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 are
subject to change without notice.
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, 106 Hickory Ridge Drive, Cumming Georgia. Please allow 14
days for delivery.
WANT TO SPEND THE DAY ON
LAKE LANIER?
Captain Marty Allagood has a
22 foot Pontoon Boat he will rent for only $250.00 per day.
Call 678-234-4371.
May 17, 2013
LAKE LANIER IS UP 1.47 FEET, THE MAIN LAKE IS CLEAR AND THE CREEKS ARE SLIGHTLY
STAINED AND & 65 DEGREES
This Lake Lanier Bass report is from Jimbo Mathley. www.jimboonlanier.com 770
642 7764
Bass fishing is good, but still rather inconsistent. We have yet to see any
major signs of heavy spawning as most of the fish we are catching are fat and
healthy, and we have been catching big ones on some days. There are some post
spawn fish showing up now in the creeks. For numbers, these are the fish upon
which we have been focusing. A shaky head and worm or worm on a drop shot rig
will work well to catch these fish which can be found on steeper clay banks as
well as around docks. Experiment with jig head sizes and worm lengths, as
sometimes lighter and smaller is better. A 1/8 to 3/16 is standard jig head
weight for this time of year. Also, a wake bait is starting to work on these
fish consistently. It is good for a few bites every morning now. We continue to
target the summer brush on the main lake and mouths of the creeks for our bigger
fish. Jerk bait and a fluke have been our best success stories this week. While
the bites on this pattern are fewer, the size is consistently better. The top
water bite is finally starting to show some signs of recovery, particularly with
the recent warmer nights. Look for this bite to continually improve as we
progress through May and into June. I have Tuesday and Thursday, May 21 and 23,
open next week
This Lake Lanier Striper report is from Captain Ken West and Captain Mike
Maddalena of Big Fish On Service 404 561 2564. www.bigfishon.com
Striper fishing is good. However, the bite is early morning and late in the
afternoon. The fish have been on points with deep water close. The primary
technique remains free lines with Herring deployed 100 feet behind the boat and
50 feet behind your planner boards. Free lines with a single split shot out
fished the un weighted lines this week. Add weight to a couple of your lines as
the day progresses and vary your speed form .5 mph to 1 mph. We are casting a
Captain Mack's buck tail jig with a small fluke to points and picking up a few
spotted bass while we are pulling baits. We have not had any luck this week with
top water, but the top water bite should be right around the corner; so get your
Cordell Red Fin's tied on and in the boat. The umbrella rig is working. We use a
3 ounce umbrella with 9 one once jigs with shad bodies 90 to 120 feet back. One
day white shad bodies are working better than chartreuse and the next day
chartreuse works better than white. We start each day with one white and one
chartreuse rig and then the stripers tell us which one they prefer. The key is
to cover as much water as possible with a focus on points. The north end and mid
lake is working better than the south end. Call Ken Sturdivant about the ON THE
WATER SCHOOLS for SONAR and Rods Reels and Lures for Bass or a full day STRIPERS
School. Call 770 889 2654 for details.
Lake Lanier Crappie club has a monthly meeting and monthly tournament on Lake
Lanier check out their web page. www.laniercrappieanglers.net/Links.html
We have the
current web site for the ramps on Lake Lanier below.
Just plug in
the current lake level to see the data.
