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Top Places for Bass Fishing in Georgia

Top Places for Bass Fishing in Georgia
Photo By Ron Sinfelt

Want to catch some bass this year?  What fisherman doesn't? But those of us in Georgia can get confused.  We can go after numbers of bass or try for a trophy. And there are several of the eight subspecies of black bass in our state.  We have a lot of choices.  But most of us are happy to do a lot of bass fishing in Georgia, and maybe have a chance of putting one on the wall.

Do you want to fish big reservoirs?  There are lots of choices. Prefer river fishing? No problem.  Or would you like to go to some smaller lakes managed for fishing where there are no pleasure boaters and it is much more peaceful? Our public fishing areas are all over the state.

Choose one of the following near you for the type bass fishing you like, or try them all for variety.

FLINT RIVER

The Flint River starts just south of the Atlanta Airport, tumbles its way through shoals to Lake Blackshear, continues for miles south of there through shoals and deep channels all the way to Lake Seminole. It is known for its shoal bass that resemble smallmouth in many ways and are plentiful throughout its length.

You can wade the shoals on the upper river near Griffin, but a great trip is to put a canoe, kayak or johnboat in just below the Blackshear Dam and float and wade down to the State Route 32 bridge. This is a full day trip if you stop and wade the many shoals along this section of river, and that is where you catch most of the shoal bass.

Favorite Baitcasting Reel: Abu Garcia Revo MGX

Abu Garcia Revo MGX, 33.5%

Bass-chaser Jamie Chmielewski is convinced the Revos are the best out there. 'I have had several Abu Garcia Revo reels over the last few years, so I got one of these about a year ago and found out very quickly it was the best reel I had ever had my hands on. Easily the best casting reel for all weights of baits! '

Honorable Mention

Shimano Chronarch CI4+, 22.2%
Quantum Tour MG, 13.7%

Favorite Castable Umbrella Rig: Berkley Schooling Rig

Berkley Schooling Rig, 36.9%

Honorable Mention

Bass Pro Shops Deadly 5 Flashy Times, 33.8%
Road Runner Buffet, 13.8%

Favorite Fluorocarbon Line: Berkley Trilene 100 FluoroXL

Berkley Trilene 100 FluoroXL, 63.9%

Honorable Mention

Seaguar InvisX, 19.4%
Bass Pro Shops XPS Signature Series, 13.2%

Favorite Mono/Copolymer Line: Berkley Trilene XT XL

Berkley Trilene XT XL, 77.4%

G. Jacobs reported that he was using Trilene line and a Shimano rod and reel with a Strike King lure when he caught this largemouth.

Honorable Mention

Bass Pro Shops XPS Signature Series, 13.2%
Seaguar Senshi, 9.4%

Favorite Sunglasses: Berkley Zephyr

Berkley Zephyr, 41.3%

Honorable Mention

Costa CatCay, 28.7%
Wiley X WX Gravity, 22.7%

Favorite Soft Plastic Swimbait: YUM Money Minnow

YUM Money Minnow, 32.9%

Honorable Mention

Bass Pro Shops Sassy Sally, 14.2%
Savage Gear Real Trout, 13.2%

Favorite Rain Gear: Cabela's Guidewear Bass Angler

Cabela's Guidewear Bass Angler, 53.9%

Honorable Mention

Shimano Dryfender Insulated, 20.4%
Frabill F Series, 17.2%

Favorite Jig: Bass Pro Shops Enticer Pro Series Football

Bass Pro Shops Enticer Pro Series Football, 45.1%

Honorable Mention

Terminator Weedless Football, 32.2%
Jackall Spade Jig TG, 12.9%

Favorite Baitcasting Rod: G Loomis GL2

G Loomis GL2, 30.6%

'Best feeling rod I've ever held, ' wrote Dave Lapotka, also known as Fishboy1. 'It's light and just a tremendous rod. '

Honorable Mention

Abu Garcia Veracity, 27.9%
Cabela's Tournament ZX, 18.4%
According to Allison, who swears by the ZX, she caught a large smallmouth right before she caught this one, but no one was around to see it or take a photo of it!

Favorite Spinning Rod: G. Loomis GL2

First Place: G. Loomis GL2, 26.7%

Reader Gary N. Watkins says he reaches for his G. Loomis rods over all others. 'I like all G. Loomis rods. The craftsmanship is the best. ' Kevin Field voted for the GL2 because of its impressive weight-to-power ratio.

