LOCAL LAKES AND FORECAST

OCONEE ON THE FLY-

WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW TO FISH LAKE OCONEE / MARCH 2023 FORECAST

Contributed By Capt. Wayne Moore USCG www.oconeeonthefly.com

When, where, and how to fish Lake Oconee / March 2023 Forecast. Timing is everything, so I’ll start with when to fish Lake Oconee and the simple answer is now! The first week in March is awesome here. We write these articles ahead of time and as of this writing (February 9th) the fishing is good. I went with a friend on Tuesday, and we landed 12 fat hybrids in the afternoon flat lining near the mouth of Richland Creek.

Crappie: When – Many anglers love to fish the crappie spawn, but the guides and anglers that live here fish the pre-spawn. This means mid-February and early March. The venerable Doug Nelms says when you first see the Bradford pears bloom, go. Don’t wait till the Dogwoods bloom.

Where - The fish will be mi- grating North. I usually start at the mouth of Lick creek in February. As we move into March, they will typically migrate above I-20. You will find them above the 278 bridge and above the Swords bridge. Look for the boats, there will be a bunch trolling. Feel free to join the flotilla, but be respectful and keep a good distance.

How - For trolling there are two main methods, pulling and pushing. A common pulling setup is trolling 8 or 10 rods out of the back of the boat. Use 6-pound test with a double jig set up. Use a 1/16th ounce curly tail jig (I like the June bug color) for the first jig and a 1/32nd ounce for the second jig. Pushing is a slower presentation but I believe you will catch bigger fish. Put 8 14- or 16-foot-long rods out of the front of the boat with 6 lb. test to a ½ ounce swivel sinker. Then tie a 6 lb. fluorocarbon leader to a 1/16th ounce jig. Here is a good place to get them (http:// www.jiffyjigs.com/products/). The black / blue/ black color pattern is popular here. Tip the jig with a minnow and drift SLOWLY, if your line is not vertical, you’re going too fast.

Hybrids / Stripers: When: – A key element to good hybrid striper fishing is moving water. Generally, if Georgia Power is going to generate it is in the late afternoon. Try to fish ahead of an incoming cold front. Also, fish 3 days before or 3 days after the new moon and full moon.

Where: - In years past I started at the dam. However, they seemed to have moved up lake since installing the supplemental oxygen line. Look from the jumping rock north to Great Waters and on the Richland Creek side look for humps north to the mouth of

Sandy Creek.

How - This time of year flat lining is my go-to method. I use spinning rods with 12 to 20 lb. test then put on a bead and swivel. I tie on a 2-to-3-foot fluorocarbon leader of 12 lb. test and a number 4 or number 2 circle hook. I crimp on one #4 sinker above the swivel but below the bead.

Forecast March 2023: The crappie bite will be strong, but the fish may migrate slowly north depending on how much rain we get. If we have 3 consecutive days of nice weather crappie fishing will be outstanding. Hybrids and striper fishing will be good on prefontal days and my bet is flat lining will be the ticket!

Final Words Please call 404-317-9556 or e-mail me at wmoore1700@outlook.com and lock in your dates well ahead of time to ensure you get the dates you want. Tight Lines, and God Bless.