By Ronnie Garrison

For diversity of fishing, you can't beat Georgia. Few other states have the range of opportunities found here. You can fish cold, clear mountain streams for trout or cast to tarpon in coastal bays. In between, you can catch six kinds of black bass, plus crappie, catfish and almost every kind of sunfish that swims. No matter what you like to catch, you can find it here.

Tips: Fish live bait on deep, rocky main-lake points for numbers of fish.

Earthworms and small minnows fished 18 to 25 feet deep should produce the best results. For the biggest walleyes, fish the same areas at night.

For more information, contact Blue Ridge Marine at (706) 632-6333.

Largemouths stack up on deep structure in Hartwell during the winter, and you can catch large numbers on jigging spoons. Look for long points or shoals near the river channel.

The state-record sheepshead was caught three years ago in January in the Wilmington River. Use fiddler crabs around rocks and bridge pilings for these tasty fish.

Tips: Fish fast-moving lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits around the mouths of creeks and pockets. On sunny, warm days, move back into the shallow pockets with the same baits and work them around any grass you see.

For current fishing reports and guide service, call Wingate's Lunker Lodge at (229) 246-0658.

Striped bass move very shallow to feed during February at Clarks Hill Lake. Look for them on main-lake points or humps and drift a live blueback herring to catch them.

Brown trout are growing fast in Lake Burton and feed best during cold weather. Fish live blueback herring on rocky points for the biggest trout and try different depths from very shallow to 25 feet deep.

As March wears on, the crappie begin heading shallow on Middle Georgia's Lake Oconee. Photo by Ron Sinfelt

Tips: Troll jigs and live minnows along the river channel up the Oconee River early in the month for big fish. As the water warms, check out the feeders near the dam, like Double Branches and Sandy Creek, and fish jigs and minnows around any shoreline cover.

Al Bassett offers guided trips for crappie on Oconee. Call him at (706) 485-1280 or e-mail him at OconeeAl@msn.com.

Fish crankbaits and spinnerbaits for largemouths around riprap early in the month on Lake Walter F. George, then move to spawning pockets down the lake with spinnerbaits as the water warms.

Chicken livers or live earthworms fished from the bank can produce a limit of catfish at Evans County Public Fishing Area (PFA). The cats feed heavily in the warmer South Georgia water this month.

Tips: Fish with live blueback herring on points and humps on the main lake. Fish some baits 18 to 20 feet down on Carolina rigs, with others free-lined shallower. Also keep a topwater plug or bucktail jig ready for surface schooling action.

Mark Waller can provide guide services and information at (706) 376-4407.

Big bass spawn at Paradise PFA on the full moon in March. It is probably the best place in the state for stalking a 15-pound bass on the bed. Sight-fish for these lunkers with big tube baits and lizards.

Above-average trout are available in Waters Creek, which is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays for artificial-lure fishing only. Brown and rainbow trout must be 22 inches long to be kept, and there is a one-fish limit.

Tips: Anchor in 10 feet of water off banks and points covered in shells and fish earthworms on the bottom. Put out several rods in holders and wait on bites. Prospect in water that is 5 to 15 feet deep until you find the fish.

Raysville Bait and Tackle (706-595-6637) can provide current fishing conditions.

Post spawn largemouths feed heavily around grassbeds on Weiss Lake and provide exciting action on spinnerbaits and buzzbaits. Fish fast and cover a lot of water on secondary points and backwaters where bass spawned.

Chose any of the 12 ponds at McDuffie PFA and fish the sandy banks with livers or earthworms for a limit of pan-sized channel catfish. It is possible to catch some large fish, too, so use stout tackle.

Tips: Fish topwater plugs and buzzbaits early and late in the day, then switch to plastics worms while the sun is on the water. Concentrate on rocks and brush in shallow water early in the month, then look for deeper cover as the water gets warmer. Call (706) 802-5087 for fishing reports and the schedule of open days.

Big flathead catfish inhabit High Falls Lake and can be caught in feeder creeks and along the old river channel on live bream during the day. Boats are not allowed on the lake at night.

Bluegills in the lake at Big Lazer Creek PFA bed around the full moon, and large numbers of good-sized fish can be caught on crickets when you locate beds in shallow protected pockets.