Honorable Mention

Abu Garcia Veritas, 23.7%
Bass Pro Shops Johnny Morris CarbonLite, 20.3%

Favorite Wirebait: Bass Pro Shops Lazer Eye

Bass Pro Shops Lazer Eye, 37.1%

Honorable Mention

Strike King Tour Grade Night, 30.9%
Sebile ProShad, 17.2%

Favorite Fish Finder: Lowrance Elite-5 DSI

Lowrance Elite-5 DSI, 42.6%

Honorable Mention

Humminbird 598ci HD SI Combo, 39.4%
Garmin Echomap70s, 12.3%

Favorite Small Outboard: Mercury 9HP ProKicker

Mercury 9HP ProKicker, 59.6%

'One of the best kicker motors available, ' wrote Debbie Harbin. 'Price is right also. '

Honorable Mention

Yamaha F70A, 31.5%
Suzuki DF20A, 5.7%

Favorite Shallow Water Anchoring System: Minn Kota Talon 12

Minn Kota Talon 12, 60.2%

Honorable Mention

Power-Pole Micro Anchor, 39.8%

Favorite Small Bass Boat: Ranger Z118C

Ranger Z118C, 49.2%

Honorable Mention

Alumacraft Dominator 185 LE, 29.0%
G3 Eagle Talon 17 DLX, 12.3%

Favorite Large Bass Boat: Ranger Z521C

Ranger Z521C, 54.5%

Like most of the voters who commented on their choices, James Davis speaks from experience. 'As a Ranger owner, I think that this is the ultimate bass rig. '

Honorable Mention

Triton 21HP, 27.8%
BassCat_Puma, 14.5%

Favorite Hard Plastic Swimbait: Rapala BX Jointed Minnow

Rapala BX Jointed Minnow, 72.1%

Honorable Mention

Bass Pro Shops XPS Z9R, 14.2%
Savage Gear Glide Swimmer, 8.0%

Favorite Crankbait: Rapala Scatter Rap Crank

Rapala Scatter Rap Crank, 59.3%

Honorable Mention

Bass Pro Shops XPS Square Bill, 15.7%
Storm Arashi Series, 10.4%

Favorite Craw/Creature Bait: Savage Gear 3D

Savage Gear 3D, 30.1%

Honorable Mention

Havoc Papa Pit Boss, 19.8%
ZMan Turbo CrawZ, 19.5%

Favorite Spinning Reel: Shimano Stradic CI4+

First Place: Shimano Stradic CI4+, 27.6%

'Smooth, strong and never has a problem. Great drag, ' said Logan W. Seth Mahler also voted for the Stradic. 'Smooth retrieve good cast. '

Honorable Mention:

Quantum Energy, 22.2%
Pflueger Patriarch, 14.6%

Favorite Braided Line: SpiderWire Glow-Vis

SpiderWire Glow-Vis, 50.5%

Honorable Mention

PowerPro Zero Impact, 24.9%
Sufix 832 Advance Lead Core, 18.1%

Favorite Hook: Bass Pro Shops XPS Magna Superlock

Bass Pro Shops XPS Magna Superlock, 49.0%

Kyle Cortiana was one of many who likes the price and quality. 'I use these hooks on all of my Texas Rigged baits and you can get a pack of 25 for $8!! They are sharp, strong, and you won't cry if you have it off to keep from getting on top of the fish. '

Honorable Mention

Mustad Grip-Pin Swim, 25.7%
VMC Drop Dead Weighted Hook, 13.9%

Favorite Topwater: Bass Pro Shops XPS Slim Dog

Bass Pro Shops XPS Slim Dog, 30.1%

Honorable Mention

Booyah Poppin' Pad Crasher, 20.6%
Evolve Nervous Walker Ghost, 15.7%

Favorite Large Outboard: Yamaha V MAX SHO 150

Yamaha V MAX SHO 150, 39.0%

'Quiet, great hole shot, and fuel efficient, ' according to Louie M.

