“The Southern Fishing Report”

By Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge

770 889 2654

Cumming, Georgia 30040

www.havefunfishing.com



January 7, 2011



LAKE LANIER IS DOWN 2.9 FEET, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 46 DEGREES.



Spotted bass are still biting but the fish are deep on and over natural structure mid lake. There are a lot of fish scattered all over the lake. Depths to start with are 20 feet all the way out to 55 feet. The water temperatures are still dropping and the deep fish are still schooling over deep structure. The best locations will be on the main lake point’s rocky points up and down lake. Afternoons the fish are on or close to main lake points and in the natural or man made structure. Find the old trees on the Lowrance and work the spoon right into the brush. The pilings on the bridge are never fished with a spoon. Try any bridge and fish each pillar no matter how deep or shallow it make be. The 1/4 ounce all brown jig and a small #101 Uncle Josh pork trailer will work almost all day. Spoons are working in the mouths of the lower lake creeks and depths are almost 40 feet in the center of the creek channels. Let the spoon go all the way to the bottom and work it up slowly. Never overlook deep main lake docks and a Fish Head Spin with a small Zoom baby Fluke added to the hook. The green Zoom finesse worms and jigs slowly worked deep will produce a quality fish. The Zoom finesse worm in green and a finesse red shad worm is fair. Most of the fish will be very inactive except on major or minor feeding periods so watch the Fish and Game Forecaster the rest of the month. This week we caught some big spots pulling baits for stripers over 70 feet of water while striper fishing.



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 fair and not much has changed this week. Typical for this time of year with the weather changes and specifically cold fronts can make fishing challenging. It is not uncommon to have a great day fishing followed by a couple of days where the fish seem to have disappeared. The fish are scattered lake wide but the middle to the south end continues to be the most productive areas. Bald Ridge Creek, Shoal Creek and Four Mile Creek have been the “go to” creeks. Also, Flat Creek and Balus Creek have been receiving some good reports. The fish are beginning to move up on the points and can be caught "running and gunning" with bait or umbrella rigs. Focus in the middle of the creeks on sloping points with brush over a 25 to 5 foot bottom. As always this time of year, birds and bait are the key indicators. Free lines 80 to 100 feet back and down rods at 20 -35 ft with trout or herring are your best bet but smaller baits are also working. Casting a Captain Mack's bucktail jig with a fluke trailer or a 1/2 ounce Flex-it spoon will work on rolling fish. Weather continues to be a critical factor and success this time of the year depends on flexibility. Don't spend a lot of time in any one area. Keep your eyes on the water and use different techniques as the conditions change. Mike and I will be at the Boat Show January 13th - January 16. Please stop by the fishing center and say hello.



January 7, 2011



WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 6.6 FEET, STAINED AND 47 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL



Bass fishing has been slow. This week’s report has had little change with current temperatures. We can only hope that Mother Nature will let up a little to pull fish up. 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 twelve to fifteen feet of water. These underwater hotels have been producing both spotted bass and largemouth’s. Our best pattern has been 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. On sunny days the clear water jigging spoon and drop shot bite has been great. Look for fish stacking on humps and roadbeds in Wehadkee creek to catch these fish.



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 and Maple Creeks.



Crappie fishing has been excellent. There has been little change with the cooler temperatures. Crappie have pulled out even more 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. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER



January 7, 2011



LAKE ALLATOONA IS 15.7 FEET, 47 DEGREES AND CLEAR



Bass fishing is fair. Concentrate on areas in the main lake. There are a few good spots up the rivers but if you don’t know how to run it don’t risk it. Fish a jig deep and slow. Look for cover like rocks and wood starting at about ten feet with deep water access nearby. A Strike King 3/8 ounce green pumpkin jig with a Zoom Super Chunk trailer in root beer is hard to beat. Fish this rig on a bait casting rod with the Sufix Elite 12 pound test line. Also scale down and try some spinning rods and reels with 10 pound test and use a mini jig in ¼ ounce. Good colors have been the greens pumpkin, watermelon and watermelon. Use a Jr. sized trailer on the mini-jigs. Remember the water is very cold so fish slowly.



