The Southern Fishing Report”

By Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge

www.havefunfishing.com

770-889-2654

Cumming, Georgia 30040



December 17, 2010



LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 3.2 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 49 DEGREES



Spotted bass are biting and there are fish shallow and deep lake wide. There are a lot of fish under the larger closed docks. These fish have been feeding on a lot of small threadfin shad all month so small imitations will work. There are still some spots on the creek edges and deeper rocky points. The best bait all week has been a Zoom pearl Super Fluke on a 3/0 Mustad offset hook and 10 pound test Sufix Elite line. These fish that are eating Flukes are accompanied by some very big stripers. Be sure your line is fresh and use a size 30 spinning reel to handle these larger game fish,. The Zoom finesse worms in greens on a lead head or a light Texas rig will get their attention. Be sure to continue to work the deeper baits slowly, the water is still very cold off the deep areas. Docks, wood and points are key areas but get baits into the deepest cover. Use the small 1/4 ounce Strike King Bitsy bug in greens and blues skipped under deep docks will work right now. Work baits in the shady docks slips all day. Worms should be greens, natural blues and sand on a Texas rig. Fishing has been good all day. A Zoom baby bass Super Fluke Jr. on a 1/4 ounce jig head on light line will catch spots shallow in the stained waters later each day. Use the Texas rigged worms in the lime aide colors and is sure to work the lure all the way back to the boat on points. Depths will be from 10 to 20 feet. On windy and overcast days use the darker green colors of finesse worms. The river fish are shallow and use a Mini Me Lanier Shad color 3/8th ounce spinner bait with white and blue skirts. Cast this spinner bait right on the points or on reel markers that the wind is blowing on or across. Bait fish are blown on and over the points and the bass are feeding on them.



This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On! Guide Service, 404 561 2564. www.bigfishonguide.com



Striper fishing is good and with the sub freezing weather the lake has dropped another 5 degrees to the mid 40's. The backs of the creeks are very cold and some have ice. The stripers continue to hold 35 to 50 feet deep over a 50 to 70 foot bottom mid way back in the creeks. The bait is also 30 to 40 foot deep over a 40 to 70 foot bottom. Your best bet is to check the creeks mid way back for bait. If you find a good concentration of bait fish spend your time graphing the area. You can also search with an Umbrella rig or put out some bait and fish the area. Down rods fished 30 to 50 feet deep with herring, threadfin shad and trout are all working. The bigger fish have been hitting on medium trout but the 8 to 12 pound fish seem to want smaller baits. You may want to get a supply of both trout and herring. We have also had some luck on weighted 1/4 once free lines 40 to 50 feet back. The fish are scattered lake wide but the south end of the lake has been the best producer. Bald Ridge Creek, Shoal Creek, Four Mile Creek and Six Mile Creek continue to be the top producers.



December 17, 2010



WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 5.7 FEET, STAINED AND 47 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL



Bass fishing has been good. With the lower water conditions fish have pulled out a little and scattered with the limited cover available. The best cover has been on steeper banks in the mouths of creeks and pockets such as lay downs and brush piles. It takes a little more time to find brush piles, but they are often better producers this time of year. The best cover has been in depths from ten to fifteen feet of water. These underwater hotels have been producing both spotted bass and largemouth’s. My best pattern has been a 3/8 ounce All Terrain jig in black and blue tipped with a black blue Z-Man chunkz, a 1/8 ounce shaky head with a Z-Man floating worm in green pumpkin, and mid depth crankbaits in a shad pattern. We are using a Bandit crank bait in a natural shad pattern to cover water while locating cover. Once we have located cover, fish with a jig or shaky head slowly. The best locations to look for cover, is in the mouths of major creeks lake wide.



Hybrid and striper fishing is good. The river bite has slowed some this week. The best bites have come from down lining live bait on humps and roadbeds on main lake. The best humps have been in Wehadkee Creek and Maple Creek.



