Georgia Wildlife Resources Division
2070 U.S. Hwy. 278, SE, Social Circle, GA 30025
| Best Bets |
| LARGEMOUTH BASS, CRAPPIE, CATFISH & STRIPED BASS |
| Largemouth bass | ||
| Prospect | 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 larger fish this year with up to a third of the catch in the 15 to –25-inch size range. |  |
| 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. | |
| Striped Bass | ||
| Prospect | Stripers in the 2 to 4-pound range will be common with a few quality striper catches greater than 24 inches. Stripers originally stocked in 2005 should approach 14 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 during this time may also 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 Tobeosfkee Creek area in search of incoming cooler water during the hot summer months. | |
| Catfish | ||
| Prospect | Abundance and quality of channel catfish will be similar as in 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 the 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 very 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 the fish 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 in 2011 as to last year, and average fish size should increase slightly. Approximately 80 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 deep-water structure in the vicinity of the old creek channel. In addition, look for crappie around the DNR fish attractor sites marked by white buoys. | |
| 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. | |
| Best Fishing Times Key |
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