The Southern Fishing Report” by Ken Sturdivant 3-12

By Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge

770 889 2654

Cumming, Georgia 30040

www.havefunfishing.com

March 11, 2011

LAKE LANIER IS .5 FEET OVER FULL, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 53 DEGREES.

Spotted bass are moving shallow but the high water means stay in the clear water on the main lake. Watch for floating debris in the lake. The best tactic is still deep structure. Look to main lake points and deep ledges as use the slow moving baits like all white buck tails, jigs and u tail green worms. With the water warming and on sunny days use sand and Limeaide Zoom worms on a Texas rig. If the overcast conditions move in use green pumpkin and pumpkinseed on the same rig. Look in the ditches in the creeks and off lake coves at 30 to 50 feet for the old trees and natural brush. Sand and hard clay banks are good all day areas as spots will spawn on them next month. Cast any baits close to the bank, but be sure to work the baits all the way out to the boat. At this time of year, bigger fish will hold off the banks as far as 26 feet of water. The Zoom dark blue plastic pork trailer on the matching colors of 3/8 ounce Stanley jig is a good second or third choice for this deep structure. Cast to the banks after lunch. Drop the lures right into the structure and vertically lift the lure making contact with the cover. Strikes will be very light so a sensitive Bass Pro Shops Extreme medium tip rod and light line Sufix Elite in 8 pound test will make these strikes easier to feel.

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

The striper fishing is slowly improving despite the cold fronts and heavy rains last week. The lake temperature has dropped a few degrees to the low 50’s but, with the warmer temperatures forecasted for this week we should see the fishing pick up. The stripers are moving into the backs of the creeks and are running the shallow flats and points looking for an early breakfast and a late dinner. Pulling baits shallow on flats and points with a variety of baits both large and medium is your best bet. Put one board right up on the bank with a large bait a couple of feet behind the board. Vary the length on your other boards and free lines from 20 to 70 feet back depending on size of your baits and the depth of the water. Put someone on the front of the boat casting a bucktail the entire time. There are a lot of gar moving around shallow they will drive you crazy killing your bait and you can waste a lot of time fishing for them. Be sure to take an extra dozen baits and check your lines every 20 minutes. Stripers being caught at night with Bombers and buck tails with a fluke trailer in the backs to the middle of the main lake creeks. You can also take out your Lake Lanier map or look on the Navionics chip and look for flats and long tapering points half way back to all the way back in any given creek. This is a great way to learn the lake and discover some hot spots.

March 11, 2011

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 4.3 FEET, STAINED & 62 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL

Bass fishing is good. There has been little change this week. Fishing has improved each week as fish fully commit to the pre spawn. Use lipless crankbaits and shallow crankbaits in the backs of pockets and secondary points. For color selection use chrome with black back or any shad pattern. With the recent rains be prepared to switch to gold or chartreuse patterns. If you find the shad you will find the fish. Our best pockets have had some form of ditch or creek running into the back. Fish the secondary points and wood going into the back of these pockets. Some of the best pockets have been in Yellow Jacket Creek, Whitewater Creek, and Turkey Creek.

Hybrid and striper fishing is good. Fish are grouping on shallow humps and roadbeds in ten feet of water. Over the last week fish moved from their deeper depths following bait. Drop live shad into schools of fish.

Crappie fishing has been great. Fish moved into short pockets within coves and creeks in preparation to spawn. Fish have moved really shallow so do not be surprised to catch fish in less than three feet of water. Use live minnows eighteen inches below a cork. Fish are really grouped so if you do not get bit quickly be prepared to move to the next pocket. Once you get bit the same area should provide multiple fish.

March 11, 2011

LAKE ALLATOONA IS 11.8 FEET, 50 DEGREES AND CLEAR

This Lake Allatoona bass fishing guide report has been brought to you exclusively by Matt Driver from www.proanglerradio.com

Bass fishing is fair to good even with the cooler weather and the heavy rains this week. The river is very stained and water level have come up. The same patterns still exist and use the shallow crank baits like the Spro Fat John in the oranges and greens. Around Red Top Mountain State Park the water is clearer. We are using the "nasty shad" color in the same Spro Fat John. Shallow rocks, brush piles are the best pattern and the jerk bait bite with the Spro McStick is getting better. Fish the on long points and use a slow retrieve. The jig and jig head bite will be picking real soon.

