around the grass beds. Bass feed in them and spawn around them since they are usually on sandy bottoms. Fish slowly in colder water and faster as it gets warmer.
By post spawn the lake gets very crowded with pleasure boaters so night fishing is the way to go. After dark look for lighted boat docks and fish a small crankbait or weightless soft jerk bait all around the light, from the outside edges of the lighted water all the way directly under the light.
Also fish a Carolina rigged worm like the Big Bite straight worm around the docks and any brush piles or blowdowns you can hit. Work your bait slowly in the dark. Bass see much better in the dark than we do, and can pick up movement through their lateral lines, but slower moving baits make is easier for them to hone in on them.
Early in the morning before the lake gets crowded fish a weightless Trick worm around the grass beds, too. Try different speeds, working it back with constant twitches on some casts but letting is settle to the bottom for a few seconds on others. The bass will tell you what they want.
Seminole
At the top of its bass cycle right now, Seminole is producing some amazing catches of bass. It is in the corner of Georgia, Alabama and Florida and its shallows are covered with vegetation, from hydrilla to lily pads. It looks “fishy” anywhere you go, with grassbeds, stump fields and standing timber all over the lake.
Five pound largemouth are common right now at Seminole and it takes five fish weighing 20 plus pounds to place in most tournaments. Winning stringers of five bass weighing over 30 pounds are not unusual at Seminole. Right now it the time to be on this lake.
Bass spawn early this far south and are on the beds now in many areas. Fish a lipless rattle bait near sandy flats for these shallow fish. Watch for grass edges and fish them hard, ripping your bait through the grass when it hangs up. The big flat at Wingate’s Lunker Lodge is a classic type flat to fish a Rat-L-Trap through the hydrilla.
Bass will continue to spawn through April so this pattern holds up for a long time. Don’t hesitate to work your boat back into “ponds” off the main lake. Often lined by cattails and covered with hydrilla, bass move up small ditches to feed and spawn in these hidden waters. Carry a push pole to help you get back into and out of these areas. The main lake at the mouth of Spring Creek and between the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers have many such spots.
By early summer bigger bass are holding in hydrilla on the main lake. A big worm like a Zoom Old Monster on a Carolina rig fished along the deeper edges of the hydrilla on creek and river channels will catch big largemouth. Use a heavy weight, one ounce plus, and throw it into the hydrilla. Drag it back to open water, pause it, then work it a couple of more feet before making your next cast.
Savannah River
The lower Savannah River has a good population of bass and river fishing can offer you a different kind of fishing. Running along the border between Georgia and South Carolina, the area above the salt water line is good. From the brackish water near the mouth up many miles into the fresh water, you can find fish in beautiful natural surroundings.
Until the water gets very warm in the summer bass live in backouts and creeks where the current is not as strong as it is on the main river. These calmer waters are full of logs, stumps, cypress trees and vegetation. You can find the openings to them by riding the river and watching the bank.
Ease into any backouts you find, they are likely to be full of stumps and logs that can damage your boat. The best idea is to start fishing at the mouth of these sloughs and fish slowly around them. The cover is so heavy you need to fish slowly.
In colder water use a small spinnerbait fished slowly over and around all the wood cover. Also fish a Texas rigged worm or jig and pig in the same places. Try to hit every piece of wood you see, and probe for hidden wood in deeper water.
As the water warms fish a little faster. The bass will be more aggressive and chase a bait in the warmer water. Switch to a topwater like a buzzbait when the water is warmer than 55 degrees and cover the water.
In the summer, by May, bass move out to the main river. You can find them holding on points of the sloughs you have been fishing but they will also hold in the willow trees that line the river. Any tree trunk, log or cut in the bank that offers some break from the current will hold bass. Flip or pitch a jig and pig or Texas rigged worm into eddies and let the current move the bait in a natural way. Be ready to set the hook quickly, the current pull on the line will alert the bass that your bait is not real.
All of these places offer great fishing this year. Pick one and stick with it, following the bass as they change with the water conditions, or try them all for a nice variety.