Crappie fishing has been excellent. Crappie have pulled out a little with the lower winter water levels. Their depth ranges have not changed much ranging from twelve to fifteen feet. With the lower water levels you will need to fish the first break off of main channel going into pockets. These channel contours are anywhere from twelve to fifteen feet deep. Use pink and white or black and chartreuse jigs tipped with minnows in twelve to fifteen feet of water. Trolling patterns have seemed to work the best to locate fish. The best creeks have been Half Moon Creek, Yellow Jacket Creek and Whitewater Creek.



December 17, 2010



LAKE ALLATOONA IS 11.9 FEET, 48 DEGREES AND STAINED


This Lake Allatoona fishing guides report is bought to you by Matt Driver, Host of Pro Angler Radio



Bass fishing is good and old man winter has set in. The Float-n-Fly bite is in full swing with water temperatures in the low 50 to as low as the high 40's. We are using a 12 foot 6 pound test Sunline Fluorocarbon leader tipped with a white blue and orange Red Rooster Fly. We are fishing this bait on bluff walls main lake around Atlanta Athletic Club and north. Slow is the key and at times we leave the bait still for almost 30 seconds. When the cork goes under set the hook hard. If the hook is not set you may lose a few fish. On really windy day, hide on the sheltered side of wind blown bluffs. Also tip the fly with a "shaping dope" like Red Rooster bite booster. This will allow you to mold you bait to look like a bait fish.



This Lake Allatoona fishing guides report is bought to you by Robert Eidson of First Bite Guide Service. www.firstbiteguideservice.com 770 827 6282.



Line side fishing is good but it did slow some after the cold front that we had last week. But has really started to pick back up in the past couple of days .Flat lines and planner boards are working very well right at sun and then again at sun down. Trout gizzard shad and thread fins are all working well. The shiner bait has really slowed down. After the sun comes up try down lining of a any main lake point. Trolling is still the best bite on the lake. Troll the Mack Farr umbrella rig right on the edge of the river channel and hold on. The Dugout in Marietta has everything you need when it comes to trolling for stripers. Top water is really starting to heat up and the key to finding the top water bite, is finding the birds. The sea gulls show up in big numbers last week and they are staying close to the feeding line sides. The best time to take a monster striper off the top is right at sun up and just before dark. These fish aren’t as picky as the fish at Lanier due to the lack of fishing pressure. They will hit anything you throw at them when they are feeding on top.

We still have a few days open for Christmas vacation, so give me a call and lets take the kids fishing. Remember Kids under the age of 10 fish free with paying adults with 2 kids maximum per trip. Striper trips make a great Christmas gift call 770 827-6282



December 17, 2010



LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 6.4 FEET, 50 DEGREES



Bass fishing has slowed down with the severe cold temperatures that came through on Sunday and Monday nights. The fish went down deep and held tight on the channel ledges and on the stumps near the bottom. The temperatures are expected to warm up and periods of rain are expected. The lake still has plenty of water in it and the Spotted Bass are roaming up in the shallow water during the day as the sun comes out. Wind blown points and stretches of the bank that hold both small rock and wood would be the best places to cast a Number 5 Jointed Shad Rap and DT6. Finding the right color to use will be the key to catching more fish. Take along several colors but be sure to include shad, fire tiger and either silver or something with chartreuse in it. Use ten pound test Sufix Elite line and fish just a little slower this week.



December 17, 2010



LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 4.1 FEET, CLEAR & 51 DEGREES



Bass fishing is slow and the extreme cold temperatures kept the majority of the anglers at home, but there were a few brave boaters out on the water fishing in the coves. A few small spots are biting on plastic worms around wood structure of the main lake points. The wind has been blowing really well and this will drive the bait fish up to the shallow water, especially on a clear or partially cloudy day. On the deeper drop off points, continue using those DT10's and Number 7 RS Shad Raps. As the sun comes up over the tree tops, run to the rip rap and work it well with these crank baits as well as medium jerk baits like the McStick. The rocks will capture and hold the heat from the sun and draw the bait fish as well as hungry bass. Run and gun will be the pattern, so fish an area well, then move on.