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

Linesides fishing Is great. We are catching fish on swim baits, live bait fished on down lines, free lines planner boards, spoons and single buck tails. Both the north end and south end are holding good numbers of hybrids and stripers. And the best part of it is these fish are willing to eat almost anything. They are getting ready to make the spawn run and are feasting themselves before the run up the rivers. Give us a call and book your trip today.

March 11, 2011

LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 3.2 FEET & 55 DEGREES

Bass fishing is good. This week brought on a few changes in the weather with the cold front that moved in on Sunday night. The good news is the bass did not respond to the front and the shallow water bite is still on. The majority of the bass are still being caught in three feet of water or less and anglers are having good limits at the scales. Most of the boats are heading into the coves and concentrating their efforts on the shallow flats and the boat docks. Shallow running Shad Raps and spinnerbaits seem to be the baits of choice this week. Use the number five Shad Rap in shad colors and the Fat Free Shad are working mid day and later. The back part of the docks is a heavy producer right now along with areas of the bank that hold a good amount of wood. The bass seem to be relating to the wood right now. Soft plastics are not doing well this week so use a slow moving bait on or near bedding areas like a suspending jerk bait. The large buck bass are shallow and aggressive now working the bottom and making large beds. Don’t look for a bunch of bites in one area. The pattern is to fish a cove good and then move on. Eastanollee Creek and Sugar Creek is still good places to start this week.

March 11, 2011

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, CLEAR & 57 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair and the upper portions of the lake are real dirty due to all the rain. Anglers are trying to avoid these areas at all cost. With the water temps. on the rise, the spinnerbait and lipless crankbaits are the choice baits this week along with a variety of crankbaits. With the 56 degree water temperatures bass can be found throughout the lake shallow. Anglers are concentrating their efforts on the warmer water. The larger bass have found theses areas and have moved up in water of five foot or less. These will be the early spawners and can be caught without much trouble. The remainder of the bass are still staging up off the main river points and some on the secondary points. Try the spinnerbait but don’t wait all day for the bass to react to it before changing up to either a crank bait or lipless crank. Use a Bandit 200 or a Shad Rap in the shad or silver shad colors. For the deeper water bass, use a DT10 in fire tiger or parrot color or a Thunder Crank. Work the points well but remember to look for the warmer water right off the points and secondary points.

March 11, 2011

CLARK HILL IS DOWN 4.9 FEET, STAINED & 56 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair and the weather stabilizing will really help the action daily. The lake is full to all accounts and may be up a little with all the rain Georgia has experienced over the last couple of weeks. The water temperatures are right for limits of bass this week. With mid to upper 50’s being reported all over the lake, anglers are loading their boats one pattern. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are the primary baits being used in any shade of white in the blades and the no. 7 Shad Rap in the black/silver or natural shad colors in the cranks. The ditches seem to be the most productive place to bag a 20lb. sack of bass but if you aren’t familiar with the lake, you will need to break out the old lake map to locate these areas. The "ditches" are the old creek beds that were flooded when the lake was formed. Look for the small red lines that run close to the bank on your map and fish these areas well. Start off with a spinner bait early in the morning and switch back and forth with the Shad Rap to cover these areas. Look for and fish all the ditches in and around points as all of these areas will hold bass. Another good bait to throw this week is a lipless crank bait. Throw a Rattlin Rap in the 1/2ounce size on the longer run out points that contain a lot of rocks. Also check out the short rocky banks near the parks and just above the I-20 bridge. These bass are aggressive and a good steady retrieve is all that it will take. Look for signs of blue back herring. This will indicate a prime area to work with the faster baits.

March 11, 2011

LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 60 DEGREES BY MATT BATY

Bass fishing has slowed down a little bit with the recent cold front. The fish are still on the beds and in areas very near to sand. Many different techniques can be used to catch bass right now. One of the best ways is to fish a Texas Rig on main lake sandbars. Use a 1/4 tungsten, a 5/0 Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hook, and a 8" Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail Lizard in watermelon red. Make sure to use heavy line for this technique. 16 or 20 lb. Sunline Fluorocarbon works real well. The other technique that catches big ones is to fish near the spawning areas in clear water with a Spro BBZ 1 swim bait. This technique does not catch high numbers, but will definitely add some weight to your live wells.

