K-man Loc: Jackson GA

It's HOT. Unlike last week, the weather has returned to a normal "summer" and the fish got the message. Last week a nice cold front moved through and the Bass would hit almost anything that moved but this week with the heater on, the fish are slow and you must change tactics to have any hope of landing them.
This week I started throwing the same baits as the previous week. The watermelon super fluke, a watermelon swim bait and after 1.5 hours of trying, I had nothing to show for it. It wasn't until I switched over to fishing a June bug colored lizard that I finally got bit. Here's what I found:

* quick access to deeper water were more active- In other words fish the structure and coves but you'll get more bites where these structures are close to the deeper/ main sections of the lake. I was able to put 5 in the boat within an hour once I started covering these areas
* Pay attention to the shad... While they may be schooling on top in some areas, those that are deeper are the ones to look for. The top water schools may be productive before the sun rises or after it sets but during the day, the bass are feeding in deeper areas where shad are found. Use these depths to judge your bait selection. If the shad are 10-12 ft, then use cranks that target the same depths. If possible vary your baits/ presentations (plastics, cranks, jerks, dropshot) to mimic the shad.
* The crappie moved from last week and your best time to find them schooling is evening/ night hours. Water temps are forcing them to disperse earlier and earlier and you will have better results when temps cool down (evening or night). There are a couple of feeders on the lake where the schools remain until after they release food. If you're early or late, you'll have a good chance of landing them. If you're not aware of those locations like most anglers, concentrate in the pockets that have a depth of 20ft or more. You'll find that the schools go up and down in the water column where there is structure available. Again, these schools aren't so easy to find during daylight hours so you'll have to plan your adventure.

Cats- well... I didn't attempt to do any cat fishing. If they are sticking to the seasonal plan, daybreak will be your friend. Cats in Jackson Lake can be caught on cut-bait, stink baits, and chicken. I can confirm that there are indeed freshwater muscles present and if you can find similar, it will do the trick. The cats aren't too picky but other fish and muscles are the natural diet.

Until next week,
Wishing you all bent poles and wet dreams!
Cheers!

DCGravity Loc: Fairfax, VA (by way of Cleveland OH)

Thanks for sharing these tips, K-man! I don't fish GA waters but these patterns apply to the mid-Atlantic fisheries I do frequent.👍👍👍🎣🎣🎣

crog1967 Loc: Avondale Estates, GA

Thanks, K-man. The weather should be perfect for fishing by the end of this week. I know I'll be out in my kayak. I might hit Juliette, which isn't too far from where you'll be.

K-man Loc: Jackson GA

@crog1967,
Hopefully the weather allows it-- that unreliable weatherman seems to think the storm in the gulf will cause a few drops of water and wind. The fish don't mind but I do-- sometimes... Good luck catching that monster and I hope you get to tell us all about the one that got away!