Lake Weiss Fishing Report – January 2010

Weiss: Level: 2.9 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid to upper 40s. Clarity: Stained.

Bass: Fair. Guide Warren Barnes reports, “I have found a pattern in the river where I have been catching both spots and largemouths by hopping a black-and-blue Revenge jig with a Grande Bass Mega Chunk through the rocks and stumps. Let the jig flow with the current. I am also finding good bass down the lake in some of the clearer areas. I have been catching these fish on the points and ledges using Jackall DD cherry crankbaits and TN/70 lipless crankbaits. Some good areas to try are Yellow Creek and Little River. Look for this same pattern to improve. If we get a dry spell and the water begins to clear, try using finesse tactics such as a shaky head or a Jackall Flickshake rig.” Guide Mark Collins reports, “Very few largemouths are being caught, but the spotted bass are still active. The upper part of Little River and the Chattooga River are loaded with spotted bass, and they will stay there through the winter. Any cover on deeper rocky banks is sure to be holding some spots. They can be caught on a 4-inch Zoom Dead Ringer or a 5-inch Senko in pumpkinseed or watermelon-seed.”

Crappie: Fair. Mark reports, “The fish are on the ledges of the Coosa and Little rivers in 14 to 18 feet of water on the dropoffs. Spider rigging with live minnows and Jiffy Jigs is the way to catch these fish. Some crappie are being caught in the lower Chattooga River on a float-n-fly fished 4 to 5 feet deep on the edges of the old river channel. Use two 1/16-oz. Jiffy Jigs 4 to 5 feet under a float.”

Stripes: Excellent. “A lot of stripers are in the lower Little and Chattooga rivers near where they meet,” said Mark. “Back out to the Coosa River, some fish are on the old river-channel ledges near Yellow Creek. They are being caught on live shad downlined 8 to 10 feet deep and by trolling a 1/4-oz. jig with a curly tail grub or Sassy Shad body in white, pearl or chartreuse. Troll the middle of the old river channels during midday and the edges and flats early and late. Trolling speed is around 1.5 mph. Look for the birds working in the flats, and troll through that area.”

Catfish: Fair. “They are being caught in the flats in 6 to 10 feet of water on cut shad,” Mark said.