Georgia Fishing – Southern Fishing Report, 1-9-15

“The Southern Fishing Report” by Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge Drive

770 889 2654

Cumming, Georgia 30040

www.southernfishing.com

January 9, 2015

LAKE LANIER IS 1.1 FEET BELOW FULL POOL, THE MAIN LAKE AND CREEKS ARE CLEAR & LOW 50’S

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

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 has been good but the rain, wind and cold temperatures have kept us off the water most of this past week. The rivers are very muddy due to the heavy rains. This muddy water will move down the rivers and you can usually find a mud line where the clear and the muddy water meet. Fishing the clear water ahead of the mud line can be very productive. The Stripers and the bait will stay just ahead of the muddy water. This situation will usually last for several days before the river clears. With the colder temperatures the shallow water bite will pick up as the fish continue to move up on the long tapering points and flats in the creeks. Herring, Gizzard Shad and Trout are all working when fished on free lines and planner boards. As always vary the weight on your lines with split shots to cover a variety of water depths. The umbrella rig is still working when pulled across points and flats. Look for this bite to slow as the lake water temperature continues to cool. Big Fish ON will be at the Boat show in Atlanta again this year. The boat show runs from Thursday, January 15th through Sunday, January 17th. Captain Ken West will be presenting one hour seminars on Striper fishing each day. The times are Thursday 5:00pm, Friday 6:00pm, Saturday 1:00pm and Sunday at 3pm. If you get to the boat show stop by the fishing center and say hello. The lake temperature has fallen in the low 50’s and the water is lightly stained on the main lake and heavily stained to muddy in rivers and 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. Docks on river channels no deeper than thirty feet are starting to produce quality fish. Brush piles are still holding a number of fish, but sometimes you mark them on your down scan and they tend to be less aggressive than normal. Experiment with different color jigs; presentation is important, so use a lighter weight jig head to slow down the fall. One thirty second to one twenty fourth ounce is working well, unless the wind dictates using heavier jigs. High visibility line is very critical so that you can see your line movement. Practice your dock shooting technique even when fishing your brush piles instead of casting overhead. This will pay off when the fish move to the docks. If you visit a brush pile that you normally catch fish on, but you are not marking fish on your down scan, shoot your jig a few times and let it fall slowly. You may be surprised that a limited amount of fish are holding under a limb, therefore not showing up on your scan. These fish tend to be bigger. We look forward to seeing you at the Atlanta Boat Show on Thursday and Friday, January 15th and 16th for Crappie Fishing seminars at the Lowrance booth. Be safe on the water and wear your life jacket, it can save your life! Happy New Year.

Jimbo Mathley will be hosting two Bass fishing classes one on Saturday, January 17, 2015 and second on Saturday, January 31, 2015. The classes will be from 9 AM until 12:30 PM and will be held at the Dekalb Office Conference Room, which is located off of Exit 12 on GA 400, 1320 Ridgeland Parkway in Alpharetta. These trainings will be intensive Lanier focused sessions to include detailed information on some of the following popular topics: Winter fishing to include ditch and timber fishing. How to find the best areas and how to fish them. How to identify and fish productive ledges. Tournament fishing pointers to include developing a game plan as well as managing the mental side of fishing. Matching tackle to techniques. Reading and understanding electronics and processing the information you see to make better fishing decisions. Establishing seasonal patterns and much more. There will be a generous time slot allowed for an open forum and question answer period, as well as time for one on one questions after the training ends. The first session will be more winter focused. The second session will address prepping for the winter and spring transition which will start in February. Each class will have a short morning break as well to include refreshments. Call or e mail Jimbo Mathley. Register and pay in advance, prior to January 14, 2015, the price structure will be as follows: $69 for one training, $99 for both training sessions. Day of/at the door price will be $85 for either session. Space is limited so I highly recommend making your reservations in advance ASAP. There has already been a great deal of interest expressed from many people, so spots will go fast. Call 770 542 7764 or email me at jim@laniermapped.com. Payment forms accepted include: cash, check, credit card, and Pay Pal. Please note that all electronic transactions will have a $7 processing fee added.