This Lake Allatoona striper and hybrid fishing guides report 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@comcast.net


Line side fishing has been fair this week. The bite this week has been slow. The bait seems to be moving south and so are the fish. We fished this week from Clear Creek south to Iron Hill. The bait was thick 2/3 of the way back in Clear Creek, Stamp Creek, Coopers Branch and Iron Hill. Now that was the good news. The bad news is the fish had lock jaw this week. We marked 20 different schools of fish each day we fished. But they just wouldn't eat. The little success that we did have came on the umbrella rigs. We are fishing our rigs 100 feet behind the boat at speeds of 2.4 to 3.1 miles and hour. By the end of the month, look south of Red Top State park, Iron Hill, Clark Creek and Tanyard Creek along with the Allatoona Creek arm will be where most of the fish will concentrate for the winter. Come spring the white bass, hybrids and stripers with make their run up both the Etowah River and Little River along with Allatoona Creek. These fish can be caught in great numbers on live and cut shad and with chicken livers. But if you want a really big fish, this is your time of year. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER





January 7, 2011



LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 6 FEET, 48 DEGREES



Bass fishing is fair and few sunny and warm days can help get the fish active. Wind blown points are still the better areas along with short stretches of red clay banks mixed with chunk rock. The points as well as the banks need to have deep water or a channel that runs close by. The bass are holding in the deeper water for the most part and move in and out on these areas to feed during the day. Even when the bass are holding in ten to fifteen feet of water and more, they will still hit deep diving crank baits like the Bandit or the Rapala DT10 and DT16. Some spots are moving up to the shallows to feed later in the day. Stay on the side with the wind if at all possible and when the wind stops blowing, go a little deeper with your plastics. To get to the most fish, use deep water jigging spoons. Find the fish and the structure with the Lowrance and work the baits straight down. Concentrate anywhere from 25 to 45 feet deep. Downsize your line and tackle for best results. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER



January 7, 2011



LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 3.4 FEET, CLEAR & 49 DEGREES



Bass fishing is fair and all we need is a good week of warmer weather to get the fish active. On the bright sunny days, the bass got a little sluggish but they still need to eat. Crank baits are the favorite early in the morning lures. This will work but the bigger bass that want a slow moving bait like the DT10 or DT6. The DT6's have just arrived and anglers are buying them up as fast as they come in. The shad and silver are working the best and with the water staying good and clean for the most part, expect these two colors to keep on catching the bass. If the crank baits are slow go to the Carolina rigs. Rocky points are still stable areas and stay on the main lake. Those that are heading back into the creeks and coves are just getting a few small bites while throwing plastics. The bass are suspending in the channels and deeper water and move up early and late to feed. The spots seem to like the smaller slow moving crank baits. Keep the Fish Head spins ready and use the small heads and the small Zoom Flukes. Rocks, deep water and wind is the key thing to look for. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER



January 7, 2011



CLARK HILL IS DOWN 7.2 FEET, STAINED & 49 DEGREES



Bass fishing is fair. There are some good fish in and around Keg Creek. Fish on the northern side and don't go into and to the back of the creek. Bass are hanging out on the main lake and on the points and especially the ones that still have some grass on them. Small cuts and short stretches of bank between two points are also producing some good bass. Fish the rocky points and the grass lines near deep water. The shad and herring are moving up from the deep during the windy days and the bass are following. The pearl color number 7 Glass Shad Rap is a good bait to fish during the winter. Also the Rapala DT10's and DT16's are good baits but reel them back slowly from shallow to deep off the points. Windy days are the best for using crank baits. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER



January 7, 2011



LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR & 48 DEGREES BY MATT BATY



Bass fishing is slow. Try Spring Creek and use the old Texas rig. Your electronics really come handy when finding these places because shad use this old channel to migrate during the winter time. Once you find the bait balls, the bass will be suspended near and around them in the timber. Use a 5" Big Bite Baits Trick Stick in black and blue and all brown on a 3/16 ounce black Tru-Tungsten and a 5/0 offset shank Gamakatsu hook. Use this rig in the points and channel bends of the old creek channel. The old creek channel ranges from 20 to 26 feet in places and the edges of it range from 15 to 18 feet. Another pattern that works pretty well is flipping dead hyacinths pretty much anywhere they are found in backwaters of the Flint and Hooch. Use a 1 1/2 ounce Tru-Tungsten and a 5/0 Straight Shank Gamakatsu hook along with a 4" Big Bite Baits Yo Momma in Hematoma. If we get a little warm spell, and the water temps start to climb, then break out the Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red and start cranking grass flats. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER



January 7, 2011



LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, 54 DEGREES & CLEAR



Bass fishing is slow. The cold fronts have pushed the fish back down to the 20 foot depths where spoons will be your best route. Use a 1/2 ounce Hopkins Shorty and try a swivel snap to reduce line twist. The Lowrance sonar is the most important gear to find them and pin point a depth. Use a sonar up front to stay on top of the fish. In another week, try the spinnerbaits in Cowikee Creek on the ledges. Also the spoons and Carolina rigs are fair. Up the river, flipping the main river blow downs with black blue 3/8 ounce jigs are fair and the spots seem to like all black or all brown on a small 3/8 ounce football head and a Zoom trailer. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER



January 7, 2011



LAKE WEISS IS DOWN 3.90 FEET, STAINED & 44 DEGREES BY MARK COLLINS GUIDE SERVICE


Bass fishing is poor and the main lake is muddy and no one is catching any Bass. Little River is still producing some good Spot fishing in the upper part on the old river ledges and the steep rock banks, a drop shot rig with a 4 inch worm or a small craw is working great.



