The largemouth bass population should
continue to thrive as last fall’s abundance remains above
the past 12-year average. Expect to catch similar numbers of
large fish this year with up to a third of the catch in the 15 to
25-inch size.
Technique
Use crankbaits, topwater plugs and
Texas-rigged plastic worms (finesse-type worms rigged Texas style
behind a 1/8-ounce lead with June bug and green pumpkin color).
For crankbaits use No. 5 or No. 7 lipped crankbait in shad or
perch colors in clearer water or firetiger in stained water.
Target
Target boat docks with brush piles, lighted
boat docks at night and steep banks and points near deep water on
the lower lake below the Lower Thomaston Rd. bridge. Also fish in
water willow grass beds in pockets above and below the bridge on
Lower Thomaston Rd.
Catfish
Prospect
Abundance and quality of channel catfish
will be similar to recent years. Most fish will be in the ½
to 1 ½ pound range with good numbers of quality fish in the
3 to 8-pound range.
Technique
Effective baits are live and cut fish
including bream, shad minnows, worms and doughballs fished on the
bottom with spinning outfits or with cane poles under a bobber. A
suitable choice for a spinning outfit would be a spinning rig
with 8-pound test line and 4/0 hook with a sliding 1-ounce
sinker.
Target
Look for catfish around cover adjacent to
old creek channels in deeper water during the day and shallow
flats adjacent to creek channels at night. Catfish also can be
found around docks with brush. Look for channel catfish in the
upper end of the reservoir in the “fingers” area in
the spring and also in the Tobesofkee Creek area during the
summer.
Bream
Prospect
Bluegills and redbreast sunfish are
available and average 4-7 inches. Redear sunfish will run a
little larger with average lengths of 6-10 inches.
Technique
Bluegill, redbreast and redear sunfish can
be caught with cane poles or spinning outfits rigged with small
hooks, bobbers and split shot using worms or crickets fished at
various depths, including the bottom. Fly rods are effective in
spring, summer and fall with wet and dry flies. Slowly retrieved
small artificial lures such as Beetle Spins, Rooster Tails or
Shysters also are effective.
Target
Look for bream in or near cover such as
weed beds, brush piles and under and around docks with heavy
brush. Bream easily can be caught in the spring and summer when
they spawn. Search for the saucer-shaped depressions in shallow
water.
Crappie
Prospect
Crappie are a popular pursuit for
Tobesofkee anglers. Catch rates will be similar to last year with
average fish size slightly increased. Approximately 60 percent of
the catch will fall into the 8 to 12-inch size range with some
fish reaching 14 inches.
Technique
Both natural and artificial baits are
effective. Small minnows hooked through the back or lips using
long-shanked small hooks are good live bait. Trolling with
crappie jigs, Triple Ripples or Hal-flys, pitching jigs under
docks, casting small crankbaits or fishing with small minnows
also can be productive.
Target
In the spring, concentrate in the upper
ends of coves and shallow flats. When the water warms, target
deeper submerged treetops and areas around docks with brush. Also
try fishing with lights under bridges at night or lighted
deep-water docks, deep brush in coves or around deepwater
structure in the vicinity of the old creek channel. In addition,
look for crappie around the DNR fish attractor sites marked by
white buoys.
Striped
Bass
Prospect
Stripers in the 2 to 4-pound range will be
common with a few quality bass catches greater than 24 inches.
Stripers originally stocked in 2005 should approach 10 pounds by
mid-summer.
Technique
Striped bass can be caught by trolling,
casting or jigging artificial lures such as Rapalas, Rebels,
Cordell Hot Spots or bucktails in deeper water or at the surface
depending on the presence of schools of baitfish. Striped bass
also can be caught by floating or bottom fishing natural baits
such as live or cut shad or shiners. During the summer months,
stripers can be located and caught by trolling deep-diving
crankbaits over main lake points or near the edge where a flat
drops off into the channel. Anglers targeting other species often
catch many striped bass.
Target
Stripers travel into the "fingers" area and
up into the Tobesofkee Creek area during March and April and also
can be found below the dam. In the summer, look for stripers in
the lower lake following schooling baitfish, both on the surface
and at greater depths. Some stripers may travel up into the
Tobesofkee Creek area in search of incoming cooler water during
the hot summer months.
Pickerel
Prospect
Chain pickerel have increased in
abundance.
Technique
Chain pickerel may be caught with both live
and artificial baits. Live minnows and frogs are good choices for
live bait. Artificial baits to try are white or black Marabou or
Mickey Finn streamers, weedless plastic worms and both surface
and deep-running lures. Many of the same lures used to catch
largemouth bass also are effective for chain pickerel.
Target
Fish the water willow grass beds in pockets
and thick cover both above and below the lower Thomaston Rd.
Bridge.
Good: 
Fair: 
