Southern Georgia’s Oct. 17 report: bull reds at Saint Simons, 65 fish in the swamp

South Georgia rivers are still high, and the saltwater bite is the cleaner story this week. Joshua Barber’s Southern Waters report, posted Oct. 17, 2026, on Georgia Outdoor News, says bull redfish have been firing and that most local rivers are flooded and may not fall back soon. Gauges he lists as of Oct. 15 include the Altamaha at Doctortown at 5.9 feet and falling, the Satilla at Waycross at 15.5 feet and falling, and the Withlacoochee at Quitman at 14.6 feet and steady.

On the Withlacoochee, Jim O’Conner fished two days last week. The first trip was more than 10 largemouth on soft-plastic worms. The second was more than 20 fish, including largemouth, Suwannee bass, and a big catfish, all on a chatter-style bait with a craw trailer. At Ocmulgee Public Fishing Area last Monday, Ken Burke caught 13 bass and weighed about 20.5 pounds for his best five, on crankbaits in 4 to 8 feet and on shaky heads. Jimmy Zinker told Barber the nighttime bass bite is shutting down with cooler weather; one night at Orange Lake he caught a 5-pounder on a red-wing blackbird Muskie Jitterbug.

In the Okefenokee, an angler named Shelton fished a half-day last Thursday with Capt. Bert Deener on the east side and released 65 fish. The two biggest bowfin weighed 5 pounds 4 ounces and 4 pounds 5 ounces, caught trolling and casting Dura-Spins. Barber lists the east-side water level at 120.55 feet. On the coast, anglers on the lower Suwannee reported 23 redfish last week. Doug McNeil fished Wednesday and Thursday with Capt. Tim Cutting in the Saint Simons area: 20 speckled trout and a couple of black drum on Wednesday, then 10 redfish, 15 black drum, 6 trout, and a pair of sheepshead on Thursday, on live shrimp under a popping cork and on 3.5-inch swimbaits.

This is a The Gillnet news desk summary, not a reprint.

Source: Georgia Outdoor News — Joshua Barber’s Southern Waters Fishing Report, Oct. 17 (Joshua Barber, Oct. 17, 2026).