The Southern Fishing Report by Ken Sturdivant 4-23
By Ken Sturdivant
106 Hickory Ridge
770 889 2654
Cumming, Georgia 30040
April 22, 2011
LAKE LANIER IS ONE FOOT OVER FULL, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 62 DEGREES.
Spotted bass fishing is good and any day the top water should break out. The weather has slowed the top water but the coming week looks to be very warm and stable. Now its time for the jerk baits, spinner baits and trick worms. There are lots of fish shallow and anglers striper fishing are catching some huge spots while casting buck tails and also pulling live bait. The McStick and the Ito Vision 110 have been attracting a lot of action and we care using Sufix 832 braid to make long casts on a bait casting outfit. We have tons of bait balls at every level and in coves and pockets all over the lake. A pearl Zoom Fluke rigged on a Sworming Hornet Lil Dude jig head has been deadly as the bass cannot stand to see this bait wobble by. Always have a green Zoom worm rigged on a Spotsticker jig head and fish this bait right up on any bank or dock.
This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On! Guide Service, 404 561 2564. www.bigfishonguide.com
Lanier striper fishing is good. The weather continues to be the key. Storms, high winds and cold fronts continue to make fishing challenging. There are some quality fish being caught but the numbers of fish are not what they should be this time of year. There is an early morning bite on free line herring and planner boards pulled across points and flats. After about 9:00am start weighting your lines with split shots and move over deeper water. A large gizzard on a balloon about 150 feet back is always a good idea for that lake record striper. You should also hang a down rod over the side and adjust the depth as needed. Without a well defined pattern the key is to cover water. With the increase in water temperature, its time to tie on a Red Fin and spend a little time throwing to points. The spots are biting and can keep your grandchildren busy during the slow periods. They will also skin your herring without you knowing. Keep an eye on your lines and check your baits often. We pulled umbrella rigs some this week without any success. The fish are scattered lake wide from the mouth of the creeks to all the way in the back. Mid lake seems to be best. Chestatee Bay, Flat Creek, Balus, Six Mile and Two Mile creeks are good places to start.
April 22, 2011
WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 2.4 FEET, STAINED & 73 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL
Bass fishing has been excellent. Fish have fully committed to the spawn. This is a time for your soft plastics. Use lizards and creature baits in the backs of pockets. My best colors have been green pumpkin and watermelon depending on the stain. Fish these baits Texas rig with a 3/16 ounce lead with a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. With the wind we have had over the last weeks, some areas are more stained than others so switching back and forth is recommended using green pumpkin with more stain. Our best areas have been mid lake from Wehadkee creek to the 109 Bridge.
Hybrid and striper fishing is good. The best fishing has been north of Ringer access. Drop live shad and cut bait in deeper holes in the river. The bite has been the best when current is present so check generation schedules before heading out.
Crappie fishing has been great. Fish have been caught in two ways. There are a few beds left, but most have left to stage on docks and brush piles. Use live minnows below corks approximately two to three feet deep. The best creeks have been mid lake in Whitewater and Wilson creeks.
April 22, 2011
LAKE ALLATOONA IS ONE FOOT OVER FULL, 63 DEGREES AND CLEAR
The Lake Allatoona Bass fishing report is by Matt Driver, 404-456-6094, www.proanglerradio.com
Bass fishing is great with 3/4 of bass in post spawn. We have been catching number of bass on a big bite 5 inch Jerk Minnow weightless paired with a 5/0 Gamakatsu wide gap hook and we are fishing main lake to half way back in pockets. Spinner baits in blue and white fished near shad spawn areas. For quantity, you can’t beat a jig head on steep rock banks. The top water bite will be in full swing soon, so try it early to get a few bites.
This Lake Allatoona striper and hybrid fishing guides report has been brought to you exclusively by Robert Eidson of First Bite Guide Service, 770 827 6282. www.firstbiteguideservice.com Lake Allatoona, Georgia email: eidson6260@comcast.net
Lake Allatoona line side fishing is great. The river run has started and the bite up the river is great. There is also a good bite on the main lake as well. The spawn hasn’t reach it’s prime yet, but is getting close. So keep you eye on the river for the next 3 to 4 weeks. If you do not want to go up the river, the south and north ends of the lake is still holding a ton of hybrids. These fish are biting flat lines and planner boards in the morning and then down lines and Mack Farr umbrella rigs when the sun gets up. The umbrella rig bite is the best bite going. Look for the fish to be off main lake points and on the edge of the humps.
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April 22, 2011
LAKE HARTWELL IS .83 FEET OVER FULL, & 62 DEGREES
Bass fishing continues to be good and the first waves of bass are starting to come off the beds. The majority of the bedding bass will start to come off during the next couple of weeks. Bass are still being caught up in the shallows and under and around boat docks this week. A little rain and cooler than normal temperatures slowed the bass down a bit but this will improve by Sunday and Monday. The top water bite is now active and the bass are feeding on small schools of shad and herring. Good baits to use this week include the X Raps, Shad Raps (RS and Jointed as well as the original) worms and jigs and good top water bait like a Skitter Walk or Chug Bug. Docks and rocks are my favorite picks for this week.
