“The Southern Fishing Report” by Ken Sturdivant 770 889 2654 Cumming, Georgia 30040 www.southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE LANIER IS FULL POOL, THE MAIN LAKE AND CREEKS ARE STAINED & UPPER 40’S This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jimbo Mathley. www.jimboonlanier.com 770 642 7764 The DVD’s from my January 17th Seminar are now available. They are $39 each. Give me a call if you are interested in purchasing one: 770 542 7764. Bass fishing is tough but it is showing definite signs of improvement as the weather continues to warm. The long term forecast would suggest that spring is on its way. Finally! We have been concentrating on the shallower water over the last week. In the early mornings, start in 15 feet or less in pockets or the back of productive creek ditches with a Spro McStick, Aruku Shad, or a 1/4 ounce SuperSpin. If the moving baits do not produce, switch to a shaky head and present plastics such as a creepy crawler or worm. The dock bite is improving and both largemouth and spots can be taken around docks in 18 feet or less. A shaky head with smaller worm choices have been the best producers around the docks. Skip these baits around docks and work the bait SLOWLY. The water is still very cold, so your presentation should match the conditions. Look for the docks with the black floats and metal poles, as these will hold heat the best, and therefore attract the bait and fish more readily. This is a great time to learn the art of fishing the winter to spring transition on Lanier. My March is filling up quickly. Please give me a call ASAP if you are looking to shake off the stench of winter! Here is what I have left open in March right now: 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31 Give me a call and let’s go get ’em! This Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On Service 404 561 2564. www.bigfishonguide.com Striper fishing is very good. As predicted, the weather started to turn this week and the fishing has picked up. We did have a minor Threadfin shad die off due to the temperatures dropping into the low 40’s in the main lake and high 30’s in the back of the creeks. However, there is plenty of bait in the creeks and the lake is healthy. This could be one of the best spring time fishing seasons we have ever experienced based on what we have seen to date. Live bait continues to be your best bet. There is a shallow water early morning bite using Herring, Threadfin and Gizzard shad on free lines and planner boards. Once the sun gets up, weight your lines with several split shots, deploy your down rods in addition to your free lines and move to deeper water. This pattern should hold as long as the water temperature continues to warm. We have not used Umbrella rigs this week. Live bait fishing has been working to well to pull out the rigs. However, there is no reason the umbrella rigs should not work especially in the afternoons. There are fish in every creek with high concentrations of bait. Flat Creek, Balus Creek, Latham creek, and Johnson Creek are good places to start. The lake temperature mid 40’s and the water is lightly stained on the main lake with heavy stain in the backs of the creeks. This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, Member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. See our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com Crappie fishing is good. Lake level is just about full pool. Water temperature is 48 degrees with some spots a degree or two warmer. A combination of warm temperature and warm rain has raised the water temperature a whopping ten degrees in one week! To top that off, it is a full moon! This means “grab your tackle and head to the lake!” Tomorrow will be cold, but after the front moves out, the extended forecast is low sixties for the next ten days, which indicates the spawn is near. Over the next few weeks, schools of fish will be constantly moving back and forth from the backs of creeks into the shallows to check out their spawning grounds, looking for a prime spot (a packed clay bottom or gravel bottom in the shallows, with exposed weed lines a plus). The bite should be improving every day. The fish are active and will bite just about anything right now, including live bait, soft body jigs, hair jigs, and road runners. The change from the winter pattern to the spring pattern has begun, so expect some of the best fishing of the year over the next several weeks. Be mindful that the females are holding our future fish, so if you are going to keep fish, try to target the males, and return the females to give them a chance to spawn. The males will have the darker color this time of year. So get out on the lake and have some fun! Be safe on the water and wear your life jacket, it can save your life! Call Ken Sturdivant about the ON THE WATER SCHOOLS for Sonar or the Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass or a full day STRIPERS School. Call 770 889 2654 for details. Send an e mail to ken@southernfishing.com Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. March 5, 2015 WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 4.2 FEET, STAINED & LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair. We will see warmer daytime temperatures and this will pull the fish up a little following bait seeking warmer temperatures. Cover a lot of water and find the bait schools with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Anglers can see the bait off to either side of the boat GPS them and then fish them. This is a lot easier than riding over the bait with the engine. And we can cover a ton more water a lot faster. Now, use small shallow running crank baits in a shad pattern. Bass have preferred tighter wobbling crank bait like a Rapala Glass Shad Rap in shad pattern. Using long casts as close to rocky banks, make about five turns