Lake Chatuge Fishing Report – May 2009

Chatuge: Level: 1.72 feet below full pool. Temp: 58-63 degrees. Clarity: Crystal clear.

Bass: Very good. John Hembry said to target any type of cover shallow on rocky points or in the backs of the pockets with a crankbait or a spinnerbait. A Shad Rap in firetiger or white/chartreuse is good for stained water. Go with chrome/blue if the water is clear. John likes a white spinnerbait with white blades for brushpiles. He fishes a double willowleaf and will often use a skirt with some blue flake. If the fish seem a little slow, switch to a Texas-rigged finesse worm and fish brushpiles out to about 10 feet. Watermelon seed or green pumpkin are good during the day. For night fishing, switch to a curly-tail worm, and go with darker colors. If you want to do some sight fishing, the largemouths are on the beds right now in the backs of the spawning pockets, but it will only last a week or two. Then it’ll be time to watch for breaking or chasing fish around boat docks or bank cover. Keep a topwater bait tied on.

Linesides: The white bass bite up the Hiawasee is very good, with some big 1- to 3-lb whites being caught, said guide Jeremy Seabolt. Fish around bridges, blowdowns, rocks or any other structure you can find with a blue-and-chrome Shad-Rap, a yellowjacket or white Rooster Tail or a No. 3 Mepps spinner.