THE SOUTHERN FISHING REPORT
by Ken Sturdivant
106 Hickory Ridge
Cumming, Georgia 30040

March 12, 2010

LAKE LANIER IS .10 FEET OVER FULL AND CREEKS ARE VERY STAINED AND THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR AND 47 DEGREES.

Spotted bass are deep this week but they are trying to move shallow as the full moon heads in arch 29. They have been slow to react to almost all lures and live bait. It’s a deep bite all over the lake and with the very cold water and spots are hard to catch. There is so many baits dying the fish have no reason to eat artificial. Marina docks are good areas for the spots and doodling worms deep will work. The green finesse worms on a brass and glass weight and glass bead makes lots of noise under water. Dropping a dark jig and eel can get a strike from the better fish. The spoons are still good winter lures for these fish and lucky anglers can get on a school. Fish the points down lake in the middle of Shoal Creek down lake around marker #3 and #5 and the rocky points around Gainesville Marina and excellent deep water areas for spots. Worms and jigs are catching fish and with the cold water fish baits slowly. We do see spots around brush piles with the Aqua Vu cameras but they are not in the brush but roaming around these areas. This makes them harder to catch as they are not locked into the brush. Also, with no sun for a week, the spots roam. Zoom’s smoky Joe and the water melon seed worms in the finesse styles are being used on a Texas rig or a drop shot rig. Look in the backs of creeks around the deep docks as well as marina slips for any active fish later each day. Some of the better fish will bite better with the full moon the last day of the month. Add some extra scent on the lures and work the baits dead slow. Live night crawlers are catching a few fish and use a small 1/8 ounce lead head jig on light line. Take a look at the new docks and service center at Port Royal Marina aka Lan Mar. The Fish and Game Forecaster has good feeding periods from 10am until 1pm Saturday and 11am until 2 pm Sunday. Get your own copy from our web site. “Casting for a Cure” bass tournament is May 15, 2010 at Laurel Park. See www.gatransplant.org or call James Kirby at 229-392-0845. The Fish and Game Forecaster has good feeding periods from 10am until 1pm Saturday and 11am until 2 pm Sunday. Get your own copy from our web site.

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 remains challenging for numbers of fish but some nice fish (20lbs) are being caught. The lake is at full pool, the creeks and rivers are stained and the water temperature is in the middle to high 40's.The fish are starting to show up in the backs of the creeks and moving up on flats. The creeks south of Browns Bridge remain the best like Flat Creek, Balus Creek, Six Mile Creek and Four Mile Creek. We continue to take one step forward and two steps back as it relates to weather. Once again we are watching it rain instead of going fishing. The 3 inches of hard rain will blow out the back of the creeks. Move to the middle of the creeks as close to the mud line as possible. After two or three days the backs of the creeks will start to clear and the fish will move back. The weather looks good for next week and its time to get back on the lake. Casting Captain's Mack's Bucktail 5/8 ounce jig with fluke or shad body trailer is working. Focus on points and flats. Herring and small shiners pulled on flat lines 50 to 90 feet back is also working. If you want to take a shot a big fish put a large trout or gizzard shad on a planner board 2 to 5 feet off the bank. However, the most productive method is to put out a couple of free lines and cast Captains Mack's bucktails the entire time you are pulling baits. Don't be fooled by the birds. They are still picking up winter kill thread fin shad. Umbrella rigs are working on suspended fish over 40 to 80 foot bottom and can also be pulled on points and flats as a search tool. You have to be brave and if you are not getting hung up in 6 to14 feet of water you are not pulling points correctly. The new Lowrance Structure Scan is a very helpful tool for finding the fish and bait. If you haven't had a chance to see the Lowrance LSS-1 Structure Scan/Down Scan technology in action, you need to.

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 on the last Saturday of every month and all seminars start at 2pm. All seminars are subject to change without notice.

Our DVD, “FINDING FISH WITH MODERN TECHNOLOGY” is now on sale! You can see a FREE! video sample at http://www.havefunfishing.com

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.