Ronnie Garrison
Well-known member
I know most of you probalby don't fish this far south but thought I would post my report anyway.
Sunday - June 25
The Spalding County Sportsman Club June tournament was Sunday at Lake
Oconee. We fished from 5:30 AM to 2:30 PM, about 30 minutes before light until it
got very hot. 16 members and guests showed up.
I started throwing a crankbait on the point at the ramp since it was still pretty dark. I
had three spots I wanted to hit early working up the lake then planned on hitting
deep brush piles from mid morning till quitting time. I hit two of the three by 5:55
then took off up the lake to my best spot. As I approached I saw boat lights on it -
someone already fishing it. I started to stop nearby and see if they left but then I saw
about 20 boats headed down the lake - a big tournament had taken off.
Made a quick decision to hit a nearby point with brush on it and took off to beat the
other boats. It is a community hole that I had put on a Map of the Month article a
few months ago. Got there and started throwing the crankbait to the bank, there
were a few Mayflies starting to move and birds in the bushes. Then I noticed brush
with fish around it down in about 9 feet of water on my depthfinder as I fished up
the bank. Turned and threw the Down Deep Rapala behind the boat and hit the
brush, and got bit. Fish fought good and I netted a 3.5 pound bass at 6:10 - pretty
good start.
I worked that point for over an hour, catching two more throwbacks under the 14
inch limit and a big crappie, too. I missed one hit on a Pop-R near the bank where
bream were eating Mayflies but that was the only bite I got. The deepest water was
near a yard on the point and the sprinklers came on just as I started fishing that area
- it stopped the Mayflies and the fish action stopped, too.
Worked my way down the lake catching a couple of throwbacks until about 9:00.
Decided to hit my first deep brush pile early - had planned on getting to it around
11. Rode over is - river channel swings near a point and the bottom comes up from
60 feet to 30 then levels out for a short distance. There is some brush there, then it
rises to 25 feet before dropping into a ditch with more brush then another rise. All
of this is in about 60 feet distance off the bank about 150 feet.
I got on my GPS waypoints and dropped a marker. Backed off and threw a
Carolina rigged Trick worm to feel for the brush and make sure I had the marker in
the right place. Not sure it ever hit bottom, suddenly there was a fish pulling on it.
Landed a 14.5 inch keeper. That made two a few minutes after 9.
Worked that brush for 30 minutes without another bite on the Carolina rig.
Switched to a Texas rigged Mag 2 worm with a 3/16 ounce sinker. Kinda hard to
fish in 25 to 30 feet of water but I got a 13.5 inch bass on the first few casts, then on
the very next cast hooked a solid 2 pound fish. That made three in the livewell by
10:30 or so. Fished there for another 30 minutes and caught another short fish.
Decided to head to another point with deep brush at 11. Marked both ends of the
line of brush in 27 feet of water and started working it. Fished it hard for over an
hour without a bite.
Just after noon went back to the point where I had caught my two keepers and put
out my marker. Noticed another club member fishing nearby - had seen a couple of
bass boats slow down and watch me fish - guess they were trying to find that bent
pole pattern. Caught a throwback on one of the first few casts. The next cast I felt a
thump as I got the worm right under the boat and set the hook. Thought it was
another throwback and cranked it up pretty fast - and was shocked to see a two
pounder come to the surface right at the boat. Was too late to do much but try to lift
it in and it came off, hit the side of the boat and went back in the lake. Kinda took
the wind out of me.
Fished there till 1 and caught a couple more throwbacks and decided to hit the point
where I had caught the good one early - it was about 4 miles back up the lake on the
other side of weigh in site. Got there and there was a boat fishing it. The other point
I wanted to fish in that area also had a boat on it so I decided to run back and fish
the point I had just left - I knew there were fish there and I had about and hour left
to fish.
Thought I had made a good decision since I got one just under 14 inches on the first
cast, but did not get another bite before quitting time.
At weigh in one guy had five weighing just over 10 pounds for first, second was
four weighing a little over 7 and my three got third at 6.4 pounds - the one I lost cost
me 2nd place. Fourth place was one fish weighing 4.5 pounds - and it was big fish.
