The Southern Fishing Report by Ken Sturdivant 9-29
By Ken Sturdivant
106 Hickory Ridge
770 889 2654
Cumming, Georgia 30040
September 29, 2011
LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 8.62 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR AND 75 DEGREES. THE UPPER LAKE IS TURNING OVER.
This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jim Mathley, www.jimboonlanier.com 770 542-7764
Bass fishing is good. The fish are biting very well and the conditions have been nearly perfect in terms of temperatures and wind. We have been focusing on the lower lake as the upper lake is turning over and the bite has not been as good up north, especially for the bigger spots. The spotted bass in the lower lake continue to school heavily around creek mouths as well as over the river channels and standing timber near both long running steep points, and humps. Topwater baits, swim baits, flukes and a Fish Head Spin will catch these schooling fish. Focus on points and humps in the mouths of creeks and work your baits over brush or rocky areas where the fish are schooling. When the sun is out, the fish will relate more strongly to the brush. This is the best case scenario as when the fish are in the brush they are easier to target. When the weather is cloudy the fish tend to roam and sometimes become bottom locked. In addition to the schooling fish there are some good 2 to 3 pound fish available on rocky secondary points in cuts off the main lake as well as in the mouths of the major creeks. There are also some fish around docks and back in cuts close to the main lake, particularly in rocky areas. These fish can be taken on a jig or worm, but the quality is not as good in most cases. With a cold front coming this weekend the fish may become less active and therefore less willing to chase moving baits. If this is the case, slow down and fish a jig or worm in these areas. A drop shot rig has also produced fish in these situations. Be flexible on the water and experiment with different presentations. The fish are in and will remain in your favorite creek mouth areas until the water dips into the 60’s. Have Fun Fishing! See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.
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
Striper fishing is fair. Not much has changed this week. The lake has started to "turn over" and the fish have moved from the deep water pattern to points and humps. Stick to points and humps 30 to 50 feet deep. The stripers are "glued" to the bottom and will bite but you have to get down to them. The Umbrella rig is a great tool but as the lake continues to fall it is getting very difficult to get down to the fish as the trees and brush are closer to the surface and you can spend a lot of time retrieving your umbrella rig. When you mark fish you can use herring on down rods to reach the fish on the bottom. There is an early top water bite on points and humps. Both spots and stripers are on points and will hit a Red Fin and a bucktail early. Put out a free lined herring while casting and this will get a few extra bites. The bottom line is 30 to 50 feet deep on points and humps is the key. Top water, free lines, down rods and umbrella rigs are all good techniques. The mouth of Young Deer Creek, Bald Ridge Creek and Shoal Creek continue to be good places to start. Stripers have been surfacing midday at the dam but they are not staying up for a long period of time and are difficult to get to. We have also had some reports of fish in Flat Creek at Mountain View and the points in Flat Creek. Chestatee Bay and points north will get hot as the water completes the turnover process and the fish start moving north. All Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 9.04 FEET, STAINED & 83 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL
Bass fishing is good. Fish are beginning to concentrate themselves near shallow cover lake wide. A few more cool nights and the lake should really turn on. Continue to cover water with shallow crankbaits until you approach cover such as a lay down or brush pile. The best crank bait has been Bandit 200 series in a shad pattern of any type. The water is really clear right now so matching the hatch is crucial right now. Once you approach cover switch to a shaky head rigged with a Zoom green pumpkin finesse worm. This little worm can truly catch big fish that have been pressured. Over the next few weeks we look to see spinnerbaits and topwater come into play with cooler temperatures as these are two patterns that you can begin experimenting with now as the patterns begin to transition into fall.
Hybrid and striper fishing is good. Fish are schooling on humps first thing in the morning. Use ¼ ounce rattle traps in chrome black back and popping corks with fly. Once the sun is up, down line live shad on these same areas on schools of fish. In a few more weeks as we get come cooler temperatures the schooling action should be lake wide and more consistent.
Crappie fishing has been poor. It is going to be a few more weeks before crappie fishing picks up. Fishing at night underneath a floating light seems to be the best pattern. Down line live minnows in eight to ten feet of water beneath lights near bridge columns. The best bridges have been the 109 and Yellow Jacket bridges. All Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 7.2 FEET, 77 DEGREES AND CLEAR
Fishing is good and can be great if you are in the right place at the right time. With the recent rain and cooler temperatures the schooling spots are getting fired up. The size is not great but they are fun to catch. The Scrounger tipped with a 4inch big bite jerk minnow, and a the smaller version of the Spro McStick jerk bait are great baits to get these schoolers in the boat. Throw past the school and bring the bait right through the middle of the school. Also turn off your electronics and stay off the trolling motor as much as possible so not to spook the fish. Shallow cranking is good also. See our web site for the Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.
