Georgia Fishing – Southern Fishing Report 7-18-14

“The Southern Fishing Report” By Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge Drive

770 889 2654

Cumming Georgia 30040

www.southernfishing.com

July 18, 2014

LAKE LANIER IS .24 FEET BELOW FULL POOL, THE MAIN LAKE AND CREEKS ARE CLEAR & 83 DEGREES

This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jimbo Mathley. www.jimboonlanier.com 770 642 7764

Bass fishing is good. The best bite this past week has been with the swim bait. We have been working this fast over brush in 25 to 35 feet of water. The fish are definitely starting to move out deeper, however, the recent cold front we had has indeed brought some of those fish shallower again, and more susceptible to the swim bait and top water presentations. We have also been doing well on a drop shot out deeper in the 30 to 40 foot range. There are some good fish holding out there. Sometimes just singles, but sometimes in small packs. When you see these out deeper, take the opportunity to drop on them as these are often good fish. We have also been doing several spot tail minnow trips. That bite has been great for both number and size. If you have not done it in the past, you should definitely take the opportunity to do it. I have the following dates left open in July. I have had some cancellations and switches, so here is the updated list: July 24 (Full day), July 26, 29, 30, 31 (afternoon). Give me a call, and let’s go fishing!!

Stripers are up very early and the fish will feed until mid morning on lower lake points in the creeks. The best action during the week has been from 5 am until 10:30 am and once the sun is up, the stripers leave the shallower areas in the creeks and began to migrate to the mid creeks and they spend the day at 30 feet. Live bait is the key. Make sure the baits are blue backs, keep them cool and keep fresh bait on at all times. Stripers will not eat dead baits unless they are on the bottom. Down lines and a large 2 ounce sinker is critical. Use a fluorocarbon leader and make sure you see this bait or the fish before dropping bait. The Lowrance color units are a great way to see these fish even if they are suspended in the trees as they do in the summer. Fresh lively herring will be the best bait. Check your baits every 15 minutes and touch the ones you bring up and see if their body is cool. If the body is hot, you are not deep enough. Keep all the baits at least 30 deep for summer stripers. Make sure you have a trolling pattern ready as the thermocline tries to set up on the main lake. Shoal Creek marker #3 has been good at night. Down lines and flat lines pulled in and around the docks can work. But be ready to get hung up with the wires on the docks. Watch your locator and be sure bait is close by.

This Lake Lanier Crappie report is from Dan Saknini, President of the Lanier Crappie Angler’s Club. 404 425 4059

Crappie fishing is fair and the fish have gone deep. They are holding tight on deeper brush piles and deeper docks with brush. Shooting docks and casting your jigs over brush piles are your best bet to catch these fish right now. You may ask, “how deep are they?” When you pitch your jig, take a bite of your doughnut and a sip of your coffee, then start reeling. You need your jig to sink deeper. Four pound high visibility line is very important. It will help you see any movement in the line, and when you do (see ANY movement), SET THE HOOK! Some community docks in deeper water are holding fish. If you’re fishing a private pond, target the deepest part of the pond. If you’re allowed to put in any structure, it will make a great fish habitat and help the fishery. You’ll be surprised at how quickly it will attract fish. Night fishing remains fair to good around bridge pylons, using your night light and live bait. Good luck and stay safe on the water and wear your life jacket. Dan Saknini is an avid fisherman and President of the Lanier Crappie Anglers Club. See our club’s website www.laniercrappieanglers.com

Meet Lowrance Pro Staffer, Ken Sturdivant at the new Cabela’s in Acworth, Georgia, August 21 though 24, 2014. Ken will be hosting these FREE! Seminar: FRIDAY August 22, 2014 at 3 pm and 7 pm: Fishing Georgia Lakes for bass. SATURDAY August 23, 2014 at 3 pm and 7 pm: Finding Fish with Lowrance technology. SUNDAY August 24, 2014 at 3 pm and 5 pm: The Bass Anglers Tackle Box. Located at the Cherokee Village at I 75 and Highway 92, Kennesaw Georgia

Anglers 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 they have Herring and other baits like shiners ready to go to the lake. 706 867 5102

Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Pro Staff, will be at Dreher Island State Park, 3677 State Park Road, Prosperity South Carolina 29127, August 13 through 17, 2014. Ken will doing Lowrance demonstration rides from 8am until 2pm Thursday, Friday Saturday and Sunday at the park.

