Lake Nottely Fishing Report – October 2009

Nottely: Level: 2.1 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 70s. Clarity: Muddy upriver; clear down the lake. Downlake should be getting pretty dingy over the next couple of weeks.

Linesides: Wide open. Jeremy Seabolt said the fish are schooling better than he’s seen in years down around the dam and around the islands from point 1 to point 3. The best schooling has been at point 3. He said his guide trips have been boating 15 to 20 fish before 9 a.m. They are mostly small stripers with a few good 6- to 8-lb. hybrids mixed in. Throw a fluke with a small split shot a couple of feet up the line into schooling fish, and hold on. A pencil popper will also work. When the fish go down, pull blueback herring on planer boards and freelines. This is the best bite going. After about 9 or 10 a.m., drop downlined herring down to about 20 or 22 feet. With the cooling water in October, Jeremy said some of the bigger fish will start moving back down the lake to school.