April 22, 2011
LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, CLEAR & 71 DEGREES
Bass fishing is good. Almost all the banks and any point or wood has bass close by. Now is the time to pitch and flip any wood on the banks. If you like spinner baits, get the Redemption 3/8 ounce bait by Lucky Craft and throw it all day. Look on the first point in any creek and work to the back. Its sort of a mixed bag with shallow fish and deeper fish biting. Early in the day, fish deep and then at mid day get to the shallows. Warming sunshine has a lot to do with this pattern. Look in the lower lake ditches right off the creeks and use the Enticer black and blue or all black 3/8 ounce jig and a #11 Uncle Josh pork frog. Work the lures slowly in and around the heavy stumps and cover. The Rick Clunn RC1 shiner crank bait is deadly this year on shallow bass. Use a Texas rigged lizard in pumpkinseed or watermelon green with a brass and glass combination and add some Jacks Juice scent. Slowly work the worm right on the banks. Later each day, use a larger green Zoom bush hog on and around the docks and work it dead slow. Use a glass Venom rattle in the worm and let it sink on a free line. Slowly work the worm right in the brush and green pumpkin has been a local favorite. When you are ready learn how to find the bass with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology, call us to set up a day on Lake Lanier. We will show you the fish.
April 22, 2011
CLARK HILL IS DOWN 3.5 FEET, STAINED & 73 DEGREES
Bass fishing is good. The fish are now being caught all over the lake and even way up in the rivers. The one common factor they all have is it seems to be that finding the grass, which isn’t hard, is the key to catching a limit of bass this week. Some anglers are dead sticking worms and flukes while others are using top water baits and spinnerbaits to catch the big ones. The key will be to select a bait that you can move at a steady pace through the water and will suspend when you stop it. Use Super Flukes, X Raps, Shad Rap RS and a Husky Jerk. Work the grassy areas and along the edges for the best results.
April 22, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 76 DEGREES BY MATT BATY
Bass fishing is good. The shad are spawning early in the morning in shallow grass. To catch bass on the shad spawn, a spinnerbait and a top water are hard to beat. For a spinnerbait, you need double willow blades to imitate shad. For any top water opt for a Spro Dawg 100 in Old Glory. For this technique, use a long rod and Sunline FX2 braided line in order to make really long casts for fish that may come up busting shad. The shad spawn usually only lasts for the first 30 minutes or so in the morning, and then you have to go to a different technique. There are quite a few patterns running on the lake right now, but one good way to catch fish is to stay shallow and fish around thick cover such as grass and lily pads. The post-spawn fish are hanging around shallow cover recovering from the spawn and they can be caught on frogs or small swim baits. A Spro Bronzeye 65 in Nasty Shad is a good bait to use. Also a Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper is working great on Seminole. For color stay with something that resembles a shad or a shellcracker. Rig the Cane Thumper on a 6/0 Weighted Gamakatsu Superline Hook. The weighted hook allows the bait to be swam either on top of the vegetation, or you can let is sink down in the holes and fish it slow.
April 22, 2011
LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, 71 DEGREES & STAINED
Bass fishing is good up and down lake and the fish are shallow. Start the day with a bright trick worm on the bank structure and add the Super Fluke to the list also. After the early bite settles use Zoom’s green and gourd green finesse worm on a Texas. Work the pockets at 4 to 10 feet during the day. Bandit and Shad Rap crank baits in shad and baby bass are good on points all over the lake. Be sure to fish the points anywhere on the lake. Up river flip and pitch worms in the 7 inch sizes in red shad Culprit Worms. These worms on the heavy bank cover and strikes may be very light. Stay close to the river current on points at 5 to 10 feet. Buzz baits can be good all day in the pockets right off the river. Strike King all white buzz baits are good any time of the day on bank cover. The fish are not any deeper than 15 feet all over the lake. Shad Raps in the shad and carp colors on 10 pound test line are good. Do not pass up any shallow grass mid lake with a spinner bait.
April 22, 2011
LAKE WEISS IS FULL, LIGHT STAIN & 65 DEGREES BY MARK COLLINS GUIDE SERVICE
Now available for sale 50 of my proven GPS waypoints for off shore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Weiss Lake, Alabama. E mail ken@havefunfishing.com
Bass fishing is good and the fish are shallow in the spawning bays, some are being caught on secondary points, road beds, humps and ditches and shallow stump flats. A lot of bass are cruising the spawning banks and a few are starting to bed. Rat L Traps and shallow running crank baits and Spinner Baits are catching these pre spawn Bass, Jigs and worms are also catching some good fish.
