Georgia is home to some of the best freshwater and inshore fishing in the nation. From picturesque rivers and lakes to the productive coastline, the Peach State has a lot to offer to anglers of all experience levels. That’s why Georgia doesn’t have one or two, but three officially-recognized state fish! Fishing for all of these species is so good that leaving one out of the equation would do them a huge injustice. So, without any further ado, let’s meet these fighters.
Freshwater Monster: Largemouth Bass
Georgia owes its freshwater fame to the legendary 22 lb 4 oz Largemouth Bass caught in 1932. This record is now one of the Holy Grails of freshwater competitive fishing, and the reason why Largemouth Bass is considered one of the three state fish.
Even though fishing for Bass in Georgia is widely popular, it’s not the only state that recognizes Largemouth as its state fish. This fish is loved all across the nation. Florida, Mississippi, and Alabama also recognize it as their state fish.
Largemouth Bass live in quiet, vegetation-rich waters, and the Peach State has many of those. The first step to catching one of these fish is looking for sunken logs, bushes, rocks, grass, and some deep water pockets. One of the most popular Bass fishing spots is Lake Seminole, located on the border with Alabama and Florida, and spring is the best time to target them.
The Most Popular State Fish: Brook Trout
From North Carolina to Vermont, Brook Trout is one of America’s favorite freshwater game fish. It is so popular that eleven states claim it as their official state fish. In Georgia, Brookies have been declared the cold water game state fish.
So, what makes Brook Trout the most popular kid in school, besides its good looks?
Brooks are feisty, taste amazing, and look beautiful! We’re not kidding – Brookies are some of the most beautiful fish you can find. Their color ranges from olive to blue-gray, to black. Their sides are covered with golden patterns, with red spots in-between. They have orange fins, with a clear-cut black and white trim on the edges. Their size typically ranges between 0.6 and 6.5 pounds, but they can get even bigger than that.
There is one more reason why so many states take pride in having such a fish in their waters. Brook Trout can only live in pure, cool, clean water. They can’t survive polluted and contaminated waters.
If you want to target them, the cold mountain streams of North Georgia are your best friends. The creeks, here, have been packed with Brooks: Boggs Creek, Sautee Creek, the Chestatee River, Smith Creek, Tallulah River, Dick’s Creek, the Chattahoochee River, Raper Creek, and many more. The best time to target them is spring.
Inshore Fighter: Redfish
It’s not all about rivers and lakes, though. Georgia’s coastline offers some of the finest inshore fishing you can find on the East Coast. We’re talking about Spotted Seatrout, Flounder, some really big Tarpon, and one more state fish – Red Drum, also known as Redfish.
Once again, we have another cool kid in class. Redfish is one of the most popular inshore game fish in the US. You can find them all over the Gulf, and the Atlantic coastline. They are a strong, fighting fish, with fierce short and fast runs. They can grow from 3 to 12 pounds and reach lengths from 16 to 27 inches.
There’s never a bad time to target Redfish in Georgia, but the summer months tend to be a bit less productive than other times of the year. You can target them along the entire coastline, but the Golden Isles are especially well known for amazing Redfish action, with Bull Redfish appearing in fall.
Georgia State Fish: Two Wasn’t Enough!
Georgia’s State Fish picks show what fishing in the Peach State is all about. All three of these species are popular nation-wide and make a great catch. Now, it’s up to you to choose which one you’ll target first!
Have you ever visited Georgia? Did you catch some of these fighters? Let us know about your fishing adventures in the comments below!