The Southern Fishing Report”

By Ken Sturdivant

106 Hickory Ridge

770 889 2654

Cumming, Georgia 30040

www.havefunfishing.com



February 25, 2011



LAKE LANIER IS DOWN ONE FOOT, THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR & 53 DEGREES.



Bass fishing is fair and the fish are ready to feed. Start with the jigs and the small Spot Stickers with a green finesse worm. Look for the spots shallow to deep at 10 feet to 30 feet deep. It’s hard to beat a small Spot Sticker and a Zoom green finesse worm on any main lake point. Also work the deeper docks and a jerk bait and a #5 Shad Rap will get some action. Today alone, we saw tons of blue backs in the backs of the creeks and the spots are going to follow them daily as the water warms. Also the spoon will still work if you see deep fish on points or old road beds. Work the spoons in the mouths of the lower lake creeks and use a 1/2 ounce Hopkins spoon. The deep fish are still eating dying bait so be ready for some fast action if the schools of bait fish show up. We did not have that much success with crank baits but the jerk baits are working in pearl or any shad pattern. Cast them and jerk them three times and let them suspend. But be sure to have lots of line on the reels and the stripers will come after this bait also. Around the marina docks or larger docks use a night crawler or medium shiners can work and be sure to use light line. Add a small split shot on the line and let the baits get deep. Start at 20 feet and deeper is a good place to look.



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 slow. The temperatures are rising and the lake is starting to warm and the fishing remains tough. The lake is clear down to 10 feet and you can visually see the bait fish. We are still in the middle of a thread fin shad die off and the stripers are feeding on the dead and dying threads making the fishing difficult. The stripers have all the food they want with very little effort. There are birds on the south end as far as you can see picking up dying threads to the point where they can hardly fly. Consequently, the birds are little help in locating fish. We have had reports of a few fish being caught at night on bucktail jigs fished shallow on points in Flat and Balus creeks. During the day umbrella rigs and small baits are picking up a few fish in Flat, Balus and Mud creeks in the first two hours of the morning. Do not hesitate to check other creeks lake wide from middle to all the way in the back. Pulling a combination of small and medium size baits on free lines 50 - 70 feet back and bait 10 - 20 feet behind planner boards while casting a 1/2 ounce bucktail is a good method in checking out creeks. As always an umbrella rig remains an excellent tool in searching for fish.



February 25, 2011



WEST POINT LAKE IS DOWN 6.1 FEET, STAINED & 52 DEGREES BY CHRIS BELL



Bass fishing has been good. Fish have bit a little better this week. With recent warmer temperatures fish pulled up a little following bait seeking warmer temperatures. Fish are grouping up on slow tapering rocky points as they move into pockets staging for spawn. Use chrome lipless crankbaits and shallow running crankbaits. This pattern will produce the first few fish which have been bigger. Once you have made multiple casts to a given point slow down with a Carolina rigged finesse worm to get a few more bites. The second pattern has been slow rolling spinnerbaits through shallow brush piles in the backs of pockets. Do not expect many bites, but this can produce you that kicker fish you need.



Hybrid and striper fishing is good. Fish are grouping on shallow humps and roadbeds in ten feet of water. Over the last week fish moved from their deeper depths following bait. Drop live shad into schools of fish.



Crappie fishing has been great. Fish moved into short pockets within coves and creeks in preparation to spawn. Fish have moved really shallow so do not be surprised to catch fish in less than three feet of water. Use live minnows eighteen inches below a cork. Fish are really grouped so if you do not get bit quickly be prepared to move to the next pocket. Once you get bit the same area should provide multiple fish.



February 25, 2011



LAKE ALLATOONA IS 13.2 FEET, 50 DEGREES AND CLEAR



Bass fishing is fair and the fish are on spoons, jerk baits small finesse worms and jigs. Look on main lake and deeper creek points at 12 feet as well as the creek ledges. Slow moving baits will be the best choice for bass and scent can help. Use these lures very slowly in and on the creek mouths and deeper coves. Bomber 7A’s in baby bass or pearl white are fair down lake. Work worms and crank baits on lower lake main lake rocky points. Use the smaller Texas rigged lizard in pumpkinseed or water melon and add some Real Craw scent. Later each day use a larger green Zoom u tail worm on and around the docks and work it dead slow. Use some jack’s juice and add a glass Venom rattle in the worm and let it sink on a free line. Slowly work the worm right in the brush around these docks.



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



Linesides fishing Is starting to get good. The shad kill is 99 percent over with. Fish are starting to eat. Little River through the S turns to Victoria Landing are holding decent numbers of hybrids. The southern end also has some fish in the Allatoona Creek area. Flat-lines, planer boards and down-lines are all working best at sunup and sundown. During the middle of the day, U-rigs are the best bite right now. “With rising water temps, it almost looks like they’re staging for the river run. By the second week of March, the river run will be full swing,” We still have a few days open next week. Give me a call at 770 827-6282 and book your trip today.