Honorable Mention

Evinrude 150 HO, 35.8%
Honda BF250, 23.5%

Favorite Artificial Worm: YUM Mighty Worm

YUM Mighty Worm, 35.5%

Honorable Mention

Havoc Federale, 13.3%
ZMan FattyZ, 7.9%

Favorite Soft Jerkbait: Zoom Super Fluke

Zoom Super Fluke, 67.2%

Honorable Mention

Bass Pro Shops Shadee Shad, 24.1%
Havoc The Jerk, 8.8%

In the shoals cast a small crankbait in crawfish colors, a 1/4-ounce spinnerbait with gold willowleaf blade and a chartreuse and white skirt, or a Texas-rigged worm.  Rig the worm with a 1/16- to 1/4-ounce sinker and try green pumpkin curly tail worms in clear water or black in stained water.

Fish with the current, casting to anything that breaks the current like big rocks, logs and cuts with an eddy in the shoals.  Also try the heads of deeper pools where the shoals dump into them and the water just above the shoals where the deeper water comes up to shallow water.

Along deeper sections of the river you can catch shoalies but there are good largemouth here, too. Use the same baits and fish blow-downs and cuts in the bank with them.  A small topwater popper can also draw exciting strikes in these areas.

LAKE SEMINOLE

Lake Seminole, right in the corner of Georgia, Florida and Alabama, is fed by the Flint and Chattahoochee rivers.  Its huge grass flats and channel drops are full of fat largemouth and you have a good chance of catching big fish.  The lake has been on fire for the past couple of years, with tournament stringers of five bass weighing over 25 pounds common.

Try topwater frogs early in the morning on the hydrilla beds, working them near the channels.  As the sun gets up run a rattle bait like a Redeye Shad in shad colors through the scattered grass on the edges of the mats and in deeper water.  When your bait hits the grass jerk it loose and expect a strike as it darts away.

Also work the drops on creek channels and the river where they make bends.  A big, deep running crankbait fished from shallow to deep is good. Also try a worm like the Zoom Mag 2 in green pumpkin or redbug on a Carolina rig fished the same way. If there is grass on top of the ledge cast to the edge of it and fish down to deeper water.

SAVANNAH RIVER

The Savannah River between Georgia and South Carolina near the coast is an interesting place to catch largemouth.  Put in at Millstone Landing north of I-95 and fish up the river.  The current is strong so you need a powerful trolling motor much of the time.

First try the many sloughs and creeks along the river. They are full of cypress trees, logs and stumps and bass bed and feed in them.  A white buzzbait or spinnerbait fished by the cypress knees and over logs in the water draws the bass out of the heavy cover.

Also try fishing a Texas-rigged worm around the cover.  A Zoom U-Tail in green pumpkin rigged behind a 1/8-ounce sinker, fished slowly through the cover, is a good choice. Fish from the mouth of the slough or creek as far back in it as you can go, working all the cover as you come to it.

In hotter weather get out on the main river channel and fish upstream, casting crankbaits, spinnerbaits and topwater under the overhanging willow trees. Also try a heavy jig and pig around the willows where they lay in the water or through any blown down trees along the bank. Cast your bait past the cover and let the current wash it to the wood, then drop down into the thickest part of the cover.

LAKE THURMOND

Lake Thurmond always has been known as Clarks Hill Lake to Georgians.  It is our biggest lake and is just north of Augusta.  It has a well-earned reputation for numbers of largemouth and spotted bass are showing up more and more each year.

A jig head worm catches large numbers of bass year round.  Fish a 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jig with a Zoom watermelon seed Trick worm on it in clear water or a June bug color in stained water.  Both catch more fish if the tail is dipped in JJ's Magic chartreuse dip and dye.

Work the jig head worm around rocks and clay bottoms on creek and cove points, jiggling it when it hits bottom then hopping it and jiggling again.  Fish from a couple of feet deep out to 15 feet deep until you find where the bass are holding.

For bigger fish tie on a big topwater bait like a Zara Spook and fish early in the mornings over main lake humps and shoals.  After the sun gets high switch to a Carolina-rigged Trick worm in the same colors as the on the jig head and fish the edges of the shoals and humps where they drop off into the channel. If you can find rocks and gravel it is even better.

HIGH FALLS LAKE

High Falls is a state park with a 660-acre lake just off I-75 west of Jackson.  The lake has the highest population of 15-inch-plus largemouths of any of our bigger lakes and you can catch good numbers of quality fish. It is an old lake and most of the channels are silted in, but there is a lot of natural and man-made wood cover in it.

