Lake Nottely Fishing Report – October 2006

Nottely: Level: 8.2 feet below full pool. Temp: 73-74 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Good. A mid-September tournament on the lake was won with more than 14 pounds. Spinnerbaits or flukes around blowdowns, stumps and shallow brush is a good pattern early in the day. After the sun comes up back off to brush in the 15 to 20 foot range and fish a green-pumpkin Zoom finesse worm.

Striper/Hybrids: Nottely linesides guide Jeremy Seabolt said the fishing for stripers had been off and on during September but was picking up. On September 18, Jeremy’s wife landed a 20-lb. striper the day before she went to the hospital to deliver a baby boy. The fish have been schooling some, mostly between Points 3 and 4, early and late in the day. The topwater activity should increase into October. Jeremy has been catching stripers by downlining live bluebacks, pulling freelined live bait and watching for breaking fish. Once the fish go down, pull live baits in the same area, said Jeremy. His favorite topwater plug for surface activity is a Pencil Popper. He has been running downlines in the 30 foot range over points, and just above any bait he can find. The catch has been 100 percent stripers lately, with hybrids nowhere to be found. Jerry at Jerry’s Bait & Tackle said there had also been some striper caught at Nottely by trollers pulling Hyper-Striper Stump Jumpers — a lead-head jig with a blade on it. Gene Margelli said he had been catching stripers by slow trolling with big white maribou jigs — 3/4 oz. to 2-ozs. — on planer board. Gene rigs the jigs 25 to 30 feet below the planer board, then runs the planer board a long distance from his boat. Gene said he had been catching stripers in the 7- to 9-lb. range in the area between Point 3 and the mouth of Conley Creek.