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.

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

The 2015 Atlanta Boat Show is January 11, through 15, 2015 at The Georgia World Congress Center. Meet these anglers in the “Let’s Go Fishing Center”: Ken Sturdivant, Dan Saknini, Mark Smith, Jimbo Mathley, Al Bassett, Matt Henry, Matt Henry, Tom Branch, Jr., Rick Burns, Rene Hess CCI, Captain Mark Smith, Randy Hancock, Matt Driver, and Chris Scalley.

January 9, 2015

WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 3.9 FEET, CLEAR & LOW 50’S

Bass fishing has been slow. We have some very cold water. A lot of movement with the bait will not get you bites right now. The best bites have been on deep shaky heads, drop shot, and jigging spoons on humps and roadbeds. The fish are really lethargic, so fish very slowly giving the bait only a little movement. On the drop shot rig, we are using a ¼ ounce bell sinker with a 18” difference between hook and lead. For hooks we are using a number one Gamakatsu drop shot hook with a Z Man Rain Minnowz soft plastic in a mud minnow color. Let the bait sit in offshore schools with no movement. Try the small jigging spoons as they can produce fish in these same areas. The best roadbeds have been from Wehadkee Creek to the Glass Bridge Access. The secondary bite when the sun is high has been on jerk baits on points. Any suspending jerk bait in a shad pattern will produce. Do not expect many bites but these should quality fish.

Lake levels from http //lakes.southernco.com/

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

Call 770 887 2217 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

January 9, 2015

LAKE ALLATOONA IS DOWN 7.7 FEET, STAINED & LOW 50’S

This Lake Allatoona bass fishing guides report is from Matt Driver, www.proanglerradio.com

Bass fishing is fair. Don’t let the cold snap and stained water keep you from fishing. There was a couple of days this past week where conditions were tough post frontal. But the key for us post frontal on Allatoona it the float n fly and drop shot. Even though the fly isn’t the best technique for stained water the still bite it. In stained water fish hold tighter to cover typically and in the winter it’s no different. Bluff walls are the key. Throw float n fly as close to the wall as possible and use colors like pink, orange or chartreuse. Slow is the key and use a 10 foot leader. The Alabama rig bite will get better as the water clears. Thursday showed signs of stunned shad (not a real “kill” though”. We like the super cold temperatures as it means a good chance at a giant spot. So far, we have been very mild this winter and the rest of January appears to be pretty stable.

This Lake Allatoona fishing Guides Report for striper and hybrids is brought to you exclusively by Robert Eidson of First Bite Guide Service, 770 827 to 6282. www.firstbiteguideservice.com Lake Allatoona, Georgia email eidson6260@att.net

Line side fishing is fair. The recent rains trashed out the north end of the lake and has pushed the bait and fish south a little early this year than last year. The live bait bite has been our better bite early. Small Trout as well as small gizzard shad fished on free lines and planner boards from Galt’s Ferry to the Blockhouse has been the ticket. Once the sun gets up, we have been changing over to umbrella and have been catching some decent fish out over the river channel. Color really doesn’t matter. Our best bite has been coming a 100 feet behind the boat at speeds of 2.6 to 3.1 miles per hour.

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

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

The 2015 Atlanta Boat Show is January 11, through 15, 2015 at The Georgia World Congress Center. Meet these anglers in the “Let’s Go Fishing Center”: Ken Sturdivant, Dan Saknini, Mark Smith, Jimbo Mathley, Al Bassett, Matt Henry, Matt Henry, Tom Branch Jr., Rick Burns, Rene Hess CCI, Captain Mark Smith, Randy Hancock, Matt Driver, and Chris Scalley.

