The Lake Oconee Anglers (LOA) Club was founded at Reynolds Plantation in the fall of 2002. A group of anglers including Billy Gavin, Jack Baker, Bob Coletta and Tom Wojnas along with then Reynolds Plantation employee Duncan Crisco sat down and scoped out the new fishing club’s makeup. The LOA Club, which now has over 60 members, had its initial meeting in early 2003.

The club held their annual banquet on Feb. 12 to recognize individual angler achievements for 2012 and celebrate another year of club fishing success and club activities. The LOA Club is dedicated to enhancing the fishing experiences of all of its members regardless of their respective levels of expertise. Lake Oconee is the main focal point for most of the club’s activities but the club does visit other lake locations to fish.

Some things the club attempts to do for its members are to build fellowship, improve fishing knowledge, increase fishing skill levels, promote healthy competitive fishing contests, improve the fishing habitat at Lake Oconee and inform club members about water and boat safety.

LOA Club membership is open to all Reynolds Plantation Property owners that have a desire to engage in the great sport of fishing and/or who wish to see the fish populations in Lake Oconee continue to flourish.

I have had the privilege of attending several LOA club activities over the years, speak to the club on several occasions and again this year I was invited to attend their annual banquet. The LOA club measures success not only in how many fish they catch but also in the success of all the club’s activities.

The Angler of the Year Award for 2012 went to Leo Sauer for catching 73.33 pounds during club tournaments. Finishing in second was Billy Gavan with 62.74 pounds and coming in third was Ron Gable with 62.42 pounds. Sauer also won the Big Bass award for a largemouth weighing 6.75 pounds.

Leo Sauer served as LOA Club President in 2012 but turned over the reins to Andy Burch for 2013. “I want to reinforce all the things that LOA has stood for in the past,” said Burch. “Fellowship, working together, sharing ideas, becoming better anglers and being good stewards of the lake are some of the things I would like to see our club continue into the future.” The LOA continues to attract new members to its club and several new members were introduced at the banquet.

The LOA club wants to be good stewards of Lake Oconee and the community. The club is active with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Rivers Alive Lake Oconee and the Reynolds Plantation Marinas in trying to preserve, improve and protect the Lake Oconee.

The LOA club works with Habitat for Humanity and provides a day of fishing, fellowship and lunch for the Wounded Warriors of the Active Duty Rehab Unit from the Augusta VA unit. In addition, three times a year in coordination with Reynolds Plantation Marinas, the club assists kids with fishing on one of the Reynolds Plantation ponds.

Longtime LOA member Ron Mertz recently passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer and prior to Ron’s death, he and his wife looked for a worthwhile organization where a fund could be established in Ron’s memory. They chose the Georgia College & State University (GCSU) Fishing Team and established the GCSU Foundation, Ron Mertz Fund.

The current president of the GCSU Fishing Team, Chancey Gray was the guest speaker at the banquet and he talked about how much the Ron Mertz Fund is already helping the GCSU Fishing Team defray expenses as they travel around the southeast competing against other colleges. Gray also discussed the college fishing competition program, which is still in its infancy and pointed out that the GCSU Fishing Team finished as the seventh best college fishing team in the nation in 2012.

If you would like to make a donation to the Ron Mertz Fund for the GCSU fishing team make your check out to the order of GCSU Foundation, Ron Mertz Fund and send that donation to GCSU Foundation, Campus Box 96, Milledgeville, GA 31061. To see more information on the GCSU Fishing Team go to their website at www2.gcsu.edu/bassfishingteam/.

Congratulations to the men in the LOA club for another successful year of fishing and club activities. Good fishing and see you next week.

Bobby Peoples can be reached by e-mail at brpeoples@windstream.net.

Lake Oconee Fishing Forecast

Lake Conditions – Recent heavy rains has muddied up many portions of the lake and heavy muddy water continues to enter the lake from upstream rivers. The least stained water can be found in Richland Creek and near the Wallace Dam.

Lake Water Temperature – 51-54 degrees.

Largemouth Bass – FAIR – Few anglers were on the water last week after the heavy rains and passing cold fronts. The influx of muddy and heavily stained water will make success iffy for a few days. Prior to all the rain some fish were located around docks and woody structure and the best lures were small crankbaits (Shad Rap), jigs and plastic worms/ lizards. The fish in deep water areas were being caught using Carolina rigs, drop shot rigs and jigging spoons.

Crappie – FAIR – Best bet is trolling jigs and minnows in the larger coves and creeks or using drop-shot rigged with minnows when crappie are deep and on the lake bottom. All the muddy water will shut down the bite at least for a few days.

Striped/Hybrid Bass/White – FAIR – Hybrids are located on points, humps and ledges from the big bend area to the south end of the lake and especially in the area from the river bend to the mouth of Richland Creek and those fish are being caught on spoons, umbrella rigs and live bait. Live bait has been best lately but the muddy/stained water conditions are sure to slow the bite.

Catfish – NO REPORT.