Lake Nottely Fishing Report – May 2009

Nottely: Level: 4.42 feet below full pool. Temp: 60-66 degrees. Clarity: Clear. Slight stain in the backs of the creeks and up the river.

Bass: Slow, but it should start picking up soon. John Hembry said the fishing is tough right now, with the bass on the beds, but they should be moving into a postspawn pattern in the next week or so. He said to throw a weightless fluke or a spinnerbait for postspawn fish that hang around shallow in brushpiles or shoreline cover. If that’s not working, move to the rocky points and drop-offs on steep rocky banks to catch spots. John likes a Texas rig or shaky-head finesse worm for this bite. Go with something red and black at night, and fish green pumpkin or watermelon seed during the day.

Linesides: Good. Guide Jeremy Seabolt said the fish are scattered from point one to point nine, but there’s a good bite for hybrids and stripers. There are some big 6- to 9-lb. hybrids being caught from point two to point 3, and there’s a good morning bite for stripers right up on the banks. Pull planer boards and flatlines just about 4 feet off the sand and slate-rock points and banks until about 9 a.m., and then go to downlines. Follow the fish out from the banks into about 40 feet of water, and fish 10 to 20 feet deep. Big bluebacks are the ticket for bait. It’s hard to find them at bait shops, so you may have to catch your own on a sabiki, but 5- to 9-inch bluebacks are what the fish like. At midday, pull a U-rig over points and humps 70 or 80 feet deep. Crappie: Very good. Jeremy said the crappie are aggressive right now, and it’s no problem to catch a limit of crappie, with some good slabs in the 1- to 1 1/2-lb. range, from point nine up. Fish minnows or curly-tail grubs over brushpiles in about 5 feet of water. There’s also a good evening bite on the rocky wall near Nottely Marina.