The water temperature is still ranging from the upper 40s to mid 50s .Most of the back ends of the creeks are still stained  but the river itself is decently clear,of course this varies depending on where you're at. The bass fishing has finally started to improve a little.  Most of the spotted bass we've caught lately have begun to move a little shallower.Try fishing the old road beds & gravel banks with a crankbait or Shakey head. A few largemouth showed up shallow this week after the water has started to rise and warm up a little.We have been catching a few good ones on jerkbaits ,red eyed shad  and Little  John shallow crankbaits..The lake has leveled off this past week,and I look for the Corp to hold it about were it is. Everyone was catching crappie this weekend, although they were still fishing deep and trolling for them.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    EARLY SPRING /    LATE  WINTER  PATTERNS : FISHING REPORT        
                                                             
            LARGEMOUTH & SPOTS: The largemouth have began their slow march to the backs of the coves & creeks due  to the gradually rising lake level and warmer temps. Try throwing a chatterbait or a Rattle Trap type bait and covering a lot of rip rap & chunk rock for a few larger fish.In the late evening some fish will chase bait extremely shallow. Some of the biggest Largemouth of the year are caught during March .The spotted bass are also biting pretty good right now . Small crankbaits and plastic worms around gravel banks will produce well this time of year. Keep in mind the the fish are very susceptible to drastic temperature changes this time of year .They might bite good one day and shut down the next,if a cold front blows through.                                             
             HYBRIDS & STRIPERS & WHITE BASS:  Hybrids  and stripers are still holding in the mouths of most of the larger creeks on the southern half of the lake (esp stroud and maple).  Look for the schooling action to  improve as the water continues to clear in the next few weeks and have a bucktail jig handy to cast or troll.The birds (gulls and loons)will give away the fishes location. The river run is only a few weeks away, although I suspect the peak  will be a little later than usual, because of the colder than normal winter temps.  I am now booking for March and it's never too early to start booking for the fantastic spring fishing in  April & May & June .For more information you can call me at (706)884-1483 or (706)882-1743  or follow the link to my email  to insure you don't miss out.
 
             CRAPPIE:  Crappie are  biting pretty good, especially in the afternoon; most crappie  are still  fairly deep in 10 -15 feet near the creek channels. Most brush piles in this depth of water are holding fish. A few fish have also moved back to the  banks especially in the evenings.Try trolling a Jiffy Jig for the best results.Black and chartreuse is the best color with blue white a close second. Also try pitching in the shade of the docks.This is can be a productive method for numbers.I LOOK FOR THE CRAPPIE FISHING TO GET VERY GOOD , VERY SOON, all we need is 3 or 4  days with temps around 70 degrees. Night Fishing; I suggest the 109 bridges over the Hooch, Yellow Jacket and Wehadkee creeks as 3 of the best  places for night fishing. The night fishing for crappie is only fair right  now.        

              CAT FISH:  I am excited this year about catching some really nice flathead cat fish(some have been caught up in the 30 pound range) on our hybrid trips.After the floods of last fall, there should a  lot of big cats washed down to my striper holes near Franklin . The cats feed on live shad or bream, and they tend to show up in a lot of the same holes as the stripers do. Try deep holes in the river above Ringer Access .They are  fun to catch and good eating  too.

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I will be updating my photo album soon with 2009 pictures....