Lake Nottely Fishing Report – April 2009

Nottely: Level: 10.8 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 50s. Clarity: Clear on the main lake; slight stain in the creeks.

Bass: Good. John Hembry said the fish are beginning to pull up a little, but they should be moving up into the pockets shallow with a good warming trend in April. John said a 4-inch finesse worm fished very slowly on a Texas rig is getting bit, and drop-shot worms are working also. On the drop shot, fish something like a Zoom Meathead, 4 inches or shorter. With either rig, the best color right now is something with green. Target boat docks, steep banks and brushpiles, as the fish are just starting to move a little shallower. Nathan Lewis echoed John’s thoughts on small worms, but he said main-lake points are also producing in 10 to 20 feet of water with a shaky head in cherry seed or green pumpkin. If there’s a little wind, Nathan suggested moving to the windy points, where the wind has muddied the water. Fish the mud line with a crankbait. For largemouths, try a spinnerbait in the same type of area. If the largemouths won’t take a spinnerbait, slow down and fish with a jig ’n pig.

Linesides: John said the stripers and hybrids have moved up shallow from point 4 on up to Young Cane Creek or point 8. On a recent trip, he and a buddy landed 20 fish from about 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Late in the day, they caught them fishing either a 1/8-oz. white bucktail or a 1/8 or 1/4-oz. jig-head fluke, John said the 1/8-oz. jig head seemed to work better because it sinks slower. He said to throw your bait to the bank, and the fish will be anywhere from right on the bank out to about 15 feet. After dark, a Rattlin Rogue or a No. 14 Husky Jerk seemed to draw the most strikes on points and around the banks. A good moon makes the night bite better, and he said to look for windy pockets during the day.