Fishing Report For Lake Nottely, GA

Current Fishing Report: Good

The expanded use of forward-facing sonar and other high-tech fish finders is providing anglers, who fish from a boat, with a real-time view of where these spotted bass are holding. The catch rate has increased considerably, and anglers are picking their targets to catch the bigger spots. New lures, line, tackle and equipment has also improved success for anglers fishing from the bank. Savvy anglers, who study spotted bass life cycle and patterns, are still managing to catch nice fish, with or without the new electronics.

Lake Nottely has a nice population of spotted bass. Swimbaits, drop-shots, tube baits, worms, spinnerbaits and spoons are all popular for spots, and catch fish all around the lake.

WINTER. The cold Winter weather has drawn spots, in large groups, around deeper structure, points and creek channels - virtually anywhere there is baitfish. They can be found from 15 to 40 feet deep throughout Winter. Some of the bigger fish hold as much as 10 feet deeper. Here they hold, feeding less aggressively, waiting warmer water to return in Spring. The best results are coming from anglers fishing very slowly, with finesse worms on shaky heads, small jigs, and drop-shots.

SPRING. Early in Spring spotted bass hold in 10 to 20 feet of water, staging outside spawning areas. As Spring, progresses, spotted bass spend time in 3 to 10 feet of water, around nesting areas on protected flats and in the backs of coves. Once they spawn, females head to deep water to recover, while the males stay to guard the eggs and fry. Afterwards, they too move to slightly deeper water, usually close by the spawning areas. Look for them on points and ledges near these areas. Daily movements find the bass moving shallow to feed, especially early and late in the day. Deep crankbaits, spinnerbaits, small jigs, plastic worms and swimbaits are now catching plenty of spotted bass.

SUMMER. Spots are typically caught on steep, rocky banks, ledges, humps, drop-offs and standing timber, in 6 to 20 feet of water, sometimes even deeper. Early in the morning and at night they often venture much shallower to feed. They tend to gather in small schools and hold, preferring to move up and down the water column on steep banks looking for food and ideal water temperatures. They are occasionally feeding shallow, early and late in the day, where they are being caught on topwater, crankbaits and swimbaits. Drop-shots, Ned rigs, and wacky-rigged stick worms are catching finicky bass when they are deeper. They feed here on shad, small sunfish and crawfish. During the hotter parts of the day, they are being caught around deeper docks, on points and along ledges 18 to 25 feet deep. Spots will also hold in the shade of thick, shallower vegetation.

FALL. Fall weather at night, cools the shallows more quickly than deeper sections of the lake. The cooler water invites baitfish and spotted bass into coves and bays, where crankbaits, swimbaits and spinnerbaits, are often very successful for catching spots. Early, and late, in the day, spots often school up and feed in 5 to 8 feet of water, around creek mouths, shaded pockets, docks and brush. They move into 15 to 25 feet of water, or more, as the day warms the shallows.

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

Black crappie are being caught using new technologies, reducing the amount of time it takes to locate schools. Forward-facing sonar is allowing anglers, fishing from a boat, to locate schools and focus fishing time on areas with good numbers of crappie. Anglers fishing from the bank still have to search via test casting, until a school is located. Then, they are catching them as anglers have for many decades, before the new electronics became available.

WINTER. The current water temperature is in the high 40's. Now that the shallows have turned cold, crappie have migrated to deeper holding areas, mostly off shore. Currently they are being caught using a very slow presentation, in 15 to 25 feet of water. Most crappie, or as locals call them "sac-a-lait", are caught around main creek channel bends, submerged timber, deep brush piles, and main-lake structure. Good reports are coming from standing timber and brush piles, in the upper coves around Ivy Log, Jacks and Youngcane Creeks. When they suspend in open water, they often relate to some cover, or structure change, directly below them. During warming trends, especially warm afternoons, they are drawn into 10 to 14 feet of water to feed. Light tackle, with 4 lb to 8 lb line, is a popular choice.

SPRING. In early Spring, crappie begin staging in 5 to 10 feet of water, just outside spawning bays and shallow flats. Spring is prime time to be on the water, as crappie have moved shallow to spawn. At that time, they are typically caught in 4 to 8 feet of water. Vegetation, rip rap, docks, brush and wood are where most anglers catch crappie using small crappie jigs or live minnows. After the spawn, crappie typically move outside the spawning area and hold on cover close by, in 12 to 15 feet of water. Once they move deep, anglers report success using fish finders and forward facing sonar to locate schools of crappie, which tend to stack vertically around cover.

