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Lake level: .51 feet above full pool. Temp: Mid to low 40’s, backs of creeks iced over. Backs of creeks are stain and the main lake is clear.
Striper fishing remains good. The high winds and arctic cold are presenting some interesting challenges. The fish and bait have moved completely from the backs of the creeks to main lake/river channels where the water temps are a bit more stable.
The fish are still scattered lake wide. Trout, herring and shiners on down rods at 25 to 40 feet & umbrella rigs are working, but not consistently. With the cold surface temps all the bait is going deep taking the fish with them.
The double B's (birds and bait) will remain the key throughout the month of January. Find the birds and the bait and you have a very good chance there are stripers nearby. Do not hesitate to downsize your bait, jigs and spoons. Tiny 2 or 3 inch trout or small to medium shiners will be your best live bait choices. A #4 hook and 12 pound test leader and a light drag are needed when fishing these small baits. Planer boards, flat lines and down rods are all viable methods, but be sure to weight your planers and flat lines with at least a 1/4oz. The floating down rod (place a float on a release 15 or 20 so feet or so above your down rod swivel, let it out 20/40 feet behind the boat) is also a good choice.
Remember - Birds and Bait. The new Lowrance Structure Scan is very helpful tool for finding the schools of threads. If you haven't had a chance to see the Lowrance LSS-1 Structure Scan/Down Scan technology in action, you need to. Meet Captain Ken West and Captain Mike Maddalena of Big Fish On! Guide Service at the Atlanta Boat Show January 13 through 17 at the Georgia World Congress Center.
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