Crappie fishing is fair and the crappie are staged in the spawning bays in 5-8 feet of water, and a few fish are starting to spawn, and they are being caught long line trolling with JIFFY JIGS in 1/24th ounce in colors JJ13, JJ17, JJ24. Shooting docks is also starting to produce a lot of Crappie. Look for a lot of crappie to move shallow and start spawning over the next week or so.
April 22, 2011
LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 71 DEGREES AND STAINED UP RIVER
Bass fishing is very good and up the rivers heavy stain main lake light stain. Richland creek is clear. Most of the bass are off of the beds. The fish are still shallow, just not on the beds. There are two very good patterns working this week. Fish a black or dark green lizard around any shallow cover. Beat the banks. The second way to fill a live well is with a buzz bait. Work down any sea wall or rip rap. These fish are aggressive and will hammer a buzz bait. There is still a lot of bait around the bridges in Lick and Sugar creek. You can pick up a few larger fish around these bridges with spinner bait.
Lake Oconee Line Side report brought to you by Mark Smith at Reel Time Guide Service. 404-803-0741. wwwreeltimeguideservice.com
Line side fishing is very good. The stripers and hybrids have changed their feeding habits this past week. It is now time to through the cast net. They are feeding on threadfins. There are still a lot of fish at the dam but some days they do not feed well and some days they do. You will need to start looking up the lake for humps and points holding the fish. The fish up the lake are feeding very well. You just need to find the point with the fish on them. Some of the largest fish of the season will be caught in the next few weeks.
Crappie fishing is good. Shooting docks has taken over as the best way to load your boat. Look for the night bight to pick up in the next few weeks as the fish move out to the deeper timber. When you are ready learn how to find the bass with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology, call us to set up a day on Lake Lanier. We will show you the fish.
April 22, 2011
LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 72 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.
Bass fishing is good and the fish are in shallow water at 1 to 8 feet deep. Spinner baits will catch fish especially during early morning. Seawalls, rip rap, lay downs, grass, and dock posts are prime targets for the blade bait. Try a 3/8 ounce single spin model around seawalls, rip rap, and docks. A double or tandem spin model will allow slower retrieves and less hang ups in lay downs and grass. Chartreuse, white, or a combination of the two is a good color choice, with gold and chrome being the primary blade choices. Top water baits like buzz baits, Pop Rs, Chug Bugs or other noisy surface lures, are beginning to catch fish. Soft plastics like Texas rigs, Carolina rigs, jig head and worm, weightless worms and Flukes are producing bass. Try a white Trick worm rigged weightless with a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook and a barrel swivel about 8 to 12 inches above the bait. On spinning tackle, this rig can easily be skipped underneath docks and overhangs. Vary the twitch and pause on retrieve and let the fish dictate the best cadence. A Finesse worm rigged Carolina style has worked well during the last two high pressure systems. Use a short 18 to 24 inch leader and a half ounce weight. A Texas rigged Senko or Z Nail worm has worked well adjacent to dock posts and wood cover. Crank baits like a Shad Rap RS #5 in silver blue and fire tiger are catching a few fish also.
April 22, 2011
JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 2.1 FEET, STAINED & 68 DEGREES
Bass fishing is good and there are a lot of small bass in the shallows biting anywhere from the Alcovy River down to the dam. The early morning is fair bit as the water warms up afternoon fishing will pick up daily. A variety of baits are being used to catch fish including u tail worms and various other forms of plastic like bush hogs. The larger bass are still coming on deep diving crank baits while working points and deep ledges off the points. Wood will be the key here in finding active fish. Suspending bass are located just of main lake or river points in 15 to 20 feet of water. Good lures to catch these suspending bass are the #5 Shad Rap in the red crawfish color and the perch color DT10. Another good choice will be the Zoom green lizard rigged Carolina style with a 3/16 ounce weight. Try to match the color of the water with your bait as this seems to be the most productive way to get that bite. Any and all brush piles or stump beds that are holding fish need a good application of both the crank bait and Carolina rig. No reports yet of the top water bite yet.
Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Professional Fishing Staff will be conducting FREE! Sonar Seminars at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Lawrenceville Georgia. The BASICS OF SONAR seminars are held on the last Saturday of each month at 2pm. All seminars are subject to change without notice.
If you would like to have a free set up sheet for your sonar, send me an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net and ask for the Sonar Setup Quick List.
We have these BASS FISHING books for sale: BASS FISHING LAKE LANIER , BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA , BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE , BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL , BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE and BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL . These books are written exclusively for Bass and each book covers every week of the year. Each book $ 39.00. If you would like a sample of any book, send us an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040.
Copyright 2011, Southern Fishing Schools Inc. Call us to set up a school, Maps and Depth Finders or Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass. www.havefunfishing.com 770 889 2654.
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