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

July 18, 2014

WEST POINT LAKE IS FULL, STAINED & MID 80’S

Bass fishing is fair. Down and up lake fish are more active. A Zoom pumpkinseed lizard either on a Texas or Carolina rig. Live lizards and bass minnows are fair on points in Yellow Jacket Creek. Up river dark jig and craw worms on the heavy bank cover or a buzz bait can get a strike. Stay close to the river current on points at 8 to 17 feet. Just think deep the rest of the summer for bass in the middle of the day. Use a Rapala DT14 or DT16 along the edge at this point will catch the bass. Make a long cast and get the bait to slowly hit and bounce off the bottom rocks. Use a slow, but steady retrieve while fishing during the hot summer months. There is a good top water bite in the middle of the main lake creeks early and late. The rocks around the Yellow Jacket Creek bridge are good summer crank bait areas. With the long 3 foot leader on the Carolina rig and a full one ounce weight anglers can fish all day on the road beds and pond dams down lake. The fish are not any deeper than 15 feet all over the lake. Shad colored crank baits in bone and blue and green colors are fair on light line on points. Shad Raps in the shad and bay bass colors on 10 pound test line are also good. Rat L Traps in the chrome blue backs and smoke shiner colors has been good. Make a lot of casts in the middle of the lower lake creeks all day. Cast them right on the bank and hit the old pond dams also.

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

Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Pro Staff, will be at Dreher Island State Park, 3677 State Park Road, Prosperity South Carolina 29127, and August 13 through 17, 2014. Ken will doing Lowrance demonstration rides from 8am until 2pm Thursday, Friday Saturday and Sunday at the park.

July 18, 2014

LAKE ALLATOONA IS FULL, STAINED & MID 80’S

Bass fishing is fair. The top water bite has been very poor all week long and will not crank back up until our fall bite starts. Most of the fish are relating to the thermocline in about 20 to 30 feet of water. There are a lot of h suspended at this depth level but over 50 to 60 feet of water and just suspending because they can. It’s very tough to find schools of fish if you are not familiar with your electronics to find them. Use two baits. The fish head spin and drop shot. Use the 3/8 ounce Fish Head spin. Very long casts are mandatory and count down 12 seconds before beginning the retrieve. The bait falls about 1.5 feet per second. A super long casts expands the strike zone tremendously with the Fish Head spin and it also gives the fish more time to commit to your bait. The fish you catch on the Fish Head are good fish. Stick with the Fish Head if you want the best chance at a good sack of Allatoona fish. Another good pattern that is working is still the infamous drop shot bite and that is a sporadic bite. You will have to cover some water with the Lowrance to find the pods of fish on the drop shot bite and again fish in the 25 feet + depth range. If you catch one you will usually catch a few more in the area. They are hitting very small baits like the Tiny Flukes, Baby Sluggo’s and 3.5 inch Yamamoto Cuttail worm. Use the #4 split shot drop shot hook by Gamakatsu on 8 pound Sufix line and the 1/2 ounce Quick drop sinkers.

Lake Allatoona Fishing Guides Report is provided by First Bite Guide Service of Lake Allatoona. When you’re ready to catch stripers and hybrids, contact Robert at 770 827 6282 or by e mail: eidson6260@gmail.com.

