The Southern Fishing Report by Ken Sturdivant 4-19

By Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge

770 889 2654

Cumming, Georgia 30040

www.havefunfishing.com

April 15, 2011

LAKE LANIER IS FULL, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 62 DEGREES.

Bass fishing good lake wide and the fish are on points, around docks and in the backs of all the coves and creeks. Early use the Flukes and trick worms as the early bite starts on anything in the water in the shallows. Wood, rocks, and docks have fish all around them and casting shallow is the best bet. Start the day with almost any color of Zooms trick worm. Skip or cast the bait past the cover and pull the lure and let it drop right into the cover. Depths can vary from 5 to 12 feet and the Enticer spinner baits in the 3/8 ounce size with silver and gold blades in either the willow leaf or Colorado combinations has been working. Slow roll these baits on and over points and any wood all day. With the water temperatures warming, presentations can be faster. The bass are shallow and spawning this week all over the lake. Up lake in the rivers and up lake creeks, jig and pig in reds and black combos along with the Uncle Josh matching trailers worked on points and around docks will draw strikes for bass. Its been better to fish these lures in the same location for a few casts and this can make the better fish strike the lures. Zooms pumpkinseed lizard on a Texas rig has been good for these bass in the same locations. The suspending Rouge in almost any color has been catching a lot of shallow bass on and around any cover in the creeks. Docks and wood are key areas. Try some extra scent on these lures and make several casts into the same location.

A Zoom red shad u tail worm on a Texas rig placed right.

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. The weather has been the key all week. We get on some good fish and a cold front will come through and mess up the fishing for a couple of days. 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. You should also hang a down rod over the side and adjust the depth as need. Without a well defined pattern the key is to cover water with herring on free lines and boards. The spots are biting and if you can catch them on a 1/2 ounce Captain’s Macks bucktail. The spots will also "skin" your herring without you knowing. Keep an eye on your lines and check your baits often. The fish are scattered lake wide from the mouth of the creeks to all the way in the back. Some fish have even been caught over open water in front of Brown’s Bridge and over deep water in the mouth of Flat. Mid lake seems to be best. Chestatee Bay, Flat Creek and Balus are good places to start. The mouth of Shoal, the Dam area and Bald Ridge are holding some fish. The North end creeks and the Rivers continue to be slow but should be catching fire any day.

April 15, 2011

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 2.9 FEET, STAINED & 71 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL

Bass fishing is excellent. Fish are in all phases but look for a large concentration of fish to pull up on the bed this week with the full moon. With the stained water seeing these fish will be difficult. The best pattern in these conditions seems to be is pitching 3/8 ounce black/blue jig with a Z-Man black with blue fleck Chunkz. My other bait has been a Zoom green pumpkin eight inch lizard on 1/8 ounce Texas rig. In the backs of pockets and creeks pitch baits to isolated pieces of cover watching your line closely for the bite. The best areas have been mid lake between the 109 bridge to Yellow Jacket creek.

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 15, 2011

LAKE ALLATOONA IS FULL, 63 DEGREES AND CLEAR

Bass fishing is good and there a lot of fish shallow. Concentrate your efforts in the mid section of the lake this week. Top water seems to be the way to go in the morning. Fish points with a Jackall SK Pop Grande or small walking bait. As the top water slows, start casting a 1/8 or 3/16 Davis Shaky Head to these same points. Zoom has a hot, new color called Disco Violet. You can use trick worms or finesse worms in this color. The mid day bite is still good with a Carolina Rig being the bait of choice. Fish the pole markers and points with this bait. Cast small finesse worms or lizards on your rig. The night bite is good with the nighttime spinnerbait still working best. Fish the steep rock banks on the main lake with a ½ oz. Punisher Short Arm Bait. This bait works well with a slow straight steady retrieve, if they are not biting a spinnerbait after dark, cast a crank bait in these same areas. The crank bait of choice is a Spro Little John DD inn Nasty Shad.