http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Recreation/LakeSidneyLanier/LakeLevels.aspx
Launch Site Elevation From Corp
of Engineers Laurel Park 1048
Charleston Park 1048.8
Balus Creek Park 1049.5
Tidwell Park 1051.2
Shoal Creek Park 1053.1
Sardis Creek Park 1053.3
Big Creek Park 1053.7
Little Hall Park 1054
East Bank Park 1054
Van Pugh Park North 1054.4
Old Federal Park 1054.5
Little River Park 1055.7
Vann’s Tavern Park 1056.1
Clarks Bridge Park 1056.2
War Hill Park 1056.2
Wahoo Creek Park 1056.4
Holly Park 1058
Chestnut Ridge Park 1058
Keith’s Bridge Park 1058
Mary Alice Park 1058
Starboard Cove Marina 1058
Sunrise Marina 1058
Thompson Bridge Park 1058
Young Deer Park 1058
Little Ridge Park 1058.3
Bolding Mill Park 1058.9
Thompson Creek Park 1059.5
Six Mile Creek Park 1060
Toto Creek Park 1061
Aqualand Marina 1061.4
Burton Mill Park 1061.5
Sawnee Campground 1061.5
Bald Ridge Creek Park 1061.6
Mountain View 1061.6
Two Mile Creek Park 1061.6
Lanier Park 1061.7
Shady Grove 1062.8
Long Hollow Park 1063
Duckett Mill Park 1063.1
Lumpkin County Park 1063.3
Bethel Park 1063.4
Robinson Park 1063.7
Van Pugh Park South1063.7
Nix Bridge Park 1064
Simpson Park 1064
Lula Park 1064.2
Shoal Creek Park 1064.4
Lanier Point Park 1065.2
Take a look at www.bassminder.com for
some great bass fishing products.
Lowrance Structure Scan/Down Scan Tips
Sheet
Structure Scan
Set up the quad panes on HDS-8/10:
Press pages – right arrow to structure
Down arrow to structure & sonar & chart, press enter
Set Up for Max Performance
Set the left top pane view to look both left/right
HDS 8&10 Press view button soft key
HDS 5&7 Press menu, down arrow to view – enter
Up arrow to left/right – enter
Change Active Pane
Hold the page key down until the orange box moves to the top right box
HDS 8&10 Press view button soft key and change to look down
HDS 5&7 Press menu – right arrow – down arrow to look down – press enter
Change Width of Panes
Press menu – menu – up arrow to page – right arrow – down arrow to adjust pane –
right arrow
Hold the right arrow down and adjust the left panes to have ¾ of the screen –
press enter
Edit Overlay Data
Press menu – menu – arrow up to page – right arrow – down arrow to edit data –
right arrow
There is a blue box around the active field to edit, i.e. (Structure depth) –
Press enter and use arrow keys and move data to desired location – then press
exit. Press down arrow key and the blue box will change to the next active field
to move, i.e. (Water temp) – Repeat this process on other data to edit or move.
When edits or moves are completed, press menu – down arrow to save – press
enter.
Add Overlay Data to Screen
While in edit overlay data press the menu key and down arrow to add - press
enter and up arrow to GPS – right arrow and then down arrow to (Speed over
ground) press enter. This will add that data to the screen. Repeat this process
to add time or any other data as needed.
Change the Size of the Overlay Data
While the data is active, with the blue box around it, press the Zoom out or
Zoom in to make the data larger or smaller as needed.
Other Optimum Settings for Use of Structure Scan
Use pallet #6 for best viewing on structure scan panes only
Contrast for pallet #6 is best at 72% to 76%.
Pallet #5 works well on Structure Scan with 80% contrast.
Pallet #1 or #13 work very well for conventional 2D sonar. Set the ping speed at
18 for good performance.
Structure Scan Speed
Optimum speeds for the use of Structure Scan technology would be 3 to 10 mph. It
can read at higher
Speed’s depending on where the transducer is placed.
Hide the “Quick Buttons”
On the HDS8 and the HDS10, press and hold the Exit button and the “Quick
Buttons” will go away. Press and hold the Exit button and the “Quick Buttons”
will reappear. Pretty cool.
Turn these HDS machines off properly!
Turn all HDS products Off to save settings or waypoint’s. Press the power key
one short stroke, the menu will come up with the standby mode active (blue box
around standby). Arrow down to power off and the HDS will power off.
Use the “Shallow Water” setting for any inland water application. This dictates
a minimum search of 0 to 100 feet, so bottom is not lost and sonar lock on is
fast in shallow water. “Fresh Water” setting applicable to Great Lakes and unit
goes into medium range search 0 to 400 feet.
