The Southern Fishing report by Ken Sturdivant 12-2

By Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge

770 889 2654

Cumming, Georgia 30040

www.havefunfishing.com

December 2, 2011

LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 12.70 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLOUDY & 60 DEGREES.

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

Spotted bass fishing is good. The lake conditions have changed based on the recent weather front. The lake is actually rising slightly after the rains and the surface temperatures have gone down considerably with the colder nights. We have been focusing on creek pockets and points about half way back in the creeks as well as main lake rocky banks and points for the majority of our fish. The fish above the bridge seem to be relating to cover much better and are easier to target. Many of the fish in the lower lake are schooling at the mouths of creek pockets and feeder creeks. The stripers and the spots can often be found schooling together, but they don’t seem willing to come up for baits on most days. If you can get a topwater bait, fluke, or jerkbait into the fish when they are busting you will catch them. Our best baits over the last week for the fish that are relating to cover have remained the crankbait, shaky head worm and jig. We are using a deep diving crank bait and throwing it very shallow thus making it bang and deflect off of cover which is producing most of the strikes. A medium running crankbait is working in the stained water pockets and the backs of creeks. The jerk bait has also started to produce some big fish for us as well. Windblown main lake rocky points as well as secondary rocky points seem to be the ticket for these jerkbait fish. There are fish out deep relating to the timber, but there are also many very active fish shallow around the lake that can be found in 10 to 15 feet of water. Some of these fish are relating to brush, and some are just relating to the rock. Stay on the move to find areas holding bait fish and concentrate on those areas. Keep an eye on your Lowrance electronics as you scout for good fishing areas. Move back further in the creeks and out on points and look for the bait balls. Where there is bait, there is or will soon be fish. Once you find a creek, pocket, or main lake area holding bait and fish, you may have success by rotating that area with other areas you find holding bait and fish. Fish move up and down in the water column throughout the day, and in the same context move from deep to shallow.

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. Stripers were everywhere on the south end last week. However, that is not necessarily good news and about to change for the better. Last week the water temperature on the south end of the lake was in the 60’s and there were schools of stripers in the creek mouths over deep water. However, finding them and getting them to sit still was a challenge. There were also fish in shallow water half way back in the creeks. This gave us the option of down rod fishing the mouths of the creeks or pulling baits half way back in the creeks. On the north end of lake the water temperature was a couple of degrees colder, the majority of the bait had moved into the creeks and the stripers were shallow on points and flats early in the day. As the water temperature on the south end of the lake falls into the middle 50’s this week the majority of the bait and the fish will move into the creeks. The good news is instead of the fish being "everywhere" we will have more fish concentrated in the creeks and pulling baits will be the primary technique. Target the creeks with a high concentration of bait and focus on nearby flats and points. Start out early with a "spread" of planner boards, free lines and hang a couple of down lines over the side. Vary the distance of your baits behind the boards; keeping the bank side planner boards shorter than the deep water side. We usually start with a trout on the outside boards and herring on the inside boards and behind the boat. After the first couple of hours move to deeper water and weight your baits with a couple of split shots. Keep your eyes open for diving birds and ensure you have a Captain Mack’s 1/2 ounce bucktail with a trailer tied on to cast. There are fish in the creeks with a high concentration of bait however the south end has been the most productive. Big Creek, Flowery Branch Creek, Six Mile Creek, Four Mile Creek and Flat Creek are good places to start. On the north end of the lake try Ada Creek, Gainesville Creek, Little River and Wahoo Creek. Check with US Army Corps of Engineers web site to find a list of the ramps that are open before going out. Due to the low lake level a significant number of ramps are closed. http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/lanier…Elevations.htm

See the New Bait and Tackle Store On Lake Lanier. Island Bait and Tackle is located on 5825 Lanier Islands Parkway, Buford Georgia 770-614-0080 www.islandbaitandtackle.com. Check with US Army Corps of Engineers web site to find a list of the ramps that are open before going out. Due to the low lake level a significant number of ramps are closed.

http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/lanier…Elevations.htm

December 2, 2011

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 11.93 FEET, STAINED & 60 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL

Bass fishing has been good. Fishing has been picking up as temperatures have cooled and look for fish to go on their a few more weeks of a major feed going into our winter months. With lower water and cooler water temps the jigging spoon bite has really picked up. For numbers move offshore to West Points many humps and road beds with a jigging spoon and drop shot rig. For your jigging spoon a ½ ounce white Hopkins spoon is working lifting it off the bottom with short hops. On your drop shot rig use a Zoom green pumpkin Meathead on a number one hook. You will catch a lot of fish this way but do not look for size. To catch better fish use small shallow running crankbaits and spinnerbaits covering a lot of water fishing any piece of wood you can find.

Hybrid and striper fishing is great. There are two patterns dominating right now. You can catch fish by down lining live shad on humps and rod beds. If fish have scattered from offshore structure switch to trolling medium depth crankbaits such as a Bomber Fat Free shad in a shad pattern. Troll baits near the main river channel. As you begin trolling these areas look for bait that is grouped up and fish will not be far behind them.

