April 3  

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.25 (full pool is 475.00), and most of the lake is clear, though the very backs of creeks show some staining.  Morning surface water temperatures are 64 degrees.

Black bass fishing continues to be a hot topic, and Guide Wendell Wilson ofWilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) said bass fishing is about as good as it gets on Lake Russell right now. He reports that the bass spawn is still underway, and the spawning herring, visible around rocky areas, are prime targets. Wendell and his son, Guide Luke Wilson, are catching bass on shallow sloping banks, casting into three to four feet of water, while the boat is in about seven feet of water. The ancient Shad Rap is putting a lot of bass in the boat for Wendell, along with Wacky and/or Texas worm rigs.

Guide Jerry Kotal withJerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) agrees that the bass are on the banks for spawning, and fast action is occurring around points and rocky shorelines where herring are spawning. The movement to the shallows is so strong, he reports bass are scattered all along the banks in the creeks. Almost any traditional bass lure will produce bites in the shallows, as well as freelining live blueback herring.

Wendell Wison added that striper action has been slow, but some are moving in on the herring spawn, and freelining live bait over the points is beginning to produce some striper catches. Both Wendell and Jerry report the crappie action is slow after the spawn, but Wendell reported a two-person group that purchased minnows from him and caught 40 crappies on Wednesday, and he’s thinking the crappie bite will improve soon

March 25

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.28 (full pool is 475.00) and most of the lake is clear although the very backs of creeks have some stain. Morning surface water temperatures are around 58 degrees.   

The black bass fishing is “on fire” on Lake Russell, and Guide Luke Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that while the bass spawn is still very much going on the herring spawn has also gotten underway as they are seeing some herring spawning around rocks. All this leads to a great point bite, and they are catching fish on points with crankbaits, swimbaits, and live bait. Striped bass have been hard to locate but should soon key in on the same thing. 

That fits with the report from Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860), who believes that the majority of bass are pre-spawn but emphasizes that you can catch them about everywhere including points and humps. In addition to the fish that are feeding shallow there is another group of fish that are holding in 15-25 feet of water waiting to come up. 

Unfortunately it’s a different story with the crappie, where the peak spring bite seems behind us. You can catch a fish here or there around the banks, and some trolling, but more fish seem to be post-spawn and lethargic now. Pollen in the water can also make it very hard to troll. A strong new crappie pattern may emerge but right now it’s a little tougher than it should be in March. 

March 19

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.42 (full pool is 475.00) and most of the lake is clear although the very backs of creeks have some stain. Morning surface water temperatures have fallen to about 56 degrees.   

Neither Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) nor Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) were on the water Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, but they have similar views about what fish were doing before the cold front came and then what they will be doing by this weekend.

Wendell’s boat has been primarily targeting black bass, and last weekend they found them on the banks in less than 10 feet of water in the bigger creeks that had slightly warmer water.  Since they bed a little deeper it’s hard to know if spotted bass were already spawning, but they suspect some were, and just going down the banks with a Shad Rap, jerkbait, and then pulling live bait out the back of the boat they caught about 30 fish both days.  Fish were shallow and hungry! They spent a little time targeting striped bass but they weren’t jumping in the boat and the spots were feeding so well they quickly went back to that. 

By this weekend they expect the exact same pattern to produce, and Wendell notes that the bass had pushed a lot of shad up shallow. 

Meanwhile Jerry has spent more time targeting crappie than bass, and he notes that even though the bite wasn’t as good last weekend as when it initially got warm they were still able to catch fish long-line trolling and then around the banks. With the cold, windy weather no clients wanted to go again until today, but he expects the long-line trolling bite to pick back up and then for the shallow fish to start feeding again. A cold front usually doesn’t move them that much, they just don’t bite as well until conditions stabilize. 

Again, by this weekend the action should be strong again and a whole new wave of fish could have moved shallow.

March 12

Lake Russell water levels are at 474.28 (full pool is 475.00) and most of the lake is clear although the very backs of creeks are slightly stained. Morning surface water temperatures are around 64 degrees. 

As water temperatures have jumped up black bass are headed to the banks on Lake Russell, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that his boat has been catching bass on crankbaits in around 5 feet of water and even while casting jigs for crappie in the backs. It’s unclear exactly what stage of the spawn the fish are at, but they are feeding well and it appears to be a strong pre-spawn bite. 

That’s consistent with the report from Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860), who doesn’t know if any fish are spawning but hasn’t seen any obvious signs of it. Instead fish appear to be in a variety of pre-spawn locations, with some in just 6-8 feet of water but others in 10-12 feet on small rounded points, deeper banks, and generally scattered out. The bite is good and yesterday Jerry caught 30 fish halfway back in a creek on a jerkbait and shaky head worm.  