December 17, 2010



CLARK HILL IS DOWN 6.8 FEET, STAINED & 50 DEGREES



Bass fishing took a hard hit this past week when severe freezing temperatures and high wind came across the area. Most of the fishermen stayed off the lake and the reports were far and few coming in this week. With the cold temperatures, the fish backed off to deeper water and held tight. As the warming trend appears, expect the bass to become a little more active. Check the shallow water and the mouths of the small creeks and coves for any signs of a shad die off. The cold weather killed a ton of bait fish and they will be floating on top of the water. These are excellent areas to use a slow retrieve Husky Jerk. The number 10 size is a great one to use and Glass Minnow is a good choice, just fish them slowly. Make the bait appear to be like a dying shad. Small twitches and longer pauses will trigger a strike off any fish in the area. Also have the Flex It spoons ready in case there fish right under the boat. The Husky Jerks will work in the deeper water and along the ledges but use a slow retrieve.



December 17, 2010



LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR & 52 DEGREES BY MATT BATY



Bass fishing is good. The cold weather has really dropped the water temperatures into the low 50's and even high 40's in some places. That has put the shad on the move toward deeper water. The best place to fish this time of year is in Spring Creek. Spring Creek is loaded with deep water and standing timber in which the bass suspend. The best places are near the bends and points of the old creek channel from about 22 to 24 feet deep. There are 3 deadly tactics that we like to use during this time. The best technique for numbers of fish is to fish a drop shot rig. Use a size 2 Gamakatsu finesse wide gap hook and a 3/16 to 1/4 ounce drop shot weight, depending on the wind. Use either a bait caster or a spinning outfit, but the spinning gear works much better. Use 8 pound Sunline Fluorocarbon FC Sniper line. This line is extremely sensitive and has low memory. Use your electronics to find the balls of shad and drop your bait right underneath them. The best bait to use is a 6" Big Bite Baits finesse worm in green pumpkin or watermelon. The other technique works well when the bass are suspended up off the bottom. Texas rig a 6" Big Bite Baits Trick Stick in watermelon with red flake. Use a 3/16 ounce Tungsten and a 5/0 Offset Gamakatsu hook and 16 pound Sunline FC Sniper. Stay in the old creek channel and throw into the stumps targeting the larger size trees. The bait falls slow and the bass will hit it on the way down. The last technique is awesome for catching giants. Use a Spro Little John DD in Citrus Shad or Nasty Shad. Use 12 pound test Sunline to get the bait down deep enough to reach the fish. The best places are on the points and bends of the old creek channel. If the weather starts to warm, look for the bass to move up on the flats. Then it will be time to break out the Rat L Traps and power poles.



December 17, 2010



LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, 54 DEGREES & CLEAR



Bass fishing has been fair. The recent heavy rains have pushed the lake up quite a bit, and the shallow flooded grass in the creeks have been the place to be. Spinnerbaits and buzz baits are working well, but the presence of baitfish has been the major key. Schooling action has improved; hybrids, whites, and largemouth are pushing shad up on the flats, where Rat L Traps are a hot item for the quick action. When the bite has slowed, flipping jigs in brush piles and flooded cover has been your best route at a bigger bite. Some fish are holding on the river ledges, but the patterns have been finicky. Water temperatures have cooled into the mid to upper 50's. The schooling action is great for those who just like to catch fish. Check out the flats around Creektown, Tobannee and Cowikee Creeks. Rat L Traps and hair jigs will do the trick. Bass are hitting the creeks following the bait. Spinnerbaits are good lures to use in the flooded shoreline grass, but jigs seem to be the best bet for a bigger bite.



December 17, 2010



LAKE WEISS IS DOWN 3.4 FEET, STAINED & 52 DEGREES



Bass fishing has been slow and the channel is stained all they way to Cedar Bluff. Little River area and Powerhouse are in pretty good shape. All coves in Bay Springs are fishable. Up river coves are marginal. Bass are still schooling around points and drops. A lot of spots being caught and the best bait is a broken back Shad Rap.



White bass are going to school up under the birds just like the stripe. There aren't a lot of birds right now but more and more show up everyday. The Little Fishy works best on stripe. Birds have been working in Cowan Creek and some around Hawg Island and the back end of Yellow Creek. Dingy water does not seem to be bothering the catfish at all. They are going to come to anything that smells good to them.



