Lake Nottely Fishing Report April 2012

Nottely: Level: 10.1 feet below full pool. Temp: 60s. Clarity: Light stain.

Linesides: Fair. Guide Josh Garrison reports, “The spring run was over and done with as of mid March, so we are going into that oh-so-unpredictable postspawn time. Expect the surface temperatures to continue to climb which will keep the bait up near the surface. The problem is it’s climbing everywhere and totally scattering the fish. The key is finding the right conditions instead of trying to find any concentrations of fish. Look for calm days that will keep the fish feeding near the surface. On sunny calm days, work large areas of open lake with big wide spreads of Water Bugz side planers and freelines using bluebacks. After the rains and on cloudy days, get back in the main creeks and pull from one end to the other. Keep a close eye out for any surface activity. Even the smaller spotted bass on the surface can tell you there are higher concentrations of bait in that area, and the stripers and hybrids will be close by. Also, any bird activity is a good thing. The gulls will move out soon, but keep an eye out for loons and other diving birds. Don’t expect to mark many, if any, fish on your Lowrance. The stripers that are feeding will be cruising too close to surface to mark. Small hardbaits like the 7-inch Red Fin in blue and chrome v-waked along the surface and Sexy Swimmers fished just under the surface can be effective artificial baits. Be patient, and stick with it. Hit them early, hit them late and pray for a late-season cold snap to get them back into the river.” Guide Jeremy Seabolt reports, “We’re having some schooling early and late. Throw a fluke or a Cast Master. Fish are already doing what they do in mid April. We are pulling 4- to 9-inch gizzard shad, and we have had some big herring this year. We have been pulling planers and freelines on the main lake 75 to 100 feet behind the boat, swinging the planers within a few feet of bank.”