BoosterC
Senior Member
I persuaded my buddy to take a day off and we drove down to Ocmulgee from Atlanta. I had put new batteries in the boat late the night before to insure we had plenty of power. I decided to come in to the PFA from the north on I-16 to save a little time rather than thru Hawkinsville. Following my phone GPS, it sent us down a road I remembered seeing on the map, but nearly turned in disaster. It went from black top to monster pot holes dirt/some pavement to all dirt. I knew that wasn't what we wanted, but too narrow to turn around. It was the emergency road. I was sweating bullets when we finally came to a WMA sign and turn off that looked somewhat familiar but really wasn't. Ended up at the empty Ranger Check in station for the WMA and a monster rutted and flooded mud road. I did managed to back up some and get turned around to head back out. Fortunately we came across some hunters who pointed us in the right direction.
Finally got to the lake, but not really with what I wanted tied on my rods, because of the battery replacements I didn't have time to retie with what I wanted the night before. Anxious to get on the water we launched to head for the big rocks and brush just off the ramp. However, I couldn't steer. DING DONG!!! It hit me that I had rotated the front motor battery and but reversed the leads the night before. I somehow managed to get over the big rocks and saw tons of fish, bass and crappie on the sonar, but I couldn't keep closes with the crazy steering. We go back and beach the boat to rewire the connections. All seems well in the world now, but I can't get a bite to save my life.
Saw lots of big fish and big schools but we couldn't get any of those to bite. Went shallow to look for beds along the north shore but no beds! Water temps were 63-67 deg. DING DING!! It hit me and I finally comprehended what the Ranger told me at the ramp. They restocked Ocmulgee with all female bass. ... ergo, no beds since they are made by the males. That is why the big one they shocked up recently was only 3 yrs old. All fast growth FL strain hybrid Females. Fished Ocmulgee for about 5 hrs... BIG ZERO. We caved and put it on the trailer about 3. We decided to grab something to eat and make the short hop over to Dodge. There should be beds there.
Dodge was no kinder to me. We saw lots of beds... all empty.. Water temps there were 73-74. Fished mainly the north west shallow portion of the lake. Toward the end of the day we headed for the island. My buddy spotted splashes in a cove. Quickly raced over there.. they were carp in front of a feeder. He did manage to get the stink off the boat with a little 6 inch bass that hit his topwater. I saw some schools of fish on the sonar off the points of the island. I cranked until my arms and hands cramped up. We left as the last boat on the water just before sunset. A very humbling experience as I am not a beginner bass fisherman.
When we passed Bass Pro shop on the way home I told my buddy I almost wanted to stop there and return all my rods and lures telling them "This stuff doesn't work!!" He said he had the exact same thought. The day was beautiful and the Lord gave us a safe trip.
Finally got to the lake, but not really with what I wanted tied on my rods, because of the battery replacements I didn't have time to retie with what I wanted the night before. Anxious to get on the water we launched to head for the big rocks and brush just off the ramp. However, I couldn't steer. DING DONG!!! It hit me that I had rotated the front motor battery and but reversed the leads the night before. I somehow managed to get over the big rocks and saw tons of fish, bass and crappie on the sonar, but I couldn't keep closes with the crazy steering. We go back and beach the boat to rewire the connections. All seems well in the world now, but I can't get a bite to save my life.
Saw lots of big fish and big schools but we couldn't get any of those to bite. Went shallow to look for beds along the north shore but no beds! Water temps were 63-67 deg. DING DING!! It hit me and I finally comprehended what the Ranger told me at the ramp. They restocked Ocmulgee with all female bass. ... ergo, no beds since they are made by the males. That is why the big one they shocked up recently was only 3 yrs old. All fast growth FL strain hybrid Females. Fished Ocmulgee for about 5 hrs... BIG ZERO. We caved and put it on the trailer about 3. We decided to grab something to eat and make the short hop over to Dodge. There should be beds there.
Dodge was no kinder to me. We saw lots of beds... all empty.. Water temps there were 73-74. Fished mainly the north west shallow portion of the lake. Toward the end of the day we headed for the island. My buddy spotted splashes in a cove. Quickly raced over there.. they were carp in front of a feeder. He did manage to get the stink off the boat with a little 6 inch bass that hit his topwater. I saw some schools of fish on the sonar off the points of the island. I cranked until my arms and hands cramped up. We left as the last boat on the water just before sunset. A very humbling experience as I am not a beginner bass fisherman.
When we passed Bass Pro shop on the way home I told my buddy I almost wanted to stop there and return all my rods and lures telling them "This stuff doesn't work!!" He said he had the exact same thought. The day was beautiful and the Lord gave us a safe trip.
