Lake Nottely Fishing Report – November 2006

Nottely: Level: 10.9 feet below full pool. Temp: 67 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: According to WRD Fisheries Technician Chris Looney, who was on the lake in mid October with biologist Reggie Weaver electrofishing, the largemouths were holding around wood structure in the backs of the creeks and around fish attractors. Crappie were also holding in the fish attractors, with the larger fish in the 10 to 12 foot depth. The better areas were in the backs of Ivy Log Creek and Young Cane Creek. Look for downed trees and the Christmas tree fish attractors at Jack’s Creek and Deavertown boat ramps and also at Eagle Bend. When you find wood structure, try a spinnerbait or fluke. If the fish want a slower presentation, try a jig ’n pig or a green-pumpkin Zoom Finesse worm in the brushpiles.

Striper/Hybrids: Guide Jeremy Seabolt said the lineside fishing was dead slow. “They aren’t doing it on top or on live bait,” said Jeremy. “They should be schooling by now, but they aren’t yet.” Guide John Byers also said the striper fishing had been slow to get started this fall, but he thinks the cold snap in late October should fire the fish up. The water temperature was still in the upper 60s. The fishing should pick up when it drops to about 60 degrees. On October 20, he caught hybrids in the 6- to 7-lb. range on a main-lake point freelining live bluebacks. “When the water temperature drops in November, we will be heading up the river to fish live bluebacks on freelines and planer boards,” he said. “By December the fish will be following the baitfish back into the creeks, and we will be fishing live bait and watching for schooling fish, too.”

Walleye: Bob Lewis was fishing on Nottely recently and jigging a 6/10-oz. Flex-it spoon in 30 to 40 feet of water on the main river channel and catching both spotted bass and walleye — including some big walleye. Bob had three walleye over five pounds: a 5.1-lb., and two that weighed 6 3/4 pounds. One fish was 27 inches long, another was 29 inches long.