Crappie fishing has been fair. Trolling has begun to pick up some this week. Troll a 1/8 ounce Poor Boys black chartreuse curly tail jig. Troll these baits in the ten to twelve feet range going into creeks such as Half Moon and White Water creeks.

December 2, 2011

LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 10.09FEET, 60 DEGREES AND CLEAR

Bass fishing is good because it has so many options for bait choices. Start the month with jerk baits while the water temperatures are still in the high to mid 50’s. Use a Spro McStick and the McStick 95. Mix the smaller and larger bait up to see what works best. Use ghost transparent colors while the water is clear, and use purples and oranges if the water gets a little stain to it. When you jerk the bait, use a slack line pause retrieve. Fish the bait parallel to drop offs and bluff walls. As the water cools break out the float n fly. Use the float and a three way swivel and 10 to 15 feet of 6 pound Sunline fluorocarbon. Tip it with a Red Rooster hand tied fly and Red Rooster fly dope.

This Lake Allatoona Fishing Guides Report Is Bought To You By Robert Eidson Of First Bite Guide Service. www.firstbiteguideservice.com 770 827-6282

Line side fishing is good. The rain we had earlier this week as really stain the north end of the lake. We are spending most of out time north of the S turns this week but the fish are mostly white bass. The umbrella rig bite is starting up lake wide. Free lines and planner boards are working early in the morning and then again right before dust. But between sun up and sun down the umbrella bite is king. There is a down rods bite but nothing like the umbrella bite. We caught most of our fish again this week on our umbrella rigs then live bait. We are targeting the flats from the S turns all the way up to Clear Creek. We are not even looking in the Allatoona arm right now. There’s a ton of fish moving up on flats and points to feed on small threadfin. Catch them on jigging spoons or Rooster Tails if you can get them deep enough and fish 10 to 12 feet deep. The flats off Gault’s have been good as well as the island at Harbor Town and Bartow Carver. Sea gulls are starting to show up so key on the birds and fish any top water like a Super Fluke, Sammy or Zara Spook ready. Pull flat lines and planer boards, and later in the mornings pull a lighter three arm umbrella rig.

December 2, 2011

LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 8.99 FEET, CLEAR & 58 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair and the bass are on points down lake. Some recent runoff has made the upper river stained to muddy and fishing has been slow up. This water is bringing fresh water and more food into the lake. Stay down lake or go into Little River use the large jig and pig, worms and bright crank baits and fish baits. Be sure to fish right in the heaviest cover and add some scents to any baits. Use the dark Texas rigged Berkley Power worm in the larger sizes on the docks on the lower lake. Later each day, use a red shad Culprit worm in and over the grass beds with little or no weight. Cast the worm right on the banks and pull them slowly over the grass. A larger dark worm over the grass and around docks can get a strike. Slow roll a bright Stanley spinner bait on points and docks in the lower lake creek. The “Bass Fishing Lake Hartwell” guide is for sale. Ask for a free sample via e mail. Lake levels are from www.lakelevels.info/?StateID=GA

December 2, 2011

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 10.52 FEET, 57 DEGREES & STAINED

Bass fishing is fair and now is the time to fish points and main lake humps with brush. The bass are tight in cover and the Zoom Creepy crawlers in pumpkinseed colors is taking few fish. Work baits slowly. Up the creeks on points close to the current, use a dark jig and pig combination. Fish tight in any cover from the bank as far out as 15 feet. The Lunker Lure Rattle Back jigs in the 1/2 ounce size in dark reds and blacks with a matching #11 Uncle Josh trailer will be best. Use some Real Craw scent and use it often casting to the same location. Flipping and pitching tight trees in the water or docks up lake is fair. Bright 7A Bombers in green crawfish worked slowly in the creeks half way back later in the day, can draw a strikes. Find the warmest water for better action.

December 2, 2011

LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 2.6 FEET, CLEAR & 59 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair. Look both up and down lake as well as up the rivers and creeks. Use the Shad Raps in the RS and Jointed models along with the famous balsa wood version. Light rain moved across the area and has turned the bass on as they are feeding heavily on the shad and herring. The rocky banks mid way back in the coves are holding both the largemouth and the spotted bass. Some of these bass are bigger fish. Forget the main lake points and head on back to the half way point in the larger coves and smaller creeks that feed into the lake. If you find an area where the red clay bank has a little different color of water than the channel, fish this area with a shad pattern Shad Rap and if the water is stained use the perch color. This fire tiger pattern and a slow retrieve will work. The early morning and late afternoon will be the best time to find a good feeding pattern. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.