Call 770 887 2217 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

January 9, 2015

LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 4.2 FEET & LOW 50’S

Bass fishing is slow and the water temperatures took a big hit last week. Carolina rigged Zoom mini lizards in green pumpkin or in gourd green is a good choice for getting the bass this week. Concentrate on areas where the channel ledges break off into deep water in a hurry. Find the shaper drops as the fish will hang out on them and move along these areas to feed. Downsize your line to eight or ten pound test and use a 1/4 ounce weight and ten pound test Sufix Elite line on a spinning outfit. This allows you to fish with an open bail and have your index finger on the line to hold it in place. You will also be able to feel a difference in the small bites or added weight by holding on the line instead the rod. Vertical jigging spoons in all silver is another good bait. Most of the anglers are out on the main lake away from the cold runoff and many are on the south end of the lake.

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.

Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

January 9, 2015

CLARKS HILL IS DOWN 3.8 FEET, LOW 50’S DEGREES & CLEAR

Bass fishing is slow and the water is cold. Just think for the next few week, slow and deep. It’s hard to beat a jig and a spoon in the winter but the Lowrance sonar is the key. Concentrate on points and creek mouths and ease over these areas with the Lowrance Structure Scan technology and this will eliminate a lot of water fast. No fish, no fishing. Work a larger jig and a ¾ ounce Stanley jig with a #11 Uncle Josh trailer in dark colors will be bet. There might be some suspended fish holding tight to the channel drops. When they get tight into schools, these are easy fish to fire up.

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

The 2015 Atlanta Boat Show is January 11, through 15, 2015 at The Georgia World Congress Center. Meet these anglers in the “Let’s Go Fishing Center”: Ken Sturdivant, Dan Saknini, Mark Smith, Jimbo Mathley, Al Bassett, Matt Henry, Matt Henry, Tom Branch, Jr., Rick Burns, Rene H Hess CCI, Captain Mark Smith, Randy Hancock, Matt Driver, and Chris Scalley.

Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

January 9, 2015

LAKE RUSSELL IS FULL, CLEAR & LOW 50’S

Bass fishing is slow. Get as far away from the stained waters and use the Lowrance to find the bait down lake in the backs of the creeks. Fish in the pockets and ditches on a drop shot with Zoom Shaky Head worm. The spots seem to be keying on the 25 to 35 feet deep. You can troll the pockets looking for fish on the graph. Once the fish show up on the sonar, and expect them to be on the bottom, they will usually bite. Be sure to sit right over the fish and drop baits straight down. After it warms up a little during the day try fishing some humps and ditches with shallow brush using a Carolina rig. Use the Zoom Dead Ringer in watermelon red or green pumpkin. Also the largemouth and spots will bits a pumpkinseed worm and be sure to dip the tail chartreuse in JJ’s Magic. Now crawling it through any brush on the bottom.

Sample of the BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL e mail ken@southernfishing.com

Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

January 9, 2015

LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .50 FEET, CLEAR, MID 50’S

Bass fishing is fair. Look for spots that are near to spawning areas such as ditches that run through flats as the bass will use these as highways to prepare for the spawn. A Navionics chip for your depth finder comes in handy when locating these spots. Once you find an area to fish, the best search bait to use is a lipless crank bait such as a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mud Bug Red. You don’t have to change the hooks on this bait because it comes out of the package with number 2 Gamakatsu. We had more success by allowing this bait to sink all the way to the bottom before retrieving. It will get hung up in the grass, but with a good rod and some 20 lb. Sunline FC Sniper, you can fish it and rip it free from the hydrilla. Some of the hydrilla will still be alive and some dead. We haven’t really noticed any difference because the fish have seemed to be relating to both. If the fish aren’t biting in the ditches, then start moving up on the flats and fishing the shallower water. A good bait for the flats is the New Spro Fat John in Nasty Shad. This bait allows you to fish a little slower and more methodical. The flats will be pretty thick with grass, so you can slow down and even stop the bait when you feel grass so that it will float up and out of the hydrilla. This is a deadly technique for cold water bass. With the warmer days ahead, look for the fish to start moving into the backwater to spawn. When this occurs, the flipping bite will start to get really good. Look for dead vegetation such as hyacinths and flip a Big Bite Baits 4″ Yo Momma in Hematoma on a 1 ounce Tungsten and a New 5/0 Gamakatsu Flipping Hook. Use at least 60 pound test Sunline Braid.