SUMMER. Water temperatures get quite warm, and crappie fishing is usually pretty good. They feed in 8 to 15 feet of water early and late in the day, until the hot Summer sun causes them to retreat to depths of 10 to 20 feet. Also, a few have embedded in the shade of slightly shallower vegetation or under deeper docks. Anglers are also locating schools of crappie hanging over deep structure and around creek channel edges, using fish-finder electronics to locate schools.

FALL. As Fall begins warming the shallows, baitfish, move into shallow flats, coves and bays, which draws crappie into these areas. They will be feeding heavily in preparation for the cold Winter, in 10 to 20 feet of water. Minnows, hair jigs, and crappie jigs, are good options during this feeding marathon. Late Fall which turns the shallows cold, starts pushing crappie deeper, toward winter holding areas. Small flutter spoons, fished in 10 to 14 feet of water, are a good option during this transition. Good results typically come around points, creek channels, and brush piles. The points and channel bends near Ivy Log Creek and Jacks Creek are popular areas in Fall.

Current Fishing Report: Good To Very Good

Lots of stripers here weigh around 5 to 6 pounds, and are quite fun to catch. The lake record is over 53 pounds, and many anglers believe there are plenty of fish weighing 30 to 40 pounds to be caught. The lake is filled with plenty of threadfin shad and gizzard shad that keep this fishery thriving.

Striped bass run in schools, and the use of new technology is helping anglers catch more stripers. Forward-facing, and side scanning, sonar is currently one of the the easiest ways to locate schools of both fish and baitfish. Once located using these advanced fish finders, striped bass are being caught by trolling, casting or jigging, depending on depth.

WINTER. Now that Winter has set in, stripers are hanging out in deeper water. They usually feed close to the bottom, around 15 or 30 feet deep as they feed on roaming schools of blueback Herring and gizzard shad. The main lake basin along the deep channel, as well as the channels in Conley Creek, Ivy Log, and Youngcane Creek is holding schools of stripers, especially in the section of lake around the dam. Locate schools of bait, then look for stripers close by. Fish finders, and forward facing sonar, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are caught while drift fishing with live bait or cut bait. Spoons, blade baits, and heavy hair jigs are also effective this time of year. Due to the stripers slower metabolism this time of year, anglers are triggering more strikes by working baits more slowly.

SPRING. Water temperatures are return to the mid 60's, and that's ideal for the stripers to spawn. In Spring, work the upper end of the lake, and the backs of coves, where there is inflowing water. If they spawn, this is where they will lay eggs in the moving water. They also move into transition zones on the main lake, in 10 to 30 feet of water, feeding on baitfish which are moving toward the shallows. Expect to locate them on mid-depth ledges, flats or points. Also, the mouths of Conley Creek, Youngcane Creek, and Ivy Log Creek are transition areas to inlet areas where they move to spawn.

SUMMER. Summer months are the ideal time to chase striped bass here. These stripers hang out in deeper water during the heat of the day, 30 to 60 feet deep, early in the season. Much of the time they are holding over deeper, open water. Morning often draws the stripers shallower, so look for them around 10 to 20 feet deep as they feed on roaming schools of baitfish. Being successful at fishing for stripers in Summer is a matter of locating schools of bait, and the wolf packs of stripers are likely to be nearby. Later in Summer, expect to locate schools 30 to 35 feet deep. Fish finders, and sonar electronics, are a big help in locating these roaming schools. Nice stripers are being caught while trolling or drift fishing. Spoons, blade baits, crankbaits, live bait and cut bait are all effective here.

FALL. In Fall, stripers return to shallower water around incoming water and the backs of coves. Early in the day stripers chase bait to the surface and feed aggressively, making this an excellent time for topwater action. They follow schools of bait, which are hanging out in 8 to 15 feet of water. Look for shallow water along wind-blown shorelines, nearby deeper river channels, and fish them thoroughly. Most any lure that resembles shad will catch striped bass at this time of year. Late Fall will find most of the stripers in 20 to 40 feet of water.