Striper fishing is poor and with all the muddy water, look for them to show up in Little River where the water is clearing



Crappie fishing is poor and the muddy water has the bite turned of, when the water starts clearing in the bays and coves, you should be able to catch some Crappie trolling Jiffy jigs, as the water level goes back down and it clears up look for the fish to move back to the Coosa river channel ledges. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER





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



January 7, 2011



LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 48 DEGREES, STAINED TO MUDDY



Bass fishing is fair. The best bite is down near the dam. Look for bait off of the river channel. Now is the time for spoon jigging. When you find the bait near the bottom start jigging. A white silver or silver Flex-it spoon will work or try on of the new Capt. Mac shad pattern spoons. Remember the shad they are feeding on are small. The water up the lake is stained to muddy. Use big spinner bait with large Colorado blades. Fish it slow and work all the structure you can find. If you are fishing docks hit every pole on the dock. Remember slow is the way to go when the water is dark and cold. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER



Lake Oconee Line Side report brought to you by Mark Smith at Reel Time Guide Service. 404-803-0741. wwwreeltimeguideservice.com Remember to come to the Atlanta Boat show for the free fishing seminars. I will be there on Friday and Saturday. Come by and say hi.



Line side fishing is good. The striper fishing has picked up over the past week. The jigging spoon is the best bet. Find the bait fish and look on your Lowrance for the stripers to be under the bait balls. Drop your spoon down past the bait and hang on. These schools of striper are on the south end of the lake. If you see birds working bait, pull a Capt. Mac umbrella rig into the fray. Be ready for multiple hookups.



Crappie fishing is fair. The fish are in the mouths of most creeks and big coves. Spider rigging is working as well as finding the fish on your Lowrance and dropping live bait to them. Tip you jig with a minnow to increase your bite.



January 7, 2011



LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 52 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.



Bass fishing is fair and there are some fish shallow using mainly small crank baits and jigs. This is an afternoon bite. Most are coming from main river banks that drop quickly into deep water. Use the Rapala DT10, Shad Rap RS #5, Thunder Shad, and Deep Little N. Use a Stanley 5/16 ounce jig in black and blue with a Zoom Chunk in black and blue or green pumpkin. The warm water discharge in Beaver Dam Creek has been producing a few fish during power generation using crank baits. Cast baits into the current from along side the buoyed cable. Rip rap along the roads in Little River is still producing bass using crank baits and jigs. Spoons have probably been the best overall. Use the Flex It .6 spoon, the Bomber Slab spoon and a Hopkins Shorty 45 in chrome and chartreuse have produced. Carolina rigs are working well at times using a very slow retrieve. Spoons and Rocket Shad’s can also be good at times. Use a very slow retrieve trying to make the bait slowly slide along bottom or just a few inches off bottom. A drop shot rig should also be tried. Also try the jig head and worm. Use a 1/8 to ¼ ounce darter head with a Zoom Finesse worm. Like the drop shot rig, the jig head and worm is more easily fished using spinning tackle. SEE US AT THE ATLANTA BOAT SHOW JANUARY 13-16, 2011 AT THE GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER



January 7, 2011



JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 5.3 FEET, STAINED & 50 DEGREES



Bass fishing is fair. Work the points on the right hand side of the lake heading towards the dam. The river channel comes real close to this large rounded point and there is plenty of structure on the channel ledge. Tube baits on a lead head or the Carolina rig are good choices. AS always, the fish like the Texas rig with a green pumpkin finesse worm and a rattle will work. Cast a Rapala DT10 in either the silver or shad color. Hot mustard will work up lake in the off colored waters. Work the ledges at this point and work it slow. Fish the channels where they make a sharp turn at or near a major point. Keep a jig ready and use Uncle Josh pork and make the combinations black and red or red and orange.



The 2011 Atlanta Boat Show is January 13 through 16, 2011 at the Georgia World Congress Center. www.atlantaboatshow.com



The Great Southern Fishing Show will be February 19 20, 2011 at the North Atlanta Trade Center. From bass fishing to fly fishing and more, this is the best show of the winter.

www.northatlantatradecenter.com



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. 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 2011, 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.