with the reel and pause. Repeat this cadence all the way back to the boat. McStick jerk baits can work but be sure to use a jerk and then rest a few seconds before pulling the bait again. Fish the mid part of the lake. Focus on rocky points closest to the main river channel. Anglers have GPS Bass fishing locations and a BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE book is for sale. Ask ken for a sample. This book is $39.00. Sample just e mail ken@southernfishing.com Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation department will host an “Outdoor Fun Festival 2015” on April 25, 2015. The location will be the Caney Road Park in south Forsyth County off Highway 141. See the web site at www.outdoorfunfestival2015.com. Call 770 887 2217 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options. March 5, 2015 LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 7.1 FEET, STAINED & MID 50’S DEGREES BY MATT DRIVER WWW.PROANGLERRADIO.COM Bass fishing is great. Expect things to slow a little toward the end of the month as temps begin to get into the lower 40s. This time of year is when we see a shad kill, if it does occur. As of right now, fishing is great with the Float n Fly bite in full swing. Fish the Red Rooster Carters Special on 9 to 12 feet of 6 pound test Sunline Sniper leader on windblown bluff walls in the mid lake areas. The Alabama rig bite is good, as well. The Yumbrella with blades and the Dayton Boat Dock rig are really good ways to find good schools of big spots. The key to the Alabama rig is slow rolling it. We are tipping the rig with 1/8 ounce round ball jig heads and Big Bite Baits 3.5 inch white Cane Thumpers. The drop shot and jigging spoon bites are great, if you can keep the white bass and hybrids off the line. While in search for productive water and as long as clarity stays good, you can pick a few fish up on the Spro McStick and McRip, but we haven’t had the results we would like to have on these baits yet. Don’t fish alone this time of year. Hypothermia is a killer. This Lake Allatoona fishing guides report for striper and hybrid 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@gmail.com Line side fishing is fair. The cold weather we had last week started a shad kill. The kill seems to be minimal and with any luck maybe it will short termed. The fish seem to be on the move. The big schools we were seeing on the south end two weeks ago, are gone. We have fished from the blockhouse to Little River this week. The south end of the lake temperature was in the mid forty’s and slightly stained and showing more signs of the kill than any other part of the lake. The north end of the lake is also slightly stain but we found water temperatures as high as fifty two degrees. Mid lake around Bartow Carver, the water temperature was forty seven degrees and pretty clear, probably the best looking water on the lake. We marked very few fish this week. The bait is very high in the water column so we expect the fish are too and they are easily spooked. Your best bet on catching fish right now is to pick a section of the lake, put out a full spread of boards, free lines and down lines and just cover water. Anglers, we have a book on BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA and we offer GPS 50 coordinates also. Ask for samples of the book and the coordinates from ken@southernfishing.com Call Ken about the Southern Fishing Schools exclusive ON THE WATER SCHOOLS for SONAR or Rods Reels and Lures for Bass. Call for 770 889 2654 or ken@southernfishing.com for more info Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation department will host an “Outdoor Fun Festival 2015” on April 25, 2015. The location will be the Caney Road Park in south Forsyth County off Highway 141. See the web site at www.outdoorfunfestival2015.com. Call 770 887 2217 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options. March 5, 2015 LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 2.6 FEET & LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair. The bass are feeding on bait in just about all the major creek arms. No bait do not stay around. This bite is especially good under low light conditions, so it is very important to be in the right places early in the day. As the day wears on target the shade of boat docks or move up the lake and fish the stained water. The shallow diving crank baits like a Lucky Craft D 7 Slim Shad or a Lucky Craft Flat Mini CB are good choices in the off colored water that you will find in the backs of the major creek arms. Further down lake, change over to the jerk baits like a Lucky Craft Pointer 78XD or a Staysee 90. Once the sun gets up focus on boat docks with a Buckeye Lures Flat Top Finesse Jig rigged with a Zoom Creepy Crawler or a Net Boy Baits Screwball Jig Head rigged with a Zoom Trick Worm. Try to skip these baits under the docks in the shady areas, and watch your line on the initial fall. If a bass is there, it will usually bite on the first cast you make under the dock. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools. Our Bass Fishing Lake Hartwell book has over 100 key bass fishing holes. Ask for a sample at ken@southernfishing.com for a sample. See our web site for Rods Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale. March 5, 2015 CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 1.07 FEET, LOW 50’S DEGREES & STAINED Bass fishing is fair and some fish are ready to head to the pre spawn pattern. With the full moon this week, the fish are feeding on tiny newly hatched bait fish. Most bass are being found in ditches or flats with jerk baits and crank baits in 5 feet of water or less. On the warmer afternoons bass are cruising in the backs of many pockets. More cold weather may be back .Use the jerk baits, spinnerbaits, crank baits, Chatterbaits and jigs. Many anglers will rely heavily on the spinnerbait. Any warming trend will send some female bass to the shallows looking for an area that provides cover and food for the spawn. Throw close to and into the thickest cover possible during the warmest days. However, if the temperature stays cool, back off the cover some and try slow rolling around the edges of spawning flats. If the month does stay on the cool side, use your jerk baits and crank baits that suspend and fish down the middle of the pockets. A Fish Head spin would also be a good choice. As always, the jig ’n pig will produce big bass now, also. Try it on main and secondary points that are near spawning flats. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. The book, BASS FISHING CLARKS HILL LAKE is on sale. Get 52 weeks of bass fishing and over 40 bass fishing locations for this popular lake. Ask for a free sample of the BASS FISHING LAKE CLARKS HILL book. For a sample: ken@southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, CLEAR & LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair and the water is trying to warm up. The key this week and trough the month is find bait schools. Almost all the lakes pockets and deep coves are shallow and the water will be warmer than the main lake. Trick worms and Seno’s are the best baits to fish all day. Zoom has the new Magnum trick works and the bass love shallow worms. These worms are larger and they can be cut down after they tear up the heads. June bug and green pumpkin will be the best colors. Be sure to use a larger 3/0 Mustad offset worm hook and at least 10 pound Sufix Elite line. Have the Zoom fluke on a jig head or on a Fish Head spin ready and work the middle of these pockets. The Rapala 13S in silver black back will work and the bait can be retrieved or fish dead stick around any cover. Also the Zoom Baby Brush Hog on wood will work as the smaller bass head to the shallows to get ready for the full moon March 19. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. Sample of the BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL e mail ken@southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR AND MID 50’S MATT BATY Bass fishing is good. Deep crank baits and jerkbaits having been working for bass. I suspect a red 3/4 ounce Rat L Trap will start to work. If it turns colder, then a 1/2 ounce Little George, Heddon Sonic or Silver Buddy will work. Also, drop shots will start to work. The water temperatures are down and the grass is dying. This has made the lipless crank bait bite and Chatter Bait bite turn on. With the cold water, the bass are still relating to the deep grass edges. The middle grounds between the Firebreak and Stinky Island and the flats in front of Wingates are both good places. For the lipless crank bait, opt for a heavier 3/4 ounce bait such as a Spro Aruku Shad 85 in mudbug red. For the Chatter Bait, use a 1/2 ounce green pumpkin with a 4 inch Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper in easy money color. Another pattern that seems to be working is using drop shots in Spring Creek. For the best setup, use a Lew’s spinning reel, a Duckett spinning rod, 7 lb. Sunline fluorocarbon, a Gamakatsu drop shot hook and a 1/4 ounce drop shot weight. Nose hook a Big Bite Baits 6 inch Shaking Squirrel in earthworm, and then you’re in business. The best areas to drop shot are anywhere in Spring Creek in deep timber. You need really good electronics with Down Scan, such as the Lowrance HDS touchscreen units. They make it much easier to locate fish and shad to increase your odds. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools. ken@southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE GEORGE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair and the warmer water temperatures soon will get all the bass active. But the water is still cold and another set of weather fronts will affect the shallow fishing activity. Use a slow presentation and try the trick worms and the small Rat L Traps and plan to fish mid day and later. Work ant structure with the lures and always have a shakey head ready with a June bug or red bug u tail Zoom worm. If all else fails, get out the Carolina rig and add a Zoom pumpkinseed lizard in 4 or 6 inch lengths. We teach “ON THE WATER SCHOOLS” for SONAR and Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass. Call for details. Call for details. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools. ken@southernfishing.com The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation department will host an “Outdoor Fun Festival 2015” on April 25, 2015. The location will be the Caney Road Park in south Forsyth County off Highway 141. See the web site at www.outdoorfunfestival2015.com. Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. March 5, 2015 LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, HEAVY STAIN AND 47 TO 52 DEGREES Bass fishing is fair. The lake is full, heave stain up the rivers stained over most of the lake. Shad Raps and small crank bait with rattles fished on sea walls and around docks. Dark Jigs with a rattle, brown, blue and black have been the best colors. Fish these around wood structure on the main river pockets above Sugar Creek. Spinner baits fished along any rock bank will also draw a strike. Remember to slow down your retrieve as the water is still cold below the surface. If we get a few days with worm temperatures look for the fish to start to move into the back of the creeks and major coves off of the main lake. If it get colder they will move back to deeper water. Striper report by Mark Smith, Reel Time guide service. Call 404 803 0741 reeltime@bellsouth.net Striper fishing is poor. The fish are scattered all over the lake. Start looking in the middle of the creeks and work your way out of the creeks. Use small baits like a very small thread fin or a crappie minnow. Most of the stripers being