“The Southern Fishing Report”
By Ken Sturdivant
106 Hickory Ridge Drive
770 889 2654
Cumming Georgia 30040
May 21, 2014
LAKE LANIER IS FULL POOL, THE MAINLAKE IS CLEAR AND CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED & 73 DEGREES
This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jimbo Mathley. www.jimboonlanier.com 770 642 7764
The surface temperatures on Lanier have started to recover after the cold front last week. The water is lightly stained in the back of the creeks and clear on the main lake both North and South. The spawn is starting to wrap up and there are also several post spawn fish showing up as well. There are still a few fish left to spawn, typically more main lake oriented, and that should happen as we end May and head into June. The main lake fish are still up shallower on the points and humps and have been spawning in those same places. Look for 15 feet and shallower to be loaded right now, especially on the rock. In addition, in many of the same type areas the spots are spawning, the blue back herring are spawning as well. Great choices to fish the herring spawn: fish head spin, spinnerbait, wake bait, jerk bait and a fluke. Look for these fish to be extremely shallow at daylight. A Fish Head Spin has been good on the schooling fish you see. Get the bait into the fray when you see them schooling and you can almost guarantee a hook up. I have the following dates left open for the month of May: 27, 29, and 30. I am also booking for June which is traditionally a great top water season and a great time to go spot tail minnow fishing!
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 good. The kids are out of school and the fish are biting. Between the Stripers and the Spotted Bass there is plenty of action to keep the kids and parents busy. Leave the electronic gizmos at home and take your son or daughter fishing. It is a great way to spend the morning. The primary pattern continues to be the creek mouth and main lake points. This pattern should hold for the entire month of June. The Stripers are starting to move out into a little deeper water, still off the points, but we are catching more fish over a 30 to 50 ft bottom. A few fish are being caught with the Red Fin and Chug Bug but that bite will not last much longer. Weighted free lines on planner boards and out the back of the boat is working but the down rod bite will continue to get stronger as the water continues to warm. The bait of choice continues to be Herring. A few fish are being caught with the Umbrella rig and the summer time Umbrella rig bite should “kick in” any day. There are fish lake wide but the North end of the lake has been the strongest. Father’s day is June 15th. Remember the times your Dad took you fishing? Maybe it is time for you give your Dad a gift Certificate for a Striper Fun Fishing trip on LakeLanier for you and your Dad with Big Fish On Guide Service.
This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, President of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. 404 425 4059
Crappie fishing is good. Mother Nature has once again proven her unpredictability. With the recent cool snap, water temperatures have dropped eight to ten degrees and is currently in the mid to high sixties. Actually, that is not bad for fishing, which remains good to excellent. The crappie we are targeting are still on docks with structure at about twenty to twenty five feet deep. Brush piles at the same depth are also good targets. Submerged brush close to a creek channel and toward the backs of creeks seem to be producing well. The fish are willing to bite, and are doing so aggressively. If you don’t get a bite in the first few casts, move to a new area. If you have Lowrance down scan and side scan, this will make it easier by locating the fish on the screen. Initially your bite is a little deeper, but once you get the school chasing your bait, you will notice them moving more shallow, and sometimes this will create a feeding frenzy. The key to putting a lot of fish in the boat is to be willing to move from one dock and brush pile on to the next. We usually pre plan our trip ahead of time so that we have an idea of which docks and brush piles to hit first. Some tend to do better earlier in the day, and some do better later in the day. If you notice bait around your fishing spots, that is a big advantage. Always use four pound test line. Our favorite continues to be the high visibility line. Jig colors still do not matter much this time of year as the fish are feeding well. May is one of our favorite months of the year for fishing. We have witnessed the end of the spawn of the crappie, followed by the spotted bass spawn, and last week with the full moon, the bluegills are on bed. Hopefully you’ve been able to do some bluegill fishing around the full moon cycle. All you need is light tackle, a tube of crickets, a cork, a small split shot and a number six long shank hook. Last Friday we managed to put more than seventy bluegills in the boat, most of which you could barely grasp one handed. This trend will continue a few days before the full moon and through the full moon phase for the next couple of months. On a calm day, with good polarized sunglasses, you can actually see the fish on the bank and place your bait right on top of them. Enjoy fishing, and be safe on the water! Wear your life jacket; it can save your life!
Dan Saknini is an avid fisherman and President of the Lanier Crappie Anglers Club. See our club’s website, www. laniercrappieanglers.com
We have a new Bait Shop on Buford Dam Road at the Buford Dam Quick Stop at 2595 Buford Dam Road. Open daily from 6 to 6, Marty Kenney has Herring and other baits like shiners ready to go to the lake. Please call him at 706 867 5102 and say hello.