March 11, 2011

LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, 60 DEGREES & CLEAR

Bass will be 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 won’t commit to the jig. Some good schooling activity throughout the day has stated. 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.

March 11, 2011

LAKE WEISS IS DOWN .03 OVER FULL, STAINED & 51 DEGREES BY MARK COLLINS GUIDE SERVICE

Lake Weiss is expected to crest sometime Friday morning, at about 1 foot above full pool.

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

Jiffy Jigs Largest Crappie contest Come fish with me and have a chance to win a 50.00 dollar prize sponsored by JIFFY JIGS. The largest Crappie caught in my boat each month in February and March will win the prize. www.jiffyjigs.com

Bass fishing is fair and the muddy, cold water will have the bass turned off for a few days, look for the Bass to be shallow in the clearing water in the back of the bays and creeks.

Striper fishing is poor and a few stripers are being caught in the upper Coosa river trolling 1/4 ounce jigs with a 3 and 4 inch white Sassy Shad trailer, at 1.5 -2 mph.

Crappie fishing is fair and this rain is just what we needed to push all the crappie out of the river channels and into the spawning bays and creeks. As the water clears over the next few days, look for the crappie to really turn on.

March 11, 2011

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 52 to 60 DEGREES, LIGHT STAIN UP AND CLEARING DOWN

Lake Oconee Line Side report brought to you by Mark Smith at Reel Time Guide Service. 404 803 0741. wwwreeltimeguideservice.com

Bass fishing is fair and look for the bass to be close to the bank and in the back of the coves and creeks. Many baits are working and we recommend starting out with a fast moving bait like a Rat L Trap or a spinner bait, and cover as much water as you can until you find active fish. Match you bait color to the water color. When you find active fish switch over to a Texas rig worm or a jig and work all of the area to pick up all the fish there. If the water temp drops after the front comes in then move to the points in the creeks and work them with a Carolina rig worm.

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 and just look for the birds. They seem to be in every creek on the lake. If they are diving, set out your flat lines and plainer boards and live bait is best. Many good fish are biting Rat l Traps fished off of secondary creek points. The umbrella rig bite has slowed down.

Crappie fishing is good to very good. The big slabs are moving to the back of the main creeks like Lick and Sugar. Spider rigs seam to do the best right now. Dark jigs in blue and black with a minnow added seam to be the best. Some good numbers of fish are coming from shooting docks also

March 11, 2011

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 61 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.

Bass fishing is fair and the weather will soon stabilize and the bass will start biting better. With the stable weather the bass will head to the shallows to spawn. Focus your efforts in major creeks like Rooty and Crooked creeks and fish from the bank out to 4 or 6 feet. Texas rig plastic continues to be your best option with tubes and crawfish type baits producing the best. Green pumpkin, June bug, blueberry and redbug have been producing well, as color options. Shallow docks are holding some of the larger fish that have spawned and can be caught on a beaver or creature bait in junebug or other darker color patterns. If the front of the dock has more than five feet of water, don’t waste your time fishing it. Move on to a shallower dock. The best news of all is that a decent top water bite has started in the last couple of days on shallow flats. Fish a Pop R or other type chugger bait slowly with long pauses, or try a Zoom horny toad over the grass beds moving it as slowly as possible.

March 11, 2011

JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 3.8 FEET, STAINED & 59 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair and most of the lake is stained and still rising. The Tussahaw Creek is relatively clear. Use the cranks and spinner baits slowly from 2 to 8 feet of water. The deeper range should be best, but don’t count out finding some shallow fish. Fish the rocky main lake points. Use the Shad Rap or a spinner bait with chartreuse and white blades. The copper Colorado blades will work better in the colored water but gold will work. Use a slow retrieve and use a trailer hook. Keeping the bait at the bottom and bumping cover and rock will help. Early in the day, slow down and fish a jig and craw trailer. Jigs are good for the quality bites. Black and blue and green pumpkin are good colors. A light Texas rigged Zoom finesse worm will get numbers, but the dink spots may drive are little pests. Watermelon seed and mossy pumpkin are a couple of good colors. Use a Carolina rig and a light 1/4 to 3/8 ounce weight and use a trick worm or lizard.

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.