The Southern Fishing Report” by Ken Sturdivant 10-21

By Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge

770 889 2654

Cumming, Georgia 30040

www.havefunfishing.com

October 21, 2011

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 10.8 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR AND 68 DEGREES.

This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jim Mathley, www.jimboonlanier.com 770 542 7764

Spotted bass fishing on Lake Lanier has been fair over the past week. The spotted bass in the lower lake continue to school around creek mouths as well as over the river channels and standing timber near long-running points, steep points, and humps. Topwater baits, swimbaits, jerk baits, flukes, and the 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 and they will come up for your baits. When the weather is cloudy, the fish tend to roam and sometimes become bottom locked. We have been catching these fish on a shaky head worm and a 1/2 ounce rubber skirted jig tipped with a twin tail trailer. In addition to the schooling fish, there are some good 2 to 3 pound and sometimes larger fish available on rocky secondary points in cuts off the main lake as well as in the mouths of the creeks. When fishing these areas, focus on the ones that are windblown. Crankbaits and Swimbaits thrown shallow on these points and sides of points can be real fish catchers. Look for the bait and many of the spotted bass to continue their migration into the creeks with the colder weather we are experiencing this week. Watch your Lowrance electronics for bait balls further back in the creeks and that is a sure sign the spotted bass will follow. Be flexible on the water and experiment with different baits and presentations. Fish are readily available and are feeding heavily in preparation for winter. The lures and presentation to catch these fish changes every day, but the fish will bite. 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 good and very frustrating. Let me explain. There is a lot of shallow bait over deep water on the south end of the lake. The stripers are schooling and roaming the south end from the mouth of Flat Creek to the mouth of Shoal Creek. They are moving very fast and surfacing for only a few seconds. This makes it very difficult to get to them before they move. However, if you are lucky enough to have them "sit still" for a few minutes you can have a good day. When you see schooling fish resist the temptation to go rushing at them with the big motor on. Instead, move in slowly and drop your trolling motor when you get close. While you are approaching the target area put someone on the front deck with a top water bait ready. Also drop a down rod herring and a free line herring 40 feet behind the boat. The Red Fin, Zara Spook and Chug Bug will work for top water bait. A 3/4 ounce bucktail with fluke trailer and a Capt. Mack’s Game Changer should be used if they are not biting the top water. Chasing stripers busting deep water shallow bait can be both rewarding and frustrating. With the lake turnover, water temperature changes and cold fronts it can be difficult to predict how these changes will affect the fishing. The key to fishing this week is to stay flexible. Take bait for free lines and down rods, umbrella rigs and top water baits. Keep your eyes on the water for schooling fish and adjust your technique according to the pattern you find. The area from Orr Creek to Big Creek is a good place to start.

October 21, 2011

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 11.2 FEET, STAINED & 71 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL

Bass fishing has been good. Fishing is continuing to heat up lake wide with the cooler temperatures. Right now the bite depends completely on the current and wind conditions on a daily basis. There has continued to be a topwater bite first thing in the morning on buzz baits, topwater chuggers, and spooks. Keep it simple with shad color and natural patterns. If there is wind present use spinnerbaits and cover water. Chartreuse and white skirts with double silver willow leaf blades are the best colors with the water clarity. With the lower water conditions fish are positioning on just about any cover they can find between brush piles and lay downs.

Hybrid and striper fishing is good. Topwater activity is heating up first thing in the morning and late in the evening. The mid day bite has continued to be the same using live shad on humps and road beds, but for consistent action focus on schooling topwater fish. To catch these topwater fish use floating fly’s trailed behind popping corks. The action can last for a while so be prepared. The best areas for topwater action have been mid lake from north of Wehadkee Creek to the 109 bridge.

Crappie fishing has been good. Fish have finally pulled up into mid depth brush piles in five to ten feet of water. There will be multiple fish in each brush pile so slowing down with live bait down lined below corks is working best. When shad begin to migrate into pockets, look for the trolling bite to heat up.