December 2, 2011

LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR, 57 DEGREES BY MATT BATY

Bass fishing is good and the cool weather is making the fish bite. The lipless crankbait bite and shallow crankbait bite has really turned on down on the main lake. The fish are still somewhat relating to the grass lines and have not yet moved up on top of the flats. Target the areas that are near ditches and grass lines that have good points and cuts on them. Fish with a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory and rip it out of the shallow grass. To fish the deeper grass lines and points/ditches use a Stanford Razor Shad Medium Diver in Shad color. This bait really comes through the grass nice as it is a Cedar bait that has good buoyancy. Once you find a group of fish, then you can really slow down with a Texas Rig 6" Big Bite Kriet Kreature in Watermelon Seed. This is a big bait, so you need at least a 5/0 Gamakatsu Worm hook and a 3/8 oz tungsten weight. Make sure you use heavy line in order to get the fish out of the grass. Don’t be scared to use 20 lb. Sunline Fluorocarbon, as it is some of the best that I have ever fished with. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.

December 2, 2011

LAKE GEORGE IS DOWN 2.94 FEET, 60 DEGREES AND CLEAR

Bass fishing is good. Fish a jig combo along pads and weed lines or fish it far back in the openings found within the lily pads. Use a 3/8 to 3/4 ounce jig combo in colors of black and blue, brown on brown or in clear water pumpkinseed with green flakes. Fish any wood cover and rock cover and the irregularities found along or within lily pads where the bass will school. Fish the lily pads lake wide and especially in Cowikee Creek. Also try the stump filled flats, creek flats and main lake drop offs or around islands. Any point with wood, weed and rock cover should be fished hard with a variety of lures, in many ways. Fish with spinnerbaits right up in the lily pad fields. Use the crank baits along weed lines, plastic worms, lizards, tube baits or topwater lures in and around the lily pads. Frog imitations are very weedless and one of the best lures in early winter around lily pad fields. Watch for schooling bass in open water and work the jerk baits, swimbaits, crankbaits and lipless lures. Keep a top water bait rigged and ready also. .

December 2, 2011

LAKE WEISS IS DOWN 4.41 FEET, 53 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

LAKE WEISS IS AT 4.01 FEET BELOW FULL POOL, MUDDY AND 53-55 DEGREES

All Fishing is Poor, but should improve as the water clears

Bass fishing is Poor due to the cold muddy water

Crappie fishing is Poor

Striper fishing is Poor

December 2, 2011

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.19 FEET, 65 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.

Bass fishing is good and the fish are shallow and close to wood around docks in the creeks. Bass are biting Bandit crank baits in bright colors and spinner baits. The bass are on the thickest wood anywhere on the bank but it’s best to stay on the lower lake in the creeks. Use the 1/2 ounce Stanley spinner bait with large silver willow leaf blades. Slow roll this lure on the points and use a single Colorado blade and a chartreuse and white skirt. Also up lake, work this same lure on thick bank cover. The Zoom blue pumpkin lizard on a Texas rig has been fair on deep docks and points. Add a glass rattle in the lizard. Afternoons are better as the water warms up. Later each day, use a Zoom trick worm in greens and cast around docks down lake and let it sink out of sight. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.

December 2, 2011

LAKE OCONEE IS DOWN 2.42 FEET, 61 DEGREES AND CLEAR.

Bass fishing is fair to good. The fish are moving out to deeper water. They are no longer in the back of the coves. Look from the mouth of the coves to the river ledges. Try white spinner bait, fished around bait fish. These schools of bait are coming up in the morning and later when the water warms. You can also pick up a few fish with a #7 shad rap fished around the same bait. An old stand by this time of year is a white roster tail. The fish do not see this bait much and there are times when it will out fish all others. Be ready to move deeper as the water cools with these cold fronts coming every week it will change fast.

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 to good. Look in the river bend area. There has been a large school from the mouth of the cove to the middle. The best time to go is before a cold front. Live bait is the way to go. Look for the large schools on your Lowrance and then drop the bait to the fish. After the cold fronts come through the fish will scatter and the do not bite as well. If you have to go after a cold front be ready to do a lot of riding and looking for schools. Most of the fish have been in the 12 to 20 foot range.

Crappie fishing is very good. The fish are in the mouths of most creeks and big coves. Lick Creek seams to be the best. Spider rigging is working as well as finding the fish on your Lowrance and dropping live bait to them.

December 2, 2011

JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 2.16 FEET, LIGHT STAIN & 61 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair. Use a Rattle Back 1/2 ounce jig and a larger Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh on the docks and shallow points close to the main lake. Mid day use the spinner baits down lake in the creeks using Stanley spinner baits with bright gold blades. Late look for shallow strikes as the bass move to the creek banks and points during the day. The Zoom water melon seed lizards on a Carolina rig, has been fair later each day. on creeks on old channels, use a Culprit red shad worm on a Texas rig with the brass and glass combination. Work baits right on the bank around any cover. Zoom Flukes skipped under the docks down lake can also work. Use the pearl and baby bass colors in the Zoom baits. 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.

The 2012 Atlanta Boat Show is January 12-15, 2011 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Come and see our fishing seminars.

The Great Southern Fishing Show will be held at the North Atlanta Trade Center January 121-22, 2011. We have shallow water seminars, fly fishing, guide trips and much more. Seminars will be posted soon.

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. See the new Lowrance machines at www.lowrance.com. Lowrance Announces New Mark-4 and Elite-4 machines.

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