To optimize key strokes while Structure Scan panes are active (on HDS 8&10)
press the view soft key in the bottom right side of the screen and leave the
view menu up on the screen while trolling around looking at cover or structure.
This will allow you to change the view to all left or right based or where the
object would appear on the screen. Then range less as much as possible keeping
the object visible, and move the cursor over the object and press Zen. This will
shift the object to the center of the screen and zoom it in. BE SURE TO ZOOM
BACK OUT AND GO BACK TO VIEW LEFT/RIGHT MENU.
The user needs to understand options and choose the correct setting for their
application. Settings can be found under menu – menu – sonar – fishing mode –
enter – choose application – press enter.
We have 50 GPS waypoints for bass
fishing on Lake Lanier 25 on the south end and 25 on the north end of Lake Lanier for sale for
$99.00. Get the GPS waypoint and the structure as well as the lures to use on
each location. Send a check for $99.00 to: Southern Fishing Schools Inc., 106
Hickory Ridge, Cumming Georgia, 30040
Look on the bottom of this page for
a "sampler".
(WAYPOINTS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE)
Lake Lanier
Ramp Calculator
Requires Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet)
Stop wasting time, gas and Money.
Learn how to find
where the fish Live!
“On the Water” Sonar School Outline
We will spend the day tuning the sonar, locating fish and structure and marking
fishing locations where fish “live”. We will SEE the fish and the structure
where they live.
Learn how sonar works. What is the cone angle? What do fish look like when we
are sitting still and when we are moving? What are those long skinny lines
coming off the bottom? What are those long horizontal lines? What does a
school’s of bait look like.
How do I find the places where Bass live? Learn the technique that will
eliminate water and hot to “find” the fish.
How to use the right bass lures at the right time. We will use the Fish and
Game Forecaster and learn when to fish with what. www.moontimes.com
Tune a sonar from a to z. All the settings are there for the angler to
customize their machine.
Learn how to use the under water cameras. SEE THE
FISH!
See the GPS features in action and load numbers into a GPS unit. We will give
anglers a list of several locations at Lake Lanier where bass live. Learn how to
load GPS numbers in machines.
We also offer a $25.00 cash referral to anyone that books takes an On the Water
School or a guide trip. Be sure you tell the referral to give me your name and
phone number so we can forward you a check.
COPYRIGHT Southern Fishing Schools Inc.
Lake Lanier is a 38,000 acre reservoir operated by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers (COE) and located about 50 miles northeast of Atlanta. Lanier receives
heavy fishing pressure due to its proximity to the large population centers
around Atlanta. Spotted bass, crappie, striped bass and catfish are favorite
targets of Lake Lanier anglers. Record low rainfall in 2007 drastically reduced
the surface area of the lake and brought predator and prey species closer
together. These “close quarters” will allow spotted bass, largemouth bass and
stripers to be more effective at locating and feeding on blue back herring and
threadfin shad in early 2008. These improved foraging conditions will allow
predator species to improve their body condition and put on weight for the
upcoming spawning season. Black bass fishing should be very good in 2008.
Spotted bass are very abundant, in excellent condition, and are putting on
weight from the ample supply of threadfins and blue backs. Therefore, anglers
should experience another good year catching numerous 1 4 pounds spotted bass.
Based on WRD sampling from 2007, the abundance of 1 to 2 pounds largemouth bass
has also improved slightly. Largemouth’s exceeding 5 pounds are present, but
limited in numbers. Spotted and largemouth bass can be caught on a variety of
artificial lures throughout the year as well as live baits such as night
crawlers, crayfish and minnows.
Anglers fishing for crappie should experience an average year when it comes to
numbers. Fish in the ½ ¾ lb. range will be common with a few larger fish
weighing in near 1 ½ pounds The heaviest stringers will be produced from late
February through April, when larger spawning fish are shallow. The best areas to
find crappie are the upper Chattahoochee arm (Clarks Bridge to Lula Bridge),
Thompson Creek and Taylor Creek. Look for downed trees in the water and use a
depth finder to locate submerged structure, when fishing for Lanier slabs.