Unfortunately the crappie bite seems to be slowing down, and Jerry actually fears that the best spring bite may be behind us. They are catching less fish long-line trolling than just a few days ago, and the ones they are catching are smaller. There are still plenty of fish around the banks, but again the size has gone down. 

This early in March it’s hard to say that the spawn is winding down, but it got so hot so fast that it’s a distinct possibility.

While neither guide has been targeting striped bass they have seen some rolling in the creeks and even hooked a few on crappie jigs. Pulling free-lines and planer boards off creek points would almost certainly produce. 

March 5

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.64 (full pool is 475.00) and most of the lake is clear. Morning surface water temperatures range from the low to mid-50s.  

The black bass are making a big move on Lake Russell, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that as the creeks warm faster than the main lake the best action for spotted bass is now in the creeks instead of on the main channel. The best pattern is fishing around main points in the creeks, and a drop shot worm in 12-18 feet of water is very effective. A shaky head is also working well, and by this weekend there should be some fish sliding up into less than 10 feet of water. 

To target the relatively low numbers of largemouth it’s a good bet to fish shallow cover in the creeks and to try to find water with a little stain to it. These fish will spawn shallower than spots and also live there much of the time.   

Wendell is also still seeing birds around striped bass in the creeks in the mid-lake area, and casting Alabama rigs is the best pattern for these fish. When you don’t see bird action then covering water with herring on free-lines and planer boards is a good bet. 

That’s consistent with the report from Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860), and yesterday they didn’t see any birds diving but did find a big school of striper about mid-way back in a creek off a point in 25 feet of water.  They didn’t have live herring because they were crappie fishing, but they did manage the 15-pound fish pictured below on a jigging spoon.

Finally, speaking of crappie it has to be coming soon but Jerry has not managed to find any more crappie around the banks despite looking the last two days. But long-line trolling with jigs has been really good in select creeks, still fishing about 8 feet down in 25 feet of water. By this weekend you should be able to troll and fish the banks for several weeks. 

February 25

Lake Russell water levels are up to 473.21 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 48 degrees on the main lake.  

It’s hard to believe considering main lake temperatures are back in the 40s, but Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that a few days ago in the last very warm spell he found water temperatures hitting 58-59 degrees and believes he found some crappie on the banks spawning. They were big females up to 2 ¼ pounds that don’t come to the bank for any reason besides to lay eggs, and so he thinks they either were spawning or were very close to it. 

But now that water temperatures have dropped he’s back trolling in the creeks again, mostly 8 feet down in about 25 feet of water. However, at the next warm spell it’s pretty much a certainty that more fish will be on the banks again.

Meanwhile Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) has been targeting other species on Russell, and in terms of the weather he reports that the last couple of days were pretty miserable. They covered a lot of water but found limited action, and it seems that the black bass schools have broken up and the fish are now moving up onto points and humps. A shaky head worm in 8-15 feet of water is a good place to start.

Finally, Wendell reports that striped bass have been a little tricky to locate as has bait, and it seems that all the bait has moved into the warmest areas which can be a challenge to easily pinpoint. They did manage a 30-inch striper yesterday while perch fishing with four-pound test, and it seem when you do locate the bait the fish are around it. 

February 19

Lake Russell water levels are up to 473.36 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 50-51 degrees.

The crappie bite is just starting to turn on at Lake Russell, and while Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that he fished hard and didn’t get a full limit yesterday he marked a ton of fish and the ones he caught were all big. He was trolling midways back in a creek, and the fish were 8-10 feet down in about 25 feet of water. For a while now the crappie bite has been so much better on Clarks Hill that he has been going there to fish for them, but now it appears that Russell is improving enough to target – although some stain to the water would certain help!

While Jerry has not targeted striped bass, it seems that a decent number of fish have moved back into the creeks based on the fish he is seeing rolling back there. 

At the same time black bass are moving shallower, and Jerry reports that they are pulling up onto secondary points and humps. The best depth range to target them in is now 10-20 feet of water, and on the artificial side shaky heads are as good as anything. 

That’s also where Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that they are starting to key on the bass, although he notes there are still a fair number of fish around deeper timber that have not started to make a move yet.

The next few days should progress everything forward, although the cold snap next week is likely to set them back at least briefly again. 

February 13

Lake Russell water levels are down to 472.25 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is very clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 47 degrees.

There have been some rough days this week on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that yesterday he trolled literally all day for crappie and managed one yellow perch. This is in stark contrast to Clarks Hill, where in the same time he is catching multiple limits of crappie despite the water being a couple of degrees colder. The extremely clear conditions on Russell must be a factor, as well as perhaps the population of fish. He did mark a decent number of crappie, but they were either moving fast or holding 10-12 feet down over 30 feet of water in timber. It seems like it’s still too cold to troll for them in the creek channels.   

