Flat Creek PFA pulls in anglers for great fishing

Flat Creek Public Fishing Area continues to be one of the most popular PFA’s in Georgia. According to Brandan Baker, Fisheries Biologist in the Department of Natural Resources’ Fort Valley office, Flat Creek is ranked fourth in the top Georgia PFA’s, closely behind Rocky Mountain (Number one, but it has a beach area, popular in the summer), Marben PFA and Paradise PFA. Maybe the popularity is due to its location close to Perry and Warner Robins and Macon. Maybe its popularity is due to its being close to I -75, the clean and easy access to the fishing bank areas, the large fishing dock, the abundant opportunities to view wildlife like bald eagles, osprey and alligator? Or just maybe, people like to visit to enjoy the great fishing?

The PFA is only a few miles from my house, so I visit it often and in late March 2023, I jumped in the boat of Steve Watson, one of Georgia’s top bass anglers. Steve is a retired Warner Robins Fireman who often fished during his off days. Steve is a very knowledgeable big bass angler and estimates that he has caught 100 bass in the 10 pound range or over!

His best ever bass fishing day was about 10 years ago when he was fishing Lake Varner and pulled in 10 bass and every bass weighed 10 pounds or slightly better. For the average bass angler, it can be a challenge to land even one bass over ten pounds, so ten in one day is amazing! That was a heck of a great fishing day that he says he will never forget! Lake Varner is an 850 acre water reservoir near Covington and for more information, check out the February 2006 GON issue,” Golden Rules for Varner Bass” by Roy Kellet available online for GON subscribers.

On our fishing day at Flat Creek, Steve and I were targeting the bass population. Steve has caught and released numerous bass in the 5-to-9-pound range in recent months from Flat Creek. His biggest Flat Creek bass weighed 9 pounds, two ounces and was caught on a bomber A crank bait in Tennessee shad color. He recently pulled and lost, at the boat, a bass that hit a deep diving crank bait that he said was in the 13 pound range.

Brandon Baker says there have been recent good reports of anglers catching bass in the 2–to-9-pound range and the lake record stands at 11 pounds, 5.7 ounces pulled in by Norman Moneypenny back in 2018. Brandon says the lake bass population has very good genetics with a recent DNA examination showing the bass with 78 percent F1 genes, meaning they are mostly the fastest growing Florida strain of bass.

After we launched the boat, we fished the big water about 50 yards out from the ramp, which Steve says holds some good bass, but we did not get a strike there. We had to deal with a 25-mph wind, which made the fishing very challenging.

Moving to the back of the lake we tried the shallow area that leads back to the standing willow trees, but it was too shallow for us to get back in there without running aground. If we get some rain, that area will be fishable, so try around all the willow trees and the old wooden fishing pier on the back west side of the lake. We fished the area for about 30 minutes, but the bass were not interested in our baits.

Moving back toward the dam, we tried casting around a submerged area of concrete blocks. They start about 25 yards north of the fishing pier and run parallel to the bank for about 75 yards. Depending on the water level, you can also cast from the bank toward this structure that is about 10 feet wide. If the water gets low, this structure will stick out of the water where it is easily seen. We ran our bomber A’s all over the structure, along with a six-inch Tejuana sunrise colored worm, Steve’s favorite Texas rigged worm, behind a light 1/8 ounce bullet weight, but never got a bite. The fish just were not biting that day and that’s why they call it fishing, not catching!

Moving more toward the dam area, we fished the water 35 yards out from the water discharge pipe, a popular area for bass when the well is running, and water is coming into the lake. The discharge pipe is about 150 yards north of the pier on the west bank, but no water was being pumped this day. A little closer to the dam, there is a fallen oak tree that is laying in the water, which is a good place to locate bass, bream, crappie and catfish.

The main lake area, straight south of the lake spillway structure, about 75 yards out, is a good hangout for the big bass in the lake. In the summertime there are aerators running to keep the fish in good condition with enriched oxygen levels for maximum growth. These aerators are anchored on the lake bottom, and you will see the water bubbling if they are running, which tends to attract fish to the gently moving current at the bottom. Steve recommends a deep diving crank bait in shad or bone color in these open water areas. These are also good locations for catfish during the summer.

Steve likes to cast the model A Bombers in a fan type action all over the middle of the lake and especially around the few stumps that are usually exposed at the surface. This is the area where he caught his biggest bass. He says the best technique is to use a stop and go retrieve and don’t just use a steady retrieve. His best strikes normally come when he retrieves a short distance, lets the lure stop for one second, and restarts the retrieve. He theorizes that this activates a wounded baitfish reaction in the bass, causing a strike. We never got a hit, so all the bass were must have been in recovery mode from the spawning season.

Now that it’s July, hot and steamy, look for the bass to hit very early in the morning or right below dark. But remember the lake is open 24/7 so night fishing is allowed. If you have any questions about Flat Creek PFA, call the Fort Valley DNR office at 478-825- 6151. Good luck fishing!

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