caught are by crappie fisherman. Crappie fishing is good. The fish are moving into the major creeks. Use a dark jig tipped with a minnow. Spider rigs have been the best producers over the past week. Use your Lowrance to located the depth and location of the schools and adjust your depth to put the jig on top of the fish. Over the next few weeks the largest fish will be moving into the coves and creeks to spawn so now it the time to fill a cooler with big slabs. Make sure you stop by Sugar Creek Marina and pick up your spoons and all your tackle needs. You can also book your Crappie and striper trips with Reel Time Guide Service at 404 803 0741 or reeltime@bellsouth.net Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. March 5, 2015 WEISS LAKE IS AT 2.7 FEET BELOW FULL POOL, STAINED, 43 TO 45 DEGREES Bass fishing is good and a lot of fish are starting to be caught shallow on rip rap rocks and deeper rocky banks. Some Bass are still deep on their winter pattern, on the creek and river channel ledges. Look for the bass to move shallow over the next few weeks as the weather warms. Striper fishing is poor and most of the fish have left the main lake making their spring run up the Coosa River. We have not had any reports on the upper Coosa river Crappie fishing is great and they are being caught in the main Coosa River, the Chattooga River and Little Spring Creek. A lot of Crappie are suspended 15 to 20 feet deep in the main Coosa River channel. Long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs in 1/16 ounce and 1/24 ounce in colors JJ08, JJ13,JJ17, JJ24, and Mark’s Ice Blue color is the way to catch these winter fish. Spider rigging live minnows 14 to 18 feet deep over the main river channel is producing some great fish also. They can also be caught on a float and fly technique. Live minnows under a slip float is also producing some fish. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. Now available for sale 50 of my proven GPS waypoints for off shore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Weiss Lake, Alabama, contact Ken Sturdivant at ken@southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE SINCLAIR IS FULL, 50/54 DEGREES, RIVERS AND CREEKS ARE STAINED, LOWER LAKE IS CLEAR, BY MATT HENRY, CALL 478 451 0167 ext 1215 (SINCLAIR MARINA) WWW.SINCLAIRMARINA.COM MATT@SINCLAIRMARINA.COM Bass fishing is good. We are seeing slightly warmer temperatures. With longer days and warmer temperatures right around the corner, look for the fish to start moving towards their spawning grounds. Many of the fish have already started leaving their wintertime haunts and are moving up on shallow sandy points and flats to feed. A crank bait is an excellent choice for catching these opportunistic feeding fish. A Spro Little John 50 in a shad or craw color is hard to beat right now. On warmer days when the fish get extremely shallow, a Spro Fat John in the same colors will get the call. Make multiple casts to stumps, brush, and rocks as you might be able to catch more than one fish off a single spot. The bigger fish have been eating a ¼ ounce Buckeye Mop Jig with a Zoom Super Chunk under shallow protected docks. Black and blue has been the best color in the stained water areas of the lake. A Buckeye Spot Remover shaky head paired with a Zoom Baby Brush Hog has also been catching the more finicky fish under these same docks. The best docks are the ones with 4 to 6 feet on the front posts. Later in the afternoon, look for the fish to move into 1 to 2 feet of water under the walkways as the shallow water will heat up quicker. Guide trips are booking up quick for March and April. I only have a few dates left over the next couple of weeks. Give me a call to reserve your trip today! Make sure to stop by our new boat showroom and see our 2014 and 2015 inventory of new Tracker, Sun Tracker, Nitro, Tahoe, Regency and Mako boats. For more information, swing by the marina, check out our sales page or call 478 451 0167. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. MARCH 5, 2015 JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN .59 FEET, STAINED & LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair. This will be a big transition month. As soon as we get a few days of warm weather, look for these fish to move to the back half of spawning coves. You can just about throw any shallow running bait like spinnerbaits, crank baits or swim baits and catch active fish that are feeding heavily for the spawn. McStick jerk baits and Its Vision 110 baits in shad patterns will work. Be sure to use these style baits will just a little jerk and pause actions. Soft plastics like tubes and lizards will work well on bedding fish toward the end of the month. Dipping the bait in JJ’s Magic will help increase the bites, a little chartreuse on the tail will help a bunch. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. We teach On the Water Schools for Sonar and Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass. Call for Ken details at 770 889 2654 for details. The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation department will host an “Outdoor Fun Festival 2015” on April 25, 2015. The location will be the Caney Road Park in south Forsyth County off Highway 141. See the web site at www.outdoorfunfestival2015.com. Call 770 887 2217 Carrie“The Southern Fishing Report” by Ken Sturdivant 770 889 2654 Cumming, Georgia 30040 www.southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE LANIER IS FULL POOL, THE MAIN LAKE AND CREEKS ARE STAINED & UPPER 40’S This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jimbo Mathley. www.jimboonlanier.com 770 642 7764 The DVD’s from my January 17th Seminar are now available. They are $39 each. Give me a call if you are interested in purchasing one: 770 542 7764. Bass fishing is tough but it is showing definite signs of improvement as the