Lake Nottely Fishing Report January 2017

Nottely: Level: 15.6 feet low. Temp: 53-55 degrees. Clarity: Up the river and the backs of the creeks are stained.

Stripers: Guide Jeremy Seabolt reports, “The last week or so the smalller fish have gotten schooled up in Ivy Log and Jacks Creek. We have been catching fish about every way you can think of, but downlining herring 12 to 20 feet deep on humps and points has been working the best as far as numbers. U-rigs have been catching a lot fish. I have been pulling them 50 to 80 feet behind the boat. We are still catching a few good fish on large herring and shad pulling them 50 feet behind on planer boards and 100 to 150 feet on freelines out the back of boat. The fish have been really aggressive when you can get on big schools of them. Don’t be scared to pull your big bait up in 2 to 5 feet of water. That’s where we have been getting our bigger fish. If you can get big herring, that is your best bet for the bigger fish. Spots and smaller stripers are coming on the smaller baits. We have not seen a fish heavier than 10 pounds in a few weeks on the small herring. Like I have always said, the big mountain herring have always produced better then the small herring from south Georgia. We are also still catching fish on bucktails and jerkbaits throwing them on wind-blown points and to schooling fish. January can have its ups and downs. If you can find the birds, you can most times catch fish. I’m starting to see them down around the dam. I will keep a close eye on them during January. The fish and bait will be close by most of the time. Throw bucktails and weighted flukes toward the diving birds, and hold on.”