Lanier anglers can expect another excellent year for striped bass. The lake
supports an abundance of small stripers weighing from 2 to 10 pounds. A good
supply of 10 to15 pounds stripers will also provide plenty of action and an
average number of trophy stripers (20 to 30 pounds ) are still present. Both
winter (November March) and summer (July August) offer excellent conditions for
striper fishing. Live bait (herring, shiners, bluegill, shad, and small trout),
super flukes and bucktail jigs will produce the best results. Angler success
during the summer months will depend on oxygen conditions at cooler depths
(greater than 25 ft.), which provide the striper’s habitat from July through
September. An abundant supply of blue back herring, which is the preferred
forage of stripers, plays a key role in maintaining a healthy population in
Lanier.
WRD stocked 142,000 walleye fingerlings in 2007 to boost the fishery by
enhancing spawning runs up the rivers. Wahoo Creek and the upper Chattahoochee
River arm of the lake are good areas to begin the hunt for Lanier walleye. Most
fish caught in 2008 will be in the 1 to 2 pounds range, with a few fish over 2
pounds Adult walleye are increasing in abundance, and a few larger fish can be
caught in the Chattahoochee River near Belton Bridge in February and early March
during spawning runs. After spawning, walleye move to the lower reservoir
seeking the cool, oxygenated waters (25 to 40 ft. depths). Trolling the
shoreline (spinners, crank baits and crawler harnesses) and still fishing
night crawlers on the bottom at depths of 15 to 40 feet is an effective method
for taking walleye year round. Check out www.walleyehunter.com for general tips
on walleye fishing or the “Walleye Fishing in Georgia” guidebook that is posted
on the WRD website at www.gofishgeorgia.com
We have these books for sale: “BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE”, “BASS FISHING
LAKE RUSSELL”, “BASS FISHING WEST POINT LAKE” 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 or see the web site:
www.havefunfishing.com.
Copyright 2013, Southern Fishing Schools Inc. 770 889 2654.
if you would like to have a free set up sheet for your sonar, send me an e mail
to kensturdivant@earthlink.net and ask for the “Sonar Setup Quick List”.
Southern Fishing Schools Inc.
Ken Sturdivant
106 Hickory Ridge
Cumming Georgia, 30040
770 889 2654
SAMPLER
Lake Lanier G PS locations Volume One
NORTH LANIER
THESE WAY POINTS ARE
"NOT" TRUE.
(WAYPOINTS ARE NOT
REFUNDABLE!)
1. River Find this old road bed and in 25 feet of water
there is a good man made brush pile. Jigs, crank baits and spinner baits. 34 22
83 49 28
2. River Rocky Point A small pea gravel point with small rocks with spots year
round. Small crank baits, spinner baits and jigs 34 21 991 50 19
3. Creek This is an old road bed with a new man made brush pile. Right up on the
bank there are small rocks that spots and largemouth will feed on. Use crank
baits, spinner baits and jigs. 34 21 6 8 50 4
4. Creek This is a large fresh man made brush pile in front of the docks right
next to the creek channel. Use crank baits, spinner baits and jigs. 34 22 421 83
59 415
5. Creek this is a set of 4 docks with brush piles under and in front. Look for
the houseboat and fish all the docks. Use crank baits, spinner baits and jigs
drop shot, Carolina rigs. 34 32 497 83 22 21
6. Creek This is a point just past the bridge with a fresh man made brush pile
with stumps and rocks. Jigs, drop shot, Texas rigs 34 03 21 83 49 88
7. Creek This is an old road bed on the right side of the creek with a fresh man
made brush pile. The road bed goes all the straight across the lake but this is
the only place the fish hold on. Jigs, drop shot, Texas rigs and jerk baits 34
23 81 83 482 107
8. Creek This is a large hump with two very large man made brush piles. This
hump is out in the center of the creek and there are always some big spotted
bass living here. Crank baits, spinner baits, jigs, drop shot, Texas rigs, jerk
baits, drop shot, Carolina rig, Texas rigged finesse worms 34 20 138 83 52 90
Copyright 2013, Southern Fishing Schools Inc.