Line side fishing is very good. The live bait bite is starting to fall off some because it’s hard to keep your shad alive, and the trolling bite is starting to pick up. We are catching very good numbers stripers, hybrids and White Bass on our morning trips right now. Some mornings, we are catching 30 to 50 fish per boat. The numbers will start slowing down some because the dissolved oxygen is dropping fast. All of the fish seem to be within one mile of the dam. Concentrate your efforts from the mouth of Clear Creek to Clarks Creek. Once you find the fish with the Lowrance sonar, start the morning fishing live shad on down lines at 24 feet. This can be a good bite if you’re on feeding fish, but fresh baits is the key, change your baits often Once the live bait bite slows down, switch to trolling umbrella rigs. We have been having most of my success pulling nine 1/2 ounce white buck tails with chartreuse trailers about 110 feet behind the boat, which puts his rigs about 24 feet deep. Also keep your top water baits ready in case any schooling fish come up. They’ll hit a popping cork, fluke or Sammy but we use biggest white Rooster Tail he can find. The secret to getting bit is to fish with light line, like 6 pound test and to retrieve your bait as fast as you can crank it in. In these conditions it’s important to get your fish back in the water quickly if you want to release it. Keep your camera ready because a quick release can mean the difference between a dead fish and one that swims away. We also suggested riding back over the area you just fished and keeping any floaters. Striper Soup has plenty of bait in stock for those of you that don’t want to get to the lake at 4am. Our boats are taking no less then 80 baits out for our four hour trips. Fresh bait is a must right now.

Anglers, we have a book on “BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA” that has 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 Sammy 100 and Big swim baits around the schooling fish. N 34 10 294 W 84 43 092 Good spawning area around Bartow County 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

July 18, 2014

LAKE HARTWELL IS AT FULL POOL & MID 80’S

Bass fishing is fair. Fishing has been barely fair with the temperatures high lake wide. The top water bite has been shut down and the bass are really sluggish. Anglers are fishing a lot of docks, especially those close to the main lake channels. Try to find those that have fifteen to twenty feet of water on the front end of the dock and you might even try sitting in deeper water fishing them. Another good idea for catching summer bass is to break out those jigging spoons and fish the pylons under the bridges. A variety of fish including bass, will suspend under the bridges during July and August as the sun bears down on the water. Vertical jigging and fishing with a weightless Fluke with a light presentation will catch some of these bass. Ten pound test line will work and try to down size to eight pound test on a 6 or 6 1/2 foot spinning rod with a medium action tip. This will prevent you from over working the bait. Also check out the long run out points that drop off sharply into deeper water. Use Carolina rigs and 1/4 ounce Bitsy bug jigs while fishing those main lake points.

Anglers, 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.

July 18, 2014

CLARKS HILL IS FULL, MID 80’S DEGREES & STAINED

Bass fishing is fair. The hot summer sun is beating down on the lake and the bass are getting really sluggish. Watching your feeding tables really closely this week will be a must. Try fishing until about noon during the morning hours and from about 6:00 p.m. until dark. Smaller bass along with a variety of other fish are still chasing the smaller bait fish and some blue backs up into the grass mats and along the rocky points and banks. These bass are taking medium diving crank baits along with a variety of plastic baits. Concentrate your efforts on any forms of structure, stumps, rocks, brush piles, grass mats, etc. and work each one with a variety of baits. The bigger bass can be found on your graph out along the channel ledges and just off main lake points. Use a deep diving crank bait like a Rapala DT10 or DT14 to catch a few of these larger bass. These fish are very sluggish, so make several casts in each location before moving. As the water temperature climbs, the bass will get a little harder to catch. Up in the creeks, the smaller bass can be found along the banks feeding on everything they can find. Small jigs and worms are catching these ten to thirteen inch bass with very little effort.

The book, BASS FISHING CLARKS HILL LAKE is on sale. Get 52 weeks of bass fishing reports and over 40 bass fishing locations for this popular lake. Ask for a free sample of the BASS FISHING LAKE CLARKS HILL book. Ask for a sample: ken@southernfishing.com

Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Pro Staff, will be at Dreher Island State Park, 3677 State Park Road, Prosperity South Carolina 29127, August, 13 through 17, 2014. Ken will doing Lowrance demonstration rides from 8am until 2pm Thursday, Friday Saturday and Sunday at the park.

