By Capt. Preston Harden
Water level is about 4 feet below full pool and the water temperature is in the mid-70s and dropping.
November is a transition month as the water cools quickly with colder air temperatures. Fish are moving and migrating. It is the opposite migration from spring. The fish are moving shallow. Hybrids and stripers leave the deep water of the lower lake and migrate up the lake into the rivers and creeks. They start to key in on thread fin Shad. They can get picky and only eat small baits. I like to have a small jig and fluke or a white inline spinner for schooling fish. A small jigging spoon bounced off the bottom in the Creek arms will work during the middle of the day with bright Sun. Bass move back shallow and become more aggressive with cooling water. They are easier to catch with less fishing pressure than in the spring.
Turnover makes fishing tricky in late fall. The water inverts with cool water from the deep rising to the surface and warm surface water sinking. Turning water appears Brown and smells like rotting leaves. It will have foam on top. This usually gets worse after a cold snap. It clears up after the weather stabilizes. The upper Lake and Creek arms turn over first. Fish move up the lake looking for better water quality. Look for green water. Try to fish after a few days of stable weather. Fall can be great fishing with no boats around. Beautiful leaves and cooler weather add to the experience.
Preston Harden / Bucktail Guide Service, 706-255-5622 / bucktailguideservice.net.