Call Ken Sturdivant about the ON THE WATER SCHOOLS for Sonar or the Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass or a full day STRIPERSSchool. Call 770 889 2654 for details. Send an e mail to ken@southernfishing.com
May 21, 2014
WESTPOINTLAKE IS FULL, STAINED & UPPER 70 DEGREES
Bass fishing is great. Throw top water during the low light hour early and late. Rebel Pop R’s are your best bet. Other good choices are a Sammy 100 or a ½ ounce white buzz bait. Throw them right to the bank and hang on! They generally nail it right away or they won’t at all. Keep moving. Any main lake coves will have fish in them. Fish back into the coves about half way. Turn around and work back out the opposite bank. The gold #11 Rapala is a great back up if they won’t commit to top water. During the day the best bet is going to be a white pearl Zoom Super Fluke or Trick Worm. Have a jig handy like the strike King 3/8 ounce in green pumpkin with a Zoom Super Chunk trailer in Root beer green pepper. Concentrate on whatever brush you can find from 2 to 10 feet.
We have GPS Bass fishing locations and a BASSFISHINGWESTPOINTLAKE book for sale. Ask ken for a sample. This book is $39.00. Sample just e mail ken@southernfishing.com
May 21, 2014
LAKEALLATOONA IS FULL, STAINED & LOW 70’S DEGREES
Bass fishing is god but has slowed over the past week. There is a short window of a good top water bite from 5:30 am thru 7:30. After the top water bite slows the big bite jerk minnow, Spro Mcstick and even a rooster tail are bringing good numbers. Later in the day to the evening the jig and worm fished on main lake and secondary points.
This Lake Allatoona Fishing s Report has been brought to you by Robert Eidson of First Bite Service, 770 827 6282 www.firstbite service.com Lake Allatoona, Georgia eidson6260@att.netwww.firstbite service.com
Line side fishing is good. The spawn run is over and the fish are back on the main lake. The bite is good from one end of the lake to the other. Up north there are good numbers of line sides being caught at the mouth of Sweet Water also the flats at the Delta and in the S Turns. Mid lake is also producing good numbers from Kellogg to Bartow Carver. And the south end is also fishing well from the dam all the way up Allatoona Creek to the LakeAcworth spillway. Free lining shad early is the ticket to getting your day started off right. After the sun comes up, look for schools of Hybrids on your Lowrance off of any main lake points and humps. We are catching most of our fish in less then 30 feet of water fishing right on the bottom. The key to loading the boat is fresh bait. Change your bait often and be sure to take plenty with you.
We have the book on BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA and we have GPS 50 coordinates also. Ask for samples of the book and the coordinates from ken@southernfishing.com Try these two N 34 10 846 W 84 43 128 Good spawning pockets in McCaskey Creek. Use a Sammy 100 and Big swim baits around the schooling fish. N 34 10 294 W 84 43 092 Good spawning area around BartowCounty ramp with a Sammy 100 and big swim bait area.
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
May 21, 2014
LAKEHARTWELL IS FULL POOL. THE MAINLAKE IS CLEAR AND 76 DEGREES, THE BACKS OF CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND 78 DEGREES
From Jimbo’s Guide Service on LakeHartwell. Guide Rick Steckelberg.
There are still some fish on the bed, but for the most part, the spawn is beginning to wrap up. There are several post spawn fish showing up as well. Look for the shore line grass and pockets with grass to hold the majority of the spawners still remaining. Look specifically for the pockets with sand and clay. A Sworming Hornet Dude in pearl white, a frog, a spinnerbait and a jig head worm are working well for these fish. As far as the main lake, the spotted bass are on every shoal marker that has sand or rock around it. Jerk baits, flukes, top water, and shaky heads are taking these fish. The herring spawn is in full swing. Focus on the sandy blow trough’s as well as the rocky points to find the herring spawn areas. Great herring spawn baits: fish head spin, top water, crank baits, flukes, and spinnerbaits.
Come fish with Rick on LakeHartwell and learn his top secret approaches and strategies that will be used by the pros in next year’s Bass Master Classic. The Classic is coming to Hartwell in February 2015. Contact Jimbo on Lanier at 770 542 7764 to book a trip with Rick. The book BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL is available. We have opened this lake up to avid bass anglers with over 100 key bass fishing holes. ken@southernfishing.com for a sample. See our web site for Rods Reels and Lures for Bass DVD on sale.