Six of the 16 fishermen zeroed. Pretty tough day.
Sunday - June 25
The Spalding County Sportsman Club June tournament was Sunday at Lake
Oconee. We fished from 5:30 AM to 2:30 PM, about 30 minutes before light until it
got very hot. 16 members and guests showed up.
I started throwing a crankbait on the point at the ramp since it was still pretty dark. I
had three spots I wanted to hit early working up the lake then planned on hitting
deep brush piles from mid morning till quitting time. I hit two of the three by 5:55
then took off up the lake to my best spot. As I approached I saw boat lights on it -
someone already fishing it. I started to stop nearby and see if they left but then I saw
about 20 boats headed down the lake - a big tournament had taken off.
Made a quick decision to hit a nearby point with brush on it and took off to beat the
other boats. It is a community hole that I had put on a Map of the Month article a
few months ago. Got there and started throwing the crankbait to the bank, there
were a few Mayflies starting to move and birds in the bushes. Then I noticed brush
with fish around it down in about 9 feet of water on my depthfinder as I fished up
the bank. Turned and threw the Down Deep Rapala behind the boat and hit the
brush, and got bit. Fish fought good and I netted a 3.5 pound bass at 6:10 - pretty
good start.
I worked that point for over an hour, catching two more throwbacks under the 14
inch limit and a big crappie, too. I missed one hit on a Pop-R near the bank where
bream were eating Mayflies but that was the only bite I got. The deepest water was
near a yard on the point and the sprinklers came on just as I started fishing that area
- it stopped the Mayflies and the fish action stopped, too.
Worked my way down the lake catching a couple of throwbacks until about 9:00.
Decided to hit my first deep brush pile early - had planned on getting to it around
11. Rode over is - river channel swings near a point and the bottom comes up from
60 feet to 30 then levels out for a short distance. There is some brush there, then it
rises to 25 feet before dropping into a ditch with more brush then another rise. All
of this is in about 60 feet distance off the bank about 150 feet.
I got on my GPS waypoints and dropped a marker. Backed off and threw a
Carolina rigged Trick worm to feel for the brush and make sure I had the marker in
the right place. Not sure it ever hit bottom, suddenly there was a fish pulling on it.
Landed a 14.5 inch keeper. That made two a few minutes after 9.
Worked that brush for 30 minutes without another bite on the Carolina rig.
Switched to a Texas rigged Mag 2 worm with a 3/16 ounce sinker. Kinda hard to
fish in 25 to 30 feet of water but I got a 13.5 inch bass on the first few casts, then on
the very next cast hooked a solid 2 pound fish. That made three in the livewell by
10:30 or so. Fished there for another 30 minutes and caught another short fish.
Decided to head to another point with deep brush at 11. Marked both ends of the
line of brush in 27 feet of water and started working it. Fished it hard for over an
hour without a bite.
Just after noon went back to the point where I had caught my two keepers and put
out my marker. Noticed another club member fishing nearby - had seen a couple of
bass boats slow down and watch me fish - guess they were trying to find that bent
pole pattern. Caught a throwback on one of the first few casts. The next cast I felt a
thump as I got the worm right under the boat and set the hook. Thought it was
another throwback and cranked it up pretty fast - and was shocked to see a two
pounder come to the surface right at the boat. Was too late to do much but try to lift
it in and it came off, hit the side of the boat and went back in the lake. Kinda took
the wind out of me.
Fished there till 1 and caught a couple more throwbacks and decided to hit the point
where I had caught the good one early - it was about 4 miles back up the lake on the
other side of weigh in site. Got there and there was a boat fishing it. The other point
I wanted to fish in that area also had a boat on it so I decided to run back and fish
the point I had just left - I knew there were fish there and I had about and hour left
to fish.
Thought I had made a good decision since I got one just under 14 inches on the first
cast, but did not get another bite before quitting time.
At weigh in one guy had five weighing just over 10 pounds for first, second was
four weighing a little over 7 and my three got third at 6.4 pounds - the one I lost cost
me 2nd place. Fourth place was one fish weighing 4.5 pounds - and it was big fish.
Six of the 16 fishermen zeroed. Pretty tough day.