February 25, 2011



LAKE HARTWELL IS DOWN 5.2 FEET, 49 DEGREES



Bass fishing is good after the full moon and we can expect some shallow fish the rest of the month. Work the shallows at daylight and then get some crank baits and hit the points. Small to medium shad crank baits are beginning to work on creek bends down lake as well as main lake points. The fish are moving as the water warms. Use the Zoom gourd green worm on a Texas rig in the tight bank cover. Look on the points down lake and try the brass and glass combination and a Texas rigged Culprit red shad or green shad worm. Cast them right on top of any brush pile in 12 to 19 feet of water. Be sure to hit any blow downs with the jig or the worm. Do not be afraid to fish these baits really shallow especially after mid day. Fish mid way back in the creeks on the larger docks. These docks will warm the surrounding waters. Shad Raps in pearl of natural shad will also work but use light 10 pound trust to get the baits to run a little deeper.



February 25, 2011



LAKE RUSSELL IS DOWN 3.3 FEET, CLEAR, 53 DEGREES



Bass fishing is fair and the fish are moving to the shallows lake wide. Look on the main lake points and creek ledges at 10 feet. Use the gourd green worm on a Texas rig in the tight bank cover. Up the creeks look for any clearing water. Then use a dark jig and pig combination and fish tight in any cover from the bank as far out as 15 feet. The Stanley jigs in the 3/8 ounce size in dark reds and blacks with a matching #11 Uncle Josh trailer will be best. Add Real Craw scent and use it often casting to the same location. The most consistent shallow bait is a #5 or #7 Shad Rap in fire tiger, shad or chrome blue. The RS series Shad Raps can also be good if the fish are attracted to rattling, suspending baits. Try crank baits on rip rap blow downs, short pockets and coves.



February 25, 2011



CLARK HILL IS DOWN 5.2 FEET, STAINED & 54 DEGREES



Bass are tight on creek bends down lake as well as main lake points. The fish are slow and all presentations will need to be the same. Use the Zoom gourd green worm on a Texas rig in the tight bank cover. Up the creeks use a dark jig and pig combination and fish tight in any cover from the bank as far out as 15 feet. The Stanley jigs in the 3/8 ounce size in dark reds and blacks with a matching #11 Uncle Josh trailer will be best. Add Real Craw scent and use it often casting to the same location. Spoons in the 1/2 ounce sizes are the better winter time lures in and over old trees and natural structure.



February 25, 2011



LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 62 DEGREES BY MATT BATY



Bass fishing is good. The bass are really starting to move up on the beds now. Sight fishing is really a good way to catch bass right now, as long as you are in clear water near a good bedding area. Use a good pair of polarized glasses to find the beds and the bass. Once you find a bass on bed, you need to determine whether or not the fish is worth your time. Some of the bass will be locked on and will stay on the bed when you pitch your bait in. These are the ones that will usually bite. If the bass swims off when you pitch in your bait, than they usually are the ones that are difficult to catch. Each bedding bass is different, so you just have to experiment to learn a little about each fish. There are many different baits that will catch bass, however Big Bite Baits has recently designed one that is going to be awesome. With the help of Dean Rojas, Big Bite has designed a sight fishing bait called the Warmouth. It really resembles a bream feeding on the eggs of a bass when Texas rigged. Go to www.bigbitebaits.com and see a preview of the bait, and I think you can pre-order them. They should be on shelves mid March. If you don't really like sight fishing, then you have other options. One good technique is to use a jerk bait near spawning areas. Go with the new Spro McStick 95, as it is a little smaller than its original 110. The bait works real well on 10 lb. Sunline FC Sniper, so you may have to use a spinning outfit. Fast erratic actions with 4-5 second pauses seem to work best this time of year. This technique really works well, so go out and give it a shot. The best color in my opinion is clear chartreuse.



February 25, 2011



LAKE GEORGE IS FULL, 55 DEGREES & CLEAR



Bass fishing is good and the water is warming fast. Look on main lake deeper creek points and on the main lake creek ledges. Early each day use a slow moving bait for the bass and scent can help. Use these lures very slowly in and on the creek mouths and deeper coves. Use the Texas rigged lizard in pumpkinseed or water melon and add some Real Craw scent. Later each day use a larger green Zoom u tail worm on and around the docks and work it dead slow. Slowly work the worm right in the brush around these docks. Fish the main river channel with Carolina rigs in 12 to 18 feet of water. Smaller baits seemed to be the ticket like a 4 inch Zoom tube bait .Locate the schools holding around the deeper structure in 15 to 18 feet and use slow moving baits. Try the Carolina rigs and small to medium DT10 crank baits. If we can get a few warm sunny days back look for the shallow grass bite to pick up.