October 21, 2011

LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 10.2 FEET, 69 DEGREES AND CLEAR

This Lake Allatoona bass fishing report is from Matt Driver, www.prosnglerradio.com

Bass fishing is fair to good and it is time to get the spinner bait box out. With cooler windy days the spinner bait bite is on. Running wind main lake wind blown points with a natural colors medium size willow leaf spinnerbait is the way to go. Numbers are good a size has also been good. Long cast from several different angles on the point and burning the bait back, and every so often just "kill" the bait for a second and then continue burning it, a lot of times that’s when you get bites. Follow up with a jig head shaky squirrel finesse worm or a finesse jig for the less active fish. There is still a morning buzz bait bite.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 has been very good. The stripers are starting to come back down out of the rivers and are finally starting feed. The north end of the lake is the place to be right now for stripers, hybrids and white bass and monster catfish. The best bite is from Little River bridge up to Fields Landing. Most of our fish this week were caught on jigging spoons fishing right on the bottom on the edge of the river creek channels. Our bigger fish came on big thread fin and gizzard shad. Our live bait bite has been about 70/30 down lines out fishing free lines. The bite may change by the weekend due to the drop of temperatures expected. If the fish do move over the weekend, look for them between Little River and Kellogg’s Creek.

October 21, 2011

LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 9.3 FEET, CLEAR & 70 DEGREES

Bass fishing is barely fair but the weather can warm up later in the day. Look for the bass off the deep points and it’s best to stay on the lower lake in the creeks. Use the 1/2 ounce Stanley jig with a #11 Uncle Josh trailer in black and blue combinations. Later each day, try the smaller sizes in the Stanley spinner bait with all silver willow leaf blades. Slow roll this lure on the points and use a single willow leaf blade and a chartreuse and white skirt. Up lake work this same lure on any bank cover. The Zoom blue flash lizard on a Texas rig has been fair on deep docks and points. Add a glass rattle in the lizard and afternoons are better as the water warms up. Later each day use a trick worm in greens, and cast around docks down lake and let it sink all the way to the bottom down lake. Find the fish with the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and there will be schools of fish out there. The Bass Fishing Lake Hartwell guide is for sale. Lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA

October 21, 2011

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 9.5 FEET, 70 DEGREES WITH MOSTLY CLEAR

Bass fishing has slowed with the weather and wind. Bass are off the deeper on the points in the creeks. Fish are on very tight cover or stumps and bass are still slow to react to lures and live bait. Keep a Zoom Super Fluke in pearl ready anytime there is any action on the surface. Work the large worms and a Zoom Magnum smoke red worm on a Texas rig. Later each day, try the larger Enticer dark brown and black jig and pig on the river ledges and on points. Crank baits have been slow early but after mid day try the small Bandit root beer green crank bait on ten pound Sufix Elite line. Also try the fire tiger 7A Bomber and the strikes will be very tight on any cover. Cast to the same areas often and use some Berkley Bass scent and cast to the same location often.

October 21, 2011

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 2.6 FEET, CLEAR & 70 DEGREES

Bass fishing is slow with the high skies and the cold front. Down lake fishing is fair. Use worms and jigs in dark greens for a few strikes. With the high water winds get a spinner bait and run the sandy pockets as the bass may move shallow on a warming trends. The bass have moved to points and the sand pockets and blow throughs. Any wood mid lake and down can hold fish but do not spend a lot of time in on one spot. Points in 10 feet of water can hold bass with some rocks close by and the smaller worms and small jigs will work. Work all lures slowly. The Zoom red and black worm in the brush using a Texas rig with tungsten sinker and bead for extra sound can draw a few strikes. Faster moving baits are slow until mid day when the water warms and a Fat Free shad in shad on lime and green sides can work. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.

October 21, 2011

LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR, 74 DEGREES BY MATT BATY

Bass fishing is fair and the fishing is picking up a bit with the cooler temperatures. The fish are still scattered and can be caught in all depth ranges. Shallow fish can be caught around shallow grass or lily pads using a Spro Popper in natural green. Flipping is also a good pattern to catch fish out of the grass or pads. When flipping, use a 3/4 ounce Tungsten weight, a 3/0 Gamakatsu heavy Cover flipping hook, 22 pound Sunline Shooter Fluorocarbon and a Big Bite Baits Yo Daddy in the Hematoma color. For deeper water bass, look for grass points near deep channel swings or ledges, and fish a Spro Little John MD in Cell Mate.

October 21, 2011

LAKE GEORGE IS DOWN 2.5 FEET, 72 DEGREES AND CLEAR BY CLAYTON BATTS

Bass fishing is fair especially when there is moving water. The top water shallow bite has been best during the morning and evening and has been lasting all day on overcast days. Fish a Stanford Lures Turbo shad in Bone Crusher around main river grass flats and a Spro Bonzeye frog in natural red back in the pads up the river. The ledge bite has been fair mid lake to the dam. When the water is moving, use the Spro Little John DD in citrus shad or sexy shad pattern on THE main river ledges. These ledges can vary from 12 to 14 feet deep. If the fish seem finicky to the Little John switch up to a silent Stanford Lures Deep Big Cedar in Summer Shad, this cedar bait offers a different action that the pressured fish haven’t seen. If the water is not moving, fish a Carolina rigged Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail worm in plum apple around any deep brush or rocks on the ledges.