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 a little bit slower this week but is still good. With the recent rains and the cold nights the striper bite has slowed down. But to my surprise it hasn’t hurt the hybrid bite that much. Look for it to pick back up as the water warms. The fish have back down out of the river due to the muddy water but they should move back up quickly as the water clears. The spawn hasn’t been to reach it prime. So keep you eye on the river for the next 3 to 4 weeks. For you guys that don’t want to go up the river, the south and north ends of the lake are still holding a ton of hybrids. These fish are biting flat lines and planner boards in the morning. The down lines and Mack Farr umbrella rigs are a go when the sun gets up. The umbrella rig bite is the best bite going. Look for these fish to be off main lake points and on the edge of the humps.

April 15, 2011

LAKE HARTWELL IS FULL, & 62 DEGREES

Bass fishing is good and there are a lot of fish shallow. The top water bite has picked up a good bit and baits like the Zara Spook and the Pop R. are excellent baits to use. The Firetiger Shad Rap in either the jointed or suspending model will get a bite at almost every mud line you will find. A Rattlin Rap in the red crawdad is another good choice. Work the creeks and coves in the same manner and make several casts before moving on. These bass just cruise up and down right on the edge waiting for the bait fish to move to cleaner water. Out on the main lake and up in the main rivers, the midday to afternoon bite is still good while using a Carolina rig. Look for areas that contain rock and or wood. Try both rock and wood daily as the rock will hold the cooler water longer and better than wood. Use any color in the green or motor oil spectrum for best results. The Carolina rig is also working around docks and channel ledges all during the day.

April 15, 2011

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, CLEAR & 64 DEGREES

Bass fishing is good and the spotted bass are everywhere. The stained water up lake has been good to anglers using crank baits in and around bedding areas especially up in the river and the creeks feeding into it. Spinnerbaits have proven their worth this past week but other baits have been good producers too. As the bass start to leave their beds, expect to find a wider variety of crank baits tied on. The Shad Raps and the Fat Free Shad baits are good choices. A slow but steady retrieve is all that is necessary. Ten pound test line is my favorite while using these baits. Fish the cuts and coves first and then move out to the small rocky points. Get the trick worms and the Super Flukes out and you could fish these two baits all day. The rocks will produce a lot of the spotted bass that are being caught. 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 15, 2011

CLARK HILL IS DOWN 3.5 FEET, STAINED & 63 DEGREES

Bass fishing is good and the on southern end of the lake in the clearer water uses the flukes and spinner baits. Add the floating worms and finesse worms like the Zoom trick worm in pink and white. Use the ten pound test line and no weight and rig your favorite spinning reel up and target the shallower coves where the grass has already grown up. Throw the worm up shallow and let it sink into the grass then pull it out and start over again. Stay out as far as possible and be careful not to spook the fish. The top water bite is on and anglers are looking for any top water activity before throwing the baits. Points are always a good bet and any signs of the blue backs running off these points will be a plus. Pop Rs and Chugs Bugs in a variety of colors are working. Up in the rivers, the water will be colored due to all the recent rains. The bass are still biting but different baits will be the key to success. The RS Shad Raps and the Rattlin Raps will be plenty of choices while fishing the dirty water. Work the rocky points and islands for best results. Don’t forget to throw one of my favorite colors and that would have to be the fire tiger. This color will work in the muddiest of waters. A slow but steady retrieve and keeping the bait just off the bottom will get you bit here.

April 15, 2011

LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 76 DEGREES

Bass fishing is excellent and the fish are on shallow structure lake wide. On the grass use a gold Rapala in the #9 size. Shad Raps are great too in both shad and baby bass. Down lake hit the points and up the rivers use the Bomber 7A in fire tiger. Stanley spinner baits with gold and silver combinations in willow leaf blades, have been catching a few fish, but they are smaller fish running the banks. The Leverage buzz bait in golden trap is a real big fish bait and work it on and over any structure even up the rivers. Hit the bank cover and use the Zoom centerline yellow floating worms half way in the creeks and the off river coves. A Zoom June Bug u tail worm on a Texas rig will get a lot of small strikes. If you can find a small Big O in gold it is a great shallow water bait this spring and summer.

