HOW THEY’RE BITIN’: Southwest Georgia fishing — Sept. 22, 2017 weekend

THE FISHING LINE: ( * ) poor; ( * * ) fair; ( * * * ) good; ( * * * * ) excellent.

LAKE SEMINOLE (**) — Hybrids are reasonably active again. They are schooling sporadically during the morning and late-afternoon hours over humps, sandbars and near creek mouths. Bass are reported as fair to good on frog-type lures and topwater offerings. During the morning hours, fish grass beds near the mouth of the Flint River and around creek mouths. Switch to a soft jerkbait in the same areas later in the day. Crappies are fair for some but slow overall. Vertically fished live minnows are the best bait. Catfishing is good. Live wigglers take the biggest catches, but cut bait has been a fair producer, as well. Bream are reported as very slow at present. (half fish)

LAKE WALTER F. GEORGE (**) — Bass are fair. Small fish can be taken on topwater baits early in the morning, but the best fish are coming from the river ledges. Crankbaits, jigs and Texas-rig worms are working. Hybrids are good. The fish are schooling early in the morning and late in the afternoon over deeper water. Use a shad-imitating crankbait for the best results. Crappies are fair on the ledges. Numbers are down, but individuals are good. Bream are good, and shellcrackers in fair sizes are reported. Use red wigglers. (half fish)

FLINT RIVER (**) — To this point, fishing has been fair to good overall. Most species continue to improve steadily as summer moves into fall. Consistent feeding activity seems to be increasing overall. The shoal bass remain quite active as the warm weather continues. Fish early in the day and expect some pretty good topwater action for shoalies. Tiny Torpedoes and buzzbaits are good. Largemouths are slow. Bream fishing remains fair. Redbreasts and bluegills are active early on crickets fished close to the banks. Catfish remain a bit slow, but steady. (half fish)

LAKE BLACKSHEAR (*) — Bass are good action-wise. Sizes leave much to be desired, according to some reports. Fish small plastic worms around docks and cypress trees. Crappies are slow. There are plenty of fish holding along the river channel ledges between 15 and 25 feet, but they are reluctant to bite minnows or jigs. Stripers are slow, and only scant bream reports are available. Catfish are slow to fair. (one-quarter fish)