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

Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

January 9, 2015

LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, HIGH 50’S

Bass fishing is fair. Once it was up this can trigger some shallow fish soon. Rig a jig up and use the ½ ounce football jig in the perfect craw color rigged with a green pumpkin and add a #11 dark Uncle Josh trailer. You will need a jigging spoon, a drop shot rigged with a natural blue Zoom Swamp Crawler also. Work the creek channel bends and submerged road beds. If we see some mild overcast days in January don’t be surprised to see some schooling activity. The shallow cranking bite can also fire back up if we have several days of mild temperatures. If you find an area with bait, you can expect to find some active fish with a white spinner bait with dual Colorado blades and fish the upper end of the lake for the schooling and shallow cranking.

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

Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

JANUARY 9, 2015

LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, LOW 50’S

Bass fishing is fair. The lake is full, heave stain on the rivers clearing down the lake. The water temperature is 45 to 50. There is a lot of trash that has been washed into the lake with all the rain so keep an eye out as you move up and down the lake. Look for the fish around the docks in the mouths of the creeks. Use a small crank bait that will make a lot of noise. Fish it as slow as you can around the dock poles. Jigs fished around rip rap and rock sea walls will also produce fish. In the Richland creek area shaky heads fished up under docks have been catching a few fish. There are a few fish coming on a spoon fished on the humps near the dam.

Striper/hybrid report by Mark Smith of Reel Time Guide Service. Phone 404 803 0741 or reeltime@bellsouth.net

Striper fishing is good. Some fish are coming on spoons fished on the lower end of the lake near the dam. Also look for the birds. If you see birds diving on bait the stripers will be close by. Use a small jig head with a small Zoom fluke. The bait the birds are on are about 1in. long so match the hatch. Live bait will also put extra fish in the boat. Fish them on down lines while you are dropping a spoon into the fish you see on your Lowrance.

Crappie fishing is slow. There are some fish in the mouth of Lick creek, minnows fished on down lines into the schools will produce. Use your Lowrance to locate the schools and drop your minnow down to the school. Keep moving until you find active fish.

Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

January 9, 2015

WEISS LAKE IS AT 3′ 2″ BELOW FULL POOL AND MUDDY AND 44 46 DEGREES

Bass fishing is fair. The main lake is very muddy, Little River is clear and Cowan creek is clear. Expect conditions to improve over the next week. The fish have moved to the old creek and river channel ledges. , Carolina rigged plastics, Texas rigged Senko worms and Jigs are producing well. The ledges in Little River are producing the best.

Striper fishing is good and a lot of fish have shown up in the main lake over the last few weeks, Slow trolling live shad or a 1/4 ounce jig with a 3 inch Sassy Shad body is producing some good stripers.

Crappie fishing is great. The fish have moved off the ledges and suspended in the creek and river channels, 10 15 feet deep. Long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs in 1/16 ounce in colors JJ08, JJ13, JJ24, JJ41 is the way to catch these winter fish, They can also be caught on a float and fly technique, fished 8 to 12 feet deep, live minnows under a slip float is also producing some fish.

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

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.

JANUARY 9, 2015

LAKE SINCLAIR IS FULL, 50 DEGREES, STAINED ACROSS MUCH OF THE LAKE, BY MATT HENRY, CALL 478 451 0167 ext. 1215 (SINCLAIR MARINA)

