Oconee could be boom or bust for Bulldog Division Super Tournament
If you know her secrets, then this time of year gets you excited to fish Lake Oconee. If you don’t, then things might get pretty tough, especially for those fishing Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Bulldog Division Super Tournament.
Tournament details
Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Bulldog Division Super Tournament
Buckhead, Ga.
Sept. 21-22
About the fishery
Sitting some 75 miles east of Atlanta, Lake Oconee is basically “one, giant seawall,” according to local Justin Kimmel. By that, he means that the majority of the lake is developed, with seemingly endless docks and seawalls lining the shores of its 19,000 acres.
While nearby lakes have become famous for their herring and spotted bass, Oconee only has largemouth. And as for forage, it’s basically three things – threadfin shad, bluegill and crayfish. Thus, while the fish do get offshore some, the majority of the fishing on Oconee is focused up shallow.
What to expect
While he says it’s one of his favorite lakes in the country, even Kimmel admits Oconee is by no means the best lake out there.
“It’s a grinder’s lake,” Kimmel said. “And it has some different quirks to it, like how the current can get weird. Every so often it will get filled back up from Lake Sinclair, and it reverses the current on Oconee. So, knowing what the current is doing and how it impacts the fish on any given day is always important.”
Those quirks extend to the patterns.
You see, docks are almost always players on this fishery – Kimmel says if you can’t skip a dock you better learn quick before this event – but this time of year, what those fish bite around docks can drastically impact an angler’s gameplan.
“It kills me to not be able to fish this event, because the swimbait bite is going to be on,” Kimmel said. “The fish are going to be up in the water column, and most people are going to throw topwaters or swim jigs. But someone who commits to getting one or two of those bites on a big glidebait is going to be in good shape.”
Getting those bites means an angler could easily bring in a 20-pound bag either day, according to Kimmel. Then again, it’s just as easy to strike out doing it, especially with how tough the lake has been fishing this year.
All told, Kimmel thinks getting around the 30-pound mark for two days will have someone hoisting the trophy, but he doesn’t necessarily think it will take 10 fish to get there.
“Catching a limit both days may not be necessary this tournament,” Kimmel said. “Obviously, it helps if you do, but it wouldn’t surprise me to see someone win with only eight or nine, but with one or two of those big bites.”