Some big bags of black bass have come out of the underwater timber LiveScoping in tournaments, but Jerry reports they are no longer stacked up in deep water near the bottom where they have been. Consistent with that Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that on the lower end they are catching a few big spotted bass suspended 25-30 feet down around timber in 60-70 feet, while further up the lake they are more likely to be found off points in depths of 20-30 feet. But soon fish will move towards shallower points and humps. 

Finally, Wendell reports that the winter yellow perch bite does seem to be pretty much over and it seems to be the tail end of the winter striped bass schooling season. Still on cloudy, rainy days you can see striper under birds and cast at them, but on the sunny, pretty days we are getting more of there is typically almost zero action. Jerry did see one striper back in a creek swirling yesterday but it appeared to be a lone fish and wouldn’t bite.

February 4

Lake Russell water levels are down to 473.02 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 47 degrees.

Back on the water after the snow this weekend, Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports a better bite than a week ago when the fish had seemingly disappeared!  While he didn’t catch many black bass of any size he did manage a fair number of fish on a jigging spoon. They were in two distinct areas, with one group all the way in 70 feet on the bottom and another in just 20-25 feet on the bottom. There was one four-pound largemouth mixed in but the rest were spotted bass.

However, at the end of the trip a giant school of striped bass swam through that were, again, on the bottom. They caught three between 12-18 pounds on the spoon and broke off a much larger one. 

January 29

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.95 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 46-47 degrees.

This wasn’t the Lake Russell report we (or Jerry) expected to give this week, but after a full day of fishing on Lake Russell and riding over 30 miles yesterday Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that the fishing is as tough as he has seen it. He marked three fish on his electronics, including LiveScope, all day, and only caught one good black bass and one yellow perch. He saw no signs of striper, and only saw three gulls all day!

The water came way up in anticipation of the ice and sleet last week, and that may have moved the fish, and they may just not have been in the old or new spots he was looking at. He fished a variety of areas, including main lake humps where they could have moved out of the trees, but obviously couldn’t try everything in one day. He is essentially ruling out a shad kill that has the fish stuffed because he saw no signs of dead bait, but a possible theory is that fish are flat on the bottom.

Regardless, with more weather coming in this weekend it’s hard to think it will get much better – at least in the aftermath of the storm.

January 21

Lake Russell water levels are at 473.21 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 51 degrees.

Most everything seems to have moved a little deeper on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that now they are catching striped bass about 40 feet down over 70 feet of water in clean spots in the main lake timber. They are also catching some on Alabama rigs chasing the birds. Some black basshave been in the same areas but they are generally holding closer to the bottom. 

You can also catch bass off points in 25-30 feet of water, and Guide Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336) reports that these fish will take spoons, drop shot rigs, and live bait. But the really exciting bite they have stumbled across this week is in about 65 feet of water on the lower end of the main lake. That’s where the majority of the birds and the striped bass seem to be concentrated, and they would never have found them without the presence of gulls. 

Even though they are fishing over trees they can still get a medium minnow to the bottom, and on the last two trips they have caught 60-90 fish each time. Most of them are yellow perch up to 15 inches, there are a few channel cats and white perch, and a few bass. They have also hooked some striper but have not been able to land them in the timber.

The better pattern for catching striped bass is to cast an Alabama rig around the birds and over the timber when you see them diving. 

January 8

Lake Russell water levels are up to 473.22 (full pool is 475.00) and the lake is overall clear. Morning surface water temperatures are about 54 degrees.

The fishing is good on Lake Russell, and Guide Jerry Kotal with Jerry Kotal’s Fishing Guide Service (706-988-0860) reports that he is catching a mix of striped bass and black bass (mostly spots) fishing clean spots 40 plus feet deep in the underwater timber. Bass are still taking spoons as well as live bait mostly near the bottom, and they continue to feed pretty well. 

The big improvement is with the striper, and they have caught twenty up to 20 plus pounds in the last three trips. The striped bass are generally much higher in the water column, usually 15-20 feet down, and they are catching them on a combination of bait, swimbaits, and Alabama rigs. 

The striped bass fishing has also picked up for Guides Luke and Wendell Wilson of Wilson’s Guide Service (706-283-3336), but for them the pattern is now as simple as following the birds. Some days they show a preference for Alabama rigs while some days they prefer herring.  

Meanwhile, for bass they are fishing shallower than Jerry off points in 20-25 feet of water with drop shot rigs, spoons, and live bait.

The crappie have also turned on a little, but Luke reports that they are suspended in open water and not related to anything at all – neither brush nor bait. Generally they have been about 12-14 feet down in 40 feet of water, and they are finding the best concentrations near the front of creeks. Obviously the key to finding them is electronics, but once located they will take minnows or jigs fished at the right depth.