In previous articles I have pointed out that a decision back in 2005 to terminate the stocking of hybrid bass in Lake Sinclair has now been reversed and hybrid bass are once again being stocked in Lake Sinclair. The original decision by the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division (GWRD) was made due to the negative impact that hybrid bass escaping through the Sinclair Dam and other reservoirs on the Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers were having on native striped bass in those tributaries of the Altamaha River.

Those populations of striped bass have now recovered enough that the GWRD decided that it could once again stock hybrid bass in Lake Sinclair and meet the desires of anglers who wanted hybrid bass returned to Lake Sinclair. The stocking of hybrid bass has continued unabated at Lake Oconee during those several years when no hybrid bass were stocked in Lake Sinclair.

Since 2005, GWRD had planned to stock at least 10 hybrid bass per acre in Lake Oconee and in most years that goal was met but stocking levels were dependent on fingerling hybrid bass availability from state hatcheries. At least nine hybrid bass per acre were stocked in all years from 2005–2011 except 2007 when only three hybrid bass per acre were stocked. This year a little over 290k hybrid bass were stocked into Lake Oconee which exceeded the planned 10 hybrid bass per acre by 100k.

The plan for Lake Oconee was to also continue stocking striped bass at 10 per acre but actual stocking rates varied due to availability of fingerlings from the state hatchery. The only significant drop off in striped bass stockings occurred in 2012 when only two striped bass per acre were stocked. This year 97k striped bass were stocked in Lake Oconee.

As I stated in the beginning of this article, hybrid bass were stocked into Lake Sinclair this year for the first time since 2007 and the total stocked this year was 174k. At the same time that hybrid bass stocking numbers were reduced and then discontinued in 2007, the stocking of striped bass was reintroduced and since 2005 stocking rates in Lake Sinclair have ranged between 50k and 150k per year. This year another 149k striped bass were stocked into Lake Sinclair.

The hybrid bass fishery was never as good in Lake Sinclair as it was in upstream Lake Oconee but it did provide a decent fishery for anglers who targeted the hybrid bass. The striped bass fishery is not great in either reservoir but is also better in Lake Oconee. Neither lake has optimum water temperatures for either hybrid bass or striped bass survival due to the warm water found throughout the reservoirs during the summer.

Hybrid bass tend to school or surface feed at Lake Oconee on a pretty regular basis and do so to a lesser degree at Lake Oconee. Both striped bass and hybrid bass offer a challenge for anglers. They have their preferences in terms of which techniques will entice them to strike and that seems to be a barrier for anglers who have not learned the various techniques used to successfully catch these fish.

Learning to properly use both artificial and live bait techniques to catch striped bass and hybrid bass will go a long way to any angler’s success. They provide a definite challenge to anglers but those anglers who accept the challenge and learn the right techniques can be rewarded with some great catches. I will try over the next few weeks to discuss some techniques that can be used to catch hybrid and striped bass but it might be worth your while to hire a guide who is very knowledgeable about those techniques and those guides are available for trips on both Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee.

The hybrid bass are surface feeding right now at Lake Oconee both early and late in the day and nothing in my opinion is better in that situation than a popping cork with an attached Thing popper. Everything you need to put together a popping cork rig is available at almost any bait and tackle store found around either lake.

Even though hybrid bass had not been stocked into Lake Sinclair since 2007, I have continued to catch a good number of hybrid bass that were escaping through the Wallace Dam into Lake Sinclair. Now that hybrid bass are once again being stocked into Lake Sinclair, those numbers should steadily increase. Good fishing and see you next week.

 

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