weather continues to warm. The long term forecast would suggest that spring is on its way. Finally! We have been concentrating on the shallower water over the last week. In the early mornings, start in 15 feet or less in pockets or the back of productive creek ditches with a Spro McStick, Aruku Shad, or a 1/4 ounce SuperSpin. If the moving baits do not produce, switch to a shaky head and present plastics such as a creepy crawler or worm. The dock bite is improving and both largemouth and spots can be taken around docks in 18 feet or less. A shaky head with smaller worm choices have been the best producers around the docks. Skip these baits around docks and work the bait SLOWLY. The water is still very cold, so your presentation should match the conditions. Look for the docks with the black floats and metal poles, as these will hold heat the best, and therefore attract the bait and fish more readily. This is a great time to learn the art of fishing the winter to spring transition on Lanier. My March is filling up quickly. Please give me a call ASAP if you are looking to shake off the stench of winter! Here is what I have left open in March right now: 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30, and 31 Give me a call and let’s go get ’em! This Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On Service 404 561 2564. www.bigfishonguide.com Striper fishing is very good. As predicted, the weather started to turn this week and the fishing has picked up. We did have a minor Threadfin shad die off due to the temperatures dropping into the low 40’s in the main lake and high 30’s in the back of the creeks. However, there is plenty of bait in the creeks and the lake is healthy. This could be one of the best spring time fishing seasons we have ever experienced based on what we have seen to date. Live bait continues to be your best bet. There is a shallow water early morning bite using Herring, Threadfin and Gizzard shad on free lines and planner boards. Once the sun gets up, weight your lines with several split shots, deploy your down rods in addition to your free lines and move to deeper water. This pattern should hold as long as the water temperature continues to warm. We have not used Umbrella rigs this week. Live bait fishing has been working to well to pull out the rigs. However, there is no reason the umbrella rigs should not work especially in the afternoons. There are fish in every creek with high concentrations of bait. Flat Creek, Balus Creek, Latham creek, and Johnson Creek are good places to start. The lake temperature mid 40’s and the water is lightly stained on the main lake with heavy stain in the backs of the creeks. This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, Member of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. See our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com Crappie fishing is good. Lake level is just about full pool. Water temperature is 48 degrees with some spots a degree or two warmer. A combination of warm temperature and warm rain has raised the water temperature a whopping ten degrees in one week! To top that off, it is a full moon! This means “grab your tackle and head to the lake!” Tomorrow will be cold, but after the front moves out, the extended forecast is low sixties for the next ten days, which indicates the spawn is near. Over the next few weeks, schools of fish will be constantly moving back and forth from the backs of creeks into the shallows to check out their spawning grounds, looking for a prime spot (a packed clay bottom or gravel bottom in the shallows, with exposed weed lines a plus). The bite should be improving every day. The fish are active and will bite just about anything right now, including live bait, soft body jigs, hair jigs, and road runners. The change from the winter pattern to the spring pattern has begun, so expect some of the best fishing of the year over the next several weeks. Be mindful that the females are holding our future fish, so if you are going to keep fish, try to target the males, and return the females to give them a chance to spawn. The males will have the darker color this time of year. So get out on the lake and have some fun! Be safe on the water and wear your life jacket, it can save your life! Call Ken Sturdivant about the ON THE WATER SCHOOLS for Sonar or the Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass or a full day STRIPERS School. Call 770 889 2654 for details. Send an e mail to ken@southernfishing.com Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. March 5, 2015 WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 4.2 FEET, STAINED & LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair. We will see warmer daytime temperatures and this will pull the fish up a little following bait seeking warmer temperatures. Cover a lot of water and find the bait schools with the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology. Anglers can see the bait off to either side of the boat GPS them and then fish them. This is a lot easier than riding over the bait with the engine. And we can cover a ton more water a lot faster. Now, use small shallow running crank baits in a shad pattern. Bass have preferred tighter wobbling crank bait like a Rapala Glass Shad Rap in shad pattern. Using long casts as close to rocky banks, make about five turns with the reel and pause. Repeat this cadence all the way back to the boat. McStick jerk baits can work but be sure to use a jerk and then rest a few seconds before pulling the bait again. Fish the mid part of the lake. Focus on rocky points closest to the main river channel. Anglers have GPS Bass fishing locations and a BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE book is for sale. Ask ken for a sample. This book is $39.00. Sample just e mail ken@southernfishing.com Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation department will host an “Outdoor Fun Festival 2015” on April 25, 2015. The location will be the Caney Road Park in south Forsyth County off Highway 141. See the web site at www.outdoorfunfestival2015.com. Call 770 887 2217 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options. March 5, 2015 LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 7.1 FEET, STAINED & MID 50’S DEGREES BY MATT DRIVER WWW.PROANGLERRADIO.COM Bass fishing is great. Expect things to slow a little toward the end of the month as temps begin to get into the lower 40s. This time of year is when we see a shad kill, if it does occur. As of right now, fishing is great with the Float n Fly bite in full swing. Fish the Red Rooster Carters Special on 9 to 12 feet of 6 pound test Sunline Sniper leader on windblown bluff walls in the mid lake areas. The Alabama rig bite is good, as well. The Yumbrella with blades and the Dayton Boat Dock rig are really good ways to find good schools of big spots. The key to the Alabama rig is slow rolling it. We are tipping the rig with 1/8 ounce round ball jig heads and Big Bite Baits 3.5 inch white Cane Thumpers. The drop shot and jigging spoon bites are great, if you can keep the white bass and hybrids off the line. While in search for productive water and as long as clarity stays good, you can pick a few fish up on the Spro McStick and McRip, but we haven’t had the results we would like to have on these baits yet. Don’t fish alone this time of year. Hypothermia is a killer. This Lake Allatoona fishing guides report for striper and hybrid 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@gmail.com Line side fishing is fair. The cold weather we had last week started a shad kill. The kill seems to be minimal and with any luck maybe it will short termed. The fish seem to be on the move. The big schools we were seeing on the south end two weeks ago, are gone. We have fished from the blockhouse to Little River this week. The south end of the lake temperature was in the mid forty’s and slightly stained and showing more signs of the kill than any other part of the lake. The north end of the lake is also slightly stain but we found water temperatures as high as fifty two degrees. Mid lake around Bartow Carver, the water temperature was forty seven degrees and pretty clear, probably the best looking water on the lake. We marked very few fish this week. The bait is very high in the water column so we expect the fish are too and they are easily spooked. Your best bet on catching fish right now is to pick a section of the lake, put out a full spread of boards, free lines and down lines and just cover water. Anglers, we have a book on BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA and we offer GPS 50 coordinates also. Ask for samples of the book and the coordinates from ken@southernfishing.com Call Ken about the Southern Fishing Schools exclusive ON THE WATER SCHOOLS for SONAR or Rods Reels and Lures for Bass. Call for 770 889 2654 or ken@southernfishing.com for more info Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation department will host an “Outdoor Fun Festival 2015” on April 25, 2015. The location will be the Caney Road Park in south Forsyth County off Highway 141. See the web site at www.outdoorfunfestival2015.com. Call 770 887 2217 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options. March 5, 2015 LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 2.6 FEET & LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair. The bass are feeding on bait in just about all the major creek arms. No bait do not stay around. This bite is especially good under low light conditions, so it is very important to be in the right places early in the day. As the day wears on target the shade of boat docks or move up the lake and fish the stained water. The shallow diving crank baits like a Lucky Craft D 7 Slim Shad or a Lucky Craft Flat Mini CB are good choices in the off colored water that you will find in the backs of the major creek arms. Further down lake, change over to the jerk baits like a Lucky Craft Pointer 78XD or a Staysee 90. Once the sun gets up focus on boat docks with a Buckeye Lures Flat Top Finesse Jig rigged with a Zoom Creepy Crawler or a Net Boy Baits Screwball Jig Head rigged with a Zoom Trick Worm. Try to skip these baits under the docks in the shady areas, and watch your line on the initial fall. If a bass is there, it will usually bite on the first cast you make under the dock. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools. Our Bass Fishing Lake Hartwell book has over 100 key bass fishing holes. Ask for a sample at ken@southernfishing.com for a sample. See our web site for Rods Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale. March 5, 2015 CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 1.07 FEET, LOW 50’S DEGREES & STAINED Bass fishing is fair and some fish are ready to head to the pre spawn pattern. With the full moon this week, the fish are feeding on tiny newly hatched bait fish. Most bass are being found in ditches or flats with jerk baits and crank baits in 5 feet of water or less. On the warmer afternoons bass are cruising in the backs of many pockets. More cold weather may be back .Use the jerk baits, spinnerbaits, crank baits, Chatterbaits and jigs. Many anglers will rely heavily on the spinnerbait. Any warming trend will send some female bass to the shallows looking for an area that provides cover and food for the spawn. Throw close to and into the thickest cover possible during the warmest days. However, if the temperature stays cool, back off the cover some and try slow rolling around the edges of spawning flats. If the month does stay on the cool side, use your jerk baits and crank baits that suspend and fish down the middle of the pockets. A Fish Head spin would also be a good choice. As always, the jig ’n pig will produce big bass now, also. Try it on main and secondary points that are near spawning flats. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. The book, BASS FISHING CLARKS HILL LAKE is on sale. Get 52 weeks of bass fishing and over 40 bass fishing locations for this popular lake. Ask for a free sample of the BASS FISHING LAKE CLARKS HILL book. For a sample: ken@southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, CLEAR & LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair and the water is trying to warm up. The key this week and trough the month is find bait schools. Almost all the lakes pockets and deep coves are shallow and the water will be warmer than the main lake. Trick worms and Seno’s are the best baits to fish all day. Zoom has the new Magnum trick works and the bass love shallow worms. These worms are larger and they can be cut down after they tear up the heads. June bug and green pumpkin will be the best colors. Be sure to use a larger 3/0 Mustad offset worm hook and at least 10 pound Sufix Elite line. Have the Zoom fluke on a jig head or on a Fish Head spin ready and work the middle of these pockets. The Rapala 13S in silver black back will work and the bait can be retrieved or fish dead stick around any cover. Also the Zoom Baby Brush Hog on wood will work as the smaller bass head to the shallows to get ready for the full moon March 19. See our web site for Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. Sample of the BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL e mail ken@southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR AND MID 50’S MATT BATY Bass fishing is good. Deep crank baits and jerkbaits having been working for bass. I suspect a red 3/4 ounce Rat L Trap will start to work. If it turns colder, then a 1/2 ounce Little George, Heddon Sonic or Silver Buddy will work. Also, drop shots will start to work. The water temperatures are down and the grass is dying. This has made the lipless crank bait bite and Chatter Bait bite turn on. With the cold water, the bass are still relating to the deep grass edges. The middle grounds between the Firebreak and Stinky Island and the flats in front of Wingates are both good places. For the lipless crank bait, opt for a heavier 3/4 ounce bait such as a Spro Aruku Shad 85 in mudbug red. For the Chatter Bait, use a 1/2 ounce green pumpkin with a 4 inch Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper in easy money color. Another pattern that seems to be working is using drop shots in Spring Creek. For the best setup, use a Lew’s spinning reel, a Duckett spinning rod, 7 lb. Sunline fluorocarbon, a Gamakatsu drop shot hook and a 1/4 ounce drop shot weight. Nose hook a Big Bite Baits 6 inch Shaking Squirrel in earthworm, and then you’re in business. The best areas to drop shot are anywhere in Spring Creek in deep timber. You need really good electronics with Down Scan, such as the Lowrance HDS touchscreen units. They make it much easier to locate fish and shad to increase your odds. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools. ken@southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE GEORGE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair and the warmer water temperatures soon will get all the bass active. But the water is still cold and another set of weather fronts will affect the shallow fishing activity. Use a slow presentation and try the trick worms and the small Rat L Traps and plan to fish mid day and later. Work ant structure with the lures and always have a shakey head ready with a June bug or red bug u tail Zoom worm. If all else fails, get out the Carolina rig and add a Zoom pumpkinseed lizard in 4 or 6 inch lengths. We teach “ON THE WATER SCHOOLS” for SONAR and Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass. Call for details. Call for details. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools. ken@southernfishing.com The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation department will host an “Outdoor Fun Festival 2015” on April 25, 2015. The location will be the Caney Road Park in south Forsyth County off Highway 141. See the web site at www.outdoorfunfestival2015.com. Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. March 5, 2015 LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, HEAVY STAIN AND 47 TO 52 DEGREES Bass fishing is fair. The lake is full, heave stain up the rivers stained over most of the lake. Shad Raps and small crank bait with rattles fished on sea walls and around docks. Dark Jigs with a rattle, brown, blue and black have been the best colors. Fish these around wood structure on the main river pockets above Sugar Creek. Spinner baits fished along any rock bank will also draw a strike. Remember to slow down your retrieve as the water is still cold below the surface. If we get a few days with worm temperatures look for the fish to start to move into the back of the creeks and major coves off of the main lake. If it get colder they will move back to deeper water. Striper report by Mark Smith, Reel Time guide service. Call 404 803 0741 reeltime@bellsouth.net Striper fishing is poor. The fish are scattered all over the lake. Start looking in the middle of the creeks and work your way out of the creeks. Use small baits like a very small thread fin or a crappie minnow. Most of the stripers being caught are by crappie fisherman. Crappie fishing is good. The fish are moving into the major creeks. Use a dark jig tipped with a minnow. Spider rigs have been the best producers over the past week. Use your Lowrance to located the depth and location of the schools and adjust your depth to put the jig on top of the fish. Over the next few weeks the largest fish will be moving into the coves and creeks to spawn so now it the time to fill a cooler with big slabs. Make sure you stop by Sugar Creek Marina