May 21, 2014
CLARKS HILL IS FULL, UPPER 70’S DEGREES & STAINED
Bass fishing is good. The grass mats are still below the surface and growing. Bass are in some of the mats and fishing the edges with Shad Raps and plastic lizards are working. The majority of the bass seem to be relating to water in the 5 to 8 foot range. Another favorite bait this week is the Husky Jerk in the glass color. The way to fish this bait is to use it like a crank bait. A medium to fast retrieve will be necessary to get the best action from the bait. Wind blown points still seem to be a favorite place for anglers to fish on this lake. Watch the boats and keep moving until you bet bit.
Ask for a free sample of the BASS FISHING LAKE CLARKS HILL book. Ask for a sample at Send a sample request to ken@southernfishing.com
May 21, 2014
LAKERUSSELL IS FULL, CLEAR & UPPER 70’S DEGREES
Bass fishing is good. Points and the larger secondary points are getting pounded to death this week. Anglers are depending heavy on the plastics to catch a limit of bass. Key areas to look for are those points that contain the most wood. The larger bass are relating to the lay downs and submerged stumps for most of the day. The wind has been active at some time during the day, mostly afternoons. Some nice largemouth and spotted bass will bite the Rapala DT10 in the natural shad color. Make a long cast and get the bait down and try to bump it off the bottom and the submerged stumps. Catch one or two bass off a point then move on. The fish aren’t bunched up and a run and gun from point to point will be necessary. For a sample of the BASSFISHINGLAKERUSSELL book e mail ken@southernfishing.com
May 21, 2014
LAKESEMINOLE IS FULL, MUDDY & 70’S DEGREES BY MATT BATY
LakeSeminole is about as good as good can get right now. It is taking high 20 pound bags to win most tournaments. The bass are mostly post spawn now and feeding heavily on shad. There is an outstanding early morning shad spawn going on as long as you are in the right areas. Look for places with green lily pads or peanut grass present as the shad will use these to lay their eggs on. When you find a good shad spawn, action can be fast and furious. A lot of times you never have to even move the boat you can just Power Pole down and keep casting to the same school of fish. You need baits that imitate shad such as a 5″ Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow in White with a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. Depending on the thickness of the cover you can use 16lb Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon or 50lb. Sunline FX2 Braid. Another good bait to use in the shad spawn is a new SPRO Bronzeye Shad in Nasty Shad. Braid is a must for this bait and it is probably the single best frog style bait on the market right now because no other bait has the walking action that this bait has. When the shad spawn slows down, head to the main lake and use your Lowrance HDS units to locate grass. The muddy water and fast current has really done a number on the grass this year, so when you find some you can really catch a lot of fish out of one grassed. Depending on the depth of the grass, you can alternate between 2 crank baits. My favorite is the Spro Fat Papa Series by Russ Lane. It comes in 2 sizes a 55 and a 70. The 70 runs about 10 12 feet and in my opinion is the best crank bait for grass because of its tremendous buoyancy. It almost acts like a balsa bait because it rises out of the grass so effortlessly. The 55 runs about 6 8 feet and is a much smaller bait. When you find fish on the crank bait and the bite slows down, switch to a Carolina Rig with an 8″ Big Bite Baits Finesse Worm in Blue Fleck. You really need a heavy lead with this technique so opt for at least a 3/4 ounce Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten Weight and a long leader.
Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools. ken@southernfishing.com
May 21, 2014
LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, UPPER 70’S DEGREES
Bass fishing is good and more fish are starting to make it out to the main lake ledges feeding up on the big schools of bait roaming around. Creeks shallow ledges with crank baits will work. . Then hit main lake drops as the heat of the day pressed on. Also fishing a mix of early shallow grass fishing and main lake ledges as the case with us. The heat and falling water will only kick the ledge bite into high gear with more and more fish are grouping up in the 10 to 12 foot range. No real magic as far as baits go, when the fish are active crank baits are the ticket with Mann’s 20+ in grey ghost will work. During the heat of the day dragging Carolina rigged worms over the ledges is working, one trick that seems to be help is having a long 3 to 4 foot leader. Watching for baitfish activity is still a big plus in finding concentrations of fish. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools.
May 21, 2014
WEISSLAKE IS AT 0.06 FEET BELOW FULL POOL AND CLEAR TO LIGHT STAINED AND 73/75 DEGREES
Bass fishing is fair and most are on the bed. Texas rigged Worms and Lizards are catching fish, look for the fish to move to the weed beds as they come off bed.
Striper fishing Fair and they are being caught in the upper ChattoogaRiver and in the head waters of the CoosaRiver, above Mayo’s Lock and Dam.