October 21, 2011

LAKE WEISS IS DOWN 2.42 FEET, 65 DEGREES & CLEAR 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 largemouth bass have moved shallow in the coves and bays, look for any brush or stumps in 4 feet of water or less. Shallow running crank baits, spinner baits and Rat L Traps in shad patterns are working great. The spotted bass are on main lake points and humps, road beds and shallow river channel ledges, soft plastics like the Senko worm in green pumpkin with a chartreuse tail is catching a lot of good spots.

Striper fishing is fair and they are showing up in the main lake on river channel ledges 8 to 14 feet deep. Live shad down lined and free lined, trolled slowly on the old Coosa river channel is producing best

Crappie fishing is good and a lot of crappie are under the deeper docks, 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 larger crappie are starting to show up on the old river channel ledges in the main lake and the Riverside area, spider rigging with minnows is starting to produce some good fish with a ton of under size fish. Look for more to move to the ledges as the water cools more.

October 21, 2011

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 2.2 FEET, 78 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.

Bass fishing is fair and the best action is down lake. Early and late, fish are on grass lines and a small spinner bait with gold blades and an all white skirt is fair. Cast all the way to the bank and pull the lure right off the banks. Down lake use the large shallow running Rapala DT10 shad black back baits on docks and points. Cast a dark Texas rigged Berkley Power worm in the larger sizes and work the docks down lake. The up lake bass are slow. Later each day, use a Lunker Lure buzz bait in the upper areas of the Little River arm on grass beds and docks. Cast these baits right on the banks and pull them slowly over the grass. A larger dark Culprit green shad worm over the grass and around docks can get a strike. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.

October 21, 2011

LAKE OCONEE IS DOWN 2.28 FEET, 72 DEGREES AND CLEAR.

Bass fishing is fair. Clear on the main lake and stained up the rivers. The rain and cold front have slowed the fishing over the past week. It should be back to normal or better by the end of the week. The road beds and humps on the south end of the lake have been the best producers. Also look at the main lake humps in 10 to 15 feet deep. The mid depth crank baits have been the best producer. If you see the fish on your Lowrance then work the hump from all sides, with a Rapala DT10. When the high pressure drops later in the week and weekend, start looking back in the shallow water. The fish did not move far from the shallow water, and they will return as soon as the weather returns to a more normal pattern. The buzz bait bite should be going strong by this weekend so have a white Old Nelly ready to go.

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 good. The fish are starting to show up in Lick Creek and in the River bend area of the lake. There have also been reports of some schooling fish up the river around the I20 bridge. This is the time of year you need to have ever thing on your boat. The fish will change feeding habits daily. We always have live bait, crank baits, spoons and Capt. Mac’s u-rigs ready. When looking for the schools the umbrella rig is a great search tool and you are fishing while you are looking. The umbrella rig has been getting a lot of attention around Oconee this past year with good reason. Most of the use has been in the late spring and early summer, but the fall and winter are two of the best times of the year to use the rig so don’t forget about it just because it is not summer time. Sugar Creek has the Capt. Mack 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 like to see the Lowrance HDS units in action give us a call and we can show you how it works. You can have an on the water demo. 404-803-0741

Crappie fishing is good. 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.

October 21, 2011

JACKSON LAKE IS 3.8 FEET, CLEAR & 70 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair. At daylight use the Lunker Lure in all white and Rat L Traps right on the banks. During the day, work the lower lake creeks and ledges with a Zoom water melon seed lizard or worm either on a Texas or Carolina rig. The bass are on the main lake points and pond dams in the lower lake creeks. A chrome 1/4 ounce Rat L Trap on points can draw bass strike. Also the Shad Raps in the #7 shad and black back on 10 pound test Sufix Elite line are working just use slower retrieves. Go into the creeks up lake in the rivers for active bass. Use a dark red and black Gilraker worm on a Texas rig on wood and brush very tight bank and river structure, can draw a strike. Cast or flip the river docks and shallow bank with a Zoom motor oil lizard. 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