Fishing dead lakes

Question
 I was wondering what the fishing is like in the dead lakes during the winter.  I have a fishing canoe.  I am interested in Bass and Bluegill.

Answer
Brad; It has been several years since I last fished Dead Lakes.  The last time I fished it was shortly after the dam was removed and the lakes were more nearly like they were in years before the dam.  I used to fish it quite a bit before the removal of the dam and had fair luck on bass although never as good as I thought it should have been.  My best day on the lake was a tournament by our bass club.  The lake was very low and many areas were not as accessible as they had been when the water was up.  I caught a limit of ten bass the smallest was a three pounder and the largest just under 6.  The six pounder came in second for big fish but I won the overall weight.

At times this lake could be very hot for bass or for shellcrackers but the brim (bluegill) and shellcrackers seem to shut down in cold weather.  Bass, however, could be caught all year long but sometimes in winter the going was slow and slower.

I would say that a canoe would be a good choice since the lake is sure to be very low with the draught everywhere in Georgia upstream.  The lake now rises and falls with the level of the Appalachicola River which is very low.

About the only places one could put a larger boat in  would be on the cutoff or just East of the bridge where the dam used to be at the marina.  Or way up the lake at cypress creek or on the river above the lake.

It might be possible to put in a canoe at other places or perhaps some of the old fish camps may have dug channels to allow boats to get to the lake from their places.  

I would suggest getting one of the old maps of the lake and looking for the spots marked for bass.  These were mostly along channel edges or holes which would still hold water.  I doubt if one could get back into the woods like we used to except in places that had washed out leaving ditches with 3-4 feet of water.  Some of these should be very good for bass especially if you can find a place that is running 3-4 feet and then goes to 5 for a ways then back to 3-4 again.

Of course many of the huge Cyprus stumps should be islands now where they were surrounded by water years ago.  Some of these stumps may have holes around them where currents have washed them out.  These should  have bass in them.
The biggest problem I had fishing that lake is that it looks like there should be a big ol big one behind each and every stump but, of course, there ain't.  

Live shiners have always been good in this lake.  Fish them maybe  3 feet under a pretty good size bobber around the stumps and along the drops.  Of course spinnerbaits have always been good for me on this water as has been some deep diving crank baits.   

Plastics should produce also depending on weather conditions. A Carolina rig pulled through the channels or between the Cyprus stumps should do ok.

If you hit it after several days of warm calm days make sure you give topwater baits a try.  A Zara Spook walked around the stumps, or a Devil Horse jerked around weed edges or stumps should work.  I have caught a good many bass on Dalton Special around the big stumps in past years but that was when they were surrounded or covered by water.

If the weather has been warm you might pick up some brim or shellcracker but I wouldn't begin to know where to tell you where to find them.  I didn't fish for them often in winter.

I was supposed to have a fishing trip with a fellow from this site a couple of years ago.  I was to meet him there but at the last minute he had something come up and he had to cancel.  While I like fishing the lake I live on (Lake Seminole) I miss fishing Dead Lakes and the lower Appalachicola River.  Actually bigger fish here but I loved going into the woods and wondering around and wondering if I could find my way out.

I might add that if you can fish Dead Lakes in late February or through March if we have a warm spring, a little later if a  cool spring, and find the old sow bass preparing to go on the beds you will find some really exciting fishing.  Keep a few of the smaller ones to eat if you like but put the big ones full of eggs back to spawn Please.  Keep a trophy if you wish but even better take a good set of pictures, measurements and weight and release her and have a replica made which is WIN WIN situation.  She lives to spawn and you have a trophy.  There are some trophies still in Dead Lakes I am sure.  My biggest was only 8 lbs but I have seen several much bigger.

I hope this has been of some help.  Most of what I have told you is from memory of the lake from several years ago but  I am sure it hasn't changed that much.  I have no idea what the weed situation is.  Before the dam was removed the weeds had taken over much of the lake but with the water down I suspect the weeds are much less of a problem.  A canoe should work great.

Thank you for calling on me to answer your question.  Sorry I could not be more specific.  If I can be of future help give me a follow up or another question.

I am

Jack L. Gaither (JackfromSeminole)
Lake Seminole, Georgia