February 25, 2011



LAKE WEISS IS DOWN 3.18, STAINED & 55 DEGREES BY MARK COLLINS GUIDE SERVICE



Now available for sale 50 of my proven GPS waypoints for off shore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Weiss Lake, Alabama. E mail ken@havefunfishing.com


Jiffy Jigs Largest Crappie contest Come fish with me and have a chance to win a 50.00 dollar prize sponsored by JIFFY JIGS. The largest Crappie caught in my boat each month in February and March will win the prize. www.jiffyjigs.com



Bass fishing is fair and a few largemouth are starting to show up on secondary points and the rip rap around the bridges leading into major spawning creeks, Rat L Traps and Spinnerbaits are catching these staging fish. 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 a few Stripers are being caught in the upper Coosa river trolling 1/4 ounce jigs with a 3 and 4 inch white Sassy Shad trailer, at 1.5 -2 mph.



Crappie fishing is great and our fish are starting to stage in the bays and cove's on a pre spawn pattern. Some fish are shallow in 2 to 4 feet of water and they are being caught on minnows, but the bigger females are still staged in 6 to 12 feet of water. Long line trolling with Jiffy Jigs in 1/24 ounce in colors JJ12, JJ13, JJ17, JJ24 is producing some great Weiss Lake slabs.



February 25, 2011



LAKE OCONEE IS FULL, 53 DEGREES, STAINED TO MUDDY BY MARK SMITH



Lake Oconee Line Side report brought to you by Mark Smith at Reel Time Guide Service. 404-803-0741. wwwreeltimeguideservice.com



Bass fishing is fair. The bass are starting to move into the shallow spring areas. Find rocks and work small crank bait off of the rocks. With the water temp increasing daily more fish will start to move in the creeks and coves, following the bait. Some bigger fish have shown up on the jig fished under docks and structure. Make sure the dock is near deeper water. This is the time of year for change so be ready to adjust as the weather changes.



Line side fishing good Spring is coming. It is time to head to the dam. Make sure you have all the types of bait you will need. One day they like shiners, and the next they like shad. Look for fish to stage off of striper point and the boat house at the dam. Have down lines and flat lines ready. After the long winter these fish will be hungry. Now is the time to take a child fishing. These fish should stay on the south end of the lake until May.



Crappie fishing is good. The crappie bite is starting up. It is day to day. You go out one day and can not find the fish and the next day you have trouble keeping a line in the water. The fish have shown up in Lick creek and up the Appalachia River. It will not be long before they are in Sugar Creek also. Now is the time to put big slabs in the cooler. Dark jiffy jigs tip with a minnow, black blue is my first pick. Some of the bigger fish have shown up in very shallow water. It is just going to get better as spring gets closer.



Catfish report by Chad Smith Guide Service. Over the past week the cat fishing has gotten better with the warming water temp. The bite has been around the timber on the main lake between sugar creek and the parks ferry campground fishing the channels in 30-35 feet of water.; Most of the fish came on thread fins this week. Visit www.chadsmithgui8deservice.com or call 706-207-2411 for more info.



February 25, 2011



LAKE SINCLAIR IS DOWN 1.3 FEET, 56 DEGREES, MOSTLY STAINED.



Bass are biting and they are shallow. The fish are right on the banks and unless we get some cold weather, they will stay shallow for at least 10 days. Docks are great pre spawn hot spots. And if there is a creek channel close by run a large crank bait or use a short Carolina rigged pumpkinseed lizard right in into the docks and then on the channel ditch. Use the black and red Stanley 1/2 ounce jig and a larger Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh is good on the stumps rows and old creek ditches. Work jigs slowly over cover as the Bass settle to the sharper drops on creek banks and points. Zoom’s pumpkinseed lizards with a red tail on a Carolina rig has been fair all day. Spinner baits and crank baits will work. Head to the northwest coves and the Bass are in the mouths of the main lake and main river creeks. Look on the deeper points and the on old creek bends and they are tight on cover. Whitewater creek is a great winter and early spring staging area for the Bass.



February 25, 2011



JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 5.1 FEET, CLEAR & 55 DEGREES



Bass fishing is fair and the Bass are moving lake wide. The early morning bite is good and the fish are biting a variety of baits. Worms and jigs are best early. Then mid day, get out the deep diving crank baits and work the and ledges off the points. Wood can be the key as the water warms around any kind of old wood. Good lures to catch these suspending Bass are the number 5 Shad raps in the red crawfish color and the perch color or a Rapala DT10. Zoom u tail worm rigged Carolina style with a 3/16 ounce weight and a 3 foot leader are fair up lake. Try to match the color of the water with your bait as this seems to be the most productive way to get that bite. Any and all brush piles or stump beds that re holding fish need a good application of both the crank bait and Carolina rig. No reports on a top water bite but get them spinnerbaits ready for next week.



Meet Bass Pro and television personality Jimmy Houston at the North Metro Baptist Church on March 31, 2011. There will be a meal included in a $10.00 ticket at the door. Call 770 995 9055 or see www.northmetro.net for details.



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 at 2pm. 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.