Lake Nottely Fishing Report – March 2008

Nottely: Level: 14.5 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 40s. Clarity: The main lake is clear, but the backs of the creeks are stained.

Bass: Good-sized largemouths up to 5 pounds and some spotted bass are hitting flukes on a lead-head jig pulled off the river channel ledges up the lake, said guide Jeremy Seabolt. Guide Nathan Stuart said he had several good days on Nottely lately. He caught some good-sized largemouths fishing a big, fat crankbait like a Bomber in any pocket. Plastic worms have also been producing. He has also been picking up breaking fish on a fluke or a jerkbait.

Linesides: “It hasn’t been the best lately, but not bad,” said Jeremy. “We caught about 30 all last week, including one that went 23 or 24 and the rest in the 10- to 15-lb. range. The fish are starting to run up the river. I was on the river at night recently throwing a Red Fin and caught three in the 8- to 10-lb. range. In two more weeks the bigger fish should be up there. Usually they are there by March 15. There is already a good bank bite at Canal Lake on cutbait or live bait. Some 20-pounders have been caught at night.” On the lake, Jeremy is running freelines or planer boards with bluebacks or shad early in the morning, then switching to downlined live bait by mid morning. He also had luck catching small hybrids on a deep-diving Yozuri plug that runs 10 to 14 feet deep. He has also been catching a few small hybrids pulling an umbrella rig along the river channel up the lake. He uses either swimbaits or bucktails on his U-rigs and pulls them at about 2 1/2 to 3 mph. Up the lake he is pulling them about 60 to 80 feet behind the boat; down the lake he runs them deeper at between 100 and 120 feet behind the boat. The nighttime bite on Red Fins has just started, he said, and it will only get better.

Crappie: Good around Christmas trees and boat docks, said Jeremy. Look for brush around docks in the area near Point 5 and in the S-curves. Minnows have been working best, but Jeremy said he has been catching them on a brown Hal Fly tipped with a minnow. Nighttime fishing is better than daytime.