July 18, 2014

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, CLEAR & MID 80’S

Bass fishing is fair. Head up into Rocky River or way up the Savannah River and find the few active bass along with a little color in the water. During the summer, bass fishing can get really tough so try and to find some form of current or even a half degree difference in surface temperature. Look for formations of the larger rocks then use a Rapala Glass Shad Rap or a Rapala DT6 and dig it into the rocks. A great place to fish is where rocks break up a do nothing clay bank. Bass roam up to these areas and feed on the smaller fish early in the mornings and after the sun goes behind the trees in the evenings. Follow these crank baits up with a crawfish imitation bait, like a jig, along these rock out crops and along the clay banks. Also continue fishing the longer, run out main lake points. The spotted bass seem to prefer the smaller rocks and are feeding on bait fish and the crawdads as well. The majority of the bass being caught are smaller in size and an eight to ten pound limit of five bass is normal this time of the year. Using the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology while searching the flats and humps.

For a sample of the BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL book e mail ken@southernfishing.com

July 18, 2014

LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED & MID 80’S

Bass fishing is fair and there is a fair top water bite until 8am. Use all white Leverage buzz baits and spinner bait early along grass lines. Keep moving and leave the trolling motor on high and cover a lot of water. If fish miss the baits, come back to them with a Zoom speed worm in June Bug and pull the baits really fast on the surface. Mid day after the current moves, get on the ledges and drag a long leader and any green bait made by Zoom. If they turn on with any current, go to the June bug and red bug trick worms and then throw the #7 pearl Shad Rap on 10 pound line. The Rapala DT16 in hot mustard has also been good on 10 pound Sufix Elite line.

Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools. ken@southernfishing.com

July 18, 2014

LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, HIGH 80’S

Bass fishing is fair and it is time for a deep bite. The grass bite has been slowed due to fluctuating water levels forcing a lot of fish out of the shallows. Shallow grass early along with shallow river ledges during the day helped put this nice bag of fish together. The water is clear and hot, making the ledge bite the best thing going. The same old lures and patterns will work on the ledges crank baits and Zoom Old Monster worms on a Carolina rig. The best ledges continue to be in Cowikee Creek. The section of the lake around the causeway is also pretty good right now. Keep a top water bait handy for schooling fish that are very likely to come up around your boat while you are ledge fishing. The river remains low and clear, and fishing remains fair to good. Shoal bass are sporadic around the shoals, with top water baits and Texas rigged worms being the best offerings. A weightless Zoom Super Fluke is also a good bait. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing on the Water fishing schools. ken@southernfishing.com

July 18, 2014

WEISS LAKE IS AT 0.24 FEET BELOW FULL POOL AND CLEAR TO LIGHT STAINED AND 83 85 DEGREES.

Bass fishing is good and they are being caught on deep brush 8 feet or more, under deeper docks, and on the creek and river channel ledges. Pig and Jigs, Crank Baits, Spinner Baits and Carolina rigged plastics are all producing some good Bass. After the rain we have had look for some good bass to move to culverts under roads, and the falls at Yellow Creek, where fresh water is running in the lake.

Striper fishing is great and they are being caught in the lower Chattooga River, the Cave Hole and Little Spring Creek on live shad down lined about 8 to 10 feet deep and flat lined live Shad.

Crappie fishing is fair they have moved back to deeper water. Spider rigging with live minnows on the creek and river channel ledges and deep brush in the flats, is the way to catch these summer Crappie. Shooting docks is producing a few crappie also.