Crappie are moving back to deep water. Structure around old river channel edge and points and humps are target spots. A few are still being taken around deep docks. Best jig color is triple green and red/blue/white.



Ask for a sample of the 50 GPS waypoints for off shore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Weiss Lake, Alabama. For more info contact Ken Sturdivant at ken@havefunfishing.com



December 17, 2010



LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 55 DEGREES, STAINED TO MUDDY



Bass fishing is slow to bite due to the dropping water temperatures. Use the 1/4 ounce Strike King jig in the black and blue or black and chartreuse colors with a Zoom Super Chunk in Watermelon Seed color, which will help to slow the baits decent. Fish the bait around and under docks with a water depth in the 6 to 10 foot range. As the sun warms the rocks around the sea walls and rip rap during the day, fish a number 5 Shad Rap in the shad or silver/blue colors. Lake Oconee is full pool with the water temperature 45 to 50 degrees. Most of the lake is clear but you will find some stain water in the back of the creeks.



December 17, 2010



LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 53 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.



Bass fishing remains fair with fish still scattered from the main lake to near the back of coves and creeks. Crank baits have probably produced more action than other baits during the last week, especially in larger coves that have an abundance of shad. Smaller baits like Shad Raps have caught a few fish near the edges and around docks. But more fish have remained near the centers or basins of coves at 7 to 14 feet deep. Deeper crank baits have been the ticket for these fish. Some good choices are Rapala DT10 Norman DD14 and DD22, Fat Free Shads. Chartreuse or combinations with chartreuse have been the best colors. Jigs and soft plastics continue to produce a few fish around docks and wood cover. Try a 3/8 ounce Strike King Pro Model jig in black and blue with a Zoom Pro Chunk. Skipping a trick worm with a 1/16 to 1/8 ounce weight has also fooled a few fish under docks. More bass along with hybrids and whites are showing up in Beaver Dam Creek. Look for fish chasing bait to the surface most anywhere in the warm water creek, but especially above the bridge. Schooling has occurred around the underwater retaining walls inside the cabled buoys and nearby in open water. There are lots of fish also holding in deeper water down the lake around points and humps. Most of these fish are smaller, but can quickly fill a limit. Depths are varying from 12 to 25 feet. The best baits have Carolina rigs and jigging spoons.



December 17, 2010



JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 4.8 FEET, STAINED & 52 DEGREES



Bass fishing has been slow. The shad seem to be headed for the creeks so it's about time for the bass to follow along in big numbers. The best bite through late week was up the river on the crank baits DT 6 and DT 10 fire tiger and hot mustard Rapala’s were working and hit the sunny banks and sand pockets. No matter what you're going be sure to find shad and the bass will be around and fish slowly especially early. Once the bass get into the creeks in full force it'll be a good opportunity for crank baits and spinnerbaits. Rat L Traps and Shad Raps should be good patterns. Hit the banks, throwing at any piece of wood you see. Make accurate casts to maximize your chances for a hookup.



Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Professional Fishing Staff will be conducting FREE! Sonar Seminars at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Lawrenceville Georgia. The “BASICS OF SONAR” seminars are held on the last Saturday of each month. The next seminar date is January 29, 2011. All seminars are subject to change without notice.



If you would like to have a free set up sheet for your sonar, send me an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net and ask for the “Sonar Setup Quick List”.



We have these BASS FISHING books for sale: “BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA” “BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE”, “BASS FISHING LAKE RUSSELL”, “BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE” and “BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL”. These books are written exclusively for bass and each book covers every week of the year. Each book $39.00. If you would like a sample of any book, send us an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040.



We have 3 books that cover ALL SPECIES in these lakes, “52 WEEKS ON LAKE ALLATOONA, “52 WEEKS ON LAKE LANIER”, and “52 WEEKS ON WEST POINT LAKE” on sale. Each book is $23.95. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040. Copyright 2010, Southern Fishing Schools Inc. Call us to set up a school, “Maps and Depth Finders” or “Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass”. www.havefunfishing.com 770 889 2654.