April 15, 2011

LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, 69 DEGREES & STAINED

Bass fishing is good as the bass are shallow lake wide. The early morning top water bite is good. Buzz baits and Pop R’s around flooded vegetation or over hydrilla is producing nice quality and quantities of bass. Once the sun get up, the fishing gets much slower. You can either fish really slow using a light Texas rigged lizard around the grass. Or, you can head out to some of the ledges and points and fish offshore. Specifically, ledges and points with drops in 6-8 feet of water seem to be the best right now. Crank baits such as a DT10 work well on these places as does a Carolina rigged worm. With the clear water use colors such a green pumpkin, watermelon red or red shad. When cranking the DT baits use any shad pattern. 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 15, 2011

LAKE WEISS IS .26 FEET OVER FULL, LIGHT STAIN & 63 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 very good. Pitch and flip docks and work the brush piles in and around these same docks. 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. Then work the closest creek ledges later each day. 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 in the brush around these docks. 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 around these docks.

Crappie are following the bait into the creeks and docks and live bait at 6 feet under a float is hard to beat. They were going great before this last cold front, but it’s going to take a few days before they get back in the swing.

April 15, 2011

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 69 DEGREES AND STAINED

Bass fishing is very good. The shad are spawning and the bass are feeding on them. Fish the rocks and sea walls. Use a small crank bait or a Rat L Trap. Fish it up on the rocks. As the sun get up back off of the banks and fish the same crank bait in 4 to 6 ft of water. Now is the time to take a child fishing and you should load the boat. For the bigger fish you can use a white spinner bait on the down current side of the bridges. If Georgia Power is pulling water then your odds go up greatly. Some fish are on the beds so sight fishing is picking up if you can find clear water.

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

Line Side fishing very good. Go to the dam. Most of the fish we have been catching have been Hybrids. Last week we were catching all of my fish on shiners. That is starting to change. I would carry shad and shiners on every trip. I have some reports of the stripers hitting the shad. One day they are on flat lines and one day they are on down lines. So go with each and have a ball.

Crappie fishing is good. Dark jigs tipped with a minnow are working best. The crappie are lake wide from the river down below the river bend area. These fish are in shallow water preparing for the spawn on the next full moon. Boat docks in the back of the coves should hold good number of fish. Night fishing should start in the next few days. 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 15, 2011

LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 72 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.

Bass fishing is good and some good fish including some really big large bass are coming from shallow water in the central lake area. The water temperature is warmer in this area due to influence from the steam plant. And this translates to a faster metabolism in fish, which means more fish feeding than from areas with colder water. Small crank baits, worms, spinner baits, and jig and pigs are the primary baits needed to catch these shallow fish. Main lake points with rocky bottoms are prime places to begin the search. Try #5 and #7 Shad Raps in fire tiger and silver-blue on bright days and shad, gold-black, and fire tiger on cloudy days. With the small crank baits, try using the rod to slowly sweep the bait. Use the cranking handle to take in slack line only. A Zoom Finesse worm works great for the Carolina rig. Try using a ½ ounce weight ahead of the 2 foot leader. Fish the rig very slowly and even let it lie still for several seconds at a time while on a rough bottom. The Carolina rig really works on days when these point fish are 8 to 15 feet deep. Spinner baits and jig and pigs should be as lightweight as possible and fished slowly. Rat L Traps in the ¼-ounce size can also be good on the points, especially with a warm wind blowing. Bass are also feeding around docks, rip rap, and any type of wood cover. Down lake in the clearer water, bass are using points, humps, and flats from around 15 to over 30 feet deep.

April 15, 2011

JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 2.6 FEET, STAINED & 63 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair to good and the bass are shallow. All the storms that moved in and across the Atlanta area did a number on this shallow lake during the week. If you are heading out this weekend, go south towards the dam. This is the only area that you will find the cleanest water to fish. Look for the wood and tree tops in the water along the bank and just off the points. A dark brown or black pig and jig will be the best bet if the water is still stained. Use a spinnerbait on the lay downs and up on shallow rocks. Use a twin Colorado blade with a white skirt.

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.

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