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Bass fishing in Georgia, from the mountains to the sea

Several species of bass are fall favorites, including largemouth, shoal, spotted and striped bass. Fortunately, bass fishing opportunities abound no matter where you are in the state, so the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division has put together the following information to make it easy to pursue your favorite, or a new, bass species.

"Bass are a favorite species for anglers, and while people are most familiar with largemouth bass, it is by no means the only bass angling opportunity in the state," said WRD Chief of Fisheries Management Chuck Coomer. "We encourage all anglers, beginners and experienced, to get out this fall, enjoy the weather and fish for bass, and don't forget to take a kid fishing!"

The knowledge of where to go is just part of the ammunition you need to be a successful bass angler; having the right equipment will round out your arsenal. For species such as largemouth and spotted bass, you need to determine if you will be fishing topwater or deep water. For topwater anglers, WRD recommends fishing in the early morning or late evening and using a six-foot medium action, spinning outfit filled with 8-10 lb. test line. Lures include medium-size topwater baits, soft plastic jigs, shallow running crankbaits that resemble small shad and blueback herring, plastic worms, live nightcrawlers and minnows. For deep water bass angling, use a 1 3/8 oz. slip sinker on either a Texas or Carolina rig. Live bait fishing with minnows just above the bottom, vertical spoon jigging or retrieving deep water crankbaits are especially effective deep water techniques.

If fishing for stripers in Georgia's estuaries, one should come equipped with a medium-heavy spinning outfit (20-30 lb class) with one of the new small diameter superlines. This will assist in getting the bait to the bottom where striped bass are feeding on shrimp (October-November). Effective lures include 1 3/4 ounce bucktail jigs in white or the one-ounce rattle trap. If fishing for stripers on the Savannah River be sure to bend down the barbs on hooks to facilitate release as this fishery is catch and release only.

WRD recommends the following bass fishing spots and the species to pursue at each:

á Lakes Hartwell, Lanier and Burton. October through December is a great time to catch spotted and largemouth bass on these major impoundments. Anglers should target deeper offshore areas of 10-30 feet of water and structures such as standing timber, submerged islands with woody cover (brush and stumps) and rocks.

á Lake Chatuge. Spotted bass are healthy and abundant on this mountain reservoir. Largemouth bass also are present. Thanks to three recent hurricanes, Chatuge now has hundreds of new fish attractors to target; trees that were toppled into the lake and are providing significant habitat for bass and other species.

á Chattahoochee River (below Morgan Falls Dam). Fall provides excellent largemouth, spotted and shoal bass fishing on the Chattahoochee. Anglers can take many approaches, such as jon boats, wading and float tubes, to get close to their favorite species. Fly-fishing also is a productive method for bass on the river.

á Lake Oconee. Largemouth bass are plentiful during the fall on this reservoir. Anglers should concentrate on tributary arms such as Sugar Creek, Lick Creek, Sandy Creek and the upper ends of the three major tributary arms (Oconee River, Apalachee River and Richland Creek).

á Lakes Varner and Black Shoals. The upper half of these reservoirs are great spots to fish for largemouths, although there is no one particular hot spot. Light line and smaller lures are more effective at Black Shoals as the water tends to be clearer.

á West Point Lake. Serious largemouth bass anglers need to head to this lake to test their skills. As water temperatures cool, areas to target include creek mouths and points, the upper end of the lake and around the numerous blown down trees in the water. Another good time to try bass fishing is when the Corps of Engineers is conducting a water withdrawal.

á Big Lazer Public Fishing Area. If you like fishing for largemouth on a smaller lake, give this 195-acre PFA a try. It is intensely managed to produce extra pounds of bass. In the fall, bass often are caught in shallow to medium-depth water near structure and dropoffs in the coves or off the main channel.

á Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center/Marben Farms PFA. Bass fishing always picks up in the fall as bass become more aggressive when the water temperature drops. Fox Lake is the best place for a "lunker" size bass and anglers should concentrate on fishing flooded timber and calm waters in the mornings for their best chance at this PFA.

á High Falls Lake. This 650-acre lake is an untapped resource for largemouth bass; quality bass catches are frequent, with an occasional "lunker" reeled in as well. Buck Creek is the most popular spot for largemouth anglers and fishermen are encouraged to target boat docks and aquatic vegetation mats.

á Coastal rivers. Fall is the best time to fish for stripers in Georgia's coastal rivers as they are moving down river as water temperatures change and they are feeding on the abundantly available bait, such as shrimp and menhaden, in estuaries. Anglers should concentrate on fishing the upward current side of any bridge piling. Most strikes occur within one foot of some sort of structure, so get lines in there tight to get a bite.