“Southern Fishing Schools Inc.
Ken Sturdivant
106 Hickory Ridge
770 889 2654
Cumming, Georgia 30040
www.havefunfishing.com
The Real Scoop on Moon Phases by Joe Bucher
Full Moon or Dark Moon? Major and minor solunar periods? Which is best? Does any
of this moon mumbo jumbo make any real sense nor does it actually work? These
are legitimate questions asked by thousands of anglers each year, and they
deserve concrete answers backed up by some bonafide data. Yet as much as pro
anglers endorse the effectiveness of moon charts and outdoor publications of
every niche' continue to print them, rarely does either source validate these
solunar claims with data.
It's not hard to find a solunar table of some kind. Nearly every fishing
publication today publishes some kind of monthly solunar table, moon chart,
activity calendar, action graph, or other similar version. All of these tables,
charts, and calendars claim to predict daily feeding activity of fish with
accordinance to moon and solar influences. Like so many other anglers, rarely
can we find any consistent correlation with most of these references.
Finally, back in 1976, when I got into the fishing guide business full time, I
really made it a point to compare my fishing catches to a number of popular
solunar charts. Once I started logging my catches on a daily basis I developed a
good data base. This finally put me in a position to compare hundreds of muskies,
and thousands of bass and walleyes on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis to any
printed solar/lunar reference. One of my key entries was TIME of day. I figured
a daily entry of fish activity would finally give me a mound of fishing data to
compare with the various solar/lunar references on a given day to day basis.
What followed convinced me that certain solar/lunar criteria simply had very
little or no daily influence.
Basically, I became so frustrated and disappointed with the lack of any real
consistent correlation to most of the popular magazine charts today that I gave
up on them completely. They simply did NOT work. I actually caught far more fish
when they weren't so suppose to bite. And when good fish and game activity did
coincide, which was usually less than 10% of the time, it was plainly obvious
that it actually had much more to do with local weather changes than any
predicted major or minor solar/lunar period.
You would have thought that my accumulated research would have cured me from
ever looking at a solunar chart again, but it did just the opposite. Why?
Because I ended up discovering a certain solar/lunar influence that really did
work. In fact, it worked so well that it was hard to believe at first. My daily
fishing logs had surely disputed the commonly accepted correlations, but they
just as surely pointed to indisputable evidence that a "certain" solar/lunar
factor was really important.
Yes, I had flipped 180 degrees on the entire solar/lunar deal. I went from
totally disbelieving to being totally convinced. In fact, I eventually got to
the point where I myself began to predict the most probable daily, monthly, and
even yearly times when the biggest fish were most apt to bite. And what's even
more incredible was that I was right almost every single time. But perhaps what
was even more unbelievable to me was that everyone else had missed this simple
but really absolutely TRUE key.
The real secret to solar/lunar influences on a daily basis was nothing more than
knowing when the sun and moon rose and set on a 24 hour basis. That's right, it
was simply a matter of knowing, to the minute, when the sun came up and went
down, and when the moon came up and went down each and every day. My 21 year old
fishing log revealed without question that more fish were active during a 90
minute window surrounding each one of these four daily influences.
Now, I realize this sounds overly obvious, but I told you it would. Most of the
solar/lunar charts, tables, and graphs you see depicted in today's publications
do NOT reveal nor coincide with these four vital factors: 1) sun rise, 2) sun
set, 3) moon rise, and 4) moon set. Yet it doesn't take an astrologist to figure
out how important the rise and set of both the sun and moon has to be.
It's certainly no secret that feeding movements of both fish and game have been
traditionally accepted as key during dawn and dusk -- this correlates with sun
rise and sun set. Moon rise and set is a bit more tricky to key in on though
since they can often occur at mid day or mid night. Overcast weather can also
make it impossible to see a moon rise or set, and of course a dark/new moon is
not visible to begin with. This information is readily available in several
national weather publications, but your best bet is to take a look around this
website for Joe Bucher's Moon Secrets.