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
Line side fishing good and the fish are on the move. The fish will eat when you find them. Live bait is starting to work well but the spoon bite is the best bite going right now. The south end of the lake is still the place to be anywhere from clear Creek to the Allatoona Creek arm. Troll these areas with your Mack Farr umbrella rigs. As soon as you find one of these mega schools, drop live bait down to them or use a 1 ounce spoon. The top water bite has down this weeks compare to last weeks, but should pick back up with the cooler weather we are expecting this weekend. Look for these fish on top early morning and late afternoon. Most of the top water action we have seen this week has been within sight site of the dam. Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 7.1 FEET, CLEAR & 77 DEGREES
Bass Fishing is good. Flukes and Pop Rs along with the smaller Sammy will work as the bass become more active. Also run the regular twin blade spinner baits and crank baits right up on the banks. As the bass become more aggressive cover a lot of water and find the active fish. Start off on the main lake points and fish any cut or bowls near these points along the bank. Look for a good combination of wood and rock along these areas. Shad are really bunching up and finding a school of these will give you a big advantage. The Bass Fishing Lake Hartwell guide is for sale. Lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 7.5 FEET, 75 DEGREES WITH MOSTLY CLEAR
Bass fishing is good and be ready to rig up a variety of sizes and colors of Rattlin’ Raps, a lipless crank bait on ten pound test line and fish the islands, points and the edges of the drop offs. Up in the rivers and creeks where the water will show you a little bit of color, use the darker colors. Don’t forget to fish the Rip Rap with the RNR’s and DT Flat baits. Covering a lot of water might be necessary to bag a good limit. Many of the bass will be small so keep fishing. Use a green pumpkin lizard on a light Texas rig and peg the sinker. Fish the ditches and drop offs. Fishing an area thoroughly will be a must this week. The Fluke bite is picking up and these are smaller bass but there is a big fish somewhere close by so make a lot of casts. Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 2.6 FEET, CLEAR & 75 DEGREES
Bass fishing is good. There is a cold front on the way and this will get the bass active. When the weather changes this time of the year, a cold front usually pushes the bass to the bottom and tight to cover or suspending out in the channels. Use the Rapala DT10 or DT14 for the suspended bass and a tube jig for those hard to find fish. If the bass back off the shallow water and you find them on your graph suspending out in the deeper water, take the DT baits and crank them along these channels. By mid afternoon go to the Carolina rig along with the crank bait and switch back and forth on all areas. Also fish any stump or piece of wood you can find. Work the lay downs and especially those with the larger tops that lay in the deeper water. Most of the reports on the large spotted bass are coming from around the dam and the Shad Rap is best. Lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.
September 29, 2011
CLARK HILL IS DOWN 7.5 FEET, STAINED & 77 DEGREES
Bass fishing is good and the crank bait bite is good on a Rattlin Rap in the red fire crawdad and the red crawdad colors. Try to find isolated areas with small fist size rock on them. Throw in shallow and crank these baits back out to the boat. Some of the bass are following these RNR’s back out to deeper water before they strike. Try the Thunder Stick and the Ito 110 in the mouths of the smaller coves especially the ones that have water in the 15 feet deep at the mouth. Work the wood and the small cuts or bowls starting at the mouth and work your way back. When you get to the back of the coves, try a Skitter Prop in a silver or shad color. A slow retrieve like the one you would use with a buzz bait is all that is needed. Try a prop bait also like the Devils Horse in the backs of the creeks and coves. Some shallow bass cannot resist this slow moving bait. Any wind means a large Super Spook in the bone or even a 7 inch shad Red Fin. All Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR AND 82 DEGREES
Bass fishing is slow. The bass are just not biting on Seminole right now. Very few anglers have reported any good catches lately. There are a couple of techniques that will still work even though the bite is tough. One technique is to fish a floating jerkbait on grass lines on the main part of the lake. The best grass lines are the ones that have shad, bream, or needle fish present. Use the Spro McStick 110 in Old Glory color, but you can do a couple of things to the bait to trick it out a bit. The bait suspends as it is coming out of the package, but if you change the hooks and split rings to a smaller size, it will float slowly back to the surface when fished. We change the hooks to the Gamakatsu #6 EWG treble hooks and the split rings to a smaller and thinner size to give the jerkbait less weight. This makes it more appealing to late summer/early fall bass on Seminole. Use14 pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon with the McStick in order to get the best action out of the bait. Another good pattern that is working this year is to flip hydrilla lines in 10 to 15 feet of water. When flipping use 22 pound Sunline Shooter Fluorocarbon, a 1 1/2 ounce Tungsten sinker and a Gamakatsu Heavy Cover flipping hook in 3/0 and a 4" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Vegas Flash. All Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
LAKE GEORGE IS DOWN 1.96 FEET, 79 DEGREES & CLEAR
Bass fishing is good and the weather is about to change and get the fish very active. Bass are up shallow on main lake flats and in the creeks. There are a lot of fish being caught on white Picasso spinnerbaits and a sexy shad Stanford Lures on main lake flats around hydrilla. To find these flats, look for the hydrilla that has matted up on the surface and blind cast all around the flat to find the other clumps that are submerged. Try the frog at the mouths of creeks with deep water close by. Fish a Spro Bonzeye frog in natural red or black back in the pads and work it all the way back to the boat slow. There are usually a lot of fish spread out in the pads this week. Some of the bites will be as far back as you can throw the lure in the pads and some are coming once you get it almost to the boat. Most of the big fish will be caught swimming a white Picasso jig or flipping a Big Bite Baits black and blue Yomama. Locate the fish swimming the jig around any shallow cover that you come in contact with and then slow down and flip the Yomama around the cover to pick up the fish that wont commit to the jig. There is also some good schooling activity throughout the day. Always have a Spro Dwag 100, Zara Spook or a white Big Bite Baits jerk minnow tied to be ready in case they pop up and this can happen anytime of the day. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale. Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
LAKE WEISS IS DOWN 1.15 FEET, LIGHT STAIN & 73 DEGREES BY 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 a lot of bass have moved shallow in the coves and bays as the water cools and the shad migrate shallow. Shallow running crank baits, spinner baits and Rat L Traps in shad patterns are working well. Look for the bite to really get hot when the water gets below 70 degrees. Some good Bass are showing up on secondary points also.
