New fisher on Oconee looking for guidance

[TomC]

Don’t fret…….I’m sitting in rural western Kentucky right now and as much as I love lake Oconee, I’m not that sad. I don’t know this for a scientific fact but another tidbit I was told years ago was that the water on the docks on the south side of Cuscowilla warms faster in the spring than any other area of the lake. Remember this come March! Sure seemed to be the case. Not cheap but I’m a believer in better equipment when it comes to bass fishing (particularly high pressure lakes like Oconee) because technique is what will separate you from the other 8 boats that already fished that dock before you arrived. For starters Dobyns Champion series rods (703C for Senkos, Jigs 733C for Spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, 704 fiberglass rod for smaller crankbaits and topwater) and I use older Diawa Zillions tuned up to HOT ROD SPEED which allows the underhanded technique which I use probably 80% of the time. Good technique only goes so far without the right tools. Being able to pitch underhanded even with your spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and crankbaits allows you to place them and run them within inches all the way up the sides and fronts of docks and that's where you need to be. I talk to a lot of people that have messed around with senkos with little success. It took me MONTHS to figure out senkos but once it clicked I am a firm believer that senkos were sent to earth by the good Lord himself because it's all I can do to put my senko rod down I do so well with them. Just got to remember, got to remember DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. This is what took me longer than I would have liked to figure out. It's the key to cracking the senko puzzle. Pitch or skip to your target and then don’t move a muscle, your rod tip or anything until it hits bottom. I love fishing them on 12lb flouro because they skip so well on this line but be aware that around docks you got to be careful, keep your drag set tight and snatch his rear end out QUICK or they will break you off on a dock post. I’ve shed a tear or two because of this. I’d often keep another rod set up with some nasty 20lb big game mono for senkos and particularly for big jigs when fishing areas that had older docks with lots of frayed wood. Night fishing Oconee is AWESOME also. Just find docks with lights. Will end up catching a lot of hybrids also. I’d often put in around 4am and then fish until mid morning. Don’t forget to fish PopR’s (medium size silver/blue) late spring, summer and early fall early and late in the day. Pretty much guaranteed success there as well. Technique is key with PopR’, lots of youtube videos. It was about a 6 month process of frustration and little succees for me on Oconee before it all clicked but ever since it's an easy lake to catch numbers on.

 

[gma1320]

ah yeah, ok. That’s one cove down from what I’m calling Riverbend Cove. Riverbend is directly across from the big bend in the river. It’s surrounded by East Riverbend Drive and West Riverbend Drive.

Oh ok, had good luck there too. Around the roadbed.

 

[Fletch_W]

I hadn't seen it mentioned yet, but Sugar Creek Marina has lots of big bass tournaments and they release all the bass right there, and they don't necessarily go far. If you want catfish action, I'm sure LittleDrummerBoy will PM you some info if you ask nicely. Regarding crappie on Oconee, just wait until February and read the 5 topics a day on this board. Don't pigeon-hole yourself to just LMB on Oconee.

 

[TomC]

The older I get I think I need to venture into crappie fishing, something a little more easy going and relaxing. Bass fishing is to much work! A few years back I was living on the big cove complex just to the right of the bridge after you leave Sugar Creek Marina, good area. Problem with Oconee is fishing is pretty good everywhere! I use to love going down to the dam in early spring with the flotilla of other boats and whack hybrids. If bass fishing in warmer weather late in the day always keep a rod rigged with something (pencil with hook would probably work) when the hybrids start rolling the top. Just cast into them, reel and hold on tight! No telling where they will pop up but "oh boy' that makes for some fun. Snapped a nice crankbait rod on one of those jokers one afternoon.

 

[MrShangles]

I don’t know much about bass fishing on Oconee , just give me a 1pound live crappie and an 8/0 circle hook and a deep hole and sit back and wait on a big flathead cat. A 30 plus pound cat has to be more fun than a 2 pound bass. And yes there is a lot that goes into catching big cats, locate them, big reels, and big bait

 

[Ra2bach]

I don’t know much about bass fishing on Oconee , just give me a 1pound live crappie and an 8/0 circle hook and a deep hole and sit back and wait on a big flathead cat. A 30 plus pound cat has to be more fun than a 2 pound bass. And yes there is a lot that goes into catching big cats, locate them, big reels, and big baitView attachment 1045344View attachment 1045346

holy smokes! I bet that guy took awhile to get in the boat...

 

[brianj]

I don’t fish Oconnee, but appreciate the time and level of detail you put into your reply!
Hats off to you...

Oconee is my favorite lake to bass fish and thanks to some GREAT advice MANY years ago with some slight modifications since I find it the easiest lake to catch consistent numbers of bass on I’ve ever fished. When I first fished Oconee MANY years ago had a guide (a very well known one) take me out and his advice was priceless and has NEVER let me down since. You don’t need much and his original advice was a solid white shallow diving crankbait, chartreuse white spinnerbait with colorado blades, texas rigged watermelon seed worm and a big black blue jig. Skip areas of the lake where docks are absent and basically dock hop all day. Work the spinnerbait and crankbail in between the docks, pitch and skip the jig and worms to dock posts and WAYYYY back underneath docks. Since that advice I’ve modified the lineup a bit and tend to use a chartreuse white chatterbait instead of the spinnerbait and no longer fish texas rigged worms and jigs anywhere near as much but but instead a black/blue flake or watermelon seed senko texas rigged weightless on a Gamakatsu 3/0 EWG hook (NO WACKY RIG - gets hung up to much). Run the chatterbait, crankbait or spinnerbait up close along the outside and front edges of of docks as you approach and then the senko skipped up under the docks and let it sink all the way to the bottom without imparting any action WHATSOEVER on it. Let it sink and hit bottom (AGAIN - DON'T IMPART ANY ACTION ON THE SENK0, LET IT SINK NATURALLY - REREAD until you GET this point), bump it a time or two, reel in and repeat to areas way back underneath docks or to dock posts. DON'T fish senkos like plastic worms!!!! Just let it sink on its on and it will do all the work for you and just wait for the tap….tap! Learn to skip and pitch senkos underhanded and you will ALWAYS catch bass on Oconee. The senkos texas rigged weightless skip soooo easy with the flip of a wrist but this is a technique that takes some time to master but worth the effort as you can place them way back underneath docks to areas that most others can’t or don’t have the skill to get to. With good rods and good baitcasters you can also pitch underhanded the chatterbaits, spinnerbaits and crankbaits along the outside edges of docks MUCH more accurately with a "softer splash" and to surprising distances more so than a traditional overhand / sidearm cast which is a big advantage. Most people that struggle with senkos just don't understand that the key to a senko is to DO NOTHING.....NOTHING......just pitch it softly and let it sink.....NOTHING ELSE! Senkos are killer on outside dock posts also. Rig a medium heavy rod with a senko, a medium heavy rod with a chatterbait (or spinnerbait) and a medium rod with a crankbait and you are GOOD TO GO on Oconee. The guides advice many years ago was skipping worms and jigs under the docks and to dock posts but if you learn to do this with a senko instead I think you will be smiling from ear to ear. This basic approach has worked from one end of Oconee to the other. Just moved six hours away and my days fishing Oconee are probably over but LOVE fishing that lake!