The other "super secret" my logs revealed was the predictable frequency of big
fish catches during the peak moon phases of full moon and new moon.
Specifically, a lot more big muskies, walleyes, and bass were taken right on the
actual scheduled calendar day of both the full or new (dark) moon peak, and
continued for a three to five day stretch afterwards. In other words, if the
full moon peak is on June 10th, June 10 thru 15 have great potential for
trophies.
Backing up a bit, the four daily factors previously discussed (the rise and set
of both the sun and moon) inside each one of these predictable monthly moon
peaks (four days on the back side of the full or new moon) further nails it
down. In other words, you want to plan your fishing trips to hit the peak of the
full or new moon. Then you want to be fishing on your favorite big fish spots
during the daily rise and set of both the sun and moon.
Finally, my logs revealed a third factor that really adds impact to this entire
solunar secret. That unpredictable third influence is local weather. Whenever a
local weather change coincides with the daily rise or set of either the sun or
moon, during a peak monthly moon period, BIG things happen in bunches. BIG
things meaning BIG FISH. For example, give me a severe summer T-storm right at
sunset, and just before moon set during the new moon period and it's almost a
sure bet that I'm going to bag a big musky or the year's biggest catch of lunker
walleyes. Or just as good -- put me on a steep rocky shoreline with some
spawning ciscoes right at the start of a snow storm in the late fall just after
sunrise and right before moon set during a full moon period. Big muskies, big
pike, big walleyes, and big lakers will be snappin'.
Could there be a fourth factor? Absolutely. In fact, there might even be a 5th
or 6th. However, an easy-to-detect 4th factor of influence that adds even more
impact to an already good situation is a change in the photoperiod, or laymen's
terms -- a change in season. Photoperiodism is actually the measured ratio of
daylight to darkness. The most drastic changes in the photoperiod occur in the
spring and fall, but mini-differences are detected inside all seasons which are
quickly detected thru their eyes and transmitted to their pituitary gland. The
responses to these changes in the photoperiod trigger sexual responses such as
reproduction and the development of eggs. This, in turn, also triggers increased
movement and feeding binges by normally less active trophy fish.
I do realize how controversial my comments on solunar table validity may seem to
some, but the facts speak for themselves. My data clearly points to sun rise,
sun set, moon rise and moon set as The most important factors. The simple rise
and set of both the sun and moon has far more impact than any other daily sun or
moon position. That is, bar none, the single most important daily triggering
factor of both fish and game.
Monthly peaks in both the full and new moon are a second factor definitely worth
considering. When fish of all sizes are feeding infrequently due to a prolonged
streak of bad local weather conditions, that small "window" of three to four
days right after the actual moon peaks, full or new, may be the only time that
the largest fish of any species is truly catchable. Fishing during the daily
rise or set of the sun and moon during these key monthly moon phases is
paramount.
Weather is also a legitimate third factor, and helps to elevate the impact of
the daily rise and set of the sun or moon. It further elevates the entire realm
of big fish possibilities when all three factors happen at relatively the same
time. A changing weather pattern combined with a good monthly moon phase and
rise or set of either sun or moon can activate some major movement from big
fish. If all of these things happen during a good photoperiod, LOOK OUT! This is
when the biggest fish of the year are generally caught. If you are serious about
taking such a fish, I'd suggest you start really paying attention to the real
scoop on moon phases! Trust me -- thousands of entries in my fishing logs can't
be wrong. This stuff really works. Sun set, moon rise and moon set as The most
important factors. The simple rise and set of both the sun and moon has far more
impact than any other daily sun or moon position. That is, bar none, the single
most important daily triggering factor of both fish and game.
We have these books for sale:
"BASS FISHING LAKE LANIER",
“BASS FISHING ON WEST POINT LAKE”, “BASS FISHING
LAKE RUSSELL”, “BASS FISHING LAKE HARTWELL”
and "BASS FISHING LAKE ALLATOONA".
These books bass fishing locations exclusively for bass and covers every week of the year.
Each book
$39.00 total. 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.
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