by Josh Garrison
Nottely is down and I mean way down. TVA got a little greedy and dropped us a couple of extra feet this winter. Maybe as some more storms come through they will fill us back up a bit. The fish don’t seem to mind too bad though. The water has finally cooled off and put the fish back into some of their normal seasonal waters. Our stripers did have a really tough summer and are looking quite poor. Please land the fish as quick as possible and release them quickly to help their chance at survival.
I have and will always chase water temps this time of year but this year I am going to focus on one more element and that’s water clarity. I have always known to fish mud lines in the backs of creeks after the rain but I now think doing this for the main body of the lake works just as well. With that, look for the color changes mid lake a few days after each storm system. Then start looking for the bait and the fish should be close by. Target the stripers with planer boards pulling a variety of live baits on the surface and close to the shore. Often times my baits may only be trolling in a few feet of water. The only other thing to watch for is most of the time the fish will be in one of three places: on the muddy banks and shoreline, on the rocky shorelines, or near the transition for one to the other. When you first pickup fish, pay attention and focus on what type of shoreline is working for you each day. It will change, so don’t get stuck with one type for too long.
Wintertime artificials will still all work. Flukes, on a lead-head or wobble spoon, recoil rigs, and swim baits will be our daily choices. Then keep your standard topwater baits rigged for those occasional busts. Cloudy days before the front are always the way to go, but if you find yourself out in the sun and wind, just size down and go a little slower. Always keep an eye out for any fish eating birds and don’t worry so much about hitting the water at daylight. Evening-timecan actually be a lot better this time of year.
FORECAST BY: Josh Garrison
N. Georgia Premier Fishing Guide Service
wwww.fishgarrison.com
(706) 745-4802