Crappie fishing is good and the crappie are mainly under the docks that have at least 8 feet of water under them, look for larger, older docks that create a lot of shade. Use a 1/24 ounce jiffy jig in colors JJ13 and JJ17. A lot of crappie are starting to show up on the old river channel ledges, spider rigging with minnows is starting to produce some good fish with a ton of under size fish.
Striper fishing is poor and they are in fair numbers in Little River and the upper Chattooga River. Little Spring creek is also producing some fish. The canal and the powerhouse lake are also producing some Stripers. Live Shad is the key to catching these fish, flat lines and down lines fished 8 to 10 feet deep and trolled slowly are producing some fair striper fishing. All Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
LAKE OCONEE IS DOWN 1.86 FEET, 78 DEGREES AND A LIGHT STAIN UP RIVER
Bass fishing is fair. Start the day with a white and chartreuse buzz bait on the sea wall and around the docks in the center of the large creeks and coves. Have a backup rod rigged with a Zoom white fluke for the fish that miss the buzz bait. This pattern will just get better as the water cools. After the sun comes up move under the docks with a shakey head worm, the Zoom watermelon seed or a green pumpkin have been the best colors. Georgia Power has been pumping water out in the afternoon over the past week and this is a good time to work a crank bait on the rip rap on the bridges all over the lake. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.
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 fair. Over the past week the stripers have shown up in the mouth of Lick Creek. These fish are in the top of the standing timber that is 10 to 15 ft under the surface. Use your Lowrance to locate the schools and have a live bait ready to drop down to them. The top water bite is starting to show signs of starting up. You can see small schools chasing shad in the same Lick Creek area. The fish are not staying up long so have your top water plug ready. This pattern will also improve as the water cools down for the fall. Sugar Creek has the Capt. Mac umbrella rigs in stock along with Okuma line counter reels and Okuma striper rods. They also have a complete line of Zoom baits on hand. If you would like to see the Lowrance HDS units in action and we can show you how it works. You can have an on the water demo. 404-803-0741
Crappie fishing is good. As the water temp drops into the lower 70 the spider rig bite will start to pick up. Right now the fish are showing up in the mouths of the creeks. Some fish are showing up in brush piles from 5 to 10 feet. Look for the fish to show up on your Lowrance and drop you live shiners down the depth they are holding at. Lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.8 FEET, 78 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.
Bass fishing is good and as the water starts to cool, the bass will move looking for food. Use the buzz baits, spinner baits and the Skitter Walks early on any grass lines. Spinner baits and Rapala’s DT10s along with #5 Shad Raps will work on the main lake wind blow points. Also work the docks with the 1/4 to 3/8 ounce jigs and Zoom U tail worms. Up in the creeks after the sun is high and fish any wood with rocks close by. If you run up on any off colored water use the Manns mid range crank baits with some green and white as well as the Rapala DT10 hot mustard. Fish any rip rap as bass like to run the rocks looking for shad and small bream at all times during the day. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale. Lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA
September 29, 2011
JACKSON LAKE IS FULL, CLEARING, 79 DEGREES
Bass fishing is fair and the lake is cooling some. Mid lake fish the steeper banks with jigs and slow moving dark colored Zoom U tail worms. White spinnerbaits are catching a few when thrown right up next to the bank and slow rolling it back. With real muddy water up in the rivers, spinnerbaits and Rat L Traps thrown real close to deep water banks and utilizing a slow retrieve will be a good choice. Black or any dark color jigs worked close to cover is also producing a few good bites. Most of the bass are spots and small. Stay with the jig and work heavy cover in shallow water slow and thoroughly. Anglers may need to make several casts before the bass strike. Add a little scent every 6-10 casts. This always seems to work better in the heavy stained water.
Georgia lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.
Our DVD, Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass is now on sale for only $ 25.00 including shipping. Send a check payable to Southern Fishing Schools Inc. to: Southern Fishing Schools Inc to 106 Hickory Ridge Drive, Cumming Georgia. Please allow 14 days for delivery.
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. calls 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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