Now available for sale 50 of my proven GPS waypoints for off shore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Lake Weiss Alabama contact Ken Sturdivant at ken@southernishing.com,

July 18, 2014

LAKE SINCLAIR IS FULL, 88 DEGREES, STAINED UP RIVER, MAIN LAKE CLEAR, BY MATT HENRY, CALL 478 451 0167 ext 1215 (SINCLAIR MARINA)

WWW.SINCLAIRMARINA.COM MATT@SINCLAIRMARINA.COM

Bass fishing has been decent. The super moon brought many of the fish back up shallow as the bream started spawning again in the pockets. The better quality fish have been found around these bream beds throwing jigs, top water, and square bill crank baits. A PB&J colored Buckeye Mop Jig has worked well around the bream beds and docks with a green pumpkin/purple fleck Zoom super chunk as a trailer. You can drag the jig across the bottom slowly or swim it through the bream beds. A chartreuse and blue Spro Fat John crank bait will catch some good fish around these bream beds as well. A prop bait will work best when looking for a top water bite in these areas. The Bass Hound prop bait is the best prop bait to use by far. There are still a good many fish holding on brush piles in deeper water. The most consistent brush piles have been in 14 18ft of water. A Buckeye spot remover shaky head paired with a black Zoom trick worm is hard to beat around deeper docks and brush piles. When Georgia Power is moving water, fish a crank bait around the corners of the Little River Bridge rip rap to catch some aggressive feeding fish. As always on Lake Sinclair, the bite gets better when Georgia Power is generating current.

I have a few openings left this week for guide trips. Give me a call to reserve your trip today. Make sure to stop by our boat showroom and see our 2014 inventory of 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.

July 18, 2014

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, HIGH 80’S DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair. The lake is full, temperature is 84 88 deg. Stained up the rivers, clear on the south end. There is an early morning top water bite on sea walls and docks or wood structure. A buzz bait has been out producing other top water baits over the past week. After this bite ends move to the deep water docks and use a football jig under the docks. Shaky heads will also work under the same docks. There is also a deep crank bait bite on the south end deep humps and points.

Line side fishing report by Mark Smith of Reel Time guide service. reeltime@bellsouth.net phone: 404 803 0741

Striper/Hybrid fishing is fair. When Georgia Power is pulling water the fishing can be good. The pipe line area of the lake (mid lake) are holding good number of fish. The umbrella rig fished 100 feet behind the boat at 3 mph. There is also a top water bite on points from the dam to above the 44 bridge for the first 2 hours of the day. These are smaller fish but a lot of fun on light tackle.

Crappie fishing is good. The crappie are staging in the timber from 10 to 20 ft. deep. Your Lowrance is critical in locating the school in the timber. If you do not see the fish on your Lowrance keep moving until they show up on the screen. When you see the fish drop a live minnow down to the school.

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

July 18, 2014

JACKSON LAKE IS FULL, STAINED & LOW 80’S

Bass fishing is barely fair during the day and a little better after dark. Almost all the fish are taking plastics but try a gold buzz bait any time you come up on a dock. Jigs are also fair on the docks in all brown but use smaller baits seem to work best on the spots. The Carolina rig and main lake ledges are best. A Zoom pumpkin lizard is the best bait lake wide with a June bug lizard a close second. The fish have moved out to the river channel ledges or to deep docks. Plastic or pork trailer will work and match the trailers to the bait. Soft plastics in the green pumpkin in a finesse worm and a Zoom Bush Hog will get strikes. Add some Lunker Sauce to the baits for extra strikes.

Meet Lowrance Pro Staffer, Ken Sturdivant at the new Cabela’s in Acworth, Georgia, August 21 though 24, 2014, located at the Cherokee Village at I 75 and Highway 92, Acworth, Georgia. Ken will be hosting these FREE! Seminars: FRIDAY August 22, 2014 at 3 pm “Finding Fish with Lowrance technology” and 7 pm Fishing Georgia Lakes for Bass. SATURDAY August 23, 2014 at 3 pm “Finding Fish with Lowrance technology” and 7 pm Fishing Georgia Lakes for bass. SUNDAY August 24, 2014 at 3 pm “Fishing Georgia Lakes for bass” and 5 pm, “The Bass Anglers Tackle Box”.

Anglers we 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.

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”.