WWW.SINCLAIRMARINA.COM MATT@SINCLAIRMARINA.COM

Bass fishing has been fairly good the past couple of weeks due to the mild winter weather we have had thus far. We have been catching numbers of fish both shallow and deep with the deep bite being most consistent. For the shallow bite, target steeper banks that contain darker colored rocks as they will generally hold more heat. As far as bait selection goes, any crawfish imitating crank bait or jig should work well due to the full moon we had this week. A Spro Little John MD 50 in the fire craw and fire tiger colors have been working well on these steeper banks near the mouth of creeks and on the main river banks. A ¼ to 3/8 ounce Buckeye Mop jig has also been producing a lot of quality bites around docks near the mouth of creeks. Generally the lighter weight jigs work best this time of year as they fall slower and stay in the strike zone longer. Black and blue has worked best on the upper half of the lake in the stained water, while brown has worked best in the clearer water down the lake. There are quite a few deep fish to be had right now as well and they will be more consistent throughout this colder weather. Look for these schools of fish to be holding in 30 40ft where the creek channels intersect the main river channel. If you find the pods of baitfish, you should be able to catch these fish by dropping a Buckeye Jiggin’ Blade or a flex it spoon below the baitfish. Gold works best on cloudy days and in dirty water while nickel works best on sunny days.

Matt has some guide trips available towards the end of the month and I also have gift certificates available as well. 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.

Call 770 887 2217 Carrie Toth or cmtoth@forsythco.com for all the details and vendor options.

JANUARY 9, 2015

JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, STAINED & LOW 50’S

Bass fishing is fair. The water is still cold and the bass are trying to recover. There was a fair shallow bite and it may return within the next 10 days if the weather warms. Worm small finesse worms in greens on a light Texas rig mid day until dark. Worm the ditches and runs out coves and any deep dock close by. In the ditches use a jig in a ½ ounce in all black or add a green pumpkin Zoom Creepy Crawler. Also spoons and drop shot rigs can work but the Lowrance is the key to stay close to bait and close to the structure. A shallow cranking bite can work next week if we warm up. Use the Bandits and the Lucky Craft Flat Mini CB in shad colors for the shallow cranking.

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.

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.

2015 Atlanta Boat Show

“Let’s Go Fishing” Center Seminars

Thursday, January 15, 2015

2:00 pm Trophy Bass Fishing, Bass Tubs of Oklahoma

3:00 pm Crappie Year Round, Al Bassett

4:00 pm Bass Tactics, Rick Burns

5:00 pm Stripers! Captain Ken West

6:00 pm Lowrance HDS Technology, Ken Sturdivant

7:00 pm Fly Fishing, Rene Hess CCI

8:00 pm Lake Lanier Crappie, Dan Saknini

Friday, January 16, 2015

1:00 pm Crank Baits for Bass, Ken Sturdivant

2:00 pm Trophy Bass Fishing, Bass Tubs of Oklahoma

3:00 pm Crappie Year Round, Al Bassett

4:00 pm Fly Fishing, Rene Hess

5:00 pm Lake Lanier Crappie, Dan Saknini

5:30 pm Bass Fishing Lake Lanier, Jimbo Mathley

6:00 pm Stripers! Captain Ken West

7:00 pm Lowrance HDS Technology, Ken Sturdivant

8:00 pm Lake Oconee, Captain Mark Smith

Saturday, January 17, 2015

11:00 am Crappie Year Round, Mark Smith

Noon Fly Fishing, Rene Hess

1:00 pm Stripers! Captain Ken West

2:00 pm Crappie Year Round, Al Bassett

2:30 pm Inshore Fishing in the waters near Savannah, Jack McGowan

3:00 pm Peacock Bass, Randy Hancock

3:30 pm Springtime Spotted Bass, Jim Mathley

4:00 pm Lake Allatoona Bass, Matt Driver

4:30 pm Trout on the Chattahoochee River, Chris Scalley

5:00 pm Lowrance HDS Technology, Ken Sturdivant

6:00 pm Bass Tactics, Rick Burns

7:00 pm Lake Oconee, Captain Mark Smith

8:00 pm Trophy Bass Fishing, Bass Tubs of Oklahoma

Sunday, January 17, 2015

11 am Trophy Bass Fishing, Bass Tubs of Oklahoma

Noon Lake Oconee Crappie, Al Bassett

1:00 pm Trout on the Chattahoochee River, Chris Scalley

2:00 pm Lowrance HDS Technology, Ken Sturdivant

3:00 pm Stripers! Captain Ken West

4:00 pm Lake Allatoona Bass, Matt Driver