Thread: Oconee

I enjoyed the conversation about Sinclair and the fishing issues there (10 inch limit, ect.). What about Lake Oconee? What causes that lake to become a "Dead Sea" periodically? Yesterday 2 fishermen put in at Crooked Creek at noon who had been at Oconee all morning. They did not get even a hit all morning. Last week two guys I know who have fished Oconee all ther life came home with 4 crappie and three of those should have been thrown back. Af friend of mine went last week to Oconee and came home with 4 catfish and 1 bream. I've heard other tales of poor trips lately also. Every year there are times when Oconee acts like the plague has hit. I just don't understand it. Someone must have an idea as to what causes this.

I would like to hear from anyone who is having some success at Oconee. When it gets good I want to be there.

I've been bitten by the "Dead Sea" numerous times as well. I've been to Oconee at times when you couldn't even mark a fish period on your sonar, and I dont mean just crappie. Call em ghost crappie during them times b/c you cant find em anywhere. I've often wondered what makes it shut down like that as well. We seem to have a 1-2 month period like that every year at some point.

I think its all just environment related personally. I know last fall we had some cold weather in November and then it really warmed back up in early to mid December and thats when it just shut down. I think drastic changes like that either turn fish on fire like it did the 2-3 years prior to last year, or it just completely locks them down on the bottom. Whats going on right now? I have no clue. Oconee was on fire up until a month or so ago and then the lake turned over and was tomato soup for a month. Hopefully the water will clear and the crappie will get back in their normal fall pattern.

I'm gonna test the Dead Sea out saturday so I'll let ya know what I find.

Any other thougts or input?

I plan to fish Ocone this Friday and if we have luck will also fish Sat. If Friday is a bust we plan to fish Sinclair Sat.

Let ya know.