and pick up your spoons and all your tackle needs. You can also book your Crappie and striper trips with Reel Time Guide Service at 404 803 0741 or reeltime@bellsouth.net Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. March 5, 2015 WEISS LAKE IS AT 2.7 FEET BELOW FULL POOL, STAINED, 43 TO 45 DEGREES Bass fishing is good and a lot of fish are starting to be caught shallow on rip rap rocks and deeper rocky banks. Some Bass are still deep on their winter pattern, on the creek and river channel ledges. Look for the bass to move shallow over the next few weeks as the weather warms. Striper fishing is poor and most of the fish have left the main lake making their spring run up the Coosa River. We have not had any reports on the upper Coosa river Crappie fishing is great and they are being caught in the main Coosa River, the Chattooga River and Little Spring Creek. A lot of Crappie are suspended 15 to 20 feet deep in the main Coosa River channel. Long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs in 1/16 ounce and 1/24 ounce in colors JJ08, JJ13,JJ17, JJ24, and Mark’s Ice Blue color is the way to catch these winter fish. Spider rigging live minnows 14 to 18 feet deep over the main river channel is producing some great fish also. They can also be caught on a float and fly technique. Live minnows under a slip float is also producing some fish. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. Now available for sale 50 of my proven GPS waypoints for off shore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Weiss Lake, Alabama, contact Ken Sturdivant at ken@southernfishing.com March 5, 2015 LAKE SINCLAIR IS FULL, 50/54 DEGREES, RIVERS AND CREEKS ARE STAINED, LOWER LAKE IS CLEAR, BY MATT HENRY, CALL 478 451 0167 ext 1215 (SINCLAIR MARINA) WWW.SINCLAIRMARINA.COM MATT@SINCLAIRMARINA.COM Bass fishing is good. We are seeing slightly warmer temperatures. With longer days and warmer temperatures right around the corner, look for the fish to start moving towards their spawning grounds. Many of the fish have already started leaving their wintertime haunts and are moving up on shallow sandy points and flats to feed. A crank bait is an excellent choice for catching these opportunistic feeding fish. A Spro Little John 50 in a shad or craw color is hard to beat right now. On warmer days when the fish get extremely shallow, a Spro Fat John in the same colors will get the call. Make multiple casts to stumps, brush, and rocks as you might be able to catch more than one fish off a single spot. The bigger fish have been eating a ¼ ounce Buckeye Mop Jig with a Zoom Super Chunk under shallow protected docks. Black and blue has been the best color in the stained water areas of the lake. A Buckeye Spot Remover shaky head paired with a Zoom Baby Brush Hog has also been catching the more finicky fish under these same docks. The best docks are the ones with 4 to 6 feet on the front posts. Later in the afternoon, look for the fish to move into 1 to 2 feet of water under the walkways as the shallow water will heat up quicker. Guide trips are booking up quick for March and April. I only have a few dates left over the next couple of weeks. Give me a call to reserve your trip today! Make sure to stop by our new boat showroom and see our 2014 and 2015 inventory of new Tracker, Sun Tracker, Nitro, Tahoe, Regency and Mako boats. For more information, swing by the marina, check out our sales page or call 478 451 0167. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. MARCH 5, 2015 JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN .59 FEET, STAINED & LOW 50’S Bass fishing is fair. This will be a big transition month. As soon as we get a few days of warm weather, look for these fish to move to the back half of spawning coves. You can just about throw any shallow running bait like spinnerbaits, crank baits or swim baits and catch active fish that are feeding heavily for the spawn. McStick jerk baits and Its Vision 110 baits in shad patterns will work. Be sure to use these style baits will just a little jerk and pause actions. Soft plastics like tubes and lizards will work well on bedding fish toward the end of the month. Dipping the bait in JJ’s Magic will help increase the bites, a little chartreuse on the tail will help a bunch. Stop by www.gon.com on the forum page for current events. We teach On the Water Schools for Sonar and Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass. Call for Ken details at 770 889 2654 for details. The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation department will host an “Outdoor Fun Festival 2015” on April 25, 2015. The location will be the Caney Road Park in south Forsyth County off Highway 141. See the web site at www.outdoorfunfestival2015.com. Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options. Anglers have these books for sale BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE, BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL, BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE, and BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL. These books are written by Tim White and Ken Sturdivant and each one has over 65 locations exclusively for bass and 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. Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options. Anglers have these books for sale BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE, BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL, BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE, and BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL. These books are written by Tim White and Ken Sturdivant and each one has over 65 locations exclusively for bass and 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.
This site is dedicated to helping YOU catch more and bigger fish from Georgia’s lakes, streams, ponds, rivers and coastal waters!