The lake is lined with docks outside the park area and many have brush piles have been put out around them. The dock posts and brush piles hold bass. There are also big stump flats in Buck Creek, Watkins Bottom and along some areas of the Towaliga River main channel where bass feed.

The lake is limited to 10-horsepower motors and you can only be on the lake from sunrise to sunset.  Start as early as you can in the morning fishing a buzzbait or topwater popper around the stumps and docks.  Also try the topwater baits around wood cover on steeper bank on the main river. Fish shady banks as long as you can.

After the sun gets higher fish the same areas with a Texas rigged worm. If you want numbers of bass try a Zoom U-Tail in June bug or green pumpkin but if you want to go after a big bass fish a Zoom Old Monster worm in the same colors. Stick with a light 1/16- to 1/8-ounce sinker and fish slowly around the cover.

Some big bass are also caught in the Towaliga River at the very upper end of the lake.  You have to go across a shallow flat to get to the river channel but it drops off above the flat and overhanging bushes and trees in the water hold some big fish.  Try the worms but also flip or pitch a 3/8-ounce black and blue jig with a Zoom Fat Albert blue sapphire trailer to the wood cover.

LAKE ALLATOONA

Lake Allatoona just north of Atlanta and crossed by I-75 is full of keeper-sized spotted bass. At one time it was known as "The Dead Sea," but clubs fishing tournaments on it have the highest catch rates per hour of any lake in Georgia. You may not catch a huge bass, but the numbers you can catch make up for it.

The spots in Allatoona love a jig head worm or small jig-and-pig fished on bluff banks. Start on any steep, rocky bank, keep your boat out in 30 feet of water, and make angled casts ahead of the boat. Cast near the bank and slowly hop either bait down the rocks until you are at least 20 feet deep.

Since it is keeper-sized spots you are after, stick with smaller baits. Rig a 3/16-ounce jig head with a Zoom Finesse worm in watermelon red or green pumpkin and dip the tails of both in JJ's Magic chartreuse. For some reason spots hate chartreuse and try to kill and eat anything with that flash on the tail. Also try a 3/16-ounce Strike King Bitsy Bug in pumpkinseed with a green pumpkin trailer on it.

Early in the morning or if the bank is shady, try a small popper like the Pop-R along these banks.  Keep your boat in close to the bank and make a long cast ahead of the boat, keeping your lure a few feet from the bank.  Try a small crankbait like the Bandit in shad or crawfish colors fished the same way on these banks.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN PUBLIC FISHING AREA

Rocky Mountain PFA in Floyd County north of Rome offers two lakes where you can catch largemouths.  There is a $5.00 daily fee to fish or you can get an annual pass for $30.00.  Antioch Lake is open daily and has a good population of bass.  You can use any size gas motor, but at idle speed only.

Heath Lake is managed for bigger bass and is open only the first 10 days of each month. The limit on both lakes is five bass, but on Heath Lake all largemouths between 14 and 20 inches long must be released and you can keep only one over 20 inches long in your five-fish limit.

On Antioch fish a small topwater popper early in the morning around shallow cover then switch to a Texas-rigged or jig head worm. Fish both around rocks and wood cover, and find drops to work your bait from shallow to deep. Use a light sinker or head and fish a Trick worm on the jig head or a U-Tail on the Texas rig.

On Heath, use bigger baits. Topwater draws strikes, so use a big Zara Spook on points and over cover for quality fish. Then work a Texas-rigged Mag 2 or Old Monster worm through wood and rock cover. Fish the worms slowly and carefully in the cover.

Try fishing deep on Heath when the sun is up.  Find brush or rocks near the channels, especially the end of points where they drop off into the channel. A Carolina rig allows you to fish the deeper cover easier.  Stick with the bigger worms for the bigger bass in this lake.

Public Fishing Areas are great places to take kids fishing. The lakes are calm and quiet and they have a better chance of catching some fish to keep them from getting bored. And the facilities like bathrooms and picnic tables give you a chance to take a break from fishing and let them play and eat.

Give any of these waters a try.  All are good.

Don't forget to share your best bass photos with us on Camera Corner for your chance to win free gear!




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