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Our DVD, Rods,
Reels and Lures for Bass is now on sale for only $25.00 including shipping. Send
a check payable to Southern Fishing Schools Inc. to: Southern Fishing Schools
Inc to 106 Hickory Ridge Drive, Cumming Georgia. Please allow 14 days for
delivery.
Ken Sturdivant, Lowrance Professional
Fishing Staff will be conducting FREE! Sonar Seminars at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor
World in Lawrenceville Georgia. All seminars are the last Saturday of each month
and start
at 2pm. All seminars are subject to change without notice.
See samples of the
New Lowrance HDS Structure Scan Down Scan at this address:
http://havefunfishing.com/fishingreports/lowrance.htm
February 9, 2012
JACKSON LAKE IS DOWN 4.57 FEET, CLEAR & 53 DEGREES
Bass fishing is good and it a full moon this week. Up in the rivers, the stained
water is reaching 55 to 56 degrees. White spinnerbaits are the favorite this
week and cast them to any structure. Docks and stumps as well as the docks with
the heavy cover have fish and they will bite the tubes and jigs. Lizards are
also productive on the points about midway up in the rivers. Try the six inch
Zoom green lizard on a Carolina rig on the smaller rocky points and secondary
points. Use the pumpkin fire tail and smoke and chartreuse on pre spawn bass.
Stay off the area and make long casts using 12 or 14 pound Sufix Elite line.
Slow roll the lizard over the bottom and stop it every three feet or so for 15
to 20 seconds. Most of the bites will come after the bait has stopped or just
when it starts to move again. Crank baits are also working but only while using
a slow retrieve. Work short stretches of bank that connects a point with a
secondary point. Anglers are still using the Rapala Shad colored DT10 to catch
the larger bass that are staged up on the channel ledges near the deeper water
and around the dam area. We teach On the Water Schools for Sonar and Rods, Reels
and Lures for Bass. Call for Ken details at 770 889 2654 for details.
Try the new Wave Away Screen
Cleaner @ www.waveaway.com and put Ken Sturdivant in the referral box.
From the Department of Natural Resources: Hybrid Striped bass and Striped bass
were stocked in Jackson Lake in the past (Since the 70's) but never became as
abundant as many other Georgia reservoirs. 45,000 striped bass were stocked in
1979, however, primarily hybrid striped bass were stocked from 1981 - 2006.
Striper stocking began again in 2005 and by 2007 only striped bass were stocked.
Surveys indicated that the striped bass and hybrid bass fisheries of Jackson
Lake were not as popular as other Georgia reservoirs and an effort to switch to
only stripers would benefit the striped bass restoration of the Altamaha river.
We continue to stock striped bass in Jackson lake annually as fingerlings at 8 -
10 per acre depending on hatchery production. Fall 2008 standardized gillnet
survey indicated strong year-classes of striped bass from the 2007 and 2008
stockings. The 2008 stockings were averaging 9 inches and the 2007 stockings
were averaging 16 inches. A few striped bass from previous years were detected
at lengths greater than 23 inches (likely 2006 stockings). The gillnets are size
selective and don't typically catch the largest individuals in the lake. There
is beginning to be a good following of striped bass anglers on Jackson lake that
catch some quality fish up to 28 inches. However it is possible that the drought
of 2009 may have had a significant impact on the Jackson Lake striped bass
population. The 2009 gillnet survey produced only one striper and the 2009 fall
electro fishing survey produced three stripers that were in poor shape. The
drought in combination with heavy fall rains could have driven the stripers to
alternative habitats during the sampling events resulting in the low catch rates
or the lack of thermal habitat could have crashed those two strong year classes.
We will continue to stock striped bass in May 2010. As anglers get out fishing
this spring, fishing reports will indicate the survival of the striped bass in
Jackson Lake. Jackson has a great forage base with a good dynamic shad
population dominated by large gizzard shad that has the potential to support a
thriving striper fishery.
Lake
Jackson is a 4,750 acre impoundment located in Jasper, Butts and Newton counties
in central Georgia and is owned and operated by Georgia Power Company (GPC). The
Alcovy, South and Yellow Rivers and Tussahaw Creek form this lake. Several boat
ramps provide public access. GPC owns and operates one ramp at Lloyd Shoals Park
and the others are at privately operated marinas. There is also a GPC boat ramp
and fishing pier just below the dam that provides fishing access to the upper
Ocmulgee River. The shoreline is heavily developed and the lake is very popular
with recreational boaters and skiers during the summer months. Annual lake draw
downs occur between December and March. For information on the location of the
boat ramps, bank fishing opportunities and lake drawdown schedules, contact the
GPC Land Department (770 775 4753).
Lake Jackson is one of the better bream lakes in middle Georgia. Bluegill and
redbreast sunfish typically reach 5 7 inches. However, redear sunfish (shellcracker)
are also numerous and often much larger. Live bait such as red worms, mealworms
or crickets fished just off the bottom will often result in catches of redear
from 7 10 inches, and individuals weighing 1 lb. or more are common. April, May
and June are the best months for big bluegill and redear. Catfish are the second
most harvested fish. White and channel catfish and bullheads are available for
harvest and should average ¾ 1 lb. Lake Jackson has a greater proportion of
“memorable sized” (greater than 30 inches) channel catfish than most other
central Georgia reservoirs but expect the average to be about 2 to 3 pounds .
The crappie population has remained stable with most fish around 6 8 inches.
Recent good spawning seasons will result in better than average crappie fishing.
The bridge crossing at Highway 212 has proven to be a crappie “hotspot” in early
spring when temperatures reach 60o F. Trolling small jigs around drop offs,
points and creek channels is effective for crappie anglers.
Largemouth bass abundance and quality has changed little in recent years. The
black bass populations consist of around 70 percent largemouth and 30 percent
spotted bass. The average sized largemouth bass has remained 1 1½ pounds Anglers
seeking large bass (5 pounds or better) have most success during fall, winter
and early spring (October thru February). Crank baits and Carolina rigged worms
fished in or near deep water are most effective for larger bass. Anglers should
also be successful targeting flooded timber in the upper reaches of Tussahaw
Creek in the fall. A section of the lake not often targeted is the Yellow River
arm. This section offers a variety of habitat for anglers seeking large bass.
Early morning and night are the best times to fish during the summer.
The spotted bass population is stabilizing since spots were first sampled by WRD
in 1998. Spotted bass tend to be located deeper than largemouth bass. Anglers
commonly catch them at depths of 25 40 feet, but surface baits may attract spots
when the fish are shallow enough to take notice of these offerings. Unlike
largemouth bass, there is no minimum size limit for spotted bass in Lake
Jackson. Striped bass and hybrids are also available for anglers to target. Try
casting bucktails or jigging spoons for hybrids and trolling creek channels for
striped bass. Anglers should also target cooler water habitats around the dam or
look for schools feeding on top in the spring and summer for these two species.
Anglers should remember that the use of blue back herring is still illegal in
Lake Jackson.
We have these books for sale: “BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE”, “BASS FISHING
LAKE RUSSELL”, “BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE”, BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA and “BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL”.
These books are written by Tim White and Ken Sturdivant and each one has over 65
locations exclusively for bass and covers every week of the year. Each book
$39.00. If you would like a sample of any book, send us an e mail to kensturdivant@earthlink.net. Our mailing address is: Southern Fishing Schools
Inc. 106 Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia 30040.
We teach “ON THE WATER SCHOOLS”: “Rods, Reels and Lures for Bass or Maps and
Depth Finders. Call 770 889 2654 for details.
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