Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report January 2007

Blue Ridge: Level: 19 feet below full pool. Temp: Around 50 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. For both smallmouths and walleye, Blue Ridge is your best bet among Georgia’s mountain lakes. Guide Nathan Lewis was on the lake December 19 and caught 14 fish including one spotted bass, a 1 1/2-lb. yellow perch and the rest smallmouths ranging from one pound to 3 1/2 pounds. The fish came on a combination of crankbaits on rocky banks and jigging spoons in deeper water. “It has been inconsistent because of the weather. One day the smallmouths are breaking on top; the next day they are at 55 feet,” he said. Nathan said there had been some topwater activity lately, but it was limited to casting at breaking fish. When using a jigging spoon, Nathan fishes primarily with a 6/10-oz. Flex-it spoon. Color doesn’t matter much, he says. “We use every color. Usually if I am fishing with someone else we will try two colors and see if there is a preference.” White and silver or white and chartreuse both work, although Nathan says the spotted bass seem to be partial to chartreuse, and walleye seem to show a preference for white spoons. Nathan starts looking for spooning holes by riding out main-lake points near the river channel looking for brush, stumps or drops that will concentrate fish. “Walleye seem to like a fast-breaking drop, like right into the river channel,” he said. “Smallmouths seem to like the long, tapering drops toward the river channel. Stumps, if you can find them, are a plus.”