5/1/08
Fishing still good to very good for many species
By Terry Madewell

Fishermen still have to contend with occasional wind, just like the turkey hunters have had to fight all season long. Nevertheless, several species of fish are being very cooperative right now.

We’ve had some warm weather and a good long stretch of no heavy rains and water conditions have improved considerably. Look for the fishing to remain excellent for several species and even improve considerably for others.

The largemouth bass action is still good with lots of fish being taken from shallow water for many anglers. Some bass fishermen have reported having a tough time finding fish, but overall, results have been reported to be consistently good. The crappie action is also good, but they’ve moved back into deeper water. The shellcrackers have been taken in large numbers over the full moon phase but the big news on pan fish is that the big bream are really beginning to crank it up now. Bream are beginning to bite real well in shallow water on crickets and worms. The catfishing has been very good throughout lakes Marion and Moultrie. Add to this some reports of striper fishing and there’s not much else we dare wish for.

Let’s look at the details of some of the fishing news.

Probably the most sought after species has to be the largemouth bass and both quality and quantity of fish are available now. Some big fish are being taken in shallow water and there are few artificial lures that won’t produce some action right now, with spinner baits and crank baits being two of the most popular choices by anglers. However, plastic worms and plastic lizards bumped along the bottom cover as well as top water lures such as buzz baits being worked around shallow water cover are also producing excellent results. The trick worm is also producing excellent results around the edges of brush, weeds, and under the cypress trees. Look for some big fish to be taken in the next week or two.

Crappie fishing seems to be really strong in the deeper water and some good catches are now being made at night under the lights. In the deeper areas away from the shoreline either trolling minnows or jigs will produce good crappie action.

Catfish – blues, channels and flatheads – are being caught in good numbers and sizes. Some of the best action is still along the windy banks, but generally, catfish are being caught just about everywhere in respectable numbers and sizes.

For striper fishing, herring has been the bait of choice for most anglers and if we get a few days of dry weather, look for the water to stabilize a bit and the striper action to get much better.

The coast fishing news is excellent and redfish, trout, flounder and others species are all biting very well right now. The offshore fishing is also excellent with tuna and dolphin now being taken as well.

It’s that time of the year when just about everything worth fishing for is biting in fresh and salt water.

The only way to lose is to not go do something outdoors right now.