Lake Blue Ridge Fishing Report January 2012

Blue Ridge: Level: 13.1 feet below full pool. Temp: 55-58 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. Eric Crowley reports, “The fish are feeding good at first light on all the main-lake points that are getting sun first. Look for bait either on the sonar or just under the surface, and the smallmouths won’t be too far. Large topwater baits like a Smack Tackle Smackjack or a classic Zara Spook worked just fast enough to make a wake will have these fish fighting over it. After the sun is up, look for the smallies to move to a rocky structure in 15 to 30 feet of water. Underwater roadbeds and large rockpiles will hold multiple fish, and they can be caught in a few different ways. You can fish a fluke on a drop shot with good results. I like my lure about 24 inches off the bottom. Silver or chartreuse are the colors of choice this time of year.”

Linesides: The white bass are feeding really well in the evenings and have been in the pockets and small coves running the shad and herring all over the place. Make long casts to keep from spooking the fish, and I wouldn’t go more then 6-lb. test. We have caught some fish up to 4 pounds in the last couple weeks!”