Bartletts Ferry Fishing Report January 2013

Bartletts Ferry: Level: 0.2 feet below full pool. Temp: Low to mid 50s. Clarity: Very clear.

Bass: Very good for numbers. Tournament angler Dennis Hudson said the spotted bass have been tearing it up. “The last few weeks crankbaits have been doing real well, and the jig bite has picked up real well,” Dennis said. “There’s also a decent dock bite, pitching soft plastics and jig under docks. The spots are biting like crazy. Anywhere there is a rock, you can catch a spot on a shaky head or a jig. Everything has seemed to move deeper. I had been having a good bite back in the creeks, but it’s just not there now. We moved out to the main lake and fished rocky points 15 to 30 feet deep. We have the Lazy Man tournament every Saturday out of Idle Hour Park on the Georgia side, and recently it took 12-9 to win, and there was a 12-3 and several sacks over 10 pounds. The weekend before, I won with 14 pounds and had a couple of 5-pounders. This rain should stain up the water a little bit, and that might help the bank beaters. The water has been so clear, a little stain will help.”

Crappie: Guide Robert Smith reports, “The crappie are being caught way up the creeks in 15 feet of water slow trolling or casting jigs or minnows. You can also catch some midway up the creeks near cove mouths along the channel in 25 plus feet of water bottom bouncing. Bottom bouncing is like a bass angler’s drop-shot rig except using a longer tag line for your 1-oz. sinker with the minnow or jig 20 inches or more above the sinker. When crappie start to go shallow preparing for the spawn, the big ones go first, so it won’t hurt to check your favorite spring spots at the end of January for the early males.”

Linesides: Guide Robert Smith reports, “Hybrids and stripers are also in the same areas as the crappie, so be sure to hold on or put the rod in the holder. We have caught some big ones. This pattern should continue until we get to the end of February.”