Crappie fishing is fair and a few fish are being caught long line trolling with 1/24 ounce Jiffy Jigs in colors JJ01, JJ06, JJ13, JJ17 JJ20 JJ37 and Marks Special Blue. Shooting docks is producing a few Crappie also. Spider rigging with live minnows is producing some fish on the creek channel ledges.
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@havefunfishing.com.
May 21, 2014
LAKE SINCLAIR IS FULL, 77 DEGREES, STAINED UP RIVER, MAIN LAKE IS STARTING TO CLEAR, BY MATT HENRY, CALL 770 361 4210 (cell) or 478 451 0167 (SINCLAIR MARINA)
WWW.SINCLAIRMARINA.COMMATT@SINCLAIRMARINA.COM
Bass are biting a variety of baits from a wide range of depths. Some fish are still hitting top water lures and spinner baits during early morning and late afternoon. Pop R’s and similar baits have worked well along seawalls and rocks, mostly near the mouth of coves along the main river runs. Buzz baits, spinner baits, and weightless Trick worms are catching a few fish from grass and blow downs. A few shad are still spawning near the upper end of the OconeeRiver. Any of the fore mentioned baits can draw strikes, along with a ¼ ounce Rat L Trap, Fluke, and small crank baits. Boat houses and docks are still holding fish, especially those that have brush and located very near deep water. Soft plastics are usually the ticket for fishing docks. Carolina rigs retrieved along the sides and front of docks have produced well recently. Try a Zoom Trick worm on a 2 foot leader with a half ounce weight. June bug and green pumpkin are two good colors to try. Also try a Trick worm rigged Texas style with a 1/16 or 1/8 ounce weight. The weight should be pegged with a tooth pick or Peg It if skipping under the docks is necessary. More fish are now holding on main lake open water structure like points, flats, and humps.
Make sure to stop by our boat showroom and see the 2013 and 2014 inventory of Nitro, Tracker, Sun Tracker, Tahoe, and Mako boats. We only have a few 2013 models! Don’t miss out on some great deals! For more information, swing by the marina or give us a call at 478 451 0167.
May 21, 2014
LAKEOCONEE IS FULL, 74 TO 81 DEGREES
Bass fishing is good. The lake is full, light stain on the north end clear over most of the lake. Water temperature is 74 to 81 degrees. The fish are still shallow around sea walls and docks. Small crank baits, rattle traps, are still the best baits. Fish them on the sea walls and bridge rip rap in the creeks and large coves off of the main lake. White and chartreuse spinner baits fished on the bridge rip rap have also been very productive. Wood structure up the lake and in the rivers fished with a soft plastic have been producing larger fish. You will not get as many bites but the fish are usually bigger. The Buzz bait bite has started. Make sure you follow up a missed strike with a trick worm.
Striper report by Mark Smith of Reel Time guide service. Call 404 803 0741
Striper fishing is good. The stripers/hybrids are on the move looking for food. Large schools of fish are showing up from the 44 bridge to the dam. Use your Lowrance to locate the large school on the mid and south end humps. When you find the fish drop a live bait down to the fish and hang on. All types of live bait have been working shad, shiners and bream. While you are looking for these fish troll an umbrella rig and you can catch fish while you are looking for the schools. These schools are moving fast so if you do not see them keep moving until they show up.
Crappie fishing is good. Use a 1/16 jig head and long line it about 40 ft. from the boat. Over the past week the black green or black chartreuse curly tail grub have been the best producers. Look for fish from the middle out to the mouth of the coves and major creeks. A lot of fish are starting to show up on the deeper brush piles and trees. Use your Lowrance structure scan to locate the fish in the tree tops and drop a live minnow to them.
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 Service at 404 803 0741 or reeltime@bellsouth.net Learn how to use the Lowrance technology with Ken Sturdivant. Free sonar set up ken@southernfishing.com
May 21, 2014
JACKSONLAKE IS FULL, STAINED & MID 70’S
Bass fishing is good. Go up in the rivers and work the docks and channel ledges with everything that resembles a red or green crawfish. Start of the morning with one of my favorite baits, the crank bait. Once again crawfish will need to be the color of choice here. The Fat Rap in the brown crawdad is a good choice. Use the smaller number five size for best results. While cranking the channel ledges you can move up to the larger sizes but the docks and shallow water will work better with the smaller ones. Perch is another great color and its just about time for these fish to be in the shallows getting ready to spawn. Later on in the day if the boat traffic will allow, move out and throw a Carolina rig six inch worm in the green pumpkin or pumpkin seed color. Added scent will help the bass to hold on to the bait a little longer so use it often. Some anglers are also using chartreuse dye to color the tail.
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 books for sale BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE, BASSFISHINGLAKERUSSELL, BASSFISHINGWESTPOINTLAKE 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.